What a gorgeous and fun day at the ballpark! Au pairs, thanks in part to a generous host dad who subsidized the seats to celebrate his son’s birthday and a host mom who gifted everyone with baseball caps, enjoyed a very American tradition. Our annual day at the ball park came complete with beautiful weather. Thanks to all who came out and all who cheered on their WA state baseball team, The Seattle Mariner’s!
Tag Archives: host family
Spring Has Sprung in Seattle – April 2017
Seattle is known for its rain, but we are lesser known for the beauty that comes from the rain. Au pairs, now making Seattle their home, have discovered a secret those of us who have lived here for years know all too well. Our springs are gorgeous. The Bellevue Botanical gardens hosted our hike last Sunday as we strolled about, reading how the city, not that long ago, was a gigantic blueberry bush and looked inside an Armenian American home from long ago – some of the first farmers from overseas making a life here on the Eastside. We capped the day with a conversation about summer safety. Along our day’s journey, we talked about homesickness and culture shock. Our walking opened the parts of our brains we needed to in order to support one another in this year’s emotional (but wildly rewarding) journey into self discovery through cross-cultural exchanging.
Carrots Just In Time for Spring – APs Volunteer for NW Harvest
We were few on a Saturday afternoon when many others were resting or shopping or traveling, but we had a lot of fun. This dedicated crew came to NW Harvest to pack nearly 5000 pounds of carrots for hungry families around WA state. That translated to close to 4000 meals to food banks in and around Seattle.
These ladies shared the social services found in their home countries and we discussed the US system. I do believe nothing was solved that day, but families were fed and that is action enough! Proud of these women for sharing their valuable free time to contribute to this cause. I certainly hope they are proud too. Even in a hair net.
We Are (also) Impatient Optimists (for peace)
The au pairs gathered at the Gates Foundation this month to bear witness to all the good works being done around the world and learn about US American philanthropy. The Gates Foundation made our international community feel right at home amongst those who cherish the idea of helping and understanding one another better on this planet we all share.
Resolutions – Conflict and New Year’s – Jan 2017
Au pairs gathered in my home to think about their new year’s resolutions, get to know one another more and discuss conflict resolution skills. (We really just had a nice, long brunch together as a family away from family!)
New Year’s resolutions included: saving money, being more positive, playing more sports, studying more English, taking a course that helps a resume, extending the program on the east coast, traveling more, making more friends, meeting as many people as possible, passing the TOEFL, reading one book per month, having fun in Canada, meeting more au pairs, planning the travel month, jumping from a bungee, shopping less, seeing a friend in Atlanta, learning as much about the US as I can, teaching my host kids more about my culture, staying true to myself and becoming confident, making the best of the rest of the au pair year.
Au Pairs Celebrate the Season Far from Home
A group of our dedicated au pairs came together in a host family’s home in Kirkland this season to be together as a community. We shared stories and holiday traditions (including home made delicacies from around the globe). We then partook in a white elephant where everyone was on their best behavior and stole nothing! Afterward we discussed how to overcome homesickness and hot travel spots were shared. Wishing everyone a magical season here in the US, sharing and learning all that you can.
A Non-traditional Thanksgiving – Bring on the Swedish Meatballs
International Education Week (IEW) has been designated as Nov 14-18 by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It comes just before the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This was a celebration of two cultures and their peacefully learning about one another’s differences, starting from a common ground with the most basic of human needs. Food!
Our Greater Seattle cluster event this month focused on how to best share their culture, gathering for our own “non-traditional” Thanksgiving dinner at IKEA. We had more meatballs and mac-n-cheese than might be found at most host family tables perhaps, but we enjoyed a shared meal none-the-less, and spent some time learning about each other and the important cultural stories we hold dear.
Young women from Croatia, Sweden, Portugal, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, and Brazil shared sports jerseys, picture books, money, candy, chocolate, common holiday traditions and thoughts on their exchange year in the US. The hope now is that they continue to share. With families. With one another. With their childrens’ classrooms. With a boys/girls club. With a church group. With a library. At a birthday party. Anywhere. With anyone. After all, cultural exchange is the name of our game and what makes our world an exciting place. APIA provides tools via our Global Awareness program.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my 20 year career within J-1 visa programs has been in watching young women from around the globe test their inner strength and find their outer voice. Yesterday this group below did just that. The fear of public speaking crosses cultures, so we talked about how to best overcome this – practice. The goal of the J-1 visa is to gain a cross cultural understanding, but then ensure that learning is spread to others. These ladies spoke out loud and proud and are just getting started in making this world a better place.
Click here to read more about Global Awareness, a program of Au Pair In America.
Click here to read more about the State Department’s IEW events and how people on visa exchanges around the US are sharing cultures and appreciating differences.
A Salmon’s Journey Upstream – An Au Pair’s Dilemma
This past Sunday, au pairs gathered in Issaquah to watch our WA salmon spawn – another quintessential Seattle experience for these world travelers. We talked with a fish docent to hear about how the salmon is born and returns at the end of their life to the same stream, feeling poetic for a group of young women leaving home for the first time, ready for life’s adventure away from home. We then crossed a bridge and sat in a patch of grass to discuss homesickness and culture shock. Au pairs also anonymously shared something they needed help with regarding child care- involving discipline, behavior around food, sibling rivalry or potty training. Their fellow au pairs then problem-solved these dilemmas real time, coming up with some solutions to the issue at hand and thereby supporting their fellow APIA community member. And this all in English – a second language for all… 
Rainier and her Marmots
This past Sunday was a bit cloudy, a bit rainy (some of us thought the sun may come out and donned shorts…ok one of us and it never did…), but a cheery day for an international community to come together to get to know one another. We found fewer views, but a plethora of animals. Chipmunks and marmots posed for us on rocks as the au pair crew of this 2016 hike ascended to new heights. Also of note, a nice sing-along to the top 40s, including our own Seattle boy, Macklemore. They are true Seattle-ites now!
Bainbridge Scavenger Hunting – August 2016
Au Pairs from around the world gathered on a small island in the PNW for a unique day of bonding and scavenger hunting. Our crew split up into teams and took to the streets of Bainbridge Island to explore and meet the locals while seeing the sites. The rain held up long enough for us to end the day with some delicious ice cream from Mora’s. A sweet end to a sweet day!
