Au-pairs Needed ASAP for Fall Placements

Cultural Embrace currently has many families in Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Spain, and Italy who are looking for Au-pairs to begin this fall and care for their children throughout the academic year. As an Au-pair, you're much more than a hired-hand of a nanny--you're a part of the family! As the new coordinator for Cultural Embrace's European programs, I've previously served as a teacher in a Texas middle school with Turkish administration, so

I share your love of interesting cultures and the learning moments they lead to.

To qualify for the program, you must be between the ages of 18-30, have childcare experience, and a beginner's knowledge of the host country's language.

Our Germany and Netherlands programs are new additions. If you've ever considered being an Au Pair in a European country, consider Germany! Known as the land of poets and thinkers (Einstein, Kafka, Mozart, etc.), Germany also offers great opportunities for exploration of cuisine, cinema, and sports (not to mention being the transportation hub of Western Europe!). Now, for some details on just a few of the German families we have available:

• Michelstadt, Hesse (rural area)

A lovely family with one 6 year old girl, looking ASAP. The Au Pair doesn't need to drive but must be a non-smoker. Main duties are walking the girl to and from school, preparing lunch, playing games, and light housework for ~30 hours a week. Includes a private room, shared bath, and $340/monthly. Start is ASAP for 6-12 months. I've also attached a picture. :)

• Geiben, Hesse (university town)

Family of a single mother, girl (10), and a boy (6). Language school is in walking distance. Duties include bringing children home from school, playing, preparing dinner, and housework for ~26 hours/week. Private room and shared bathroom, and $360/month are included. Start is ASAP for one year.

• Espelkamp, North Rhine-Westphalia (rural area)

Family with three children, ages 13, 9, and 7 seeking Au Pair who can drive. They also have five guinea pigs, a cat and a horse (but Au Pair is not responsible for animals' care). Language school in walking distance. Includes private room and bathroom, and $340/month. Start: November 2010 for one year.

• Wiesban, Hesse (capital city)

A family with two children (6 and 8). The family's hobbies include skiing, biking, barbecue parties, and traveling. Duties include taking children to and from school, homework help, playing, and reading to them. Private room and bathroom, and $450/month.

In France, Spain, Belgium, Holland, and Italy, we have many families looking for Au Pairs to begin in September and October. One family in Paris with three children (twins aged 14, and one 8) offering a private bedroom and bathroom and $400/month, looking for 10 month commitment beginning in October. Another family in Levallois Perret with three children (3, 1, and 6months) offering a private bedroom, bathroom shared with kids, and $500/month, looking for September 1st for 10 months. And many more families in Paris, Joinville le Pont, Neuilly, Chatou, and locations throughout Spain, Belgium, Holland and Italy.

Contact Casady Monroe for more information at klarkin@culturalembrace.com or call 512-469-9089.

"Conces a Miley Cyrus?" - by Caroline McCurdy

Well, since my last update a lot has happened. Firstly (and most importantly) I found out my placement. I’m in Iquique (woot!) and really like it so far. I’ve been here a week and am definitely relieved to be out of the hostel. When I got here my host family still had another volunteer living with them, so I lived in a hotel for the first 3 days. After a week of sharing space with so many people, it was nice to have a little respite in the hotel. Plus, there was a television with cable in my room, which is always a plus.

Mateo and his plaid sweater.

I moved in with my host family last Thursday and couldn’t be happier. I literally struck the host family jackpot: these people are so sweet and are well trained in the art of housing volunteers. I’m their fourth volunteer; they love having volunteers and even have an altar-like corner of their kitchen covered with photos of the past volunteers. I’ve already been informed that I will soon be a part of the volunteer altar as well. The members of my new family are the following: Guacolda (Guaco for short) is the mother. She is a teacher who works at two different schools and, because of this, is super busy during the week. She told me to call her “Mamá” so I definitely feel right at home. Miguel is the father – he works with a concrete company and is also super busy during the day. I have a host sister named Daniela (Danny for short) and she’s 25. She works at Brinks Security and attends a university at night. And, as an added bonus she speaks some English! I also have a host brother named Cristobal who is 23 and is studying mining at the university. Also, we have an abuelita (little grandmother) who lives in a room by the kitchen. I really haven’t seen much of her; she stays in her room all day and watches old movies. Finally, we have Mateo the dog. He’s more of a Dennis the Menace character than anything else: he’s a master thief of socks, shoes, and jewelry. Apparently he’s never been naked a day in his life; he’s been wearing the same plaid sweater ever since he was a puppy. During the daytime there is a maid named Sandra who comes to cook lunch, do laundry, and clean. She’s super nice and was delighted to find out that I’d rather have soup than eat meat everyday.

