As a plane from Bangkok touched down in the United States, a small group of students stepped out into the cool California air, greeted by the likes of San Francisco International Airport. These five students, consisting of four tenth graders and one ninth grader, stepped into the United States for more than just a vacation; after all, many of them had already been to the country, once if not multiple times. But this time they sought to immerse themselves in a different kind of cultural experience, where they would live the life of an American high school student in Fremont, California.
Waiting for them beyond customs was their host family: each consisting of a student in the same grade as them. The role of the host family was to help the students acclimate to their new environment and classes, acting as a bridge between two worlds. Niyam Chatwani, a tenth-grade student from BIFU, volunteered to be among the group of hosting families. He wanted to be a part of the program to open his mind to different cultural perspectives. He immediately noticed a difference in the way Prann Kantanantha (10), the student he was hosting, acted compared to American kids.
“The difference I see in a lot of American kids versus the international students is definitely how respectful they are,” said Niyam. “When he first came to our home, he'd ask what the cultural norms were for our household, and he was very kind about accommodating to our lifestyle.”
Differences were immediately revealed, proving the purpose behind the program. Immediately after the students arrived, they were whisked away into a series of activities. From the beach to the renowned Golden Gate Bridge to local colleges, the students got a taste of the Bay Area and its culture. They cycled around Golden Gate Park, appreciating the scenic views; later stopped by Berkeley, where they sat in on a physics lecture; and all the while tried different restaurants everywhere they went. Niyam recalls how Prann enjoyed one dinner restaurant. “It was a lot of food that he hadn't tried before,” said Niyam.
Not just American culture, but they got to experience the unique cultural traditions that came as a result of the family they stayed in. The week they arrived was the week of Diwali, and throughout the week, they participated in Indian cultural traditions through a series of Diwali parties. Prann noticed a unique feature of the Bay Area and Fremont, a city that is made up of approximately 62.4 percent of people of Asian descent, that was different from what they had anticipated.
“They eat a lot of Indian cultural food,” said Prann. “They're not quite that assimilated, so we don't really see much of the burgers or much of the pizzas.”
After a couple of days of exploring the area, the students finally stepped into the classroom, officially becoming part of the BIFU community. BASIS schools around the world generally follow the same curriculum, making it an easy transition academically as the students continued in the same classes they took back home. But they noticed that the atmosphere was different. The school itself felt a bit more relaxed, being a little less serious and having slightly less homework, with a lot more extracurricular activities available to choose from (not including sports).
“I feel like the teachers here are very good in conveying the academic resources and are more engaged with the students,” said Prann.
They discovered that the school here included uniquely American traditions that they had never seen before, such as school dances and pep rallies, all of which they were open to experiencing.
It wasn’t easy to fit in at first. TianTian (10) developed a close relationship with her host family, finding comfort in their daily interactions.
“Family-wise, there's not that much difference from home. We talk a lot, and we mostly talk in cars on the way back from home. That's when I yap everything to my mom, and now kind of to Ms. Nagpal,” said TianTian.
But she still found it difficult to incorporate herself into the school. The existing friend groups, the different school culture, combined with the mixing of people between classes made it a struggle at the beginning.
“To be very honest, I feel quite invisible here,” said TianTian. “Here, it's more like an individual level: you focus on yourself more. I think if I were to stay here for like a year, I would make friends, but first impression, not much people talk.”
Over the course of the weeks, she slowly began interacting with more people, as she actively sought out opportunities to connect. It wasn’t until the end of her stay here that TianTian felt like she found her friend group, making it a bittersweet departure, as she couldn't help but lament the possibilities if she had just stayed a little longer.
Yet despite all the differences on the surface, TianTian found that students here shared so much with those back home. The shared values that developed simultaneously across the world were evident. The desire to make change in their community unites students around the world. In a discussion about school events at BIFU, TianTian shared that back in Thailand she is the founder and president of her school's student council.
In addition, much like students here, her aspirations are much the same. TianTian has her own view of the future.
“I was just trying to figure out what I want to do in my future career. I just decided I want to go into medicine last month, and I got this necklace,” said TianTian, pointing at the silver stethoscope pendant on her neck.
For TianTian and her fellow exchange students, the program was a reflection of how shared hopes can unite us all. As Jiban said, “I get to be here; I get to interact with people; I get to learn some cultures, and I get to understand that even across the world, we're still learning much the same thing.”