#host father

[e-4mafia]

I love stacking firewood. It's like putting together an imperfect, aromatic puzzle. You can't just throw it haphazardly and expect it to stay standing and orderly. When you throw it around like that, Host Father, it falls and breaks windows.

[shibbi]

It's so hard sometimes

trying to force myself into this family. I feel alright with my host mom and sister, but I can't communicate with my brother and my host father just makes me feel like crap all the time. During dinner today he kept bashing America, saying how everything is bigger and how we are so wasteful. He said we think we need big cars but we don't. I was so torn with whether I should agree with him, because he was a little right, or defend my country. I was on the verge of tears, I don't know how much more of this I can take from him. How do you tell someone they are making you feel like shit and the reason you hide in your room is because you are trying to avoid talking to them?

[shibbi]

Sometimes I just want to punch him in the face.

My host father keeps saying I'm always on my computer. I tried to tell him that I'm not, he only sees me when I am. I mean, yeah, I spend a lot of time on my computer, but he only ever sees me usually in the evenings, which is when I'm on my laptop. Most of the time I'm actually really busy, especially during the weekends. But he doesn't see me then because I'm gone, being too busy to be on my laptop.

I tried to explain it but he said he didn't believe me and laughed like he was superior. Ok old man, you try to code a website and maneuver around the internet effortlessly. I'd like to see you try. You probably can't even send an e-mail without getting flustered.

I told him that in America I was barely ever on the computer because I was busy with all of my clubs and stuff, but here they don't have them. I mean come on, what am I supposed to do? I have to bike 30 minutes to get to the nearest town and once I'm there, everything costs so much money. You even have to pay for the bathroom. Not to mention, I have no clue what to do because It this isn't my country. I have no clue, and it's not like they help me find things I want to do. They just expect me to know or complain that I don't work on the farm or play a sport. Sorry I am not just like you guys, but you got stuck with the dramatic, technologically inclined girl who couldn't care less about sports or farming. 

Sorry for always sounding negative about my exchange. I just put the stuff I don't want my host families or friends really to see on this blog and the rest goes on my travel blog: crazyawesomefuntimes.tumblr.com 

[shibbi]

And now he tried to tell me Americans are fat because we don't have gym class.

I tried to explain that I had gym more in America than I do here but he said it was because everyone here is in a sport.

Not only is that not true (because the majority of my friends here are not in a sport),but it's stupid. I could say pretty much everyone in my school in America was in a sport too, because most of them were, but that doesn't matter. People shouldn't make absolute statements because there are always exceptions.

I explained that I played soccer when I was younger, softball for 11 years, swimming for six and field hockey for two. He asked why I stopped. I told him I just didn't like it. He looked at me like I was crazy. I said I really didn't have time anyway and he laughed, asking me what else I could possibly be doing other than sports.

I listed off all of the other clubs and groups I was in, Drama Club, Student Council, countless organization/decorating committees and volunteer opportunities, ABY, ABGirls , etc... and said: "That kind of makes all the kids in only one sport look like pansies, doesn't it?" And laughed. He didn't look very pleased, but I think I got the point across.

The score currently stands:

Shelby=1 Johannes=2

I'm catching up to you old man, you're not going to make me feel inferior again, that's for sure.

[shibbi]

I hate it when my host father laughs when I don't understand Dutch or Friesian.

Or when he acts like he is so much better than me because he can speak Dutch, Friesian, and English.

I mean, ok, good for him that he can speak three languages, really. But how long did that take him? And his English is barely good enough for me to understand him. I've had three months to learn Dutch AND Friesian, both of which I had never heard until I arrived in the country. Does he really expect me to be fluent?

I'm sorry I don't know every little thing in Dutch and Friesian yet, I must be a real idiot, right? I mean, of course he's better than me, a 50 year old Friesian farmer who has probably never left the country and hates homosexuals. Who am I to doubt him, right? I just dropped everything I knew to move to a foreign country that I knew very little about and had no one I knew for a year. But yeah, he's so much better than me because he can speak two and a half languages.

Don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy, and I love my family here, but he just rubs me the wrong way. Don't ever insult my intelligence, because that is one of the few things I take pride in.

[e-4mafia]

Dear host father,

I dress like a man because I am a man. And no, it doesn't bother me when people see that. Yeah, it's "weird." Sure. Stop "feeling bad," stop trying to say that I'm feminine to make me feel "better," fucking stop. Quit trying to make me dress like a woman, quit trying to make me fit into your arbitrary box.

Fuck you.

[e-4mafia]

I don't know how I'm going to live with this asshole for nine more months. Really, dude. Knock off the fuckery.