I love my host sister like a sister
	Some people think that when students stay in another country with a host family that their family is just a group of people who they live with maybe like a land lady or something, but that is not it. For a long time I did feel as though I were just living in the house and not exactly part of the family. I think it is because very often at home, even in my home with my biological family I tend to be introverted and spend a lot of time in my room. I focus on what is going on in my life, but don't usually learn very much about the lives of my other family members. About a month into my homestay I had begun to stay out late and spend time outside of the house. I wasn't ever doing anything that I wouldn't want my family to know about, but sometimes I would forget to send a message or call and tell my mom what I was doing. Or better yet, sometimes there are things that I know I should probably ask my mom before that I say that I can go do something with friends or a teacher, but I just forget and agree to plans. My mom was feeling that I wasn't treating my family as a family and I felt like I wasn't fitting in as part of the family. When I was at home I was usually just sit in my room and study without progress. She said, "I am your mother not your land lady." That really hit me, because I felt like that's what things were becoming too. Since then, I have been watching more TV with my host family (there is one drama that I really like that's from 10pm-11pm, then I got to bed), my host mom has been helping me study Korean and even giving me homework from a book that I bought, and I have been spending a lot more time with my host sister. She began coming to church with me on Sundays and is really enjoying it. She's learning english and becoming closer to God at the same time. Last night and today were probably the closest that I have gotten with her though. Last night we stayed up until one o'clock talking about boys and life and we could really understand each other. We learned a lot more about what each other are really like. Then tonight I went out with two girls from school and when I got home she said that her boyfriend had broken up with her. I gave her a hug and told her to come sit down and eat some chocolate. Then I played one of her favorite cds for her. Since I have been in Korea my sister and I have had some really hard times usually when it comes to cultural misunderstands. I think that we've both made each other cry. And at home we sometimes spend time together, but usually give each other her own space. Lately we're learning to be close. Like sisters we know that usually the other one needs to go her own way, but if she needs help with something like homework or relationship problems, or just doesn't understand life at the moment, we can be there for each other. Some people ask me when we are seperated, "where is your friend?" but I don't think of Myung Hae Chung as a friend. I think of her as a younger sister who I will hopefully keep in touch with for the rest of my life.