Goodbye For Now

Once more, Hanan and I met at Union Grounds. We sat down along the windows for our last partner meeting.

Hanan had stomach ulcers the previous week as well as more English language tests the prior week, so we hadn't met. In my notes I drew a little frowny face by this, because Hanan looked fairly distressed. Things had been really picking up with the end of school coming for both of us. We caught up with the past couple of weeks, and after I mentioned that I went to an awesome concert in Dallas, we started talking about music. 

Hanan said she likes music, but was never interested in playing an instrument. I played piano for 8 years, but eventually lost interest in becoming some kind of piano virtuoso. Hanan had a similar experience with gymnastics, but stopped in elementary school because she wanted to study more... and wasn't quite as flexible. haha

Of course, the topic of music was followed by art. She likes modern art, as well as the iconic masterpieces, but doesn't appreciate all kinds of art. Fair enough. Some art can be ridiculous. But I'm pro-art, so I'm all about it because it's the way I express myself. So, I asked her how important she thought self-expression was. She said it was very important because it makes life interesting and helps you communicate. A modern example she offered was being able to "like" something on Facebook. She said it's a way to share interests and let people know who you are.  This example is a little different than what I was trying to get at, but it's something I wouldn't have thought of.  In fact, I don't know if we (I) think about it all the time, but social media may be the most common form of self-expression. Something to think about. 

Hanan once again voiced her qualms about the cellular telephone. She thinks it's a huge distraction, and I would agree. She said moments go by so quickly, so can't waste your life interacting with a screen. She said it makes for lonely people. Yeah Hanan, I think so too. She said she had read a lot about it, and psychologically it makes you feel disconnected even though you're technically "connecting" with people. The irony is that social media perpetuates for some people a feeling of isolation because you're not truly interacting with others. Hanan said she tries her best to be a person that lives in the moment.

Time came for me to leave, and I asked if there was anything she wanted to ask me or specifically take away from our meetings. She said she wanted me to know she enjoyed our meetings and that her best advice was for me to travel. "Travel! Travel! Travel!" She said with a laugh.

I told her I would do my best. :) 

Rachel and Hanan Talk Some More

This time Hanan and I talked about growing up. I asked her about her childhood and what was important to her as she became an adult.

She said it was important to dream big. "Each baby is born with a dream."
She said that each person was born for a purpose, and that it's vitally important to make goals and strive for your passions.
An interesting idea she tossed up is that everything is connected. You have to think toward the future but at the same time not be afraid to live the fullest you can in every moment.

She talked about what it was like growing up with all her brothers and sisters. Her mom wasn't an "educated person" so her family was encourage to pursue knowledge. Surprisingly, she said her parents didn't pressure them to be anything specific. They were also encouraged to find their passion. The only stipulation was to be the best you could be and succeed in your own way. You have to be true to yourself and what your dreams are. She stressed that you have to be honest with yourself and trust you experiences. She said self-acceptances makes happiness a lot easier to find.

Last time we met, we talked a little bit about first impressions, but I had to leave before we were finished. Hanan offered a quick bit of wisdom on this topic: "Judgement is a part of life, you just have to be gracious with it."

I also asked her if she had any favorite sayings. One was, "Work smart, don't work hard." The other was, "Time is money." She said when you lose a day you can't bring it back. She said time is valuable and needs to be used wisely. This seemed to be a little contradictory to her previous quotes, but she said when you're working smartly, it will never seem like hard work.

This was about the time Ryan showed up, tapping away on his phone. This began a passionate discussion about electronics. She said Ryan is addicted to them. Facebook, twitter, youtube, email, kik, the list goes on.  She thinks they block communicated between people you're actually with. She said being on an electronic device is just emotionally and physically different. We agreed they can be helpful, but she tries to spend no more than 2 hours a day on electronics because she thinks it stunts your people skills and awareness.  She said her nephew has an iPad, and she way just like, "Why? Just go outside.

