#hostmom

[lexqa]

[lenas-kanada-blog]

New Year's 🎉!

Dieses Neujahr war ganz besonders.

Ein paar Highlights:

-Monster-Dating-Spiel bei dem ich meine Hostmom verführen musste

-spanische Neujahrs-traditionen

-ganz viel Gekicher

[tamsin-tw-blog]

Au(Oh) Pair!?

11/2018 London

Well, it has already been the forth month as an au pair for me and I had already stayed with three different families. The first one is still my favourite. The second one and third one has quite a few unacceptable points..pfff...it’s gonna be a LONG LONG complaint list.

About Second Family :   1.Parents’ awkward relationship    2.Too much requirements (even my ROOM)   3.No privacy    4.Spoiled kids

I know it’s non of my business about their relationship but I really can sense of that intense feeling came out when host mom and host dad are talking. I even have heard of they were arguing with “cursing” words.

As for requirements, the host mom asked me to do quite a lot of things in her way, mostly are fine but some are a bit unacceptable for me,like she asked me how to make the bed in HER way...uhh but that’s my room...

And Privacy, she went into my room when I was away from the house by telling me that they found out I have snacks inside my room which is not allowed...fine but what about my privacy in that room? Also, kids always just push the door and get inside my room directly or keep knocking on the door even on WEEKEND...why don’t you educate your kids how to be respect,if you don’t tell them, they will never know and understand,right?

Not gonna comment too much about spoiled kids LOL Purely just personally opinion.

About Third Family :

The one that I’m currently staying with. Basically this family is okay, they are a single parent family, no dad only mom. There are mainly two parts that I can’t really understand and feel a bit unacceptable and they are related.

First, the host mom told me that she would prefer me to sort out dinner on my own, meaning, we have dinner separated which is fine BUT she doesn’t like me to use the kitchen at night..what on earth is this requirement? If you don’t want to prepare the dinner for me,why don’t you allow me to use the kitchen and cook something for my dinner? She said I have whole day to cook, the kitchen is so small, I don’t like it that you use it after I tidy up...so yea she generally wants me stay away from the kitchen at night and want me to prepare dinner during daytime and heat up with microwave...pfff

Second is more weird, not exactly unacceptable which is fine.So this host mom likes to iron everything, bed sheets,clothes,underwear,socks...I literally don’t understand why xD especially those bed sheets and kids’ panties, anyway, it doesn’t really bother me a lot, i just have to do it instead of questioning.

What’s your experience of being an aupair? :D 

[tarajasinski]

Posted @withregram • @greenheartexchange HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! To all the moms out there who nurture us, who inspire us, who encourage us to go, and who always welcome us home...THANK YOU! #hostwithgreenheartexchange #hostwithgreenheart @tara_greenheart #hostmom #mothersday #nebraskamom #montanamom #idahomom (at Huskerville, Nebraska) https://www.instagram.com/p/COpzx4sNKY0/?igshid=61uxjq1ivx88

[emma-gerstenkorn-blog]

My host mother doing the dishes, after saying “Emma don’t take pictures from me, my hair isn’t even done”

[omoi-no-hoka]

Moderately Interesting Japanese Ep. 8 Hokkaido Dialect

The typical winter scenery of Hokkaido.

One of my favorite aspects of language learning is studying dialects. I am fascinated by how language branches and adapts to new environments like some form of linguistic natural selection. Japanese is rife with interesting dialects, some of which are so different from the standard that they can sound like a totally different language to the untrained ear. I thought I’d make a series of posts highlighting different dialects in Japanese. Since this sort of post will take a bit more research on my end and I plan to find native speakers of the dialect to confirm with, they won’t be very regular, but I hope that you enjoy them!

What are some of the main Japanese dialects?

Firstly, let me tell you how to say “dialect” in Japanese, because I know I’m gonna use it and I don’t want to cause any confusion. 

方言 (hougen) Dialect

___弁 (__-ben) __ Dialect, so “Osaka Dialect” is “Osaka-ben.” 

I daresay that just about 100% of all Japanese learners are familiar with Tokyo-ben, because it is Standard Japanese. The next most popular dialect is Kansai-ben, which is spoken in the Kansai region (Osaka, Hiroshima, etc.). The Kansai Dialect can be broken down into several smaller, regional dialects. Next would probably be Okinawa-ben. 

(Caution! Some people, particularly Okinawans, consider Okinawan Japanese to be a language independent from Japanese, and they can be offended if you refer to it as a dialect. Japan’s official stance is that Okinawan is a dialect, though, so I am calling it a dialect in my posts.) 

