Things I learned from my Exchange Student
Things I learned from my Exchange Student
I have been fortunate this year to have the honor of hosting an exchange student from Hungary through the Rotary. She is living with us for 4 months and my son David is living in Brazil.
Agota moved in with us in mid-November and instantly became a part of our family. She is intelligent, enthusiastic and has studied English since she was a small child. She is currently attending high school in Calgary as part of her exchange.
So what is my point? I am learning to see Calgary through her eyes. She comments on how easy it is to get around Calgary by transit. She takes the train to school each day. She marvels at how friendly people are, how willing they are to chat with her.
As she goes with me about my daily life she cannot believe how Calgary is like a small town. Everywhere we go we run into someone we know. They are interested in what she is doing here and how her experience has been.
We discussed my work in the non-profit sector. It turns out that she could not find a word to mean volunteer in her language. She comments that in Calgary “we all seem to care about each other”. I asked her what she meant. Her perspective is that we try to help those less fortunate than ourselves, especially at this time of year. She wrapped gifts for the SVP Christmas Hamper, helped me buy a freezer for a friend in need and attended several holiday get-togethers. These are things that we do not even think about, but she was amazed. I asked her what happened in her country and her reply was that they expected the government to look after others. It was not their responsibility.
So what have I learned? Even though we get frustrated with the slow but steady movement on solving homelessness, feel that others don’t really care, feel that our winters are too cold, Calgary is composed of really good people making a difference, helping others reach their potential, safe and friendly. I have learned to appreciate connections we make even when it is really cold and wintery. I appreciate the young woman at Second Cup who always remembers my order. These things make Calgary special.
Happy Holidays!