My Last Meeting

I completed my 8 meetings with Eiko! I was determined and I did it!

We met Thursday morning before my last final.  It was a nice break from studying and a great way to clear my mind before taking my test.  We had breakfast together and it was nice just to sit and chat with her alone.  It was sad to leave her.  I feel like it was more than an assignment for Eiko.  I sense that she does not have many friends to talk to, and she loves to talk.

She asked me a lot about my finals.  She doesn't seem to understand how a test can take two and a half hours, but I assured her that it is possible! She was surprised that they were all so close together and that I had to move out while I was also studying.  I'm not going to lie, I'm surprised I got it all done.

I asked her about her move.  I finally realized that she is moving to Southlake. I thought this whole time that she would still be in Fort Worth.  She and her husband are both taking loads back and forth themselves.  They will hire a moving company for the big furniture, but they are doing most of it themselves. It's a 40 min drive so that is definitely a lot of time and effort. Moving out of my small dorm by myself gave me a better perspective of what it requires to move.

Like I said, it was sad to leave, but I plan on keeping up with my relationship with Eiko.  This opportunity has definitely inspired me to be more involved off campus, aside from my studies.

BlogLog Round 2!

The end of the semester is so sad, but here's one happy thing for me... I'm done blogging! Well, almost!  It's definitely been a great alternative to turning in assignments and is also a GREEN option, but I'm just not the type to express my feelings through writing! I have enjoyed it more than I thought, but I can honestly say I won't be continuing to blog!  I have one more meeting with my conversation partner, which means one more blog to write after this one! If you don't believe me, check out my updated BlogLog below! I actually may even have an extra comment because I can't remember if I commented on anyone's blog before I started keeping track of it! Anyway... happy blogging everyone! 

BlogLog

Conversation Partner Meetings:

Meeting 1

Meeting 2

Meeting 3

Meeting 4

Meeting 5

Meeting 6

Meeting 7

Meeting 8

Reading Response:

Response 1

Response 2

Response 3

Response 4

Blog comments:

Comment 1

Comment 2

Comment 3

Comment 4

Comment 5

Comment 6

Comment 7

Comment 8

Research Blog

Museum Blog

I Wished There Was More Rice!

I met with Eiko for lunch at Potbelly again Monday, April 25.  It was fun because that’s where we had met for the first time.  This time was definitely more relaxed.  I couldn’t wait to meet with her, but she had to bring her daughter so our conversation was a bit more interrupted than it usually is.

The main topic of discussion was their most recent trip, a Disney cruise.  They had a blast! Eiko loved just being able to relax with her family.  The cruise left out of Florida somewhere near Orlando.  I’m not exactly sure where because it was hard to understand her.  They had some trouble with the flight there because of weather, but luckily they planned their travels a day early so that they wouldn’t miss the boat!

While on the cruise, they went to many shows and just relaxed by the pool.  I distinctly remember how amazing the food was when I went on a cruise years ago, so I asked how theirs was.  She said it was good, but not great.  She thinks the main reason is that it’s too “kid friendly.” I can completely understand that being on a Disney cruise.  To my surprise, she said she wished there had been more rice! I’m not trying to stereotype her, but she really did say that.  Eiko loves rice and that’s what she really wanted, but hardly any of the meals had rice with them.  I tried hard not to laugh, not at her but just the irony of the situation.

We also talked more about my summer plans and when I’ll return to Fort Worth.  I plan on going to see her new house when I get back to TCU, which I am really excited.  Hopefully I will have the chance to meet her husband, too.  We are going to meet one last time this week before I leave Fort Worth for the summer.  It’s going to be an emotional day, but I will release all those emotions through my next blog!  

That Girl Got Jokes!

That Girl Got Jokes

Poor Mr. Nuttel. He just wants a friend! And then the niece just has to go and mess with his already messed up head.

When reading Saki’s “The Open Window,” I immediately felt sympathy for Mr. Nuttel.  I was hoping he would become a friend of Mrs. Sappleton.  As the niece told the horrible story of the disappearance of Mrs. Sappleton’s husband and brothers, I began to feel sorry for Mrs. Sappleton as well.  I just knew that Mr. Nuttel and Mrs. Sappleton would make great friends.

