What and Who is ESLStay?

           ESLStay is a homestay experience in Seattle, Washington in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.  Gini Schmidt and her sister Wendy enjoy sharing their home, routines and recreational activities with international guests.  Gini teaches English as a Second Language at a local community college, and Wendy works for the city government. Read more...

I recommend Gini Schmidt of Seattle for the homestay program.  To find out why, please read the next part!

I think Gini and the other household members are very nice people, like Sloan.  I was always able to relax. I can’t speak English, but everybody was kind and polite, and taught me English everyday. Everything was a magnificent first experience for me.

I went to an old restaurant, the Space Needle, Snoqualmie Falls, the Seattle Museum, Mt. Ranier, the Pacific Ocean, Bellevue Botanical Gardens, Pike Place Market, and Safeco Field (Mariners vs. Soxs).

I recommend the homestay program in Seattle, Washington.

When I talked about my feelings and opinions, I had to speak in English., so I had to study hard everyday.  It was more difficult for me to listen to a native English speaker.  Our host family was very kind and patient, and they explained various words with gestures.

We were able to learn and experience daily American life, such as work, child raising, meals, history, etc., as well as culture and customs.  We talked and shared Japanese culture and customs, too.  We enjoyed the differences between our countries.  This is the difference between an overseas trip and a homestay.

Gini gave us lots of sightseeing information and she took us to many wonderful and beautiful spots, such as a national park, a public market, a church, a cottage, an open air concert, and a baseball game.  We were also able to taste delicious food.  While we went sightseeing, we were also able to learn English.

My home-stay experience in Seattle 2 years ago was a very precious time in my life. My classmate and I stayed at Gini’s house; she was the host Sloan recommended for us. We stayed for three weeks in early September. Gini was a very cheerful and pleasant woman.  I felt relaxed the moment I met her.  Seattle has a lot of beautiful scenery, and there were many shops; I thought the city would be a comfortable place to live.

I visited an aquarium, a church, a museum, a park, the zoo, the beach, a market in the downtown area and I cheered on Ichiro at Safeco Field.  Gini gave us lots of useful information and showed us many places.  It was fun having conversations with Gini and her family, using English words and gestures.  We also asked Gini to give us some English lessons.  Gini and her family made various dishes for us every day, and we made Japanese dishes for them. Read more...