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Below are the 20 most recent posts to our blog.  To check out our full blog click here!

  • Au-pair Placements for the Fall

    8/12/20101:19:16 PM Link 1 comment | Add comment

    Au Pair, Hot Placements in Cool Destinations, Newsletter

    Cultural Embrace currently has many requests from families in Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, and Spain who are requesting native English speakers.

    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.

    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.

  • Meet Liz and Dex - by Emlyn Lee

    8/3/20103:51:54 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    Africa, Emlyn's Expressions

    Who you travel with is as important as where you are traveling. Let me introduce you to my two traveling companions, Liz and Dexter. Liz and I have known each other since 1997, when we were workmates at a luxury travel company based in St. Louis. We were housemates for about a year in 1999, and have been dear friends ever since. She currently resides in New York City, although she spends about 60% of the year abroad as a sales manager for Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts. Through the years, we have shared personal explorations through Honduras, Belize, Hawaii, and many other cities across the States, and visit each other in Austin or New York at least once a year. Dexter is a good friend of Liz’s in NYC, who I had met once before at Jazzfest in New Orleans in 2001. He has been traveling in and out of Africa for long stints at a time for the past fourteen years, and is interested in opening up a resort in Northern Mozambique.

    When it comes to traveling with others, you have to find a good balance of personality, respect, trust space, communication, and humor. The three of us are seasoned travelers, and connected very quickly and easily to each other’s traveling style. South Africa is a slower paced country than what we experience in the States. While we may bite our tongues at the slower and less efficient service at a hotel check-in, or the lukewarm water in the sink, or the paper think toilet paper, it’s part of the beauty of traveling. It provides time for one to take a deep breath, slow down, and embrace the culture, and on the flipside, allows one to appreciate the efficiencies back home.

    The great thing about traveling with Liz and Dex is that they are even keeled people. They are full of energy, yet low maintenance and roll with the punches, whichever direction they come. Additionally, I enjoy their sense of humor, which is very important when you are traveling. They crack jokes and can be a wise-ass to me, yet be the first to laugh at their own tumbles. We enjoy doing things off the beaten path, prefer the less crowded bar than the loud, popular, overcrowded clubs, aren’t huge history or museum buffs, and have a good sense of street smarts. For example, I feel comfortable leaving my personal belongings with them, knowing that they will not flake and be wise enough to cover my back.

    We have similar appetite and thirst levels, and are sharers when it comes to food. This is huge for me! The Asian in me comes out at feeding time, and perhaps this explains why Chinese restaurants use Lazy Susans, or why we serve PuPu Platters…to share! There is nothing more discouraging to me, when my tablemates won’t share dishes at meals. I love food! I can’t select just ONE dish in my favorite restaurant back in Austin, let alone one choice in a foreign country staring at a new menu. Let’s order a variety of dishes, so we can try more things together!

    Sorry, I often get sidetracked with the topic of food…but not only is it nice to share food, wine, and laughs when you are traveling with friends, but you can also rehash your stories with them when you return home. Although you will share your traveling tales and photos to your friends and family; your traveling companions will be the only ones that can relate to your adventure, and get the inside jokes. They are the ones, like you, that have explored and experienced the world first-hand.

  • Lion's Head, Thai Food, and God...Oh My! - by Emlyn Lee

    8/3/20103:39:42 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    Africa, Emlyn's Expressions

    My first full day in Cape Town ‘on my own’, without a tour bus, a handheld sign, or passengers to herd around. We walked around the various districts, and then decided to hike Table Mountain National Park. My travel mates and I have been to the infamous Table Mountain numerous times…so we decided to hike the other side of the park, where there were several trails and peaks that we had never experienced. We chose Lion’s Head, and trekked along…and along…and along. I love to exercise, I love the outdoors, and I love beautiful scenery…and today’s hike had all three. The weather was beautiful, and the scenes were breath-taking…overlooking all the different districts of Cape Town, the waterfront, the ocean, Table Mountain, paragliders, helicopter emergency drills, and so much more.

    I consider myself to be in decent physical shape, but the steepness of this trail made my heart, thighs and quads scream mercy on me. I don’t know if it was the jetlag, or the fried potato wedges that I ate at lunch, but I was ti-red! In fact, by the time we got back down to town, we stopped at an adorable café called, “The Bombay Bicycle Club” and I needed the waitress to bring me a bag of ice for my knees! We sat around resting our tired bones and muscles insistent that the sea level had dropped in Cape Town and that altitude must have been the factor for our exhaustion, until Dex asked, “What’s for dinner?”

