Carlos-CP10

On Saturday night, a group of us were finally able to return the favor to our Arabic friends by hosting our very own dinner for them. We tried to keep it American as possible as far as food. All the TEFL kids pitched in to bring food or supplies for the dinner. Camille and her roomates were great hosts, cooking the bulk of the meal and helping prepare the whole dinner. We had a grill in the back going with hot dogs, burgers, and corn on the cob. Our CIES friends brought their own meat from the mosque that many of them only eat. Inside, there was a spread of french fries, macaroni and cheese, doritto salad, fruit salad, among other things. All in all, we had more food than we needed, which isn't a bad thing at all.

Most of our CIES friends that had us over for dinner were there, as well as a number of our Asian CIES friends. Three of my partners were there as well and I was able to spend time with all of them. A number of Camille's friends were there and everyone really meshed well with one another. These are the experiences you truly cherish. We were able to break all walls during these weeks together and I truly consider these CIES students as friends, not assigned partners.

My favorite part of the night was jamming with Rashed and Abdullah. Both have a strong interest in guitar and I've really been able to connect with both of them through music. Rashed is continuously wanting to play and I've been able to teach him some simple licks that he can build off of. Abdullah is slowly beginning to improve, though it took awhile for him to open up because of how timid he was about playing in front of others. Abdullah is a natural and I've tried to really push his limits in both his skill and confidence. By the end of the night, we were able to play a song together and we were able to work on certain aspects of his style that will help him improve. I will continue to try and help him with his music before I move back to Orlando.