Surprisingly this question was asked many times when we taught 23 Kyoritsu Girls’ High School students how to prepare and cook a ‘Kiwi roast’, emphasising one of the many cultural differences between New Zealand and Japan.

This is not to say that our girls know how to use one either! To enhance this fantastic culinary adventure, we centred the cooking class around a Christmas theme. This enabled the girls to take part in a number of Christmas traditions such as decorating the Christmas tree and Christmas crackers. The afternoon was one of the highlights for the girls and it was great to see how much they enjoyed the experience with their delighted expressions and smiles.

The students spent a busy two weeks honing their English skills during morning ESOL lessons and spending their afternoons tasting what Christchurch has to offer via visits to the Antarctic Centre, horse-riding, and engaging in Tikanga Maori. These activities and the cooking class were some of the many aspects that made the annual Kyoritsu Girls’ High School cultural visit a success. The St Margaret’s community opened their homes, providing a unique homestay opportunity to experience New Zealand culture first hand.

By personally hosting one of the students for the third year in a row, I found it was an exciting time as we got to know the girls and learn about their country and customs. It was such a rewarding experience and I didn’t appreciate how much benefit our family would gain out of hosting a student. Not only did it provide my daughter with the opportunity to learn another culture but also to forge life-long international relationships. Our student fitted so easily into our daily routine and in such a short space of time, we felt she was genuinely part of our family.

I urge the St Margaret’s community to embrace the opportunity to host one of these students next year. Please contact Chris Chambers if you would like to be a part of this amazing experience.