Hunting Laughter

Well, as if finals weren’t enough stress this week, my car’s engine light came on. Consequently, I was forced to hunt laughter at an establishment near campus, so I decided to stake out at Pizza Snob. Although this picture does not capture it well-due to poor timing and attempting to be inconspicuous- I was able to observe a father (pictured) uncontrollably laughing with his ten year old son (not pictured).

While I was waiting for my pizza to bake, I overheard their conversation about putting together a remote control. The father commented that this time they needed to make sure they have all the parts first, which prompted the laughter from his son. From my inference, this conversation may have been in reference to an earlier attempt to put the remote control together either without following directions or without all the needed parts.

The father who initiated the laughter, chuckled as he was telling his son to confirm they had all the parts before putting it together. The son quickly escalated the chuckles into laughter as he reminisced about this past remote control building mishap, which prompted more laughter again from the father.

This outbreak was certainly contagious. Nearly immediately after the father started laughing, the son joined in. In fact, if I hadn’t chosen a table right next to them, in order to best eavesdrop for this assignment, this outbreak may have lasted much longer than it did. Unfortunately, my fading inconspicuous guise ended the laugher from the father, and the two left shortly after.

Overall, after overhearing this incident I wanted to laugh. The father-son memories of building toys incorrectly are certainly something I have witnessed in my own family. Laughing about mistakes, especially over dinner, just proves the value and bonding nature laughter carries into relationships.

Learning Experience 4: Fall Semester Reflection

This first semester of my sophomore year has taught me numerous lessons. Although there are not as many major milestones as is characteristic with your first year in college, there is still a lot I can take away from my experiences.

This fall I learned that dropping a class is not the end of the world. Early into this semester I was struggling in a class from a lack of communication and a particular teaching style of one of my professors. I had two options. One, continue to struggle in the class and get a poor grade, or two, take the class with a different professor next semester. I am not one to give up on challenges or quit when it’s hard, but with some reassurance from my advisor and older business students, I decided to drop this class as it would benefit me more in the long run.

In addition, I learned the process of leasing a house. Luckily I had the help of my mom and all of my roommates’ parents because I had absolutely no idea where to begin. During the initial phases, we would find a house, sign up for a tour, and then by the time the tour was scheduled, someone had already leased it. From this we learned that next year we should start looking earlier into the semester especially if we want to be by a certain area on campus. After we looked at two houses, we found one that we really liked and aggressively took steps to secure it. This was a new process for me as I had never leased a house before, and had to put a lot of extra time into working with the agent and finding convenient times for us all to get together. In the end, we ended up with a perfect four bedroom house in walking distance from campus.

In this class I learned a lot about humor, its theories, and how to attempt to make writing funny. I learned that I laugh mostly via the incongruity theory and superiority theory as I find humor in movies such as Elf or Napoleon Dynamite to be the most comical. Furthermore, I learned that honors classes are my favorite classes. When people ask me what my favorite classes have been this one definitely tops the list along with my honors international politics class I took with Dr. Cox the first semester of my freshman year. I really love being around students who are motivated to learn, can uphold insightful discussions, and provoke new questions and perspectives. I am extremely disappointed that this is the last honors class that I will take since I am going to pursue the departmental honors track in order to leave room for a double major.

Overall, this semester I have learned a lot about myself. From my conversation partner, Ailin, I have learned that there are many things associated with language and American culture that I take for granted. I don’t experience near the pressure that is evoked from the Chinese education system or from being an only child. I was reminded of the importance and benefits of interacting with people from different cultures and the new perspectives and mindsets they can offer. I have learned how to overcome academic struggle, as well as uncovered a new interest in accounting and as a result the process of adding another major. This semester I have learned that my family can always make me laugh in nearly any situation and that life is a journey filled with some experiences you just can’t predict or prepare for. I have learned the power in taking time to reflect on what I have learned, and in doing so can see the growth and progress that comes every step of the way.

