LaRoue - Blog #12

Initially, I didn’t even know what to think of my host family.  I had a small experience where my mom hosted two boys from Japan, but I was not there for most the time.  As well, they were in high school and needed a different amount of attention than we do.  Simply based off that, I felt as though our host families were going to be very involved with us.  After a week, I can say that they are.  However, they are not involved like I initially thought.  They eat meals with us and are always having nice conversations.  Sometimes we even play table games.  In this sense, they are very involved.  They care that we are safe, feeling comfortable, and most importantly, enjoying our food.  Aside from our first day at class, we have never left the house with them.  I would also like to add that initially I was worried that I would not be able to communicate with them.  This is still partially the case.  I am now a little more confident with the Spanish that I do know and I believe that they are learning some English from us as well.


To be entirely honest, I am not very comfortable around kids.  I am often self-conscious and worry too much.  The last time we visited I felt as though I had made some small improvements.  Today, I tried a little harder again.  Today I can say that I that I embraced the role as a helper for the kids.  I cut a lot of foam paper.  The kids were very excited about the finished products and I am proud that I got to help make that.  I am not always the best role model for the people around me that are my age, but for the younger kids I feel like I can live up to that role.  Overall, I did everything that I could to help the kids as well has interact to the best of my ability.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meng - Blog 16

1. In Paige's Blog(#14), she mentioned that she used some nonverbal communication to communicate with teachers when they were cooking. It is an effective way of intercultural communication. I totally agree that sometimes, if you don't know how to express yourself, body language helps a lot, and it even works better than language. 2. In Blog12, Tyessa said that she feel not close with her host family, and usually, they don't communicate with each other too much, which makes she felt upset because she wants to get closer to them. In my points of view, it can be seen as an ineffective communication. I think in the process of communicating with people, sometimes you should learn to be proactive. Break the silence first, and take the initiative to communicate with others. If you are especially enthusiastic about other people, they will feel it. 3. An example of effective communication came from  Linsey. She talked about how the communication way changed ...
Read more
      I will admit that the thing I am looking forward to the most when I get back home is some good, processed, junk food. It seems strange, because I like the food in Ecuador, and am almost always willing to be adventurous and try new foods. But that sense of adventure is exactly the problem. I rarely feel as though I can just gulp down anything placed in front of me, secure in the knowledge of exactly what it is and what it will taste like. The classic foods from home will allow me to eat with that security intact, and that security is what I really miss.      I think the thing I will miss the most about Ecuador is the sense of adventure that I could feel every time I left the house, whether it was just to class at the academia or to some other attraction. I loved the feeling that I was going to see new sights, experience new things, and accomplish something impressive every day. The quote that struck me today, as we were le...
Read more

Blog post #15

1) what are you most excited about returning to in the US? What I am most looking forward to about heading home is the opportunity to share my experiences with others. I want to share the funny stories of my host family with my friends and family here in the U.S. so that they too can be exposed to some Ecuadorian culture. I am very much looking forward to returning home because I will use my experience of Ecuador to further think about what it is I want to do with my life. Not having a clear path for my profession is a challenge for me, but through using my travel experience to discover what my passions and interest are, I am always one step closer to knowing what it is I want to do with my life.   2) what will you miss the most about Ecuador? What I think I am going to miss most is the walk to school Carolina and I shared in the mornings and afternoons. In the two mile hike to school I saw mothers sending their kids off to the bus, adults off to work and busses ...
Read more