Rav honored by homestay experience

I definitely felt honored to live with Chantel and her family at Ocean View for the homestay. I knew right when I met her that she is a light. She is warm, and enlightening, and so understanding about other people’s lives. She knows almost everyone at Ocean View, because she works so hard with the youth and church there. The kids love her, as do all the adults and parents. She is someone I would strive to be, and empathetic person who gives her all to others, without wanting or asking for anything in return.

The homestay reminded me of my own family, and the days I spend at my house. It was exactly the same dynamic. I don’t really know what I was expecting; maybe something that was more “South African”, but what would that be? It sounds absurd to assume that the family would be all donned in South African wardrobe, and giving us traditional foods and music and culture. If Ocean View was supposed to show me a South African lifestyle, then it did show me that there is no real divide between how different South Africans and American families (speaking, middle-lower class and POC) live; at least for me, living in a middle class home with my Indian family.

Another favorite part of that weekend was at the daycare. Many of the boys and girls befriended me, and I fell in love with the children. I thought it was really interesting how the toys were very gendered. I tried to break some of those stereotypes, when I started playing with a young boy’s hair and tying it into a ponytail. The boys and girls started laughing and calling him a girl, and I educated them that not only girls have long hair. I told them that my grandfather has longer hair than me and wears it in a turban. I think it was really important for the kids to meet us, and also very important for me. I love kids, except I can’t fathom having my own. After this experience, I can definitely see myself being a foster mom, or a mother who would like to adopt.