    I was like dog hanging out a car window—ears perked, tongue out, drooling to support Dex’s question. Liz was craving curry. Dex was craving more beer. I was craving anything that didn’t look like a mountain. We went back to our hotel, got ready and found a recommended Asian restaurant on-line. Pon’s Asian kitchen—thumbs up by the viewers, and definitely thumbs up by me and my mates! Cape Town is a diverse and cosmopolitan city, and Pon’s menu represented SE Asian cuisine delectably--Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian dishes. We licked every piece of jasmine rice off our plate, had a very pleasant bottle of local South African wine, and had a very interesting dinner conversation about religion, faith, and cultures.

    While we had different beliefs and upbringings, we discovered the similarities, and shared the differences of opinions. Isn’t that what life is all about? We are all unique individuals, and we have the capability to bring our gifts to the table and share it with others. The common bond in humans is that we are able to communicate. Even if we speak different languages, dialects, or are mute…we share the commonality of being able to express love, kindness, peace, forgiveness, and understanding. I am striving for this, not only in the mission of Cultural Embrace, but in my daily life.

    How ironic is it, that I’m at a writer’s block, not really sure how to end this blog…when I look up from my bed, and see a framed picture of Nelson Mandela on the wall. I guess a picture is really worth a thousand words.

  • Counting Sheep on South Africa Airways - by Emlyn Lee

    8/3/20103:34:19 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    Africa, Emlyn's Expressions

    I’ve lost my sleeping mojo…I used to have the ability to fall asleep before taking off on any flight, and wake up just about the time when the flight attendants come by to remind us to put our tray tables away and to put our seats back to their upright position. I was really looking forward to some shut eye during this flight, since I just spent three weeks busily on the road recruiting Cultural Embrace along the East coast, and pulled a few late nighters trying to get as much work done before this trip. But for some reason, I’m on my second movie, typing up this blog off-line, and restlessly awaiting to land so I can stretch my body.

    I am flying on South Africa Airways to Cape Town, and even though there is nothing appealing about flying ~17 hours including a stopover in Dakar, Senegal, and then a layover in Johannesburg, l am impressed with their flight crew, aircraft, and service. Although I am not a hard critic when it comes to transportation, I have been in the travel & service industry for over 14 years and know the difference of quality of service. C’mon, there really is nothing peachy about getting to and from a destination. I think the tribulations from traveling happen, so that we can appreciate the destination that much more once we get there.

    I have taken every mode of transportation known to mankind--from the chicken buses in Peru, to propeller flights in Zimbabwe, to the Orient Express in Australia, to boats and cruises along the European waterways, to a Flying Pigeon bike in China, to a hot air balloon across the Serengeti, to an elephant ride through Nepal, to the Concorde across the Atlantic Ocean—I’ve accumulated frequent travel miles in some shape and form. It’s not the way I got to the destination, but the destination itself. It’s the people, the music, the food & drinks, the sites, and the experience (including the transportation) that I seek to discover when I travel. Now that my grandmamma knees and back are agitatedly questioning when we will get there…they’re just the reminders to make me anticipate and embrace being in South Africa so much more. Three hundred twenty-four thousand six hundred seventy two sheep…three hundred twenty-four thousand six hundred seventy three sheep…three hundred twenty-four thousand six hundred seventy four sheep…

  • The Secrets of Packing - by Emlyn Lee

    8/3/20103:30:28 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    Emlyn's Expressions

    I have been called "Queen Packer" when it comes to traveling (yet many other names when it comes to moving...). My friends, staff, and family often turn to me to help them figure out what to bring, and how to fit it in their luggage, so I thought I'd share some of my tips.

    Besides the fact that I can throw things in to a bag just minutes before heading out to the airport, I am able to assess the size of the suitcase and choose all the essential things for a trip, without sitting on the bag trying to zip it up.

    Tonight is no exception, as I am packing for my 3 weeks trip to South Africa. I will be visiting Cultural Embrace's service project sites, meeting with partners, checking out cultural and recreational activities, and having some r&r time with friends. Plus, I am bringing clothes to donate to children and women at orphanages and shelters. So how do I fit all this in to one rolling backpack? Read on...

