Football, Halloween, and the Tooth Fairy (Conversation Partner 3)

My third meeting with Harrison was an educational experience for both of us.

After the craziness of a short week following Fall Break, it was good to get back in the swing of things with a meeting with Harrison. This time he didn't bring his roommate! I was so excited to see how bold he's getting in conversation. A far cry from the shy guy who needed to go through his roommate to talk to me at the beginning of the semester.

Harrison is also getting so much more animated in his conversations! He's so confident; he told me today that he has "a pretty good grip" on American culture. I believe him.

Of course, the conversation opened with yesterdays football game. He had gone to the first half (before the torrential downpour) and headed to the BLUU to eat once conditions got bad. But once he saw the rain and overheard the score of 30-7, he decided to call it a night. A smart decision in my book.

Harrison told me about how last night's rain was similar to the rain in his hometown in central China.

"It's always hard rain!"

We talked about how the weather here in Texas changes so quickly and so often throughout the day.

"That never happens in China!"

As the conversation about football died down, I asked him if he was excited to Halloween.

He gave me a puzzled look, then had to think about it for a while.

"I'm not a costume guy..."

He then began to tell me that there's no Halloween in China, at least in his hometown. To try to clear up the holiday, I told him about some of my previous costumes. One of my favorites was when I dressed up as the Tooth Fairy.

Harrison gave me another quizzical look.

I then had to go about explaining the tooth fairy, "Well, you put your lost tooth under your pillow. Then a fairy takes the tooth and gives you money for it..." Yeah, it's not that easy.

I then had to tell him the hard truth that every child must hear in their lives: "But it's really your parents."

I think I might have confused him further the with explanation that with the concept in general. I tried to clear myself up a bit, but the concept was lost.

We continued to speak, but left the Tooth Fairy subject lie. Another time, perhaps.

I would say that today was a big leap for Harrison communication-wise. He is getting really confident in his speech and is using American turns of phrase more comfortably. It's amazing to see his progress. At the beginning of this process, we struggled for speech and topics. But now, we are really able to get easy conversation going right off the bat.

I really grew in my ability to explain abstract concepts like the Tooth Fairy. I just take these social references for granted, but when put on the spot for an explanation, the words were difficult to find. I think it gave me an opportunity to expand my own language and vocabulary. My conversations with Harrison don't just make him a better speaker, they make me a better listener and critical thinker.

Now who would have thought that you could learn so much from the Tooth Fairy?

Second Meeting with Harrison... The NBA and Chick-fil-a (Conversation Partner 2)

I finally met up with Harrison for our second meeting.

Tests, projects and various social events had gotten in the way of another meeting. But it was good to see him again. One of his first comments was how I looked so much better than when we last met up and he was glad that I wasn't sick anymore. Well, last meeting I was hacking up my lungs and probably looked pretty rough. I thought that it was sweet of him to make sure that I knew he remembered our last conversation.

We started with the usual small talk: how each other was doing, the weather, and roommates. Then we started to talk about yesterday's Oklahoma game. Harrison was so passionate! He came up with a theory about the alternating wins and losses, and how the wins get bigger and the losses get smaller.  His conclusion is that the gap will close on the losses and become big wins. I like the way he thinks.

Harrison also surprised me with his passion for the NBA. He knew all of the statistics from the last championship game. I felt like I was the one who needed a lesson after he talked strategy. Harrison kept comparing football to basketball, making connections he could readily understand.

Harrison said something really profound during our meeting. He noticed that other Chinese students weren't really into the game. In fact, he said that he thought he was the only Chinese student who was interested in football at all. He just didn't get it. He thought that while they were in America, they should try to appreciate the culture. Watch football. Eat burgers.

I think the same thing when I go to foreign countries. Try the crazy fish. Don't go to McDonald's in Italy (I personally think that should be a criminal offense).

The first time Harrison and I met, we had to struggle to find common talking points. But, I think that Harrison's open mind to his experiences here in America have really facilitated the conversation. I think that I'm learning, and still have yet to learn a lot about my conversation partner. We may be a third finished with our required meetings, but there's still some major talking points to cover. I couldn't be more excited.

PS: Harrison tried my suggestion from last time and went to Chick-fil-a. He proudly told me that he only had 70 Campus Cash left because he eats it at least four times a week. Mission accomplished!

That Dance Party Hit Me Like a Wrecking Ball (Uncontrollable Laughter Post 2)

I have a confession to make.

I have a love/hate relationship with Miley Cyrus.

Her new songs are outrageously catchy and easy to dance to (You'd have to be dead to not at least bounce  to "We Can't Stop" when it comes on the radio). She's really matured as an artist and it shows in her voice, composition, and tone of the material.

But good gravy, the twerking.

Her music is catchy and more adult. But is the gyrating and spasming of the pelvis really necessary? Images from the MTV Video Music Awards still haunt me. There are some things that cannot be unseen. Most of those images relate to the endless tongue-out pictures Miley takes. I mean, really? Can she take at least ONE picture without trying to pay tribute to Gene Simmons?

My complicated relationship with the artist formerly known as Hannah Montana aside, I often find myself dancing alone in my room to her songs. "Wrecking Ball" came on my iTunes, and I proceeded to exit my room to the mirror and sink I share with one of my roommates, dancing and lip syncing, mind you.

Then, my roommate's door opens just as the main chorus of the song starts. She's mouthing and motioning dramatically to the song. I pause for a moment, then burst into laughter. I double-over on the carpet and she joins me. The song eventually ends and we are wheezing away the last bits of our laughing fit. Then she says, "Want to play it again?"

I run to my laptop and play the song again. We then proceed to have a two-person dance party to "Wrecking Ball," sans twerking and the infamous wrecking ball swing. During the whole scene, we try to keep straight faces and act serious in accordance with the tone of the song.

We simply can't and laugh the entire time, wiping away the tears as we danced.

My roommate and I were definitely in the "Play Mode," and it's moments like this that make me thankful for the wonderful friends I've made at TCU and the endless supply of laughter they give me.