Our crew gathered in West Seattle this month for some pie tasting and craft making. Johanna from Germany led us in a Blidergebnis fur Laternen craft. The story goes that St Martin, being a kind man, cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm. On Nov 11, this day celebrates altruism and modesty. Since APIA is all about sharing, we thought it relevant this season. Thank you to our host families who sharing their Thanksgiving tables with young women from around the world!
Brazil in the house! Celebrating birthdays and eating cheese bread. D. Lish.
90+ APIA fans headed up into the clouds of Mt Rainier at Paradise. We didn’t have clear skies, but we didn’t have rain either. And while the beauty of the mountain might have alluded us in the bigger picture, we did enjoy the wild flowers, wild beasts (some even caught a glimpse of a bear) and one another in the wild. A bit of speed dating on the way up on the bus and we are off to another beautiful fall season as a community of interculturalists, set to support one another on this cross-cultural journey.
Au Pair In America has the best cross cultural child care community out there. Yep, I said it. (and I used alliteration for bonus points…). This WA community gathered to celebrate our connections – people who are globally minded, adventurously spirited and just good ole’ kid fans. And boy did those kids party. We were 165 people and 12 nations strong in Redmond with our multi-cluster day: sharing culture in a culture fair put on by hard working and proud au pairs, throwing water balloons, scavenger hunting, tattooing, face painting and crown making.
Our cluster gathers more intimately monthly for coffee meetings around town and this month, we hit the pool and left the coffee behind. Au pairs gathered for sandwiches and ice cream at the Arbor Heights pool in West Seattle. Delightful to soak with this crew and just unwind. #welovesummer
Au pairs gathered for our annual Mariner’s baseball game this past weekend. It was a beautiful sunny day spent watching a very American past time in a city that the world is also enjoying. Play ball!
Symbolism abounds in our day together. The counselor is lost. Two au pairs lead the way with better hiking apps and we find ourselves on the No Name trail and have a time. Our adventuous group stops along the way to count our gratitudes and eat some Seattle chocolate and ends our time by sharing what challenges us, but also what we are hopeful for. Heard in conversations, “I’m grateful for the woman I am right now.” Great final words for this Sunday.
How many pictures can we take? Ladies were looking great in the sunshine, in the press boxes and in the locker rooms at the Century Link stadium tour. It was really fascinating to hear about the history of the spot where our Seattle Seahawks play and we had a fine time spending time with one another as 12s on a gorgeous day.
Nothing better than the power of a strong woman! We were 110 au pairs strong from around the globe watching these young UW college basketball athletes. Our joint cluster event was an inspirational success this January. Go Huskies! http://gohuskies.com/index.aspx?path=wbball
We had an important week last month in the year of a J-1 visa exchange – IEW was Nov 13-17!
https://eca.state.gov/programs-and-initiatives/initiatives/international-education-week
In light of this IEW, our cluster event was about how best to share our cultures. Thanksgiving itself was the celebrations of two cultures getting to know more about one another, starting from common ground with the most basic of human needs. Food! Nearly 40 au pairs brought money, flags, stories of their sisters and grandmothers, and many other items that represented home to them. And one au pair from Brazil shared how she shared – her tips and tricks for the Global Awareness presentations that APIA supports and encourages. Thank you, Danielle!
Mutual respect for diversity and this inclusive community are inspirational to watch in action. That, after all, is the heart of the Thanksgiving holiday…
