On August 9, 2012, exchange students Meng-Hsien Lin and Raveerat Rojtavornpornsuk stepped off their plane into America. Lin, known as Violet to fellow BHS students, is from Taiwan. Rojtavornpornsuk, known as Eve to fellow BHS students, is from Thailand. Both girls will be here until June 15, 2013.
“My favorite part about America is the freedom. Back home, we have a lot of parental and governmental control,” said Rojtavornpornsuk. “I don’t like the snow though, and I don’t like McDonald’s very much.”
Both girls agree that the food in America isn’t very healthy and both have gained weight since arriving here. They also agree that the snow is a great aspect of Minnesota, but it’s not their favorite thing.
“One of my least favorite parts is how everyone burps out loud here. People in my country are like, ‘Oh sorry’, and here they just let it out,” said Lin.
In Lin’s home country of Taiwan, people fear that Americans are too racist. The people in Rojtavornpornsuk’s home country of Thailand, on the other hand, have a much different view.
“People in Thailand think Americans are cool because it’s a big country,” said Rojtavornpronsuk. “Everyone wants to be like Americans.”
Lin and Rojtavornpornsuk didn’t know each other when they stepped off their plane into Minnesota. Now they consider themselves sisters and will be in each other’s lives forever.
“I can tell her everything. We can share things,” said Lin.
“We’re like sisters,” said Rojtavornpornsuk.
