A Thanksgiving Day 'Thank You' to our Homestay Hosts!

A Thanksgiving Message from Mark's Homestay.

We are thankful for all the wonderful Mark's Homestay host families that continue to share their homes with students from all over the globe! You do more than open a door to your home--you open up your hearts and lives. While you and your students enjoy your holiday feast this year, take this opportunity to share stories about cultural traditions around the table.

ELS-Atlanta students enjoying a T-Day feast on the campus of SPSU in Marietta

Although Thanksgiving is uniquely North American, did you know that several countries have their own version of the holiday. For example...

• Japan celebrates "Labor Thanksgiving Day" on November 23, a holiday that was adapted after World War II. The holiday's purpose is to commemorate labor and production, as well as to give thanks. 
• Germany, "The Harvest Thanksgiving Festival" includes large harvest dinners and parades, much like its American counterpart

In an article by Audrie Palmer, foreign exchange student from Norway Sara Haaland expresses why she is so excited to experience Thanksgiving dinner with her host family.

"It's a big part of American tradition and culture." she said. "Getting to be here and seeing the traditions is a lot of the reason I wanted to experience what I saw in the movies," Haaland said. "Allowing me to get to experience it, means a lot to me. It does."

We thank you again for hosting!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,
Mark's Homestay

Share the joy of hosting: Refer a Friend!

A Unique Culture Connection Between Countries & Generations: Homestay!

My name is Gillian and I'm 30 years old.  I host students frequently for Mark's Homestay LLC, a company that places international students with local American families for cultural exchange. A "homestay" is where an international visitor or student lives with a local family in order to learn English and experience American culture. 

What is a homestay?

Typically, most of the students looking for homestays are in their early 20s.  However, I recently hosted two students a bit different from the norm--a retired married-couple in their 50s from Columbia, Harold and Cece. Below is my true life story about how a much younger "host mother" made a cultural connection between a different culture and yes, a different generation through the homestay experience. The result---a new international friendship and a lifetime of memories. Let me tell you about my experience...

Closing the Gap Between Cultures & Generations

I was excited to meet Harold and Cece and hoped we would get along great. Of course, I was nervous they would not receive me well since I was a much younger "Host Mother." However, as soon as they arrived, it was like welcoming home a long lost aunt and uncle.  They were so polite and friendly as we shared stories about our families--I told them about my parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, and they told me about their children and grandchildren.  They even have a daughter with a very similar name to mine who is the same age as me--I think this fact kind of instantly bonded us.  At first, their English was pretty limited--but they studied more than I’ve ever seen students study! By the end of their trip, we told stories back and forth with ease, and I was really proud of their progress.  Even though I was young enough to be their kid, I felt parental pride for their progress--after all, I’m still used to being kind of a “host mom.”  Everyday I supported and applauded their efforts and their consistent progress, and I was glad to help them along the way.

Learn more about the benefits of hosting

I have three especially fond memories with Harold and Cece.  The first is the day we took them to my family’s farm in Marietta.  Here, surrounded by flowers and apple trees, Harold told us that he felt transported back in time to his grandfather’s farm, and that it made him feel like a small boy again.  We could really feel that this brought back some beautiful memories for him, and we loved witnessing his child-like joy.  

The second best memory is of the last dinner we had with Harold and Cece.  A large party of friends and family went to a Mexican restaurant, and Roberto sat at one end of the large table with my father at the other end, and it was two hours filled with the sharing of stories and food.

The fondest memory I have is of when Harold and Cece said goodbye to me and my father, and they told us how much it meant to them that we opened our lives and homes.  We felt that hadn’t done anything extravagant, but as Harold brushed away tears from his eyes, we felt humbled that the homestay experience meant so much to them. Wonderful friendships really can form in even just a month. It couldn’t have been a better experience of cultural exchange, and was truly a homestay experience that was uniquely special.

I hope you will consider this unique experience by being a host family too. 

Apply to be a homestay host at Mark's Homestay!

My first burrito in the USA!

"Ahmed just had his first burrito ever!...and I think he liked it!"

I smiled as I heard this news from my homestay host about her international student's first experience with the great "American burrito!" Apparently, burritos are not as popular in Saudi Arabia! Seems silly--but this is what the homestay cultural experience is all about! Experiencing new things and another culture.

www.markshomestay.com/host

Are those over-sized mammoth tortillas from the likes of Moes or Chipotle another great "American invention"--I doubt it--especially since the burrito is Mexican in origin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrito! However, the experience for this Saudi student was indeed an American one! (Perhaps it's also a testament to the diversity of USA culture?)

Want to open doors to new experiences like this for international college students? Host an international college student.

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