 

 

 

Meeting Ailin Part 6

This last meeting with Ailin was the shortest one yet. Not because we didn’t have anything left to talk about, but because Ailin has finals in two days. Although she said she was not too worried, I could tell she was a little stressed. I wanted to talk about something that would take her mind off of finals, but before I started a new topic, she confided in me.

Similarly to me, Ailin studies best in her room, alone and in the quiet. I have never been one of those people who studies better in the library or around other people. In fact, when dead days occur, I pretty much never leave my room except to eat. Ailin is the same way. However, as of recent her roommates have been staying up late and being loud. Ailin asked me what she should do. She expressed her concern with being able to study in her room if her roommates were not cooperating. As someone who has had roommate problems in the past, I told her the best way to solve the problem was to communicate because they might not even realize what they are doing. Ailin is good friends with her two roommates, so I hope this advice helps.

Over winter break Ailin is going to New York City. Her mom is going to meet her there and together they are going to go shopping, eat at some nice restaurants, and visit museums. Ailin was excited about this because she was also a little homesick. I can’t imagine going four months without seeing my mom as Ailin has had to do, so I’m sure this trip will be refreshing. However, Ailin did express concern with how she was going to get to the airport. Again, I was not totally sure how to answer her, but said the best way is probably to ask a friend who lives in Dallas to give her a ride, or take the shuttle. Once I described a little bit more about how all that worked, she seemed to calm down again and the rest of the conversation was more relaxed.

One of Ailin’s favorite holidays that we talked about was the celebration of the New Year. Ailin does not celebrate Christmas, but New Years is an important holiday in China. The Chinese New Year holiday lasts seven days. Each day she goes to a different family’s house. For example, one day she will go to her grandparent’s house, and another day will be at her aunt’s house. All of her family gathers there and they cook, play games, and spend time together.  There are also firework displays and a parade which is Ailin’s favorite part of the celebration. I had seen pictures of the Chinese New Year before, but from the way Ailin was describing it, it sounds like an experience I would love to be a part of someday.

Overall, I have learned a lot from my conversations with Ailin. Not just from an academic standpoint, but also in the significance of meeting new people and all that they can offer in a relationship. I can confidently call Ailin my friend and we are already planning on meeting when we get back from winter break. While I hope I helped her with English, adjusting to TCU, and general life questions, I know she did the same for me. My perspectives, opinions, and horizons have been broadened with every conversation, as well as my understanding and connection to her as a person. I have enjoyed this project more than I could ever have predicted, and in a heartbeat would jump at the chance to do it all again.

Meeting Ailin Part 5

As my conversations with Ailin were drawing to a close, I wanted to provide any advice or help I could in these last meetings before finals and the end of the semester. I know that as a freshman finals can be especially intimidating. I was lucky enough to have my big and other older girls in my sorority to help me along the way for that first round of tests, and this is what I wanted to provide for Ailin. Sometimes, just a little advice or encouragement from someone older can make a big difference in feeling confident and finding motivation to finish the year as strong as it started.

Surprisingly, Ailin did not seem too nervous for her exams this upcoming week. When I pointed this out to her she explained that in China her final test was worth her entire grade. On the contrary, her classes here include other assignments such as homework and quizzes. TCU finals were certainly less pressure than back home in China, and Ailin was grateful for that.

And after this conversation, so was I.

I have always dreaded finals, but after talking with Ailin, I realized that I should have been more appreciative. The multiple test system is nothing to shame. One test counting for more percentage points isn’t as bad as one test determining the entire final grade. Once again, Ailin has helped me to realize something that I have been taking for granted and should be more thankful for all along. Several times she has broadened my views and opinions, allowing me to count my blessings, and this conversation was no exception.

In addition, this past week I was accepted into the study abroad program to Spain. I asked Ailin if she enjoyed traveling or had been to Spain before. Her response was that although she had never been to Spain, she really likes Europe. Her favorite place she has traveled to was Italy. Despite the fact that she got sick during this trip and had to leave early, her favorite memories were of visiting Rome and all of the old architecture. Perhaps this is where Ailin’s love of museums comes from.

