CP#3 -Mark G.

After my French Lit. class on Friday, I strolled over to CIES. to go meet up with Nasser for the second time. I sat down on a bench and waited to see if he was around. Classes had just gotten out and my ears were consumed with all sorts of different sounds. A flurry of languages that seemed happy to be able express themselves with a certain swiftness and ease. And around the corner comes an instructor, " com'on now, speak in English!". I sit quietly smiling. I see Nasser and when he see's me his face lights up with excitement. He tells me that he needs to fill out some paperwork for health insurance and he will just take one minute, he apologies and give me a big smile that had a hint of guilt as well. I told him it was no problem and I waited patiently.

I had asked Nasser the previous night if he wanted to go exercise sometime and the future and I thought it would be good to show him around the Leech and the Wellness Center. It was rather hot yesterday, but nice, I asked Nasser how his classes were going and what his plans were for the weekend, I seen a poster saying announcing a trip for the CIES students to go to the beach that Saturday. He said he wasn't going to the beach because it is too early and would rather go with people he knew ( I sensed a little shyness in him). However he did say he was hanging out with one of his friends that evening and maybe going to the soccer game. When we got to the gym there was a little trouble because when they swiped his card he didn't show up in the system. Then we found out that international students don't get to use university services like the gym and such because they don't pay a student fee! I wasn't happy, but they let him in anyway. He could purchase one for cheap but he said he already joined a gym somewhere else, which I thought wasn't a good idea because it was more expensive. I didn't say anything because it was already after the fact but I did think about how you can miss out on the best deal even if your in your own country, but how much harder it is to be completely removed and make good better financial decisions..

He told me that he had been working out for about a year, and so I asked him if he could show me his routine. He was a little shy being in a new environment and I showed him around the different machines and weights. I thought it was a good way to show him some new vocabulary. However I don't know how useful anatomy terms such as pectorals and shoulder blades will be but its good exposure. As a bonus there's even a picture on every machine with instructions so its a whole reading lesson too! It was funny sometimes when I was trying to show him how to do something because he would get humorously (to me) defensive and say something like, "I know how to do this one", very assuredly. After we were done I walked him home, showing him a new part of campus (where the science buildings are). I told him that we would study on Sunday and he was very eager to do so. He wished me a good weekend and with a warm smile I rode home.