This picture looks better when viewed at a larger size than this, but when I was at Purdue last week, I met with two of my former students from the American Culture class I taught at the Purdue Village ESOL School (along with the fabulous director, Annette!) for a mini-reunion. From left to right: Keiko, Annette, me, and Xiaowei.
I had a really good time with them, and Keiko, Xiaowei and I went to lunch afterwards. All of my students in the class were really interested in understanding the culture in which they found themselves immersed, and I think it takes a really special kind of person to remain open and challenged by the things around oneself rather than retreating into one’s own cultural norms. Both Keiko and Xiaowei (along with the rest of the students who took the class) are those kind of people, and I think I may have learned more from them than they learned from me. In any event, it was just wonderful to see Keiko and Xiaowei again – they’re both people I consider friends, and I’m really proud of them.
Professional computer geek and linguist living in Germany, doing infosec stuff and being the freakiest mother ever.
