Tonight is ESL Graduation at Suffolk Community College! 

To all the Au Pair in America Au Pairs graduating tonight, CONGRATULATIONS! 

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Today, January 23, 2012, we wave goodbye to the rabbit and welcome in the Year of the Dragon!  

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which begins on January 23, 2012 and ends on February 9, 2013.  The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal signs.  The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend.  In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represents an emperor and  power. Today, it  is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness.           May the celestial Dragon bring great good luck to everyone.

AAA recommends the following winter driving tips:

• Avoid driving while you’re tired. Get the proper amount of rest!!
• Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.
• Make certain your tires are properly inflated.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.
• If possible, avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy and snowy weather.
• Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
• Always look and steer where you want to go.
• Use your seat belt every time you get into your vehicle.
• Watch weather reports and do NOT drive in bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival.
• If you become snow-bound, stay with your vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Don’t try to walk in a severe storm.
• Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t clogged with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the passenger compartment with the engine running.

Tips for driving in the snow:

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
• The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
• Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
• Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed down hill as slowly as possible.
• Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
• Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate: If you don’t have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.

Keep in your car for safety during the winter:

• An ice scraper and brush – ASK CINDY FOR A SCRAPER!!
• Spray de-icer
• Cat litter – for getting out of a rut, for traction in the snow
• Collapsible show shovel
• Blanket
• Cell phone – know who to call in an emergency
• Flash light

 Au Pair in America was available to talk with families at the FREE Childcare and Pre-School Showcase at the Sachem Public Library.   

Families learned about Au Pair in America and how the program can be the answer their childcare needs!  Au Pair in America is flexible, dependable, affordable childcare with an enriching cultural experience for families!

Cindy Garruba, Local Community Counselor for Au Pair in America was there to answer families questions.  Cindy provides experienced support for her host families and au pairs having over 11 years of service as Senior Community Counselor in Suffolk County. 

Elsa, an au pair from Germany, gave first hand information on what an au pair can does for a host family!

Au Pair in America is the answer for busy families who need flexible, reliable childcare. 

A lucky local family won the raffle for $1200 off the cost of an au pair for a year!

MLK holiday celebrations in Suffolk County

By Newsday Staff

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
– Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Quote

Photo credit: Spin Cycle

The Martin Luther King Day federal holiday is Monday, Jan. 16 this year, and it will be marked in many ways by many organizations across Suffolk County. The following lists some of those observances.

Saturday

Sag Harbor: Canio’s Bookstore (290 Main St.) will commemorate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. by playing a video excerpt of his “Other America” speech. The Rev. Katrina Foster, of nearby St. Michael’s and Incarnation Lutheran churches, will lead a discussion on the ties between King’s speech in the ’60s and the current Occupy Wall Street economic revolt across America. The event begins at 5 p.m.

Sunday

Riverhead: The East End Voters Coalition will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a special program in the Riverhead Public Library from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Frances Brisbane, dean of the School of Social Welfare at Stony Brook University, will be guest speaker, and there will be a choir from the Living Temple Ministry of Center Moriches. Refreshments will be served at 5 p.m.

Monday

Huntington: The NAACP Huntington Branch will celebrate its Jubilee Program commemorating King’s birthday at 7 p.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church (291 Park Ave.). The keynote speaker will be Rev. Luonne Abram Rouse, pastor of the United Methodist Church of Huntington.

In NYC:

Harlem Gospel Choir in Concert – Children’s Museum of Manhattan

What better way to welcome the New Year then to watch the ball drop in Times Square?  Many Au Pairs have watched the ball drop on TV in their countries and dream of being there in person.  Many Au Pairs from Suffolk County Au Pair in America ushered in the New Year 2012 on a warm night in NYC!