Ailin also has some family members who have studied abroad. Currently, her cousin studies in Japan. She also has a best friend who studied in Germany. Ailin mentioned that she would love to go to Italy again with this friend instead of with her family, which made me laugh, but also appreciate her honesty. I can relate as traveling the world with my best friend would certainly be an adventure I would not turn down.

Ailin’s blunt honesty such as in conversations like we have had today sometimes catches me off guard. Whether she was attempting to create humor or not, it always makes me smile and realize how hard it must be to reflect the right tone in another language. As I’ve also learned in class, attempting to be funny in another language can take several years to master, if not longer. I’m sure that some of my humor has been lost on her as well. Either way, our conversations always end in a positive, energetic mood, both from the new insights I have gained, and my excitement for the next time we will meet.

 

Learning Experience 3: Dave Barry article

The Dave Barry article, “Tips for Women: How to Have a Relationship with a Guy”, was the funniest article I have read all semester. It was so funny, in fact, that I sent it to my mom to read, which of course as a journalism major and English teacher, she had already previously read. Needless to say, the humor in this article far outweighed my expectations, and after class today I found out it did for many other students as well.  

After reading the Nora Ephron article the class period prior, I was a little unsure of what to expect of Dave Barry’s article. In my opinion, the Nora Ephron article was not humorous. Although it was somewhat entertaining to read, it seemed more like a monologue of a girl undergoing puberty than comedy of the truth and pain of growing into a woman. In addition, Ephron’s article was undoubtedly more relatable to girls and minimally relatable to guys. However, the extreme exaggeration was even hard for me and the other girls at my table to relate to, which is why I struggled to find the humor in the article.

On the other hand, the Dave Barry article was relatable to both genders. Regardless of its exaggeration used to create the humor, it was still relevant to both sides. This is where I think the Nora Ephron article failed and thus lost most of people’s attention. Dave Barry did a good job of toeing the line when it came to exaggeration and playing on both gender’s stereotypes, versus isolating just one as seen in the Ephron article.

This article was also funny to me because I have grown up with brothers. Learning to communicate with them was task I was faced with every day for eighteen years. Don’t get me wrong, I had my flaws too, but there were just some tendencies covered in this article that rang true to a point.

Furthermore, many of my relationship problems with boys have been due to poor communication. This semester I had one such relationship, in which my mom, uncle, and even brothers guided me on how to handle. I think nearly every point they told me in how to communicate with this boy was covered in this article, so as I read this piece of writing I felt like I was reliving my relationship this semester and I couldn’t help but laugh.

In addition to relatability, humor is constructed through accurate diction and expressive metaphors. My favorite line was one that we discussed in class as Barry associated a guy in a relationship to an ant on top of a truck tire. Although this is an obvious exaggeration, this comparison added to the illustration Barry was creating in reference to the man’s comprehension of a relationship, supporting his focus of the article.

This article along with every day interactions serve as yet another reminder of the different communication strategies men and women have. While in some relationships I have learned this the hard way, Dave Barry does a good job of bringing humor to shed some light on the truths and common conflicts that can occur when men and women communicate.  

Meeting Ailin Part 4

Ailin and I met for the fourth time at our usual meeting spot. This was the first time we had met since before Thanksgiving break, so I was excited to hear about all of her new adventures. Ailin does not have the chance to fly home for any breaks, so she has been spending her time off in the dorm room or with her friends and their families in Dallas or around campus.

It was a few minutes into our conversation when one of Ailin’s friends came up to our table. She was also Chinese and was one of the people Ailin has been spending her breaks with. Ailin and her friend conversed for about a minute or two in Chinese, as I watched in the background. One thing that I noticed that was different than my conversations with Ailin was the louder voice she used and more confidence she spoke with. Chinese is her native language, so this was expected. However, it gave me the chance to see Ailin in more of a comfortable setting and interacting with someone who she clearly looked up to.

