Alumni Interview with Harry Phillips

What inspired you to go abroad?

I've always enjoyed travelling. My family always placed an emphasis on it whilst growing up and I enjoy learning about new cultures and seeing new places. This, combined with very long university holidays, gave me the perfect chance to travel on a budget.

Why did you choose LoPair?

The previous year I'd done Camp America, and I felt like doing something a bit more adventurous. When I was at school I'd taken Mandarin classes for a while, this had given me an active interest in China, so I decided I wanted to go for a proper visit. I started looking for a way to get to China, and I found a lot of teaching and intern programmes, which all cost a huge amount of money for a relatively short time spent abroad.

Then I found LoPair's Au Pair scheme. The programme combined the best of both; it gave me a long period of time spent abroad at a very reasonable price. It also involved working with an adorable child, which was definitely a big plus!

What was your favorite part about China?

My host family was fantastic. I felt like one of the family as soon as I got there, the ayi's (nannies) were super sweet and helpful, and really helped to take care of me, regardless of the fact they spoke no English. My host brother, Tiger, was adorable and very kind. He was well behaved and very smart, and an absolute pleasure to look after. The family were a joy to live with and I got taken on some fantastic trips, including one to Shanghai Disneyland.

What made your experience abroad unique?

It's very cliche, but the friends I made there really made my spare time great. I made friends with people from all over the world. They helped show me around when I was new, and then I helped show new people around when I knew what was going on. The Au Pair community is very close; since you have such strange hours off, you become friends quickly. You go to see all the sights together and really help take care of each other if anything should happen.

How did local staff support you throughout your program?

Each city on the programme has a city coordinator. My city (Beijing) had a fantastic coordinator called Nancy. She was incredibly helpful and friendly, sorting all kinds of social events for the Au Pairs and helping to translate when necessary between me and my family. She'd help show us around, and even helped me file a report with the police when my phone was lost during a taxi ride.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently? 

I wish I'd taken my language study more seriously. I progressed well, but I know I could have done far better if I'd put more time in. With the free lessons provided, it really is a great chance to learn, and whilst I took it, I didn't make the most of it.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program. 

This is difficult. Anyone who has spent time in China can attest to the level of improvisation that goes on on a daily basis. Plans just get made as they go along, meaning you'll have very little idea what will be happening until it happens. The only real certainty was school, which I'd help take Tiger to and from in the car. Other than that, anything could happen!

What did you enjoy doing in your free time?

China is a fantastically vibrant and busy country. Just walking around Beijing is an adventure. You can find all sorts of foods and things for sale in the most strange places. My favourite thing was just seeing what Beijing had to offer. There are some fantastic tourist attractions in Beijing, but just behind those are the more interesting places. Sharing a drink or a table with some strangers who speak no English is a hilariously fun thing to do. Even if you do have no idea what's going on, you'll have a fun time not knowing.

What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?

Since I was an Au Pair, I stayed with my host family. I had my own bedroom and my own bathroom, which were both very nice. The best thing, however, was the food. The family had a cook/cleaner who made the best meals. She'd cook it all from scratch each day, and the range was amazing, from the biggest, best Bao Zi and tasty Jiao Zi (dumplings), to fantastic Beijing noodles.

What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program? 

Don't try and make big plans, and don't expect to know what's going on all the time. China is the perfect country to get good at improvising in. Things will happen seemingly at random and you just have to roll with it. It's great fun when you get into the rhythm of it, but it can be a bit annoying at first.

Now that you're home, how has your time in China impacted your life?

My time abroad was fantastic. It gave me ideas about what I wanted to do next year, and I've since secured a place at a Chinese university to study Mandarin full time. I'll be heading back out east and I can't wait!

Would you recommend LoPair to others? Why?

Yes! The company are fantastic, they support you throughout the entire process, and the costs are very reasonable. You even get a chance to see Hangzhou as part of the training, which is a beautiful city in the south.