O how I was fooled as well.  That little niece is a liar! She needs to be set straight.  To fool that poor man was just wrong considering his condition.  She didn’t even know him! And then she told her family that he left because he was scared of dogs. Psh! I don’t blame him for leaving.  I’m sure he has other letters of introduction with families that don’t have little rascals like that niece running around.  It’s only a matter of time until the family realizes what she’s done and sets her straight. I’d like to see that!

The Lazy Buddhist

Oh my… where to begin? My last visit with Eiko was AWESOME! I loved it! I went to her apartment and got to spend time with her and Haruka in a relaxed and playful environment. I feel so blessed to have been partnered with her.

            I brought Haruka a present, a Playdoh Ice Cream Shop, so naturally that’s what she was most excited about.  Eiko was so thankful and a bit more surprised than I expected that I brought her daughter a gift.  I’m not sure if that’s just not what they do, but I hope it wasn’t too much.

            I’m not going to lie; I also had a ton of fun playing with the Playdoh.  As I helped Haruka, Eiko and I had a chance to talk.  We talked about Haruka’s first day at Japanese school and some other random things.  When I mentioned my plans for Easter, she asked me if we had Good Friday off of school.  I answered and then decided to go a little further.  Not sure if I was overstepping my boundaries, I asked her about her faith.  She told me they were Buddhist.  Actually, she referred to herself as a lazy Buddhist because they do not worship regularly.  She then laughed and told me that on Monday, Wednesday and Friday Haruka attends a Christian school, on Tuesday and Thursday a Jewish school, and on Saturday at Japanese school she learns about Buddhism.

            All in all, it was great spending time with her.  We drank coffee together and she let me try a Japanese cake snack, which was quite delicious.  Right now, Eiko and her family are on a Disney Cruise in the Caribbean and I can’t wait to hear all about their trip.  I wish I was on the beach somewhere too instead of in the TCU Library!

Wait... What?

Same format as the last… Before research and after research! This seems to be an effective way to analyze these stories for me.

Before Research:

            I have no idea what “The Sea Change” by Hemingway is talking about.  At first I thought the girl wanted to have an abortion. When she says, “No, I can’t,” and the man says, “No, you won’t,” I took that as discussing abortion.  I guess I am still thinking about our previous class.  As the story continued, I changed my mind.  I think they are talking about cheating.  I believe that the woman has been unfaithful to the man, who still loves her very much, but is trying not to.

            Whatever the case is, it was something big.  It is something that changed their relationship forever.  When the girl asks, “Don’t you really believe I love you?” the guy tells her to prove it.  We learn that this would not have happened in the past.

            At one point, the girl says, “Poor Phil,” so I assume she’s talking about the man.  I also think that Phil could be the other man she loves, so for now I’m going to just refer to the man in the story as the man.

            It is obvious that James, the barman, plays a significant role in this story, but I can’t seem to figure it out.  He does seem to be very observant when it comes to his clients in the bar.

            In the end, the girl gets her way.  She leaves the bar to go pursue whatever it is.  As she leaves, she doesn’t look back.  The man, however, watches her leave for a while before going to the bar.  To me, it seems that he loves her more than she loves him.

After Research:

            I feel like I actually understood this story a bit better.  While Hemingway stuck to his iceberg effect, I think that this story is a bit more obvious than some of the others. In an analysis I found of the story, it is said that the girl had been involved in a romantic affair.  The girl seems to deny and admit her affair, but in the end she leaves to go pursue her affair (or as I stated earlier, “whatever it is”). 

            Like I mentioned earlier, I feel like the rest of the characters in the story have some importance, but I wasn’t sure what.  In an analysis I read, they were briefly mentioned as being gay.  I’m not sure if I agree with this, but it would make sense.  If the man (Phil) was also gay, it would give the girl a reason not to love him the same way she did before.  It is possible that he is also gay because at the end of the story, he joins the men at the bar and the barman seems to know him well, ironically saying he must have had a good summer.

