During the summer of my sophomore year I studied abroad in Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto is divided into two sections by a beautiful river. One day I took my guitar down to the river to play and I was approached by a woman and her child. They sat and listened and told me in Japanese that my guitar playing was very enjoyable. When I responded, "Thank you! I've been playing for two years now!" their faces lit up!

In addition to Computer Science I went on the major in East Asian Languages. Communication is a funny thing, and good communication can be the difference between 'getting the jist' and truly understanding someone. This is something I think about whenever I open my mouth, regardless if I'm speaking English, Japanese, or Chinese. Having the experience of people not understanding you can be just as valuable, which really leads to the most important part of communication: Listening!

Unless you are starting the conversation you do yourself no favors by inattentively listening to the person you talking with. The most thoughtful and helpful responses come from good listeners.

One time my father and I were hiking in the washes of Tucson, Arizona (my hometown). He started talking to me about a novel he was reading. There was a woman who would draw the birds that came to her window every morning; she also took note of the time they came and some of the unique behaviors they exhibited. One day the woman was visited by a man who had ventured out to her house in the desert. Over dinner she talked on and on about the birds. Their colors, their songs, their mates. The man smiled and responded. "Did you know I'm an ornithologist?" The woman was embarrassed. "Why didn't you tell me before I started telling you about the birds?" she asked. The man responded, "Because I rarely learn anything from listening to myself talk."