Fall 2015 Gazette
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A Publication for EurAupair Program Participants and Friends Around the World! Fall 2015 • Volume 62 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Welcome to Mongolia! • Welcome to Mongolia! EurAupair’s Network of Since EurAupair has a new partner office in Mongolia and is starting to receive Mongolian • Support au pair applicants, we would like to introduce the country and its culture to you. • Reunion in Minnesota Mongolia is a landlocked How do you entertain a country located between China • 20-year-old when you’ve and Russia. It is a vast country that forgotten what it’s like to links land and sky and is one of the be 20? last few places on the planet where nomadic life is still a living tradition. • EurAupair Photos & more Mongolia’s nickname is the “Land of Blue Skies” and with good reason: there are said to be about 250 sunny days throughout each year. About Us... Mongolia is the sixth-largest EurAupair Intercultural Child Care country in Asia and 19th in the world, Programs is a non-profit, public benefit but the population is only 2,727,966, organization designated by the U.S. which makes Mongolia one of the Department of State to conduct the least densely populated areas in Asia. Au Pair cultural exchange program under the Fulbright Hays Mutual The geography of Mongolia is varied, Educational and Cultural Exchange Act with the Gobi Desert to the south Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. of 1961 and is intended “to promote and with cold and mountainous mutual understanding between the regions to the north and west. Much Mongolia is mutton or sheep. The for children until at least the age of 3 people of the United States and other of Mongolia consists of steppes, with boodog or goat/marmot barbecue years old. After that, children usually countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges”. forested areas comprising 11.2% of is particularly worth experiencing. go to day care. It will be common for the total land area. Almost half of the There is a theory that Mongolian Mongolian au pair applicants to have EurAupair Intercultural Child Care Programs population lives in Ulaanbaatar, the horseman may have invented ice experience in caring for relatives cream, when they took cream on 250 North Coast Highway long journeys across the Gobi desert Laguna Beach, CA 92651 USA Tel: 949/494-5500 in winter. As they galloped, the cream Fax: 949/497-6235 was vigorously shaken, while the E-mail: [email protected] sub-zero temperature caused it to Web: www.euraupair.com freeze. The expansion of the Mongol Empire spread ice cream through Return Service Requested CA 92651 USA Laguna Beach, Highway Coast 250 North Gazette EurAupair The Yurt is a portable, China, from where Marco Polo Mongolian nomads. round tent used by nomads. reputedly brought the idea to Italy when he returned from his travels in (nephews & nieces, cousins). They capital of Mongolia. Due to its high 1295. will usually have experience with elevation, high latitude, landlocked As an Asian culture, Mongolians fewer children but for a longer period location and the effects of the can be expected to be punctual and of time. Siberian anticyclone, Ulaanbaatar respectful of schedules and family It is quite common for is the coldest national capital in the rules. However, contrary to popular Mongolians to pursue post- world, where the average temperature belief, the young generation is quite secondary education near their is -1 degree Celsius. out-going and you can expect your home and continue living with The extreme continental climate Mongolian au pair to have an open their parents while completing their has affected the traditional diet, so communication with you. studies, unless from the countryside. Mongolian cuisine primarily consists Mongolian couples have an Mongolians may even continue to of dairy products and meat. Use of average of three children per family. live at home when getting a job, vegetables and spices is limited. Due It is very common to live in close and only to move out when getting to geographic proximity and deep communities with relatives. Family married. historic ties, Mongolian cuisine is is very important and relatives rely The official language of influenced by Chinese and Russian on each other in times of need. Mongolia is Mongolian which is cuisine. The main diet in rural Grandparents and relatives will care spoken by 95% of the population. A variety of dialects of Oirat and Buryat are spoken across the country. Starting in 4th grade, Mongolians must choose a second language, usually English, Chinese, Russian, German or French. Are you interested in finding out more about this fascinating country? Why not welcome a Mongolian PAID U.S. POSTAGE PERMIT NO. 963 PERMIT California 92651 Laguna Beach au pair to your family? What better Organization way to continue learning about this Non-Profit beautiful country and culture. Out in the wide open. How do you entertain a 20-year-old when you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be 20? By Wichita, KS Community Counselor Pamela Porvaznik I ask this question since I travel forever. This was in 1960 having breakfast and find myself at the age of 72 in an when it was relatively inexpensive then toured College Hill interesting situation: to travel to and live in Europe. where Wichitans go all A good 15 years ago, an Today, it would be a different out with Halloween old high school friend asked if story altogether. That’s why decorations. We then I’d be interested in becoming bringing Europe into one’s home travelled to our new Pop- a community counselor for an would be the next best thing for Up park downtown, took international au pair program. a host family’s child, and that’s photos, and then on to the why I think the Keeper of the Plains where whole EurAupair we walked the suspension experience is bridge over the Arkansas terrific. River and studied the So, here I American Indian wall am with my first writings at the other end. au pair. Her name What’s Wichita is Kim, from without its past? Some Germany, and refer to our city as “encased she’s a darling girl. in the ‘50s”. There is so So bright, speaks much history here, but Kim with her host siblings – English without not much physical beauty. what an adorable photo! an accent, can The wheels of government even find her way move slowly, but it is a great family I’ve been a Friends Board member Crossing the suspension bridge in Wichita, KS. on an American town. I want Kim to get to know for a dozen years. But do these computer, typing her new city intimately and take things really interest a 20 year old? Community counselor? English like a pro (remember back a little western-leaning I know Kim likes to shop, What’s that? Well, my friend at her home her keyboard is romance from the “Peerless go to basketball games and eat. explained, you help qualify the entirely in German). I’m in awe Princess of the Plains” when she Basketball is a way off, shopping host family who applies for an of her poise and diligence, her returns to Germany next year. is a given, and eating…well, we au pair through EurAupair, an willingness to learn and please. So off to the Sedgwick both like to eat. But the addition of intercultural child care program, She’s an excellent caregiver to County Historical Museum to more young people would be ever and then you check in with both three adorable children. And I love see an exhibit on prohibition, so welcomed. parents throughout the year and her host family. They are terrific rooms devoted to the early days I guess I’m writing this to meet the au pair once a month in and have welcomed spread the word. We person to ensure things are going Kim into their home want more au pair well with her host family as well as as both an au pair families in Wichita. I enjoying cultural activities. and as a daughter. can personally vouch That sounded easy enough, I’m just completely for the excellence of so I signed up. Now years later, I impressed with the EurAupair. Both the finally have my first assignment. whole situation. families and au pairs The whole idea of having Our first outing are screened within a foreign girl come into one’s was to a store opening an inch of their lives. home to take care of their child or – I’m a writer for a The company has children while they work sounds family-owned chain been at this a long ideal to me. Learning about of health food stores time and has a stellar people, their experiences, tastes – where Kim got to reputation. It gives the and culture as well as having your take pictures of the company, families and child become acquainted with the event and post them au pairs reassurance outside world through a caregiver’s to Facebook. From that their placements eyes just delights me to no end. there we went to will be successful, I was given the opportunity lunch at my favorite everyone will be safe as a 17-year-old to delay going to restaurant, shopped and well cared for and college a year in exchange for living at an outrageous the whole experience in Europe. I lived six months in boutique and then Community Counselor Pam and Au Pair Kim admiring worth the money and Paris and six months in Rome with went to a movie Halloween decorations during one of their monthly meetings.