Kristina Heinze says, “I spent with my friend and her parents new years eve in NYC at Times Square. We got tickets for the AMC theatre on 42nd street…they used the space there for parties…each floor a different party, different age group, different part of the society…to give you an idea: there was a family floor (which means also for kids…there was a age limit, so no babies, but still parents with kids),or there was a floor for the very very rich people (really expensive, prob best view to the ball of course) etc…  They opened the doors at 8 pm…we used the time to watch a movie inside the theatre which was also included in the price…around 10:45 pm we went outside, in front of the theatre…on 42nd street…we were able to see the ball! it was perfect! It is a really unique experience to wait with all the people there until midnight…everybody was cheering, talking, making noise…i really liked it. after midnight we walked closer to times square…confetti everywhere!!! in the air and on the street haha! 

Ana Rapljenović says, “I was on Times square for  New Year”s Eve with Dorcas Cristal.It was great.We came at 4 pm,and we were waiting 8 hours on the street.We met some other people and played with them some games like “Phone”…We were lucky because that day wether was great,it wasn”t cold..That would be really nice memory:))))”

Arzu Cheema says, “I went on New Years Eve to the Times Square. It was first a bit confusing because we din’t know where to go exactly. But when we were in our ‘’section” and it was okay. Because I was wearing  many clothes and it wasn’t that cold, I didn’t have any problems because of the weather. Then after waiting 5hours, the show started at 6pm. It was a bit sad that they just put the shows of the stars on one little screen on the Times Square. But all in all we had a good time and I would recommend this to everybody. It was nice that there were some pizza and drinks seller who walked around with their things in case you get really hungry or thirsty.”

This was a note sent to me from former au pair Jhessy Esgoti from Brazil:

“I am sending you this email just to let you know how things are.  It’s gonna be almost 6 months that I came back to Brazil and I still have the feeling that part of me is in the USA.  I’m pretty sure that I’ll have this feeling forever. I’m very happy that I came back as I’m with my family, friends and boyfriend (we got engaged in August).  I’m working as an English teacher at a language school and I’m also doing a master course in Linguistics.  I have nothing to complain about, but I miss my American family and au pair friends. 

I talk to my host mom and the kids almost twice or three times a month by Skype….it’s wonderful!! I’m very thankful for the au pair program, and to my counselor and host family.  I had the best family….the best friends…the best time of my life.  Thanks for everything!!

I just want that you to tell other au pairs that sometimes maybe they think about giving up… but tell them that it’s worth it in the end!!  It’s the most wonderful experience in a person’s life….

 I loved the courses that I did, the places that I visited, the friends that I made, the time that I spent with my family….and I grew up too…. It’s a life changing experience!!!” 

After the decorations are put away, the celebrations are over, the New Year has begun: and the post holiday winter blues are starting to hit you and your host family.  What can you do to get through the long cold winter months happily?

1. Get outside every day with the kids, bundle up and play outside.  Go to the park, take a walk, ride bikes; we have been having an unusually warm winter, so enjoy it!  If it snows, build a snowman, go sledding, have fun outside!
2. Stay on routine with the kids; get up on time, have breakfast, get to the bus stop on time.  Make sure homework is done and everyone gets to their activities on time.  Bedtime routines are important, make sure everyone gets enough sleep and that includes YOU!
3. Register for your classes, and get ready to start learning something new!
4. Call a friend and meet for coffee and conversation if you feel housebound. 
5. Set up a play date with another au pair and her host children (similar ages) and enjoy a day together! 
6. Join a gym with another au pair!
7. Use the library in your town.  Sign the kids up for free programs (talk to host parents about the programs!)  Join the English conversation group, improve your English and meet people!
8. Prepare a Global Awareness presentation for one of your host kids’ classes, ask me for help!
9. Volunteer at a local hospital, school, animal shelter, food bank if you have extra time on your hands and need to do something!  Doing for others is always an answer for the blues!!
10. Come to our meeting on Sunday, January 29^th and meet the SunTrek representative who will have wonderful trip ideas for your vacation and travel months!  Come see the SunTrek slide show with all the beautiful places in the USA to visit!!