Dutches--Great Place for a Good Convo

            Gregory took the SAT last weekend, and he is officially going to Orlando to go to school. I am so pumped for him. I have been able to see how hard he has been working to make this happen, and he can not finally attend a university in the United States. Today, I was able to introduce Gregory to a handful of my friends over a delicious burger at Dutches. I could tell he was a little nervous to be put into a conversation with multiple English speakers, but I could also tell he was excited to have a new experience. During our walk across campus, I wanted to hear all about the election in his home country, Venezuela. Gregory was full of joy and passion, for the opposition won the election. He went on and on about how the country is beyond on thrilled to have a different government than it has had in the past. I heard stories of parties throughout the country, his family celebrating, and other Venezuelans here at TCU thrilled about the news. For fifteen years, he said, the current government has implemented a socialistic system that has destroyed the country. Now, Gregory is happy for his family and friends to have an inspiration for change.

            When we walked into the restaurant, we saw Josh Doctson (TCU wide receiver). I was able to explain to Gregory who he was, and it started a conversation about sports. I learned all about Gregory’s passion for futbol (soccer). Throughout the semester he has tried to get his friends to play but has not played as much as he would have liked to play. He went on and on about how soccer gives him an opportunity to get outside, workout, and interact with his friends. I can connect to this, so our conversation went on for a while. Our food was ready, so we went to join my friends at the table.

            Here is one thing that I absolutely love about TCU students. My five friends had never met Gregory, nor did they know I was bringing him. As soon as we walked up, each one of my friends stood up, shook Gregory’s hand, and immediately began asking him questions. It was great! The first conversation at the table was about Christmas break. Gregory initiated the conversation. It is amazing to see his confidence in his English despite his obvious struggles with the language. I hope when I go abroad next semester I can have the same confidence! Gregory went person by person, asking individually what their plans were. The entire table explained their plans, and then they all asked Gregory for his plans. We learned that Gregory plans to go home for a few weeks before heading to Orlando. His favorite thing to do at home is take a quick plane ride to a nearby island. Gregory explained that a group of friends will buy cheap tickets and spend the weekend on this little island, playing in the ocean and relaxing. It sounded like a dream!

            The next topic of discussion was filled with complaining about our teachers. I started off the discussion by giving an impersonation of one of my professors, and Gregory found that extremely funny. He explained that making fun of people (obviously in a playful manor) is something that he finds hysterical. Gregory explained that his friend group is always messing with each other. This is somewhere we connected well, for my friend group does the exact same thing.

            Toward the end of the meal, I wanted to hear all about his upcoming week. He has a final tomorrow, and I was curious what his tests looked like. He is in an English program here at TCU. Gregory said that the tests have three sections. The first section is a lecture on a certain topic. Students are suggested to take notes and try and comprehend as much of the information as possible. The next step in the process involves the teacher asking students about the lecture, looking for how much of the lecture the students retained. Lastly, there is a written exam testing English skill. I cannot imagine taking a test like this in another language! It sounds extremely tense. Gregory’s English is spectacular, however, so I am confident that he will do well!