MLK: 50 Years and a Dream

Today is a significant day in American History: The 50 year Anniversary of the Civil Rights "March on Washington" which was commemorated by Martin Luther King, Jr in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

This powerful speech is as relevant today as it was then and continues to be a personal reminder of how far we have come, but also how far we have to go toward achieving Dr. King's Dream in both the U.S. and internationally.

Many of our international students may not realize that MLK was born here in Atlanta in 1929. He and his wife Corretta Scott King were also buried here. You can visit the MLK National Historic Site in Downtown Atlanta and explore our culture's struggle for equality and justice.

MARTA Train: Debunking Myths about Atlanta's Train System!

There are several "MYTHS" about "MARTA," Atlanta's  commuter train --MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority). Mark's Homestays are typically located convenient to MARTA train stations and sometimes students fear using the train. As a result,  I would like to challenge a few of these myths based on personal experience.

MARTA TRAIN SYSTEM MAP

 MYTH: #1: IT IS NOT SAFE: MARTA train is a safe way to commute to an from your school, college or university. I used the train everyday for 2.5 years when I worked at Georgia State University and was never once a victim of crime. 

• MARTA has a full-time 24/7 Police
• Statistically you are more likely to be involved in a CAR accident than you are a train accident! http://itsmarta.com/safety-on-marta.aspx

  MYTH: #2: IT IS NOT CONVENIENT: Did you know...

•  MARTA has over 48 miles of train tracks
•  227,300 people ride MARTA daily
• You can go to the "doorstep" of almost ever major tourist attraction in Atlanta? --Georgia Dome, Centennial Park, CNN, Aquarium, etc. 

  MYTH: #3: IT IS ALWAYS LATE: Actually, MARTA is "on-time" according to schedule almost 98% of the time. Trust me, if you drive a car to work or school in Atlanta chances are you will be late one day with Atlanta's awful traffic! After riding the train for 2 years, I know it was rarely delayed or late and when it was it was typically only a few minutes. 

Yes, I know Atlanta could improve it's train system by adding more rail lines (AND IT IS.....), but give MARTA a chance. You may find it's easy, safe, and convenient for you as a student.


Mark's Homestay works hard to place you in convenient locations near the MARTA Train! 

The MARTA Train

Connecting Cultures: A Homestay Connection in East Lake

Yesterday, I placed my first student in the East Lake Community near the East Lake MARTA Station. The student-Ahmad and my host Ms. Laura! Ahmad is from Saudi Arabia and studying at Georgia Tech English Language Institute.

What a joy to see a connection! Moreover, what a joy to place someone in my home community only 2 miles from where I live! East Lake, one of Atlanta's oldest neighborhoods,  is a great community with easy access to MARTA, Downtown Atlanta and Decatur, and all things Atlanta!

Learn more about East Lake Community

Learn more about hosting and student Homestay!

International Students Arriving in Metro-ATL this week!

They are coming!

This past week I welcomed hundreds of new international students at Georgia Tech English Language Institute's new student orientation! (One of its largest classes ever!) It was a joy to tell them about the benefits of Homestay! Many other language schools, colleges, and universities across Metro-Atlanta will do the same this week!



Did you know that in Georgia there are 17,000 international students on student visas? Did you know that 12-14K of these study in Metro-Atlanta Colleges? Which top countries do they come from?

1. China (23%)
2. India (17%)
3. South Korea (14.2%)
4. Taiwan (2.6%)
5. Saudi Arabia (2.2%)

Our international students bring such a rich cultural diversity to their universities and our city! Moreover, they contributed to over $462.9 million in expenditures to our state economy last year?.

What better way to welcome them to the USA and our great city Atlanta than by becoming a Homestay Host!

Become a Cultural Ambassador of the USA!----BE A HOMESTAY HOST! 

Make a difference in the life our our students!

-Mark 

My First Homestay: Granada Nicaragua

#2 My First Homestay in Nicaragua

I can remember my first homestay like it was yesterday. I traveled to Granada, Nicaragua from Costa Rica to study Spanish at a local language school for two weeks.  I hoped to rapidly improve my poor Spanish! Granada is a beautiful colonial-era town with a rich cultural history. I remember walking its stone-cobbled streets, gazing at the colonial-era architecture, and hearing the rhythmic street music sounding from the street market. 

I was happy, excited, and yes a little nervous all at once! I had never been to Nicaragua and yeah, I couldn’t speak Spanish, except for a few basic phrases and words—Donde está el bano?, Como se dice?, aqui, sí, no, etc…

My school offered me a peculiar housing option—a homestay! I nervously accepted the homestay because I wanted many opportunities practice Spanish during the brief time. I was placed with la familia de Maria, a single mom with a large family and simple house located near the beautiful La Merced Catholic Church. Maria and her family welcomed me with open arms, providing me all I needed—a simple furnished room with a fan, basic linens, and delicious Nicaraguan food!

