SUPPER CLUBSupper Club is an opportunity to expand your cross-cultural knowledge, make new friends, and have fun.
You can experience what a home in the United States feels and looks like. Local hosts have offered to invite international students into their home for a meal twice this semester. You and 1-3 other students will be paired with a host home for the entire semester. You and all the other supper club members will meet your hosts at the Kick-Off event held at a local church, then you will have two meals in your host’s home.
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Frequently Asked Questions: |
Who are the hosts?
A host home can look different. It could be a married couple, it could be a family with children, it could be roommates, or it could be two or three friends. Hosts are local volunteers in the Purdue area who are excited to have internationals in their homes. They consider themselves followers of Jesus and attend local churches that we, ISI, partner with. They are thrilled to have you in their home!
What COVID precautions are being considered?
We know that everyone has different feelings on COVID. We ask our hosts and students to be mindful and respectful that some might be more cautious of COVID than others. Before your first dinner together, humbly ask your hosts their comfort level and determine whether or not they would like to wear masks together.
What happens at the Kick-Off?
This will be a gathering of all students and hosts involved in Supper Club for the semester. You will meet your hosts and the 1-3 other students in your host home, and have a time and space to get to know each other.
What happens at an in-home meal?
Expect a meaningful cultural exchange among you, the other international students, and your hosts. You will not only learn about other cultures, but you will get to share from your own experience. Each host home may look a little different but generally, you will share a meal together while talking and getting to know one another. We hope that over the course of the semester you will find new friends and feel cared for. See also Being a Good Guest FAQ (See below).
What time of day are the in-home meals?
Typically the meal is dinner, but it could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Your host will give you the exact time when you meet and communicate with them. Expect to spend around 2-3 hours at your host's home.
What if I have an emergency?
We ask that your commitment to Supper Club be a priority over hanging out with friends or other events. We have limited space in Supper Club and we want to reserve it for people who are genuinely interested in this dynamic cross-cultural experience. Please schedule group meetings, meetings with your professors, and other activities around the dates and times of Supper Club. If you feel that you cannot attend one of the meals with your host because of an emergency, please contact your host immediately. If they and the other students in your home are flexible, the date of the meal may be able to be changed to accommodate your needs. Regardless of whether the date can be changed, we ask that you respect your host by letting them know you cannot attend so that they are aware.
How much does this cost?
This is free! You may need to pay for a Lyft/Uber ride to your host's home (see next question).
How will I get to my host home?
Your hosts are generously offering a meal to you. We ask that you find a way to get to your host's home. This could be riding with other students who have a car and are assigned to your host home, sharing a Lyft/Uber with others in your host home, or public transportation. Your host may offer to take you back to your home after the meal.
Being a Good Guest
What is the “dress code”?
Generally, casual is appropriate.
What shall I bring?
Check with your host if you can bring something to go with dinner.
Is it OK to cancel after I have accepted an invitation?
Unless sickness or a personal emergency arises, it is impolite to change your mind. Your hosts may be “trying out” cross-cultural exchange for the first time. Thus, the cancellation would not make a good impression on them.
What is expected of me in the home?
What might I expect of my hosts?
You may meet other family members than just your hosts (e.g. sons, daughters, sisters, or brothers). Often members of households offer a prayer to God before beginning to eat. You may listen politely or join in! Don’t be surprised to discover a house pet – a dog or a cat, for example. If you are uncomfortable around pets, just let your hosts know and ask if they might be able to put the pet in another room.
Should I offer to help prepare dinner or wash dishes afterward?
Yes, you may politely offer to help. Often your hosts will enjoy talking with you while you work together in the kitchen. This is an easy and informal way to get to know each other better. Many hosts, however, will simply say, “No, thank you,” after you offer help, and you will not be expected to help. Expectations differ significantly between families.
What about seating at the dinner?
It is polite to wait for your host to instruct about seating. If your host has children, they may be very excited about having you sit next to them.
A host home can look different. It could be a married couple, it could be a family with children, it could be roommates, or it could be two or three friends. Hosts are local volunteers in the Purdue area who are excited to have internationals in their homes. They consider themselves followers of Jesus and attend local churches that we, ISI, partner with. They are thrilled to have you in their home!