Now without further ado, let’s actually start learning about one of these dialects!

Hokkaido-ben, namara ii!

Hokkaido is the island in green. It’s the biggest prefecture in Japan by far.

I am a foreigner and Japanese is not my native language, but I have been living on the island of Hokkaido for 5 years now and am very comfortable with the Hokkaido dialect, so I chose to introduce it to you first. Also, it’s not one that gets talked about a lot, so I figured maybe there weren’t many posts about it. 

Hokkaido is the northernmost island of Japan, and it wasn’t settled and officially incorporated as part of Japan until the late 1800′s. There is a group of indigenous people here called the Ainu who speak a language completely different from Japanese, but their language has not bled into Hokkaido-ben. (Many place names in Hokkaido are from Ainu, though).

Because Hokkaido was settled so late in history compared to the other islands of Japan, their dialect doesn’t differ drastically from Tokyo-ben. There are some minor intonation differences that, frankly, I don’t feel confident explaining. I have internalized the intonations through exposure, but I’ve never been taught it and don’t really know what is correct. So I’m not going to talk about tonal differences, and instead focus on the different words and a wee bit of grammar.

投げる���Nageru

Standard Japanese: 捨てる suteru

English: to dispose of (lit. “to throw/toss”)

To an English speaker, “throw away” feels just as natural as “dispose of.” But to people outside of Hokkaido, it sounds very unusual and the image it conjures is comedic, like someone is hurling trash into the garbage can like it’s the opening pitch at the World Series. 

Example: そこの古い新聞を投げていいよ。 Romaji: Soko no furui shinbun wo nagete ii yo.

Standard: そこの古い新聞を捨てていいよ。 Romaji: Soko no furui shinbun wo sutete ii yo.

English: You can throw away those old newspapers there. 

おっかない　Okkanai

Standard: 危ない abunai

English: dangerous, scary, a “close call”

My hostmom uses this with me, like, all the time. According to her, I’m always doing okkanai things, like walking alone at night or *gasp* going outside with wet hair. I love her so much haha. 

Example: うちの子が熊のぬいぐるみだと思って遊んでいたのは本当の子グマだった。おっかなかったわ！ Romaji: Uchi no ko ga kuma no nuigurumi da to omotte asonde ita noha hontou no koguma datta. Okkanakatta wa!

Standard: うちの子が熊のぬいぐるみだと思って遊んでいたのは本当の子グマだった。危なかったわ！ Romaji: Uchi no ko ga kuma no nuigurumi da to omotte asonde ita noha hontou no koguma datta. Abunakatta wa!

English: Our kid thought he was playing with a teddy bear, but it was actually a live bear cub. What a close call!

（手袋を）履く　(Tebukuro wo) haku

Standard:（手袋を）はめる (tebukuro wo) hameru

English: to put on (gloves)

Winter in Hokkaido is long and cold. Gloves are one of the most essential articles of clothing here, and I have heard/used “haku” so much that “hameru” sounds incorrect to me. The “haku” sounds funny to other Japanese people because it is used for putting on socks, underwear, and pants, and they will imagine you putting socks or panties on your hands instead of gloves. 

Example: 外は寒いから、手袋を履きなさい。 Romaji: Soto ha samui kara, tebukuro wo hakinasai.

Standard: 外は寒いから、手袋をはめなさい。 Romaji: Soto ha samui kara, tebukuro wo hamenasai. 

English: It’s cold out, so put on your gloves. 

めんこい　Menkoi

Standard Japanese: 可愛い kawaii

English: cute

I included this because it’s one of the famous aspects of Hokkaido-ben, but I actually don’t hear it used that much. I tend to see it on souvenir shirts for tourists more than in actual conversations.

Example: この子猫はめっちゃめんこい！ Romaji: Kono koneko ha meccha menkoi!

Standard: この子猫はめっちゃかわいい！ Romaji: Kono koneko ha meccha kawaii!

English: This kitten is super cute!

Note: Even though it is functioning as an adjective and ends with an “i,” it is not an “i” adjective. It is a “na” adjective. 

あずましくない　Azumashikunai

Standard: 居心地が悪い、嫌 igokochi ga warui, iya

English: uncomfortable (surroundings), unpleasant

This is a word that many Hokkaido people use but struggle to explain. Azumashikunai describes any place that you find unpleasant or uncomfortable, maybe due to it being too crowded, or too empty, or because it’s very cramped, for example. 

