The Riveland family spent 6 months with me warmly.They had been hosting foreign students for 4 years. The students were from Denmark, Moldova, China and Japan. I spent the time with the family like a real family because they had comfortable atomosphere.

Host Mother: Rovin

I talked with Rovin most. She is very kind. For example, she explained things in detail with gestures if I didn't understand what she said. Also, she carefully told me how to take a bus or go to school.

Rovin is an American football fan, and she cheers Seattle Seahawks, which is the home team in Seattle, on TV when they have a game. We enjoyed watching a Seahawks game home and away on TV either on weekday night or weekend afternoon. I also shouted when Rovin shouted with delight as Seahawks made a goal.

Rovin is always smiling and cheerful. She cheered me up when I got depressed with my class. I was thanksful to her for supporting me.

Host Father: Bruce

Bruce works in Seattle Central College as a vice president, and he told me some difficult phrases or words which native speakers used. He changed different phrases into easy ones if I didn't understand. Also, he wanted to ask for my idea about many things while we were eating dinner. I thought that it was an American culture to exchange ideas with each other.

In addition, Bruce was very kind, and he sometimes took me to my friend's house, a train station, and a place where I couldn't usually go myself. When I wanted to do something or to go somewhere, he helped me make plans. I was thankful when he listened patiently to me when I challenged to use my poor English.

Host Grandmother: Kim

Kim is Japanese. I learned it when I met her for the first time. At that time, I thought that I might speak with her in Japanese, but she had been living in the U.S. since she was very small, and she couldn't speak Japanese very much. Also, her way of thinking was that of a real American.

Kim is very active and goes to bowling every week. In addition, she likes baseball, basketball, and any other sports. She was watching sports game on TV whenever I went to her room. I sometimes watched one and cheerd up together. I thought that sharing the same hobby can be a tool to be connected with other people without language.

Roommate: Chloe

Chloe is Chinese, and goes to GRC as an academic student. Her major is math, and she always came back home with a lot of homework. I sometimes did my homework with her at the living room.

Chloe had lived with the Riveland family for the past year. I couldn't believe that Chloe and I were the same age. She was more matured. We sometimes went to a shopping mall or a park, and talked about our future and our countries. At first, my English skills were very low, so we couldn't communicate with each other easily. Step by step, she tried to use simple and easy words to communicate with me. Also, we taught each other about our own languages. She was like my older sister on my mind.

Roommate: Cherry

Cherry is also Chinese, and goes to GRC as an IESL student. She began her class at Level 4 because her English skills were high. She came to the Riveland family at the same time with me, so I often hung around with her during the orientation week.

I talked with Cherry about our own countries after dinner. She told me funny stories that she had experienced in China.She used to draw some pictures when I didn't understand. I was glad to communicate with her without pictures after a while.

The Riveland family's house was beautiful. The room which I used for 6 months was pretty, and I felt that I was staying at a hotel. I had heard that Seattle was cold before I went there. However, it was comfortable to stay in the house because the house was totally heated. It became warm when I turned the switch on. The house had a central heating system, so we didn't have any heaters in each room, and we kept our room door open to take in heated air. I wore a down jacket that I had bought in Japan and some clothes that I bought in the U.S. when I felt cold.

I watched a football game with my host family on the weekend. In the U.S., watching a sport game is enthusiastic, and my host family cheered players up in front of the TV. Seattle has a home team “Seahawks” and its big stadium in downtown. I recommend watching a game with your own eyes. The cost of a ticket depends on the seat. It might be expensive, but I hope that you go there if you have an opportunity.

My host father likes cooking, and he often makes breakfast on the weekend. Also, he told me that American people eat scrambled egg, bacon, and pancakes in the morning. I felt happy when I ate those while I was seeing the view outside. Moreover, I sometimes made an apple pie with my host father and roommates after dinner. Then, I enjoyed eating and talking with them.

One three-day weekend, my host family took me to Sequim. It was located at a suburb of Seattle, and my host family had their second house there. We spent a few days there. The place was surrounded by nature, so it was quiet and beautiful. In downtown Sequim, they had some work shops. I saw some soft texture made from wool, dishes printed with “Kanji,” and necklaces made of some stones. The town atomosphere was peaceful, so I spent satisfying days there.