Hey Jude

         

            I got to hang out with Barbi and her brother, Jude, yesterday! We walked around campus, sat by the founder’s statue, caught up on the latest activities, and even had a little birthday celebration in honor of Barbi’s 22^nd birthday that was yesterday. I gave Barbi a birthday present that included a purple scarf and a few purple hair bows that she can wear to TCU events. She was not expecting a gift at all and I could tell that it really meant a lot to her. It made me happy to see her so excited, and it was fun getting to hang out with both Barbi and Jude.

            We began by talking about the cultural differences that exist between people from different countries. First, Jude mentioned that the food in the United States is different than the food in Haiti. He said that all the foods we have here are processed, include many ingredients, and are heavy, while the food in Haiti is lighter, fresher, and less extravagant. His favorite food, like Barbi’s, is the rice and beans that his mother makes. Jude also mentioned that the United States doesn’t have many naturally growing foods like Haiti does, and that the best feeling is finding a ripe mango on the ground.

Next, the conversation moved away from the topic of food as we started talking about cultural norms. Jude mentioned that his first day in the Intensive English Program at TCU was a bit awkward because he shook hands with a few girls from Saudi Arabia when he wasn’t supposed to. He said that he took their hands without permission and the girls got upset because they aren’t supposed to shake hands with males. On top of not knowing this cultural rule, Barbi mentioned that it is normal in Haiti to say hello and goodbye by giving someone a kiss on the cheek. However, in the United States she needs to remember that this type of behavior is not “normal”. I asked Barbi and Jude about their first day of school in the United States and they said they just remember sitting in a room, not understanding a word anyone said, and acting out phrases that they wanted to say. They said it was a scary and isolating feeling to not be able to speak the same language as others, which emphasizes how critical language is to human connections. Barbi said that it is extremely difficult to understand another language fully, and when I told her that I think she speaks English well, she disagreed. She proceeded to tell me a story about one of her in-class speaking presentations. Barbi said that she was talking about one of her favorite places from home, and accidentally said b**** when she meant to say beach. We laughed about he mispronunciation, and Jude chimed in that it was quite amusing to the whole class, but got us to talking about how difficult it is to master a language, especially English.

I am able to connect with Barbi and Jude due to my experience with attempting to learn a foreign language. Through high school, I took Spanish as an elective, and no matter how hard I tried, I just could not seem to master the language. I could easily pick up words and phrases, and could write well, however, grammar was difficult for me. I told this to Jude and Barbi and they completely agreed. We bonded over laughing about all the grammar rules, and our similar struggles and experiences regarding foreign languages solidified that we have more in common than we originally would have thought. Barbi asked about what we are doing in our English class this semester, and I explained that we are focusing on water and how water impacts people and civilizations. I spoke about the books we have read, and the movies we have watched, and both Barbi and her brother found this to be interesting. Next, the conversation became more serious, and Jude spoke about how it is difficult to have meaningful or deep conversations with people who speak another language. Barbi said that they know a set amount of vocabulary and phrases but that it can be hard to understand what someone is trying to say when the conversation deviates from standard topics. Jude added that it he becomes quieter and less social when discussions are more in-depth, and that this makes it hard to connect with girls or even know how to flirt in another language. I had never thought about these things before, however, when I think back to my days in Spanish class, I can definitely see how these would be challenging obstacles to overcome. I enjoyed my time with Barbi and her brother yesterday, and loved getting to hear another person’s perspective. I can’t wait to continue to learn more about the two of them, and become even closer to them through gaining understanding and sharing experiences.