Meet My Host Family!

I finally asked my host family's permission to post their names and pictures on my blog! I know it is long overdue, but meet my host family! From left to right in the picture above is Elise (6 years), Max (20 years), Monika (Mom), Christophe (Dad), Tabea (18 years), and Anais (21 years).

My host mother Monika worked for a time as a laboratory assistant who helped make new pesticides. This is why she now grows a lot of her own food and cans everything for winter. Having been through the same experience, she now helps families witch children who are not expected to live beyond infancy. Monika likes to cook, read, and garden. She was born in German speaking Switzerland and learned French the way I am learning it to speak with Christophe.

Tabea and I both go to St. Michel, so sometimes we take the bus and train together when our classes start or end at the same time. I see her around school a lot and we eat lunch together when we have the same open blocks. I also go to youth group with her on Friday nights and sometimes participate in activities that she does with her friends. Tabea has a great sense of humor and loves to joke around. I was trying to take a good picture of the train station and ended up capturing instead the unique essence of this trash can. We decided to give it it's own photo shoot, which is where this photo of her came from. Tabea loves traveling, listening to Christian music, being with friends, helping with children, and scrap-booking. She went to Germany on exchange with YFU, which was initially why her family decided to take on an exchange student.

This is actually a very precious photo of my host dad, because if he knows that you are taking a picture of him, he will grimace to ruin the photo. I was sneaky... Christophe owns a computer/technology store in a nearby town. He loves to fix things, and he often fixes and sells broken machinery that he finds. He loves to joke around, and has a knack for seeing the ridiculous side of things. He objects to everything, but is really kind and open minded with a big heart.

Elise loves Hello Kitty and the color pink. She likes going to school and is currently learning how to read. We are learning how to count in French together. She helps me learn how to do and say the right thing as she is learning how to do that too. Elise loves giving hugs, kisses, and little gifts. Sometimes I let her listen to my music and we dance around the room together. She is very sweet, and I am enjoying the adventure of having a little sister!

I do not have any great photos of Max and Anais yet, but that does not mean I can't write about them!
Anais and I share the same room, but she is usually in Bern with a host family as she goes to college there and studies Latin and Greek. When she is not going to classes, she loves to hike in the mountains and go mountain climbing with her friends. Anais is very intelligent and kind with a cool, quiet disposition, and good sense of humor.
Max goes to a different high school than Tabea and me, but it is in the same city of Fribourg so sometimes we take the train and bus together. He loves to ride his skateboard and hang out with friends. Max also goes to youth group on Friday nights and knows just about everyone. He is a little bit messy, and does everything at the last second, but is very kind and well loved by everyone in the family!