As per her request, Daisy and I met at the BLUU. We immediately started our conversation off with little hesitation. I asked Daisy of her progress with the TOFU tests and she informed me that she unfortunately did not meet the required grade that was necessary to move on towards the next step of her goal. Daisy would be taking the next semester off and returning in spring of 2015. We both shared our struggles with the english language. Daisy told me about all of the different versions of predicates she had known and had trouble identifying. I told her how I thought there was only one type of predicate! Daisy has a much more formal and deep understanding of the English language. They even have Daisy studying latin!
Daisy told me about how common chorus rehearsals are in the church. There are many beautiful songs that are sung in Latin and Daisy had to learn how to pronounce and read the language. Daisy believes that her rough understanding of latin helps her with the structure of English sentences and root words. This made me recall all the way back to 8th grade when my dad urged me to take latin so I'd perform better on the vocabulary section on the SAT. German is another language that Daisy got to dive into. She said that the structure is similar to Latin and English but there is one BIG difference: German words are quite long!
When we brought up the church music again, Daisy explained how all of the symbolic lyrics of he church songs were difficult to understand. Apparently her instructor advised her to attend a couple sessions of church to better gain an understanding of what exactly the lyrics are describing. Daisy then asked if I was a christian. I told her about how I went to church a lot as a child and was exposed to a lot of the choral songs that she spoke of. We both contemplated on how deep and meaningful the lyrics were.
I respectful asked Daisy about what religions are popular amongst the Chinese. Daisy said how most Chinese people who come to America adopt christianity but in China there isn't a standard religion adopted. Personally, Daisy believes in Buddhism and enjoys the ideals of it. It was fascinating getting to learn about the culture of Buddhism and how the dynamics of the religion work. Daisy said that Christians focus on being nice and caring. If a christian man does wrong, he prays for forgiveness. The Buddhist man does not act the same way. What happens is with purpose and not as a consequence. She said if someone is suffering, buddhism reminds them that while times may be harsh a positive time will happen soon in the future. It is also interesting to hear that the religion is especially popular amongst Chinese businessmen. Daisy didn't dive much further into the topic but I could tell that she was getting flustered. Religion is a complicated topic and is difficult to describe even by the most eloquent speakers. Daisy already had a new subject in mind to talk about.
For her persuasive speech, Daisy decided to discuss the pros and cons of gun control. Daisy's viewpoint was that guns should be taken out of criminals hands and therefor out of the public hands. She gave me a few pros and cons about each side and then asked for my opinion. I shared my viewpoint, that an American has the right to own a gun IF it is used to protect their PROPERTY and is sold to a licensed owner. I believe that background checks are important in determining that the potential owner is rightful and safe for his/her community in owning such a dangerous piece of equipment. Daisy asked if I had ever shot a gun. I was happy to tell her about my most recent hunting experience.
Last December, I got to go hunting for the first time with my dad and uncle. I didn't know what to expect going into the situation but was pleasantly surprised. I asked daisy if she likes the nature and being in solitude. Daisy replied with a comforting nod. I explained thats what hunting is, it's the epitome of soaking in everything nature has to offer and getting to watch wildlife. When I told her how I shot a couple of dear, Daisy didn't react the way I anticipated. She thought it was pretty interesting and wanted to learn more about it. I made it clear that venison, lean deer meet, was saved from the dear and actually fed my family (really my dad) for about five months. I asked Daisy if she had ever gone fishing and Daisy said she had gone once or twice when she was about six years old. Daisy said that she enjoyed the peace but didn't quite have a attention span to wait the whole time. She said it was boring up until she caught the fish. Then the wait was all worth it. We both agreed about our love for fish. Daisy's favorite type of meet, however, is pork. It was at this moment when Daisy taught me a little lesson about the differences between the American and Chinese cuisine.
Apparently American pork is much more lean than Chinese pork. In China, they favor the much tastier and fatter pork. Daisy made a bold claim, that Chinese people eat fatter and more unhealthy food than Americans. That was one statement that I had a difficult time believing. I said that Americans eat greasy fast food and, outside of the attractive college campus of TCU, are statistically proven to be pretty fat. Daisy believes that the American culture focuses much more on calories and working out. In China, Daisy would work out once a year. In America, Daisy works out once a week. She said that Americans are much more toned that her friends back home. I definitely believe that statement regarding the working out. We laughed about how she thought Chinese ate fatter food yet Americans were the fatter population.
I looked down at my phone and realized that almost an hour and half had passed! I knew I had to go back to studying but didn't want to. Daisy and I had truly developed a bond and it was a sad moment to realize we weren't going to see each other for a long time. We agreed that we should keep in touch and email each other from time to time. I'm interesting to see Daisy's continuing journey to follow her dream to become a choral conductor. Before we left we took a photo.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn so much about you, your culture, and even myself! I can't wait to see what the future unfolds for you Daisy!
Thanks for your great conversations.
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