Tag Archives: Around the World

Camp Au Pair – Global Awareness

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 family is a great way to share. Discuss similar traditions and ones unique to your family or culture.

Resources:

  • Use the APIA Global Awareness website for an amazing collection of resources!
  • Learn about various countries by visiting the APIA Culture Corner!
  • Listen to a story in English or Spanish (preschool and lower elementary level)
  • Think outside the box about how to still give informative glimpses of our various cultures! How about creating a display that we can capture clear pictures of? Making a short video? Possibilities abound!

Let’s Create & Learn:  

Check out:

 

Books:

  • This Is How I Do It: One Day in the Life… This fun and engaging workbook will get kids writing, drawing, and sharing while also learning about cultures and countries other than their own.
    • Includes drawing activities, postcards, sticker sheets, and a fold-out map
    • A die-cut cover for kids to draw their portrait and write their name on makes this activity book a keepsake to treasure
    • Encourages self-reflection while also teaching kids about different traditions and customs.
  • What We Wear.  A celebration of clothing in bright, beautiful photographs of exuberant and diverse children from around the world, WHAT WE WEAR: DRESSING UP AROUND THE WORLD inspires young readers to explore the way clothing makes them feel and how it tells the world who they are. What we wear can identify who we are: what team we play for or what team we root for, where we go to school, how we worship, or how we represent our heritage. What we wear expresses our individuality, and clothes can make us happy, confident, and proud.
  • The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World. Take a world tour through  200 countries with this brand new edition of the bestselling kids’ version of Lonely Planet’s popular The Travel Book, loaded with thousands of amazing facts on wildlife, how people live, sports, hideous and mouthwatering food, festivals and a wide range of other quirky insights on every page. Every single country gets its own dedicated page, and a mix of photography and beautiful illustrations brings each land to life.

Photo by {Rona Proudfoot}; hiritomo t {flickr}

Around the World in 80 Days – Slovakia

SLOVAKIA

Central Europe
Capital: Bratislava
Languages: Slovak
Predominant Religion(s): Roman Catholic & Protestant

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Slovak people describe themselves as friendly, open and talkative.
  • Slovaks are very hospitable, modest and sincere.
  • Slovaks have strong family ties.

FUN FACTS:

  • Slovakia has the world´s highest number of castles and chateaus per capita.
  • Slovakia has more than 6,000 caves.
  • Slovakia has more than 1,300 mineral springs.

USEFUL PHRASES:

  • How are you?             Ako sa máš?
  • Fine, thanks.               Dobre, ďakujem.
  • My name is…              Volám sa…
  • Nice to meet you!        Rada ťa spoznávam!
  • Thank you.                  Ďakujem.

Photos by: Jiri Brozovsky {flickr}; Govisity.com

Around the World in 80 Days – Kladdkaka

Swedish Kladdkaka (Sticky Chocolate Cake) Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour 
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
  • 1 pinch salt 
  • 2 eggs 
  • 1 ⅓ cups white sugar 
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
  • ½ cup butter, melted 

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
  2. Lightly grease an 8-inch pie plate.
  3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
  4. Stir the eggs into the sugar until smooth.
  5. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until combined.
  6. Pour in the vanilla extract and butter and stir until well combined.
  7. Pour into prepared pie plate. 
  8. Bake on the lower rack of the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the center has slightly set.
  9. Allow cake to cool for 1 hour in the pie plate.
  10. Serve warm, or refrigerate overnight and  serve cold. 

Read more about it – Kladdkaka

Photo by: Sebastian Dooris {flickr}

Around the World in 80 Days – Serbia

SERBIA

Central/Southern Europe
Capital: Belgrade
Languages: Serbian
Predominant Religion(s): Christian Orthodox

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Serbians, especially those who are interested in the Au Pair in America program, are usually open minded, polite and really great with children.
  • Serbians are usually neat and well dressed and like to follow contemporary trends. They take pride in their appearance.
  • Serbians are considered as friendly and warm, and they like to talk.

FUN FACTS: 

  • Serbians generally enjoy life and love playing with children. They regard them as individuals that need special attention in order to become self confident, and they love having fun with them.
  • Serbia is at the top of the global export list for…raspberries!
  • The Serbian clock-making industry is even older  than the world-famous Swiss one. The Serbs had their own clock 600 years before the Swiss!

USEFUL PHRASES:

  • How are you?             Kako si?
  • Fine, thanks:               Dobro, hvala.
  • My name is…:             Moje ime je…
  • Nice to meet you.:        Drago mi je da smo se upoznali.
  • Thank you.:                  Hvala.

Photos by: Filip Maljkovic {flickr}; flowcomm {flickr}; Mirkoni M. {flickr}

Around the World in 80 Days – Russia

RUSSIA

Asia
Capital: Moscow
Languages: Russian, many minority languages

  • English is compulsory in Russia.
  • Classes begin at an early age.
  • The idea of being an au pair is common in Russia.
  • Applicants from Russia are motivated by opportunities to improve their English.
  • The job potential of an au pair improves upon her return to Russia.
  • Applicants sometimes have difficulty affording the program fees. Many applicants are teachers who are paid low wages.
  • Young people in Russia have the freedom of their family to socialize and date.
  • Curfews are not common.
  • Young women are accustomed to sharing in household chores.
  • Russians are cheerful, cordial, and have a great love for children. Russians are very open and honest and like to discuss problems and situations.

