We gained a lot by hosting Davis for a year, this experience helped us understand that each culture is different, and that no culture is better or worse than any other. This experience also gave us a better understanding of our own culture, our habits, our norms and allowed us to open up to different ways of living.
We were told that culture shock is an important part of a young person’s experience when going to a different country. That’s true, but we learned about our differences little by little, by going through our everyday activities. Actually, it was not a shock, but a discovery.
I believe that it’s worth living this everyday experience, not give up even if it gets challenging. It’s important to overcome the “Our way is better, because…” and not judge, but adapt. That made our experience enriching.
Ougier, host family from France, hosted a student from Hong Kong