Day 5

Today I got to go home with my host family!

After waking up early, my roommates went up to the rooftop to eat breakfast. The weather was absolutely beautiful to day and the scenery was breathtaking. After having a crazy night eating pizza and chicken with my room mates and talking about eating the entire floor in one bite, this morning was not any different. We talked about giving birth in a bouncy house and had many other crazy conversations that showcased how much closer we had gotten in these past few days.



I then got my luggage packed and brought all of my baggage to the third floor. We talked a bit about host families and role played instances where complications may arise as a result of misunderstandings due to cultural differences and miscommunication. We then received our phones and stipends and headed downstairs for lunch. This time, lunch was a very delicious kimchi, sole fish (some type of fried fish), and other spicy side dishes. Surprisingly, the soup was also quite spicy. I didn't get much to eat because I didn't want to feel ill when I went to meet my host family.



We all waited on the third floor for our host families to arrive and I was messing around with the phone settings and learning how to use the phone to type messages in Korean and English. There was an option to send pre-written emoticon messages to people! My phone was not as fancy as some other NSLI-Y kids, who got LG phones, but it was now something that I had customized for myself. After some time, my RD Madeline called my name and walked me to the elevator. I was finally about to meet my host family!

I went downstairs and met my host mother and host brother and we took a quick picture before we took my luggage to their car. Their aunt was present and drove from the youth hostel to their house. My host brother was surprisingly tall and towered over me, but he was very kind and took my luggage to the car and into my room for me. We spoke English and I attempted to speak some Korean whenever I could muster the courage, but I was filled with anticipation to see how the day would progress.

At the house, I unpacked all of my clothing and gave my host family their gifts. Although my host sister is a bit shy, I will definitely talk to her when I get the chance. After unpacking, my host brother took me to a nearby convenience store and we bought some 바나나 우유 (banana milk) and some melona ice cream and these delicious wafers called 와이트하임. Coming back to the house with ice cream in hand, I did not feel like a foreigner. The island vibes really reminded me of the Philippines and being able to eat familiar Korean foods alongside my host brother felt very natural to me.

My host brother and I watched some YouTube videos and I watched him play FIFA online while my host mother prepared dinner. She was making pork bulgogi and also had radish, green onion, and cabbage kimchi. Alongside the vegetables, fruit completed the meal that was offered for the night and we sat at the table to eat together. Feeling more comfortable, I attempted to speak Korean more to the best of my abilities, but I had the blessing of a host brother and host mother who could understand English whenever I did not know how to say a word or phrase in Korean. I know that as I speak and learn more Korean, it will become tons easier to communicate and I will be able to share many memories and experiences that I have had in the past.

After diner, my host mother wanted to go out for a walk, so my host father and I accompanied her. We walked around our area and passed through Seoul High School and then stopped for coffee at a local bakery. I also saw a hospital that I had seen prior from the rooftop of the hostel- 하나은행, and it was very cool to make that connection. I talked about my experiences in America and about my interests with my host family and spoke rough Korean whenever I could. My parents were very understanding and tried their best to communicate with me as well in English, using naver dictionary when things were difficult to translate. Overall, it was a very nice experience and I feel like we really bonded in that cafe.

Although I am still feeling the effects of jet lag and keeping my eyes open is a challenge, I am internally bustling with extreme excitement and can not wait to spend more time with my host family. I feel so welcomed and know that this is an amazing environment to study and learn in as I also teach English and create dialog with my family. Tomorrow will be a day filled with excitement and I absolutely know that these next six weeks will be something that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

This is 나무 saying goodnight to everyone! I hope all you other NSLI-Yians to find your host families to be a blessing as well and for those back at home in America, I hope you guys are enjoying these blog posts.
그런데, 오늘은 여기까지~! Have fun, everyone ^u^'