Where my captive audience sits...

School has been great so far. For the first 4 days I was just observing the classes to see what they were like. Needless to say, classroom dynamics here are a tad different than in the United States; the concept of “sit down and listen” doesn’t really apply. My first day I was a little taken aback because the students were literally walking all over the classroom during the majority of the class; they were talking to their friends and listening to their iPods while Isabel (my co-teacher) was busy yelling at them to shut up and listen. I actually started teaching classes yesterday; I have my own classroom (which is pretty sweet by the way) and only get the 10 best students from every class. So far this system is working out pretty well. So far I’ve surprised myself with how teachery I can be. I’ve even been wearing cardigans that could possibly be described as teacher sweaters (gasp!). Also, all my students think that I have met famous people. I’ve been asked if I know Miley Cyrus, Justin Beiber, Michael Jackson, and the Jonas Brothers at least 40 times.

My list of rules. Yes, that's right: I am now an authority figure.

Today at school we had a tsunami drill. At first I didn’t understand that it was a drill and almost had a panic attack; my school is right by the beach and apparently we will only have about 10 minutes after a tsunami advisory to get to higher ground before the tsunami hits. Once the bell sounded, the students knew exactly what to do and took me to the middle of the school where everyone is supposed to meet. It’s comforting to know that the entire school can be ready to get to higher ground in about 2 minutes.

A view of my classroom

Chile culture is pretty entertaining. Probably my favorite part about their version of Spanish is the fact that they make everything small: bread is not just bread, it’s tiny bread (pancito). They do the same thing to cheese (quesito), tea (tecito), and pretty much everything else (I have been called Carolinita on more than one occasion). Also, they use the word “po” in almost every sentence. What does it mean? Well, nothing really; it kind of gives emphasis to other words though. For example, they like to say “Sí, po”, which I’m pretty sure means “heck yeah”. It’s definitely entertaining to listen to.

This weekend I’m going to a small town by Iquique called Pica with my co-teacher Isabel and her family. They have a house there and I think the plan is just to relax. Apparently it’s a really pretty little town, so I’m sure I’ll have a good time.

I’ve added some pictures from Santiago to my online photo album. You can look at them at http://carolineenlaciudad.photoshop.com/. Once you’re at the website, select the Santiago album and then you can view it in a slide show via the buttons that have little blue squares on them in the lower right side. I haven’t taken too many photos in Iquique yet, but rest assured that some will be posted soon. So, until next time, here’s the philosophical question of the day:

Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"

-Caroline
Advisor Abroad in Chile

Final Week - by Chris Schave

This last week has been good with the kids. My extended family has had a rough couple of weeks though. My cousin Micah passed away last week. I haven’t spoken to him in years, but I will still miss him. He was a great, kind person, and my heart goes out to the rest of family and his friends.

On Saturday, my other cousin’s husband went for a bike ride at 8 AM. He never returned. After 4 days, he walked out of the woods and found a ride home. I’m not sure the details, but I’m glad that he is back with his family.

For me, the week here has been good. The kids are ready to finish school and start a four week vacation before their actual school year starts. It’s hard to keep them focused. We had an English play contest last night at school, and my class got the most creative award.

After the plays, we went to the beach and got dinner. We ordered 4 plates of shellfish, and it was awesome! It got kind of cold, so we went back to our rooms and watched Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

I think I will miss going to the beach. It’s so close here.

Today went well. I let my students have a paper airplane contest for the last five minutes of class. It got a little out of control when they started throwing them out of the window.

After school, I had to sit on a panel to decide who would be the MC of the graduation on Friday. It was tough when we had to tell one of them she didn’t make it. I felt like I was firing people on the Apprentice. Your FIRED!

Tonight, I have to go watch a movie with the kids.

Chris- Adviser Abroad China

Cultural Embrace @ www.culturalembrace.com

www.flickr.com/photos/cschave

H.U.G. Guatemala Thanksgiving Trip

Cultural Embrace's H.U.G. (Help, Understand, Give) programs are committed to the development of at-need communities in 5 key areas; Creativity, Education, Leadership, Healthy Living, and Conservation.

Sign up to be a part of Cultural Embrace's H.U.G. Guatemala trip and spend your Thanksgiving (Nov 23-28) Helping, Understanding, and Giving to the Guatemalan community!

Click here for an itinerary and more details about the trip. To apply, contact info@culturalembrace.com. The more, the merrier!

