Monthly Archives: June 2022

Around the World in 80 Days – Bolivia

BOLIVIA

Western Central South America 
Capital: Sucre
Languages: Spanish
Predominant Religion(s): Christianity
(Roman Catholic)

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS:

 

  • Bolivian people describe themselves as friendly and hard working.
  • Bolivia people have strong family ties.
  • Traditions and culture are very important values for young people.

FUN FACTS:

  • The amazing “Cristo de la Concordia” statue in Cochabamba city is the biggest in the world; it was built in memory of Papa Juan Pablo II.
  • The green lake located in Potosi city at the foot of Licancabur, one of the largest active volcanoes, is one of the most wonderful lakes in the world. The green color is due to high levels of magnesium in the water.
  • The slowest flowering plant in the world comes from Bolivia. The “Puya Raimundi” is a very strange and unusual plant. Discovered in 1870, the flower only appears when the plant is 80 to 150 years old. Check out this video to see the Puya Raimundi plants.

USEFUL PHRASES:

  • How are you?             Como estás?
  • Fine, thanks.               Bien, gracias.
  • My name is…             Mi nombre es…
  • Nice to meet you!        Mucho gusto!
  • Thank you.                  Gracias.

For more info on Bolivia, check out the APIA Culture Quest site.

Around the World in 80 Days – Germany

Did you know that Germany has more bakeries and Germany eat more varieties of bread than most other countries (probably even with France for number of bakeries though)?
Many au pairs struggle initially with American bread as it is quite different for them. For example, American breads are sweet in comparison. For more discussion on the variety of favorite breads in Germany, visit  German Foods
“According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread (of course there is such a thing), there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country. And German bread culture was officially added by UNESCO to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2015.”
For the history of bread in Germany and its cultural relevance visit CNN Travel’s link for the full article.
Photo by Jim Rhodes {flickr}

Around the World in Days – Austria

AUSTRIA

Western Europe
Capital: Vienna
Languages: German
Predominant Religion(s): Christianity

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Austrians are open-minded, independent and polite.
  • They are motivated and hard-working.
  • Austrians are cheerful.

FUN FACTS:

  • “The Sound of Music” is a lot more popular around the world than in Austria!
  • Austria only has about 8 million inhabitants – that’s roughly the same population as Virginia!
  • German is the official language in Austria but there are a lot of different dialects in Austria’s different regions.

USEFUL PHRASES:

  • How are you?      Wie geht es dir?
  • Fine, thanks.       Gut, danke.
  • My name is…       Mein Name ist…
  • Nice to meet you.     Freut mich dich kennenzulernen.
  • Thank you.           Danke.

For more info on Austria, check out the APIA Culture Quest site!

Around the World in 80 Days – Melktert from South Africa

Melktert – South Africa

Melktert(or Milk Tart) is a Afrikaner dessert consisting of a sweet pastry crust containing a custard filling made from milk, flour, sugar and eggs. The ratio of milk to eggs is higher than in a traditional Portuguese custard tart or Chinese egg tart, resulting in a lighter texture and a stronger milk flavor.

Crust

1 Egg

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 pound butter

1 teaspoon of baking powder

5 drops of vanilla

Beat egg and sugar until the sugar is not visible.

Sift flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.

Add butter and lastly the vanilla.

Mix everything together

Press it into a tart pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min.

Rest of dough can be frozen for later.

 

Filling

2 tablespoons butter and 2 cups milk

Boil it with a pinch of salt.

In separate bowl, mix

2 tablespoons Corn Starch

4 tablespoons of sugar

1 beaten egg

Add it to the milk mixture

Cook it (for a little while) until a little stiff and toss in the crust.

Recipe by Danielle, an au pair from South Africa

Around the World in 80 Days – Australia

AUSTRALIA

Between the Indian Ocean and 
South Pacific Ocean
Capital: Canberra
Languages: English
Predominant Religion(s): Christianity

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Australians are quite direct and will freely discuss a range of subjects.
  • Most Australians grow up believing that everyone should have equal rights and be treated the same. Australia was the second country in the world to allow women the vote.
  • About 26% of the population was born overseas and 40% have a parent born overseas, so there is a lot of diversity. Many Australians feel that Australia has a culture and identity based on friendship, honesty, sports, and multiculturalism.

