What has my host family meant to me?
It took me a long time to decide to write this text, because the “thing” I have received from my host family during the past 7 months is very different from what one may think. This “thing” is very special and of priceless value to me.
I remember during my first month here, my host Dad spoke to me in Norwegian. Of course I did not understand, so I answered him back in English. But he did not respond, but continued to talk to me in Norwegian. After a while the whole family started to only speak to me in Norwegian, except my host mom. But one day, when she spoke English to me, my host sister interrupted her and said something in Norwegian, which I could not understand. I just know that my host mom then changed to talk to me in Norwegian too – and I started to try to understand her, for the first time I tried to understand Norwegian.
My expectations before I came here was that I would receive just as much attention as I used to at home. I am a single child at home. I did not want to have host sisters and brothers at all. Ironically I received a host family with many children and I was depressed each time the parents talked to their children in Norwegian and I could not become friends with my host sister. I really don’t know why I did not want to become friends with her really.
The relationship with my host family in the beginning does not sound very good. I cried many nights asking myself why I had been so stupid to choose to come to a country which has such a diffierent language, a different family, sisters, school etc. Why had I exposed myself to so much pain. But, you know – I got the answer. I would soon discover what it was.
After seven months, I finally discovered what the “thing” was that my host family has tried to teach me since the very beginning. It is strength. In the real world, I cannot expect that all things will go my way all the time. I cannot cry each time I have a problem, I must face it. First I must fight to learn a new language called Norwegian, then my host family teaches me about human relationships – that we are all different and that the whole point is to accept these differences.
I want to say “one million thanks” to my host family. If it had not been for the fact that you tried to teach me, if I had not been trough this torture, I would never have learned what it means to be patient, to accept, to respect, to gain strength. I would not have known that I could reach so far and that I will never go down again. You make me work a little harder, learn a little faster, become so much wiser and smarter. You turn me into a fighter who has gained mental strength to continue and go on. I just want you to know how much I love you.
* Norramon from Bangkok.
