PARTⅠ

 

It was the first time I arrived in the . While I was waiting in the line at the Chicago airport, two guys were talking about their business in English behind me.  All I could hear was a different language, English.  During the flight from Chicago to Evansville, I was so excited that I forgot about the sufferings in a different country as a foreigner.  As soon as I arrived in Evansville, an accident had happened.  I got the notice from the airport, but I didn’t totally understand what was going on.  After someone told me what the notice meant, I knew that my suitcases were not coming to Evansville yet.  I thought from the start it was not going well.  The bad things were steadily continuing, and everything made me discouraged and scared.  The conversation using my second language was not really working and was awfully hard to me.  Due to the fast speed of English for me, I couldn’t make sense of anything.

 

“blah, blah, blah.” They said.

 

“What?”, “Say one more time?”, “Sorry?” I always answered.

 

I felt so bad about everything in .  I wished I could go back to my hometown.  When I went to my psychology class, I didn’t understand the lecture of the professor.  I felt like I was Helen Keller, even though I had ears and a mouth, I couldn’t hear or speak English.  After that class, I went back to my dorm, and I couldn’t stop crying.  I started ask some fundamental questions to myself.  “Why did I come to here, for what?”

 

One time, while I was adjusting to the new school life in , I saw the good news about a helpful program for international students.  It was a program that got together international students and paired them each with an English tutor.  I knew Bryce who the president of the club, which made him in charge of the tutor program.  I already knew him and had a good impression of him, so I wanted him as my English tutor.  So, we started our relationship as tutor and tutee.  Yet, I almost freaked out after I knew he is gay. Even though I heard about a few stories about gays, I had never met a gay in person in my life.  Unlike , the Asian people have a strict culture of not accepting homosexuals. When I discovered his sexual preference, I felt so scared based on bad images and stereotypes of gays.

 

However, He understood my situation better than any of the other American students.  I felt I had a really good helper for my American life.  I hung out with him more and more; I knew him better and better.  Labeling him as gay by my prejudice was not a good thing, because before he was gay, he was my wonderful friend.  All I had known about gays had turned out to be wrong. “We are best friends.”  He encouraged and helped me to get over my hard time living in as one of the international students.  He is my best tutor, and my best friend.

 

 

      Besides that, my article featured in the newsletter for academic excellence. Also, I successfully completed a presentation on for UE students. I did the fashion show to show beauty of ‘hanbok’.  Exchange student at U of E, it was the best experience in my life and I am so proud of myself. Thanks to my school I could come Evansville and study here.

 

 

PART Ⅱ

 

I don’t know if it was destiny or fate, but words cannot say how happy I am to have been able to meet you. You are my best friend. I can’t believe how close we have gotten in a few months. At the first time, you made my brain melt down when I found out you were gay. It was a terrible shock. However, I don’t care if you are gay; you broke my gay stereotype.

 

You and I have done so much in such a short time. We went Starbucks a lot, we went haunted house, we ate Thanksgiving Turkey, I met your boy friend, I taught you Korean, you taught me English, we were partners at the formal party, and we “tell me tell me” danced. We did a lot, and I always cherish every memory, every laughs and every cup of coffee with you. It was a wonderful semester for me. Even though I can’t meet you now, I am not worried. It is our destiny to meet each other again. You will always be apart of my life and I will miss you until the day we meet again. I love Bryce. I love you so much.

 

Your Best Friend Forever

 

 

By. Ranyi Back (Business Administration, 4) studied at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana, for a year from 2007 to 2008

Back Ranyi (right) poses with her gay friend, Bryce, who was her partner at a formal party during her stay at the University of Evansville.

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