It's a challenge ...

As if we didn't have enough going on in our lives at the moment, for the next three and half weeks we will be hosting a 15yo student from Japan.

He's been with us for 24 hours, and so far I have yet to see him smile. The MOTH is currently out at the coffee van showing him how to make a cappucino via sign language.

K is in his element ... an audience where he can talk non stop and there are no interruptions. S is intrigued, a little scared, and treating him like a different species.

I thank heaven for whoever had the foresight to supply us with a small neatly typed list of Japanese - English phrases ... so far we are communicating via the "point and smile" method. His dictionary is also getting a fair work-out.

I'm kinda worried that I'm feeding him (a) not enough or (b) too much or (c) anything he can't stand the taste of and that (d) he may be forcing it down to be polite.

We have friends, one of whom spent several years working in Japan as an English teacher. So the MOTH has brilliantly suggested that we can ring them tonight and they can check everything is OK for us and whether there is anything he wants / needs.

He's very shy.

And he has a birthday while he is with us ... I don't think much of the MOTH's suggestion that we buy him a keg and get him drunk !!!!! But what does one buy a 16yo boy ? Any suggestions ?