Eights months ago, a batch of foreign exchange students arrived in Kyle and Buda to get up close and personal with “the American experience.”
Three students attend Lehman High School while the other four are at Hays High School. The seven came together last week at Hays High to share their thoughts about the exchange program, and about America, with the Hays Free Press.
They hail from Italy, France, the Netherlands, Thailand, Denmark, Germany and Taiwan where they learned English in school. Most of the students said one reason they chose this country for their year abroad was to learn English by immersion.
It must have worked because their mastery of the language was evident. The conversation was fluid, animated and easy, peppered with American expressions, a heavy use of the word “like” and plenty of laughter.
This group of students was multi-lingual. Back home, they learned languages such as Spanish, Latin, Korean, Japanese, Russian, German and Chinese. Nearly all of them speak at least two other languages beside their native tongue.
Through the exchange program, the students could have selected several other countries – Australia, England and Canada among them. Yet this group wanted to come to the United States.
For all of the students, the primary reason for selecting this country was to experience what it’s like to live here. By and large, they were not disappointed.
“I love the American high school life – the experience,” said Amalie Nielsen from Denmark.
“It’s an adventure. Everybody is friendly,” said Jacopo Piantoni of Italy.
Eline Hermse from the Netherlands fell in love with America while here on vacation several years ago. She visited Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and New York City among other locations during her three week stay.
“The people were so nice,” she said.
Cun-Si Chen of Taiwan goes by the nickname “Max.” He said he wanted to come to the United States because of the cool factor.
“When people think you went to America…they will think you are more cool. Everybody wants to be an exchange student,” he said.
Yet most of the students were not expecting life to be so different from their home country. Several are from big cities – Rome, Stuttgart, Bangkok – and coming to Kyle and Buda was a cultural shock.
“So many different things here – I didn’t know it would be so different,” said Chidchol Ousuo of Thailand.
Back in Bangkok, Chidchol went to an all-girl school, wore a uniform, and wasn’t allowed to dye her hair or paint her nails. A quick look down at her nails showed them painted blue, indicating she took advantage of that part of the dress code.
“I expected big cities not like Kyle,” Jacopo said.
“What you learn here you would never learn in a book. It shapes your personality,” said Valeria Dudin of Germany.
For Max, his host family was not what he pictured when he thought about living in America. His host family has young children, not teens.
“The life I imagined is not the same,” he said.
And yes, a few times he’s been asked to babysit. That also wasn’t something he imagined of his adventure in the States.
There have been a few little blips in going from their home countries to the States. Valeria said her first shower in America was rough.
“I could turn the water on but I couldn’t make it warm,” she said, laughing at the memory.
Another surprise was the dependence of the American lifestyle on cars to get everywhere and it has an impact on their ability to socialize.
They all said their friends tend to be the people they go to class with, as opposed to people who live in their neighborhoods.
“To meet up with people outside school is a whole different story,” said Eline Hermse from the Netherlands. “I’m used to getting around everywhere on a bike. Here you need a car.”
“I miss the bus,” Amalie said. “If you don’t have a ride anywhere, you just can’t go.”
The rest of the group nodded in agreement and commented on similar challenges, most saying they can get around easily by walking or biking or buses in their home countries.
Food was another eye opener. Several students said their host families – an American family that takes in an exchange student for the school year – eat out quite a bit, especially Amalie and her housemate Valeria. The girls are in what’s called a double placement at the same home. Their host family eats out sometimes five nights a week.
Eating out in their native country was somewhat of a special occasion deal – a treat for most. Here, the students say restaurant meals are almost commonplace.
Several students said they have cooked culinary treats for their host family.
Going to school in the United States, according to the students, is much easier than in their own countries. They commented on how different the school systems are, with all saying how American high school is “way easier.” Schools in their home countries have a lot more pressure.
“It’s so easy going here,” said Amalie. “It’s a very different school life. I took the TAKS test. It was so easy. In Germany we don’t have multiple choice tests. You have to write everything down in every class, never multiple choice.”
All the other students chimed in, saying multiple choice questions are unheard of in their countries.
Another difference for the students is the culture of drinking alcohol and doing illegal drugs among high school students.
Valeria recalled an incident earlier this school year where drug sniffing dogs were brought into a classroom. Another student told her it was “normal.”
For most students, the drinking age is 16 or 18, so in some ways, they are already past the excitement of having their first legal drink.
According to Eline, “it’s just not a big deal anymore.”
And while she hails from a country where smoking pot is legal, she said in her experience, American students are doing more drugs than students in the Netherlands.
One thing the students had in common was they like it here. A few are even considering coming back to the United States for college.
“I would like Texas for college but maybe Pittsburg, PA,” said Candice Duplan of France.
Her brothers were exchange students a few years ago – they were placed in Tuscon, AZ. Exchange students are able to select their host country but the town or city in which they end up is a surprise.
While in the exchange program, the students said they are not allowed to visit their families either by going back or having them come here, but they can write, call and email. All of them use Skype to communicate with folks back home. Chidchol visited her older brother in Dallas once but he has not been to Central Texas.
When asked if before they came here, they thought Americans were fat, lazy and obnoxious. That question elicited many giggles, though they were hesitant to say outright that was the case.
Over the course of their time in the United States, the students said their worldview, opinions and perceptions have changed.
“You’re just a little part of the world,” Valeria said. “There is always another part of the world – you’re not alone. You have to respect everyone because there are other people in the world.”
Eline said she can tell she is different since coming to this country.
“I changed a lot since I left my country,” she said. “My personality is, like, way different.”
Even her friends say her personality is very different. Eline is one of the students who said she would live in this country after college. She dreams of working for a large company and traveling all over the world.
The others made similar comments: “You just change.” “You get used to totally different things.” “You’re independent.”
Looking back over the last eight months, the exchange students had mostly positive experiences. Some had done a little traveling – Missouri, Corpus Christi, Las Vegas, San Antonio. Candace visited the LBJ ranch as well as Houston and Galveston.
“We went to NASA. It was really cool,” she said.
Candace, among others, recommended telling future exchange students to bring empty suitcases to pack all of the things they want to buy for themselves and their families back home.
Valeria would pack a bag full of peanut butter to take back home – she fell in love with it.
For Candace, it wasn’t just one thing she wanted to take back.
“I want to buy everything,” Candace said.