What COVID precautions are being considered?
We know that everyone has different feelings on COVID. We ask our hosts and students to be mindful and respectful that some might be more cautious of COVID than others. Before your first dinner together, humbly ask your hosts their comfort level and determine whether or not they would like to wear masks together.
What happens at the Kick-Off?
This will be a gathering of all students and hosts involved in Supper Club for the semester. You will meet your hosts and the 1-3 other students in your host home, and have a time and space to get to know each other.
What happens at an in-home meal?
Expect a meaningful cultural exchange among you, the other international students, and your hosts. You will not only learn about other cultures, but you will get to share from your own experience. Each host home may look a little different but generally, you will share a meal together while talking and getting to know one another. We hope that over the course of the semester you will find new friends and feel cared for. See also Being a Good Guest FAQ (See below).
What time of day are the in-home meals?
Typically the meal is dinner, but it could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Your host will give you the exact time when you meet and communicate with them. Expect to spend around 2-3 hours at your host's home.
What if I have an emergency?
We ask that your commitment to Supper Club be a priority over hanging out with friends or other events. We have limited space in Supper Club and we want to reserve it for people who are genuinely interested in this dynamic cross-cultural experience. Please schedule group meetings, meetings with your professors, and other activities around the dates and times of Supper Club. If you feel that you cannot attend one of the meals with your host because of an emergency, please contact your host immediately. If they and the other students in your home are flexible, the date of the meal may be able to be changed to accommodate your needs. Regardless of whether the date can be changed, we ask that you respect your host by letting them know you cannot attend so that they are aware.
How much does this cost?
This is free! You may need to pay for a Lyft/Uber ride to your host's home (see next question).
How will I get to my host home?
Your hosts are generously offering a meal to you. We ask that you find a way to get to your host's home. This could be riding with other students who have a car and are assigned to your host home, sharing a Lyft/Uber with others in your host home, or public transportation. Your host may offer to take you back to your home after the meal.
Being a Good Guest
What is the “dress code”?
Generally, casual is appropriate.
What shall I bring?
Check with your host if you can bring something to go with dinner.
Is it OK to cancel after I have accepted an invitation?
Unless sickness or a personal emergency arises, it is impolite to change your mind. Your hosts may be “trying out” cross-cultural exchange for the first time. Thus, the cancellation would not make a good impression on them.
What is expected of me in the home?
- At the dinner table, it is polite to ask for “seconds” – it flatters the cook! If they ask if you would like seconds (adding any one or more of the available foods to your plate a second time), and you say “no, thank you” (because it is polite in your culture), realize that the host will almost never ask again. They will not force it.
- In American homes, people generally pass the various plates of food to one another. Each person “helps themselves”. So be ready to pass a dish of food if it is closer to you than to the person who is asking, and also ask to have food passed to you, e.g. “please, pass the potatoes”.
- You may be asked questions about your culture or where you grew up.
- Most hosts will appreciate your questions too since people like to talk about themselves (not salary, age, or family difficulty, however). If you are really brave, try one of these questions with other guests:
- Tell me about where you grew up and what it was like.
- What is one important lesson that you have learned in your life?
- What was the greatest time of joy in your life?
- Who were/are your favorite relatives? Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?
- What has been your favorite family tradition?
What might I expect of my hosts?
You may meet other family members than just your hosts (e.g. sons, daughters, sisters, or brothers). Often members of households offer a prayer to God before beginning to eat. You may listen politely or join in! Don’t be surprised to discover a house pet – a dog or a cat, for example. If you are uncomfortable around pets, just let your hosts know and ask if they might be able to put the pet in another room.
Should I offer to help prepare dinner or wash dishes afterward?
Yes, you may politely offer to help. Often your hosts will enjoy talking with you while you work together in the kitchen. This is an easy and informal way to get to know each other better. Many hosts, however, will simply say, “No, thank you,” after you offer help, and you will not be expected to help. Expectations differ significantly between families.
What about seating at the dinner?
It is polite to wait for your host to instruct about seating. If your host has children, they may be very excited about having you sit next to them.