By a lucky coincidence, my conversation partner, Amirah, is Ibrahim’s wife. We met each other in the lounge, and soon she beckoned me to follow her to a table outside. Amirah is friendly, but at first it was hard to bridge an uncomfortable silence that we both seemed to fall into after a short question and response. Luckily my coffee sparked a conversation on our shared appreciation for heavily caffeinated drinks and as we immersed ourselves in the discussion the gaps of silence shortened into pauses to find words. It is hard to feel connected by collecting details on number of siblings, but shared interests opened up a different line of communication- one of actual understanding. I was hesitant, at first, because with such massive cultural differences, sensitivity signifies respect, and I wasn’t sure how much of my life could appear as an affront to her. But after 50 minutes, I could tell that we both created a space free of judgement and structured by an eagerness to understand. Amirah seems to have a good hold on English, and her writing and pronunciations both are really good.
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