Once they had finished talking, Ailin introduced me to her friend. Her friend seemed excited to meet me, as she began to explain how she had also been a member of the Intensive English Program and had three conversation partners. Shortly after her friend left, Ailin apologized for the interruption. She explained how this friend is a junior and lives in Grand Marc. Ailin likes to cook Chinese food in this friend’s kitchen. I also learned that this is who Ailin spent fall break and part of Thanksgiving break with. As it turns out, Ailin was ill over Thanksgiving break. She had the flu, but this friend took care of her. I can’t imagine being miserably sick in a foreign country, but if I was I would want to have a friend as caring and genuine as the girl I just met.

When I began to describe my Thanksgiving break I mentioned that I went to the Baylor vs. TCU football game. Ailin quickly responded by saying she was also planning on going to this, but after she got sick she wasn’t able to. I reassured her that she didn’t miss too much with the exception of standing in torrential rain for eight hours and chilly forty degree weather. Ailin said she was used to the rain because back home in Shanghai it rained often. In Colorado it doesn’t rain much except for in the summer, so I wasn’t able to relate much to this or particularly enjoy the rainy days we had been having this fall. Furthermore, I was unprepared for the large amount of tornados and tornado warnings that occur. Ailin agreed with me that tornados are scary, but are nothing compared to the typhoons she has in Shanghai.

(As someone not experienced in natural disasters, I had to research what a typhoon was, and found out that it is a tropical cyclone or hurricane of the western pacific area and the China seas.)

Bonding over our fear of natural disasters and Thanksgiving breaks gone awry (see learning experience 2), Ailin and I had a conversation filled with both laughter and sympathy. Sharing our common experiences and fears led to a deeper understanding of each other and how, despite our different upbringings, we are not so different after all.

Uncontrollable Laughter 2: Wang Chao

To survive in my family, you must have the ability to laugh at yourself. With my two witty younger brothers and sarcastic grandpa, nearly anything can be made into a joke; a joke that is free to be referenced now and anytime in the future. Needless to say, if you make a mistake or funny comment it won’t get past anyone, and you can expect it to be brought up in any situation in the days and years to come.

At the dinner table, laughter is hard to suppress. Especially for this particular dinner with my aunt and uncle in town and my entire family gathered around at my grandparent's house. As usual, the meal began late due to my brothers’ basketball practice. When they finally arrived, the older of my two brothers, Jack, had the local newspaper in his hand with a picture of him and one of his teammates on the cover. The article was previewing the high school’s promising upcoming basketball season. The stage for laughter was set when my brother read part of the article which stated the height of his teammate at 6’6”, when in reality his teammate was a generous 6’1”. The obvious exaggeration was hilarious because in the picture my brother who is 6’4”, and going to play college basketball next year, was towering over his teammate who was listed at 6’6”. Basketball rosters are known for adding an inch or two to your current height, but five inches was enough to get a chuckle out of everyone.  

Once the laughter subsided, my mom mentioned to my brother that when he was younger, the doctor actually predicted him to be even taller than 6’4”. After a moment of thought, Jack commented “Wow, I can’t believe I have gone my whole life without knowing that.” Following a prolonged silence, my youngest brother, Mark, chirped in “Oh, and uh, by the way, you’re also adopted.” The entire table erupted into laughter. Following this my uncle threw in “Your name is actually Wang Chao”, and my grandpa added “Yeah, you were a little too tall to be Chinese,” as the comments snowballed and the entire table laughed until tears fell.

While this may be an instance of you had to be there for it to be funny, and the comments now may seem to be poking fun at stereotypes, it was in no way intended to be negative, but rather making fun of my brother who is tall and under immense stress for basketball recruitment. This response was most likely a relief from all the pressure he has faced in choosing a school and maintaining the high expectations from his coaches on the basketball court. Every day it seems he is asked where he is going to commit, and with family in town, the conversations only accumulate. Poking fun at Jack’s height and talent for basketball seemed only appropriate to relieve the tension for everyone and making light of this overbearing subject.