Before and After

I have enjoyed reading the works of Hemingway, but I struggle with interpreting them on my own. For my responses, I have decided to write what I think when only reading the story and what I think after researching the story. So here it goes…

Before Research:

            “Cat in the Rain” is a story about a woman who is striving to get out of her relationship.  She is trapped by her husband who controls her every move.  Come to find out, as she and her husband is staying at a hotel, the hotel-keeper strikes her fancy.  The woman uses a cat in the rain as an excuse to go downstairs and see the hotel-keeper.  Although they don’t speak, he takes care of her.  He sends a maid with an umbrella while she’s outside and he bows to her out of courtesy and respect as she passes by.  The woman uses this man and his generosity to escape the life she lives now.  When she returns upstairs to her husband, she begins talking about things SHE wants.  They are small things such as long hair, a cat, new clothes, etc.  Her husband ignores all her requests and tells her to just read a book.  At the end, the maid comes to the room with the cat in her hand and tells her that it’s from the hotel-keeper.  This is a sure sign to the woman that she needs a man like the hotel-keeper, not the one she’s married to.

After Research:

            So for the most part, I understood the story.  After researching, however, there are key elements I looked over.  Yes, the woman wants many things because of her lack of a relationship with her husband, but he shouldn’t take the full blame.  He tries to compliment her and she doesn’t pay attention to it.  Also, I seemed to completely ignore the Italians in this story.  Considering it is only one line of the text, I guess I understand why.  It’s interesting how that one line contrasts the American couple so much.  Because of it, we see that Italians have a sense of adventure and learning outside of a hotel and reading books, something that the American woman seems to desire.  If the Italians go to the square to see the monument, why do the Americans just stay inside and read? Maybe if it weren’t raining it’d be different. My guess is, it wouldn’t.

All About Earthquakes!

Today, April 4, I met with Eiko again. We met at the TCU Bookstore for a cup of coffee before my classes started. It was nice to chat with her without her daughter.  It’s easier to talk to her that way.

We only had about an hour, but it was plenty of time.  We started with small talk about our weeks. She asked me how my test the previous week went and I asked about her weekend.  She told me that they took Haruka to see Disney on Ice in Dallas.  I’m not going to lie, I was a bit jealous of that.

Again, I asked about her family back in Japan.  They are still fine, but worried about the water.  This led to talking about earthquakes.  I’ve never experienced one myself, but Eiko is a pro.  She said it happens all the time, something I had heard but it never really hit home for me.  She also explained that they had earthquake drills in school, just like we have fire and tornado drills. 

I thought it was interesting how different our conditions are in America as opposed to Japan.  In Japan, they are used to earthquakes.  They require earthquake drills in schools and build their buildings stronger, among many other precautions.  These are concerns that most Americans don’t have.  Not once have I woken up thinking, “I wonder if I will experience an earthquake today?”

I asked Eiko how frequent earthquakes happen in Japan.  At first it took her a while to understand the question, but then she finally started to figure it out.  She said about one every other month. I was not expecting that at all! She explained that because of Tokyo’s location, if the center of the earthquake is in north or south Japan, Tokyo will feel a little bit of the quake in addition to the earthquakes that are closer to Tokyo.

The last thing she said about earthquakes was that it is being predicted that the next earthquake off the coast of Tokyo will be a large one.  No one knows when or exactly how big, but apparently it’s supposed to be a real doozie.  Apparently Tokyo is taking precautions, but there is no way of knowing how much should be done.

All in all, it was a great meeting.  We have already scheduled our next two meetings.  Eiko seems very excited to meet with me each time and I feel the same way.  It’s nice to take a break from school and chat with her because she has so much to share.  Today she told me that she appreciates me helping her with her English speaking and that it really is helping her.  That really meant a lot to me.

Japanese School

I met with Eiko on March 30^th for lunch after she picked up her daughter, Haruka, from school.  As always it was an enjoyable conversation and time spent with her.  I will admit, though, it is hard to chat when there is a vivacious four year old sitting there with you.

We went to Panera Bread, one of my favorites, and one of her favorites, too! I immediately asked about her family still in Japan.  She told me that being in Tokyo, they are fine.  They felt the shock of the earthquake, but did not have any damage from the tsunami.  She said the most damage they had was from plates falling out of cabinets and breaking.  Most importantly, she said they are worried about the drinking water because there is no bottled water in the stores and they are just waiting on the government.

