Bandar: Meet Number TWO

   Today I got to meet up with my conversation partner again! We sat outside 1873 and drank hot coffee while sweating in the heat, go figure. We got to talk a lot more about humor and laughter. I asked what people did for fun where he lived and if there were movies, since I am considering becoming a film major. He told me that there are no movies, alcohol, casinos, or entertainment in his country because of their strict rules.  He explained that you had to travel 3 hours for any sort of fun and compared it to driving to Huston just to see a movie. This surprised me a lot and he went on to explain that is why he has travelled so much, because there is so little to do there except work. He also made a joke that because it is so hot and "fiery" outside there is no place to walk, "if you want to walk you go in circles inside your house," he said, to which we both laughed.

   Continuing with the topic of movies though he asked if I had seen the movie "Dictator" by Sacha Cohen from this year.  I told him no and he explained how the movie made fun of Libya and its leader.  I asked him if he found it offensive and he laughingly told me that a lot of the content was actually realistic and that the leader was actually that crazy so, to him, the movie was funny. Then I asked him if people still joked around and had fun in the work place at least and he said that they did.

    Another story that made both of us laugh is when Bandar explained that the teachers recommend the students go to coffee shops and listen to other peoples conversations to improve their listening.  One day he was leaning back in his chair and people asked him if he was trying to listen in on their conversation.  At first he said no and told them he was just playing with his chair (at this point he acted it out and we both laughed) but then admitted he was listening because he was learning English.  They invited him to join their table but because they were talking so quickly he had a difficult time keeping up.

    Towards the end of our meeting time a lady walked up advertising a blood drive that was going on in the BLUU auditorium.  Bandar read the sign for the blood drive out loud and asked what that meant.  I explained that the blood would be used in hospitals for patients who needed it, to which he promptly responded that he would give blood. I was surprised at his eagerness but it was simply yet another learning experience for both of us.