by Joy Mason, Greenheart Travel Language School participant

Monday

I arrived in Antibes, France late last night and was picked up by Monsieur Pravettoni. This morning, he drove me to my first day of French school! We went on a tour of Antibes today—I zoned out during part of the tour, because it was all just too much français to take in. I realized last night when I got here that my brain is going to have to work non-stop for the next three weeks to get by. At least, it’ll have to work non-stop in class and at the house, but with the other students, not so much. Unfortunately, they all speak English, and no matter how hard I try to speak French (and, granted, at this point my French is pretty bad and takes a long time to listen to), they keep switching into English. Only two of them are from English-speaking countries (the UK), so I think the rest just find speaking English as sort of novelty.

I came back to the Pravettoni’s house and we had dinner. It was really good: Mexican food! The two boys said that the food was “too strong,” but I liked it a lot. After dinner, the two boys, the mother, and I played cards, the game called “Presidents.”

I like this family a lot! Pierre, Isabelle, Alexandre, and Anthony obviously like each other a lot, and that’s really cool. It’s the kind of family where everyone is comfortable with themselves and with each other, so they’re comfortable with those outside their family, too.

Tuesday

Tonight, I went Nordic walking with my French host mother. It was pretty fun, actually. We started at the Plage de Salis, and walked all the way up to the top of the Cap d’Antibes, which has one of the most beautiful views ever. We walked up through the woods, and down along the waterfront. The water is SO blue, and the trees are tall and green, and the flowers are vibrantly colored, and the clouds are white…Antibes is one of those beautiful beach places.

I saw an old-style sailing ship on the water, and when attempting to tell Isabelle about it, I said “J’ai vu un bateau, un grand bateau, avec les voiles, comme dans Pirates of the Caribbean.” I think I sounded a little insane. Also, on this Nordic walk, there was the young daughter of the instructor, and at one point, I asked her what a certain word was. She eventually just said, “I don’t know,” although I think the problem was less with her knowledge of the word for “sneeze” and more with my method of questioning.

Wednesday

I forgot to say that yesterday, I helped the two boys with their bac. The bac is a big deal in France, and it’s kind of cool to have seen students take it. They took the bac every day until today, and today they took the English portion of it. Last night I helped them study for it!

I went to the beach today with all of my new friends! Two Turkish students, one British and three Brazilians, and me: all sorts of nationalities, which is great. And my Turkish friend, Emil, insists on us speaking French most of the time, which is also great. While at the beach, sometimes it took a double-take for me to know whether a sunbather was a man or a woman: just because s/he wasn’t wearing a shirt didn’t mean s/he was a man, and just because s/he had a bikini-like bottom didn’t mean s/he was a woman.

More adventures to follow…

 by Jes Stayton, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad participant

The day begins and ends with homeroom, each about twenty minutes. Classes start at 9:00 a.m. There are seven periods, each fifty minutes long, with alternating five and ten minute breaks in between. The breaks are nice. In the ten minute break before lunch, everyone eats a little bit of their lunch before class. Food is not allowed during class, but is okay otherwise. We also eat lunch in the classroom. The class schedule is very different from in America. The classes depend on the day, and we sometimes also have double periods. In every class, we bow to the teacher, saying Onegaishimasu (please), and Domo gozaimashita (thank you).

The classes themselves are also very different. I take Religion (this is a Catholic school), and Health, as well as something called Communications, which is like a class for practicing English. Classes are almost always in a lecture format, with occasional student participation. I have yet to do any group work, and students usually take notes in class.

After classes end, I go to homeroom and then we clean the school. Some students clean the classroom, while other students (including me), clean a different room, which is assigned weekly. Last week, we cleaned one of the home economics’ rooms, and this week we are cleaning a bathroom. I think this is why my school in Japan seems much cleaner than the school I went to in America. Perhaps students take more care to pick up after themselves when they know they will cleaning it up later. There is certainly no gum on the undersides of the desks, as there is in most American schools.

After souji (cleaning), I go up to the fourth floor to meet my host sister. I then usually do homework or hang out with my host sister and her friends. They talk and joke around. In the past few days, I have come up the stairs to find them playing hide and seek. I guess that translates across cultures.

Finally, it is time to go home. We walk to the bus stop, but t is a very short distance, and I enjoy the (mostly) cool weather. We usually get on the second bus, which comes at 6:05. That way we can sit down. In the afternoon, my feet hurt, and I am always happy when my host sister and her friend want to wait for the second bus. The bus, which is a city bus with the Shirayuri Gakuen (my school) insignia painted on the side, is always exactly on time. It is true that you can set your watch by Japanese public transportation. The bus ride is long, about an hour. When we reach the bus station, it is 7:00 p.m. We then take the city bus to our station.

From the station to our house it is probably a thirty minute walk. School only lasts seven and a half hours, but by the time we finally arrive at home we have been gone for about 13 hours. Once we arrive at home, my host sister and I change out of our uniforms. Japanese students are very careful to take car of their school uniforms. I have even been issued a pale blue smock (which reaches past my knees, and is more like a nightgown than a smock) to keep my uniform clean in the classroom. Most students wear this.

