Well, I grew up in a housing district for American military personnel and their families. So I was constantly exposed to two different cultures. One that was set up by the US to feel like home for the military families, and the Japanese culture that exists all around us on the district. Ishtar thought about a little. I did attend an international school in Tokyo specifically designed for foreign students like myself.

Ishtar smiled at the mention of Pittsburgh. Oh how interesting. My grandparents live in Birmingham, Alabama. I only bring it up because Birmingham was known as the Pittsburgh of the South back when it first founded. I had always wondered what Pittsburgh was like if Birmingham use to be a smaller version of it.

"Oh that's interesting. I think it's wonderful that you grew up in two cultures. And you're luckier than me. I had to travel thousands of miles to Delhi to get exposure to a second culture."

Bala listened with interest as Ishtar spoke of the Pittsburgh - Birmingham connection. "I've never heard that about Birmingham. I wonder where that came from. Now I'll have to look up information about Birmingham." Bala smiled at that last bit. She added, "I guess that's yet another trip to the library."

Wow, I never been to India. In fact except Japan and the United States, this is the only place I ever been to.

Ishtar thought about Bala last comment. Well, I think it had something to do with steel, but I am not sure. Maybe we can both go to the library since I want to find out more about Elizabeth Browning.

Bala smiled at the comment about travel. "Yes. I've been to India, England, and Germany, among other countries. Germany was great because I'd learned German in high school." Bala was enjoying this. She'd been to several countries and liked sharing stories about them. "And, of course, I have family just outside Delhi. So most of the things I did there weren't touristy."

Bala pondered the Birmingham thing again. "I guess it could be steel. I know Pittsburgh was a big steel town. We will have to look that up too." Bala was truly curious now. She couldn't wait for their trip to the library. "So? How often did you get to visit your grandparents in Birmingham? I hope it was a lot."

Oh you been to England and Germany as well? I wonder what all was similar, and what was different? It is interesting to see how diverse such small countries can be even if they are near one another and share alot of history. I would also love to hear more about Delhi.

Ishtar did a mental count in her head. I guess it was pretty often. We usually went twice a year. Once around Christmas and once around late July-early August. The summer trip we often used as vacation so would go and see some areas that were within driving distance.

"There were similarities between England and Germany, sure. And, aside from language, there were some big differences too. As I said, I liked Germany the best partly becuase I'm fluent in German. They also had some wonderful festivals while I was there." Bala wrote down some of the ideas they had discussed with the Browning poem as she spoke.

"But I'm really interested in Birmingham. Are your grandparents from there? Do they speak with a Southern accent? I hope so because I've always loved that accent. I've never been to the South. What's it like?"

Ah I see. What kind of festivals did they have in Germany? I wonder what they were like. Ishtar had noticed they had gotten a bit off topic, but Bala was on the job and had been writing down their ideas about the poems.

Well they are from small towns that are in Alabama and Georgia, before they moved to Birmingham. So as a result they have strong Southern accents.

Birmingham is at the end of a mountain range, I think its the Appalachians. So it sits in a valley surround by gentle mountains. Most of the mountains are covered in woods and suburbs so its fairly pretty.
The downtown is a mix of modern buildings as well as some buildings that were built sometime in the early century.

"Well." Bala paused a moment. She got a big, guilty grin. "This is kind of funny since I was talking about festivals in Germany. But on our most recent trip there, we went to an amazing festival in Austria. We went to the World Body Painting Festival in Seeboden, Austria. They had some awesome work there. There was a woman painted as a mountain range, a couple who were painted as a 'bicycle built for two', and a woman who was eight months pregnant who had a painting of a fetus on her tummy. What made that last one more amazing is that her husband was the artist." Bala smiled, recalling all the art at the festival. "I took about a hundred pictures. I'll have to show you some of them."

Seamlessly, or so she hoped, shifting between their two topics, Bala went on more about Birmingham. "Oh, I know what you mean about neighborhoods like that. We have that in Pittsburgh too, not so much downtown where we live as in the outskirts. Out there, you can see an 19th Century building made of stone next to a steel building from the early 20th, and a wood frame building from the 1980s. I like those kinds of neighborhoods. It's like you're traveling back and forth through time as you walk."

Bala stopped then and looked at the teacher. She was telling the class to turn in their assignments tomorrow. And she gave Bala & Ishtar a strange look. Bala tapped her notebook and nodded. It seems that they talked the whole rest of the class. They'll have to make sure they finish their study tonight. Bala turns to Ishtar and says, "Wow! Time flies. Want to go to the library now?"

Wow that sounds like an amazing festival!! I would love to see some of the pictures. Bala silence made Ishtar turn towards the teacher. It was then she noticed the teacher's odd look. Ishtar gasped as she realized she had monopolized the entire time by talking to Bala. I guess we have to finish it tonight then.

As the class ended, Bala suggested that they should go to library. Sure that sounds a good idea. Let's go!

"Great!" Bala put her books and notebook in her school bag and gets up with Ishtar. As they head for the library she says, "if we don't get to it while we're looking up Elizabeth Barrett Browning and the Pittsburgh of the South, we can go to my room after dinner. I'll be able to show you the festival photos then too."

Bala couldn't help smiling and had an extra bounce in her step. Not only did she have a new study partner, she was really interesting and nice. This was actually the best time she'd had in that class. "I don't have a roommate so it would be nice to have some company"

Sounds like a plan to me. Ishtar smiled as they headed for the library. It was great to fine a good friend like Bala so quickly at school. She is pretty happy things were going so well.

As Bala asked about being a roommate, Ishtar thought about for it. Well, I do not have a roommate either. It would be nice to have a roommate. Maybe we can talk to the school officials to see if we can make it happen.

Bala had not even considered Ishatar for a roommate. She had assumed that Ishtar already had one. "It's strange", she said. "But I know, and know of, several upperclasswomen who have roommates. And here we are, two freshmen with dorm rooms to ourselves. It's yet another thing about this place I don't understand."

When they arrived at the library, they agreed on a table in which to study. Oddly enough, they both seemed to pick the same table. That kind of compatibility was a rare treasure. Then Bala went to look for a biography on Elizabeth Barrett Browning while Ishtar went to get books to research Birmingham and Pittsburgh. Both agreeing to return to their study table shortly.

I guess they want us to choose are own roommates rather than assign them to us.

After they had picked out a table, Ishtar head out to get books on Birmingham and Pittsburgh. Ishtar headed over to main desk to ask where the geography section was. Surely the geography section would have books on Birmingham and Pittsburgh she reasoned.

Bala soon returns with a biography and an encyclopedia. She sits down, opens both books, and begins taking notes for their assignment. After several notes, she begins to wonder where Ishtar was. Her mind began going over the roommate question again. While Bala enjoyed the freedoms that living alone afforded, she couldn't help but feel a little lonely. She had roommates of one sort or another for most of her life. And some companionship would be nice. She would discuss it with Ishtar. They seemed very compatible and really should be roommates.

It took a while, but Ishtar finally found a book on Pittsburgh and one on Birmingham. She had began to make her way back to the table but had become a bit disoriented. She wasn't quite sure where the table was and was a bit upset with herself. Well, she knew if she check all of the tables she would find Bala quickly enough.

Finally, she saw a familiar face already working on the other reason why they were here.