"Howdy, Partner" (Meeting #1)

                3:28 P.M. Breathlessly, I collapsed on a sofa in front of Union Grounds. The idiotic part of my brain is not great at judging time, thus I had the notion I could fly across campus, running an endless list of errands in less than 15 minutes. I had scheduled my first meeting with my conversation partner to be held at 3:30 P.M. on this Thursday afternoon, so in truth, I suppose I was "early".

                My conversation partner, YiRay, and I had previously conversed via the wondrous email system, and after much confusion and electronic letters, we had finally set a date and time to meet. The only clue I had about the mysterious YiRay was that he or she is Korean (or at least, that is what I concluded when part of our first email contained Korean characters). Nevertheless, I sat anxiously in my seat, my eyes eagerly searching the room for someone who looked as curious and anxious as I did.

                Then, that awkward moment when...you realize that you have been sitting next to your partner for the last five minutes...and neither of you had really noticed...

                "Are you YiRay?" I asked, peering at the beautiful woman beside me.

                "Oh, yes, yes," she exclaimed as she placed down her magazine. "I am YiRay Kim. Are you my conversation partner, Laurie?"

                A sigh of relief escaped me as I happily nodded with affirmation. "It's so nice to finally meet you! How are you doing today?" With that, our first conversation began.

                It was a pleasant surprise to discover that she was from South Korea, - a country that has captured my affections through their amazing television dramas that I watch with addictive passion - and that she was happily married, now with a daughter at the tender age of four. Her inquisitiveness about me, however, was not as surprising as one might think. YiRay seemed relieved that I was also of Asian descent, a commonality that seems so rare on TCU grounds. Her curiosity, though, regarded where I called home. I smiled as I explained that I am from Hawaii, and so are my parents, and no, that does not mean we are Hawaiian. I had this conversation before with others, however, this time I could only appreciate her genuine curiosity and interest in my background, rather than be offended at what I had often deemed as ignorance.

                As the minutes ticked away, we then began to discuss expectations for this partnership. I was surprised when her main expectation was simply to have a conversation. Conversation, an interaction that I take for granted on a daily basis, was something that she wanted with such a passion. Her pure wish left me at a loss for words, but ignited a fire within me to help in any way that I could, whether it be explaining American phrases, correcting her language and sentence structure, or simply having meaningful conversations on a weekly basis. The power of a genuine conversation, something that seems so simple and so easy, was priceless to her, and I became even more invested in the partnership that we would share.

                After chatting for an hour, YiRay asked in her accent, "What is 'put off'?"

                At first, I was genuinely confused because I could not quite understand her enunciation of the phrase; however, she then spelled it out, and I stifled a chuckle as I tried to explain this odd phrase that is synonymous to procrastination. How often I use this phrase, I thought, but how difficult it is to explain. My perspective on the English language shifted at that moment, as I realized how challenging - and how silly - this language could be.

                YiRay's appreciation for my companionship sparks my interest and commitment to this partnership, and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to our next meeting this week. Even from just one meeting, my eyes about the English language have opened, and I have gained a widened perspective on the challenges and quirks of the main language that I know. In honesty, I feel that I will be challenged just as much as YiRay will be over the course of these next few weeks as we explore and delve deeper into the art of conversation. Just as she is ready to learn, so am I.