advice – Page 52 – DU Abroad

Many of you go abroad to gain independence and escape the safety bubble of your community and university. Friends, family and familiar scenery is replaced with strange smells, food, people and a family that you may or may not be able to communicate with. All of this is exciting, driving you to do and experience more.

All that being said, I’m sure you first time homestayers are a bit apprehensive about the prospects of living under the roof of parental surrogates and how that will influence your extracurricular activities. Rest assured your homestay families are not there to keep you prisoner. They are there for guidance and support and might even welcome the idea of you taking in the night life.

However, in order to ensure that your nocturnal activities do not create an unhealthy relationship between you and your host family, there are four rules I recommend you follow.

1. Enter quietly: A night on the town leaves one tired and sometimes confused. In addition, how is one supposed to navigate the intricate system of locks and gates in the middle of the night? Make sure to hone your skills during daylight hours so as not to become a nuisance to your family should you enter the house before sunrise.

Source: www.lockoutsolutions.com — Source: http://www.lockoutsolutions.com

2. Tell your family where you are going: Gone are the days when you gave limited information to your parents in an attempt at damage control from something you did or will do. Your host families will be genuinely interested in what is happening with young people in their country, not to mention your safety. Be honest, let them know where you are going and doing, they might even let you know of some good places to go.

3. Whatever you do, don’t raid the fridge: Many are partial to a late night snack after spending the night dancing, chatting and mingling with all the new and interesting people. If this is the case, make sure to take a snack with you or eat before you come home. Banging around dishes in the kitchen in the middle of the night is sure to wake up even the deepest of sleepers. Besides, who wants to be the one that eats that special cultural dish that your family was saving for a later date?

4.Don’t invite friends over to spend the night without prior approval: Two can cause more trouble than one. Bringing others back to your homestay without prior approval is a sure way to do something that your family might not approve of.

If you follow these four rules, I guarantee there will be no ill will between you and your homestay family. The next lesson will be what to say to your homestay family when you come home at 2 am to find a giant rat drinking out of the dog bowl. True story.

By Pablo Hester, DU Study Abroad Peer Advisor

However, being abroad is about being “outside of your comfort zone.”

New experiences tend to be intimidating and people are often hesitant to engage in the unknown, especially when it comes to food. During my time abroad in Spain, I always felt guilty when a friend would turn up their nose and make an unpleasant face when they were presented with a new dish. I kept thinking, if the Spanish are anything like my family, they would be offended to see somebody make faces without even trying the food. The cooks in my family are very proud of the dishes they create but they also understand that not everybody will be as fond of them as they are. Everybody has a very distinct palette and they prefer different tastes. Most of us prefer to eat what we grew up eating. When we are away from home we seek out the flavors we are used to. For me, a handmade tortilla will make me feel as warm as receiving hug from my grandma. A nice cup of Mexican hot chocolate will make me feel right at home. Food is comforting and when you are away from those you love, it provides a tiny moment in which you connect with them all over again.

I consider myself one of the pickiest people when it comes to food. The list of food that I don’t like is probably longer than the list of the things I will eat. However, I must remind myself to always try a dish once. Sometimes, this is harder to do because new dishes appear too different than what I am accustomed to. When I prepared to leave for Spain I already knew that I was going to have a hard time adjusting to the food. I could have traveled to Mexico and still had a difficult time. I simply had to get used to the fact that I was going somewhere new to have new adventures. After returning from Spain I can assure you that I most certainly did not love all the food I ate, but I did fall in love with new dishes.

I am very proud to say that I put on a brave face and tried what was set before me. I left my host family sure that I had no offended my host mom in any way, especially in her cooking and I let her know how much I appreciated that she would cook for us every single day. Being away from home is hard, and having your comfort food once in a while is normal but when abroad, remembers to embrace the new, the different, and even the slightly weird.

-Adrianna

DUAbroad Peer Advisor

Tag: advice

Homestay Etiquette: night on the town

Food is Comfort