I was glad to hear that they were okay.  I then asked if this would affect their plans to go to Japan this summer.  She told me they had already cancelled their flights, but that her family was making arrangements to come to Texas instead. They try and see their family at least once a year so that Haruka can experience true Japanese culture.

My favorite part of our conversation was when she started telling me about a new school that Haruka is attending.  It is a Japanese school in Dallas.  She will go every Saturday starting in April and participate in activities similar to those of Japanese schools. I laugh because I just watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding and this reminded me of how they all had to go to Greek school.  I'm just glad I didn't have to go to Lebanese school. I learned that the Japanese school year starts in April and ends in March.  That may be just a little too much school for me! After a bit more explanation, though, it sounds like they also have frequent breaks, so maybe it’s about the same. 

I’m looking forward to meeting with Eiko without her daughter.  I love Haruka’s company, but it would be nice to talk to Eiko without the distraction. More to come! 

White Day?

            I met with Eiko for a third time on March 10^th.  It was a busy day for me, so we only met for a quick lunch.

            I was really looking forward to meeting with Eiko, but I found it difficult to hold a conversation with her.  I was surprised because we had never had a problem conversing before.  We went back and forth with small talk explaining our past week’s events.  This was prior to Spring Break, so I also told her about my upcoming plans for the week.

            As we finished our food, I wanted to continue talking, but I had no idea what to say.  I realized at one point we were just sitting there, both looking at our plates in silence.  It was a little awkward to say the least.

            I’m not sure how we landed on this particular subject, but we finally found something to talk about.  She explained to me the Japanese tradition of White Day.  In Japan, only the women give gifts to the men on Valentine’s Day.  It’s only a small gift of chocolates or food, but it usually it is homemade.  A month later, on March 14^th, the men return the favor.  This day is called “White Day.” I am still not sure why it is called this.  On this day, the men give the woman who gave them a gift the month before, a gift back to show their love for them.  These gifts are usually a bit more expensive.

            I really enjoyed learning about this tradition.  To me, that’s the point of this assignment. Not just for me to be an example of English speech, but also for the both of us to learn the traditions and cultures of each other’s lives. 

            The next day, I went to class and then I headed out of town for my Spring Break adventures.  As usual, I called my mom while walking to class and she told me about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the effects it had in Hawaii.  She was concerned because my uncle lives on the coast of Maui in Hawaii.  She was explaining that he had fled to higher ground, but did not yet know if his house was flooded. Obviously I was concerned, but I soon realized Eiko’s family is still in Japan.

            I immediately emailed her to check on her family.  I was relieved to hear that they had not been effect much by the disaster and had already contacted Eiko.  I am looking forward to our next meeting to see what she has to say about the events in her home country.

Poems I Didn't Absolutely Hate!

Billy Collins Poem Responses

I’m not usually a fan of poetry, but I really enjoyed reading these works by Billy Collins. I found them easy to relate to and entertaining.  The following are the six poems I decided to analyze.  My comments range from themes to thoughts to defining the meanings.  I look forward to reading more works by Collins.

1.     The History Teacher, Pg. 38

a.     Naivety of students today.

b.     Teachers shying away from the difficulties of teaching the harder subjects.

c.      The importance of understanding history.

2.     Vade Mecum, Pg. 36

a.     I am completely lost with this poem.

b.     (guess) The narrator wants to be remembered exactly how he/she really is.

c.      Wants to be remembered in that way forever.

3.     Dancing Toward Bethlehem, Pg. 70

a.     Describes what makes him happy.

b.     His final wish is to be with his one love.

c.      Living a life full of happiness.

4.     Some Days, Pg. 97

a.     Different roles in daily life.

b.     Being controlled by others or controlling others.

c.      The uncertainty of what the next day could bring.

5.     Morning, Pg. 100

a.     The trials and tribulations of a day.

b.     The bliss of the morning and your individual morning routine.

c.      The uncertainty of what the day will be like.

