While living with Hue is the complete opposite to living in Sydney, I'm loving it. The hardest part though, in fact the hardest part of the whole exchange is the lack of western reminders around me. Other than hue, I haven't got anything English or anything familiar, and while that's one of the most exciting parts its also the most difficult. That's when I put in my headphones and listen to the English words to Taylor Swift or the Aussie accents of Angus and Julia Stone. That's my escape when I'm struggling, which isn't that often though. I'm busy a lot of the time, either playing angry birds or lego with my brother or watching, transfixed as hues mum prepared dinner. Their kitchen is so different to mine. They have no oven or microwave, just a sink, fridge and stove. A lot of their cooking is done off a little fire on the floor, and they don't really have a pantry. It's on the top floor and all the windows are always open, so it's practically like being outside. Their cooking involves a lot of deep frying and everything has its own little dipping sauce, it's very cute. Despite me begging hue and her mum to let me help, I get kicked out of the kitchen once the meal is over, and I'm not allowed to help clean up. I think the house keeper comes and does it though. I think it's strange they have a housekeeper when they have such a little house, but I'll tell you what, I wouldn't mind one. She comes in during the day and straightens m pillow and lines up any bobby pins I've left out, as well and putting my shoes parallel and generally making my room all around tidier. Not that I'm being untidy, mum...
My host brother, god bless him, doesn't really understand privacy, and always come into my room and demands on using my iPad for angry bird purposes. It's cute though, and I don't mind it. As I said before, we've also played Lego a few times which is pretty adorbes. I was so lucky to be given such a great family. They've embraced me as their own and I'm loving that they've done so so effortlessly. Hues mum is so nice to me and it's amazing how much one can express without the use of words. She reminds me of my mum, and nicely fills the whole I've got temporarily. Even if that means telling me I've got food on my face, or not letting me go to bed unless I dry my hair because she didn't want me to get sick. All of this is accompanied by lots of hugs means that I'm feeling very well looked after, so don't worry about that aspect, mum :)
I noticed this during my homestay in Japan, and the Vietnamese do the same
thing about having late nights. I'm always the first to go to bed, and staying up to midnight, even for younger kids is so acceptable. Apparently this cultural things is still very prominent, thus removing nap time is so difficult because these students sleep through class to regularly.
I'm having so much fun living with my family though and Hue is being an awesome sister, we stay up and gossip and do each others hair and she painted my nails for me. Kinda like real sisters (the kind that get along really well). I wish I'd gotten them all nicer gifts if I'd known how amazing they'd all be to me haha.
No comments:
Post a Comment