Convo with Chris: Part 4

To celebrate my last meeting with Chris, we decided to meet at Sweet Frog for some froyo.  Because of my poor eating earlier that day, I decided not to get my own frozen yogurt.  When Chris came back to the table with his yogurt, he informed me that he got enough to share.  The precious boy even put an extra spoon in his cup.  I was pleasantly surprised by Chris sweet gesture and took it as a sign of our friendship.  Earlier in the semester, I voiced my disappointment in Chris’s lack of disclosure.  However, through the rest of our visits our friendship has gradually increased.  This meeting time we talked some more about his family, as well as the family dynamics in China.  Chris explained that he was an only child, mostly due to the one-child policy in China.  His mother is a homemaker, while his father is a businessman.  He is equally close to his parents, but sometimes wishes he had siblings. 

Later in the conversation, we talked about our favorite desserts.  Chris shared that one of his favorite sweets is a cake eaten during the Chinese Moon Festival.  Apparently, the Chinese hold a festival in the middle of autumn in celebration of the full moon.  During this festival, fully lit lanterns are used to decorate the streets, traditional games are played, and sacrifices are made to the moon god.  The Chinese, as well as some neighboring countries, use this festival to celebrate unity among the family and close friends.  The moon cakes, as shown below, are split up between each member of the family and eaten in celebration.  Chris described the cakes as having different fillings, and being quite delicious.   I enjoyed hearing about this Chinese holiday and the significance it has in Chris’s life.

Typical mooncake

The Moon Festival

Later, Chris and I discussed our living plans for next year.  For the past two years, Chris has been living on campus, first in Waits then in the TCU section of the Grand Marc. He shared his excitement to finally move off campus with an international friend.  They will living to a local apartment complex that is within walking distance to campus. He was most eager about getting a new roommate.  Although Chris and his current roommate don't fight, they aren't necessarily friends either. After about 45 minutes, we ended our conversation so that both of us could get some much needed studying done. Chris and I gave each other warm wishes and a hug as we walked off in our separate ways. 

Reflecting back on my time with Chris and JP,  I am grateful I got to meet such great guys. Although they come from different cultures and backgrounds, I appreciate the time they both spent with me.  They were patient with all my questions and were eager to explain their cultures. It was cool to see the progress, in the english language and American culture, that each of them made as well. Through this service learning process, I feel that my knowledge of other cultures have been broadened. I sincerely hope that I am able to see Chris and JP again next semester and catch up on their lives!


 

Convo with Chris: Part 3

I met with Chris twice last week to finish off our meetings.  For the first meeting we met at our normal spot, the bookstore.  There we got our free drinks to keep us quenched for our conversation. We began talking about our week and how we were doing that day. Chris revealed he was a little stressed about his psychology final and IEP exam.  He explained his desire to graduate from IEP so that he could begin taking more classes for his major, business.  To accelerate the schooling process, he is taking two classes during the summer. It is encouraging to see someone so eager to learn.  So many times college students complain about classes, especially summer school, yet Chris was excited.  Chris went on to explain that after he finished a month of summer school, he would return to China for some much needed family and friend time.  Although we were both exhausted from the week, Chris and I agreed that it is necessary to cherish each moment we have left of this semester.     Our conversation then progressed to the topic of music.  Chris explained that he enjoyed all types of music, and has even attended a few concerts in Texas.  Although he prefers Chinese musicians, he still enjoys American music.  Some of his favorite artists include Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, and the Lumineers.  I chuckled when Chris confidently stated who the greatest American artist of all time was, Michael Jackson! It is amazing how much Chris knows about the American culture and language.  Even prior to coming to TCU, he could almost speak fluent English because of the classes he took in school. I began to feel slightly embarrassed that he knew so much English, whereas I could not speak a lick of Mandarin.  From my experience, it seems like other countries are more aware of their surrounding cultures.   For example, both my conversation partners were taught English throughout all their years in school, whereas I started learning a foreign language in high school.  Even though Chris is so fluent in English, he still stumbles on a few words.  We found that our Iphones were a valuable asset to our conversations.  Chris has a Chinese to English word translator on his phone, as well Google to show pictures of certain items.  This resource was especially helpful when we were talking about our drink choices.  Chris was disappointed in the drink he got because it was not what he pictured in his mind.  Instead of a vanilla bean frappiccuno, he ordered a vanilla cappuccino.  We solved this problem by using our phones to look up pictures of his desired drink, as well as how to pronounce it.  Our conversation finally ended with planning our last meeting time, and wishing each other luck on the rest of the week.  In all, I enjoyed my time with Chris, and the chuckles we shared.  It seems like Chris is opening up more, which I appreciate. My last blog about my conversation partner is coming later today, so get ready!  

