Just a few weeks ago, Julia and I had planned to meet in the Bluu again to get some lunch before my Monday afternoon class. Just about an hour before we planned to meet, she texted me and asked me if it would be ok if she brought her sister along on the lunch date. I had no idea that her sister was here in America with her, so I was excited to be able to include her for the afternoon and to get to know her as well. Sure enough, Julia and her sister, Jeong, walked happily into the Bluu that afternoon, and the three of us found a table outside where we could enjoy the beautiful weather together. I didn’t have to explain to Jeong as much about the food at the Bluu as I did to Julia the week before, mostly because Julia had already taken her to the Bluu for lunch and had already explained to her about each of the food groups. The three of us quickly found something good to eat for lunch, returned to our table outside, and began to talk.
I had the privilege of learning even more about Julia’s family that afternoon, especially since Jeong was there to add some additional information and participate in the conversation as well. Jeong is just as passionate of a Christian as Julia and her family is. Jeong’s family is here in America too, including her husband. Jeong is not currently enrolled in classes at TCU due to a shoulder injury that she is trying to recover from; however, she works just as hard as her sister Julia to learn English to the best of her ability and to use my knowledge as a valuable resource. In fact, Jeong asked if it would be ok if she came to lunch with Julia and I every time from here on out so that she can continue to learn as well. I happily granted her request and told her that anytime Julia and I get together, she is more than welcome to join us as well.
It quickly became clear to me the special bond that these two women have with each other. They are two of the most dedicated and hard-working women I know. They’ve both sacrificed much of their own lives in Korea to be here in America to learn English and then to travel the world to do Christian missionary work. They’re studious, and they’re not afraid to ask questions. They both have digital dictionaries that they can easily take out of their bags, type in a word, and it will instantly tell them what the translation of that word is in English or in Korean. As they began to explain how very different the culture is here in America compared to Korea, it was evident how very homesick they both are. Especially Julia, whose husband is still in Korea working and supporting their family. But it is rewarding to see how much these two women, both in their forties with families of their own, value the time and effort that I, a twenty-year old American student, put towards spending with them. Every time we’ve gone to the Bluu, they’ve tried to pay for me to eat because they don’t understand that I have free access with my student ID. They asked me if I would be interested in getting some Korean food with them sometime soon. They’re very proud of where they come from and their culture, but they are also very humble and eager to ask questions and learn all that they possibly can from me, a young girl no older than Julia’s own son.
What this experience has shown me so far is that although many of the international students here on campus seem shy and perhaps even somewhat uninterested in mingling with us Americans, all it truly takes is a little bit of sincere effort to get to know them and appreciation of their own culture and background. By simply giving Julia and Jeong my full attention and interest in their past, their hearts have been overly joyous in my presence, and they have been nothing but attentive and interested in my own past and my own opinions of the American culture. What a blessing it’s been to get to know them both so well. I am continuing to learn from them and make a difference in their lives during every time we meet. This has been a phenomenal experience so far, and I am excited to see what else I will learn from both of these women throughout the rest of our visits.
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