beginnings continued

At the start of the semester I volunteered to meet with a language partner to help them with their english and in return get help with my Italian.  So after a few weeks I received an email and arranged a meeting time and day with my new friend Stefano.  Hearing from other USAC students, I had the expectation of meeting with another student at the university around my age and being able to go out and have some drinks with them and have a good time as well as language training, but I was a little taken back by our first meeting.  We arranged to meet at 3 outside one of the walls of the city and when I arrived I called and he thought I meant meet at 5 so he said he'd be right there in 5 minutes or so.  Up pulls a Mercedes hatchback and the window rolls down and the man inside says "You Karl?" "Ah yeah, Stefano?" "Yes yes,  nice to meet you." Ok well i walk up and shake his hand he has a wedding ring on and a baby seat in the back...come to find out he is twice my age, married with kids, and has a PHD in Agricultural Economics.  Not exactly what I expected for a language partner but he is a really nice guy and took me out for coffee and we talked mostly in english about art and photography and I found out that he needs to expand his english because he is traveling to Nepal for a work project and they will do all the business in english.  After the first meeting we set up to meet twice a week on day in english and one day in italian.  I will keep this posted to see how it goes.