Talking with Hussain

          From the very beginning I knew that this was going to be difficult. I was excited to and at the same time terrified of talking to a non-native English speaker. How would he treat me as an American? I know we don’t exactly have a remarkable reputation, especially since my partner is from Saudi Arabia. Also, what if he hated being here? Our culture is so self-centered and gaudy. Had he adjusted or was American culture too abrasive? These questions and more flooded my mind as I walked to meet up with Hussain, my speaking partner, somewhere in the Rec Center.
            Now I say somewhere for a reason. When trying to establish a meeting place, his first decision was to meet under the third flower near the pool at exactly 12:55. Needless to say, I could immediately tell there were communication issues that we would have to work through. After stumbling around the Rec center for half an hour we finally found each other near the smoothie bar, or cafeteria according to Hussain (I say this all in good fun).
 

 

             As I walked up to say hello, it was immediately evident to me that Hussain was just as apprehensive of our meeting as I was. With this knowledge in hand, I started off the meeting slowly. We started by discussing how each other’s day had been, the weather, and other rather inconsequential topics.

           I had at first thought it would be hard to keep a conversation going, but I quickly realized that this would not be the case. Not only was he excited to talk to me but he also led the conversation and asked about all kinds of different topics. We went into sports, food, and even touched on religion! Just as a side note, when he found out that I was on dining committee for TCU he made it very clear to me that he was upset with the greasy nature of the BLUU.
           It amazed me as an American that we as a country talk so much about acceptance, tolerance, and equality, yet here was a young man from Saudi Arabia, which we are told is narrow-minded and backwards, that is actively seeking to understand and learn from a culture that is so drastically different from his own.
           After chatting for almost an hour we set a date for next week and went our separate ways. This first meeting was definitely an eye-opener and I can't wait to see what we talk about next week.

 

 

The Importance of Silence

I believe that there are times when, for whatever reason, I have been placed somewhere. There is no dramatic swelling of music, no deep felt revelation, no chorus of angels, yet somewhere inside I feel a deep-seated calm and I know that I am where I am supposed to be. It’s a feeling of purpose that threatens to take over and carry you somewhere completely new. All you have to do is step forward and accept the opportunity.

                                      

I knew that this Saturday I was “Placed.” After a long day of watching the football game and catching up with my parents I decided that I was going to brave the TCU nightlife. Luckily for me, a friend was already heading to a party and I simply had to tag along. We arrived at the house and hardly a soul was there. Ten to maybe fifteen people were at the party and I realized this was going to be a relaxed night. Or so I thought.

Within thirty minutes, 50 more people arrived and the house quickly turned into a mass of laughter and alcohol induced pheromones. I am not exactly what you would call a partier and tonight was no exception. In response to the cramped quarters, I quickly walked out to the backyard to grab some fresh air and escape the cacophony of the party.  It was there that I ran into some friends from my dorm freshman year. I talked a little and discussed the game with them but for some reason simply wasn’t interested in the conversation.

At this point I was ready to go home. Nothing wrong had happened, I wasn’t in a bad mood, I was simply…done. I was walking out the door when I saw another member of my fraternity sitting by himself and staring into the night sky. I was not particularly close with this guy but for some reason I could tell he needed someone to talk to, and while I might not be the best pep talker, I figured I could at least listen.

I sat down next to him and for a while there was silence. I took the moment to take in my surroundings. Everywhere around me there was a sense of calm. The wind blew a steady, cool breeze and, for the most part, the outside was quiet and stood in stark contrast to the heat and chaos that sporadically slipped out of the front door. Within a few minutes, my brother turned to me and asked, “How do you know when God, he, she, it, whatever is out there, is talking to you?” Stunned by the sudden question I scrambled to regain my composure. I thought to myself, “How am I supposed to answer a question like that?” and “Why would he ask me?”

But as I thought about the best way to answer it, I realized that I should tell him exactly what I was thinking. I told him that no one can tell him when or how you will be spoken to. He took a second to respond as he worked through the words, and a few seconds later simply nodded. He then proceeded to tell me the entirety of his college experience.

For the next two hours we barely moved. We talked about everything, sports, the weather, girls, family, alcohol, our fraternity, and most importantly our “place.” He went over what was troubling him and how he was dealing with it, and I simply listened. It was amazing to see how he relaxed as he told his story. It seemed that all he needed was a way to vent his frustrations. In effect, one of the best talks I have ever had in my life was one where I didn’t talk.

Seeing the way my brother grew more calm and confident from our talk, I have decided search out those who just need someone to talk to.

A Funny Night

Last night was interesting to say the least.  After a long school day filled with education and learning, I returned to my room exhausted. Little did I know, my plan to immediately go to bed would not be happening. As I walked into the common room of my quad, I stumbled upon each of my roommates facing each other holding mini-oranges and shouting, “Come at me bro!”  Upon noticing me, my roommates slowly turned until each was facing me. Finding myself defenseless I naturally began to back up slowly. After regaining their composure they looked at one another and began to circle me. It was at this point I panicked and grabbed a nearby banana. Naturally, this was seen as an escalation and my roommates began to back off. (This was all communicated non-verbally of course.)

Now that I had the advantage, I slowly made my way to my room. It was at this point they realized that three oranges together outrank one banana. As my door clicked shut, three thumps sounded as mini-oranges smacked against wood. In response to the aggression, I returned fire. My roommates fled back to their rooms in the face of superior banana fire. I decided at this point that the best defense is a good offence and pushed the opposing forces back. It wasn’t until later when I realized how wrong I was. They say an animal when backed into a corner is at its most dangerous, and whoever they are, they were right.

The pillow took me by surprise and sent me sprawling. The side of my face burned from the soft 1000 thread count pillowcase cover and I felt the distinct urge to stay on the ground and fall asleep. Fighting my natural instinct I stumbled from the room only to run into my other aggressors. As the sleeping instruments rained down drowsiness upon me, I began to laugh. My roommates, also noticing the absurdity, began to laugh too. In a few short minutes each of us was rolling on the ground.

I can’t explain why it was funny or how that night happened but I count it as a highlight of the year so far and as a reaffirmation that I have the best roommates ever.

What is Humor?

For our homework assignment, Cori Jo and I asked, "What is Humor?" This is what our roommates came up with.