3 months in Shanghai

I found WAC through a website called apupair.com. I had not decided on the country I wanted to au pair in, nor had I planned to go through an agency. But after chatting with the WAC team I decided to give it a try. I skyped with two families before I found my match. I was so nervous and clueless about what to expect from the culture, the family and as an au pair. What I read online was mostly people with bad experiences from au pairing in China. But when I arrived I was pleasantly surprised. My host family and I got along very well and I was included in most family activities. It took a while for the kids to warm up to me, but we had a blast once they did.

Looking back I am so happy I chose to go through an agency. I have heard of people who opt not to, but it was very nice having someone to help with the visa application, the language barrier, and so may other things. I'm also happy I chose WAC, simply due to the support I got from Hazel as well as the personal feel to it all. Shanghai is a great city and although it is not like the rest of china, it is a great place to start. It was nice having such a large expat community in the city, especially when you get a little homesick or miss western food :)

I would highly recommend anyone considering au pairing in China to do so. It didn't always run smoothly or as planed, but it was an amazing experience. The culture shock is real, so be prepared for some weird, annoying and funny moments. Also, one thing that I was not prepared for was the fact that you are more of an English teacher than a traditional au pair. In no way was this a bad thing, it was just not entirely what I expected.