Where have the past two months gone?

I am just about to complete two out of my three-month stay here in Beijing. Where has time honestly gone? So far, I have felt welcomed into a family with cultures far different from my own. I am teaching three kids who at the beginning were very shy, however now are so talkative and full of ideas that our lessons usually tend to overrun. One major difficulty I found was the language barrier, as many people here don't speak much English however with an adequate translator app, it was no longer a problem. Another was taxi fares - they can easily sniff out a foreigner and when they do, they'll triple your fair (I was charged 200 yuan for a 30 yuan fair). At times, I felt uncomfortable around taxi drivers so make sure to download Didi, which is the trustworthy Chinese equivalent to Uber.

My host family have been so wonderful and have even taken me on holiday to Guiyang, Xishuangbanna and Kunming. This programme is truly the cheapest way to experience the authentic taste of Chinese culture and living with a family speaking predominantly mandarin helps pick up the language a little easier too. However, while other au pairs weren't set one, I was given a curfew of 9pm, which I felt was quite restricting especially when trying to experience the nightlife here, so it's best to deliberate this if you're given one. The support given by the WAC team has been great too, more specifically from my coordinator Lizzie who has helped me out with countless of things - they are great to rely on when you need a rapid response or someone to talk you through the ins and outs of Beijing.

Before considering this programme, it's best to decide which age you'd prefer to tutor as kids of various ages learn at different speeds so decide beforehand which is best suited for you. It is also best to know that your working hours will be incredibly flexible so if you’re good at adapting to constantly changing routines then this is great for you. I would with no doubt suggest sending over an application if you’re willing to experience authentic Chinese culture at relatively low costs.