Convo with Chris: Part 2

I met with my new conversation partner Chris for the second time last week.  I must say, it is interesting having to form another bond this late in the semester.  Although we are pressured to fit in a handful of meetings in such a limited time, I am grateful for Chris and his cooperation.  In a sense, I consider myself lucky to get the opportunity to meet two unique international students.  Through the service learning portion of this class, we are all able to explore the world through someone else’s eyes.  My particular journey includes New Caledonia, and now China.  On the other hand, I find it difficult not to compare my two partners.  While I take joy in the time I spend with Chris, he seems more reserved than JP.  JP opened up about his feelings and life circumstances fairly quickly, but with Chris it is a different story.  For the past two meetings, Chris and I have stayed on surface level topics, such as food, humor, geography, and classes.  I am drawn to think this contradiction is due to the different cultures they were raised in.  We are all a product of our environment, as well as our genetics.  I have always been fascinated as to what, nurture vs. nature, takes a more dominant role in a person’s personality. However, that is a totally off point topic. Needless to say, Chris and JP are extremely different, yet I call them both friends.

I met my new friend Chris at the bookstore for Happy Hour.  I arrived slightly early to ensure us a table, but when I sat down I received a text from Chris.  Chris explained that he was going to be 5 minutes late and overly apologized for his absent.  When he finally arrived, he rushed to explain his brief lateness.  In my opinion, he wasn’t rude at all, rather fashionably late.  Chris, on the other hand, remained focused on his lack of timeliness.  Whether it is the college norm, or an American mindset, Chris didn’t seem to realize my relaxed nature towards time.  Chris and I finally began our conversation with the typical, day centered questions.  We then progressed to friends, weekend plans, and classes. Our final and main topic was, drum roll please, ……HUMOR!  I asked Chris what types of things make him laugh.  He explained to me his favorite TV shows, including Walking Dead and this mock dating show.  He then explained to me that certain American cartoons made their way to Chinese popularity.  Chris explained his fond memories of the cartoon Tom and Jerry.  He mentioned that he would watch those shows on the weekend, when he wasn’t doing schoolwork.  He also told me a common Chinese joke.  In this joke, a student was late to class and the teacher asked him for a reason.  This student replied that he was walking the elderly across the street.  According to Chris, laughter would erupt in the room after this joke was told.  Chris explained that helping others in China is uncommon so that this joke offered a ridiculous answer to a general question.  This reminds me of the typical, “the dog ate my homework”, saying.  I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Chris today as well as the insight he gave me into his culture.

Mark Twain Reflection

The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain initially peaked my interest.  Prior to receiving the book in the mail, I did not know what to expect of these quotes from Mark Twain.  Having not read many of his works, I honestly imagined another book, similar to Morreal's, in which I would struggle to read; however, this was not the case.  I quite enjoyed this last piece of literature that we read.  To my surprise, it was much funnier than I imagined.  I really enjoyed the mixture of profound and thought provoking quotes and those that made you laugh quietly under your breath. I particularly liked the fact that most of the quotes were short and simple.  That feature of the book provided for a quick and enjoyable read, similar to The Tales of Juha. In fact, I found a few similarities between this book and The Tales of Juha.  Some of them include:

1. The formatting of the book-  Both of the books included short little stories, or quotes.  While Juha contained some longer stories, the books as a whole were easier to read than a extensive novel or long-winded article.  In addition, the pairing of similar stories/ quotes in different sections provided the reader an easy transition while the different plots and overall quote ideas kept the reader interested and engaged the entire time.

2. The mixture of humor and insightful thoughts- Juha and Mark Twain both gave the reader a mixture of quotes with different end results.  For examples, some quotes were simply there just to make you think, while others provided a chuckle or two. While Juha contained some short stories that seemed to only provide laughs, all of Mark Twain's humorous quotes that I can think of, had a more profound thought behind it. This is shown in the quote of page 101, in which Twain responds to the question "What are the sweetest words in the world?" with "Not guilty".  At first, this quote made me laugh at the simplicity and primary strangeness of it.  However, after further thinking about his answer, the sweet sound of freedom is probably the most relieving words to be heard.  From his quotes, one can tell that Mark Twain thought before he wrote or spoke, even in his joking.

3. Some of the quotes/stories went over my head-  While Mark Twain's quotes were more relatable due to the culture and time period similarities, I still didn't understand some of his quotes.  This may be due to the fact that I simply am not on the same wisdom level of Mark Twain and the authors of Juha stories.  While reading each of the books, I would have to stop and reread some of the ideas several times in an attempt to understand.  This happened mostly in the sections On Law and Politics and In America and Abroad.

Needless to say, I enjoyed both Tales of Juha and The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain.  I appreciated having to read these books because it allowed me a small outlet from my other more tedious schoolwork. This last book reflects this class as a whole; it made you think and work hard, but allowed you to laugh throughout.

Mark Twain Quote

"When I was  boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."   Attributed

This quote on page 15 particularly caught my attention.  Twain illustrated the typical progression of teenage thinking and development.  In an early adolescents years, a boy can not stand to have their parents around.  He thinks he knows it all and believes the whole world revolves around him. During those few years, the last place he wants to be is with his parents, better yet actually listen to what they have to say.  However, once the young boy matures into his twenties, he gains insight into life and the true wisdom of his father.