Example: 日曜日の札幌駅が人混みであずましくない。 Romaji. Nichiyoubi no Sapporo-eki ga hitogomi de azumashikunai.

Standard: 日曜日の札幌駅が人混みで嫌だ。 Romaji: Nichiyoubi no Sapporo-eki ga hitogomi de iya da.

English: Sapporo Station is always crowded on Sundays and I don’t like it.

いずい　Izui

Standard: none

English: different (in a bad way), off-kilter, something is “off”

Hokkaido people really struggle to explain izui because Standard Japanese doesn’t have an equivalent for it, but I think it can be likened to “off” in English. You got something in your eye but can’t find it and your eye feels funny? Your eye is izui. You have a hair in your shirt and can’t find it? That feels izui. Sometimes it can be a mysterious ache not painful enough to warrant a visit to the doctor, or sometimes it can just be a sense that something is “off.” 

Example: 目にゴミが入って、いずい。 Romaji: Me ni gomi ga haitte, izui. 

Standard:目にゴミが入って、痛い。 Romaji: Me ni gomi ga haitte, itai.

English: Something got in my eye and now it feels off. 

汽車　Kisha

Standard: 電車 densha 

English: (train, lit. “steam engine”)

The first time I came to Japan, I could just barely hold down an everyday conversation in Japanese. My hostparents (hostdad especially) both spoke very strong Hokkaido-ben, and during my first meal with them my hostdad asked if I had traveled from the airport to their city by “steam engine,” and I was just baffled. Wait, did he just say locomotive? What year is it? Are steam engines still a thing in Japan?! Then my kind hostmother explained that he meant regular, modern trains. 

Example: すみません、函館ゆきの汽車はいつ出発しますか？ Romaji: Sumimasen, Hakodate-yuki no kisha ha itsu shuppatsu shimasu ka?

Standard: すみません、函館ゆきの電車はいつ出発しますか？ Romaji: Sumimsaen, Hakodate-yuki no densha ha itsu shuppatsu shimasuka?

English: Excuse me, when does the train bound for Hakodate leave the station?

しゃっこい　Shakkoi

Standard: 冷たい Tsumetai

English: Cold

Being the northernmost prefecture and next door to Russia, it’s only natural that Hokkaido-ben have its own word for “cold.” 

Example: このかき氷ってめっちゃしゃっこい！ Romaji; Kono kakigoori tte meccha shakkoi!

Standard: このかき氷ってめっちゃ冷たい！ Romaji: Kono kakigoori tte meccha tsumetai!

English: This shaved ice is super cold!

とうきび　Toukibi

Standard: とうもろこし Toumorokoshi

English: corn

Hokkaido is famous for their sweet corn, and “toukibi” is a word you will hear a lot here as a result. A popular summer snack is corn on the cob with soy sauce and butter, and it’s made just like in the gif above! Japanese people tend to eat it using a toothpick, picking off kernel by kernel. So when I just rocked up, grabbed an ear and started going to town on it, they thought I was a barbarian hahaha.

Example: やっぱり、とうきびに醤油だね！ Romaji: Yappari, toukibi ni shouyu da ne!

Standard: やっぱり、とうもろこしに醤油だね！ Romaji: Yappri, toumorokoshi ni shouyu da ne!

English: Soy sauce really does go good with corn!

なまら　Namara

Standard: とても totemo、結構 kekkou

English: very, super, rather

This word is like “menkoi,” in that it is famous throughout Japan for being Hokkaido-ben, but I rarely hear it in actual conversations. I hear people use it when they are surprised by something. “Namara oishii” has a nuance of “It’s (actually) very tasty.”

Example: 曇ってるけど、今日の天気はなまらいい。 Romaji: Kumotteru kedo, kyou no tenki ha namara ii.

Standard: 曇ってるけど、今日の天気はけっこういい。 Romaji: Kumotteru kedo, kyou no tenki ha kekkou ii.

English: It’s cloudy today, but it’s still pretty good weather.

なんぼ？　Nanbo?

Standard: いくら？ Ikura?

English: How much?

My friend asked me to go get a couple drinks from the convenience store. I came back with a bottle for her and for me and she asked, “Nanbo datta?” I thought that bo was maybe a counter for things, and desperately tried to figure out what we were supposed to be counting. Then she explained that, for whatever reason, “nanbo” means “how much (does something cost)?”

Example: そのお弁当はめっちゃ美味しそう！なんぼだった？ Romaji: Sono obentou ha meccha oishisou! Nanbo datta?