A typical day consisted of breakfast with the family, four hours of Spanish class, a prepared dinner, and evening conversation with the family. Each day, I could hear my Spanish improving and consequently, my self-confidence in the language. My caring family patiently listened as I struggle through basic Spanish while occasional providing me the necessary corrections or choice word when needed! Most evenings, the family would engage me in daily conversation over dinner. I even played a little guitar and sang with the family! It was exactly what I needed! During my free time, I visited dance clubs, museums, street markets, and nearby nature reserves.  I danced salsa, drank some good Nicaraguan beer, ate street food (and got food poisoning once!), climbed a volcano, and yes, even discussed election year politics.  The language school and homestay provided the ideal, friendly environment for me to learn Spanish and Nicaraguan culture.  Was I fluent in Spanish after two weeks? —Of course not! However, my Spanish skills and confidence increased more in two weeks than it had in the previous two weeks staying alone in a Costa Rican hotel! My Nicaraguan homestay experience sparked my love for the homestay. For subsequent trips to Mexico and Nicaragua, I stayed in homestays. I don’t regret my experience! I know you enjoy yours!  

Find a Homestay Today! 

Why Choose a Homestay?

Blog #2:  Why Choose a Homestay?

Why choose a homestay over more traditional living options such as apartments, condos, or dorms? Here are just a few reasons…

One of Mark's Homestays homes and
international students from local university

·       Daily English practice

·       Cultural immersion

·       No deposit required

·       No long-term leases or contracts

·       Convenient to campus

·       No scams

·       Access to numerous activities 

Mark’s Homestay www.markshomestay.com knows international students face many obstacles to finding quality housing from abroad such as:

·       Unfamiliarity with local neighborhoods

·       Higher deposits and rents by landlords

·       Difficult to navigate “apartment finder” websites

·       Online scams

·       Language and cultural barriers

·       Long-term leases only

We have spent spent countless hours locating quality hosts, creating dynamic cultural programming, and designing a sophisticated website matching service to help international students find safe, affordable, and convenient housing with caring American families. 

2 Weeks, 2 months, or 2 years----give it a try today! www.markshomestay.com

What's a Homestay?

#1) What is a homestay?

When I tell most North Americans about my business Mark's Homestay (www.markshomestay.com) the first question I get is “What is a Homestay? The word homestay is unfamiliar to most Americans partly because homestays have traditionally occurred outside the U.S. (In fact, Microsoft Word refuses to acknowledge “homestay” as a correctly spelled word—hmm, darn spell-check “ignore all”). Depending on whom you ask, defining a homestay can be a difficult task.  So let me unravel the basic concept for you and discuss the benefits for its participants—the hosts and students. Maybe you will decide a homestay is for you!

At its core, a homestay is a cultural interchange between an individual or family (called a “host”) and an international student who is completely immersed in the language and culture of a local community through a shared living experience. The host provides the HOME and the student STAYS there for a monthly fee--a Homestay.  Homestay hosts offer more than a furnished room to rent—hosts share their lives by inviting their guest to participate in enriching family activities, local culture traditions, and language immersion. A homestay is the ideal, friendly environment for an international student to experience authentic local culture and develop language skills. A homestay experience offers numerous benefits for both hosts and students. Here are just a few…

Benefits for Host 

·       Engaging Social and Cultural Experience: How often does the world come to your living room? Learn more about other cultures and your own through daily conversation and cultural interchange.  

·       Monthly Income: We offer a generous “compensation rate” to help the host cover all the expenses incurred by hosting. Depending on your location to the student’s college and meal plan choice, hosts can earn anywhere from $550 to $830 dollars a month, even up to $1400 if you host two students. Rates increase for hosting more than one student.

·       Lifelong Friends: Our hosts and students often develop life-long friendships through the homestay experience. Many of our hosts travel to their student’s home country for a homestay!

·       Flexible Hosting Dates/No Contracts: Don’t worry about short or long-term leasing contracts as a homestay host. You choose the dates you are willing to host a student. We do the work of finding you a compatible student.

·       Safety: All international students and visitors must clear a security background check through their local U.S. Embassy (Department of State) in order to obtain a visa! 

Benefits for Student:

·       Improve your English:  How do you improve your English? —with study and practice!  A homestay opens doors to numerous opportunities for English conversation.   Research shows that homestay students often improve their language skills more rapidly than non-homestay students.

·       Cultural Immersion:  Although very friendly and welcoming, many Americans are sometimes are slow to welcome new people into their homes. Consequently, many international students never enter an American home during their studies. Living with a homestay host, you will gain immediate access to a welcoming American family and opportunities to participate in American customs such as holiday celebrations, dinner, family activities, and more.

·       Convenience: Finding an apartment in a large, unfamiliar city is a daunting, stressful experience for many international students. Many free “apartment finder” websites are wrought with scams and difficult to navigate. Mark’s Homestay will find you a home in Metro-Atlanta’s best neighborhoods and close to your school.

·       No Contracts or Leases: Typically, U.S. landlords require international students to sign a minimum 1 year lease and pay a higher deposit equal to 2-3 months advance rent since they have no credit history or Social Security Card (SSN card). This common practice makes it difficult for internationals to locate flexible and affordable short-term housing.  Mark’s Homestay only requires a small application fee and minimum 8-week stay, but you may stay longer if you wish. If your homestay isn’t working out, we will let you switch homestay host after two weeks at no cost.

·       Safety: Although we can’t guarantee your safety, Homestays are typically located in quality neighborhoods with low crime-rates. Moreover, we conduct a rigorous screening of each homestay host, which includes a detailed host application, host interview, home inspection, and national criminal background check. 

Is homestay for you? 
To Host: www.markshomestay.com/host
To Homestay as a Student or Visitor: www.markshomestay.com/apply