Psst...CE Alumni and past participants, we have a special deal for you. Contact us today for more information!

Click play for a first hand glimpse of the community you'll be working with and to see what our dedicated volunteers have done so far in 2010!

Weekend in a Nutshell - by Chris Schave, CE Adviser in China

This weekend was pretty good. We went to a Korean restaurant on Friday night then bounced over to KTV (karaoke). This would be our debut of Xi shua shua. We had rehearsed this last week and are even contemplating making a music video. One of the Chinese guys that went with us kind of hogged the selection list. It was still pretty fun. We ended up getting back early and we were all pretty tired, so we went to bed.

I woke up early Saturday and worked on some random stuff I had to get done. We didn’t really do a whole lot during the day. I went to the beach with the K/Catherines. We all went to a Irish Pub for dinner and stuck around for some pints.

Sunday was pretty fun. We went to a lighthouse and saw a bunch of stuff downtown. The pictures should tell a lot more and will be posted later today hopefully.

Chris- Adviser Abroad China

Cultural Embrace @ www.culturalembrace.com

www.flickr.com/photos/cschave

Final Leg... - by Chris Schave, CE Adviser in China

This is my work journal that I have been keeping

8-2

I’m trying to think back to when I was the same age as these kids. Were Mondays always boring and tiring? Is it me that is boring and tiring? I hope not. So as this may imply, the kids just weren’t into it today. Honestly, it is much harder for me to be exciting when the kids don’t seem to be excitable.

Over the weekend we went to Dalian. It was a great time with the exception of a bout with sea sickness that I lost pretty badly on the way there. Last night, we got back pretty late, and I was a little tired this morning, but a stout cup of Joe woke me up pretty well.

This afternoon, we had a western food festival for the children. They made potato salad, fruit salad, cookies, and a few other western dishes. Unfortunately, I just got to monitor. The cookies smelled great, and I haven’t had good cookies since leaving my parent’s house two and a half months ago. I normally don’t even like cookies, or sweet food for that matter. I hope I don’t get fat when I get home from gorging myself with all the foods that I miss.

8-3

The kids in class were in for a treat today, or so I thought. Last night I had come up with what I thought was a great lesson plan. This morning I taught my class about the 7 natural wonders of the world. I even came up with a list of vocabulary and everything. Well, it turned out that they thought it was a little boring. I would say that I had the attention of two of them consistently throughout the class.

Here I am trying to be creative and help them enjoy class a little more, and they straight up said they were bored. It’s all good though. I’ll just come up with something more exciting for tomorrow.

We also found out today that our student evaluations come out tomorrow. I am not worried about mine, but I don’t think that one of the Canadian ladies will do that well. Her students complain to the younger teachers that all she talks about is women’s curling and herself.

Today marks two weeks until I fly home. I’m excited to get back. Though this program is only a month, I have been here for two and a half months, and I am ready to get back. Everyday I have a very slight stomach ache and I know it is from the food, and probably digesting a little bit of the tap water each day. All in all, today was a good day.

8-4

I had a great day up until the afternoon. I called my father over Skype during my lunch and found out that my older cousin had passed away during the morning. This made me pretty upset so when I went back to school we just watched movies.

After classes, we had to have conversation period. It actually got my mind off of the depressing news. I really don’t feeling like doing much now…

8-5

I feel a lot better today. I’m still not happy, but better. My homeroom was okay today. They just didn’t feel like learning. Since I’m not an experienced teacher, I don’t know how to approach this situation. I think I had them getting more excited toward the end of class though.

For the afternoon periods, I tried to teach them about the solar system. The first class didn’t care at all. The second class seemed to like it, so I taught them more about the planets. I like when lesson plans work well, but when they don’t it’s frustrating.

After classes, there was a speech contest. The contestant from my class was great and he got first! I was very happy for him. The other judging however, was horrible. Second and third did not deserve any awards… Not to be mean, but they were really not good at all!

In my personal life this week, not a whole lot has happened. I am making more and more plans for when I get back to the states. I am planning out my eating schedule for the first few days when I get home.

I have made arrangements for my final few days in China. I will be flying to Beijing next Saturday morning. This wasn’t the original plan, but the soft beds on the train were sold out. Can’t say that I am too sad about not taking a 14 hour train.

In Beijing, I will be staying near the Forbidden City and Tian Na Men Square. It should be a good weekend. I’m hoping to see the Great Wall, Summer Palace, and the Forbidden City.

Next Monday, I will fly back to Yantai at 10:55 PM, then wake up the next morning and fly back to Beijing at 11 AM. Air China would not let me just fly out of Beijing, so now I have to make two additional flight. Weak sauce!