FUN FACTS:

  • The largest Greek population in the world other than in Athens is in Melbourne, Australia.
  • Australia was settled by convicts (criminals) sent over from the UK. The first police force was made up of the 12 most well-behaved convicts.
  • The black box, wine cask, bionic ear, ultrasound and pacemakers were all invented in Australia.
 

One style of Australian aboriginal art has an x-ray appearance to it. Learn more about this style and try making some x-ray art of your own.

Captain James Cook claimed Australia as part of the British Empire while he was looking for a southern continent. Learn more about James Cook and others who explored Australia.

In 1935, the chef of the Hotel Esplanade in Perth, Western Australia, Herbert Sachse,  created the pavlova to celebrate the visit of the great Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. Whilst it has been suggested this dessert was created in New Zealand, it has become recognized as a popular Australian dish. Pavlova Recipe

As Australia is an English-speaking country, the children there sing many of the same songs that we sing in the United States, but sometimes they sing a different version. Visit this site to compare the Australian version of familiar songs with the one you know.

Click on the link to learn more about Australia!

Photos by: Angela Thomas {flickr}, Martin Hipp {flickr}

Around the World in 80 Days: Kartoffelsalat German Potato Salad Recipe

Day Two of our Around the World in 80 Days series bring us to Germany to learn a recipe for German Potato Salad. There are several different versions of German Potato Salad, just like there are in America. This recipe calls for apples!

Potato Salad (‘Kartoffelsalat’)  

  • 800g (28 oz.) cooked potatoes
  • 2 onions
  • 100g (3.5 oz.) pickled cucumbers
  • 3 hard boiled eggs
  • 6 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 3 tbsp. liquid of the pickled cucumbers
  • 1 tbsp. mustard
  • Salt, Pepper
  • Optional: 1 apple

Wash potatoes, peel and cook them for about 20-25 minutes until they are fully cooked. Drain them, let them cool and cut them into slices or cubes (whatever you prefer).

Then, peel the onions and also cut them into cubes. Cut the pickled cucumbers, the hard boiled eggs (and the apple) in slices.

Mix the mayonnaise, the liquid of the pickled cucumbers and the mustard and mix it carefully with all the other ingredients. Salt and pepper and wait for at least 30 minutes until you serve it.

Recipe provided by German au pairs in Southern Maryland

Camp Au Pair – Pirates

Ahoy! Save yourself from walking the plank of summertime boredom this final week by checking out Au Pair in America’s summer fun theme PIRATES!

Virtual Field Trips:

Books:

  • How I Became a Pirate.  Pirates have green teeth—when they have any teeth at all. I know about pirates, because one day, when I was at the beach building a sand castle and minding my own business, a pirate ship sailed into view.
  • How to be a Pirate. CeCe dreams of being a pirate. When the neighborhood boys tell her that she can’t, she wonders where to begin. Luckily, she suspects her grandpa must know something about being a pirate–why else would he have all those tattoos?
  • Pirates Magnified! Ahoy, shipmate! Explore the lives of 10 real pirates and learn about life on the high seas, whilst using the magnifying glass—included inside the book’s foil-accented cover—to spot more than 200 pirate-themed items in 16 eye-boggling illustrations.
  • Pirate. A DK Eyewitness Book.Take a close-up look at the colorful–and cruel–robbers of the sea. Sink into this exciting introduction to the world of sea-thieves – their origins, adventures and blood-thirsty battles. Learn who devised the terrifying Jolly Roger, how a surprisingly disciplined life was maintained aboard pirate ships, and what cunning ruses pirates used to lure merchants to their doom. Everything you ever wanted to know from why European kings and queens encouraged piracy to what pirates ate at sea.

 

Photo by: Leonid Mamchenkov

Around the World in 80 Days – Argentina

Around the World in 80 Days!!

Summer break has officially arrived in Southern Maryland. Over the next 80 days (ending just before Labor Day), we’ll discuss different cultural things each day! From general country info to cultural norms to recipes and more!!

Let’s focus on global awareness and share some cultural experiences! Most importantly, share your culture with your host family. Incorporate games, books, songs, language, foods, etc into your host family’s lives. Cooking a dish from your home country is a great way to share. Discuss similar traditions and ones unique to your family or culture.

