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Thursday
Oct012009
Now it's our turn
Remember how Maddy went to China last spring?
Well, this week we have the treat of hosting a 12-year-old Chinese student, Yexin.
Like Maddy, she is lovely and curious and bright and a bit shy.She can't find very much to eat in this new culture. Well, except bread. Yes, like Maddy.
She has one older sister and a younger brother. Maddy, too.
Her English is pretty good (much better than our Chinese, that's for sure) and we're able to make halted conversation, mostly overly gestured and animated questions (me) and short stoic answers (her) about her family and life. She likes bananas, bread, noodles, badminton.
Like Maddy was, she's a little teary about being so far from home.
Yesterday morning when I knocked softly and went in to wake her up, I found her tucked in bed, knees pulled up, with a damp tissue in her hand. She looked at me and smiled weakly.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yes. Okay."
"Maddy was sad in China, too. It's hard to be far." (With ridiculous gesturing. I can't help myself)
"Yes."
As her American mom, I really want to sweep her up in my arms and dry her tears. Or make her laugh about some silly thing and forget about her sadness. But we don't share a similar language of affection or the nuances of humor. And her shy stiffness in receiving my clumsy hugs tells me she isn't like Maddy in these ways.
But she will be fine. And we might get a laugh out of her yet. You should have seen me last night trying to ask/mime whether she rubbed the shoe of the statue of John Harvard for good luck when she visited Harvard. There's no pretty way to do that.
We will be apple picking and corn mazing and pizza eating and fall leaf gazing and trying to show our best selves until she leaves on Monday. After that, I can't promise anything.
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Elsewhere, I'm posting at Segullah today about another scene in that bedroom with a weepy 12-year-old (some of you might recognize it). Come visit.
Thursday, October 1, 2009 | 7 Comments 
Reader Comments (7)
Good luck with the Chinese student! It must be so hard for her but she couldn't be staying with a lovelier family. Brings back memories for me of a french exchange years ago!
Congratulations to Lauren on passing her driving test.
Lindsay
x
Oh I want to take her in my arms as well, must be the mother in us all. And I'd love to see a video of your acting out rubbing the shoe of John Harvard, too funny. I love your posts.
Oh, the mama in me just wants to reach through this computer and give her a hug! Can you imagine being so brave at age 12? I can't imagine being so brave at age 35. You'll take good care of her. Can't imagine a better place for her to be.
WOW! What brave girls you have. Both of them.
We hosted a student from Japan one summer years ago. She was so sweet and soft spoken and terribly homesick. My boys were much younger than her and they were such terrors. They made her cry. Poor dear girl. I wonder if she ever recovered.
Good luck. What a cool experience for all of you.
You're a good mom-crazy gestures and all!
This is so cool, Annie! What a lucky girl she is to come to your warm, happy home.
(I have some questions for you about teenage girls. I will email soon...)