Standard: そのお弁当はめっちゃ美味しそう！いくらだった？ Romaji: Sono obentou ha meccha oishisou! Ikura datta?

English: That bento looks super good! How much was it?

ボケる　Bokeru (for produce)

Standard: 腐る kusaru

English: go bad (produce)

In standard Japanese, “bokeru” means “to go senile” or “to develop dementia/Alzheimer's.” While I wouldn’t say it’s a slur bad enough that it would be bleeped out, it certainly isn’t a kind way to refer to aging. 

So when my host mom told me, “I would give you some apples, but they’re all senile” I had no clue what she was going on about. But then she showed them to me, and they were all wrinkled like this:

Not exactly the most appetizing, but also not entirely rotten. I’m really not sure why Hokkaido-ben likens produce to senility, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s because pretty much every single person with Alzheimer’s/dementia is wrinkled.

Example: このリンゴはボケてるから、パイでも作ろうか… Romaji: Kono ringo ha boketeru kara, pai demo tsukurou ka...

Standard: このリンゴは腐りかけてるから、パイでも作ろうか… Romaji: Kono ringo ha kusarikaketeru kara, pai demo tsukurou ka...

English: These apples are about to go bad, so I guess I’ll make a pie...

～べ　~be

Standard ～だろう、～でしょう darou, deshou

English: ..., right?

This is probably the most famous aspect of Hokkaido-ben. Japanese people get a real kick out of it when this white girl uses it haha. “~be” is a sentence-ending particle that functions about the same as “darou” or “deshou” in that it:

asserts the speaker’s confidence in the likelihood of something

asks for the listener’s confirmation

This sentence-final particle has its roots in the particle ～べし (~beshi) found in Classical Japanese, which had a similar purpose. Other forms of ~beshi survive in Modern Standard Japanese with the words べき (beki) and すべく (subeku). 

Here are two examples, one for each function ~be fulfills. 

Example 1: 君の飛行機はあと5分に出発するって？間に合わないべ！ Romaji: Kimi no hikouki ha ato 5 fun ni shuppatsu suru tte? Maniawanai be!

Standard: 君の飛行機はあと5分に出発するって？間に合わないでしょう！  Romaji: Kimi no hikouki ha ato 5 fun ni shuppatsu suru tte? Maniawanai deshou!

English: You said your plane takes off in 5 minutes? There’s no way you’ll make it! 

Example 2: このサラダに白菜も入ってたべ？ Romaji: Kono sarada ni hakusai mo haitteta be?

Standard: このサラダに白菜も入ってたでしょう？ Romaji: Kono sarada ni hakusai mo haitteta deshou?

Standard: There was napa cabbage in this salad too, wasn’t there?

～れ　~re

Standard: ～なさい ~nasai

English: imperative command

I really don’t like giving grammar explanations because it’s been a long time since I’ve formally studied Japanese grammar and I’m scared of explaining something poorly or incorrectly. But an upper-elementary level Japanese learner should know that there are many different levels of imperatives in Japanese that vary in politeness. In order of rude to polite, we have:

Imperatives that end in an “e” sound or ろ, as in:

死ね！Shine! Die!

待て！Mate! Wait!

食べろ！Tabero! Eat!

Imperatives that end in tte, te, or de and are not followed by kudasai

死んで Shinde. Die.

待って Matte. Wait.

食べて Tabete. Tabete.

Imperatives that end in nasai. (These are most often used by parents/teachers to their children.)

死になさい Shininasai. Die.

待ちなさい Machinasai. Wait.

食べなさい Tabenasai. Eat.

Imperatives that end in tte, te, or de and have kudasai after them. 

And then there’s super formal Japanese, but that’s a whole other kettle of fish.

Anyways. Back to the Hokkaido-ben. I went to a picnic here with a Japanese friend’s family, and her aunt gave me a plate of food and said, “Tabere!” I knew that this had to be an imperative, but I had never studied it before. It felt like it was the same as the rudest imperative, and I spent the whole rest of the picnic wondering what on earth I had done to have her family speak to me like that. Conventionally, they should have been using the -tte form or -nasai form with me.

After the party, I asked her, “Dude, what’s the ~re stuff for? Do they not like me?” I was close to tears I was so hurt and confused.

And that when she laughed and explained that the ~re is a facet of Hokkaido-ben, and it is the same in politeness and nuance as the ~nasai imperative used by parents and teachers to their children.

So I had spent several hours thinking that her family hated me, when really they were treating me like I was their own child! 

Example: ちゃんと野菜を食べれ！ Romaji: Chanto yasai wo tabere!

