Musings with Mr. Moreno (Part 3)

Two days after my second meeting with Edinson, I suggested meeting again in the BLUU over lunch. I hoped to continue meeting at least once each week and decided to see if his Saturday afternoon was free. After receiving a confirmation email, I met Edinson for our third discussion.

Edinson and I both agreed to keep the meeting brief, as we both had alot of studying to do. However, we managed to cover a few important topics in our half hour together. Following the usual greetings, I explained to Edinson that I'd researched Nazca's Lines (see Part 2). I informed him that the reason the lines had remained intact for so long was the arid climate in the Nazca desert, where wind and rain play little to no part in the natural cycle. After chatting for a few minutes about that, I asked Edinson what he was doing for Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, he had no clue what Thanksgiving was, leaving me to try to explain it for him. I said that Thanksgiving was a time to gather with family, friends, and other loved ones to spend time together and express gratitude, but that many know it simply as a day to feast. I told him that the sweet potatoes he had on his plate paled in comparison to the ones many families use as a side dish on Thanksgiving and tried to describe other common side dishes (cranberry sauce didn't translate very well...).

As a natural extension of the Thanksgiving discussion, Edinson and I briefly discussed religion. He explained to me that he and nearly everyone he knew in Columbia was Catholic. I exclaimed that I was Presbyterian, which I explained to Edinson as a protestant faith similar to Catholicism, but differing in practice. He seemed confused, so I explained that my faith wasn't as strict in its rituals (for lack of a better word) as Catholocism. Both Edinson and I agreed that while most religions share important differences, their similiarities lie in the fact that each religion stresses harmony and peace over the bickering, anger, and persecution that seem prevalent in today's society.

My third meeting with Edinson was another fantastic experience. His english seems to improve between each meeting, and he seems to actually enjoy the discussions.