6.     Sonnet, Pg. 146

a.     Making fun of the structure of a sonnet.

b.     I like this because I don’t particularly like sonnets to begin with.

c.      It’s kind of ironic to see a poet making fun of a form of poetry.

My BlogLog!

So if you haven't noticed, I've been extremely active in my blogging today! There's a reason for that. In my attempt to be organized and diligent with my blogging for this class, I made a checklist of the blogs I've done and need to do. Needless to say, I felt way behind and the need to start blogging more! So to Professor Williams: Get ready to read some blogs and comments! To my classmates: Please feel free to copy and paste this BlogLog for yourself! It's quite helpful! 

Here it is:

BlogLog

Conversation Partner Meetings:

Meeting 1

Meeting 2

Meeting 3

Meeting 4

Meeting 5

Meeting 6

Meeting 7

Meeting 8

Reading Response:

Response 1

Response 2

Response 3

Response 4

Blog comments:

Comment 1

Comment 2

Comment 3

Comment 4

Comment 5

Comment 6

Comment 7

Comment 8

Research Blog

Museum Blog

Happy Blogging!... Too bad this one doesn't count for anything! Bonus? :)

Gettin' My Vogue On!

So I came to the Mary Couts Burnett Library to get my Vogue on! I usually study in the periodicals section of the library so I set my books down at a table with a friend and decided to start roaming the stacks.  I quickly realized I had no idea where the magazines were.  As every intuitive honors student should do, I asked for help!

The librarian who helped me was so sweet and patient.  She even showed me where to find them instead of just giving me the reference number.  We walked down the stairs, turned left, and kept walking and walking and walking.  I honestly would have NEVER found this spot on my own.  I was so thankful for her assistance.  I grabbed two books and returned to the table with my hefty load. I decided to grab both Vogue and Good Housekeeping, but for this response I’ll only reflect on Vogue.

The edition I am focusing on is the February 15, 1924 publication of Vogue.  Seeing as my birthday is February 20^th, I felt this was as close as I was going to get.  I’m not sure why I chose 1924, but I did. I’m pretty sure the mass publication of these magazines excluded the cover because I could not find them for any edition in the book.  It was interesting, however, to notice that Tiffany & Co. had the first full-page ad.  I realized that most of the ads were crammed onto the pages to fit as many as possible, not unlike ads today for magazines to make as much money as possible off of advertising.

Another discovery was that many of the illustrations were drawings.  Nowadays, everything is photographed.  I can’t imagine how long it took for artists to draw each picture! Now we can click a button on a camera a million times in a matter of minutes. That may be an exaggeration, but you get my point.

Some similarities include:

1.     Featuring a new fashion style

2.     Predicting new trends of the season

3.     Designing discrete maternity clothes

4.     Focusing on individuality

5.     And lastly, a few classic designers.

In conclusion, it was really interesting to see the similarities and differences between a 1924 edition of Vogue and one published now. It’s funny to see what was in style then compared to now.  Needless to say, I am glad I live now!

Mating Season at the Zoo!

My second meeting with Eiko was a blast! My goal throughout this assignment is to truly get to know her, not just talk to her because I have to.  We realized that if we met on Wednesdays, she would have to bring her daughter along and I was perfectly okay with that! Actually better than okay, if you know me at all, I was beyond excited to get to spend time with her daughter! I love children!

Come Wednesday, I couldn’t keep quiet.  All my friends knew what I was doing! At 1:15, Eiko picked me up from my dorm and we went to the Fort Worth Zoo, all three of us.  Her daughter, Haruka, is absolutely precious.  She is full of life and such a joy to spend time with.

Once we got there, I realized that Eiko and Haruka had memberships at the zoo.  I thought that was interesting because I know plenty of Fort Worth natives that don’t and I didn’t think it was common to have one.  She told me that she used to walk around the zoo with Haruka for exercise and fresh air before Haruka started pre-school.  It makes sense because the zoo is definitely more interesting than the park. It was obvious that Eiko knows the zoo well.  She explained to me that it is mating season.  For this reason, the male and female lions were in the same pin and many of the animals were not on display.  It was interesting how oblivious I was to this had she not pointed it out.

