Kaoru's Homestay Memories



I found the homestay program from a magazine when I was 16 years old. At that time, I was interested in International Communications and people from other countries. There are not many International visitors in my hometown. The nearest sightseeing place is "Nikko" where many tourists from many other countries visit all year long. I talked to some tourists with my poor English, but I couldn't communicate well.
When I found the homestay program, it was just like a dream to me. I was not very interested in sightseeing, but I was interested in local people and their life styles. I wanted to put myself in very different atmosphere surrounded by people with different background who speak different language. I was very curious how I could survive in that situation. We take English classes from the 7th grade. When I tried my first homestay, I completed 3 years English lessons at school. Unfortunately, English classes at school were not helpful. We learned Grammar, Reading & Writing, but no Conversational English. English teacher (Japanese) couldn't speak or listen to English well either. These days, Japanese schools change the system and many schools hire English native speaking teachers to teach some English classes with Japanese teachers. Still, many Japanese students have hard time in Listening and Speaking in English class. Their reading and grammar are very good though.
Anyway, I decided to apply for a homestay program operated by the biggest Japanese Travel Agency (JTB). "3 weeks homestay in San Francisco (suburb)". It was very expensive. I recall it was more than $4,000 including round trip airfare and some sightseeing tours. My first host family is Maxwell Family in Newark, about 2 hours away from San Francisco. I remember that I was very shy and I couldn't tell my host family that I was hungry. They had 6 children at home and accepted 2 homestay guests. They couldn't see if I ate enough or not. I was shy and I couldn't get food on my own. Then. I was always hungry. I bought some candy when I was out and kept it in my bedroom sharing with another guest. One day, host found the candy in the bedroom and told me that I couldn't have candy in the bedroom. It was very embarrassing. Other than being hungry, I had a wonderful experience. In 3 weeks, I learned a lot of conversational English through host family children and their friends. Everything was new to me. First time seeing the lemon trees, almond trees, peach trees, etc. By the time I had to leave, I was really a member of that family and it was very sad. We cried very hard till the airport gate. (Host families were not supposed to come to the airport, but my host family came to the airport by their car anyway.) Just 6 months after the first trip, I got another chance to try homestay.It was operated by national Highschool project of International Cultural Exchange Program. My highschool has a relationship with Taconic Hills Highschool in upstate NY. Every year 10 students from our school visit Taconic Hills Highschool. I was selected for one of the 10 students. We all stay with local student's (host student) family during the program. My host student was Ms. Nita Soge. We became friends right away. I followed her and went to her classes. My English was not good enough to understand all her classes, but it was fun to attend regular classes. I think it's very good plan, I could get friends very easily through Nita. In that program, You are not stranger at school, you have a best friend from the beginning!

Nita's Mom had a motel and restaurant. Her step-father had a farm house. Nita and I shared one of the motel rooms. We ate at the restaurant everyday. (Everything was tasty and I gained 10 pounds in 2 months) We visited Farm House and we played on the pile of hay and got a fresh milk from the tank. Nita, Kimberly (her younger sister) and I visited their father in Long Island for Easter. It was my very first Easter holiday and unforgettable one. Her father, step-Mom, step-sisters were very very nice. Nita told me that we had to go to the bed early the night before the Easter because the Easter Bunny would come. (She also told me that Easter Bunny would be a Daddy.) Then we woke up in the morning, there were some foot prints (Easter Bunny!) on the floor through the door. We followed the foot prints and walked around the backyard, coming back to the kitchen and then we found baskets full of candies and presents!!! We went to a church and had a big meal afterwards.