I had to leave for a class, and she remembered she had brought me a gift. It was chap stick she had made from beeswax and honey. I thanked her, and with moisturized lips I bid her goodbye until next time.

The less you do, the more you do.

First off, I love this movie, Jason Segel, and Paul Rudd.

Second off, I've noticed in the past couple of weeks (watching other people and having a few moments of my own) that when you try to be funny, it doesn't always work out like you planned.

That's why I think I'll appropriate this sage bit of advice from Forgetting Sarah Marshall:

"Don't try to be funny. Don't do it. The less you do, the more you DO."

DO LESS.

With the exception of comedians and those blessed with charisma, I think the right amount of nonchalance can be important. There has to be a natural flow and confidence to the delivery of certain funny things. This may not be the absolute rule, but I think we have all more or less experienced (or been) the "try-hard," and it's usually one of those moments you try to pretend didn't happen. haha

I think it comes back down to the all-important cognitive shift. The problem with trying too hard is that the audience can already see the joke coming, and something about the situation is already predictable.
So, my solution to this issue is simple. In the words of Drake, "What am I doing? What am I doing? Oh yeah, that's right, I'm doin' me."
In case you forgot, and find yourself in a crisis, just remember to "do you." Authenticity serves well as a replacement for natural comedic genius. 

The second option, also demonstrated in the clip I've provided, is practice. Keep trying, and perhaps one day you'll have it down. Now get out there, and shower the world with your jokes.

Something Funny

My something funny is my sister. My sister is the most hilarious person I know. There is no one else that I laugh with quite like Laurel.

She is funny in so many ways. She's intelligent, brash, outrageous, insightful, intuitive. She is funny to me in just the way that she is. Simply the thought of some of our conversations make me giggle. 

Part of this phenomenon is our history. She's been my older sister, and best friend, for close to 20 years. I've known her a while, and this type of relationship allows for the context and comfort level that can result in moments of great hilarity. It can be as little as a moment of knowing eye contact, but we both get the joke.

I know her so well that I can really appreciate the subtle nuances of her humor. 

Sometimes relationships stem off the ability to reciprocate humor, but with my sister, the relationship predates laughter. We are able to fully enjoy each other's company because of our bond as sisters, and I think that's something special.

I also think the factor of closeness is important with humor. Laughter plays interesting roles in getting to know people on different levels. It can help you feel more at ease with a stranger, or solidify an already-close friendship. It perpetuates trust, among other things.

Anyway, I just wanted to immortalize on the internet my adoration for my sister. The most gut-busting,  rolling on the floor, "I can't breathe"moments of my life are thanks to her.  Do you have anyone like this?

Random Musings, Courtesy of Mark Twain

Thought I'd talk about another quote that caught my attention as I read:

"Life does not consist mainly- or even largely- of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one's head." -- Mark Twain's Autobiography

Hm. This isn't really a humorous quote, and I don't mean to get all philosophical-descartes-existentialist-crazy on you, but really... What do we have, what can we prove, except our thoughts and perceptions?

Think about that.




I don't know about you, but I can feel the storm.

I think that is an interesting image. Even right now I am envisioning a thunderstorm raging in my skull, thanks to the operation of thought. That in and of itself is interesting, but thought also allows me to understand Twain's message by apply the connotations associated with storms to the process of thinking. I find this intensely interesting.

So, What is thought?
Google says:

thought  

/THôt/

Noun An idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurring suddenly in the mind: "Mrs. Oliver's first thought was to get help". An idea or mental picture, imagined and contemplated: "the mere thought of Peter made her see red".

Hmm again. Yes but no. I think there is more, but I also know this is something even science has struggled to define exactly.
I find myself asking "Where does thought originate? Is thought just the symptom of neurons firing in our brain? Is it merely mental activity involving sensory and our subjective consciousness?" And with this I think that the quote may be proving itself, at least in this case. The way I am experiencing writing this post is through the sensory information I am processing via thought. I know there is much more to it, but I won't waste your time asking copious rhetorical questions. "What is fact?" Let's not. haha

Anyway. This post has turned out to be mostly trifling. I hope I at least made you think.

