Education Jobs Abroad

I think these were the most exciting and interesting six months I’ve had so far! This program offers a lot, language courses, cultural activities and a lot of support. The whole application process was very easy and smooth. The only thing one has to consider is that it’s always a bit unpredictable if it’s going to workout with your first host family. I’ve had the experience of changing families and I have to say that LoPair offered me a lot of help and support during that time. I didn’t feel alone and always had my local coordinator Mickey by my side. In the end I had such a lovely host family, I couldn’t have wished for a better match. They introduced me to the Chinese culture and showed me a lot of new places. I got to see many different places in China, with my host family and on my own! I think if you decide to join such a program you need to be able to communicate a lot and openly. It’s always about keeping an open mind and communication. Especially since one is entering a totally new environment and culture. Some cultural differences are normal! This program also offers a few cultural activities. For Christmas the agency invited the Au Pairs and their host families to a bakery to bake cakes. Overall I just wish we would have had a few more cultural activities. The language courses that are offered vary from the time of ones application. A few of my fellow Au Pairs went to a language school, while me and another Au Pair could attend a language course at an University. My first semester I had uni mostly in the morning for three hours every day. The course was intense but very fun! I got to meet so many new people from all countries. It’s such a good opportunity to meet and connect with people. So if one has the chance to take the course at Uni, I definitely suggest to take it! It will be a bit more time consuming but it’s worth it! Overall I would say this program is perfect for people who are looking for a new environment and experience. I can recommend going with LoPair to China!

I spent my summer in Beijing through the LoPair summer programme and it was the best summer of my life. I highly recommend LoPair and the summer programme particularly for any students like me who had some time between terms at university. I absolutely fell in love with China on my time here as I got to see so much of Beijing on my days off and while out with my host family. I also got to see Hangzhou (for orientation before heading to Beijing) and Shanghai at the end of my trip thanks to my host family! I would say that you should expect to be challenged by this experience but with the right mindset you’ll leave a new and improved person. Integrating into Chinese life, trying new food, learning to use chopsticks, appreciating a different culture and making lots of memories and friends were just some of the many things I gained from this experience. It was a lot of fun but I also left so much more confident and capable as an individual. I became very close with my host family and sibling and became part of their family life, enjoying meals together and spending time with them in their daily lives. I felt so comfortable during my stay at their home. I also really enjoyed the mandarin classes provided by LoPair! In just 2 months I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of Chinese and the group classes were always really fun and a great way to meet other au pairs. I would never have been able to do anything as unique as this had it not been for the LoPair summer programme and I am SO grateful that a classmate recommended it to me. The process was all really smooth, from the admin before you leave to getting oriented in China and the support you feel along the way.