I was matched with a host family in Shanghai with two kids. The family lived in a really nice villa about 30 minutes from the downtown area. The kids went to an international school, so their English was already pretty good. The family was really kind and made sure I was comfortable, and I felt supported. Au Pair Elite also checked in on me a lot, and I could message them anytime with questions. There is an American expat working for the company, so he was awesome about giving me tips about living in China. It was good having someone who had gone through the process themselves, especially when getting my visa and first arriving in China.
My host family had cars, so we would sometimes go on weekend trips or go camping. During the October holiday, we went to a place called Moganshan and stayed at this really beautiful resort.
During a year in China, I managed to learn a lot of Chinese. I can have full conversations now and read and write at least at an intermediate level. I made some good friends also learning Chinese, so it was fun to practice together.
I want to say a big thank you to Au Pair Elite for making my time in Shanghai awesome. They helped me a lot, all the way through the process. They did an orientation when I first arrived, and it made it much easier to recover from the jetlag before moving in with the family. They also helped me get my phone set up and open a bank account. For anyone thinking about being an au pair, I recommend Au Pair Elite. They really care about making sure you feel safe and secure!
What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
I am not a picky eater at all, so I wanted to try everything. I love spicy food so we would sometimes go to hotpot restaurants where they serve very "unusual" food. I have to say the weirdest thing I ate was a cows stomach, although I really liked it!