Tuesday I will fly back to Portland!

Chris- Adviser Abroad China

Cultural Embrace @ www.culturalembrace.com

www.flickr.com/photos/cschave

Peru-sal - by the Chisnell Inca Trek and Service Group

Mr. Chisnell, along with his students and fellow travel companions spent 12 days in Peru trekking the Incan Trail and volunteering at a local orphanage. Peru-se their post-trip reflections below.

Contact Cultural Embrace to learn how you can have a Peru Incan Trek and Service Trip of your own or learn how to customize a group trip to a different destination.

8/19/10

Culture Shock? - by Dylan Davids

For me, the strangest thing about the trip was the complete lack of strangeness or astonishment. I never went into “culture shock” or felt completely helpless and am I not sure why. Perhaps I have built up resilience to feeling lost or confused in a foreign place, or maybe our group never really met the right people or went to the right place that would have really “shocked” me. To me, everyone we met in Peru was just another human being, even though I was unable to communicate with them 90% of the time. I find nothing foreign about the human experience, trying to survive in a hostile environment and adapting. I knew that I led a much more comfortable life in the States, but that I also shared the same core experiences with all of the people we met; knowing that dispelled any fears of being overwhelmed by Peruvian culture. The only difference between me and the orphans we met was our upbringings, so I did not find it strange when we played soccer without many rules or cooked potatoes under rocks; if I had been born in Peru, I would have done the same things. I really enjoyed the trip, the scenery was awe-inspiring and the people were kind and easy to empathize with. The journey completely erased my fears about traveling somewhere that did not share the culture of the US, I hope to travel to another location in South America sometime in my life, hopefully soon.

8/19/10

Things I'll Never Know - by Randon Chisnell

Some say we are born a certain way, with preset tendencies or personality traits. Some say we're a product of our experiences, or perhaps our reaction to them. Maybe it's a bit of both - or at least that's what I've chosen to believe. That, of course, begs the question, "How has my experience in Peru changed me?" According to Stephen Hawking (and others, I'm sure), there's a split in the timeline at every decision we make. Somewhere there's another me who didn't go. So here's the rub: I'll never know that other me. I'll never know the me that didn't go. I'll never know what that version of me does with the rest of his life. Our paths are different now. My path is different now. Am I a different person for having had this experience? Certainly. Am I a better person for having gone? I believe so. But exactly how is just one more thing I'll never know.

8/17/10

Interesting Title About Post Peru - By Karly L

Pre-Peru preparation had consisted of many days spent by my pool relaxing as I (sort of) read our two books, and those tumultuous mornings were followed by even more hectic afternoons at the coffee shop, as we gorged ourselves on some delicious fattening drinks while discussing the previously read novels. Having done absolutely no physical prep work for the trip, Peru proved to be quite exhausting. Hours of trekking from early morning to dusk had finally cut away at my accumulated layer of summer fat. Now that I’ve returned home and have had the chance to savour this trip, I can look back and see what I’ve gained… or lost. On the note of losing things, I no longer have my hard won Peruvian suntan, or to be correct, sunburn. This being the first time I’ve traveled out of the States/Canada I’ve also gained a new worldly perspective, one no longer based on information I’ve gleaned out of books or offline. It also seems that my many bug bites, collected from some rotten black bugs on the trip have finally stopped itching! Although the scars on legs still remain from those horrible insects… I suppose I’ll always have them now, a truly heartfelt gift from Peru. I hope that all of my Spanish speaking in Peru will help me at college this year, it was… interesting to be able to practice it with native speakers, and I now know that if I don’t know a word, it’s probably just poor English. I’m thoroughly excited to continue traveling, especially now that I have Peru under my belt!

8/10/10
Peru, like most pharmaceuticals, has interesting side-effects - by Emma Green

Upon returning home, I always find it strange to go over the things that I missed. Cold drinks, mosquito free beds, the convenience of reliable plumbing. Returning from Peru reminded me exactly how materialistic I actually am. I revel in a flow of constant hot water. I feel a fondness towards my own room, and all of its amenities. I truly enjoy the outdoors, arguably more than most, and I can frequently be found sleeping out in my backyard during warm summer nights. But there is something to be said for pure, unadulterated materialism.

After a few days of lazing about, repeatedly washing and rewashing my clothes, and marveling at the sheer amount of cable channels that my TV has, I began to miss the night sky in Peru. The view of mountains on the way to breakfast, and even waking up in the morning sore from a long hike. I always hesitate before proving proverbs to be correct, but this one stands true in every facet. That unavoidable grass is always greener on the other side, whether it be from chemical fertilizer or lack of pollutants. When we have it all, we want nothing, and only when we want nothing is it easy to wish for everything. It’s disheartening to learn how unoriginal thought can describe and dictate most of our actions.

