Kumar from Kerala

Well, I'm back in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia once again. I'm way behind on my coursework, but dare I say, it was worth it. Aside from a few customs officials at the airport, Kumar  is usually the first person I see when I arrive back, and definitely the first friend I see. He works at a corner-store near my house. He has everything you could possibly need, and he'll even let you keep a tab if he trusts you. Kumar speaks excellent English and Arabic but most Saudi's address him in Arabic, not English. The best thing about Kumar is that he has an excellent sense of humor. He loves his wife and kids and does everything he can for them. When I first started working in Saudi Arabia he didn't have a computer or a smartphone, but now he has both. I sold him my old net-book and an older Blackberry Bold which still works fairly well. In less than a week, he was downloading movies, using Skype to contact his wife and two sons, and even surfing the web on his Blackberry. Ask Kumar if technology has improved his life. He can't live without it. I wish my students would have a conversation in English with Kumar. Sometimes I want to call him in class and put him on speakerphone. I'm convinced that there is no better place in the world to learn English than Saudi Arabia. World Englishes are everywhere you turn here. Anyway, I'm working on it.