Standard: ちゃんと野菜を食べなさい！ Romaji: Chanto yasai wo tabenasai! 

English: Eat all of your vegetables properly.

The End!

This was a monster of a post. There are actually a few more words I wanted to introduce, but I had to cut it off at some point haha. I hope that you enjoyed this segment of Moderately Interesting Japanese. I plan to make more on the other dialects within Japanese, but they will take a considerable amount of time so they won’t be very often. 

Thanks for reading!

[wolferals]

HURT

herman tømmeraas preference

*

*

-„get out of here! We dont want to see you anymore!“ you hostmom yelled in your face while you were pulling your suitcase through the hallway

-„OUT!“ she screamed and basically pushed you out of the house

-you stumbled backwards and your head hit the ground rather harshly

-it hurt

-your hand shot up to hold the wound on the back of your head

-your host mom didnt even care, she had slammed the door closed and left you there, bleeding

-and all that because of a misunderstanding

-your host sister (who‘s a dumbass bitch) had told her that you were constantly flirting with your host dad

-first of all gross, second of all you lived with them for taking care of a 5 year old girl

-why would you risk getting kicked out

-like now for instance

-after the realization hit you that you had a bleeding wound on your scull you sat up and looked around

-this neighborhood seemed lost, no one near to be seen

-of course there wasnt anyone around right in this exact moment of help needed

-so you slowly stood up, grabbed your suitcase and made your way to the house across the street to ask someone for help

-since you were bleeding, and not too light it took you some time to fully understand your situation

-but you eventually made it to the house and rang the doorbell

-literally a second later a dog shot around the corner and jumped up and down on your leg

-„hey.“ you greeted the fluffy little ball

-„Ellie!“ someone then shouted

-then this guy showed up

-tall, muscular, and damn handsome

-„hallo, hva gjør du her?“ he spoke and walked up to you to pull his dog away from your shaking body

-„sorry i dont speak norwegian. I fell.“ you explained and then showed him your hand covered in blood

-„oh fucking hell! Alright wait here, i‘ll get my keys to take you to the hospital.“

-without waiting for your response he ran inside, his dog right behind him

-it took him not even 30 seconds to come back out the front door you were standing in front of

-he had a towel in his hand

-„press this to the wound to make it stop bleeding“ he then told you and handed you the black towel

-„can you walk? Are you okay?“ he asked and grabbed your arm to help you around the house to his car

-once you were all settled he started the engine and drove you to the nearest hospital

-„what happened to you?“ he then asked and looked at you for a second

-„i was living with the Hansens. I was their au pair from (wherever you‘re from) but they kicked me out before because of some dumb misunderstanding.“ you told him

-„oh shit. So you got no place to go?“

-„i mean, i got this woman from the agency i traveled with who i could call, but she lives in Oslo, it might take her a while to get here or me to get to hers.“

-„thats fucking shit. What are you gonna do now?“ he asked seriously concerned

-„idk, first i need to get this fixed, i can worry about that later.“

-at the hospital they sewed my wound real quick while the guy, whose name i still dont know was waiting outside

-„it would be good for you to stay here overnight Ms y/l/n, just to make sure it heals the way it should.“ the doctor told you and handed you some disinfectant to clean your hands

-„okay.“ you just spoke and sat up straight

-„do you want us to get your boyfriend in here?“ she then asked making you smirk

-„he‘s not my boyfriend i dont even know him. He just helped me get here.“

-she nodded and then spoke:“Well be glad he did, you were bleeding heavily.“

-„anyway we‘re gonna get your room ready, just wait outside with your... friend.“

-you nodded and slowly walked out of the room

-„hey! Are you okay? Feeling better?“ the guy came up to you

-„yeah i am, thank you for driving me here ... whats your name actually?“ you sat down next to him

-„oh yeah right, I‘m Herman. What about you, stranger?“

-you laughed a little and then spoke:“My name‘s y/n. And thanks again.“

-„I have to stay overnight.“ you then added

-„Yeah i figured since it looked pretty bad.“

-you guys then sat there talking a bit until a nurse took you to your room

-Herman then gave you his number because he insisted on you calling him when he should pick you up the next day

-„you dont have to do this.“

-„no i actually do. You have no one here and im already involved here. I dont mind, really. Ill talk to my parents because I‘m staying with them in quarantine.“

-you thanked him again and then he left so you could get some rest

*next day*

-it was about 9am when you woke up in a strange location

-your head didnt hurt

-other than your back

-you were pretty sensitive when its about sleeping on other mattresses

-„oh good morning ms y/l/n. How are you feeling?“ the nurse came in right after you had sat up and grabbed your phone to check your texts

-you had told your family last night what happened and they just told you to either contact that agency woman or come home right away but you really liked norway

-and the only choice was to stay with Herman‘s family and maybe find a job?