I have this theory, however strange and ill-conceived it may be. I think that maybe, we leave little pieces behind in every place we go. And not in the corny, drops of kindness, warm hearts way. Rather, in the way that we forget to empty our pockets out, and little slips of paper, or wrappers of gum can leave our bodies without our knowledge. And with these tiny fragments of our own world, we leave this viable print on any place we travel to. Perhaps it isn’t positive, or maybe it’s just glorified littering, but it is this idea, these bits of trash or otherworldliness, which allows us to claim land. Now I am not saying I own Peru, with a tiny wrapper to mark my place, much like the early astronauts claimed the moon. It is not a mark of ownership. I think of it more, as the way people dog-ear books. They aren’t claiming the book, simply leaving a Hansel and Gretel trail behind of where they once tread. And in the same way that we fold the corners of our travels, they come with us to the present page. There are chunks of mud, bits of foliage, and little stones that I still cannot fully eradicate from my duffel. In some way, this obscure game of “I’ve been there” is comforting. So perhaps, much to my mother’s dismay, I’ll leave the backpack just a little longer on the floor of my room.

7/31/10

Post Trip- by Greg Cline

I've noticed that Peru has become an integral part of how I see the world. Almost every conversation I have, no matter what the topic, somehow relates to my trip to Peru. I'm sure that my friends are getting tired of me talking about it all the time, but there is no way for me to not compare what is going on to the trip. When I went to africa in sixth grade I was not mature enough and observant enough to be able to relate my experiences there to my life here in the way that I can with Peru. I am so glad that I went on this trip; my life and the way I look at the world is so much richer. That's the corniest sentence I have ever written, but it's absolutely true. The blisters and pain were well worth the memories.

7/31/10

The Lesson from Emilio - by Steve Chisnell

I am fairly well read. I have a few degrees and certifications from university classrooms. None of that really means anything.

In Peru, I became accustomed to one particular image from which I learned a great deal. This was our guide Emilio. In the image, he is on the Inca Trail, alone, a floppy hat and sunglasses, his hands resting on the top of his walking stick as he waits for me to reach him. I am wheezing from altitude dizziness as we ascend—already my pack is stowed away on a horse. I imagine he must be anxious or tired of me, but he is not. His face shows only friendship, even some pride, and he tells me, "Steve, very few people can do this. Even many from Peru will quit this trail. You, Steve, you can do this."

He will tell me this in various ways a dozen times or more over the four days of our trek. During the first several, I believe he is giving me the "motivational guide talk," but as our companionship grows over slopes and valleys, I begin to believe his sincerity. He speaks honestly to me as we walk about everything—his wife, the edibles of the mountains, money, the coca leaf, Lima, the food preparation.

I can seldom recall the cloud cover roiling over the escarpments across the valleys, the lichens atop lichens scaling the boulders, or the "Dr. Seuss"-like trees bordering our descent without also picturing Emilio's face.

I watch the high school students trotting ahead—though later, even they will be blister-wearied—and I know that the Andes have humbled me, reminded me who's in charge. Several times on the second day I fall on the rocks, once hearing my camera body crack and a lens splinter. Once I become so dizzy that rather than risk taking a misstep down a 1500' slope, I toss my body against the uphill grade and sit, waiting for it to pass. But around that next bend, I know Emilio is waiting with his words.

And here is what I know—parts of this world challenge us, push us to quit, but I can meet them. And I will find friends who will help me. I am not meant to defeat whatever I encounter; I am, though, capable of meeting it and learning from it.

Emilio is the face of Peru for me, but he is also the same face I've met elsewhere. He is the teary-eyed 16-year-old Miho in Japan who led me through the Hiroshima Museum, he is Khagda of Nepal who explained Nepali politics to me on a rooftop in Pokhara, Lucia of China who tried to embarrass me with incorrect translations, Jem of Dominica who reminded me why a treehouse is better than a London apartment, Chief Archie of the Bella Coola peoples who took me to an ancient place, and the Karmapa Lama of Dharamsala who, at age 19, explained to me the critical difference between religion and ethic. There are dozens of others.

The Andes nearly knocked me flat. But I have learned some things.

That there is nowhere in the world that I cannot visit; that there are few people in the world who aren't worth meeting—or who will not welcome me into their community; and that I can meet no one who cannot teach me.