The ingredients of conversation
International researchers and students learn American idioms over cups of coffee

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News staff

Cucumbers, cookies, bacon and beans were amongst the medley of flavors that danced off the lips of international researchers and students over cups of coffee at Rice’s Brochstein Pavilion last Friday. The unlikely food combos — which also included pies, potatoes, eggs and apples — weren’t samples of meals from afar; they were lessons in American idioms.

	JEFF FITLOW
	From left, Steven Loych, a member of the OISS team, talks with Hao Zeng, a visiting scholar from China, about culture and language in U.S. and China. While they chat, Geoffrey Ripoll, a visiting intern from France, gets to know Emre Dogan, a doctoral student from Turkey.

Hosted by the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) to acclimate Rice’s foreign guests to U.S. language and culture, “international coffee hours” are open to all members of the Rice community and offer opportunities for cultural exchange. They will be held at Brochstein Pavilion from 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays through July 31.

Last week, Americans and internationals conversed about different idioms from their respective cultures, exploring what the expressions meant and how they got started. They reviewed phrases such as “brings home the bacon,” “a bad egg” and “the big cheese.” But the conversations led to more than just discussing the meaning.

“What is with America’s obsession with apples?” asked Hao Zeng, a visiting electrical and computer engineering scholar from China. “‘Apple of my eye,’ ‘the Big Apple,’ ‘American as apple pie’ — Why is so much about apples?”

Other international students and American volunteers joined in with their own phrases and began talking about why apples are so prevalent in American culture — from Johnny Appleseed to Macintosh computers. The coffee hours begin with such a group discussion, and then smaller groups break off to discuss their lives and histories.

“The point of these coffee hours is to let people meet each other one-on-one,” said Adria Baker, executive director of OISS. “That type of environment makes it very easy to share things about yourself and open yourself up to new ideas and different cultures. We want to encourage the Rice community to get to know our international visitors.”

The international coffee hours are part of a larger effort of OISS to foster community among the international visitors and campus. About 70 visiting research students from countries all over the world will call Rice University home this summer. Groups from Norway, Turkey, Egypt, France and the Middle East will take to the residential colleges, research labs and Fondren Library.

Other activities the Rice community can participate in include visits to sporting events, local museums and performances. For more information about summer events hosted by OISS, visit http://oiss.rice.edu/gateway.aspx?id=868.

Those who wish to take part in activities with the international summer visitors are encouraged to sign up to receive e-mail invitations to various events at https://my.rice.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1242928555531.