By Andrea Yao
In the summer of 2002, I had a chance to join the UMAP (University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific) Leaders Program in Fukuoka, Japan. I knew I was going to meet many new friends, experience new things and learn Japanese, but it never occurred to me that I would also find another home. The UMAP Leaders Program, launched by Kyushu University International Student Center, was six weeks long, with Japanese language courses in the morning and Asian studies courses in the afternoon. Participants included twenty-five college students from America, Hong Kong, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. We stayed in a dorm for the first four weeks and then with host families for the last two weeks. We met our host families during the first weekend of the program. I had been nervous long before that because I didn’t speak much Japanese at all, and the host family application form mentioned that they didn’t speak English. When I met my host parents, I wanted to talk to them, but not much Japanese was willing to come out of my mouth. The only response I could give to their questions was “hai, hai,” which means yes in Japanese, but I was never sure what they had really asked me. After we arrived at their house we began to write in Chinese and Japanese Kanji, trying to communicate. However, this wasn’t very successful either and all we could do was smile at each other. Even though there was not much verbal communication, I still felt their great hospitality from the way they talked to me, the room they prepared for me, and the smiles they wore all the time. Our first meeting motivated me to learn as much Japanese as possible so that I could talk to my host family when I returned. All the hard work proved worthwhile when I met them for the second time. I was able to greet them and carry on a short conversation. I began to feel more like part of the family. We talked about my days in school, Japanese and Taiwanese cultural differences, and whatever else occurred to us. With my basic Japanese, I had to use body language to make my meaning clear, which could be very funny. I also used the new words and sentences I learnt in class. They were the best teachers to check my pronunciation and language usage, and when I needed help with my homework they would always try to answer all my questions. During my stay a precious relationship developed. At first they treated me more like a guest than as part of the family. I guess it was because they wanted to be polite. However, things changed as I began to do the dishes after dinner and my host parents taught me Japanese manners. I felt a love between us and not just politeness. For example, at first my host father was very quiet and I thought he wasn’t very excited about my presence. But one day my host sister told me that every day he asked my host mother what time I would come home from school and what I did there. I realized that he really did care about me. My host family gave me a kimono as a gift before I came back to Taiwan, and my host mother showed me how to wear it. It was like a mother helping her daughter to put on her wedding dress. I was moved deeply when I saw the serious expression on her face. My host sister, who was only a few years older than me, could always understand my feelings and we shared many secrets. This was just like having another family. The host family experience was certainly one of the best parts of the UMAP Leaders Program. I will cherish the memory all my life. I recommend anyone who wants to travel abroad to have a homestay, and now I’m also anxious to host foreigners who want to come to Taiwan. I would like to return the love and care that my host family in Japan taught me. a
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May 2024
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