Mark Twain

"To give birth to an idea--to discover a great thought--an intellectual nugget, right under the dust of a field that many a brain plow had gone over before. To find a new planet, to invent a new hinge, to find the way to make the lightnings carry your messages. To be the first--that is the idea. To do something, say something, see something, before anybody else--these are the things that confer a pleasure compared with which other pleasures are tame and commonplace, other ecstasies cheap and trivial." -Innocents Abroad (p.174)

I liked this quote the moment I read it. I love the idea of "giving birth to an idea" and pushing the horizon. I feel like there is a deep human desire to discover meaning, and some constant burning need to find truth beneath the paradigms that are already in place.

This quote was found under the subheading "Originality," but I think it may be more than that. I think this quote speaks to curiosity, discovery, and human nature. I relate quite a bit to this desire to go and do and experience life in ways that transcend.

Mark Twain's insight reminded me of one of my favorite quotes is from a French song called Je Cours by Stromae. It translates roughly to something like this: 

"That's it, I was just born there.
I don't know where I'm going or where I am But everyone want to be there Somewhere out there in life. And I want to set my feet there But only my soul has access."

What I love about these quotes is that they articulate a snippet of the human experience. I think they're both about the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, and a desire to experience something that goes beyond our understanding of the world and our place in it. There is something about the unknown defines us, and perhaps experiencing it can give us deep insight into our own nature.

P.s. Here's the link to the song I was talking about. It's pretty existential if you're into that. http://youtu.be/wIrI_MOfxG0

Thoughts on Juha

I just came back from meeting with Hanan, but dont' be fooled; This isn't a conversation partner post. Instead, It seemed fitting to talk a little bit with Hanan about our multi-faceted friend Juha as an extension of our reading.

Hanan and Ryan said that Juha was an intertwined part of their childhood. The stories were told by all people in all kinds of situations, much like the introduction stated. She said they were just "weird, little stories the old people told. There was always a donkey." They didn't really talk about the stories particularly fondly, but just as something that was. This lead to a conversation about other more beloved childhood stories: Aladdin, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Sleeping Beauty, and others.

They said these stories conveyed important lessons about success, discovery, and how to treat people. They told valuable lessons that were easier for children to understand and want to listen to. Of course, not all of the Juha stories we read were child-friendly, but I think there is a good deal of truth in our greater willingness to pay attention to interesting anecdotes, even as we get older.

I found the Tales of Juha to be interesting, but not necessarily enjoyable. I can imagine thinking fondly of them if my grandparent had told them to me, but as a newcomer to the Tales of Juha, I didn't find them particularly relatable or captivating. I do value them as insight into the important nature of storytelling, as well as  gaining a footing on Arabian cultural perspective.

Rachel and Hanan Talk Friendship

This time around I asked Hanan about friendship.

What makes a good friend?

For Hanan, the most important thing was trust. She said that close friendships don't just happen, but that they are built gradually on mutual care and similar interests. A true friend gives you advice, supports you emotionally, and will help you in any situation.
As well, she said a true friendship is one that is able to pick up right where it left off. She said she goes long periods of time without being able to talk to her best friends, but when she is able to, it feels like nothing has changed at all.

I feel similarly about my friendships. My best friend is someone I can be completely myself with, which I guess is due to a great level of trust. It's a relationship that doesn't waver with time. When my best friend comes home from Santa Fe, it's like she was never gone.

Of course I had to ask about humor, but Hanan said it was not necessary for a friendship. She said you can enjoy some one's company and be close to them without having to joke. It really just comes down to personality.
I agree to a certain extent, but I can't imagine my best friendships without the amazing amount of laughter we share. I value my friendships for their seriousness as well as their lightheartedness. I think Hanan's point about trust is pivotal though, because friends are the people we let out guard down to. We share with them our joys as well as our sorrows, and sometimes that takes quite a bit of bravery.