I found this quote insightful and humorous.  I like how Twain illustrated teenage years through the scope of a teenager and their typical thoughts.  It is ironic how the young boy believes that his father gained knowledge, when in fact he was the one that matured.  This quote is extremely relatable to the class and the stage of life we are in right now.  Generally speaking, college kids are in the midst of those transitioning years.  We are transforming from naive and self- centered teens into well informed and responsible young adults.  While we may all go through a different path, or have small parts of our lives that distinguish us from others, we can all relate to this idea of learning to appreciate our parents as we grow older.

New Friend

This past week, I met with my new conversation partner, Chris.  My last conversation partner, JP, went back to France to train for the swimming nationals there.  While I was sad to see JP leave so soon, I was also excited to make a new friend. Friendships, especially in this context, are so interesting in the fact that you can learn so much from them.  Through conversations, you share knowledge, ideas, and opinions.  Add different origins into the mix, and you got yourself an intriguing and stimulating relationship. 

The conversation I had with Chris consisted mainly of small talk. I learned that Chris is from China, and he has been attending TCU for the past year and a half.  Although he hasn't been here that long, Chris is already enrolled in some regular classes, in addition to his ESL classes.  This semester, he is taking intro to psychology, which he is not a big fan of.  This left me slightly disappointed since my chosen major is psychology.  We began to discuss what exactly he would like to do in the future.  Chris dreams of major in business at TCU, and then taking his new knowledge back to China to be a businessman there.  He is anxious to graduate fully from the ESL program, and begin his actual business classes.  Soon, our conversation of school expanded to include high school.  Chris shocked me with the amount of school he went to in China.  He attended school from 6:30 am to 10:00 pm and did not receive Saturdays off.  He explained that there were two class periods build in for you to do homework, however; he still managed to have to do some at home each night.  In addition, he only got a month off of school for summer break during which he had to complete a massive packet of school work.  Chris explained that schooling is the main priority for the youth there.  He wasn't able to sleep much, nor did he participate in sports.  When I asked him what he did with his free time now, he explained, "SLEEP!".  It is interesting to see that one thing Chris gained through college, was one of the things I lost much of during my past two years here. In addition, it shocked me to find out how different our upbringings were.  This only child from China focused on school work and his family during his high school career; whereas, I had a younger sister and was involved in various sports and clubs.  

In all, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new partner.  While it was little more difficult to understand him, I appreciate the opportunity to meet another person.  I am excited to learn more about Chris and China through our next few meetings!

Final Section of Juha

The Tales of Juha was a roller coaster of humor.  It started of slowly, with some funny stories, some not-so-funny stories. The middle section was by far my favorite.  The stories were significantly funnier and made more sense.  However, the last section left me disappointed with the book as a whole.  During the last section, I barely laughed nor did I fully understand many of the stories.  Similar to the activities in class, I decided to pick out a story that I thought best represented the following adjectives: funny, surprising, and clever.

FUNNY:

One of my favorite stories came from the first section, Juha as the butt.  The story explains a scene where Juha is with a group of people who are all mounting their horses.  Juha mounts his horse backwards and replies to their laughter with “ What are you laughing at? Just because my mule’s put its head to the back and its buttocks to the front.” I found Juha’s response humorous for the fact that he was so naive and absentminded.  Either he didn’t realize the people were laughing at him, or he was trying to play off the fact he was riding his mule wrong.  In both circumstances, Juha is shown in a negative light as the stupid one of the group.  This lighthearted story allowed me to laugh at Juha’s stupidity, and be thankful it wasn’t me getting mocked.

SURPRISING:

In the further sections, some of the stories took a violent and somewhat disturbing tone.  On page 111, the story of the customer, baker, and a governor.  The governor smelled a goose that was cooking and ordered the baker to give it to him.  When the customer who the goose was originally intended for returned, he became angry with the baker.  He began to chase the baker, which led to some not so desirable outcomes.  Throughout the chasing process, he killed a pregnant woman’s unborn child and an innocent bystander, and cut off the tail of Juha’s donkey.  This story seemed harsh and reminded me of the dark humor presented in slaughterhouse 5.  The killings were shown in such a matter of fact way and did not receive the justice they deserved. In fact, the only person that wasn’t charged for complaining to the courts about their misfortunate event was Juha, who was the least emotionally armed.

CLEVER:

On page 128, Juha is shown as a judge figure. He is presented with a dispute between two men.  The first was angry that he did not receive his agreed upon paid for helping the second man carry a heavy load.  However, the payment of dispute was “nothing”.  In return, Juha had the man lift up a book and asked what was underneath it, to which the man replied, “Nothing.”  Juha told the man to take that nothing and leave.  I felt this entire situation and especially the way Juha handled the argument to be interesting and clever.  Juha was able to give the man exactly what he asked for in a way that the man could recognize.

In all, the last section was a bet of a struggle to read.  I found some little gems within, but as a whole, I was not pleased.