Wed, Nov 25 2009
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Exchange students wrap up visit Conneaut, Edgewood families shared homes, lives with students By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.comStar Beacon Aya, who had taken piano lessons in Japan, also had the challenge of fitting into a marching band within a week or so of arriving. She was at a disadvantage because she did not have the opportunity to attend band camp, so she had to learn the routines as well as the cymbals in a matter of days before their first football game.
For all of the students, the variety of extracurricular activities offered at their U.S. schools was overwhelming. In their countries, music education is typically provided through private instruction, not in a school setting. And even if there is a varsity sports team, the competition between school teams is limited. The students say that one of the biggest cultural shocks for them was American teenagers’ fascination with body sounds and their blatant, unabashed practice of releasing them in public. “We don’t burp (in public),” Aya said. “Here, the boys and even some girls do. It’s so rude.” Mariana said public nose blowing is frowned upon in Brazil. “You go to the restroom, by yourself to do that,” she says. Aya says the practice of hugging is unknown in her country, even among family members. When she returns to Japan, she will greet her family with a handshake, but she will hug her host family good-bye. Terri Katchur said she wanted to host a student so she could learn about other cultures. Because Aya is shy and had not mastered spoken English, it required a lot of patience and slow conversation to get to know each other. Rachael Merlene had the same experience with Mariana. “We not only learned about her and her culture, it also taught us patience,” she says. “You learned how to break things down and take it step by step.” The students will depart over the next few weeks. When Mariana, 16, gets back to Brazil, she will have to take a test to determine her eligibility for college, where she would like to study psychology. Aya will face five more months of study before she will be ready to graduate from high school. Wawa, the youngest of the students, still has her senior year ahead. All three expressed a desire to return to the United States for their higher education, but their parents will make the final call. As they pack their bags to go home, each student has an American dietary selection they’d like pack. Aya would export chicken wings and taco salad; Mariana would pack lots of macaroni and cheese. And Wawa? “I like everything,” she says with a bashful smile. 
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