Friday nights with your friends from around the globe sometimes look like this! For some it was their first bowl and for everyone it was an opportunity to come together and chill after a long week with their American kids.
St Mark’s is one of Seattle’s oldest and most beautiful cathedrals in the city and the community (members and non members alike) gather weekly for a yoga practice and sound bath to unite the spirits and senses and share in a calm meditation. The practice is non-denominational and yoga is healthy for most bodies. Our au pairs enjoyed the sights and the sounds at St Marks and felt gratitude for our global community this month. Together we are stronger!
Au pairs gathered up – nearly 100 of us – and cheered on our favorite college team, the UW Huskies. We didn’t beat Illinois, but we had spirit and a very tight loss. New friends were made, chicken sandwiches won, half time safety quizzes quizzed and cheers cheered. Check out some of these shots from the game full of shots.
We are going on four years of our partnership with the Bellevue Police Department and Officer Craig’s innovative style of protecting and serving the community with his self defense community classes. This is the only police department in the world to offer such classes. Au Pairs learned how to not get involved with someone who is not making good choices by using three “C”s – Communication, Confidence and Crazy. Use your outstretched arms to indicate that you do not want that person to approach you. Say “back up” very loudly in a clear voice. And then use a “crazy” tone if needed to stop the perpetrator from thinking you will go quietly and easily with what they want. Au pairs learned moves to leverage the weight of someone off of them if they held a weapon. Saying “you don’t need the knife, I will do what you say” could help the situation. It was an informative and educational day practicing our power.
We strolled through the Bellevue Botanical gardens again for Garden Lights, shared what is happening in the end of the year in our own countries and ended with an anonymous white elephant gift exchange. Fun to have everyone in tow! Peace on earth.
This cluster meeting is quiet and calm. It’s a time for us to gather and just be. We got our craft on at Paint the Town and made some tiles, ornaments and pottery and it was good. https://www.paintthetown.studio
It was a spooky pre-Halloween walk around Pioneer Square, hearing the history of our new found home with newfound friends. Especially interesting was the story of Shelley‘s Leg, the history behind the purple glass, and the unfortunate glue fire that started at all. Boo! Thanks to our friends at https://www.beneath-the-streets.com/
The APIA peace keepers in our corner of the globe gathered up this past Sunday. We had 8 countries representing for our culture fair and the kids “traveled the world” to meet the au pairs and hear more about their countries. The weather kept dry and we had sunshine in our hearts, playing scavenger bingo, doing a spirited water balloon toss and getting to know one another. Thanks to our amazing au pairs and families who make the program all it is here in WA!
What fun it was to meet in Gasworks Park, get to know one another better with speed dating questions and decorate (and sign one another’s) trucker hats.
We met up in Arbor Heights Swim Club to celebrate the power of cross cultural exchanges and walking a day in someone else’s shoes. Shoes were donated, ice cream sundae’s made, high jumps crushed, volleyballs volleyed and swim quizzes guessed.
Here is more on the Exchange Day celebrated across the US and sponsored by the US government to help keep the world safe and secure: https://alliance-exchange.org/alliance-commentary/celebrating-an-american-superpower-exchange-day-2025/
