Mario CP2

My second conversation partner experience was not as awkward as the first one. I met with Bekir (my conversation partner) at the CIES lounge and talked for a bit. I already knew what to do and what was expected of me, so the conversation went more smoothly than the first one. Since I did not want to be at the CIES building, we decided to take the bus and just go somewhere to chat. We took the bus and went around campus until we finally stopped at Starbucks to get some coffee and pastries.

Bekir and I talked about our experiences here in the U.S. and about our lives here in Florida. Bekir misses his family, friends and homemade cooking. He does not like fast food that much, so he prefers to cook at home. We talked about what we do and do not like to eat and then our conversation drifted to our studies. Bekir is trying to get into Florida International University (FIU) or UF after he is done with his English studies. He wants to get a PhD on electrical engineering in the U.S. And then go back to Turkey. I asked him why he wants to go back to Turkey if he can get a better salary if he works in the U.S. Bekir told me he has to go back to Turkey and work for the government or else he would have to pay 150% of his career to the Turkish government. He came to the U.S. with a government program that would pay for his studies as long as he returns to Turkey. I told Bekir that it was a smart move from the Turkish government. I guess the Turkish government is just securing its investment. In the end, I think it's a good deal after all because the citizens of Turkey have the opportunity to travel, to study and learn from a different culture.