What inspired you to travel abroad?
My first big trip was to Auckland, New Zealand, where I worked as an Au Pair for three months. I quickly came to realize that even though it was a beautiful country and the people were very kind, it wasn't my “cup of tea.” What I mean by that is that even though Auckland was the most populated city in the country, I still felt like it wasn't lively enough for me.
After having to travel for 36 hours from Stockholm, Sweden to Auckland, New Zealand, I was a bit disappointed that I could have traveled to England to find a similar culture. That's why I chose to go to China, because of its major differences compared to the countries I'm used to. With differences I meant as in China's amazing food, incredibly humble people, and their language.
When I went along with my host child and his kindergarten to a park
Why did you choose Edu-Pal China?
I found my first host family for New Zealand from a website called www.aupairworld.com and thought I could give it another try to find a host family in China. I got contacted by one family, and we planned a Skype meeting. During our meeting, I was introduced to the contact person, Sarah. I was surprised to find out that the family had hired Sarah to find an Au Pair that would be the best fit for the family. I thought they handled everything very professionally and helped me through the journey.
What was your favorite part about Shenzhen, China?
I always wanted to go to a big city, and Shenzhen was definitely it! During my first day I quickly came to realize that the city had so much to offer. My new host home was very centrally-located in Bao’an. Right in front of the apartment building was a big stadium.
From my host family's apartment I could see the people run around the stadium during the night. Within 15 minutes of walking I could go to one of Shenzhen's biggest malls, or within a two-minute subway ride. I loved that I could just step outside of the building to find myself in streets full of delicious foods.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
I was so surprised to be with a family that barely spoke any English. But in a short amount of time I came to the realization that we actually didn't need to verbally understand each other. We understood each other with smiles and hand gestures, which taught me that I don't always need to communicate with language, and that there are other forms of understanding.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
They were always very caring. From the beginning when I wasn't sure of my position in the family or the best way for me to get along with them, the team of Edu-Pal China helped and supported me through those minor difficulties. I really enjoyed the times when the Au Pairs and Sarah sat down and discuss what had occurred that week. It could vary from time to time, sometimes being that the host child told us something adorable, to how we could improve our English-teaching skills.
The family's personal driver/cook
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I regret not going out as much as I used to. Once per week, the agency planned different activities, such as sightseeing or a typical Chinese cultural experience. But I wish I went out on more adventures by myself during my free time.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
The whole Wednesday and Thursday morning was my time off. Then the rest of the school week began by starting at 7:30 a.m. It could depend on the day, but sometimes I helped my host child eat his breakfast, or I would eat my breakfast alone. At 8:00 a.m. we would drive to kindergarten which took about 30 minutes getting there. On the way back home, the family's personal driver could drop me off by the agency's office, where we had class. This only happened during Tuesdays.
During Mondays and Fridays I had free time from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some days from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. I had Chinese lessons. At 4:30 p.m. I would take the subway to the kindergarten and pick up my host child and take him home. Once at home, we would play for a little while and then start doing the English homework on the iPad. Around 6:30-7:00 p.m. dinner was cooked and served by the family's private chef (the best food I've ever tried in my life, I miss it so much).
After dinner we would play a little bit more until it was time for the child to exercise (the kindergarten planned different exercises for the kids to do so that they would gain strength). Around 9:00 p.m. was when I could go to my room and spend time alone.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
It depended on what mood I was in during that day. I sometimes met up with the other Au Pairs, spent the day being alone, or went out for a walk.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
My host family lived in an apartment and I thought it was very luxurious that they lived on the 30th floor; with that I had a glorious view of Bao’an.
My host child trying sugarcane juice
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
That it is not as easy as you think when it comes to applying for a visa to China; you can't do it online, unfortunately. You have to be patient when it comes to the communication differences.
Would you recommend Edu-Pal China to others? Why?
This definitely depends on the person. There are many people who may not be ready for this cultural change in their life. But to those who feel like they want a big change in their lives, and who of course love being with kids, I would tell them to go for it. I'm really happy that I did it and when I tell others about my experience in China, they all always become speechless.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The biggest benefit is seeing how different other parts of the world can be compared to what I am used to myself. A silly example of this is that I now know the difference from eating in China compared to eating in a Chinese restaurant in the West; it will never be as good as it was in China.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I do stuff now that I usually didn’t do before. A few examples of this is that I enjoy drinking warm water, I offer other people the last bit of food before taking it myself, I begin to pour the drink to other people's cups before my own, and I am a lot more humble towards people now than compared to before I went to China.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me means that I've gained more knowledge of other cultures and that I've taken it into consideration in certain things I do during my day-to-day life.
