Recap | Interview of Extended Family Program

From the extended family program, I gained a better understanding of the social dynamics found in Chinese families and broadened my interpersonal connection with individuals from Chinese society. This experience also allowed me to explore parts of Beijing I may have never been able to explore myself!

通过大家庭项目，我能够更好地了解中国家庭的社会动态，并扩展了我在中国与他人的人际关系。这次的体验也让我更了解北京这个地方，我到访了之前从未探索过的地方！

This experience was more than I imagined. I tried traditional Chinese food and climbing and Peri told us about Yang Family Warriors, especially going to watch Max's hockey game (which I had never experienced in Vietnam due to the climate).

这次的经历超乎我的想象。我尝试了中国传统美食、攀岩，以及佩里给我们讲了杨家将的故事，我还去观赛了马克斯冰球比赛（由于气候的缘故，我从来没有在越南体验过） 。

From this Extended Family experience, I learned a lot of details about Chinese culture. Through interacting with the Chinese families, I gained an understanding of their daily lifestyles and their thoughts on family. Throughout the entire process, I felt the warmth and kindness of the Chinese families. This culture, which emphasizes family bonds and reunions, left a deep impression on me. In addition to practising my spoken Chinese through communicating with the Chinese family, I also realized that language is not only a tool for communication but also a bridge between cultures. This event helped me grow in terms of language skills and deepened my appreciation for the charm of Chinese culture.

我从这次Extended family的经历中，学到了很多关于中国文化的细节。通过跟中国家庭的互动，了解到了他们的日常生活方式，他们对家庭的想法，在整个过程中，我感受到了中国家庭的温柔和亲切。这种注重亲情和家庭团聚的文化给我留下了深刻的印象。通过跟中国家庭的交流，练自己的中文口语之外，我还意识到语言不仅是交流的工具，也是文化的桥梁。这次活动让我在语言能力方面成长，同时进一步感受到了中国文化的魅力。

The Chinese families were very warm towards us, and the children were very lively.

中国家庭的各位对我们非常热情，而且孩子们很活泼。

My Chinese family was extremely nice and welcoming to me, both parents were very pleasant to talk to and their child Max was a fun ball of energy haha! That kid could power an entire city along with how much energy he exerted, which reminded me of my siblings back home in the US.

我的中国家庭对我非常友好和热情，父母都很乐意和我交谈，他们的孩子马克斯是一个 “能量球”，哈哈！那个孩子用他的能量可以为整个城市供电，这让我想到了我在美国的兄弟姐妹。

3 adjectives to describe: enthusiastic, thoughtful, and friendly.

我会用三个形容词来描述：

热情、周到及友好。

It's quality time for the family. Not only Max's family but when I go out, I often see parents spending weekends or holidays with their children.

我觉得这是家庭的宝贵时光。不仅是马克思的家人，当我出去的时候，我经常看到父母和孩子一起度过周末或假期。

My Chinese family consisted of three members: a 5th-grade boy named Dou Dou and his parents. Due to the father’s work, they had lived in Japan for some time, so the boy could speak some simple Japanese. He was very active and curious. The mother was also very attentive to the child’s feelings and was good at communication. Their family had a very warm atmosphere, and as an international student, I didn’t feel like a stranger.

我的中国家庭是一个有小学5年级的男孩叫豆豆和父母的三口之家。因为是父亲工作的原因，他们之前在日本生活过一段时间。所以小男孩也会讲一些简单的日语。他非常活泼好动，充满好奇心。母亲也非常关心孩子的感受并且善于沟通。他们家庭有非常温暖的氛围，作为一个留学生，我没有感到陌生。

I found the Chinese family I interacted with to be very warm. They gave us some delicious homemade sandwiches.

我觉得跟我交流的中国家庭很温暖、他们给了我们一些很好吃的手作三明治。

Regarding their attitude towards people they are meeting for the first time, I felt that Chinese families were a bit more gentle than Japanese families. Also, since my family is smaller, I experienced the warmth of being surrounded by many family members when I met the Chinese family.

对于初次见面的人的态度，中国家庭比日本家庭表现得更温柔一点,而且我家的家人比较少，所以和中国家庭见面的时候，我感受到了身边有很多家人在一起的时候的温暖。

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