Host Homes: Host Home Stories
We know that letting a stranger into your home can be daunting so we asked the people who have done it to tell their stories.
Glasgow (UK) and Anjanisain (India) Margaret MacDonald was a host home in Glasgow for Varsha and Lydia. Although slightly unsure about being a host home she agreed to give it a go and had a great experience, halfway through the phase she told us that her initial worries had been replaced by fears about what it would be like when the volunteers had gone. Later last year Margaret flew out to Delhi to stay with Varsha and her family for a couple of weeks. She had a wonderful time, meeting up with some of the other volunteers from the team, and has since met up with other Glasgow host homes to share her experience with them. Margaret admits that she wouldn't have dreamt of travelling so far alone before GX. Margaret emailed us to let us know how the trip had gone:
"I am just back from India and had a fantastic time. I think I have visited all the sights of Delhi and of course the Taj Mahal. I met up with Ansul, Radha and Rajeka. It was good to talk over the GX experience and all the happy memories of the Glasgow phase. Varsha and her family were very kind to me and definitely spoiled me. I must have behaved myself as I have been invited back anytime.
Being a host home was wonderful; I enjoyed having both Lydia and Varsha. They were very different personalities and it was interesting to see how they coped with the difficulties that they faced. My visit to India was the opportunity of a lifetime and I am so glad that I put my fears behind me and went. I am sure that Varsha and I will meet again either in Glasgow or
Delhi."
Host from Preston (UK) and Kathmandu (Nepal) “Well, what can I say about my volunteers!!!!
The whole family has thoroughly enjoyed having our guests stay with us. We have really enjoyed introducing our Nepali guest to various aspects of British culture, and we have been intrigued by her explainations of how things work in Nepal. Both guests were tidy and a real pleasure to have around. My young daughters have both improved their communication skills with Deaf people, and enjoyed their interaction.
We had many great fun moments, teaching our Nepalese guest how to use a washing machine, kettle, dishwasher, toaster etc. and also her teaching us how to do Nepalese dance. We learned a lot about her culture but we also learned a lot about our own culture as we attempted to explain why we did certain things.
I can honestly say that, as far as I am concerned there has not been a single negative thing about having the volunteers living with us. They have enhanced our lives for the past few weeks and we will sorely miss them.
I feel sorry for those people who have missed out on having volunteers staying with them and would say that if they are offered the chance in the future they should certainly take it. If there is ever another exchange in Preston I would be honoured to have volunteers staying with me again. Thank you for the experience.”
Host from Preston (UK) and Kathmandu (Nepal)“Typical smelly boys! I thoroughly enjoyed having my guests with me. The British guest helped out in the home with breakfast, lunches and laundry. The Nepalese boys explained that in their culture the men don’t do the domestic chores – I explained they were in England now! My husband and male lodger are very modern men, sharing in all the cooking and cleaning, the Nepalese boys did not learn from their example! I am a mother hen at heart and so I guess that I didn’t mind doing the chores myself, in fact I preferred to sort out the laundry to ensure that it dried properly. All the boys were very very polite, and tidy, and we enjoyed each others company.
I feel I am a richer person, linguistically and culturally for being a host home. Even my 5 year old grandson felt ‘at home’ with the guests and learned some sign language.
I would definitely recommend to other people to be host homes, and I would definitely do this again. I would like boys again!"
