They grow up so fast... then go back home to Germany.

Yes, yet another international student (from Germany) is departing tomorrow, despite attempts to reason with her parents to sell her to us.

Hosting students isn't always easy, but all of em have been a big part of our home while they were here, and most have remained in contact long afterward. Well, alright, not the 'short stay' ones, that stay like 2 or 3 weeks... That's barely enough time to overcome the language barrier, and they tend to become blurry memories in the fog of time.

We WERE supposed to be receiving a new student from China, who was going to stay for a year, but last week we're told she isn't coming to our home now. Why? The student's parents didn't want her to go to a home with any children.

Mrph?? Granted, our 2 and a half year old is a heavy-drinking party monster who will get students into heroin, but... heyyyy, no wait. I stand by my "Mrph??". Someone suggested that maybe they want their daughter to be the sole centre of attention at the host home. Meh. I don't know, maybe they didn't want their daughter to be exposed to experience with a sibling, given China's 'single child' laws. (which are very, very flexible with an allotment of moolah.)

There's some talk of us getting a couple Mexican students as short-stays in March. They would be our first Mexicans. Ironic, since our FIRST students were supposed to be Mexicans before their mother heard another nearby school was better. They could have bussed to it from here, but the mother said no to that... either due to the expense of busing, or the bus experience in Mexico. Hey Mexican parents! In Canada, putting your teenage daughter on a bus ISN'T considered an invitation for kidnapping. Eh... maybe that's just a stereotype.

At any rate, being short term students, we likely won't get to know them worth beans before they have to go. Hopefully we can soon host another long-term student, (Mexican? We haven't had one yet!) so we can learn more about the culture. It's common knowledge that tourism and TV don't compare to talking to a local.

Alas, farewell, German-young-woman-who's-name-is-withheld-for-the-internet, (you pile of pervs!) Your laughter, smile, and talks will be missed sorely by all of us.

International Students Ep1: Mexico

Time for me to yak about being a host in the 'homestay' program. Basically, me and my wife make a room (in out case, 2 rooms) available for the school board to post a highschool student in each one.
We make some money on it, but blow most of it taking the girls to Victoria, or other stuff. We get assigned girls for two reasons. 1) the rooms were judged by the inspector to be 'too pretty' to waste on boys, and 2) My with Michelle would probably being doing more activities with them, due to my disability.

Michelle's aunt had hosted a girl from mexico some years ago, and they're still friends. My aunt-in-law (or is it just 'aunt'?) introduced us to the mother of that student, who happened to be the official running the mexican end of the operation. Nice lady. She came over to check out our home, and said yeah, she could send us a couple girls in the coming school year. This was to be... um... sept 2005?

Everything was lined up, and we were getting excited, when suddenly it all fell through. The parent heard that another school was better, and although it was a very short bus ride away, they wouldn't allow it. The students were re-assigned to another home closer to this 'better school'.

Who told them one school is better than another? Over the last few years I've heard all kinds of opinions about which school in the area is best, and which sucks.. and eveyrone's opinion comes out different. They're public schools in the same district, folks- the education's gonna be pretty much the same from one to the next.

And lord knows the bus is a dangerous place to have students at 8am and 3pm. To be fair, in mexico it could be. These kids are from well of families. A rich girl on a bus in mexico sounds like th beginning of many an unpleasant movie.

At any rate, we were now lacking for a student, but lo, the school board always has more lined up. The schools make a lot form international students. One person in the field said that without them, your education system would collapse from lack of funds. Mr. Campbell, how we love thee. But it's just as well, since the program has led to meeting a lot of really neat young ladies.

Next I-student post: Enter Rei.

(No significant updates on the lifehack revision- chippin away, chippin away..)