Experiencia personal como au pair:
Despues de hablaros de la agencia os cuento un poquito como fue mi experiencia. Todo fue muy rápido, me inscribí en aupairworld y en un mes ya tenía host family y estaba haciendo las maletas para vivir mi aventura por UK. Tras hablar con varias famílias de muchos tipos:
- Una família encantadora con 3 hijos, que vivian en un pequeño pueblecito (demasiado rural por las imágenes) que incluso tenian su propia granja.
Tras contactar con la anterior au pair, era la HF número uno en el ranking.
- Un padre soltero, que ni siquiera tenia foto de perfil por lo que no pude ponerle cara y que descarté su solicitud de inmediato.
- Una madre soltera, que por sus mensajes no tenia problema en dejar claro que quería una limpiadora/cocinera/chófer. Fue descartada rapidamente :D
- Una família hindú, que la madre por motivos laborales pasaba mucho tiempo viajando. Por lo que tenía que pasar muchos momentos sola con la niña y el padre. Esta família me envió de entrada un email titulado Rules and Timetable. Donde especificaba las normas de la casa y mi horario. Muy estrictos para mi gusto y poco flexibles. Los descarté.
- Por último, contactó conmigo la que finalmente sería mi HF. Una família del norte de Gales, compuesta por padre galés, madre española (de Barcelona como yo) y niña de 2 añitos. Desde el primer contacto hubo muy buen feeling y me dejé llevar por la intuición mas que por ninguna otra cosa. Una pareja joven, activos, con muchos proyectos y a primera vista todo me parecia perfecto e ideal. En el proceso de selección, la família dudaba entre mi y dos chicas más. Por lo que les ofreció a las otras dos chicas la opción de venir como working experience (prácticas laborales) a sus guarderias. Así que seriamos 3 españolas viviendo en la casa, por lo que no estaría sola, tendría dos compañeras de aventura.
El requisito que me pedían era hablar catalán con la niña, algo que no me beneficiaba ya que mi objetivo era aprender inglés pero estaba tan encantada con la família que acepté.
Como todo el mundo puede pensar, el hecho de tener una HM española podía llegar a ser negativo. Bien, yo lo valoré como algo positivo en el sentido que tendría alguien con quien comunicarme facilmente ante cualquier problema. Además el cambio no sería tan drástico, mantendría algo de España en esa casa, no sería todo tan inglés...La parte negativa se cumplió, hablaba en español siempre. Las primeras semanas con la família fueron geniales, además hice muy buenas migas con las otras dos chicas españolas (Laura y Pepa).
Otro punto importante es que ambos HM y HD trabajan desde casa, por lo que la mayor parte del tiempo estaban en casa conmigo. Algo que os recomiendo que tengais en cuenta a la hora de elegir familia. Bajo mi punto de vista es algo a evitar.
Las primeras semanas de felicidad, de color de rosa fueron desapareciendo. La convivencia va haciendo mella y van saliendo poquito a poquito los carácteres de cada uno con lo que fui descubriendo mi incompatibilidad con mi HM. Cada vez la convivencia se fue haciendo mas difiícil por varios motivos:
- No estaba aprendiendo inglés.
- Mi horario, bueno, no habia horario. Todo dependia del humor y planes diarios de mi HM.
- Pasar tantas horas con mi HF me resultaba pesado.
- Debido a mi horario (según mi HM flexivo, según mi criterio INEXISTENTE) no podia asistir a mis clases de inglés (gratuitas en la biblioteca local).
- Mis funciones cada vez eran más y más y más. Estaba pasando a ser mas bien una limpiadora que una aupair.
Así que decidí solucionar todos estos aspectos que no me permitían estar feliz y tras no conseguir mejoras decidí (después de tres meses) finalizar mi etapa como au pair en UK.
Mis compañeras estuvieron apoyándome y se convirtieron en mi british family. Esta british family que empezó con solo dos personitas muy especiales fue creciendo (como habeis visto en el post Despedidas...¿ya?)
Bien, mi etapa en UK no habia acabado, mi objetivo de aprender inglés y de vivir una buena experiencia no se había cumplido así que decidí buscar piso y un trabajo (como camarera) y continuar en ello!
Para nada quiero desanimaros después de contaros mi experiencia como au pair en UK. Al contrario, con esto pretendo ayudaros a que no cometais los mismos errores que yo cometí. Por supuesto, es bueno dejarse llevar por la intuición pero siempre teniendo en cuenta muchas más cosas. Hay que valorar los aspectos positivos y negativos que de entrada puedes observar en la HF y analizar friamente todo esto antes de dejarte llevar por impulsos. Es SUPER importante, dejar claro un acuerdo escrito sobre las condiciones laborales. Este acuerdo debe ser aceptado y respetado por ambas partes, podrás recurrir a él ante situaciones que no te resulten apropiadas.
My personal experience as au pair in UK:
You already know how to work as au pair in UK . You can check it out at my last post:(http://livingusa13.blogspot.com.es/2013/02/my-experience-as-au-pair-in-uk-primera.html).
Now, I'n going to tell you more about my personal experience. The process was really fast, I posted up my profile at aupairworld and one month later, I had HF and I was packing my stuff to get there. During this month so many families contacted me:
-A lovely family with 3 kids, they lived in an small town, they even had their own farm! They introduce me to the last au pair and I was so happy. They were my favourite family.
- A single dad. He hadn't got profile picture! I couldn't imagine how he was and I didn't feel confident so I rejected his offer.
- A single mum. Her messages were so clear, she was looking for an au pair to clean, to cook and to drive. Obviously, I rejected her offer.
