Archived Articles: Travel

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA by LAURENCE AVAKIAN

Well, each year, hundreds of foreign students (most of whom are Europeans) go to the U.S. for three or four weeks and are hosted by families to experience the American lifestyle. After the first few days, what gets their attention is the food. So many cereals, sodas and chips all retailed in huge boxes or bags and coming in all kinds of flavors. Then there is the size of the houses or how fluffy the carpet is and how nice and green the front yards are. Not to forget the fridge which appalls them by its content which is mainly made of bottles of sauces, dressings and sprays and other outstanding jars all colorful and alien-taste like. They also seem to appreciate the fact that stores stay open at night and on Sundays, which makes people's life easier according to them.

The other thing that strikes their minds is the number of drive-ins which leads to mention the outrageous time Americans spend in their cars. Now, going to church with their host family is definitely an experience they like giving an account of, and they soon notice the tightly knit community around it which they say is typical of America. They also seem surprised to notice that tithing to a church was common.

Out of all things, what surprises them the most is how there are many things they are allowed to do in their respective countries that are outlawed in the U.S. and they tend to think it is encroaching on people's freedom. But they eventually adjust to it and truly enjoy the home-stay program.

So when they get back to school, they like bragging about having been to the U.S. because it is the coolest thing to do in front of their classmates. I, as a senior ESL teacher, have been spending each of my summers as a tour escort and it keeps being a true adventure no matter where I stay.

Laurence Avakian Paris, France