WELCOME TO SOUTH AFRICA – The Rainbow Nation! - EurAupair

Ask Dot!
A regular feature of the
EurAupair Gazette, Dear Dot!
gives EurAupair Au Pairs and
Host Families the chance to get
answers to questions about
proper etiquette in the USA! Ms.
Soskin is a trained etiquette
instructor and columnist, as well
as one of EurAupair’s longtime
friends.
Dear Dot,
I have been in America a
while now, but have a problem
in understanding some expressions
Americans use like,
“team players”, or “touch
base” when we are talking
about sports. What do you suggest
I do? And, are sports a
good way to start a conversation?
Thanks, Brigette
Dear Brigette,
The expressions you are
referring to here are called
“Idioms.” An idiom has a meaning
that is different from the
dictionary definition of the
word. Learning idiom expressions
is very important to the
study of the English language.
Much of our everyday speech is
based on slang vocabulary
which is based on idioms. If you
study idioms, you wil be more
fluent in English and can communicate
better. I recommend
when responding to a person
using an idiom, ask them to
speak more slowly and explain
what the idiom really means.
Some other idioms are, “all
in a day’s work” which means
that if something is in a day’s
work, it is nothing special. Also,
“a steal” means if something is
a steal, it costs much less than it
is really worth.
Americans love to talk
about sports and this is a good
way to start a conversation.
Other openings to begin a conversation
are: the weather,
shopping in the area, an exciting
TV program coming up or travel.
Remember that people
always like best to talk about
themselves. Be a good listener!
Kind Regards,
Dot
Keep the questions coming…
E-mail Dot at:
d1manners@sbc-global.net
EurAupair Au Pairs Carry On
a Halloween Tradition!
EurAupair Community Counselor
Eleonoor Rutgers wrote in from San
Francisco, California to share how she
and the au pairs in her area celebrated
Halloween!
Eleonoor writes:
“Without a doubt the most recognizable
symbol of Halloween is a pumpkin
carved into a jack-o-lantern…. This age
old tradition is a main event for young
and old alike. While most Americans
have been carving pumpkins since they
were three, but those of us from other
countries aren’t similarly skilled at all!
That’s why EurAupair Community
Counselor Liesa Chapman and I decided
to organize “a pumpkin carving party”
on October 26th for the au pairs in our
areas.
With Liesa’s generosity to host us
all at her house, we were ready to go!
But no sooner did we start than there
were a couple of obstacles on the road
for almost everyone…. For example,
how do you scoop out all the pumpkin
gunk? What drilling tools are best to
use? Which patterns should we pick?
How are we going to accomplish that?
The au pairs soon figured out the
answers…. Start with picking the right
pumpkin and design stencils with patterns,
then cut a lid (big enough so you
can reach in) and scoop out all the pumpkin
gunk. Next, follow the pattern and
EURAUPAIR AU PAIRS GIVE THANKS!
Kelly and Bill packing food giveaways.
make the cuts straight
into the pumpkin. After
all: the results were
amazing! And the pumpkins
looked hilarious!
Along with lots of
hard carving, the au pairs
learned some funny facts
about HALLOWEEN and
their pumpkins...
Did you know???
• Halloween is actually
based on an ancient
Celtic holiday known as
Samhain (pronounced
“sow wan”), which
means “summer’s end”.
• Pumpkins are not a
vegetable - they are a
fruit!
COMMUNITY COUNSELOR
TRAINING
This past fall, EurAupair Community Counselors from
the New York City and Connecticut areas got together to
share and learn at the annual EurAupair Training Day!
Organized by EurAupair Area Coordinator Jenn Shaw, the
event was held at the Ronald McDonald House in New York
City and was a great time to re-connect and upskill as
Community Counselors. EurAupair Regional Director, Kim
Beatty, also attended and enjoyed meeting many of the
Community Counselors face-to-face!
From left to right: Kim Beatty, Gail Albrecht, Lori Auletta,
Nicola Hutchinson (AC ), Ken Resca, Margaret Mann,
Maureen McIntyre, Lara Oehlert, Jenn Shaw (AC), Loren
Adashko, Heidi Silverstone, Jackie Hoffman, Bridget
Lancaster.
This past November, EurAupair Au Pairs in the Chicago,
Illinois area celebrated with a mix of traditional American
Thanksgiving foods and assorted dishes from around the
world. This marked the 11th annual Thanksgiving Day celebration
and everyone who attended seemed to leave with new
friends, new foods they’d tried, and a better understanding of
what Thanksgiving in the USA is all about!
Central to the event was the group giving back to the community.
So, after an introduction by Vivi Frumkin, our Area
Coordinator, William Wolff from the VFW (Veterans of
Foreign Wars) and Kelly Gitts from the Lions Club thanked
everyone for their generous donations which in filled three
tables with canned and boxed food items and cleaning supplies.
All of the donated items were destined for soldiers far
from home and needy families. The au pairs learned about
both organizations and how each is involved with the collection
and distribution of such donations.
As with all EurAupair events, the day was very international
with at least 85 people from more than 13 countries taking
part in the Feast! The nations represented included;
France, Germany, Thailand, Brazil, Moldova, Bolivia, Austria,
• Halloween is known as a night for
dressing up, telling ghost stories, having
spooky parties, trick-or-treating and
pumpkin carving.
• You need to pick the right pumpkin
according to what you want to carve on
them.
• Pumpkins can range in size anywhere
from tiny to humongous.
• Small pumpkins work fine for carving
traditional faces.
• Very large pumpkins can be carved
More giggles than ghosts, EurAupair Au Pairs pose with
their pumpkins!
with designs and used as “center pieces”
on your tables.
• You should never carry a pumpkin by
its stem; it may break.
• Pumpkins grow best in a sunny area,
preferably where they will receive at
least six hours of direct sunlight every
day.
Eleonoor Rutgers
EurAupair Community Counselor
Again, thank you Liesa for your wonderful
hospitality. And, thanks to all the
au pairs for joining the October
Cultural Event!”
Ukraine, Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan, Finland, and the USA.
Traditional American favorites such as turkey, mashed
potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and dinner rolls were
provided by the EurAupair Community Counselors. The au pairs
contributed an array of breads, salads and desserts to make it a
Feast to be remembered!
During the course of the day the au pairs got to test their
knowledge of US geography and history, as well as EurAupair
program rules. The quiz winners were awarded gift cards and
similar small rewards. Many of the Community Counselors
were amazed by how much the au pairs actually knew about
the topics!
After eating plenty of food, it was time to work off a few
of the calories with a dance lesson. As you can see from the
photo, everyone had fun learning some new moves and showing
off in the dance contest!
As the day came to a close, au pairs shared contact information
with new friends and all went home with a full belly,
having shared good times and learned something new about
this world in which we all live!
Rick Cox
EurAupair Community Counselor
EurAupair au pairs ready for the dance lesson!