Blog: What an introduction to AHN we have had
What an introduction to AHN we have had. We have been blessed to have Yuri as our homestay guest since August 2017. Yuri has become part of our extended family and it will be sad to her return home when her stay ends in June/July 2018. We have exchanged many stories and experiences and learnt about each other’s cultures.
Yuri has joined in all family events (birthdays, Xmas and get togethers). Her parents travelled to Australia from Japan at Xmas to celebrate the festive season with her and joined our whole family for Xmas lunch and loved every minute. Lots of laughs and reminiscing and it was sad they could only come to Australia for a short time. They blended in to our family as if they had known us for some time.
Yuri is like a daughter and has been treated as such since her arrival and we always are looking out for her safety and she knows that we are here for her. At first Yuri was a bit shy and had a little trouble understanding however it did not take long for her to join in at Dinner by exchanging our daily experiences and having a lot of laughs. A major difference in our culture is the food that we eat and Yuri has become accustomed to same and especially loves Lamb.
Having an international student has certainly changed our perception of Japanese culture and it will be difficult to say goodbye when her stay ends. We have had no problem in overcoming any barriers during her homestay.
For international students coming to Australia in the future, if they are treated as part of the family and know that you care then they will feel welcomed and safe and hopefully blend into daily family life as Yuri has.
We would recommend hosting International students as it has brought a huge change to our lives. For those considering becoming hosts they should focus on the guest as being part of family structure and provide a safe environment.
The most rewarding part about becoming a host was to have Yuri enter our lives. The family love her and we expect to be in constant contact in the future and meet up with her again.
