Students from China

Last week we hosted two junior high school boys from China.  They came on a language program to visit the US.  There were about 24 students staying with 12 different families from Jensen Ranch.  We only had to provide them with breakfast and dinner.  During the day, they participated in a program in Palo Alto.  It was an interesting experience.  Even though I can understand Mandarin, it was hard to communicate and speak the language.  And they don't speak much English.  So conversation are limited to "Are you hungry?" "Do you want juice?" "What did you do today?" "It's time to eat." "Are you tired?" "What do you need?"

We are always happy to open our home and share God's blessing.  I tried to be a good host and expose them to some traditional American breakfasts and dinners.  I get up early to make them hot breakfast everyday before going to work.  (Boy, that was hard)  The two Chinese students were respectful and polite.  They ate everything I serve them, but not the fruits.  I bet there are things that they didn't like, but ate anyways to be polite.  I try not to torture them too much with American food by making one Chinese breakfast and dinner.  We also took them out to dinner one night and to Boomers.  Boys will be boys, so they had fun driving go kart, playing lazer tag, and mini golf. 

I was surprised to find out how wealthy these students are.  I have always thought that the majority of people in China are poor.  I see otherwise through this experience and our trip to China in December.  I guess as the country gains more wealth, so does its people. These students are from very wealthy families.  They are meerly in Junior High and one boy bought himself an iPad2, the most expensive version.  Another girl in the group bought her mom a Louis Vitton purse for $5000. From talking to the guide of the tour, these students' family own businesses and have net worth in the hundreds of million.