- An indian family. The HM had to travel a lot so she wasn't at home for weeks. I had to spend a lot of time with the HD and the host kid. At first email that they sent me was included at the end a timetable and a lot of rules. They weren't flexible and opend minded so I rejected to be their au pair.
- The last family who contacts me was MY HF. They are from Wales, the HD is welsh, the HM is Spanish (She is from Barcelona like me). They are parents of a little baby girl. She is 2 years old now, one and a half when I got there.
Since the first time I saw them by skype I had a good feeling. I got carried by the feelings instead of my brain. They are a young and active family, they have lots of projects. At first appearance everytihing was perfect. So I didn't doubt and I chose them.
The family was doubting between me and another 2 spanish girls. Finnally, They diceded to gave them the opportunity to come to UK as well. Two spanish girl came to work at their company (nursery) as a working experience.
So we were 3 spanish girls living together and sharing the same experience since de beggining.
The requirement to work with this family was I should speak catalan with the HK. It wasn't good for me because I wanted to improve my english, but I accepted it.
As everyone can think, the fact of having a spanish HM wasn't good for me. At first, I thought it as something positive: I could speak spanish if i had any problem. Furthermore, the change of life wasn't going to be as big. BUT she always was speaking spanish!
The first month was really nice, they were so nice with me. My friendship with my spanish parterns was everyday closer. The HM and the HD worked from home, so day were at home ALL day. It wasn't good, too much time together.
Everytime the experience turned harder. My HM and me didn't match. Furthermore I wasn't achieving my objectives: I wasn't improving my English, I hadn't got a scheudle, I couldn't assist to my English lessons, my duties were growing (cleaning, cooking, ...) and obviously it wasn't my job.
I tried to fix all of this problems but It wasn't possible so I decided to finish my au pair experience. Anyway I continued living in UK, I wanted to improve my English and to be happy living there, meeting people and having fun. I got a new job as waitress and I rented a house.
I met another special person, my flatmate who helped me with this big change in my life.
I don't want to let you down with my experience as au pair in UK. Otherwise I would like you to learn of it. I mean not doing the same mistakes i did.
To have good feelings during the skype calls with the HF is important but don't match them unless you have more reasons.
Check all the good points and the bad ones as well. You should have an agreement, your HF and you should sign it. In this way, If you have any argument you will have something to prove you're right.
Os dejo con una canción muy apropiada después de mi historia por UK:
Now, I would like to share with you a nice song:
My personal experience as au pair in UK:
You already know how to work as au pair in UK . You can check it out at my last post:(http://livingusa13.blogspot.com.es/2013/02/my-experience-as-au-pair-in-uk-primera.html).
Now, I'n going to tell you more about my personal experience. The process was really fast, I posted up my profile at aupairworld and one month later, I had HF and I was packing my stuff to get there. During this month so many families contacted me:
-A lovely family with 3 kids, they lived in an small town, they even had their own farm! They introduce me to the last au pair and I was so happy. They were my favourite family.
- A single dad. He hadn't got profile picture! I couldn't imagine how he was and I didn't feel confident so I rejected his offer.
- A single mum. Her messages were so clear, she was looking for an au pair to clean, to cook and to drive. Obviously, I rejected her offer.
- An indian family. The HM had to travel a lot so she wasn't at home for weeks. I had to spend a lot of time with the HD and the host kid. At first email that they sent me was included at the end a timetable and a lot of rules. They weren't flexible and opend minded so I rejected to be their au pair.
- The last family who contacts me was MY HF. They are from Wales, the HD is welsh, the HM is Spanish (She is from Barcelona like me). They are parents of a little baby girl. She is 2 years old now, one and a half when I got there.
Since the first time I saw them by skype I had a good feeling. I got carried by the feelings instead of my brain. They are a young and active family, they have lots of projects. At first appearance everytihing was perfect. So I didn't doubt and I chose them.
The family was doubting between me and another 2 spanish girls. Finnally, They diceded to gave them the opportunity to come to UK as well. Two spanish girl came to work at their company (nursery) as a working experience.
So we were 3 spanish girls living together and sharing the same experience since de beggining.
The requirement to work with this family was I should speak catalan with the HK. It wasn't good for me because I wanted to improve my english, but I accepted it.
As everyone can think, the fact of having a spanish HM wasn't good for me. At first, I thought it as something positive: I could speak spanish if i had any problem. Furthermore, the change of life wasn't going to be as big. BUT she always was speaking spanish!
The first month was really nice, they were so nice with me. My friendship with my spanish parterns was everyday closer. The HM and the HD worked from home, so day were at home ALL day. It wasn't good, too much time together.
Everytime the experience turned harder. My HM and me didn't match. Furthermore I wasn't achieving my objectives: I wasn't improving my English, I hadn't got a scheudle, I couldn't assist to my English lessons, my duties were growing (cleaning, cooking, ...) and obviously it wasn't my job.
I tried to fix all of this problems but It wasn't possible so I decided to finish my au pair experience. Anyway I continued living in UK, I wanted to improve my English and to be happy living there, meeting people and having fun. I got a new job as waitress and I rented a house.
I met another special person, my flatmate who helped me with this big change in my life.
I don't want to let you down with my experience as au pair in UK. Otherwise I would like you to learn of it. I mean not doing the same mistakes i did.
To have good feelings during the skype calls with the HF is important but don't match them unless you have more reasons.
Check all the good points and the bad ones as well. You should have an agreement, your HF and you should sign it. In this way, If you have any argument you will have something to prove you're right.
Os dejo con una canción muy apropiada después de mi historia por UK:
Now, I would like to share with you a nice song:
"What doesn't kill you
makes you stronger,
stand a little taller"
Y por último :
And this:
And this:
En busca de la felicidad - Steve Conrad
Byeeeee!!!!
XO XO
XO XO
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