It is December already. The shadows are coming earlier. The nighttime temperatures have dropped. We have had a little snow. Browns, dull yellows, and gold dominate the landscape. Christmas lights are up bringing cheer on especially drab days.
Now is the time we look back at the conversations we have enjoyed at the Conversation Café fall 2023 semester. One of my favorite topics had to do with our international friends’ perception of we Americans. Here are three of their observations.
- Americans do not tell you when they don’t know an answer to a question. They say, “That’s a good question.”
- Americans don’t give internationals time to process and answer. They have moved on before an international has had time to compose their answer and ask it.
- Americans do not follow up in friendship. They may start with friendliness but then the attachment stops.
Ouch! And yet, their feedback is so helpful. Perhaps we can use the coming start to a new year to transition to more insightful and kind behavior as we welcome internationals among us.
International Conversation Cafe 