First up, let’s learn about Argentina!

ARGENTINA

South America
Capital: Buenos Aires
Languages: Spanish
Predominant Religion(s): Christianity
(Roman Catholic)

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Independent, mature, responsible, trustworthy.
  • Open to share their ideas or thoughts.
  • Open minded, flexible, ready to have a good experience abroad.

FUN FACTS:

  • Young people in Argentina love technology – they can’t understand how their grandparents survived without cell phones!
  • Argentine beef is famous around the world, so naturally Argentinean’s love bar-b-ques!
  • The Argentine city of Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world!

USEFUL PHRASES:

  • How are you?      Como estas?
  • Fine, thanks.       Bien, gracias.
  • My name is…       Mi nombre es…
  • Nice to meet you.     Encantada de conocerte.
  • Thank you.           Gracias.

There are twenty languages spoken in Argentina, most of them by small groups of indigenous people. The primary language in the country is Spanish.

Try some Spanish language activities. This site includes an on-line English-Spanish picture dictionary and an on-line Spanish-English dictionary, as well as information, quizzes and pictures to color.

This website is available in both English and Spanish. There are activities to download, stories to listen to, and much more!

Do you know any words in English that came from Spanish words? You can find the answer to this question and many other facts about our world at Infoplease.

Recipe:

Argentine Mashed Potato Pie

Ingredients –

  • 6-8 potatoes
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2-3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup green pitted olives
  • shredded cheese
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • paprika, salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Peel and boil the potatoes until done.
  2. Boil eggs for 15 min.
  3. Halve, peel and chop onion and pepper.
  4. Sauté onion and pepper until tender.Add beef to onion and brown well.
  5. Add paprika, salt and pepper.
  6. Add tomato sauce to beef, stir, and remove from heat.
  7. Add eggs, olives to beef mixture.
  8. Mash potatoes, add butter, milk and salt.
  9. Use half mashed potatoes to line a lasagna pan or other large baking pan.
  10. Pour in beef mixture.
  11. Top with remaining mashed potatoes.
  12. Sprinkle with shredded cheese on top.
  13. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes.

Submitted by Betiana Turteltaub, au pair in Villanova, Pennsylvania, 2004-2005

Photo: Jesus Dehesa {flickr}

Camp Au Pair – Kids in the Kitchen

Camp Au Pair is in the kitchen next week! As always, have a discussion with your host family about allergens and any food preferences they may have before beginning. This is a great resource for you to work with collaboratively with your host parents!

Feeling creative? Check out the Au Pair in America Pinterest board for some great ideas to get you started!

Field Trips:

Visit a local farm, farmer’s market or artisan shop. Some allow you to order online and pick up on site. Check with your host parents first and always practice social distancing as directed by local, state and federal guidelines.

Virtual Field Trip Options:

  • Take a virtual trip to the White House kitchen! Start at the 30 minute mark.
  • The American Egg Board has partnered with Discovery Education to bring modern egg farms into today’s classrooms through Virtual Egg Farm Field Trips. Join America’s egg farmers in exploring their farms! See where your eggs come from, then make an egg dish!

Videos:

Resources:

Let’s Create & Learn

Books:

  • Around the World Cookbook for Kids. Featuring more than 50 recipes for kid-friendly dishes from different countries, American Girl Around the World Cookbook will inspire young chefs to taste and learn about new cuisines while perfecting kitchen skills.
  • Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make you a Pie, by Edna Lewis. Edna Lewis was a prominent Black chef who championed the South’s regional cuisine, fresh ingredients, and farm-to-table before it was cool. Illustrations along with stories and songs about Edna and food guide kids through this book. Plus, there are five special recipes sprinkled throughout.
  • The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs.Want to make your own soft pretzels? Or wow your friends with homemade empanadas? What about creating a showstopping pie? Maybe some chewy brownies after school? From breakfast to breads, from cookies to cakes (yes, even cupcakes!), learn to bake it all here. You can do this, and it’s fun!

Who says you can’t play with your food! Have fun in the kitchen with your host kids!

Photo credits: Ruth Hartnup {flickr}, USDA {flickr}, soapydishwater {flickr}