Whose fault was it?

>>1142446
What part of Spain? Whose fault is what?

>>1142449
I went to Málaga, Andalucia.
For example, was it my fault for having really high standards or was my host family really being cold towards us. Was it my fault for mentioning that I am disappointed with my host family a couple of times to my friends and family or was it my dad's fault for overreacting?

A host family is supposed to act like a family toward you. Of course the relationship is meant to be personal. What kind of seedy program did you do this through? If you didn't get what you hoped to out of the experience, it's a failed program.

>>1142457
It is a Spanish language and cultural program organized by my uni. My teacher herself said she wanted us to get to know Spanish culture.

But then my host family changed. Ywo days before we arrived in malaga, our teacher told us our host family had changed. They got the dates wrong and apparently our original host family was still hosting some kids.

For example, was it my fault for having really high standards or was my host family really being cold towards us. Was it my fault for mentioning that I am disappointed with my host family a couple of times to my friends and family or was it my dad's fault for overreacting?

>>1142451
For Andalucia that sounds pretty cold

I don't understand why this /adv/ tier thread is not in /adv/ or /int/
Lame.

Whose fault was it? Who knows?
Do you have the information your host family received regarding what the program they were enrolling was about? Were they told the program was aimed to giving native-like experience or where they told that they'd just host random students from random countries at random times for random whatever reasons?

And is this program focused on giving people the opportunity to live and experience the daily life in another country or is it just a lame excuse to get some money from students/whomever is financing the program?

If this program is advertised as being a "chance for living your life as a native <whatever country>", then you should seek for repairs and refund or whatever since it clearly wasn't what you got. If it wasn't, tough luck bitch.

>>1142467
>Andalucia
How so? Is water really scarce in Malaga?

I previously stayed with a host family in France and the French people were very nice. They ate their meals with us, gave us gifts before we left, and cheek-kissed us. Maybe the Spanish are culturally different?

I am just disappointed that I didn't befriend any Spanish speakers during my trip. I met some Latin Americans when we were staying behind in hostels, but none of them asked me to add them on Facebook so I didn't either.

>>1142470
>Do you have the information your host family received regarding what the program they were enrolling was about? Were they told the program was aimed to giving native-like experience or where they told that they'd just host random students from random countries at random times for random whatever reasons?
I don't know. I didn't ask them.
>And is this program focused on giving people the opportunity to live and experience the daily life in another country or is it just a lame excuse to get some money from students/whomever is financing the program?
It is a Spanish language and culture exchange program. Our teacher in charge of the trip (she went to Spain with us) said she hoped that we can learn more about Spanish culture and observe the way Spaniards live. My uni organized the trip and paid for my host family accommodation.

>>1142471
What I mean is your host family sounds cold. The people in Andalucia are usually very warm and receiving. Your host family doesn't sound typical.

>>1142446
>>He said that my friends probably think that I am showing off how much I travel when I told him one of them reacted saying "Do you expect them to treat you like a daughter?"
As a person who traveled the world, quite luckily from an early age, it does indeed seem you learned the hard way that people have "sour grapes" attitude when it comes listening about your travels. The most wonderful of friends have a jealousy streak you'll never know the full extent of...just keep your conversations brief, humble and not very descriptive when it comes to travel unless actually discussing with someone who is planning to visit the same region, or your immediate family. Discuss your recuperation or sense of adventure doing nature stuff, rather than things that could strike jealousy. Blog if you need an outlet. People seeking knowledge will appreciate your eyewitness accounts in those cases. I'm sure your past experience can even be published in a campus newsletter or magazine if you wish for some common sense kind of story to be known about the possible incomes of semesters abroad.

A few takeaways here from a experienced traveler. This might not be your exact problem, but there is a personality type that overplans, overexpects, and then is disappointed with life experiences. Ive seen it too many times. Travel isn't the end all be all, it's varies greatly in a location, especially by season. But, there is also some skill involved in making an experience the best it can be and it helps to be an extrovert, as well. As a guest in someone's house did you bring a gift from your hometown? Did you respect that you were in someone's home and keep your things tidy, your presence quiet and helpful? Do you have impeccable manners with basic please and thank you? Did you offer to help them with anything? A warmth meeting new people is how you behave at home? You would be surprised how someone cold can be utterly charmed from one conversation with you.

>>1142491
>it does indeed seem you learned the hard way that people have "sour grapes" attitude when it comes listening about your travels
I know about this sour grapes attitude. This friend of mines has been to Europe many times so I don't know why she would be jealous of that French host family experience of mine. She just never stayed with a host family before, that's all.
As a guest in someone's house did you bring a gift from your hometown?
>Yes and they just left the box of food at the corner od a cupboard in their living room
>Did you respect that you were in someone's home and keep your things tidy, your presence quiet and helpful?
Yes but I guess I took my showers a bit long
Do you have impeccable manners with basic please and thank you?
>Yes
Did you offer to help them with anything?
>I offered to wash my dishes and they said no need as I could use their dish washing machine

>>1142501
Okay, so if you are a friendly person, then maybe they were boring people. You and stays like yours, are simply their business. Make sure to give feedback of their lack of a welcoming experience, lack of conversation, and lack of native meals or assistance with your touring ideas to the facilitators of the program, so they can be dropped from their program.
You can also consider that you were in a program that didn't charge enough and didn't pay them enough to really do much more than an albergue for pilgrims. In essence, that kind of B&B kicks you out the door in the morning so they have the space back to themselves again.
For language immersion? I suggest CR or Antigua are still the best options, just enough third world to treat you like a valuable guest, safe for wealthy travelers and women, but educated enough that Americans aren't assholes like some Euros feel about us. I don't fault you for wanting a fun experience in Spain however, just to tour it though. Sorry it wasn't better, but I'd let it go. This is how semesters abroad are..quite varied. Keep in mind a lot of students are just wasting money that they got in a loan, and want to go do a hostel experience of sleeping around anonymously just to get away from home. They typically have nothing to do with your degree major either.

>>1142506
Yeah maybe they were paid very little. Idk. It's not like I asked them about it.

Maybe it has something to do with how I am Asian and they have no interest in Asian culture? I know about the "los chinos" stereotypes in Spanish speaking countries.

How can I meet Spanish speaking people in my area though? It's not like I am from the States where there are Hispanic people everywhere.

>>1142513
What country? You have the Spanish people in Singapore, Korea, Japan, and the Phillipines in the US military.

>>1142526
I love in Hong Kong

>>1142530
*live

>>1142530
>>1142531
I think Hong Kong might be an occasional port of call for US Navy ships, but there is not significant permanent US military presence.

>>1142530
BTW, did you ever meet that Spanish online friend?

>>1142549
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/29/politics/us-aircraft-carrier-denied-entry-into-hong-kong-port/

>>1142550
No, he started acting like a total creep later on (i.e. having a Facebook with only a girl he met online added, insisting that he has to bring his brother along as he will get lost if he meets me in a city close to his town, etc). My irl friend told me not to meet him even though she has met guys online numerous times.

>>1142446
you can google for sites for a language exchange and find someone to skype and chat and if you got to know each other more visit each other

>>1143213
Interpals

>>1142753
come 2 miami, ill take care of you, im from hk but speak lots of spanish

>>1143213
After that incident with my online friend, I don't know if I want to bond with anyone I've met online again
>>1143216
I have heard of Interpals but I get the impression that most users use it as some dating site. I don't know if that is necessarily better or worse than my online friend hiding his true intentions under "language exchange"

>>1142446
Yours