"I was with some people in a café and we were all divided into pairs of people, one Spanish, one English. My partner was Stacy. I thought she was very nice, and her Spanish was also very good. Much like your Spanish, Aaron."
"Thanks", Aaron says. Our server brings a couple of vegetarian stir fries, followed by a plate of egg foo yung. There is plenty for all of us as we begin to dig in. Aaron continues, "Did Stacy introduce you to Father Griffin?"
"Yes, in the dinner."
"What made you want to attend? " Carl says. "I mean, besides food."
"Stacy seemed like a very nice lady. Very friendly. Very kind. And she was the first Canadian I knew who could speak really good Spanish. I also wanted to go to church again. I was mostly away after coming to Canada, and my mom was getting worried. And I was wanting to reconnect. I just didn't know where to go. I been to Catholic church here, in the cathedral, but it wasn't the same. "
"You said you came here to Canada to study English?" I ask Jesús.
"I was working in an engineering company in Bogotá and they wanted me to improve my English, so they helped me get into a program here in Vancouver. Then I decided I didn't want to go back to Colombia."
"You like it here better?" Carl asks.
"It's safer here. Too many people in Bogotá know me. The wrong people."
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