Conversation Partner #4

Today was my last meeting with Sujin. I decided to take her to a classic TCU student tradition: Fuzzys. We both got chicken tacos and chips and queso. Sujin and I are very compatible because we both share a love for eating. If we couldn’t think of something to do we were both like “Hey! Let’s get tacos! Or hey! Feeling Italian today?” Anyway, this was her first time to have chips and queso. I informed her that this was a basic necessity for living and a typical dinner for me at least once a week. I am a simple girl. I can live off just chips and melted cheese. Shaking her head disapprovingly, she tried this delicacy.

Then I think she began to understand why I tend to feast on this weekly. After enjoying some tasty chicken tacos, we exchanged Christmas gifts. I decided to get her a necklace with bright colored beads. She bought me a Godiva chocolate bar and wrote me a beautiful note. Chocolate during finals week is like a piece of happiness in the midst of doom. After reading her card, I realized how much of an impact we had on each other. While it didn’t seem that these weekly meetings were a big deal, they actually meant a lot to Sujin. Living with her Aunt and Uncle, she didn’t get the chance to hang out with many Americans. This friendship was significant to me as well because she had qualities that I wanted to reawaken in myself like passion for life and traveling. She told me how she wanted to travel more and see the world. We like what is comfortable to us; yet, it is imperative that we break through that comfort zone. Talk to someone you don’t know, taste food that you wouldn’t usually try, listen to music you usually don’t listen to, and who knows what will happen. Each experience contributes to the individual as a whole. It is just a matter of taking those chances and developing a sense of passion for life.

Conversation Partner #3

For one of our adventures, Sujin and I went to McKinley’s Bakery for breakfast. She ordered a parfait and I ordered quiche. Nom nom nom! While they came out promptly wit her parfait, I sat there, at first patiently waiting. We talked about our weekends and made small talk, but in the back of my mind was a giant image of a beautiful piece of quiche that I could be enjoying right now. Tired of this nonsense, I went to inquire about the whereabouts of my quiche. Because of my intimidating presence, they got their act together and brought out my lovely quiche. All was perfect besides the strange salad they put on the plate. Sujin and I couldn’t help but laugh at the strange site. The salad wasn’t really a salad at all but some shredded lettuce and a tomato on top. I politely offered it to Sujin, attempting to convince her to try this American experience, but she flat out rejected my salad. That was how I knew we were true friends.

We began talking about Christmas and our families. I couldn’t believe that she was leaving the United States in January. How weird it will be to adjust to that way of life again. I asked her if she was nervous at all. She told me that she was excited to see her old friends, but not excited to go back to school because she will have homework and assignments. That I understood all very well. She was also excited to go back to her own room because she was tired of sharing a room with her younger cousin. And I thought living with a roommate was tough my freshman year! Imagine living with a twelve year old! I know I would lose my mind for sure.

Conversation Partner #2

I decided that my second meeting with Sujin should be a little more exciting than the TCU bookstore. After discovering she had a sweet tooth like yours truly, I decided to take her to a TCU classic, YO! No one can deny the pure awesomeness of frozen yogurt. As creepy as this sounds, I enjoyed watching Sujin trying to figure out what flavor of frozen yogurt to get. Sujin was like a little kid in a candy shop. She excitedly tried each and every flavor before making the epic decision. One of the qualities I truly love about Sujin is her ability to live life so fully, always with a sense of excitement. Sometimes we become so controlled by the norm that we forget about the beauty of the small things like ice cream or listening to music. Sujin lives life passionately and being around her made me appreciate things I usually don’t even think about, like the fact that they have out of this world chocolate sauce at YO or how beautiful the day is.

We sat down and began enjoying our frozen yogurt. Sujin brought me a travel pamphlet about Korea. I’ll tell you straight up that Korea wasn’t exactly my numero uno choice of travel. However, that began to change after she showed me some beautiful pictures of where she lived. She explained to me that she lived by the sea and the mountains. Heck! I just live on a blasted hill in Oklahoma! She told me about the city life of Korea as well and how it’s like New York or Chicago. I realized how typically narrow minded I was. There is a whole world out there to experience. I couldn’t help but wonder what other amazing places existed that I knew little about. Sujin was teaching me way more than I could ever teach her. She greatly inspired me to travel the world and try new things.

Conversation Partner #1

When I first met Sujin, I hardly knew what to expect. I sat down at a table at Barnes and Noble and immediately pulled out our generation’s go to device, the cell phone. I gazed across the café area and saw several possible Sujins. And then I had my answer. Listening ever so slyly, I heard someone’s phone go off in the distance merely seconds after I sent a text to my mysterious conversation partner. Bingo. Money in da bank. Victory. But then I realized a flaw in my logic. I then considered how many text messages are sent daily and realized that perhaps it was just coincidental. I decided to take my chances and approach her. Shamwow. Sigh of relief. It was Sujin.

I must admit I was rather nervous to talk to someone I hardly knew. My worry quickly subsided when we commenced talking. I was amazed by how precise and excellent her English was. I learned that she was from Korea and had been living with her aunt and uncle for the past year and a half in Fort Worth. I tried to imagine being in her shoes. How incredible it must have been to immerse totally and completely within another culture yet immensely terrifying at the same time. She told me how she wanted to be a kindergarten teacher and about her family back home. I couldn’t believe how fast the time went by. I was rather fortunate that Sujin and I were the exact same age. While we grew up with different backgrounds, we never ran out of conversation topics. We explored the bookstore and stumbled upon a personal favorite-Nutella snack packs. Both of us, obsessed with this chocolate hazelnut goodness, rejoiced in this discovery. We feasted upon Nutella and small crackers and eventually went our separate ways for the day. Little did I know that it would be the start of a beautiful friendship.