Watch Out When Seeking Homestay Opportunities

The other day Ali asked me if I knew of anyone else who provided homestay.  He has a friend who is interested.  I checked the posting for one other person in Columbia, but he/she host females, so I mentioned to Ali that his friend could put a post on Craigslist requesting homestay.

Yesterday Ali told me his friend put a listing on Craigslist and was contacted by a woman who wanted to have sex with him.  All I could do was shake my head, roll my eyes, and think "Only in America...."    But probably not.

People seeking homestay hosts need to be extremely careful.   Hosts can post their homes almost anywhere.   Here are a few tips when considering hosts in the U.S.

1.  Google the host's name and city to find out what you can about the person. Just make sure you are reading about the person you are researching and not someone with the same name.

2.  Check the local Internet listing for people in the town or city who have been convicted of a sexual offense. By googling "sex offenders in (name of city)", you can find out who has been convicted of what kind of crime and where they live.

3.  Have at least two visits with the host, preferably in person, and always take someone with you.
     One visit should be at the home, of course, but another should be for coffee or a meal somewhere.
     If you aren't in the U.S., visit by Skype or Google Talk.  Ask for pictures of the home and the neighborhood. 

4.  Don't be afraid to ask for personal references.  These might be friends, relatives, or neighbors of the host. They could also be former guests.  Your hosts are real people, not TV land characters of the perfect American family. By the way, there is no such thing.  They may bicker among each other, have annoying habits, be messy, and have pet peeves.  Here's a good example:  I value planning and punctuality.  I've learned that in some cultures, planning is very "last minute," and plans can change easily. This can drive me crazy at times, but we all try to keep a sense of humor.  I've had to become a bit more flexible...and  my guests have been kind enough to try to accommodate my needs more.  As Ali said recently, "I told my friends we had to make a plan.  I'm trying to be like Americans...ha ha ha."  He has such a great sense of humor...and he's also very kind and understanding.

5.  Trust your gut feelings.  If there's anything about the hosts  or the hone that makes you uncomfortable, 
     thank them for their time and tell them you have decided on a different option. 

Safety and common sense first, when seeking a homestay host.   Good luck!!

It's Spring and Change Is In the Works

There have been lots of April showers here in mid-Missouri lately...plus a tornado that tripped through part of the St. Louis area.  Makes me wonder how many times we'll hear the tornado siren go off this summer. 

Outside everything is green, lush, and muddy, but everyone seems glad to have the cold and snow of winter behind us.

These days we are all busy with end-of-semester activities.   Gahee recently took the online version of the TOEFL and passed it.  Big smile!!  She may take it again to get a higher score.  Her goal is to transfer to Mizzou in January 2012. She'll be preparing for final exams.   Ali will be finishing up another session of the Intensive English Program at Mizzou.  He's made a lot of progress over the past year and is hoping to obtain a passing score on either the TOEFL or IELTS test.  He has applied to two universities in Texas and may apply to a few others.

George and I are finishing up our classes at the Columbia campus of Moberly Area Community College.
We'll give final exams in about 3 weeks and then we'll get ready for our trip to COLORADO!!!  Gahee is coming with us, and we are all very excited about seeing mountains.  George has been there before, but I know I'll fall in love with it.   We'll be traveling with our small travel trailer, named "the C.O.W." (condo on wheels).

In the meantime, I've been corresponding with Vi and Anh, two young ladies who are currently living in Orange County, California.  They are from Vietnam and have been attending college in California.  They emailed me several weeks ago and asked about homestay with us and if they could share a room.  It was something we had not considered, but after several emails back and forth and research on their part, they have both been accepted to Mizzou and are planning to join our household later this summer.  They seem excited to experience life in a Midwestern college town because where they now live and go to school there is a large Vietnamese population, so it feels a lot like home.  They want to experience more of the typical American culture.  So after Ali leaves, I'll repaint the room, shampoo the carpet, and get things ready for the girls.

I think Gahee will enjoy having female housemates for a change.