【Host Family of Exchange Student from France, Wong’s family】In 2025, our family welcomed an exchange student, Clara, from France.
Hosting an exchange student has been a refreshing, challenging, and joyful experience for us. At first, it felt like having an extra person in the house was as simple as adding another pair of chopsticks at dinner. However, we soon realized that due to our different cultures and lifestyles, it takes time to adapt, learn, and accept one another.
I still remember the first meal we took Clara to a Chinese restaurant where we ordered sweet and sour pork. It quickly became her favorite dish; she nearly emptied half the plate into her bowl! We all stayed quiet, and our two daughters hurriedly finished the remaining sweet and sour pork on the plate.
In navigating the cultural differences that led to some friction, we found that effective communication was key. As long as we shared our culture and customs with her, she was able to understand and accept them. Now, she has learned to share too, especially her favorite sweet and sour pork! Through this experience, our family has learned many life lessons together, and both adults and children have grown so much.
Ten months was just the right amount of time. Clara explored many places in Hong Kong, enjoyed a variety of local delicacies, and made some great friends here. The highlight was our trip to Vietnam, which created unforgettable memories. After ten months, Clara has become a good friend and part of our family. We have even promised to meet again next year!
Become a Host Family
AFSHK is currently seeking voluntary host families for incoming overseas exchange students. This is a unique opportunity to open your home, share your culture, and build lifelong global connections.
Whether you can host an overseas exchange student for 10 months or you can host a student for 3 or 5 months in the short term, we sincerely invite you to fill in your information. For more details, please contact us at (+852) 28020383 for inquiries.