Staff Interview with Jacques Odendaal

What inspired you to go abroad? 

Ever since high school I've had a passion for other cultures and I found that this program was a great opportunity to learn more and get different experience.

Why did you choose Aupairia specifically? 

From the get go, the people from the company where extremely nice to communicate with, and I've always had a cardinal fascination with China and their rich culture. This program sounded the most promising for what I wanted to achieve.

What was your favorite part about China? 

There were two points that I really enjoyed while I was there, and those were the absolute delight that the public transport provided and the vast amount of different types of food that you could get all over Beijing.

What made your experience abroad unique? 

We had a lot of different culture activities during my stay, which was quite awesome, but I would have to say the bond I made with my host family and the other friends I made there were most unique. The fact that at the end of my term I didn't want to leave China, but instead wanted to stay for longer says a lot.

How did local staff support you throughout your program? 

They were extremely helpful throughout my stay there. If you ever have any problems, be it medical, travel, or you just needed to chat to someone, they where always available to help out and even encouraged you to contact them.

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

I would have planned it better because I would have loved to see a bit more of the country and not just stay in Beijing where I was living.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program. 

I would take my host kid to school in the mornings and then I'd have the whole morning off until I needed to go fetch them again. I would then accompany them to their sport or culture activities thereafter, and then I would go home and do some English work with them. Lastly at night I would read books with my host kid.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time? 

I loved going around and doing some sightseeing with some of my fellow au pairs, and then afterwards we would go and try some new dish we hadn't had before.

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

I was living with my host family and had my own room and bathroom. What I liked most about it was that if I needed my privacy I could have it in my room, but at the same time I was also part of the family.

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

You will have a culture shock in the first few weeks if you come from a very Westernized country, but you just need to get through it and then you'll have and amazing time on this program. 

Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life? 

It has really broadened my view on life and all the different people that are out there in the world.

Would you recommend Aupairia to others? Why? 

Yes definitely, I truly enjoyed this program and thus I think it is an amazing program that others should experience for themselves, if only just to learn about a new culture and make some friends worldwide.