Three young men, university students, from Korea spent the last month living in my home and student-teaching in my school. It was quite an experience. Jin, Jin-Ho, and Jason quickly fell in love with America—especially the food! They ate and ate and ate, but somehow stayed very thin. I guess that is what happens with 24-year-old men. I laughed when they took pictures of the food and oooo-ed and ahhhh-ed over everything we cooked for them. Of course, they LOVED Golden Corral and all the meat choices there.
Jin and Jason also loved the shopping. WalMart was a daily favorite along with the malls (especially the Outlet Mall in Park City) and COSTCO. America certainly is about retail!
All three boys (as Cameron called them) would have liked to stay in the United States. It became like home to them very quickly. What they expected to find in America was not necessarily what they actually found. They expected to find undisciplined chaos in the schools. They were surprised to learn that students are engaged and learning—disciplined with classroom-management strategies and positive-behavior reinforcement. They thought the children had a sweetness and a happiness that made them endearing. The BOYS also loved being part of our family. It must have seemed a little overwhelming to eat and play with our large, extended family at celebrations through the summer. They enjoyed the games, the laughter, and the food. Cookie salad was a hit.
When the boys had been gone for a couple of days, Cameron asked, “Mom, you miss the boys?” Yes. They became a little part of our hearts—besides, they loved my cooking and insisted I was a “hero” for fixing them yummy food. No one else seems to appreciate it that much. They will miss the food and family and school, and maybe we will be a little part of their hearts, too.
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