BETWEEN THE LINES

Getting to know fellow students from all parts of the world is an education in itself for those at Old Dominion who take advantage of the opportunities presented by the university's diverse population (more than 1,400 students from 120 countries).

Learning about the similarities - and differences - between cultures can only lead to a greater human understanding.

Even those of us who work at Old Dominion can get an international education by attending lectures and exhibits, working with interns or just taking the time to talk to students and faculty from other countries. For two weeks this summer, my family had the unique opportunity to host a 10-year-old boy from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, whose mother was on campus for an intensive program at the English Language Center.

Eldev-Ochir, or as we called him by his informal name, Dolgoon, arrived at the Norfolk airport with little more than a bagful of Legos, a winning smile and a thirst for adventure. It was his first trip to America.

While I learned a bit about Mongolian culture by talking to and observing Dolgoon, at the same time I gained a greater appreciation for many of the things we, in this country, take for granted. It was thrilling for me to watch the wonder on Dolgoon's face at seeing his first lightning bug and excitedly sharing this discovery with his mother, and I vicariously experienced the pure joy he felt as he splashed in a swimming pool - for the very first time - on a muggy July afternoon.

What couldn't be communicated via the spoken word was said through sign language (Dolgoon spoke limited English and we knew no words of Mongolian other than Genghis Khan!). Brian, my 10-year-old, introduced Dolgoon to basketball, baseball and bike rides through the neighborhood, while my 14-year-old son, Chris, shared his extensive knowledge of American video games (little translation needed there).

Brian and Dolgoon didn't always get along (What 10-year-olds do?) and weren't always able to communicate as effectively as they would have liked, but I think they learned to respect each other's differences and revel in their similarities. Hearing them as they laughingly struggled to teach each other poems about rainy days in their native language, as we drove through a thunderstorm on I-264 one evening, was a memorable experience for us all.

Brian allowed that hosting a boy from another country was "pretty cool" and remarked, "I think every child should have the experience of meeting people from other countries . . . to see what they're like."

What my family learned from Dolgoon's visit is that, despite our many cultural differences, we residents of planet Earth are basically pretty much the same, even if we do live at opposite ends of the globe. It was a valuable lesson for both adults and children.

- Steve Daniel, Editor