Visiting My Host Family

 

When I first arrived to Chicago on January, 8, 2013 I was delivered to a host family’s house to spend my first night in the “US” there. I can honestly say that spending my first night with the “Meyers” played a very important role in my adaption process with the American society especially that they were a highly educated and knowledgeable people.

So, last Saturday they invited me over for dinner to see how was I doing after my first semester at IIT, and they asked me to bring a Syrian friend with me so we can introduce them and their neighbors to the rich culture of Syria. I can describe this event as a multicultural dinner which included 2 Syrians “including me”, 2 Belarusian ladies, 1 Ukrainian, 1 lady from Thailand, and of course 2 Americans who were the Meyers.

It was a very interesting evening which allowed us to talk about our beloved Syria and to share our experiences as Syrian students in the US, and we had the chance to talk about our activities as the “Syrian Club” at Illinois Institute of Technology. Also, this evening allowed us to learn about other cultures and countries, and to discover the similarities among these various cultures like the languages, traditions, and many other aspects. It was also interesting to discuss the differences between the countries and to figure out ways to expand the knowledge of others’ traditions and beliefs.

At the end, having people like the “Meyers” whom I consider as my second family is always a great way to feel secure knowing that even if you are far away from your home and family you will always have people who treat you like your family and make you feel like home.