It was an absolutely beautiful day at the Zoo.  Eiko and I followed Haruka everywhere.  She constantly stayed a step ahead of us running from animal to animal. We were able to chat while doing so, though.  I asked her how her week had been in which she replied, “okay,” and motioned to her daughter.  I’m guessing she spends most of her time taking care of Haruka and being a mom.  I can’t imagine that on top of taking classes.  She asked me how mine was and I replied the same, “okay.” I told her I had a test and a paper the day before and she seemed to be amazed!  I think she thinks my schedule is more demanding than it actually is.

She also asked me how my sorority was going.  She had a hard time saying “sorority” so I sounded it out for her.  She still couldn’t get it so she pulled out her pocket dictionary.  It was one of the most interesting pieces of technology I had ever seen.  It had an English QWERTY keyboard, but gave the definition in Japanese.  I typed in “sorority” and she was able to read the definition and understand. Or at least I hope she did, I can’t read Japanese to know that it was correct.

After a while, Haruka decided she was hungry.  I seemed to forget how children are when they’re hungry.   She definitely kept reminding us until we headed toward the Burger King at the Zoo.  Once it came time to pay, Eiko pulled out her wallet and paid using her Japanese credit card.  Even the cashier noticed.  It was interesting to see it and to watch her sign her name in Japanese.  I was surprised that it worked here in the states, but I guess Visa is international!  Good to know for myself in the future!

All in all, it was a successful day.  I was able to relive some childhood fun and go to the zoo while conversing with my new friend and meeting her daughter.  I can’t wait for our next meeting.  We’ve decided to meet weekly and I am definitely going to stick to that!

My Trip to the Modern

            Thursday, February 24 I went to the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum.  I had been before and I was thrilled to go back! I love art! I had last been there about a year and a half ago for my art history class my senior year of high school so it was relatively fresh in my memory.  While most all of the works amazed me, I’m only going to reflect on a few so bear with me.  I tend to get carried away with art. My favorite part is probably just the out the box designs and bright colors of the art.

            As I began to walk around the first floor, I remembered my favorite piece from my last visit.  I looked around to find a curator (which wasn’t hard because there was always at least one watching my every move) and asked him how long he’d been working at the museum.  At first he was startled.  My guess is he probably doesn’t have many people asking him personal questions. He answered and I knew that he was there last time I was.  I asked him about that particular piece and he said it was no longer on display.  I was disappointed, but that went away quickly.

            As I walked around, I began recalling tidbits of information my art history teacher had taught me.  Immediately I saw the three works by Anselm Kiefer that are on display.  I’ve always loved how he uses strange material to make such amazing works of art and his Book with Wings sculpture is absolutely breath taking.

            I continued to walk around in awe of the art that is constantly at the tip of my fingers wondering why I hadn’t visited the museum sooner.  Of course, there are those “works of art” that I KNOW I could do myself.  It’s not hard to paint a canvas tan on one half and gray on the other. Instead of clouding my brain with thoughts of “This is art?” I just focused on enjoying the rest of the real art.

            The next exhibit I came to was the Robert Lazzarini exhibit.  My friend that came with me (who is not too thrilled by art) couldn’t get enough of his work, and neither could I!  The way he morphed the objects was incredible.  It was fun to walk back and forth, getting closer and farther away from the art, and seeing what eye tricks it would play on you.  It was smart to put these dark objects on a stark white background because it definitely added to the effect.

            I also spent some time in the Ed Ruscha exhibit.  It was interesting, but not my favorite.  I’ve never been the type to like wording in artwork.  I feel like it takes away from the art.  To me, art should speak for itself, not have words in it to do the explaining.  That may be a novice opinion, but I’m a novice art critique.

            I enjoyed the temporary exhibits, but what amazes me is the caliber of the permanent collection at the Modern Art Museum.  I’ve always seen Andy Warhol works of art in textbooks and on the Internet, but I would never have guessed there would be two permanently on display down the street from my school.  His Self-Portrait and Twenty-Five Colored Marilyns are two of his most famous works and two of my favorites.

