Work and Cultural Exchange through LoPair Au Pair China

My name is Rachele and I’m a 19 years old girl from northern-east Italy. After graduating from highschool I still wasn’t sure what to study in university, and since I had studied Chinese for five years, I decided that nothing would be better than going to China for some time. I thought that by being an Au Pair I would have gotten a much better chance to experience China as a local, and see its culture “from within”, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed! Thanks to my italian agency I had the chance to meet the LoPair staff, which helped me throughout my six-months stay in Hangzhou. From the matching process, to helping me solve everyday issues like registering for Alipay and other apps, they were always ready to help me out. And how can I forget the monthly cultural activities they organized for us: lots of local food, tea and arts and crafts! Being in a country so different and far away from my home can sometimes be a challenge, but I can say that China is a very welcoming place, where its beauty and history can be felt every day, no matter which city or which time of the year. The six months I spent in Hangzhou helped me grow up and learn more about myself and the world around me, and I was able to create ever-lasting memories with all the beautiful people I met there, my host family, my friends, the Lopair staff and my Chinese teacher. Even though I will soon start studying design in Venice, I don’t want to leave China behind and I look forward to go back and meet up with everyone once more! Thank you LoPair for this amazing experience! <3

I think these were the most exciting and interesting six months I’ve had so far! This program offers a lot, language courses, cultural activities and a lot of support. The whole application process was very easy and smooth. The only thing one has to consider is that it’s always a bit unpredictable if it’s going to workout with your first host family. I’ve had the experience of changing families and I have to say that LoPair offered me a lot of help and support during that time. I didn’t feel alone and always had my local coordinator Mickey by my side. In the end I had such a lovely host family, I couldn’t have wished for a better match. They introduced me to the Chinese culture and showed me a lot of new places. I got to see many different places in China, with my host family and on my own! I think if you decide to join such a program you need to be able to communicate a lot and openly. It’s always about keeping an open mind and communication. Especially since one is entering a totally new environment and culture. Some cultural differences are normal! This program also offers a few cultural activities. For Christmas the agency invited the Au Pairs and their host families to a bakery to bake cakes. Overall I just wish we would have had a few more cultural activities. The language courses that are offered vary from the time of ones application. A few of my fellow Au Pairs went to a language school, while me and another Au Pair could attend a language course at an University. My first semester I had uni mostly in the morning for three hours every day. The course was intense but very fun! I got to meet so many new people from all countries. It’s such a good opportunity to meet and connect with people. So if one has the chance to take the course at Uni, I definitely suggest to take it! It will be a bit more time consuming but it’s worth it! Overall I would say this program is perfect for people who are looking for a new environment and experience. I can recommend going with LoPair to China!

I spent my summer in Beijing through the LoPair summer programme and it was the best summer of my life. I highly recommend LoPair and the summer programme particularly for any students like me who had some time between terms at university. I absolutely fell in love with China on my time here as I got to see so much of Beijing on my days off and while out with my host family. I also got to see Hangzhou (for orientation before heading to Beijing) and Shanghai at the end of my trip thanks to my host family! I would say that you should expect to be challenged by this experience but with the right mindset you’ll leave a new and improved person. Integrating into Chinese life, trying new food, learning to use chopsticks, appreciating a different culture and making lots of memories and friends were just some of the many things I gained from this experience. It was a lot of fun but I also left so much more confident and capable as an individual. I became very close with my host family and sibling and became part of their family life, enjoying meals together and spending time with them in their daily lives. I felt so comfortable during my stay at their home. I also really enjoyed the mandarin classes provided by LoPair! In just 2 months I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of Chinese and the group classes were always really fun and a great way to meet other au pairs. I would never have been able to do anything as unique as this had it not been for the LoPair summer programme and I am SO grateful that a classmate recommended it to me. The process was all really smooth, from the admin before you leave to getting oriented in China and the support you feel along the way.