-„I‘m okay. My head doesnt hurt anymore.“

-„Dizzy?“

-you shook your head at her

-„let me check your heart rate.“

-she then also checked on your temperature but it all seemed fine so she wanted to talk to the doctor about when you could leave the hospital

-you then got dressed from some clothes out of your suitcase, brushed your hair as good as you could with the big bandaid on the back of your head

-and obviously brushed your teeth

-when you were about to get back to bed you heard a knock at the door

-„come in.“

-„Hey how are you doing?“ Herman spoke smiling

-he had a small bouquet of flowers in his left hand

„I figured i needed to be a good person so i got you these.“ he said shyly

-„Thank you!“ you took them and looked at the flowers before putting them aside

-„i heard you‘re allowed to leave soon.“ he then said

-„oh really? Who told you?“

-he sat down on the end of your bed and answered:“I heard the nurses talking in the hallway

-„perfect. My back hurts terribly from last night. The mattress is shit.“

-„yeah i know, hospitals suck.“ he grinned

-„By the way, my mom would love to meet you.“

-„What why? She doesnt even know me.“ you laughed

-„I told her about your situation and she really doesnt mind having you stay with us.“ he smiled sweetly

-„you sure?“

-„of course.“

-you leaned forward to give him a hug as a thank you

-he smelled nice

-he had probably showered before he got there

-„thanks.“ you spoke again

-„stop thanking me. Of course.“ he softly stroked your back

-you then let go because you heard the door open

-„Good morning y/n, the results look good, your head seems fine so far. In my opinion there‘s nothing to worry about no. It wasnt quite a concussion so i think you can go home now.“ The doctor said and handed you some paperwork to sign

*

-out in the car Herman smiled at you

-„what?“ you looked away shyly

-„nothing. You‘re just different.“ he laughed

-„that‘s not a good thing.“

-„what? Of course it is. You‘re really interested as far as i can judge from the past 24 hours ive known you for.“

-„well...“ you were so shy you just looked out of the window hiding your face in your sleeve

-„cute.“ herman then murmured

-„ohh right.“ you joked and looked at him for a second

-„you are.“ he defended himself

-„sure.“ you grinned. „you have to know someone to judge.“

-he nodded and spoke:“i guess we‘ll get to know each other pretty damn good in the next time.“

-„pretty damn good.“ you repeated and got some tingles thinking about it

[nom-de-plume-system]

K: Had a discussion about hostmom about guy's dick size. went well.

[randompasserbyer]

Hostmom wants to get rid of our system. She wants to put us on medication. She wants to get rid of us. Why, why, why, we haven't hurt anyone, we're not bad, we just exist and that's okay. Host likes us. We're good friends. We don't want to disappear. We don't want to go away. We don't want to tell our therapist about us. I don't want to, I don't want to, owowowowowwow hurts ow

[baluva]

Ama-la ❤️

My host mom is leaving for Nepal today. And although I can’t see her off, I want her to know a few things:

Read more after the cut:

I was very eager to have a host family when I went to Nepal in 2007. It wasn’t easy at first - everyone was very shy. And my host mom, Ama-la, and I had the added challenge of a language barrier.

But slowly, we started to get to know each other, despite not being able to speak the same language. There are some things that can’t be translated - like someone’s inherent goodness, their passion, compassion, and .love.

It came through in her actions. How excited she would get when I brought home Fire and Ice pizza (all the way from Thamel to Boudha!). Her lectures - translated by her son - telling me to eat more because I was too skinny. Her remedies for my various maladies. Our struggles to communicate in any way possible because we both wanted to know each other’s histories, stories, interests, lives. The beautiful prayer beads she sent along one year upon request.

And of course, in the Tibetan chupa (dress) she commissioned for me - she selected the colors and material and it was gifted to me upon my return to Nepal. I was incredibly surprised and touched. The beautiful purple color was spot-on and I loved the material (that dress is in the first picture!).

During my last visit to Nepal, I had an undiagnosed chronic disease and the symptoms kept me close to home most of the time. Ama-la and I spent our mornings with her open English book and steaming cups of butter tea, talking and laughing in our contrived mix of English, Tibetan, Nepali, and sign language.

