Home stay in Leeds

I have known my host family one year prior to coming to Leeds, so it was easier for me to get used to home staying here in the UK. The host family lives in a little town called Upton which is a former coal mining village. It is, in their words, "out in the sticks". The primary mode of travel is by car, and you need to drive 15 minutes to the nearest station which is Fitzwilliam station (4 stops from Leeds station). All in all, it takes me over an hour to get to University of Leeds.

This may sound daunting for some, but my time with my host family has been nothing but brilliant. So far, we have celebrated Halloween, Christmas, New Years and many birthdays including my own. As it is far from the city, the air is clean and rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs, and wood pigeons are not rare to see. The drive to the train station will go past rolling fields and tiny traditional villages. Coming from the bustling city of Tokyo, this was change that I embraced.

On Sundays, we would typically have the most important meal of the week, a traditional Sunday Dinner. This consists of a roast meat, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, boiled vegetables, stuffings, gravy, and most importantly, Yorkshire Puddings! It is a feast that we share within the family and so far, we have not missed a single week making this delicious traditional British cuisine.

Home staying has not only given me an opportunity to learn English in my day to day life, but also given me the chance to have a taste of Yorkshire culture. I have also been able to inject a little Japanese culture into their lives. If we have a roasted chicken on a Sunday, I stuff the chicken with Japanese rice, which has now become a cherished tradition in their house. I know I will forever be cherishing the memories I have with my host family.