Undoubtedly it was Mark’s incongruous comment that sparked the outbreak of laughter from everyone. Jack is built exactly like my uncle and looks nearly identical to my mom’s side of the family. The remark referencing adoption in conjunction with the use of superiority theory by isolating my tall and thin brother and juxtaposing him with a nation lesser known for their height or basketball skills was enough to get everyone laughing, involved, and bursting with humorous comments for the rest of the night.

 

Learning Experience 2: Avoid Ice

My family is always a good catalyst for a new learning experience. Because we are all active and adventurous something different or exciting is on the verge of happening at all times. Thanksgiving break was just another example of the typical excitement I experience every time I go back home to Colorado.

This Thanksgiving break was record setting. First, there was snow set to fall on Thanksgiving Day, an incident that only happens 12% of the time. Second, the amount of snow we received far outpaced the forecast, with six inches that accumulated on Wednesday night in combination with at least another eight to ten inches that fell Thursday during the day. Now, I do live in the mountains at 8500 feet above sea level, so this much snow was not a surprise for us; we were well prepared and knew what icy areas of my insanely steep driveway to avoid. My eight year old cousin did not know these spots.

As usual, my brothers, uncle, and dog were out messing around in the snowy driveway after a enjoying a nice Thanksgiving meal with the rest of my family. My eight year old cousin, Torin, also known as my brothers’ pesky shadow, wanted to join. Hesitantly, they allowed him to join in on the fun, while clearly warning him to avoid this particular edge of my driveway which turns into an ice rink anytime it snows. Torin, thinking this may be some sort of joke or attempt to leave him out, defiantly stomps his feet onto this patch, falls, lands on his face, and knocks out at least one permanent front tooth.

It’s now 5:00pm on Thanksgiving so, as expected, every dentist office and doctor’s office in the area is closed. At this point, my aunt is frantically calling the children’s hospital, my mom is on the phone with other doctors trying to get some advice on how to handle the situation, and my cousin is icing the new hole in his mouth where his permanent tooth used to be.

After thirty minutes passed and still no progress had been made, my mom remembered a key piece of information from her first aid class, which is that if you lose a tooth and can put it in milk within two hours of it falling out, you may be able to keep the roots alive. If this is the case, once you find the tooth you can hold it back in place hoping the roots will reattach, thus avoiding the need for a fake tooth.

Frantically, my mom, brothers, and I run back out onto the driveway searching through the white snow for his small white tooth, which is basically like searching for a needle in a haystack. My brothers then decide to drag out the extension cords and plug in hairdryers to melt the snow, but little improvement is made. As a last stitch effort, I run inside to grab a gallon jug of water to pour onto the snow. This method melts the snow significantly faster, and we miraculously find the tooth.

 

So what did I learn from all this?

One, if you lose a permanent tooth put it in milk as fast as possible. Two, my excellent idea of using water to melt snow is much more effective than hairdryers melting snow. Three, some things happen that are just out of your control.

Naturally, my uncle felt like this whole accident was his fault since he was the only supervisor out on the driveway at the time of the incident. However, freak accidents happen, and this was just one of those times. The important thing for my uncle to do now is provide support and be there for Torin in the many years of dental appointments ahead. Life will go on, you can’t plan for everything, or as more famously quoted: “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

Meeting Ailin Part 3

Nearly all of us have said something with one intention, and it is perceived completely different by the person on the receiving end. This was the case with one point of conversation I had with Ailin during our third meeting.

The conversation was started normally as we talked about the upcoming Thanksgiving break and plans we had for our days off of school. I started talking about going to see my family in Colorado, hanging out with my brothers, and all of our Thanksgiving traditions we have at my house. Even though I wasn’t sure if we had talked about Ailin's family in Shanghai before-due to the limited number of times we were both available to meet this semester and the extended time periods in between meetings- I asked once again what her family was like. I inquired about her siblings, casually, forgetting not only that she had previously told me she was an only child, but that she has to be an only child due to China’s one child per family policy.

