Conversation Partner #1

After one partner change, four rescheduled meetings, and plenty of frustration, I was able to finally meet my conversation partner for the first time at the Intensive English Program banquet. His name is Saeed and he is from Saudi Arabia. Going into this meeting I was nervous because not only is he from a different country, but he is also close to thirty years old. This combination of both a culture and age gap caused me to worry that there would be very little we could talk about. Fortunately, these worries were quickly dispelled as soon as we sat down to talk. The first thing I noticed was that Saeed's English was much better than I expect. To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect in terms of his language proficiency, but I definitely did not expect it to be as high as it was. Not once did he need help with a word or for me to repeat something I had said. This made the conversation smooth and easy. He was also extremely friendly, introducing me to several of his friends within the program and sharing some dates, a common snack in his home country. Because the banquet was on a Friday, Saeed had religious obligations that forced us into a shorter than desired meeting. Our brief time together allowed for only the most basic of introductions such as names, majors, and hobbies. Despite the brevity of our meeting, I considered it a success and could not wait for the next one.