Monthly Archives: December 2014

Michigan au pairs enjoy a special holiday treat

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Au Pairs from Au Pair in America had a true taste of an American holiday celebration at Ginopolis’ restaurant in Farmington Hills.

The holiday party started with a visit from Santa Claus who stood outside waving hello to the au pairs.   No one is too old for Santa and everyone wanted their photo taken.

After a lovely luncheon,  the fun games began.  One of the favorites was a gift passing game where au pairs formed one large circle and a holiday story about Mr. and Mrs. Right was read. Every time the word “right” was said, the au pairs had to pass their wrapped gift to their right and the same when the word “left” was read. Lots of laughter ensued as it was hard to keep up with the fast pace of passing the gifts.

Holiday singing followed with the group of 45 au pairs learning their part to the verses to the “Twelve days of Christmas” and singing all of the rounds.

The grand finale was a special version of TV show Project Runway where the au pairs had an opportunity to show their creative and artistic talents. Each of the five tables were given a bag of the same materials and told to select their model. They were given twenty minutes to design an outfit (dress and accessories). Pink and black was the color scheme and the materials were black gossimar paper, pink tolle (lace), a roll of pink crepe streamers, stick on jewels, two small pieces of aluminum foil, tape and scissors.

Each model walked down the runway while another au pair from her table described the dress and the idea behind their creation. Even though the au pairs are from many different foreign countries and all speak English, it was interesting how they used their language skills to describe the outfit and their model.  They did a wonderful job!!

It was very difficult to pick the best overall outfit since all five were so unique with very interesting and creative touches. The judges on the TV show Project Runway would have given lots of praise and positive comments and no one would have been eliminated.

Since the au pairs are far away from their country, family and friends,  they really enjoyed joining together for a holiday celebration.   Although missing their own special holiday traditions, they were eager to learn and experience new traditions while in the US and everyone left with big smiles and a great feeling of holiday spirit.

 

Au Pairs and families from Au Pair in America enjoy a wonderful International Taste Fest

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Au Pair in America held an International Taste Fest on Sunday Oct. 5, at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills. Over 30 au pairs from a variety of countries attended the event – most of them came with their host parents and children, making the crowd close to 100 people.

The au pairs each prepared a dish representative of their country. With delicious food from Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Namibia, Poland, S. Korea, South Africa, and Thailand, everyone could have a taste of traditional dishes from many different cultures.

For some au pairs, converting the recipes and measurements was a challenge but all of the food turned out flavorful and yummy. The au pairs from Germany and some other countries enjoyed having a big meal in the afternoon, much like they would at home. “So much food from so many countries” says Jieun (Jenny) Joo from S, Korea. “I believe our International Taste Fest was my favorite group au pair experience since I came to the US in June”.

Having an outdoor Fall picnic was lots of fun for the children, many of whom were adventurous enough to try the various dishes while they darted back and forth between the playground and the picnic area. To further the Global Awareness theme, when the children needed a break from the playground, they enjoyed coloring on Au Pair in America’s Global Awareness placements depicting a world globe surrounded by children. (Global Awareness is a unique educational program sponsored by Au Pair in America designed to promote multi-cultural understanding and appreciation in the schools.)

Since Au Pair in America is a child care/cultural exchange program, the au pairs also provided some interesting customs and facts about their country. These were compiled into a master list so they could be shared with their host families and with each other, too. Colorful miniature flags were displayed at the event as well as adding each country’s sticker flag to the take-home information.

Special guest, Ruth Ferry, Senior Vice President and Director of Au Pair in America, truly enjoyed meeting au pairs and host families from Michigan. Ruth says, “At Au Pair in America, we work hard at trying to help foster a partnership between host family and au pair that will support safe, loving care for your children and a secure environment for your au pair to experience life in America.”

Carol Benton and Linn Kereji, who organized and planned this special event for their two local cluster groups, have both been counselors with Au Pair in America for over 20 years. They are proud to be part of Au Pair in America’s team of over 180 counselors nationwide and to work for the most experienced live-in cultural child care program in the United States.

For those who may not know about our Au Pair in America program, au pairs are extraordinary young individuals between the ages of 18-26 who come to the US on a J-1 visa to acquire a better understanding and appreciation of American life while living with an American family and caring for their young children. Recruited from six continents, and over 60 countries, they represent diverse social, economic, educational and cultural backgrounds. They become full-fledged family members (“au pair” means “on par” or equal), sharing a cultural exchange experience that often leads to a life-long relationship with the host family. Au pairs provide in-home child care for up to 45 hours a week and while they come for one year, they are allowed to extend up to two years.

If you would like more information about hosting an au pair with Au Pair in America, please contact Au Pair in America.com or Carol Benton cbaupair@aol.com.

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Au pairs at our next cluster meeting toasting to the great success of our International Taste Fest.