Au Pair Spotlight: 5 questions with Devi

1. Why did you choose China?

I chose to come to China because when I visited last year I really fell in love with the culture and how welcoming the Chinese people are. After I came back, I decided to come back for a longer period of time.

2. What was your highlight?

My host family were really generous, and I really felt at home with them. I also experienced calligraphy and Chinese painting class with a private teacher, and it was really amazing. I also went on vacation with my host family twice; one time we went to Changbaisan in the north of China and another time we went to Guizhou province – it was incredible!

3. What’s been your biggest challenge living in China?

The biggest challenge for me was to adapt to the food because I eat a lot of vegetarian food in my own country but in China people eat a lot of meat every day.

4. What has surprised you about China?

What surprised me about China was how we can have prejudices about it but in reality it’s actually totally different. Especially the people here, they are welcoming and friendly towards strangers. I was also surprised to see how people people went about and enjoyed their daily lives, dancing, singing and playing mahjong on the streets.

5. What is something you’ve learned from being an au pair?

By being an au pair, I have learned to adapt to a totally different environment. I have learned how to be more open and respectful with other cultures and how to enjoy the simple moments of the daily routine.