Yearly Archives: 2013

Erika Talks about Bolivia to Children at St. Paul’s Episcopal School

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On March 8, I did my presentation at my little host brother’s school and it was so beautiful.  The best experience I had ever!!!  Just entering the classroom, all the kids looked at me and asked each other who I was, and everyone welcomed me with a smile and saying HI. It was very nice.

I started talking about myself, and then I spoke about my country.

First, I pointed out where exactly Bolivia is located in the map of South America. Then I showed them the map of my country where I also pointed out where exactly I live, how many states we have, and what kinds of weather we have.

After that, I explained to them what were the most important symbols of my country by showing them pictures. Also, I talked about the flag and its colors. But what most caught their attention was the shield/coat of arms of my country because it has two very famous animals of my country like “llama and condor”.  Moreover, I brought more pictures of those animals and they enjoyed so much watching those pictures.

Also, when I asked them if they can tell me my flag’s colors in Spanish, many of them did it correctly. They knew the colors in Spanish very well and almost everyone raised their hands to say something. They all wanted to participate in the presentation.

However, the most exciting part was at the end of the explanation. That is because, when I started to talk about the tourist and historical TIWANAKU, they were fascinated by the architectural work made in stone. Furthermore, I showed them some examples that I brought from my country like the sun gate and a monolith (la puerta del sol y un monolito).

Finally, we had coloring activity and the best ones won gifts, which were the sun gate and the monolith. However as it was so hard to choose the winners, there were five winners, so I had to give pictures to the last three.

IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!

Volunteering at Rock'n'Roll Marathon

Getting up at 5am on a Sunday morning was a bit of a challenge, but au pairs were totally cool to forgo sleep in order to help out at the Rock’n’Roll Marathon.  As the first runners crossed the finish line, au pairs greeted them with mylars, bananas, pretzels and, of course, big SMILES.  It was impossible not to admire the runners’ stamina and determination. Who knows, next year there may be some au pairs crossing the finish line too…

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Ogden Museum of Southern Art

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On Sunday, au pairs paid another visit to the New Orleans Arts District, this time so see the exhibitions at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art which showcases the art of the region.

With several floors of fine paintings, collages, installations, video presentations and sculptures, each au pair had a chance to find her favorite piece. Many liked the contrast between the modern building and surrounding old architecture. They also enjoyed the sweeping view of the city from the upper floor balcony.

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Celebrating Mad Mardi Gras

Au pairs had a “mad” experience during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

What did they like about it?

Everything!!

Extravagant floats, shiny doubloons, pounds of beads, King Cakes with babies or just cheesecake, dancing cheerleaders, stomping brass bands, flying moon-pies, eye-popping costumes, and crowds of revelers thronging the streets day and night made for unforgettable time.

Some celebrated with their host families, others with friends, but all with the like-minded Mardi Gras lovers!

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“I really enjoyed Mardi Gras in New Orleans, I think everywhere else it’s just another Tuesday in February but not in here, there are a lot of things going on, like parades for example, people come from all over the country to celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans and to have fun! I had a blast! It was really crazy:) — Marta from Poland

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I had a wonderful time during Mardi Gras, made the whole experience of being in the US amazing… — Mbali from South Africa

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Mardi Gras 2013 is the best experience I made so far being in the United States. It is much better than the “Karneval” in Germany. But the saying should be: “Throw me something that fits.”   =) Sarah from Germany

Saint Valentine's Day

A little history about Saint Valentine’s Day:

On Thursday, February 14th we celebrate Valentine’s Day in the United States by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. We do this in honor of Saint Valentine. You may be wondering, “Who is St. Valentine”? Time to brush up on your Valentine’s history!

Legend has it that Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. The Emperor at that time, Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger army. Supposedly, Valentine, decided this decree was not fair and married young couples in secret. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine’s actions he had his head cut off making him a martyr of love.  Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor’s daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first ‘valentine’ himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it ‘Your Valentine’, words still used on cards today.

Perhaps we’ll never know the true identity and story behind the man named St. Valentine, but this much is for sure…February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentines ranks second only to Christmas in number of greeting cards sent.   For some fun children’s activities including crafts, coloring pages, games, puzzles and poems go to:

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/index.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/valentines-day/

Mardi Gras Safety

Dear host families and au pairs,

Many of you have been celebrating carnival for days and au pairs attended parades with host families and on their own. However, the final days of the carnival and Mardi Gras itself bring the excitement, entertainment, and the size of crowds up to a different level and I’d like to share with you a few words of advice and caution.NOLMardiSafety

CHILDREN SAFETY

If au pair goes to the parade with her host family, it is very important to discuss beforehand and in detail the following issues:

1. Will au pair be working or just hanging out with the family?
2. If she’ll be working — what EXACTLY will be her duties.
3. If she’ll be looking after a particular child — which one and what she should do when the child gets tired, bored, overexcited, hungry etc.
4. Rules regarding bathroom use.
5. Rules about hand holding and crossing/approaching the street.
6. Rules about NOT coming close to the floats to receive hand-out toys or special beads. If the child is offered a special item, it must be PARENTS who bring the child to the float to receive it, not au pair.
7. Rules about staying close together and not straying with/without child in pursuit of beads/doubloons.

