Exchange Student Finds “Home”

I magine leaving the larg- est city in the world and journeying halfway around the globe to live in a rural town of 1,200. That's precisely what Chao Lei Dai experienced when she left Shanghai, China (pop. 23 million), to spend the school year as a foreign exchange student in Waitsburg. I was delighted to spend some time talking with the charming Chao Lei, who uses Cherry as her American moniker, about life in our country.

The desire to experience the American lifestyle goes back a generation to Cher- ry's father who, as a college student, had the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of visiting the U.S. Sadly, his family was unable to cover the expense of the trip. When it became possible for Cherry to participate in an exchange program, he was thrilled to make the trip a reality for her.

Cherry says her mother is also supportive but, "She worries, like most moms do, when their child is so far away."

Still, the process was not without a few bugs. Cherry had nearly given up hope on coming and had already started school in Shanghai last September before receiving last-minute notice that a host family had been found. She quickly bought tickets and was on her way.

Cherry's American host family, Mickey and Tawnya Richards, are a far cry from her family in China. There, she is an only child whose only pet is a fish. Here, she has two younger "siblings", Katelynn and Kyle, and a bevy of animals including rabbits, a donkey, a horse, dogs and a camel. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the bustle, Cherry says she loves her family and enjoys always having some- one to talk to or go play basketball with. She recently enjoyed her first horse ride.

When asked to describe a typical meal back home, she says her mother would served rice, soup and cooked vegetables. She admits that she was somewhat con- cerned about American cui- sine, envisioning plates of unhealthy fried foods. In- stead, she says she enjoys a wide variety of meals. The biggest difference she notes is that we use a great deal of cheese and that vegetables are typically raw, in salad form, rather than cooked.

Regarding school, Cherry relayed that she will need to re-take her Junior year once she gets home.

She loves many different styles of music and is inter- ested in becoming a radio DJ, with hopes to attend a college in Shanghai where she can live at home or on campus not far away.

In Waitsburg, she has participated in basketball, Knowledge Bowl and band, where she's learning to play the clarinet. When asked about her experience in basketball Cherry stated, "There was a lot to learn!"

Her school has a small boys' team, but they don't have two hour practices like we do here because there just isn't time. The school, which is not one of the most stringent in the area, is in session from 7:30 to 4:30, with homework assigned each day.

"People here are friends with people of all ages. At home, you only know the people in your own class," said Cherry, when asked the biggest difference between our school and hers at home. In Shanghai, each grade is divided into 12 classes, with 20-30 people in each class. Her class spends the entire day in one classroom with one teacher, so there is little opportunity to interact outside the class.

When asked what she gained most from the ex- change experience, Cherry shared, "I've grown a lot in learning how to make decisions and decide what's best for myself. I've become much more independent."

And just what does she have to say about being transplanted from a bustling metropolis to a quiet farm- ing community? "I really like it. In Shanghai there are so many people and every- one is very busy and just kind of minds their own business. Here, if you walk down the street, you always meet someone you know and can say 'hi' to. It's like a community . . . a home."

We couldn't agree more, Cherry.