I would describe myself as an educated person, sensitive and cautious when talking about other people’s cultures and practices. I knew China had a one child limit family policy, but I had completely forgotten. At this point in the conversation I was so embarrassed because I had just spent the past ten minutes talking about my family and how close I was with my brothers. I was embarrassed because I felt like this may have made me seem uneducated or insensitive, both of which do not define me and I strive to avoid appearing. Immediately after Ailin reminded me of this policy in China, I tried to make up the lost ground by admitting that I was aware of that policy and then transitioning the discussion by asking if she was close with anyone else in her family.

This example of appearing insensitive or oblivious to another’s social norm is just one of the many reasons why gaining a global perspective and interacting with others is so important. The more we know and attempt to learn about people different than ourselves, the less likely instances like this will happen. Understanding different cultures and norms can not only avoid conflicts that may simply be due to a lack of education or knowledge, but build friendships and loyalties as shared values or simply tolerance of new norms leads to a stronger global community. The world is becoming more and more globalized, especially with the new advances in technology, and this mistake in my conversation with Ailin was a humble reminder to continue to keep a global perspective and open mind to all different cultures and people.

Despite this one awkward moment, the rest of my conversation with Ailin was very enjoyable as she told me about her friends back home and what her secondary education experience was like. Ailin played badminton in high school and many of her high school friends are students at a university in China. Similar to me, Ailin keeps in touch with her high school friends while she is away at college. She skypes her friends every weekend, and learned that they are having trouble with their university classes, especially math. Ailin sympathized with her friends and attested to the difficulty of math in China. She added that her roommate’s math book looked very easy here, and as a result believes this will be the first academic class she takes at TCU.

All in all, this third conversation with Ailin was filled with a mix of feedback and emotions. Not only did I learn more about China and Ailin’s life back in Shanghai, but through my mistake reconfirmed the significance of this project and making friends with people from different cultures.

Uncontrollable Laughter 1: Spellcheck mishaps

Technology is a great invention. It makes our daily lives easier, more convenient, and includes new ways to prevent us from embarrassing ourselves with bad spelling. At least that’s what my mom thought before a bad episode with spellcheck circulated around my family faster than the speed of light, and with it her pride and humility.

Spellcheck can be a blessing and a curse. On one hand, text messages can be sent in half the amount of time because typing words happens almost instantaneously. Sometimes you only have to type a letter or two before your phone comes up with the correct word, saving you the effort of typing in the remaining letters. On the contrary, some of the words it generates in response to the initial letters typed were not the words you had in mind, as was the case with a text my mom sent me a week ago.

Now, it’s important to know that this was not the first time my mom has sent me a text message with misspellings or incorrect words. In fact, it has dramatically increased this semester as my mom’s eyes are getting worse with age. She knows that she needs glasses, but doesn’t like wearing them, which adds to the humorous effect of this incident.

I was texting my mom back and forth about twenty different things this past week, since it was the week before thanksgiving break and tests, application deadlines, and just about anything else you could think of was due. In this conversation, my mom was attempting to tell me she made some changes to update my FAFSA for my study abroad scholarship application. Instead, this is what transpired:

While my mom was trying to say “I had to do something with FAFSA” what came out was “I had to do something with gags a fur.” Obviously, from that statement I had absolutely no idea what she was trying to say. After a few more text messages back and forth I called her to try and understand more. Both of us were dying laughing, most likely as a stress relief from all the requirements and heavy workload we were facing, but also at her spellcheck mistake which was far more incomprehensible than ever before.

To add to the humor, my mom’s initial response to how this happened was because she was “typing too fast”. My mom types text messages with one finger and at the pace of a snail, so I knew that was definitely not true. In fact, it was such a weak response that I quickly sent this picture around to my brothers and my uncle to get their take on her line of defense. Pretty soon, the whole family was involved and uncontrollably laughing as my mom’s final attempt to save her pride backfired.

