Stephanie _CP#4

Last Wednesday, I went out to lunch with my conversation partner Mohammad. We went to an Indian restaurant called Samrat. This meeting was very fun for both of us because he taught me about his food and culture while I taught him English. We listened to Arabic music in the car on the way there, and he explained to me what every song was about in English. The food was absolutely delicious, both of our favorites was the Chicken Tikka Masala. I really enjoyed the Naan too, which is like our “bread” in American restaurants. There were a lot of other CIES students there on their lunch break and we said hello. Mohammad says that a lot of students from Kuwait and the Middle East that study at FSU go to that restaurant because it is very authentic. We talked a lot about his culture, his family, his favorite foods, and what universities he is applying for (he wants to be a Civil Engineer). I really enjoyed this experience because it gave me a chance to really get to know him while practicing English in a fun way. He even taught me some words in Arabic! The waiter was laughing at us and kept calling me “the Americana” because him and Mohammad would speak in Arabic to each other since they are both from Kuwait, but Mohammad would have to translate everything in English for me so I could understand. The waiter knows Mohammad by name because he goes to eat there so often! He said that he was very proud of Mohammad for learning English, and of me for wanting to learn more about my student and his culture.