Very close to the end of out conversation, Ryan (Hanan's husband) showed up and Hanan said, "Here's my best friend." Getting to see them talk about friendship together really revealed their own balanced relationship. They once again agreed honesty (an extension of trust) was the most important, and that a true friendship was one with no emotional blocks. I'm sure that's even more true concerning marriage. They agreed humor came second, which I think is interesting in comparison to most American relationships. In my experience, humor can almost be a prerequisite in forming what we consider a solid relationship. I guess I'm going to try something different and as you a question. What do you feel is the role of humor in relationships?

p.s. This muh best frand. Skip my other question and tell me about yours if you want!

Conversation Partner: Round 3

The time had come once again for Hanan and I to reconvene at Union Grounds.

We spent the majority of time talking about how Hanan went to Cancun and had an awesome time. Consider this meeting a Spring Break Debriefing.
Hanan got to spend seven glorious days on the white sand beaches. She swam, she snorkeled, she ate a plethora of authentic foodstuffs including guacamole (which I gathered was a delicious oddity to her). Then we talked about tortillas for probably three minutes, until we shifted subjects to her cultural experiences while in Cancun. Hanan visited the Mayan temples and was also able to dive into a cenote. Cenotes are giant open pools formed in the rock that lead to large cavernous bodies of water. Or, essentially, giant sinkholes that the Mayans used to chunk gold and human sacrifices into. She said it was "extremely cold, but beautiful, and truly an experience to remember."

Hanan said it was hard to come back to real life, but that She and Ryan plan to go to the Bahamas next, or maybe Brazil.
We talked for the remainder of our time about the places Hanan has been. France, England, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, Australia, South Africa, and many more. All came highly recommended.
Though Hanan has had a fair amount of marvelous travel, we were able to agree upon a distaste for Florida. It was one of her least favorite trips, mostly because was stung by a jellyfish. She said it was as bad as you would imagine. My time in Florida was also horrible, but that was because I got heatstroke the first day I was there. Perhaps one day I'll try again, but until then Florida and I are


I've never left the United States. So, essentially what I took away from our meeting is that I should leave Texas some time, because the rest of the world is apparently filled with mystical life changing experiences and I'm really missing out.

I really appreciate...

this.

I really appreciate this sentence, and the fact that Only Joking was a refreshing departure from Morreal in that reading it wasn't like receiving 1,000 lashes with a wet noodle.

More later.

Observations Eavesdropping on a First Date

From what I understood, our assignment for this past weekend was to drop eaves on someone's laughter and report back.

Well. Well well well. I went to the Stars game this past weekend and overheard a very awkward date that had a lot of laughter. Super awkward, first date laughter.

I know it was a first date because the guy that has these particular seats is a seasoned first-date veteran and has a different lady with him every game. For example, when the Stars played the Predators, he had an ironically young-looking lady with him that spoke about her love for Disney movies for the better part of the first intermission. That date was terrible for me to listen to, so I can only imagine how it was for him. But that's a different story.

If you've had a first date, you've had this kind of laughter.

You're interested in someone.
You want them to be interested in you.
So, it seems first nature to want to share laughter in hopes of forming some kind of rapport.
If it's a good date, you might legitimately be amused. But there's also a high probability you're laughing because you don't know what else to do.

Exhibit A:
"So where'd you grow up?"
"Plano.... HAHAHAHAAHA."

That's all-caps laughter because it was just a little too loud to be natural.
Essentially, the type of laughter I vicariously experienced this weekend was a lot of forced, nervous laughter, used to (in theory) diffuse a tense social situation. Yet in this case, the laughter didn't truly make the situation any easier, and rather made one of the people seem like it was their first time talking to another human being. Which it may have been, I don't assume to know.