Eventually the truth came out, and my mom admitted her incoherent messages were a result of the small letters on the screen, making it difficult for her to read the words. This of course led to my brother significantly enlarging her text font, creating a new joke where my brothers’ read the words on her phone by shouting them out loud and at an incredibly slow pace to account for the blown up letter proportions.

This laughter outbreak was a classic example of superiority theory. While my mom made a simple mistake, it provoked everyone around her to laugh and even to create new jokes and lines about her poor eyesight and resistance to wearing glasses. The contagious component of the spellcheck mishap spread like fire thanks to social media, group text messages, and my mom’s great sense of humor and ability to laugh at herself. The tensions of everyday life can be overwhelming, but thanks to technology and “gags a fur”, relief through laughter still prevails.  

Meeting Ailin Part 2

Ailin and I met for the second time this afternoon at our normal meeting place in Union Grounds. As usual, we started off the conversation talking about how school was going. However, this time there was a different sense of excitement and energy surfacing in the conversation. Instead of routinely talking about what tests were coming up, Ailin began to describe a trip to the museum she had been on with her class last week in downtown Fort Worth. She spoke with a confidence and urgency I had not previously witnessed, unmasking a new passion of hers I was eager to understand and learn more about.

As she began to describe her trip, Ailin immediately pulled out her phone to show me pictures of her favorite paintings and sculptures she saw at the museum. The phrase “a picture is worth more than a thousand words” rang true as she scrolled through picture after picture of different modern art pieces. Thanks to the art history class I took my first semester at TCU, I was able to contribute to the discussion of these paintings and the significance they hold in defining major cultural and social movements in the United States. As the conversation progressed, I learned that this was not the first museum Ailin has been to in Texas, and that her interests in museums move beyond the fine arts. Ailin’s favorite museum is the NASA museum in Houston, TX, which her entire family has been to see.

Furthermore, I learned that field trips to museums are not unique to the American education system. In Shanghai, Ailin goes with her class once a semester on field trips to either museums or parks. It is something that she looks forward to every year, as she has a strong desire to learn and see new things in person, versus simply memorizing them out of a textbook. In my opinion, this is further represented in her audacity and willingness to pursue a college degree in a foreign country, a bravery and spirit I am also looking to replicate during my study abroad trip this upcoming summer.

During this meeting with Ailin, I felt a deeper connection as I learned about her values and interests beyond school. When she showed me pictures on her phone it was like she was allowing me to see life through her eyes, and the pieces of art or ideas that she viewed as significant. Phones-and pictures on them-are personal, so sharing those moments not only strengthened our friendship, but continued to build our trust in each other.

While I have not been to a museum in years, Ailin’s excitement over this experience has reminded me what a great community presence they inhibit, as well as the informal education, discussions, and ideas they inspire. So far, my conversations with Ailin have helped me to not only learn more about Shanghai and her experiences, but new things about myself as well. This conversation was no different, and I am excited to see what new passions and perspectives are revealed in our upcoming meetings.

 

 

Meeting Ailin Part 1

It’s amazing to me how there are over 430 undergrad students at TCU who are from foreign countries, yet until this project with the Intensive English Program, I have had little to no interactions with any of them. I love to travel, and although I haven’t had the opportunity to travel much internationally, different cultures and people intrigue me. Needless to say, I was both excited and nervous when I learned that I would be spending the semester getting to know a student from another country on a level that surpassed sharing an academic class or causally passing by in the BLUU. This was a chance to gain new perspectives, make a new friend, and share life with someone I might not have met otherwise.

I have to admit, I had no idea what to expect for the first meeting with my conversation partner, Ailin. From the few email conversations we exchanged prior to our first meeting, I knew she was from Shanghai, China and a current freshman at TCU. Other than that, we were set to meet at Union Grounds, Friday, September 26 at 2pm. Meeting a new person for the first time can be intimidating because a first impression can set the tone for the course of the relationship. However, as soon as Ailin and I began to talk, my nerves faded and I realized that this was going to develop into a friendship that would last much longer than the semester.