She managed to tell me her life story one morning. It’s not mine to tell and I would love to put it on the blog someday under her terms. But I deeply admire her for her perseverance, her spirit, and her ability to rise above circumstances.

She is a beautiful person inside and out. I am so lucky I won the host family lottery 11 years ago. It’s been a privilege to be her host daughter.

P.S. Ama-la - come to NH next time!! I LOVE YOU.

[jessicacornish28]

I spent my day today getting @ainofern ready for Homecoming! 😍❤️ . . . . . . . . . #hostmom #exchangestudent #sofun #homecoming #hoco2017 #homecoming2017 #girls #dresses #fancy #pretty #squad #highschool #saturday #saturyay #missouri #eshs #excelsiorsprings #midwest #cute

[chilatour]

母女在馬德里相認(笑) Mamá Lucía: You are my only Chinese daughter and the only one who comes see me often 😬❤️👩‍👧 #spanishmom #hostmom #exchangestudent #madrid (at Madrid WorldPride 2017)

[catch-meim-falling]

The best English fish and chips with the best English people . . . . . #uk #england #fishandchips #yum #hostsis #travel #delicious #hostmom (at Cromer Pier)

[tarajasinski]

Soooo proud of this one!!! Demey, you will do great things in your life! You are so talented, sweet, smart and so kind!! I'm so happy to be apart of your journey! We are blessed to have you in our home and call you our #dutchdaughter 👏🏻❤️🙌🏼 #hostmom #soproud #southeastknights #southwesthighschool #academicletter #americanhighschool #lincolnnebraska #exchangeyear @demeyzonnebelt (at SE Nebraska: Host Exchange Students & Study Abroad)

[excelsiorcandleco-blog]

Happy Chinese New Year. We have an exchange student from Beijing staying with us through February 5th. I like celebrating. #happynewyear #yearoftherooster #chinesenewyear #chinese #celebration #party #rooster #happynewyear2017 #happy #exchangestudent #host #hostmom #celebrate #tradition

[julsgoes2cleveland]

It’s almost time to say goodbye!!

Hallo ihr Lieben,

Vor fast 2 Jahren habe ich meinen Koffer gepackt und es hieß auf nach Amerika, was mich dort erwartet wusste ich nicht.

Ich war so motiviert einen Blog zu schreiben, euch an meinem täglichen Leben teilhaben zu lassen. Ich war so aufgeregt etwas Neues zu erleben. Ja jetzt sitze ich hier in meinem Bett in Cleveland, wir haben 2 Uhr Nachts und ich kann mal wieder nicht schlafen, wie so oft in letzter Zeit. Und warum? Weil der Abschied so nahe ist. Der Abschied von einem Abenteuer das mein Leben geworden ist.

Aber zurück zum Anfang. Wie ihr seht mein Blog ist ausgestorben, irgendwann habe ich angefangen nicht mehr zu schreiben was ich alles so erlebe. Ich weiß nicht, ich glaube ich dachte es interessiert doch eh keinen. Und was soll ich noch erzählen es ist doch nun mein Alltag nichts spektakuläres. Und dann gibt es ja auch noch Instagram da sehen die meisten doch was ich so mache.

Ein Jahr Amerika, das war mein Traum aber irgendwie habe ich mir nie so wirklich Gedanken darüber gemacht dass diese Entscheidung mein Leben und mich für immer verändern wird. Dass ich dann auch noch sage nach einem Jahr (was ich niemals gedacht hätte dass ich das wirklich durch ziehe, mal ehrlich wer hätte gedacht dass ich Kellerkind Nr. 1, tief verwurzelt in meinem Heimatdorf nie wirklich was anderes gesehen DAS schaffe!) ich verlängere für ein weiteres Jahr, wer mir das gesagt hätte ich hätte diese Person ausgelacht. Aber nun bin ich hier und haben den Salat!

2 Jahre mit meiner Hostmom und ihren 4 Kindern oder wie sie es immer sagt mir “unseren” 4 Kindern. Verrückt!

Ich glaube ich hätte mir das besser überlegen sollen was ich mir eigentlich da eingebrockt habe. Diese Familie meine amerikanische Familie ist mir so ans Herz gewachsen dass wenn ich nur dran denke bald zu gehen mir die Tränen über die Wangen laufen. Ich kann mir nicht helfen meine Emotionen spielen verrückt, mein Körper macht was er will und dann kommen da auch noch Gelüste dazu Gelüste auf das deutsche Essen was mich bald erwartet. Da kommt einen schonmal in den Kopf ob man schwanger ist! Aber Mutti keine Sorge alles safe! Du wirst nicht Oma haha!

