07.23.16
Greetings! As you have probably gathered from reading this blog, the Dartmouth students’ experiences with their host families form a significant component of the LSA. I remember that during my LSA experience (back in 2013), my homestay families were truly the highlight of my study abroad experience in Japan. I speak to some of my families to this very day!
In order to provide families with a chance to host a Dartmouth student, some students have the opportunity of staying with two homestay families throughout the program. This is due to the fact that many families want to host Dartmouth students, though there are only 9 students on the program. Students stay with one family for the first half of the program (June 25th until July 23rd), and stay with a second family for the last half of the program (July 23rd until August 28th).
Today, students said farewell (or rather, “see you soon”) to their host families for the first-half of the LSA, and switched to their second-half host families! Dartmouth, KUIS, and Homestay Japan organized a “Makizushi Party” for the occasion. Makizushi is basically the equivalent of a sushi roll. Both the first half and second half host families were invited to the party, which gave the students a chance to engage with both of their families at once.
The Dartmouth students had a great time learning how to make makizushi with their homestays. The professional makizushi chefs astounded us with lovely designs, such as a sushi roll decorated with the design of a cherry blossom tree. Some of us felt quite guilty about eating the makizushi afterwards, only because the designs were too beautiful to eat!
Makizushi. This specific design was in the shape of a flower, and featured a cheesy center!
Chatter filled the air as the students conversed with their homestays, and the homestays conversed with each other. The food was all around delicious: we all got to try different varieties of makizushi.
At the end of the party, students said farewell to their first-half families, and headed home with their second-half families. Thus begins yet another exciting chapter in the LSA experience: meeting a new family, and experiencing different lifestyles in Japan!