Emily CP#5

 Emily CP#5 

Date/Time: Tuesday, June 29th 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM 

Location: Zoom 

Topics discussed: FSU, Culture in Panama, American Politics 

Cultural and/or linguistic topics you and your partner learned: This conversation partner meeting was with a different partner than my usual meetings. This time, it was with one of my friends who is an international student at Florida State University. She lives in Panama and goes to school at the FSU Panama campus; however, she has been to the United States a swath of times before. Most of our meeting we discussed FSU, as she is attending the main campus (Tallahassee location) in the Fall for the first time. She just visited the campus early in June and loved it. Other than discussing future plans in the Fall, we also talked about cultural differences. In Panama, the communication pattern typically follows giving all of the details of the story and then the last point being the main point. In contrary, Americans follow the opposite pattern -- stating the main point first and then the remaining details at the end. She also talked about how it is custom when meeting people to give them a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which again differs from the greeting patterns in the United States. She also discussed how in Panama it is very common to know everyone. The example she gave was if you went to the grocery store, the chances of running into someone you know is high (or someone that knows someone you know). When it came to COVID-19, she made a point to say wearing masks was not a debate in Panama. All in all the conversation was incredibly enlightening and I am excited for her to come to Tallahassee in the Fall semester.