Au Pair Chatter

From the Washington Post website, click image to read the article

I came across a great article in the Sunday Washington Post travel section about hostels in New York City. NYC is famous for a lot of things and expensive hotel rooms is one of them. Hostels have long been a popular lodging option for au pairs. This article reviews several of the hostels in NYC. Check it out here.

Check on the lower right side of my blog for travel links for au pairs. You will find links for some of the bus companies that travel between the DC area and NYC. With one of those and a youth hostel, you can put together an inexpensive weekend getaway to experience NYC.

If you are planning a trip to NYC or anywhere else, I recommend you sign up for Groupon and Living Social. You can receive daily deals for the cities of your choice. They also have Groupon & Living Social apps for your mobile phone and iPod.

Recommended items to have in the car in case of emergency

• Cell phone car charger
• Jumper Cables (be sure you know how to use them)
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Flares & Reflective triangles
• Bag of sand or kitty litter (to help if stuck in ice, snow)
• Small shovel, snow brush and ice scraper
• Extra windshield solvent
• Blankets and extra clothing
• Nonperishable food items and water (e.g.. snack bars)
• List of emergency telephone numbers on a card in the glove compartment
• Auto club card (AAA or roadside assistance)

Here is another post with a list of what to keep in the car glove box.

It is always a good idea to keep the gas tank at least half full at all times, especially in the winter.

American Institute For Foreign Study has a great educational program called Global Awareness. Global Awareness is designed to promote multi-cultural understanding and appreciation in elementary and middle school classrooms.  Au pairs volunteer in classrooms and other community settings, sharing their culture and language.

There was recently a Global Awareness competition where au pairs were encouraged to share ideas for games and activities from their homeland. Prizes were awarded for the best submissions. 

We have a winner in our cluster…

Flor from Guatemala!

Anyone who know Flor will probably not be surprised to hear that she won. She is a wonderful cultural embassador and a lot of fun to be around.   Congratulations, Flor!

 In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Au Pair in America and the beginning of legal au pair programs in America, we will be hosting a Cultural Fair on April 9th, 2011 from 1:00 to 3:00 at Glen Echo Park in Maryland. All of the clusters in the DC/MD/VA area will be participating. We expect to have au pairs representing over 25 different countries. 

This is a family event and open to the public. Anyone interested in learning about other cultures and the Au Pair in America program are invited.

This event will take place at the beautiful, historic Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park.

We Bring the World Together.

This year instead of snow, we had rain on our White House tour day.  But, it was still a great day to get a peak inside this fantastic building. In addition to the usual sights, we were able to see one of the rooms set up for a Super Bowl Party. I thought the choice of colors (a lot of pink) seemed a bit off for the Super Bowl. Maybe they just wanted to be careful not to take sides.

Since no photos are allowed inside, here are a few nice ones from outside. Not everyone from our group is pictured. This is as many as I could gather together for a group photo, standing in the cold and rain waiting outside. Special thanks to the office of Senator Ben Cardin, for assisting with our tour request and to my son, RJ for photography assistance.

Click on any of the pictures, to see it full size in our Cluster Photobucket Album.

This year’s game features the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Green Bay Packers. The Super
Bowl is the annual American Football championship and a popular time for friends to
gather in front of the TV. Each year millions of people watch the game, the half-time
show – or just the commercials! People will be talking about the commercials for days.

 To learn more about American football, visit HERE in the “Life in the US” section of the Au Pair in America website.

February 3, 2011 marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year.  Also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival is the most important traditional Chinese holiday.   2011 is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac.

Here are some links to learn more and find some related activities for kids:

Chinese New Year Info and Activities

Chinese New Year Crafts

Chinese New Year Printables

Our ski trip is just about a month away. Now is the time to buy your snow clothes to wear on the ski trip, if you don’t already have some.  If you wait too late in the snow season, it can be hard to find some of these items.

Here are some detailed instructions on the Ski Roundtop website. But, below is a list of the basic outerwear you want to have to stay dry and warm.

For Skiing/Snowboarding/Snow tubing

• Waterproof Snow Pants
• Gloves, hat, scarf and jacket (which you should already have)
• Waterproof Boots (for snow tubing)

Snow pants can be found at places like Sports Authority, Dick’s, Modell’s, REI and Bass Pro Shop as well as online retailers.  You can usually find an adult pair for $25-$40.  Most of you (au pairs in my cluster) are small enough that you could buy a pair of XL snow pants in the boy’s department.  Those will cost you less and can sometimes be found at places like Target, KMart and WalMart for $15-$25.

The ski resort will provide for your use: ski boots, snowboarding boots, skis, poles, snowboards and snow tubes.