College campuses have always been something of a meeting point for human beings from all over this flat Earth, a place where young people come together in usually tense living situations and are generally expected to get along despite—or maybe because of—their differences.
There are so many worldly people that I have gratefully met because of their university matriculations, a trend that continues to this day; for example, recently, I had lunch with my girlfriend and a good friend of hers from Colombia, Alejandra. A would-be chemical engineer that will soon return to her homeland with the necessary book-based knowledge, I gave her a cram-session in deli sandwiches at one of my favorite lunch-spots, Midway Grocery and Market, 601 W. Eufaula St. in Norman, last Saturday.
It was a sunny day that, excusing the latent chill in the air, was perfect enough for a patio-lounging lunch; there was plenty of room outside where, despite a small cadre of wasps buzzing about the area, we managed to find a secure table with a bit of shade. We had already ordered our sandwiches inside the market, a hippie relic that was covered with Sharpie-strewn graffiti and seventies-era posters of long-disbanded bands.
As we waited on our premium-priced sandwiches to arrive, I asked Alejandra the routine questions about her country—mostly the things that are typically told to us by our own state-run media—and she answered back honestly in her charming broken English. She also told me that she truly does like America—and especially Oklahoma—and hopes to return again next semester.