Beautiful Memories between the Australian Student- Lucas and I
I am Kyle from G11-1. I was honored to host Lucas from Round Square school Radford College at a beautiful weekend.

From the moment we signed up to become a home stay family, we spent a great deal of time brainstorming various activity ideas. I even emailed Lucas as soon as we received his personal information, asking about his likes and interests, to ensure we could do our best to make this hosting experience exceptional.


Learning that Lucas had mild asthma, also with Beijing's current high season for willow catkins, I brought a mask for him. The mask had stickers on it, which my sister had put on, so our first met with Lucas began with an easy high-five and a small mask. The entire hosting process was much easier than I thought. Lucas was incredibly easygoing. Despite his strong appearance, he had a remarkably delicate heart. Upon arriving at my home, he prepared many gifts for us. After dinner, he would voluntarily help with the dishes. When I couldn't beat him in the Mario Kart which is a switch game, he would willingly teach me some techniques. Before going to bed, he would even write in his diary. This child, who grew up in Australia, was keenly aware of the details that mattered to us Chinese, showing his thoughtfulness and gentleness. This deeply touched and delighted my family and me.

We visited one of Tongzhou's Landmark and bought Lucas's favorite duck tongues. The next day morning My father took him to enjoy a classic Beijing breakfast. Then we made some traditional crafts together as gifts for him and his family and friends, symbolizing our heartfelt wishes. He said he like hang out and experience Chinese culture randomly, so we get a city walk from Gui Jie to the Lama Temple, enjoying snacks and buying various Beijing specialties. Along the way, we talked about our future plan , discussed cultural gap, and even shared stories about our respective families. This time we spent together was truly meaningful. When there were no seats available at the restaurant, we simply packed our food and sat on the roadside to eat, everything felt so casual and joyful. Although neither Lucas nor his family had a religious belief, when we visited the Lama Temple, he still respectfully bowing repeatedly. In the evening, we had hotpot, enjoying the breeze as we ran across the lawn, watching the sunset sink into the Grand Canal, strolling along the riverbank with the floating willow branches. At that moment, it felt like we had truly become family.

In the end, is literally hard to say goodbye with Lucas. I'm not someone who is good at expressing emotions, but when I realized we have to say goodbye, I felt a sense of down, almost on the verge of tears. Our goodbye is also ending with a high-five. I wished we could have spent a few more days together. However, as the Chinese saying goes, "People have sorrows and joys, partings and reunions; the moon has its phases of darkness and brightness, fullness and emptiness. Such is life, where nothing can be perfect. I only hope for enduring companionship, even if we are thousands of miles apart, just like the ever-changing moonlight." So this is ending while is a starting, what can I just say is go and enjoying your time in Beijing it is really an amazing city, and we will welcome you at anytime!