Laughter is a potentially great way to make a connection with someone, but is a thing to be handled delicately. Too much laughter can send the wrong message, portraying you either as extremely nervous, or ditsy, neither being particularly good. There seems to be a fine (and at the same time strangely bold) line between the laughter of legitimate enjoyment and the laughter of someone exceedingly uncomfortable.
The latter was unfortunately what I experienced for 120+ minutes of hockey this past Saturday, and it is with much sadness that I predict there will not be a second date.
But who knows, perhaps our ladies man has a soft spot for shy girls who love Disney movies and force laughter, in which case I have sorely misjudged the situation. Such is the life of one who drops eaves.

Do I look like a juggler?

This weekend I helped out with an Easter festival and got mistaken for a juggler... three times.

And I'm not really sure how much to read into this...

Because I was carrying the box filled with assorted things that look like they might be juggled.

But honestly, do I look like I juggle things in my free time?

Because the juggler that eventually showed up was a middle aged man who definitely looked like he juggles things in his free time, and I'd just like you to think about that for a second.

I mean, they didn't ask the person carrying the box of bubbles if they were here to blow the bubbles. And all the other people carrying things around and putting them in their respective places weren't questioned as to the action that would be preformed with the contents of their boxes.

But I guess something about me that day (in my Easter best) screamed, "I'M HERE TO ENTERTAIN YOU WITH ACTS OF JUGGLING WONDER." I honestly don't know what.

The people were actually really let down that I wasn't there to juggle. One woman, after asking me if I was the juggler, expressed her disappointment that I was not, in fact, the juggler and said earnestly that she had really wanted to see some juggling.

What did she expect me to do? "Okay, just for you! Throw me those sparkly rings! P.s. I don't actually know how to juggle!"

I don't know, maybe I should be flattered that they thought I might possess such interesting abilities. 

Anyway, I dashed a couple people's hopes this Easter because I lacked the ability to juggle... which might be something to look into because strangers have never been so happy to see me. 

The moral of the story is: Don't judge people by the contents of their boxes. Or. Don't carry boxes full of things that look like they should be tossed in the air in an amusing manner if you don't really have the ability to do so, because people will be upset. You pick.

Conversation Partner: Round 2

So Hanan and I got to talk again. We hadn't met in a bit because she had been busy studying for her English language exams the past week, so I asked her how they went. She sighed and said they didn't go as well as she wanted. English vocabulary still gets her.
It's okay Hanan, it still escapes a vast majority of Americans too.

Hanan asked me how my weekend was. I told her it was great and leaped into a description of my love for Hockey and the Dallas Stars. It's easy to say that hockey is not a common spectacle in Saudi Arabia because, well, it's a desert. It was especially foreign to a self proclaimed "beachy girl" like Hanan. We joked about an Arabian hockey team, even though I googled it, and it exists.
Hanan isn't a sports fans, so I figured I would stop gushing about my love of the strange ice sport.

It was about this time that her husband made a cameo. His name is Ryan, though he said his name is actually something else that I don't know how to spell or say. So, Ryan it is.

The dynamic was different with Ryan there, and I felt much more like an interviewer this time around. It was interesting to be around them together and hear them talk about their experiences. I've tried to explain it a couple times, but I guess I'll have to try again because they don't really seem to understand why I'm asking them questions about what they think is funny. This is probably in and of itself telling about their sense of humor. They are very rational, literal people.
Along those lines, they told me it's hard to draw a smile from people in Saudi Arabia because people are in general very serious. Humor is not common and joking depends on age, rank, and other rules of propriety. In general, its only appropriate to interject humor if you're around comfortable friends. This contrasts greatly with the way Americans communicate, where humor is usually welcome in most interactions.

I finished explaining why I was here to talk to them, and the best topic of discussion I could think of was food. I personally love food, and luckily so do most humans. So, we talked about BBQ because both Texans and Saudis enjoy a good smoked meat. They love the food here and were amazed at the amount of cheese that Americans eat. They said that Americans use cheese like Saudis use spices, which I guess I understand because cheese is my spice of choice.

