Why did you pick this program?
I chose to become an Au Pair in China because, after studying Mandarin for three years in an academic setting, I wanted to really immerse myself into Chinese culture and language. Living with a Chinese family was just the perfect way to achieve this, with the added value of caring for children: nobody speaks a simpler language than kids! After vetting quite a few agencies (see: checking until around page 56 of the Google results to check if MAYBE there was another agency I didn’t find earlier), I opted for Lopair’s program for many a reason. They seemed professional and reliable, they had very reasonable prices for very convenient benefits, they had a great availability of placement cities and they really cared about my safety, which is the reason that made me turn to an agency in the first place. In addition, they were the only agency that had a representative who spoke Italian, giving me a little bit of an extra security that I really appreciated.
What do you tell your friends who are thinking about going abroad?
DO IT. At your own pace, choosing the destination and program that best fit you, for two weeks or a year, but do it! Going abroad will make you a better version of yourself, always. You will discover parts of yourself you didn’t even know existed, building not only practical skills (like language knowledge) but also confidence, flexibility and open-mindedness, skills that will benefit your career and every other aspect of your life in the long run. This is true for every country, but especially for China: in a nutshell, once you were able to buy a ticket and get on the right train, to find the right groceries at the market without help or to figure out how to use Facebook despite the Great Firewall, you really feel like you will be able to solve every problem life could ever throw your way.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Being an Au Pair in China is equally challenging and rewarding. To get to the reward part, however, you will need patience, flexibility, and a great deal of sense of humor! It is important to always keep in mind the glasses metaphor: our culture is like a pair of colored glasses that we wear at all times, to the point where we don’t realize it anymore. While we may be used to see the world through light blue lenses, for another culture green might be the norm; the point is, normality is a very relative principle. The key is to always keep an open mind, to try to see things from the other’s point of view and, to make all of this easier, to avoid building strong expectations in the first place.
What's your favorite story to tell about your time abroad?
One of the funniest things about my experience abroad actually happened back home! I’m talking about the faces that my friends and family back in Italy make every time they witness the “weird” habits that I picked up abroad. Drinking hot water, choosing niangao (sticky rice dumplings) over spaghetti, complaining about not being able to haggle in stores or markets are just a few examples of behaviors that are totally normal for me now, but baffle the people who only knew my previous, Italian self
Is China a safe country?
When it comes to the decision to become an Au Pair in China, a very common concern is safety. Is China a safe country? Will Chinese families respect the agreement? What if I have a problem, a misunderstanding or an accident? For me, the answer to all of these was contacting an agency. Whenever I had a doubt about my duties or my family’s expectations, I could contact Lopair’s local coordinator, who would give me advice and explanations. If I had any problem related to Mandarin classes, I could always call the class manager to find a solution. When one of my fellow Au Pairs had issues with her family, Lopair helped her find a more suitable one. An agency is a safety net that I would definitely recommend, especially when traveling to a country with such a different culture and language as China.