Aber Spaß beiseite. Je näher der Abschied kommt desto mehr merke ich wie sehr Amerika, Ohio, Cleveland, Pepper Pike zu einem Teil von mir geworden ist. Ich habe mich zu 100 % in ein Land, einen Staat und in eine Stadt verliebt. Ich habe 4 Kinder die mir die Welt bedeuten und ich nicht weiß was ich ohne sie machen werde. Wer gibt mir einfach mal eine Umarmung und schaut mir in die Augen und sagt, Julia ich liebe dich! Oder Julia du siehst heute wunderschön aus.

Ich habe eine Hostmom die für mich wie eine zweite Mama geworden ist. Aber nicht nur dass sie ist eine Löwen Mama wie es die Koreaner sagen würden. Sie kämpft für ihre Kinder will nur das Beste für sie. Und auf der anderen Seite ist sie diese Karriere Frau die in einem Beruf der von Männern dominiert wird ihre Frau steht und alle mit ihrer Persönlichkeit und ihrer Professionalität vom Hocker haut. Eine Frau die mir so viel beigebracht hat! Die nicht nur meine zweite Mama geworden ist sondern auch eines meiner größten Vorbilder! (Mami du bist mit Papi und Maxi immer noch auf Platz 1 keine Angst!)

Und das alles soll ich einfach so hinter mir lassen? Wie soll das gehen?

Vor 2 Jahren hat die kleine, unsichere Julia ihr Dorf verlassen mit geheimen Träumen, Zielen und Erwartungen. Doch dass fast alle meine Erwartungen und Träume übertroffen werden hätte ich niemals gedacht!

Nur ein Traum (der geheimste von dem keiner wusste und den ich jetzt etwas peinlich finde aber trotzdem mit euch teilen werde) der Traum von meiner Au-Pair Lovestory der ist nicht in Erfüllung gegangen. Wie viele Mädchen gehen nach Amerika und denken sich ich will den Mann meiner Träume kennen lernen, alles was ich mir wünsche. Glücklich sein, zwei Jahre eine Beziehung führen, dann heiraten und Evtl in Amerika bleiben. Ja Julia sag ich mir immer wie naiv warst du zu glauben nur glücklich sein zu können wenn du jemanden an deiner Seite hast.

Ich brauch keinen Mann in meinem Leben um glücklich zu sein. Ja Evtl ist es schöner sein Leben mit jemandem zu teilen aber ich bin 24 Jahre alt mein ganzes Leben steht noch vor mir und ich bin gerade glücklich ich bin sehr glücklich! Ich bin glücklich damit den Schritt ins Ungewisse gegangen zu sein, ich bin glücklich dass ich Menschen kennen lernen durfte die mich für immer verändert und geprägt haben, ich bin glücklich dass ich mich die ECHTE JULIA in den letzten 2 Jahren kennen lernen durfte und ich bin auch ein Stück weit glücklich wieder nach Hause zu kommen.

Aber wie gesagt es ist nicht einfach, denn ein Teil meines Herzens wird hier in Amerika zurück bleiben denn die letzten 2 Jahre haben mich und meine Persönlichkeit so sehr geprägt dass ich nicht weiß wie es ohne Amerika sein wird.

Wie wird es sein nur noch deutsch zu reden?

Wie wird es sein nicht mehr Sonntags um 7 Uhr mit Klaviermusik geweckt zu werden? (Wobei das werde ich nicht vermissen)

Wie wird es sein wieder zu Hause bei Mama und Papa zu wohnen?

Wie wird es sein ohne einfach mal schnell sagen zu können oh die Browns spielen ach gehen wir ins Stadion?

Werde ich die Leute nerven wenn ich über Amerika rede?

Wie haben sich meine Freunde verändert?

So viele Fragen!!

Und doch glaube ich fest daran dass irgendwo da draußen mein Platz ist! Ich kann euch nicht versprechen dass ich zurück komme und glücklich bin, es wird Evtl seine Zeit dauern, denn ich habe hier etwas gefunden wo nach ich so lange gesucht habe! Ich fühle mich komplett! Ich habe gelernt mich selbst zu lieben! Ich habe gelernt mich zu akzeptieren! Ich habe mich neu kennen gelernt!

Es ist nicht einfach aber wer hat gesagt dass es einfach wird!

Fast 2 Jahre! Ich kann es nicht glauben! Ich will es nicht glauben!

Deutschland ich komme noch 47 Tage!

Eure Julia 💕