From what I can tell, they really enjoy Texas. I asked them how they felt about Dallas and they said they were glad they lived in Fort Worth because Dallas was "crazy" and had "roads and bridges like spaghetti." I laughed at this because it was truly accurate-- Dallas: the land of dangerous, asphalt spaghetti.

We had a good talk, and it was interesting to see the two interact. I'm not sure if Ryan will be around in the future, but it definitely added another layer to the conversation. As a parting note, a funny thing that Hanan and Ryan revealed to me about Saudi Arabians is that apparently they all wake up at noon and go to bed at 4 am, which is eerily similar to the preferred sleep schedule of a college student.

Something Funny

Watch this video and wait for it.

Okay. Now, I have to admit, the first time I watched this video with my roommates, I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't catch my breath the second time we watched it either. Or the third time. And probably 10 more replays after that, all our abs were hurting from our hardcore laughing session. 

I showed this to multiple people, and some had the same response as my roommates and me, but others (including my mother) were almost as horrified at this girl hitting the wall as they were about the fact that I thought it was hilarious. 

For the people like my mother, this was not an funny thing because for her (being a mother and all) the little girl's pain is something wholly bad. The fact that the girl is in pain negates the physical humor of the situation, therefore rendering the video unenjoyable.

I guess for me the funny thing is the little girl's utter joy followed directly by a flying face full of wall. For a brief moment this strikes me as extremely hilarious. Of course, until she starts crying. But I tell myself she's okay because this video is on the internet and they don't put things on the internet if bad things actually happened to the participant of said video... right? Plus, kids cry at anything and they don't have all their grown-up teeth yet anyway.

Jokes aside, I feel that his video is probably only funny if you are able to suspend emotion about the little girl's pain, or if you are a sociopath. Otherwise, you actually start to feel really bad for the pink footie pajama'd child.

For my roommates and I, this was pure greatness captured by a hill billy family. We were apparently able to disregard the kid's pain. Perhaps it was a social phenomenon, but the fact that we all found it so strikingly funny only contributed to the incessant laughter. 

Hope you got a little chuckle from it. 

This is why, when a guy goes out on a date with a woman and finds himself really liking her, he often will demonstrate his affection by avoiding her for the rest of his life.

Dave Barry really had me laughing.
This story was relatable to me. I hate to admit it, but I've been an Elaine, and I've known some Rogers.

I'm sure some of us have been that girl (or guy, because hey, maybe some of them care... right? maybe?) that reads too much into things...
"Oh my gosh, Kristen... he put a smiley face in that last text. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"
Maybe it meant he smiled in real life. Or maybe he wants to get married. Could be either.
In all likelihood, said text message sender is probably sitting at home playing Call of Duty and mindlessly typed a a parenthese and a colon next to each other. And I'm left to decipher the meaning of his maybe-but-probably-not-so-mysterious emotion.

But really, this story plays up women's tendency to overanalyze things and men's tendency to... not. Barry's writing got me in the "it's funny because it's true" kind of way.
For example, I highlighted this passage because I thought it was awesome:

"A lot of women have concluded that the problem is that guys, as a group, have the emotional maturity of hamsters. No, this is not the case. A hamster is much more capable of making a lasting commitment to a woman, especially if she gives it those little food pellets. Whereas a guy, in a relationship, will consume the pellets of companionship, and he will run on the exercise wheel of lust; but as soon as he senses that the door of commitment is about to close and trap him in the wire cage of true intimacy, he'll squirm out, scampers across the kitchen floor of uncertainty and hide under the refrigerator of nonreadiness."

I got a pretty good chuckle from this extended metaphor and the thought of a little hamster boyfriend skittering around. I'm really trying to avoid the word cognitive shift (so I will), but paralleling a men's commitment and a pet hamster has humorous mental implications, especially when Barry's comparison seems so... accurate.

