joannqn Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We have twin Chinese boys, age 12, arriving this evening to spend the next two weeks (almost) in our home. This is the first time we've opened our home to an exchange student since my oldest was an infant. The kids are excited even though we won't see them much. Their schedule is very full; we'll only see them in the evenings, next weekend, and the Saturday after that. DS and DH will see them even less since they leave for taekwondo Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays before they get home and don't get back until half an hour before bedtime. Some of the kids have relatives over here that take them on the weekends if the parents complete a permission slip; we're hoping ours don't. I'm kind of nervous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 How exciting! Hope the initial meeting goes well and that you all have a good time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Wow - that is really exciting! Good luck! :001_smile: I bet those 2 boys are so excited too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I hope you and they all have a wonderful time together. We have had exchange students and I am so glad we did! There are learning times and fun times coming for your family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) Their application said that their English was sufficient. That is stretching it A LOT. They could have chosen "basic", and I'd still call that a stretch. Half the time I don't know if they understand me or not. Understanding them is difficult too. One of them brought an IPAD with a translation app though. The initial meeting was awkward. It was loud making it harder to understand each other. When we got to our neighborhood, they remarked that it was different. We showed them their room and the bathroom. They came back down pretty quick with some gifts. Then showed them the rest of the house and the backyard, which made their jaw drop. They think our backyard is a small park. The kids are getting along. Sammy (DS9) just keeps talking nonstop without eye contact as usual. My oldest and is in the kitchen going through play food with one of the boys. I pulled out the hot dog bun and hot dog and showed him, asking "Do you eat?" He said, "No," and I said, "You will!" I tried to explain that we were going to the park this weekend to bbq hot dogs. It should be interesting. They brought some small gifts. These opera masks, these TINY kites, a set folk style haibao dolls (mascot of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo) for the littles (our set is six little plastic dolls in various outfits), and bookmarks for each of the big kids. Edited August 3, 2011 by joannqn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloversandlions Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 That sounds like fun! My friend hosted an exchange student from France last year (for two weeks) and she and her daughters had a great time. The high school-aged young man told her that he wanted to be a police officer, so she contacted her buddies at a neighboring precinct and they even took the young man for a ride in a police car. It seems like it would be a fantastic experience - it's definitely something I'd love to be a part of someday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 What a neat experience you will have. I'll never forget the week I spent in Quebec, with a family in which the parents spoke no english, and the kids spoke "school" english, I spoke "school" french. We managed, and I had a fantastic time, with so many wonderful memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Fun! We picked up our Japanese exchange student today. :) She's very sweet and loves children and is eager to learn English so that she can work at Disney World. We hosted Chinese high school students for a couple summers in a row. They were so much fun. I am still in touch with a couple of them by email. I think the first couple days are always the hardest. They are tired from traveling, overwhelmed by the newness of everything, and their language "ears" haven't adjusted. I'll bet at about 3-4 days you'll see an improvement in communication. And thank goodness for those electronic dictionaries and translator apps! We found that playing games like Sorry or Yahtzee or Blokus were great ways to spend time together because those games aren't too language dependent. What a great experience with your family. Have fun! Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 12 year old boys are the definition of awkward anyway, so it is likely complicated. We hosted through AFS and always much older students. I would not at all be interested in younger kids than teens. Too many issues I could foresee. Would NEVER all ow my 12 yr old to do such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 12 year old boys are the definition of awkward anyway, so it is likely complicated. We hosted through AFS and always much older students. I would not at all be interested in younger kids than teens. Too many issues I could foresee. Would NEVER all ow my 12 yr old to do such a thing. The entire group is ages 9 to 12. No, I can't imagine sending my 9 year old to another country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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