Photos by: Andrey Filippov {flickr}; flowcomm {flickr}

Around the World in 80 Days – German Potato Pancakes

German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer) Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

  • 5-6 potatoes 
  • 3 eggs 
  • 1 small onion (grated) 
  • 1 teaspoon of salt 
  • 4 teaspoon of flour 
  • butter or oil 

Instructions: 

  1. Grate potatoes. Be sure to remove any excess moisture by squeezing grated potatoes in a dish towel. 
  2. Place all ingredients into bowl (except butter) and mix.
  3. Put enough butter/oil for frying into a pan. Pour about ½ cup of batter into pan and fry about 3-4 minutes on each side. Repeat until batter is gone. Add butter/oil when needed. 
  4. Eat plain or with apple sauce or jam! 

Photo by: Krista {flickr}

Around the World in 80 Days – Hahnchenschnitzel

Breaded Chicken (‘Hähnchenschnitzel’) – Germany

 Amount depends on how many Schnitzel you want to make.

  • Chicken breast 
  • Flour
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Oil

Mix the eggs with a splash of milk and stir it. Put flour on a plate, bread crumbs on another plate and the egg-milk-mixture on a deep plate (or a large bowl). Then dredge the chicken breast in the flour, dip it in the egg-milk-mixture (and allow it to drip off for a few seconds) until you bread the chicken breast with the bread crumbs.

Put (lots of) oil in a pan, heat it and put the breaded chicken breast in the pan. Fry the chicken breast on each side (it literally has to swim in the oil) and turn them. A perfect Schnitzel is golden brown and often served with a lemon slice. Before serving, put the chicken breast in a paper towel to drain the oil off.

Photo by: WordRidden {flickr}

Around the World in 80 Days – Norway

NORWAY

Europe
Capital: Oslo
Languages: Bokmal Norwegian, Nynorsk Norwegian, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Diet

  • Most young people in Norway eat meat.
  • Vegetarianism is not common.
  • The typical diet in Norway includes seafood, meat, dairy and fruits.

Religion

  • The most common religion in Norway is Lutheran.
  • Most young people in Norway do not practice their religion regularly.

Education

  • Approximately 50% of young women continue their studies at university.
  • Those who do not attend university study in professional schools, or work in offices or retail stores.
  • The academic year in Norway starts in August and ends in June.
  • University is free is Norway. The most important educational opportunity is to improve their English.

Famous Things:

Norway is famous for it’s fjords and the northern lights! No where else can match Norway on the fjord front – there are more than a thousand of them dotting the country’s coastline. Most people visit at least one, but it’s worth trying to visit classics like Lysefjord and Hardangerfjord (home to the Trolltunga rock formation). No trip to northern Norway would be complete without spotting the northern lights. You can see the aurora pretty much anywhere in the central or northern parts of the country, as long as the weather is good.

Photos by: Patrick Nouhailler {flickr}; Gunnar Hildonen {flicker}

Around the World in 80 Days – Spanish Shrimp & Rice

Spanish Shrimp and Rice: 

Ingredients:  

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • 1 small onion (chopped) 
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric 
  • 1 medium tomato (chopped) 
  • 1 small carrot (diced) 
  • ½ red pepper (diced) 
  • 1 lb. of shrimp 
  • 1 ½ cup converted rice 
  • 1 tablespoon parsley 
  • ½ cup peas 

Instructions: 

  1. Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, turmeric and cook for about 3 minutes. 
  2. Add tomato, carrot, and bell pepper and cook until tender.
  3. Add ¾ teaspoon of salt and pepper and shrimp. Cook for about 1 minute.
  4. Add 2 cups of water, rice, ½ tablespoon of parsley and bring to a boil.
  5. Lower heat to medium low, and cover skillet for about 15-20 minutes.
  6. Add remaining parsley and ½ peas and cover skillet for 5 minutes.
  7. Fluff rice and serve. 

Photo by: www.bluewaikiki.com {flickr}

Around the World in 80 Days – New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND 

Oceania
Capital: Wellington
Languages: English, Māori

Au Pairs in General

  • The idea of being an au pair is not well-known in New Zealand.
  • Applicants from New Zealand are motivated by cultural curiosity.
  • The job potential of an au pair improves upon her return to New Zealand.
  • Applicants do not have difficulty affording the program fees.
  • Young people in New Zealand have the freedom of their family to socialize and date.
  • Curfews are not common.
  • Young women are accustomed to sharing in household chores.
  • The people of New Zealand describe themselves as reserved, friendly, and hard working.
  • Others may consider New Zealanders’ style of communication confrontational. This stylistic  cultural difference should be taken into consideration when they are encouraged to speak their mind.
  • The academic year in New Zealand starts in February and ends in November.

Photos by: Pedro Szekely {flickr}, John Fowler {flickr}, Bernard Spragg NZ {flickr}