I'll be interested to hear what the guys have to say about this passage.

Hughes: Vacation '58

The best laid plans of [Mickey Mouse] and men often go awry.

...Or in this story they really do.
(Sorry, I couldn't make myself pass that one up.)

I actually found myself a little stressed following this messed up family vacation (probably because I sympathize with the woes of long-distance car travel). But it was a quick read due mostly to the fact that I was interested what absurd thing would happen next. 

And Hughes' story did not disappoint. The dog died. The Aunt died. The car drove of a small cliff. Indians ransacked them. The dad robbed the hotel, followed by a car chase. Missiles? Disneyland was closed. All ending in a wounded Walt and some good old irony on the plane.

These outlandish situations serve to create a very humorous turn of events. There are definitely layers of exaggeration, understatement and, of course, the irony of the plane ride home that also contribute to the humor of the story. Granted, it is story that truly requires you to suspend disbelief at times. For example, the Dad's behavior is, on the whole, unsound. As well, I feel that, in reality, some of the events would only be funny in retrospect, or as a third person observer.

The whole things was a little ridiculous at times, but there were definitely moments of the story that had me laughing. This sentence, for example: "Dad told me that Aunt Edythe could hear an ant fart, but set an H-bomb off in her drawers and she wouldn't hear a thing" is one that actually got me. I guess that's funny to me because my grandmother is the same way. Plus the thought of an ant fart is just inherently humorous to me. I mean, just think about it.

I guess my last thought on this for now is that the opening sentence is actually much funnier after reading the whole story. "If Dad hadn't shot Walt Disney in the leg, it would have been our best vacation ever." I'll just let you sort that one out.

Haha-Hanan (1)

In my mind I tried to think of what she would look like. I wondered how I would pick out a face I had never seen.
I tried to conjure up all the notions of Saudi Arabia that I could and realized that I knew so little about this person. What could I assume from only a name and a country?

I saw a woman seated at a table wearing a nautical-striped blazer with long wavy dark hair and olive skin, and walked toward her, hoping I had made the right guess.

I have always had my reservations about approaching strangers, let alone someone with a supposed language barrier. But after raising my hand to wave hello and asking, "Hanan?" my fears were immediately dispelled. Her smile was incredibly kind, and as she demurely held her coffee she welcomed me to the table like a friend she had known for years.

We greeted each other and she graciously explained to me the correct way to pronounce her name. She said, "say the H like you are laughing." And I tried. We laughed.
She called me "Raschel," but I didn't mind. Her accent made me sound exotic.

Hanan asked me what I knew about her home country, and I admitted I knew little about Saudia Arabia except the stereotypes: Deserts, oil, maybe even camels. We laughed because there was obviously more to it.
I asked her to tell me more, and I listened attentively as she told me a little bit of her story.
Born in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia, she grew up along the seaside as the youngest of a family of 4 brothers and 1 sister. She spoke fondly of her close-knit kin, and the strong family community she grew up in. She and her husband came to Texas last January to pursue their doctorate degrees in business. She said it's different here, but that Texans are wonderful. I was inclined to agree.

I learned in the course of our conversation that Hanan loves to travel, and has spent a good amount of time vacationing. I marveled at the places she had been, confessing I had never left the country. She urged me to see the world, because some of her most cherished memories had been made in countries much different that her own.

We talked for the better part of an hour, just getting acquainted. We shared laughs about Texas's bipolar weather and I made her a list of some of the best places to get steak in Fort Worth. It was a very comfortable experience, surprisingly.
I told her I would have more questions next time, and told her I'd do my due diligence in learning a little about Saudi Arabia.

After parting ways I realized the whole thing was funny to me. Not funny haha, but funny interesting. There were some things so similar about the two of us, just sitting there being human, and some things that could not have been more different. Our experiences have shaped us into divergent people, and yet we were able to share a laugh. I think that's pretty cool.

So...

This is my blog.