I send links to Wry Exchange to my exchange students. I never tell them I write this blog, but ask them to read particular posts. I’ll tell them they may like the advice or suggestions written on the blog.
I told one of the kids today that I author this blog. I assumed he knew. (I think I write the same way I talk, mostly because I pretend I’m talking to someone when I type.) I sent him over a dozen links or copy and paste emails. Nope. Never realized it was me. He asked me if this was the best blog for exchange student advice and questions. I said “Yes, it is. It’s also the only one that I’ve found.”
Bill Gates retirement video from Youtube. It’s cute. Kind of a G-rated version of the Jimmy Kimmel ones with all the celebrity cameos.
Filed under: Exchange Students, Home, Outbounds Outbounds | Tags: FES, Funny, Outbounds
I have favorite exchange students. Some people think that’s bad. Some of the students never speak to us until they need something, while others look to us as mentors. Guess which ones we keep in touch with? I had updates from two of our past favorites last weekend. One update was delightful, the other-infuriating.
Will and I met for dinner. He is amazing. He never turns me down when I ask him to help me with current students. He volunteers to help people. He’s from a small town going to a huge university. Will has a triple major. He’s a Junior even though it’s his first year in college. The school credited him with enough language credits to complete his language major without taking a language class. He has lofty career goals, and Husband and I have no doubt he’ll achieve them.
Husband and I have found many friends through our program. Stephen’s mom is one of them. She told us she wanted to strangle Stephen. We were shocked because he always seemed to be the perfect son. I think of him as one of those kids that relates better to adults than to his peers. He was always quiet, dutiful, and helpful. While on exchange, his hostmom complained that he was drinking excessively, skipping school, partying, and was rude and wild. We all stood up for him. The kid’s favorite past-time was singing old Broadway show tunes. Stephen was the last student we would expect to cause trouble. He finally told his mom it was all true. His explanation was he wanted to be someone else. She told him he shouldn’t have told her, and she was really upset. We were too. It doesn’t do anyone any good, and it will just make us doubt the next kid that swears he didn’t break the rules. ~sigh~
Along with the typical ‘exchange student hell,’ Lunesta and Zoloft, Denim & Diamonds searches, I had oodles looking for the AFS student from last week. I also had all of these interesting ones.
So cute! One of our outbound students included this in her latest letter home. We’re finally getting to the stage where they no longer whisper about me and my being from another country, and some even talk to me…. I almost want to give cookies and chocolate for their progress but think it would only alienate me from the group again.
