Maritza and I discuss food, weather, and other non-trivial things.

     My first meeting with Maritza, my conversation partner in the Intensive English Program here at TCU, started out remarkably well. We had finally gotten in contact with each other via e-mail and had agreed to meet in the BLUU. Unfortunately, there had been some miscommunication on my part as I had intended to meet in Market Square whereas Maritza had the impression we were meeting at Union Grounds. As I sat at a table by myself drinking Powerade and sweating in a suit I had been wearing for too long, I looked awkwardly through the crowd for a hispanic girl wearing a black shirt and a white shorts. I felt as if I had gone on the most horribly awkward blind date of all time as I had to e-mail her asking about her whereabouts and pray that she was able to access it on a mobile device.
     Eventually, we sorted out the situation and sat down to chat. At first, she was confused as to who exactly I was and why we were talking to each other. It was odd to explain that talking to her was an assignment for class and not say that directly to her face, because after all she is a human and not a homework assignment. After clearing the initial confusions of this meeting we began with the typical small talk that I've been engaging in since I arrived at TCU. "So, where are you from? What's your major? What do you like to do for fun?"
     Maritza is from a city in southern Mexico that I can not spell or pronounce, she is majoring in Computer Science, and she greatly enjoys cooking. On arriving at this information, we bonded over our love of the definitive nature of mathematics, as well as a passion for chorizo. Although, in retrospect I just kind of explained how much I love chorizo and she described the arduous process of crafting the fatty, spicy pork sausage. (It takes DAYS) We then discussed various foods that we had a passion for, and in particular Mexican food. I discovered some new things that I definitely have to look up, if not try.
     When it came to geography, the misunderstandings came back into play. She thought moving north to Fort Worth was rough compared to her home town because the weather fluctuates so much more here. I had to try very hard to contain my laughter as I attempted to explain to her the bipolar nature weather of the godforsaken state from which I come from. Even after I described the frequent transitions from high temperatures to blizzards, she still thought her transition was harder from a weather standpoint. I dropped the matter for time's sake, and probably for my own dignity.
     Overall, despite the initial confusion, speaking with Maritza was rather enjoyable. I even got to teach her the phrase "Hustle and bustle," and I greatly anticipate our next meeting.