Keira CP #6

Keira CP #6

Date/Time: June 30, 2017 - 12:45 pm
Location: Hecht House (Student Lounge) 

Today was my final conversation partner meeting with Seongeun. We no longer had any activities being sent to us, or any specific questions to ask, so we mostly just chatted. Our conversations have always involved us talking casually about things we were curious about in the other's culture and country, and things we have in common, and interests we have, and in that regard today's talk was no different. We talked about some topics that have already come up in our meetings in the past--pets, Korean entertainment, our plans for the near future, and more.

In one of our earlier sessions we had gotten on the topic of the differences in owning pets, especially dogs, between what Seongeun was used to back in South Korea, and what she now sees here in Tallahassee. She told me she used to be surprised by the sight of big dogs, and now, here in America, she is more surprised when she sees a little dog. According to her, the apartment complexes in Korea simply do not allow for people to own very big dogs, whereas here, people have more room for their pets and can therefore own bigger animals. We both agree that we are dog people, and we tend to like big dogs more than little dogs. 

We have also talked about various Korean bands, movies, and television shows, and we touched on that a little more today, too. During our last session I told her about the only real concert I've ever gone to, which was a Korean boy band, Block B. Seongeun told me she has never been to a concert before, and when asked who she would see if she could, she told me Block B. Today we talked more about bands and about shows that we have seen, and she told me that I remember the Korean dramas I have watched much more clearly than she remembers the same shows. We also talked a little about what traveling we plan to do in the next few months and what our overall plans are, like how I need to find a part-time job soon, and how she will be staying here for a while before returning to Korea.

In the past, Seongeun and I have really appreciated having activities that we could lean on a little, since we can both be quite shy, and knowing you are supposed to talk with someone for an hour without knowing where to start can be a little intimidating. Today, however, we had something of a slow start, but in a very short time we were chatting and laughing just like I do with any of my other friends. We even went over our hour without noticing. When we did part ways, I told her I had really enjoyed our sessions, and that since I would still be living in Tallahassee for some time, we should hang out again, and she agreed. I told her we could go get food or coffee, or she could come over for dinner sometime. My roommate knows how to cook Korean food, which I told her, and I joked that she could let us know if it was anything like it is in Korea. Seongeun has been a really wonderful person to get to know over this session, and I'm quite fortunate to have gotten so many chances to talk with her. I hope we will keep in touch even now that our meetings are over, and I'm certain her English education is going to continue to go well. 

Keira CP #5

Keira CP #5

Date/Time: June 27, 2017 - 3:10 pm
Location: Hecht House (Student Lounge) 

Today was the first time Seongeun and I have been able to meet since her trip to New York. She told me that because of some miscommunications between the airport and the group she was traveling with, they missed their flight back to Florida and she had to stay a few extra days in New York. 

We had no activities left to do, but I did have a question to ask her from one of the last weeks of my class: I asked her to describe any critical incidents she may have had since coming to America or perhaps in another country. She took a long while to think it over, and told me once again that she did not think Korean culture and American culture are actually all that different, so she had not had many moments where this kind of issue had occurred. Finally, she remembered not knowing much about tipping when she first came to America. In South Korea, they do not tip at restaurants the way it is expected that patrons will here. She described being at a restaurant and not knowing the correct way to tip, or how much to leave. I asked who had taught her, and she said the staff of the restaurant had been the ones to explain the procedure. Seongeun asked me if waiters and waitresses here made very little money, and I told her that they do, and they really rely on the tips people leave them in order to make the money they need. She could not think of a moment she's really had a true "critical incident," but I suppose I can only be happy for her if that the case, since they can be embarrassing and difficult to navigate. 

Annalise CP #5

Dojun and I talked about politics today in our Skype session. I learned a lot more about the impeachment of the former president of Korea and how the voting system worked. We also talked about living expenses in Seoul and how families live when going abroad.

Jane TS#16

We decided to watch a short sitcom together and discuss how different American culture is to Korean culture. We watched ‘FRIENDS’ without subtitles. I wrote down some words or slangs I didn’t understand. We talked about the difference of the food were between Korea and America. Annalise had been to Korea so, she shared her experience. She told me that she loved the chicken in Korea and asked me how we make them. I was surprised that Annalise loved the food in Korea.

Jane TS#15

We worked on my last essay revision. I also had a short quiz on what I learned last lesson. She corrected my mistakes and I wrote them down on my note. I asked Annalise about a TV show I saw. It was an American sitcom. I asked some slangs that I didn’t understand. She gave some examples while explaining them. She also taught me other slangs that Americans use. It was very interesting and fun.

Jane TS#14

Annalise read my essay that I resumed. She gave me wonderful feedback to me. She showed me some words that should not be used in essays. She gave me back the essay to me so, I could resume it for the last time. I had 15minutes to resume it. Then, we discussed the grammar terms and some new vocabulary terms.

Jane TS #13

I asked Annalise if she could do 4 more sessions with me. So, we had 4 more sessions together! We decided to write one more essay to work on. I had 30 minutes to write about a movie called ‘Mummy’ I watched last week. After, writing Annalise briefly corrected my grammar errors. We discussed those errors together. She gave me an assignment that was to resume the essay.