I am more than excited to start this blog to tell you guys about the relationships I have planted with my new friends Kaun Ting Chu and Xiele Xu. The conversations started out timid however once we started to warm up to each other, I found that I couldn’t take a smile off my face. I wanted to get to know them on the most genuine level possible. I didn’t just want to know about our differences but also to find the things we had in common with one another. Kaun is from Taiwan and he has been in America for a month now. Immediately, he was open about the fact that Auburn does not have the best food compared to Taiwanese food. I don’t blame him for this one. I agree the food gets old here even for me. He was excited to share that he feels as though he can take some time to enjoy life here and not just work all the time. He got a bike in order to get around because he doesn’t need a car in Taiwan. I realized quickly something as simple as a car, is something that I take for granted. Kaun is studying Mathematics here. He is a math teacher back in Taiwan and wanted to get a degree from Auburn. This made me change my point of view on my responsibilities and appreciate things a little more. Kaun picked Auburn University as his place of study for a very important reason, because Tim Cook is an Auburn graduate.
Xiele Xu, she's the sweetest. She told us about how she also misses the food from home but that she has found Beyond the Wok. This restaurant brings her comfort and a little piece of home. Kaun and Xiele both went to the football game on Saturday and that made me happy to know they are trying out things that we enjoy here in the United States. The feedback was funny though, Xiele didn’t lie and she said the game was boring because she didn’t understand it. She would rather spend her time singing, which is what she is studying here. She has found that her love for music is something she can take with her no matter where she goes. She has been here for four months. Xiele stated that she hasn't gone on as many adventures as she has wanted to. She is hesitant to step out of her comfort zone because of the language limitations she has faced. I tried to encourage her and reassure her that she is continuing to learn English and that shouldn’t stop her from joining the community.
My favorite part of the whole day was explaining the Auburn Family to my new friends. I thought this was important to explain to them since they both wanted to find more people they could connect with. Kaun asked something I will never forget. He said with no hesitation, “ Where do I sign up for this Auburn Family?” The biggest smile appeared on my face to realize that he didn’t quite understand what we were saying. This reminded me of class when we discussed high and low context. He took what I said literally, and thought it was an organization that he had to sign up for. The best way to explain to him what I meant was telling him that he was a part of the Auburn family just by meeting with us. The Auburn Family is about making everyone around you feel as though they are on your team and loving everyone around you. They both were excited to know that they were a part of the Auburn family. I hope that Kaun now knows he is technically family with Tim Cook. I am excited that this first post gave you a little look into the friendships I have started to grow with the best international students, Kuan Ting Chu and Xiele Xu.
With Love, Natalie Smith
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