    Firstly, decide a handful (handful is the key--no more than 5 days worth) of clothes that is appropriate for mixing & matching, easy washing & drying, and all types of activities. Cotton material blended with polyester and rayon are great since it is wrinkle free and easy to wash, dry, and wear. The darker the better since it will hide dirt and dust.

    Secondly, choose shoes that will not take too much space. I'm sorry ladies, it's time to leave Carrie Bradshaw behind when you travel--pick 2 maybe 3 shoes max! Comfort is key, and lucky for the non-heel embracers) the flat and ballet-type slipper shoes are fashionable and perfect! You can wear them with skirts, dresses, jeans, and shorts. Wear them to walk around town, a night out on the town, and they don't take up too much space in your suitcase. Bring another pair of flip flop or sandal type shoes that can get wet at the beach, showers, pools, etc. Tennis shoes or hiking boots will be your best bet if you are going to do some hiking, walking, and adventure type activities.

    Thirdly, the necessary toiletries--contact solution/eyeglasses, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, sunscreen, insect repellent, etc. I'm a big fan of travel pack or individual packaged wet wipes or sanitizer wipes. Someone recently informed me that they bring a small bottle of Listerine on trips to serve as mouthwash, antiseptic, and cleanser. I have never used it, but thought that was great idea.

    My laziness and can't-be-bothered attitude benefits me during my travels, so I don't need nor pack a lot of hair products or makeup. Facial lotion with sunscreen, and shampoo with conditioner are great 2-for-1 space saving products. Leave the hair dryer, straightener, and curling iron at home. They are too bulky, too heavy, and may fry out if the voltage is different abroad. This is your chance to embrace the au natural look!

    Now how to fit everything? Roll baby roll! Most of your clothes should be rolled tightly, unless you have jeans, slacks, jackets, or sweaters. Fold these items neatly and lay them in the bottom of the bag. Then place your rolled clothes in between, filling in the spaces. Shoes should be put in disposable bags (grocery bags are perfect) with socks stuffed in to them. Pack your toiletries in to Ziploc bags, and bring a few extra ones, since they are perfect to keep cameras, documents, etc dry from water, rain, and sweat.

    I try to bring clothes, supplies, vitamins, health/medical items to donate in underprivilege communities. It is such an easy way to clean out the closet, and will be appreciated and in good use by at-need locals. For this S. Africa trip, although I had space to put my donatable goods in my rolling backpack; I decided to bring an old bag that I could leave behind too. Plus, I used different tote bags that I have collected at conferences to divide the clothes, so I can easily donate them to different orphanages, shelters and communities.

    I hope this helps you for the next time you need to pack for a trip abroad. Cultural Embrace also provides a suggested packing list in our Pre-departure Travel Handbook for each trip and program. I'm sorry that we can't be there to help you roll your clothes, but Cultural Embrace and I are there in spirit to make sure your trip starts off with less weight on your back.

  • Day in Nairobi - by Tracy Guthrie, CE Adviser in Africa

    8/3/20103:23:30 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    Africa

    We are on our way back to WWB. I missed the kids a bit today. I think I am starting to get attached. One of the girls, Amenia, gave me a hand written note on Friday evening. She said she was happy i was there, grateful for my time and God for sending me. At the end of the note she wrote - "Love God" It made my heart so happy! I know in my heart that it was another way God was communicating with me. I am in the right place right now and need to just focus on not only giving love, but learning to accept love.

    All for now!
    BTW - this time on the computer costs 25 schilings. I think it is like 50 cents

    I love all of you, and bless you for supporting my trip.

    TracyNAfrica

  • Day in Nairobi - by Tracy Guthrie, CE Adviser in Africa

    8/3/20103:23:13 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    a

    We are on our way back to WWB. I missed the kids a bit today. I think I am starting to get attached. One of the girls, Amenia, gave me a hand written note on Friday evening. She said she was happy i was there, grateful for my time and God for sending me. At the end of the note she wrote - "Love God" It made my heart so happy! I know in my heart that it was another way God was communicating with me. I am in the right place right now and need to just focus on not only giving love, but learning to accept love.

    All for now!
    BTW - this time on the computer costs 25 schilings. I think it is like 50 cents

    I love all of you, and bless you for supporting my trip.

    TracyNAfrica

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