Introduction

Covid-19 and personal finances have prevented me from being able to travel abroad. Due to this, I decided to find different ways to have global experiences. As you continue to read, you will find that my involvement in becoming a conversation partner, registering for West African dance class, and living at Weaver Hall and Cooperative Living Organization have afforded me multiple opportunities of meeting and befriending many international students and faculty at the University of Florida.

Conversation Partner through UF's ELI Program

You have seen under my "Involvement" page that I have had the pleasure to share Thanksgiving with international students in the ELI program. However, since then I have had other experiences with the conversation partners I have gotten to know. As a conversation partner, I meet with an assigned international student or faculty member and converse with them in English. I am there to help them improve their skills in learning and practicing English, so they can be confident in conversing with other English speakers during their time in America. Even though this is the main goal of the program, I myself have learned a great deal. Through this volunteering experience I have been able to grow in my cultural competency, secondary language proficiency, and attend events I would not have otherwise been able to experience.

Abdulmalik - Saudi Arabia

My very first conversation partner was assigned to me during COVID-19. Because I was not on campus, all of our interactions were through Whatsapp video calls. Because we never had any experiences together, I do not have any pictures of us. During our chats we got to know each other very well. Since he was from Saudi Arabia, we often talked about the similarities and differences between our culture and values. We found that we both liked to garden and talked about topics pertaining to that, among others. His goal for this program was to past the TOEFL test and get into flight school to become a pilot.

Ernesto - Cuba

Ernesto was my second conversation partner. I met him the semester everyone came back to campus. During our time together we learned about each others career goals, interests, and culture. As I was helping him with his English, I was able to touch up on some of my Spanish speaking skills as well. We often walked around campus while we talked, so I could help to orient him to the layout of campus. We attended the Thanksgiving event and the annual lighting of the Holiday Gator event together, where we met president Kent Fuchs.. He told me his goal for doing the program was to gain proficiency for dental school.

Lighting of the Holiday Gator!

International Thanksgiving!

Filiz - Turkey

Filiz was my third and last conversation partner. She was a professor at her home institution in Turkey, but was able to work at UF as a faculty member. I helped her a lot with sending important emails and reviewing the grammar in her research proposals. Aside from this, we talked frequently about career, relationships, and life in general. She was a very adventurous spirit so we often tried new things together and went places. Some of my favorite memories with her include kayaking and cooking with her and my friends.

kayaking trip!

Fun at the pool!

Hanging out at Filiz's apartment and trying the traditional dessert and tea she made.

Filiz and my friends made guvec with her. Its a Turkish dish that has beef, eggplants, and peppers. We helped her as she taught us how to chop, season, and cook everything. She also taught us how to make ayran, which is similar to kefir. While we ate, we listened to traditional music and danced a little bit.

West African Dance Class (DAA2331)

I originally took this class to step outside of my comfort zone and to use it as a form of exercise. This dance class introduced me to traditional West African dance and music. West African dance forms and styles are strong, virile, and vital with the feeling of dynamic thrust and resistance. The movements express urgency, though they can be controlled, having the power to project the gentle wind or the raging storm.The class focused on learning material that emphasized practice and performance within the classroom along with end of semester performance at the BFA dance showcase. The course analyzed how these movements became hybridized when crossing geographical, social, and cultural boundaries within West African dance forms/styles, what is gained and lost learning West African Dance style, how students from different ethnicities interpret the music and dances they perform, that are not ethnically their own, and how are these dances are used in constructing West African/Diaspora identities. This class allowed me to improved my knowledge of dance and African culture, as well as meet new friends. Please see the videos below.

Weaver Hall, International LLC

Weaver Hall is a traditional dorm-style Living Learning Community for international students. Although the dorm is for international students, it is encouraged that American students live there as well, so they can be paired with an international student and help them acclimate to life at UF and America. I've lived in weaver for 2 years and my first two roommates were from Japan and Spain, respectively. During my time at Weaver, I have met and befriended many students from the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, England, Wales, Germany, Vietnam, and more. When we weren't studying, we would often go to events and cook together to pass the time.