There's a stranger in my house

Not my house, my parents house.

For the second time, my parents are hosting an exchange student for a year. This may seem like an odd thing to do but if you're thinking it is you have never met my parents. Both are extremely nice and polite and honestly, they make me think that most American children could stand to learn a thing or two from them. They are also both from Germany, which I'm bringing up because I want to make a sound of music joke.



Polite but not an accurate representation of the exchange students, they don't sing as much

For those of you not familiar with how exchanging a student works let me explain it to you because it's nothing like "Bon Voyage Charlie Brown.




Nothing like this. The first exchange student never let our dog drive

First off the "exchange" notion is kind of a little misleading, since you are in fact not exchanging anything, there is just a student coming to live with you. I think it would make more sense to call it studying abroad since that's really what it is.

Secondly, from what I understand about the way it works, none of the classes count towards your education in you home country. Which means that you get the experience to traveling and learning something just for the joy of learning, and not because you need it to graduate. Which is fine I suppose since you just take placement exams to see what level of classes you are in the following year.

Thirdly, you travel alone. I assume the receiving school, could take more then one exchange student, but in the case of both of the exchange students they have not. So I can imagine it's pretty scary for them being aways from their family for such a long time. Hell, I use to cry when my parents tried to send me away for the weekend to my Aunts house in Freehold and that's only an hour away.



I can't be with these people I only see them during the holidays

No, I know these children have come here to learn about America, but they have actually taught me a lot, and one of them has only been here a day.

As I said above they are very polite, and I have to say I find myself being polite around them. It's nice because it's not something you think to do every day because lets face it, it's easier to think everyone is some rednecked hick that doesn't know that talking while you have a big wad of chew in you mouth is gross.

Above: How I picture most everyone

They also think before they speak, this is because they are not 100% comfortable with the language I'm sure, but also because they don't want to offend. This is not the case here and a perfect example is my last statement about rednecks.

And the last thing I have learned is that American schools are awful. The first exchange student that my parents hosted was light years ahead of the other students in her grade here, and I can only assume that the same will be true for their current student. I think it's because other countries understand that education is a necessity and not a privilege, and also I don't think the lower half of the countries are populated by hillbillies.

How I picture most of the south

Anyway I welcome the new exchange student to my parents home, and hope she has a wonderful time seeing the country, but not this part.

Seriously why am I hating on rednecks today

Birthday

I'm getting older. This year I'll be 29, and outwardly I appear to be an adult. This is of course an outward appearance only, mentally I still feel like I haven't grown up past a 10yr old.

Dude just farted, awesome

The reason I feel so young may have something to do with the way I look at things. For example, after about 12 I've started to look at my life in terms of a JRPG (for those of you who don't know the lingo). Every year I level up at my birthday.

Congratulations, you have gained a level in business analysis 

This helps me keep the fun in my day, because I look at everything like a level grind, and the battles are my day to day interactions with people. I actually wanted to experiment with using a skill based system that would dictate how I am going to react to people, and I may still do this for the next two weeks, just for fun.

What do you mean you don't agree with me? My diplomacy bonus goes to 11!

The other thing that I like about this view on they way my life plays out is that JRPGs always have happy endings. The hero is always overcoming the trials that are presented to him, which is a mirror to the shit that's been going on in my life, that's been giving me a desire to punch a baby. I'll get over it because that's what happens when you level up, you get a new quest and you get new skills, and you get new gear (again for you non lingo people, quests=things to strive for, skills=well skills, and gear=cool stuff like gadgets).

Anyway what I'm trying to say is, the key to getting out of this (life) alive is to amuse yourself and try to keep a positive outlook, because like a JRPG things will work out they way.

Unusually uplifting post right...find out why next Firday, or maybe Monday.