Last Friday, I finally had my first meeting with a conversation partner. I met Osama, a native of Kuwait, outside of CIES and we conversed for about an hour.
My first impression of Osama was one of slight surprise. When he walked up, I noticed that he was carrying his iPhone. Protecting that device was a case designed as the American flag. "What a perfect conversation starter," I thought. He explained that his fondness of the U.S. generated interest in purchase. He also admitted to liking the color scheme.
Osama aspires to become an engineer because the profession has a high salary potential in his home country. He hopes to enroll at Tennessee to complete the degree. Puzzled as to why he wished to matriculate there, I asked if he liked Tennessee. He quickly answered with a loud "no!", which made me laugh, but it was followed by "... but my friends are there."
As the conversation continued, we exchanged personal stories and questions about each other's cultures. Osama offered his apartment as the location for our next meeting and I happily agreed.
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