“Being an aupair is one of the richest personal experience have been able to experience so far. For my second time as an aupair I chose to go to China to improve my Chinese skills and know more about the culture.

 I've been living for around one month and a half with my host family in Hangzhou and so far everything is going very well. I've immediately felt at home, they are really caring and treat me like a family member. 

The two kids are 7 and 4, I quickly get along well with them. We do all kinds of activities together from reading to coloring and cooking it's always a pleasure to share things with them and see their English improving. 

One of the best thing when you're an aupair is seeing that you have a real impact on the speaking skills of your host kids. To make sure that you'll enjoy you're stay in your host family you must know precisely what they're expecting from you and discuss clearly about your stay to create a relationship based on trust. 

We did this with my host mum at my arrival and since then the communication is direct and clear, which is really important.

       

Before coming here I knew that I'll have to overpass the language barrier due to my beginner level in Chinese and it's true that most of the time people don't speak English and won't really understand what you're asking even if you try to speak Chinese. Which can lead to funny situation and a lot of « ting bu dong » .

 I really enjoy my stay here which brings me a lot humanly speaking. I would recommend this to anyone who like spending time with kids and want to know more about the Chinese way of life and want to experience it.“

It is always hard to move to a new country, to adapt to a new culture and to make new friends while you are away from all you have ever met but... all this is part of life, right? The experience of moving to a new and totally different country makes being an au pair even more thrilling and fascinating. You can feel the excitement and a weird mixture of emotions while you are boarding the plane to come here. I could even say that I thought it was surreal that I was going away on my own, willing to take care of myself and starting to become more independent than ever. This gave me the opportunity to explore and create new memories of things that I have only seen through the screen of my computer or cellphone. Who could imagine I would be here in China learning the culture and the language? Even though this is just the beginning of something even greater, all the people that I have met here, all my crazy friends that will never stop making me laugh with their dramas and random comments are people that I will remember until my last day and, last but not least... My host Family. They deserve more than a whole pharagraph but still that is not enough to express everything I feel. Maybe I should start with something clear and direct: I love them! Yes, I really really love them. They are like my real family from the opposite side of the world and since the first moment we met they treated me like their daughter, like part of the family. I cannot forget the day I met Dylan (My host kid) and asked him "你想要是我的弟弟吗?" and he got so happy and we oficially became brother and sister after that. Or everytime Joy (my host mom) surprises me with small things I like. Even if I casually say that I like something, she will remember it. For instance, the time she bought a whole box of banana milk for me. I swear that was one days the best day of my life. And, finally, my host dad, who makes me laugh with all the body language he uses to comunicate with me. It's a whole comedy show. What I love the most about them is that they are real. They care about each other, and they are so warmhearted. I don't know how to express my grattitude but maybe I can use one phase my host mom taught me: 命中注定. That refers to something destined, fated to be. This is the best way I can explain it, 我们是命中注定。

I clearly remember the bittersweet feeling I experienced when going through the security check the day I left my country. It was a mix of sadness, leaving one’s family is never easy, and excitement, the thought of living in a new culture made my heart beat faster. Today, the sadness is gone but the excitement and happiness remain.

On the 8th of October I met a very cute little Chinese boy, Brian, my host kid. I think we immediately got along, and since then not a day goes by without us having fun together. When I don’t have Chinese lessons, I send him to school in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon. Although Brian sometimes wishes he could sleep a little bit longer and is slightly moody, we always have a good chat on the way to school, his English is getting better day by day! Most of the time, I accompany him to his activities, it’s always nice to see Brian’s happy face while he dances or draws. I also enjoy helping him practice the piano on a daily basis and it’s really astonishing how fast he’s improving. During the weekend, we often go out with the family to eat delicious food and to have fun. 

When Brian isn't around, I enjoy having a little chat with the parents and the grandparents, they really help me have a better understanding of the Chinese culture and language. Studying Chinese turns out to be tricky, characters are hard to remember but easy to forget and, in my opinion, the pronunciation is definitely the hardest part. However, I’m trying my best to improve and wish to be able to pass the HSK5 test before the end of the program. 

Being an au pair in a foreign country can have its hardship, but my host family always try its best to understand my culture and make me smile. For Christmas, they got their first Christmas tree and we even ate cake on Christmas Eve! For New Year, the family made me discover the beautiful city of Guangzhou, it was a lot of fun! I’m now looking forward to Chinese New Year, exchanging culture really is a wonderful thing. 

This experience as an au pair in China allows me to become wiser and open minded. Taking care of a child can be a hard task, but seeing Brian’s happy face and how his English is getting better is worth every single hardship.

My au pair experience in china has been wonderful, first when I came I didn’t really knew what to expect. It was a leap of faith. I didn’t really know much of my host family or the kids that I would be with, but I decided to give it a chance and I have no regrets. The Chen’s have been more than welcoming. they have embraced me with my highs and lows and I’m more than greatful because I fell pampered and taken cared of everyday since I arrived. 

They have shared not only their culture, views and costumes but their home and love. It has become a place where I feel comfortable and happy. We all help each other and try to make everyday the best of it. Not speaking the same language can be a huge barrier to deal with simple daily life issues, so it is really important to be with opened minded people that are willing to embrace the task. The Chen’s are always willing to listen to me in the most basic ways, we take things with humor and that helps to overcome any misunderstandings that life may bring. My 3 little girls are more than just my host kids, they have become my partners in crime, my playmates, my sunshine and my sisters. I’m so lucky to have them. They are intrepid, funny, loving and playful. 

Everyday I try to make them learn something new in an interesting and enjoyable way and they are always exited to see what new task I’ll prepare for them in the future. They are clever, smart and just wonderful to be around. They try to keep me informed about what hapends around us even if I don’t speak the language so they have become my best allies during this journey, I can’t imagine having my Chinese experience without them. 

And of course there has been moments of doubt and loneliness but I think that has made me even more aware of the things I have at home and usually give for granted, there’s nothing that a positive attitude and hard work cant beat . I have a different perspective of society and life since I came to this beautiful country. In China it is not about how strong one person can be, Chinese know better when it comes to that, they believe that united, better things can be achieved and that includes family. 

I know my time here has been a great experience for them and for me and I will miss them when I’m gone. They will always have a place in my heart and the Chen’s have made china a place I’m happy to call home.