Conversation Partner

I have been meeting with my conversation partner, Ayaka, for many weeks.  We both agree that our meeting seems fated.  I’ve had a wonderful time getting to know her, and I feel especially lucky that we have so much in common.

On the afternoon of our first meeting, I sat in the bookstore café, desperately trying to figure out who she could be.  About eight Asian people hovered around the magazine section, and I had no idea who to look for.  I am, however, fairly good at figuring out countries of origin for Asian people.  I saw what I thought to be a few Koreans, Vietnamese, and Chinese.  Finally, I saw a Japanese face emerge from behind a bookshelf and knew it was her. 

We clicked immediately, but when I told her that I was part Japanese, she became elated.  Immediately, we began discussing her hometown.  I discovered that her boyfriend lives in the same area where most of my Japanese family lives.  It’s also where my Japanese grandmother grew up.  Although I am far removed from Japanese culture (I do not speak the language and am not familiar with many traditions), in many ways, I have lived in the culture for most of my life.  Because my grandmother helped raise me and lives close, Ayaka and I have had endless subjects to talk about (especially food).  I could also tell that our shared heritage brought her much comfort in the beginning, when she did not know many people.

Besides Japanese culture, I’ve also been introducing her to music and movies.  She has been particularly interested in American actors.  One of my favorite parts of our meetings has been explaining American culture—being a foreigner’s introduction to certain topics has been thrilling.  Although, some things are universal—like Harry Potter.

Ayaka is here to improve her English for her job back in Japan.  She is an acupuncturist who works with professional Japanese basketball players.  In her line of work, she has to deal with English-speaking players often, so she came to TCU to gain those skills.

I am so glad that I’ve become Ayaka’s friend, and I feel strongly that we were destined to meet.