Homestay Language in Action (20hrs activities)

Daily classes after breakfast was a very good set-up. I was mentally exhausted, could eat lunch, take a break in my room, then go out and explore the city.

My teacher (and hostess) had a good structure in her teaching programme but responded to my questions and wishes, so there was flexibility within a clear programme.

I lived in my teacher’s house. I had my own room on the same floor as the dining room where I both received teaching and our meals. Her living quarters were on another floor (hurrah for small and narrow Dutch houses!), so I didn’t feel like I was intruding in her private sphere. We could meet in the kitchen. That was great. I felt like I could be all places on my floor, have my privacy, and that she also could have her privacy.

The house was located right on a canal with a view over a bridge, an exhibit from the festival of lights, and more. She had a huge window, so I felt like I was out there but in the warmth from the cold December weather.

The room was simple but had everything I needed: a bed, at table, an armchair with a blanket, shelved, a lay away table, a bar with clean towels, a mirror with a little shelf, hooks for small things, a bar with clothes hangers behind the door, extension cords for all my electronics, a carpet, two wonderful pillows. Everything in a few square meters. I felt good in my little cocoon when I wanted to rest, and I felt at ease to use the dining room table to study during the day. The bathroom was small but it was not a problem for me. It was always warmed up in the morning when I came down.

We didn’t have so many outside activities. The teaching was pretty draining anyway, and I am an adult who loves to traipse around new places on her own. We did go for a longer walk, where my hostess told me about a number of things about the Amsterdam and the area. We looked at architecture and art during the tour, which I enjoyed very much. The whole walk was in Dutch, so I really worked hard but got a wonderful feeling of achievement there in the middle of the week.

My hostess was very social and we talked about a great many things, which was very nice. We did it in English, as my Dutch certainly wasn’t at a level where I thought I would want to chat. We had a visit for one of her good friends and visited him another evening. It was very interesting, as we talked about a number of subjects, where cultural differences were disclosed. It was very nice to meet another Dutch person.

The food was a bit on the lower end of what I am used to but the company of my hostess made up for it.