So, today I met with Young Kim for the first time! It was definitely hilarious and quite entertaining. She was so sweet, however, she does not speak English very well, so that made our conversation interesting.
Our meeting occurred in the library, and due to Young’s lighthearted and exciting personality, it was not awkward or uncomfortable in any way! Any time Young had trouble understanding me, or vice-versa, she found it very humorous, and we both just laughed it off (which was good because it happened quite often).
Our conversation started out with the basics. Young is from South Korea, and has been here for seven months. She is staying with her sister and her American brother-in-law who live in Weatherford, TX. I inquired how her sister met her husband, and she managed to tell me that they met while he was in South Korea in the Army. We talked about how her brother-in-law helps her with her English homework and with her speaking.
After a little while, Young left for a minute and came back with one of her binders. She began to show me her homework and essays that she had written for her English class. Many were about herself and South Korea. This made talking a little bit easier. We talked about what South Korea was like, and how it differs from Texas. She talked about how everything is so spread out in Texas. She also mentioned how surprised she was at how everyone drives everywhere. She talked about how even if the “market” is just down the street from someone’s house, they still get in the car and drive to it. The buildings in South Korea are much taller, also. She mentioned how they build up, as opposed to out (like we do in Texas).
Another thing we talked about was her favorite animal- dogs! I showed her a picture of my miniature schnauzer I have at home, and she told me about her sister’s dog. She has a Basset Hound that sounds absolutely hilarious. She said that one time, she was walking him, and another dog started barking at them, and the hound laid down right there on the sidewalk! Sounds like quite the guard dog.
Although Young doesn’t know English very well, her speaking noticeably improved just during our meeting. She is such a sweet girl and I am extremely excited for our future get-togethers! I have already learned a lot from Young and hopefully our meetings will help improve her English!
