Emily Lutter
The home stay in Beijing was a great opportunity for me. My family was so welcoming and I learned a lot from them. When we first got to the home the grandfather told me about their culture and his daughter who lives in Boston. Later I learned how to make Chinese dumplings. It was really fun. After that we went to the grocery store to buy breakfast for the morning. When we got back home we ate dinner. We had duck and it was delicious (how chur). Later, after dinner, we played violin together. It was cool to see what music she played. I am so happy I got to have such an experience and I would do it again.
Alyssa Schardt
My home stay was really fun. My student’s name was Tracy, and she played the violin just like me. Tracy won a violin competition last year that was open for everyone in China. Her English wasn’t that good, but her aunt came over and she spoke English well. We went out for dinner and it was delicious. It was called “hot pot”. It was a lot like fondue. When we got back to the apartment we showed each other pictures of family and friends. The home stay was a wonderful experience and I’m so glad I got to learn more about the Chinese lifestyle.
Eric Leventhal
The home stay in Beijing was a truly amazing experience. My family welcomed me eagerly into their home, even though they had learned about me just one day prior to my arrival. I honestly felt like I was at home. They took me out to dinner and then bought me a lot of food at the super market. My family treated me so well. It was hard to say, “No, it’s okay.” Although all three people spoke English, it would not have mattered if they didn’t. The home stay was the best night I had in China.
Michael Fatum
I am happy to say that my Chinese home stay experience was one of the best on the trip. I was paired with a 12 year old boy named Jerry, chosen for his love of the Tome & Jerry Show. His dad, Mr. Jiang, played bass in the Beijing National Orchestra and his mom was a nurse at a local hospital. Even though Jerry’s parent held highly respected positions, they were overly gracious and humble. As their guest, I was taken under their wing, as if I were the second son that the government would never let them have. We hit it off, and had no problem keeping the conversation rolling. We ate at a fantastic Korean BBQ restaurant, (Yes! It was more than edible!) and then went to an underground pool hall for a little Jiang family fun. The experience crushed every assumption that I ever had about Chinese culture and opened my eyes to the fact that there are many more striking similarities between Chinese and American family life than there are differences. I was sad to leave my family, but I know that I will always have an incredible memory that I cannot lose.
After our concert we joined together for a group photo of the Chicago Midwest Young Artist Orchestra and the Ren Min High School Orchestra.
Sid Samberg
Staying with a Chinese family was a wonderful experience, as I am extremely interested in both Chinese culture and making new friends. When I first met William and his parents, they greeted me in Chinese and although they were surprised that I responded in Chinese I could tell that they were happy with me for breaking the language barrier. The Beijing roast duck was as INCREDIBLE as I thought it would be. I was taken to a fencing school to watch William fence, which was intense. At home I played a few of my compositions for the family, another wonderful experience. I played computer games with William well into the night. I had a wonderful time.
Gabe Medd
My home stay was an experience that will never be replicated. Even though I was laughed at for not holding my chopsticks correctly, my “family” and I had a lot in common. All in all, we shared great lalughs, delicious food, and an idea that a language barrier isn’t everything.
Adam Kromelow
My home stay was a great experience. My family was very nice and we played music for each other. I learned about modern Chinese culture and was surprised to find how similar it is to ours. I would definitely do a home stay again.
Sam Selinger
I couldn’t have enjoyed the home stay more. I was taken out to dinner, in what was possibly, the best meal of the trip. Afterwards, I was given a driving tour of Beijing. When I asked to use their washing machine, the mother did all of my laundry for me! It was really a great experience.
Austin Fisher
The home stay was awesome. The son was a bit shy at first and spoke very little English. His friend came over to the apartment and was very interested in me and the United States. The friend spoke very good English and translated for me at dinner. We went out and hot “hot pot”. It was basically the equivalent of a Chinese fondue. My family was very gracious and hospitable. I would do something like this again in a heartbeat. You don’t really experience a country unless you lilve there; even if it is only for a day.
Drew Banzhaf
Right away I found I had a bond with my host family. My host was a double bass teacher and his son played bass, as well. So even when I was thousands of miles away from home, in a foreign city, with three people I had never met, I was comfortable. They were extremely gracious, feeding me well. But, the highlight was when I played bass and so did my host’s son, Wang Zhou. We communicated with a different language we could both speak.
Two small families become one big family after enjoying an overnight home stay.
More home stay comments tomorrow…