I met Nita's boy-friend A.J.'s family (Orlich Family) a few times. A.J.'s sister, Shirley and I became friends and we are in touch. They are very nice people. I visited them 6 years after the trip. I could speak English well on my 2nd trip.
I really wanted to go to a college in the U.S.A., but my parents were against on that idea. They said that Japanese companies are very conscious about the school names when they hire newly graduates. They like well-know school names like brand names. My parents want me to graduate from a good college in Japan first. I asked them that I would like to study at a college in U.S.A. for one year or longer if I could pass the entrance exam for the school they like at my first try. Well, I could pass the entrance exam for my first choice. So, I was already looking for a school in the U.S. from the freshman year at Rikkyo University in Tokyo.After I finished my sophomore year, I decided to visit US to find where I would like to study. Then I tried my 3rd homestay. I chose "East Coast" and stayed with a host family in New Jersey. My first host family was not comfortable. I just couldn't feel comfortable with them. I was not happy, but I couldn't change it by myself. The coordinator found that I was not happy and visited the host family. I couldn't say that I wanted to change the host family because I didn't want to betray the host's kindness to accept me. But the coordinator took care of it very well. She told me that I should move if I was not comfortable. The most important thing is that I'm enjoying the homestay. If I'm not happy, the host family or coordinators are not happy either. It's OK to say what I want. Then I could say that I wanted to change the host family. I was moved to another host family right away. I had a really great time after I moved. I really appreciated the coordinator's help.
I decided to go to school in East Coast through that trip. I picked "Philadelphia" because it's a comfortable size city and has history and unique culture. I took a year off from Rikkyo and flew to Philadelphia by myself after the Junior Year.I did homestay while I attended at a ESL course. Host Mother, Anita was not desirable hostEshe was taking students for money. She lives in a city house with 3 homestay guests. She makes living from it. She was cheap in many ways. I visited my best friend who took 1 year off from Rikkyo and was studying in Vancouver.She stayed with a nice host in North Vancouver for a year. I visited her and stayed with her for two weeks. Summer in Vancouver was so beautiful and I had a wonderful Summer Break there with her and two other best friends from Japan.I moved to campus after I started the semester at St. Joseph's University. About 20 girls lived in a big old Victorian house (Jordan Hall) on North Campus. It was fun. We joined Volleyball tournament, Halloween Party, Open House, some events on campus.
One of my host families in New Jersey (I got two host families there, Larking Family and McIntyre Family) invited me for Thanksgivings Holiday. McIntyre Family has relatives in Massachusetts, so they took me for the trip with them. It was a wonderful memory.
For Christmas, some host families invited me, but I wanted to join a new homestay program through Baptist Church Association. There are many places to chose from and you may request one. I chose Chicago because I wanted to see "white Christmas". But I got a host family in Kansas. I've never thought about visiting Kansas before that time. But it turned out to be a very very special homestay. My host family in Kansas, Mullenioux family is super nice. They made my homestay very special and pleasant one. They showed me a lot of Christmas spirits. Kansas City, home of Hallmark was very cute. I can't forget the night view of the town. People are super nice. Christmas decoration and lights were so pretty. My first Christmas in the U.S. was very special and wonderful. One of the best parts of homestay is you can meet many nice people through host families.
After I left the school, I visited my friends and families.I visited Shirley near Hudson. We saw each other 5 years after the first time. I could speak English much better at that time. So, I couldn't stop talking. I stayed with Orlich family for over a month. I went to Shirley's work with her everyday, too. She worked at a copy store. Her family and friends are very nice. Time flies and then another "good-bye" came. Shirley didn't want to see me the day I left. Shirley's Mom took me to the train station and she gave me a present from Shirley. It was sooo sad. It's just very hard each time to say good bye. I never get used to it.After leaving Hudson, I was heading to Larkin's family in New Jersey for the host mother's birthday. I stayed there for a while. They are always very warm. I went back to Philadelphia a couple of times between the trips. I didn't have a good host family there, but I had some friends there. I visited Tania, Mrs. McIntyre's niece, at Boston College. It was fun! Tania is very nice and so is her family. After I stayed with her in the dorm room for a few days, I stayed with her family for over a week. After Tania graduated from college, she went to Japan and taught English there. She visited my parents with me and stayed with my relative in Tokyo for a while, too. She could experience the homestay in Japan!
I went back to Japan after the hard, but meaningful one year study & trip in the U.S. Fortunately, my best friend went back to school at the same time with me.I picked the title for my final thesis as "Economic relations between the U.S. and Japan" and I wrote it in English. I wanted to show something to proof that I got something through my 1-year experience. Thanks to the experience, I could get some jobs as an interpreter and translator. I liked that job because I could meet people from other countries. Before I graduated from Rikkyo Univ. I got a permanent job at a English language school as an translator executive secretary. My position was also held as a study abroad counselor, which I liked and enjoyed meeting many college students. I experienced and established homestay programs in Okinawa (there are big U.S. military bases in Okinawa) and California. I escorted a group of young people to a short term "Life in America" program in Dallas, Homestay program in Irvine and Homestay program in Los Angeles.
I realized that I really want to be in the side which welcome the guests, not only planning a program and sending students over. Every Program I made, I wanted to go with the students. Of course, it's because I was making programs that I wanted to go! So, I left Japan and came here escorting 18 high school students from Japan. I met Dave the day after I arrived here. It was fate. We were meant to be each other. After the 3-week homestay program, I went back to Japan with the students and I cancelled the trips to Europe (I was planning to travel in Europe for a year before I met Dave) and came back here to marry him.
Right now, I'm enjoying my permanent homestay with Dave! Also, we sometimes become a host family. I'm helping homestay guests to experience a wonderful homestay here. I see myself in some of the guests... They might be like me in the future.
I love homestay. So, I'd like more people to experience this program with us.


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