            The next piece that struck my fancy was Dennis Blagg’s Passover.  Dennis who? That’s exactly what I was thinking.  But if you were just passing by this piece you would think it was a photograph. But reading the information, I realized it was actually oil on canvas and I was immediately dumbfounded! I fell in love right then and there, with the artwork of course.  His attention to detail was incredible. Maybe it’s titled Passover because most people would pass over it because it looks like a photograph.  That’s just my assumption!

            As I was leaving the museum, I remembered that I had seen works by Josef Albers during my previous visit to the museum.  Even though I feel as if I could paint his Homage to the Square paintings, I still admire his work.  At the time, I couldn’t think of his name or the titles of his most famous works, but I asked a curator if there was anymore museum to explore.  I probably asked the wrong one.  She was from a foreign country and did not understand me all too well.  As soon as I got back, I looked up the list of permanent works in the museum on the Internet and sure enough there are three Homage to the Square paintings by Albers.  I guess I’ll just have to see them next time I go.

You've Got a Friend In Me!

I finally got to meet with my conversation partner, Eiko Araki.  After my first partner never returned my e-mail, I was excited to meet my second partner that did return my e-mails.  Going into the meeting I knew very little about Eiko, but I did know that my experience was going to be different than anyone else’s.

            Through our e-mail correspondence, I learned that Eiko has a “4 years’ daughter” and that she was excited to meet me.  I could sense her excitement, but the fact that she had a daughter surprised me.  I was under the impression that I would be paired with someone my age. We decided to grab lunch on Monday, February 21 and I chose Potbelly’s on campus because it is my favorite and I wanted to share it with her.

            My class got out a bit early so I had to wait a few minutes at Potbelly before Eiko arrived.  I was actually a bit anxious so I used that time to call my mom and calm my nerves.  I was nervous I wouldn’t know what to say or wouldn’t be able to connect with her.  Finally, right on time, Eiko walked in. She immediately saw me and we exchanged greetings. She had the biggest smile on her face and I knew everything was going to be fine!  As we got our food, I paid for the both of us.  At first she was a little surprised, but I explained that it was my treat and that I have Frog Bucks! She laughed and said she’d buy next time.

            We began by telling each other a little about ourselves.  I learned her name is Eiko (pronounced ay-ko) and that she is from Tokyo, Japan.  She moved to Fort Worth in 2007 because of her husband’s job. He works for a Japanese company that has an office here. I told her I’m from Louisiana and to my surprise she knew that it was “the next state over.”  I was impressed because I have met some Americans who get confused as to where some states are (cough…my roommate).  I explained how my house is only a three hour drive from here and that my parents come to see me often.  Eiko then asked me an interesting question.  She asked if I was being paid to be her conversation partner.  I explained that it was an assignment and that I would benefit from it just as much as she would.  At that moment, she relaxed and began to talk a bit more.

            After the introductions, I could tell our conversation was slowing down.  I honestly had no idea what to say!  So I asked her something I’ve always kind of wondered, “Is Japanese food in American similar to what is found in Japan?” To my surprise she answered yes. Although once we started talking about sushi, she said it’s not the same.  When she eats sushi here, she mentally prepares herself for “something original.” If she gets it in her head that she’s going to eat sushi, she said it is a disappointment because it’s not like real sushi.  Her reasoning is that Fort Worth is too far from an ocean to have good sushi.

            While the topic of food is always a great one, I finally hit home when I explained how my roommate and I met.  I told Eiko that our brothers were in the same fraternity.  She had no idea what that word was! I began to explain fraternity and sorority life to her.  It was difficult at first.  Instead of calling each one a house or a chapter, I just simply said group.  She was fascinated that there were groups whose purpose was to become friends and serve the community.  She sat there with a huge smile on her face and soaked up every word I said.  When I finished, she told me how she doesn’t have many friends in Fort Worth and how she hopes that we will become good friends. I told her that I would love nothing more than to be friends with her and she smiled from ear to ear. 

As we left the restaurant, she insisted that she drive me back to the dorm.  I can tell she has a kind heart and I am looking forward to meeting with her again.  It is so amazing how despite our cultural differences and age, we quickly bonded and were able to talk like we’ve known each other.  Next time, we may take her daughter to the park to play.  Considering I love children, I am even more excited for that meeting.  I guess I’ll have two conversation partners instead of one!