Aspect family get together

One of the requirements for being a host family through the Aspect Foundation is a monthly get together with other Aspect families in the area. The Polack and I hosted the first one. During the get together we had a formal meeting with our International Coordinators - the parents met with one coordinator and the students met with another one. After the meetings, we had dinner and hung out for awhile.
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The four Aspect students in our area are girls - Mia from Norway, two are from Germany, and one is from Thailand. Two of the girls live with the same family and between the four, they go to three different high schools. I think the girls enjoyed getting know each other and talking about their different experiences. One student came from a city of 28M and is now living out in the country. Another is from Berlin and now lives on a farm. Some have experienced culture shock, for sure.
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I think Mia has had the easiest transition. Her home town is about the same size as Lafayette. And her Norwegian high school is about the same size as the high school she's attending. She's visited the US several times so there hasn't been anything that's really surprised her.
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During the get together, we all had to introduce ourselves and talk about something we learned as a result of being part of the exchange program. I said that I learned that the cheese slicer was invented in Norway. The Polack said he learned that sparkling water is much more prevalent in Norway. (Poor Mia - it's been hard for her find sparkling water anywhere. We bought some to keep at our house but she's out of luck at most restaurants we go to.) Mia said she learned how to make macaroni and cheese. (I think the powdered cheese made her a bit nervous at first but she must have liked the dish since she made it for herself for lunch one day.)
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It seems like everyone is well matched for their families and there haven't been any major issues to be concerned about. A few people had questions on how to handle money. According to Aspect, families are responsible for providing their students with a bed, a place to study, and all meals eaten at home. Everything else is supposed to be up to the student, including buying lunch as school, travel expenses for vacations, restaurant meals, toiletries, etc. Personally, I would feel a little strange asking Mia to pay for her own meal when we go out to eat. So we cover this for her as well as her cell phone since it's an extra one we happen to have. But she does pay for her own school lunch.

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After the get together, Mia and I were talking about the questions we were asked and how we answered them. We both feel fortunate for our placement. Mia fits right into our family and we treat her like a family member. She really appreciates that and commented that she feels really lucky to be with us. We haven't had any problems communicating or sharing our concerns with the arrangement. In fact, we really haven't had any concerns. Everything up to this point has been really easy and comfortable. We both wonder what sort of conflicts could arise in the next 9 months. We're trying to be practical in understanding that this wonderful honeymoon won't last. But regardless of what happens, I think we've established a good basis for working through anything that might arise. Hopefully I won't look back at this post someday and snicker at my naivete!

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Mia seems to be doing really well in school. The school has an online grading program that allows parents to access their students real time grades. So essentially we can check up on them to see how they're doing and whether they're missing assignments or struggling in a class. This all seems a little Big Brotherish to me but I'm sure there will be a time when I appreciate this tool. The Polack has checked Mia's grades once and so far she's getting A's in all her classes. She did drop her French class because she found out the high school offers Fashion. She's excited about being able to make her own clothes although she's a bit bummed that she won't be making a dress until next semester.

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I've been trying to update Mia's mom on everything that's happening. Mia has talked to her once since arriving (she called Vibeke on her birthday). I think she likes to hear from us and see the photos I've posted on Facebook. She commented that Mia seems so happy. So far Mia hasn't been homesick - she's been too busy! - but I do think she recognizes how much her family misses her. She's off on this grand adventure while they are all in Norway, experiencing their regular day-to-day activities. Mia is very special and I certainly appreciate that they're sharing her with us for the year. (Thank you, Vibeke!)