AU PAIR SAFETY

The rules are common-sense but worth repeating:

1. Do not bring valuables to the parade. That includes money, credit cards, expensive electronics and jewelry, etc.
2. Carry your ID, credit card & some cash in a bag that you can keep track of at all times. Keep it zipped and close to your body.
3. Be mindful and protective of your expensive camera if you decide to bring it with you.
4. If you stop for a drink or snack don’t leave your purse or camera on the chair or table even if your friends promise to watch them. Always have them with you.
4. Don’t park on median (neutral ground) unless you want to get a ticket. Meter maids go out in force to give out plenty of parking tickets during Mardi Gras.
5. Be friendly but cautious when making friends. Do not go into people’s houses if you don’t know the owners and never wander away into secluded area (night or day).
6. Remember that in Louisiana legal age for drinking alcohol is 21 years old.
7. Trust your gut. If you have a funny feeling about a person or a situation walk away and join your friends or seek a busy place with other visitors.

LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER!


SUPER BOWL!!

Hi ladies,

We’ve been talking about SUPER BOWL for a while now, and TODAY IS THE DAY!!NOLSuper Bowl 2012 NO

Yes, this year New Orleans has the honor of hosting the Super Bowl for the tenth time. No doubt you’ll be watching THE GAME with your host families, so I thought you’d like to know a few facts about it.

  • The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) which represents professional football at the highest level in the States.
  • New Orleans hosted 9 out of 46 Super Bowls and now we’ll catch up with Miami which held it the record ten times.
  • Super Bowl is the final game of the season that starts in the late summer of the previous calendar year.
  • The game is always played on what’s called the “Super Bowl Sunday”, and for many it’s one of the the most important days in the year, on a par with the New Year Day or Thanksgiving. Yes, ma’am!
  • Tickets to Super Bowl cost between $850 and $1,250 (and much more if you buy from scalpers!)
  • Our New Orlean’s team, THE SAINTS, won Super Bowl 44 following the 2009 season. The game was played Feb. 7, 2010 in Florida and people danced in the streets of New Orleans until wee hours!!! 🙂
  • The broadcast is often the most watched television program of the year. Wiki claims that “Super Bowl XLV, played in 2011, became the most-watched American television program in history, drawing an average audience of 111 million viewers.”  (Population of the USA is a little over 300 million.)
  • Because of the tremendous viewership (not only in the States but across the globe) the TV advertisements aired during Super Bowl cost a huge amount of money to make and to place. Consequently, they’ve become an important side show and the public eagerly waits to see which company will come up with the cleverest take.
  • Finally, why the bowl in the Super Bowl? The name comes from the shape of the football stadium which is often like a bowl.

Enjoy THE GAME!

GROUNDHOG DAY

Dear au pairs,

In New Orleans, with our beautiful winter weather, we don’t particularly care what the groundhog says, but your au pair friends in the North, especially Pennsylvania, awaited February 2nd eagerly to see if spring is coming. And what does groundhog have to do with the spring?  Well, see below.

Groundhog Day in the US is February 2nd, when the groundhog, also known as whistle pig, wakes up from hibernation and climbs out of its burrow. On a sunny day it sees its shadow and goes back to sleep for six weeks because a sunny day indicates a late spring, Cloudy day and no shadow means winter is over! German settlers who brought this tradition from their native country celebrated the first official Groundhog Day on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

To find out more about Groundhog Day traditions and see some cute pics you can go to:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/02/groundhog-day-facts-2013-trivia_n_2600485.html

Flu Season – Helpful Tips

Dear host families and au pairs,

See below helpful tips from the Center for Disease Control on preventing the spread of germs and dealing with flu-like symptoms.

Since some of the recommendations are open to interpretation (ex. avoid contact with sick people), it is recommended that host families and au pairs discuss the proper procedures in sufficient detail to make it clear what is appropriate and expected in a given household.

Helpful Tips

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has helpful tips on everyday preventive actions to STOP the spread of germs:

1. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

2.  If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)

3. While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

4. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

5. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol based rub.

6.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

7. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

8. To find out more information about the flu and how it may affect you visit the CDC website at cdc.gov

Pinata-making Workshop

PINATA is a one of the most enjoyable imports from Latin American countries that has made countless appearances across the country at children’s birthday parties. It is a large, brightly decorated container made of paper-mache (often in the shape of an animal, star, or cone) and suspended from a height. Blindfolded children attempt to smash it with sticks to release candy and toys contained within.NOLPinataworkshop


On a Saturday afternoon au pairs joined piñata-making workshop presented by Scarlett Alaniz at the Newcomb Art Gallery in the Waldenberg Art Center on Tulane campus. Immediately after, Rosy, au pair from Mexico, shared with other au pairs her tips on making piñatas in a slightly less elaborate but equally successful way.  No doubt a few home-made piñatas will soon show up at kids’ parties in the area.

After singing Happy Birthday to Esther from Spain and enjoying both B-day cake and Mardi Gras King Cake, au pairs decided to have some more fun at the parade. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

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