COUCHSURFING isn't for everyone as opening one's home to complete strangers has a lot of unknowns but this past weekend I had Maggie Moo, my foster dog, in addition to 2 Chinese men who befriended each other a couple of years ago through Couchsurfing and similar interests. Now they meet up to enjoy new adventures in different state parks, and other tourist interests.
We would be experiencing some now in Little Rock together.
The two travelers might have assumed an Easter weekend of home activities but they had arrived to a Jewess's home celebrating the end of Passover, no Easter egg hunt /church/ family meal. So that was an interesting discussion in itself and also about their spiritual traditions. I had my memorial light on... SO we began with family.
The elder by 11 years is on a J-1 visa teaching Chinese in a New Orleans private Catholic boys school and the younger CS'er works for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
Before arriving, they had stopped to hike one of Petit Jean Mountain's scenic trails. They arrived later than expected as they needed to stop for dinner and get lost taking back roads. Due to the late hour, we didn't have time to visit, but I got them oriented to the house layout- their bedrooms, bath supplies,etc... and promised to visit at breakfast when we all would have a good night's sleep.
The den lights were still when Maggie and I awoke, as the youngest had konked out on the den sofa. He slept through all our breakfast prep noise too.
Breakfast chitchat revealed he had read my profile carefully and felt we had shared numerous experiences and wanted to talk about my travels and hobbies. He enjoys gardening specifically heritage vegetable varieties and sharing cooking with his GF. He shared videos of his participation in Chinese Lion dancing and also performing capoiera, "a physical discipline and movement originating among Brazilian slaves, treated as a martial art and dance form." Fascinating. He was raised in Tennessee.
The teacher CS'er shared his teaching experience and attempts to make his culture and language more interesting to 10th-grade boys who of course, just want to learn cuss words. I have definitely experienced the motivation of learning new words with my students.
The guys had done their homework and knew what they wanted to see in Little Rock. They soaked it all in with interesting discussions of segregation due to Central High, a 2-hour visit with the Diego Rivera exhibit at the architectural Fine Arts Center, and they returned after six after absorbing the Clinton Library.
The teacher had insisted on making a Chinese dinner, and the house still holds the wonderful aroma of our late dinner. It was a great way to break Passover.
We all benefited from being Couchsurfers and MaggieMoo lost some of her shyness during the encounter with new friends in spite of an early evening 2 tornado siren warning! What a holiday weekend...
Karen, I love that you do this! You are so open to the world!
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