A sense of humor is international and Isis Marthong is a good representative of the virtue.
"At school they ask me do I eat cats, or dogs? It's a really popular question," Isis, 16, said.
But the Portage Rotary Exchange student from Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, takes it in stride.
"She has a really good sense of humor, so sometimes she'll say, "Yes," and walk away," said Cassidy Steck. The 15-year-old is a sophomore at Portage High School and currently the host sister for Isis.
The Steck family hosted an exchange student in 2006 and Isis will live with them until February. It's her first time in the United States.
"We find value in it. It's a great experience for us to learn aboutsomeone else's culture and we try to do the same for her," said Ed Steck, the father of Cassidy.
Isis arrived in Chicago this August to a welcome sign in the Thai language, which she said was "awesome."
"She's exactly on the other side of the world and a lot farther north. She wanted to go to Canada," Steck said.
The appeal of Canada to Isis was the potential to see Niagara Falls. She also asked about people in barrels going over the edge, Steck said.
Cassidy and Isis are like two peas in a pod, that is, if Isis ate green vegetables.
"We'll make fried rice and it'll have peas in it. Every grain of rice will be gone and there's a tiny pile of peas in the corner," Cassidy said.
Traditional meals for Isis at home include rice, meat and vegetables.
"I wanted to meet different people in another country because they have a different lifestyle. The culture is very different here than in Thailand, lots of things have cheese on them," she said.
But, she can't resist the Culver's Butterburgers, Cassidy said, and there was a week conversation about junk food. However, the favorite meal so far is chicken alfredo made by Steck.
Isis is getting the full Wisconsin treatment: Going to University of Wisconsin-Madison football games, hockey matches, Halloween on State Street and curling.
Josh Vehring, the Youth Exchange Officer for the Portage Rotary Club, said there will be another exchange student next fall and three PHS students going outbound.
"For Portage's club (the exchange program) is the second biggest expense next to scholarships," he said.
Isis was homesick the first week, she said, but uses the computer program Skype to talk and see her family.
"Rotary does do a wonderful job of looking out for the student and do a really good job of really stringent background checks. The framework for looking out for the best interest of the student," Vehring said.
The snow comes with the territory to Wisconsinites, but it's new to Isis.
"I like snow. I think it's beautiful," she said.
Experiencing a Christmas with stockings on the fireplace, a decorated tree and lights are also firsts for Isis.
"Most people in Thailand are Buddhist except Americans that move to Thailand. You go to temple whenever you want," she said.
On her birthday, Feb. 22, Isis would typically visit a temple, present an offering to a monk and receive a blessing, she said.
Steck said they've spoken about the meaning of Christmas beyond Santa Claus.
"She goes to church with us and we've talked about the birth of Christ and the celebration of Christmas," he said.
Isis said the basis of Buddhism is cause and effect.
"Buddhism teaches if I do a good thing I'll get good things. If I do a bad thing I'll get bad things," Isis said.
The idea of Karma, Cassidy said.
There's a stocking on the mantle place for Isis, Steck said, and she wrote a wish list for Santa as part of the fun. Jokingly, Isis wrote a few unachievable gifts like height, a pony and hot weather.
Her next winter goal is to skate, which is pretty much guaranteed with the bevy of frozen lakes and ponds.
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