This week I wasn’t feeling too well so when I met with my
conversation partner we didn’t do much of anything. We ended up sitting on a bench in front of
PMU and we talked and enjoyed the weather. I truly feel like I am gaining a friend that I
will stay in touch with even after the semester ends. It’s pretty interesting to me because going
into this I had the mindset that I would meet once a week to get my hours and “get
in and get out.” But it hasn’t turned
out that way at all. In summary I am
definitely pleased with my decision to volunteer to have a conversation partner
and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes to volunteer and who
also is a people person.
At the international center the Colombian student association
came to present this week and boy did people have a great time. There was a great turnout, which was not
surprising, and lots of questions were asked.
They emphasized heavily on the fact that Colombia is very diverse in
terms of not only people but also biologically and in the terrain of the country. The people in that region are a mix of the
white Spaniards that colonized the area, the Africans that were brought over as
slaves and the indigenous people that lived in that region. And as far as nature goes, the country is
home to thousands of species of plants and a plethora of bird species. Colombia is also one of the world’s top
producers of flowers. At the end of the
presentation they served everyone “Colombian” food. They prepared fried plantain and guacamole
and cheese a papaya, both of which were delicious. And afterwards they gave us a taste of their
version of the salsa.
You're doing the conversation partner too? That's cool! It's great that you're getting on with your conversation partner so well! When I started the program, as well, I wasn't sure how I would like it either and thought it would just be 'in and out,' 'get my hours' kind of mindset. But it's so great, isn't it? Hopefully the two of you can be good friends, and hopefully you're feeling better!
ReplyDeleteDude! columbian conversation partner sounds pretty slick. So you just get to hang out with this cool guy and talk about life for a few hours, be friends, get free food, then eat it too, and then go home happy? and it counts for service? i missed the memo hahaha
ReplyDeleteWell that's not exactly how it goes Craig. Although that would be nice haha. I do two separate events each week. I meet with my conversation partner. That lasts for an hour and a half and we just hang out. The time I spend with her is designed to help her improve her english speaking skills by giving her the opportunity to do so in a relaxed environment. I have taken foreign language in school before and not having the opportunity to use it outside of the class makes it hard to improve and it also makes it hard to use in real life. By speaking with me she is in a relatively stress free environment which probably helps too because she knows she isn't being tested or something.
ReplyDeleteThen the other event I do is volunteer at the international center by setting up for the global cafe events and by cleaning up afterwards. In between doing those two things I do get food when people bring it and I get to watch the presentations that they have.
I know that this comment is coming a little late, but the Colombian presentation sounded so interesting that I felt like I had to comment. I wish that I was there for that presentation because I am really interested in Columbia as a whole, because of the diverse population, and the different parts of the country. I am jealous that you got to try authentic salsa as well as fried plantains. I've heard that they taste amazing but I haven't had the opportunity to try them. At this point I think I'll just buy some myself and give cooking them a shot. As I said in an earlier comment on a later post, I really am interested in getting involved with the international center because everyone only has good things to say about the events and the people involved. I don't think that I could take on a conversation partner myself, but that is because I am not exactly what you would call a "people person," but it is something that I would suggest to some of my friends that like to meet different people.
ReplyDelete