Our first topics of conversation generally included pleasantries, how school was going so far, what career she was interested in, and how she was adjusting to life in the United States. Ailin’s English speaking skills were better than I expected them to be, although there were a few times when I said a word she didn’t understand. In these cases, I supported what I was saying by using simpler, more common words. One example of this was when I said I had two siblings. Ailin struggled with the word “sibling” and even admitted she did not know what it meant. However, I was able to get the meaning across by providing more details about my family, and by classifying siblings in reference to my two younger brothers. There were also a few instances in which I did not understand what Ailin was saying, due to her thick Chinese accent. I responded by politely asking her to repeat what she had said, and once she did, the conversation progressed and continued to flow as normal.

As we became more familiar with each other’s speaking habits and tones, Ailin began to share with me some personal stories about her life and family. One particular topic that stuck out was when she was describing her aspirations to major in media and to be a TV news anchor. Although she does not start academic classes at TCU until next semester-due to her full engagement in the Intensive English Program- she was enthusiastic about the possibilities and classes this major would entail. On the other hand, Ailin also expressed the struggle with her parents accepting this major, as they are both bankers and believe she should pursue a career in business. The pressure that she feels from her parents was an obvious component of this discussion, and a topic that I was able to console her about as we talked about her plans after college.

Overall, my first conversation with Ailin was insightful and provided a solid foundation for us to gain a deeper understanding of each other in the upcoming meetings. While there were some initial obstacles to overcome including pre-meeting nerves and anxiety as well as different speaking tendencies, I am confident that our discussions in the future will further develop and continue to open my eyes to a life and culture different than my own.

 

 

Learning Experience 1: What is literature?

When I signed up for this class, I had no idea what it would be about. I had heard from other students who had previously taken it that it was engaging, the teacher was great, and that they looked forward to going to class. Consequently, this was the first class I signed up for that was based heavily on other people’s opinions, with little information on the actual content of the course. From a requirement standpoint, this class filled multiple, and on these whims, I enrolled.

Defining this class was not only hard for me, but as I learned in class this past week, hard for many people. What is literature? What is civilization? Both terms are vague, and rely on previous education, context, and experiences. There is no set definition for either term. For the first activity in class, my partner and I asked random people around TCU how they would define literature and civilization. As expected, there were mixed responses, providing no clear answer as to what these words mean, or any insight as to what this class would focus on.

As our discussion and exploration of these words progressed throughout the week, I learned that literature is dependent upon the reader. It is his/her response that gives it literary value. Furthermore, this response is based on each person’s specific values which are created through a personal, specific context. For example, a map of my home state, Colorado, has value to me but may be useless and have no literary value to someone who lives in Florida. This concept can apply to any piece of writing as there are “no inherent properties or qualities” that distinguish one piece as literature over another. In other words, anything can be literature.

The idea that literature is defined based on how the reader responds to it intrigued me. Instinctively, I would not have described literature this way due simply to the fact that awards are given for the best literary works, specific reading lists are assigned through school, and curriculums are designed based on attempts to be “well read”.  

After this class period, I have realized that the idea of certain writing pieces being classified as literature over others may have been influenced by the values and atmospheres I was brought up in. First, my mom is an eighth grade English teacher, my grandma taught high school AP literature classes, and I have an aunt and uncle who are ESL teachers. Needless to say, I have been surrounded by people providing me with new books every Christmas, and pushing ideals of what books and pieces of writing are more significant than others.

Additionally, there are certainly factors that make some pieces of writing more appealing or that hold more academic value to teach. Just because one book is taught more often than another, does not mean that it fits the definition of literature better than the other. This was also a realization I came to after this discussion.

In summary, this learning experience led me to examine my own literary and academic upbringing in response to how I classify literature. I recognized that personal context and values play a larger role in how information is perceived, regardless of how those around me view it. Value is created by people in specific situations, and the interpretation of it is how we define literature, something I never would have considered prior to this class.