Now back in Australia, i am finding more students from China in the streets walking, talking, in shops working as sales assistants, in colleges and universities and we are desperately short of good quality homestays for them! These students have left their homes for the first time and Australia is definitely a foreign experience. Some of them will be very homesick for the first 3 weeks till they find their own friends to hang out with. Homesickness is a phenomenon akin to 'love sickness' - there is a low feeling, rather similar to depression, longing for familiar things such as food and bed and of course, family or friends left back home. Students suffering from homesickness may weep daily, and do not express any wish to engage with people. Of course this sort of "anti social" behaviour may upset the host family members as they too may be very inexperienced in handling such a state. Most of the homestay Australian families may have been totally new to taking in students from China. Successful homestays usually mean that the students and the host family are happy and well adjusted to each other. Such successes depend on how much knowledge we have regarding the cultures of each other and an understanding of such thngs as homesickness. A good well adjusted homestay for both parties is something to strive for and requires hard work on all fronts.
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