The family cooks dinner together. Some days I help make dinner, and some days I have to wash dishes. Dinner is always delicious. After dinner, I do my homework, and practice my violin. The entire family hangs around the table at night, doing their respective tasks. This happens even on weekends, when we usually watch TV. Sometimes we even have a little snack.

Finally, I shower and go to bed. Japanese people always shower at night, never in the morning. Sometimes members of my family like to soak in the bathtub after showering, but I do not. I am always too tired to take a bath. Also, the one time I did bathe, I had trouble breathing because of the steam. It was not an enjoyable experience. When I’m done, I lay out my futon, put on pajamas, and go to bed. Usually, I am so tired I fall right to sleep.   Click here for Japanese language video...

 by Jill Robinson with Greenheart Travel

Home stays abroad are one of the best ways to experience a culture while traveling abroad. Being part of a family not only gives you a “home” during your trip, but an amazing insight into the day-to-day routines a tourist would never experience, exposure to authentic traditional fare, and a crash-course in foreign language. Whether it’s learning how to speak Italian or deciphering what that green goop is for breakfast, home stays create another level of cultural immersion. This potential gold mind of education doesn’t always guarantee a smooth stay, however. Entering a family’s home, especially one in a foreign country, can be challenging and frustrating – but absolutely worth it. Greenheart Travel staff members share some of their advice for making your home stay experience a success.


1. Go into the home stay expecting to adapt to THEIR culture, routine and general ways of living. Don’t expect them to adjust to yours. If you have the mindset that the “adapting” part is fun, you’ll learn so much more about the place you’re visiting.

2. Make sure to make time for your host family. Seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many people don’t take advantage of family interaction. If they ask you to participate in an outing or activity, do it! Don’t worry about not having time to see the attractions; you can always go back on your own to be a tourist. The times you spend with your family will be the ones you remember most.

3. Don’t automatically assume your family doesn’t like you the first few days of your home stay. If you feel like your family isn’t making much of an effort to involve you, they may be taking the backseat in order to allow you to adjust and organize your time the way you want. In that case, you should make a little effort – ask them if they could teach you how to cook their favorite meal or find out their hobbies. Showing you have an interest in their culture will give you a connection and break the ice.

4. Bring your host family a small gift when you arrive, and leave a small give when you say your goodbyes.

5. Not one for awkward silences between conversation topics? Bring a small photo album of you with family, friends and scenes from your hometown. It is a great way to start a dialogue and really allows you to have a cultural exchange.

6. ALWAYS watch telenovelas. It’s a great way to practice your Spanish and spend time with your host family. Before you laugh, know that there’s a good chance you will find yourself addicted before too long.

7. We are one of the only countries to blast air-conditioning and heaters, so be ready to adapt to their climate at all times. This might mean wearing mittens while you sleep in Chile or the simple act of applying Gold Bond medicated powder after a shower in South Africa to beat the heat. Either way, it’s all part of the travel experience.

8. Along these lines, it is also important during a home stay to be prepared for cold showers and baths, and the frustration of trying to operate these showers and bath nozzles. In Costa Rica you might get a small electric jolt from the shower head if you adjust it while it’s running. Ask your family for instructions. (This acts as another great way to start conversation or fill uneasy gaps of silence.)

9. Smile even if you are tired. Or at least communicate how you are feeling or frustrations you might have during your home stay. Sometimes, your host mom might not be aware that cleaning your room is driving you crazy. Before you snap on their intended act of kindness, communicate your emotions before a small problem snowballs into an uncomfortable situation. As Matador Travel’s article on home stays mentions “stress is contagious.”

   10. When in doubt, talk about the weather. Still in doubt, talk about the food.

   11. If your host mom offers to do your laundry, accept it with many thank you’s.

   12. If your home stay is in Latin America, never be surprised if you find chicken feet in your soup, or animal parts or insects in your food that you're not used to eating. Two Greenheart Travel colleagues joked about their experiences with unusual food items. Pretty much any part of the cow/chicken/pig is fair game in many cultures, so you should be open to trying new cuisine. You never know - you might end up loving it!

13. Exchange addresses before you go and keep in contact. A home stay allows you to develop a relationship with a family across the world.

14. Be independent! Your host family is not your personal tour guide, and while they are a great reference for places to see off the beaten path, they are not expected to hold your hand. Home stays offer a much more laid back travel experience, with the best of both worlds in experiencing the community around you. Be prepared to do some exploring on your own.

15. If you aren’t fluent in the language, at least know how to say “please” and “thank-you.” Such small words can make all the difference.

Click here for a video of a telenovela...

Travel can be a lot of uncoordinated steps and nervous conversation and that exhilaration of suddenly realizing you are in the middle of a place that will inevitably shape you in some way. If we wanted to sit on the bleachers we would stay home and read guide books. We travel to learn about a culture, but also about ourselves and I say turn the music up a little louder because they are playing my favorite song.

Watch an awkward high school dance scene...