Edition:
July 25, 2008
Public Notices - DBA Info • CONTACT
US: News Department • Display
Advertising • Classified
Advertising
|
||
Reporter
Stepping out and doing something for the very first time can have its rewards, as residents Joe and Vi Henderson have discovered. Prompted by an article they read in The Friday Flyer about international students “desperately needing host families,” Joe and Vi called EF Educational Homestay Progams (EFEHP), a non-profit organization, and volunteered to host two students.
“We had always thought about doing it over the years, but had other things going on that didn’t make it possible,” says Vi.
After making the call to EFEHP, a coordinator visited their home within two days and shortly thereafter their two foreign exchange students arrived. The boys are from different countries – Danny Schmidt is from Denmark and Artem Bazhenov is from Russia.
“They appreciate the opportunity and learning American customs,” says Joe, adding, “It’s been very rewarding and they are really nice kids.”
Coincidentally, Joe and Vi traveled to Denmark and Russia nearly 20 years ago and have been able to show the boys photos of the travels to their countries. Joe also has a golf buddy who is Danish and he stopped by to chat with Danny about their homeland.
The trip for both boys had been planned well in advance. Danny says he worked a lot at a retail store prior to the trip to save money to pay for the program. Since arriving, he and the other students have done their share of participating in the American retail experience. Their purchases have been mostly T-shirts, but Reeboks and Converse tennis shoes, which cost two to three times more overseas, have been the “hot item” for Danny, according to Vi.
After attending school most days, Artem and Danny are enjoying the many activities that are planned by EFEHP. They’ve been to Los Angeles, many amusement parks, shopping centers, San Francisco and the beach, just to name a few. Another host family contributed to their all-American experience by taking them to a Padres game. Joe and Vi also took them to Diamond Valley Museum as well as showing them the many amenities in Canyon Lake.
The refreshing pool and beach have offered a cool reprieve from the heat, which they aren’t accustomed to, according to Vi. An evening of boating on the Lake with Joe and Vi’s friends provided them with another community perspective.
American foods are not much different from their own food, as they have discovered. Vi was surprised to learn they had heard so much about American fast food they thought it was all Americans ate. Artem was familiar with peanut butter; however, Danny was not, so Vi made sure he tried a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Since that time he has taken a peanut butter sandwich, minus the jelly, to classes each day. She says neither of the boys is big on desserts and sweets.
The group of 120 students will return to Denmark, Austria and Russia on Tuesday, July 29. Both Vi and Joe have enjoyed the experience and are glad they decided to host Danny and Artem. The month has gone by quickly for all of them, according to Vi, who says, “I am going to miss them when they leave.”
|
|
