I will soon be meeting a Czech au pair, who will be staying with us for some months (that's in England). We've corresponded very well by email and phone. Is there any general advice on trying to make a good first impression - e.g. gifts, personal greetings, things not to do (I've heard don't give an even no. of flowers somewhere?!) ... and yes I do know that everyone is different, just looking for pointers and to avoid blunders. Any advice appreciated - first-time post. Steve
Yes, even number of flowers is considered bad luck. Appropriate greeting for first meeting is shaking hands - no hugging, kissing or so.
Thank you, thank you for posting this. I was just visiting this site to post the EXACT same message. We are welcoming an Au Pair from the Czech Republic into our home in mid-September and I wanted to make sure that we welcome her appropriately while also respecting any traditions that may be different than in America. I have learned that a hand-shake is best. Our children will probably make some pictures/paintings. I intend to have fresh flowers in her room but will make sure that it is an odd-number. I don't want to go overboard but I want to make sure that she knows that she is perhaps more welcome than she expected! Any ideas, even little things - would be great. Simply meeting someone from another culture is ONE thing but trying to make sure they are comfortable IN YOUR HOME the very first day is another challenge! I guess we all know that it takes time but what we WANT to make sure is that we don't do something WRONG!
Hi Firstly well done for finding this site! I was a youngish single dad and had an aupair from the Czech republic for two years. There are a few things worth thinking about and a few things you can co to make your aupair welcome. I can give you a view from my experience which The first thing is to understand why your aupair has chosen to come to England. Usually it is a mixture of wanting to improve her language skills, sometimes to have the chance to expeience a new way of life and sometimes just to get the hell away from small town life. Your aupair may be from a batter off family or just a small town girl wanting to break free but with very little experience of life outside her country. Do yourself a favour and get a guide book to the Czech Republic so she can show you where she has come from and tell you about her home, its a great ice breaker. If you can get her a czech cook book in english and if she cooks as most girls do you can share making some wonderful Czech food. Don't miss out on this!!! Our life style is in most cases much better than small town life in Czech Republic and she may be a bit overwhemed. Don't be flashy and just let her settle into a routine. She will almost certainly be much more domesticated than any english girl you will meet and you wont have to give her that much direction. However be clear about do's and don'ts. If you are near London pay a visit early on with her to the Czech and Slovak pub in West Hamstead. It has a small restaurant which is simple and friendly. There she will be able to show you Czech food and to sample good Czech beer served properly!! And yes she will almost certainly drink beer by the 1/2 litre. The place is a bit basic but she will meet loads of other Czech and Slovak people there and get clued up about how it works here. On the point of beer if she comes to the pub with you remember most Czechs see english beer as warm dishwater. These guys invented Lager, pisner and budweiser are Czech and if you can't get a Czech beer Newcastle Brown isn't a bad alternative! Go to tesco and get a few Budvar, or Pilsner Urquell in, don't offer American Bud becuase it is not the same thing at all - no smiles if you do beleive me! You can subscribe for her to the Czech magazine called the Echo which is intended for Czech and Slovak's living in the UK. Beleive me she will be thankfull that you did as it is full of important information about her rights as well as places to visit and where to get advice and help. It is naturally all in Czech so you can't read it sorry! The magazine will answer more important questions for her than you ever will. If you are really dedicated you can buy a Czech television decoder card for your satelite. It will cost a couple of hundred pounds but you will have one happy aupair!!! You can get these from a range of net based places check it out. This will be particularly appreciated if it is during the ice hockey championships. Remember Czech Republic are past world champions. If you cant do this then look on DVD's for subtitles or dubbing in Czech. You'd be surprised how many there are and she may appreciate this. Get a copy of the Film Dark Blue Word it is a great film about Czech Pilots in WW2 and is not stuffy but its half Czech and half English. It isn't a jolly film but it is very good. Get on Line to Bonton Land which is a Czech WH Smiths as far as films go and let her order a few films from home. Alternatively if you live in London take her to the Czech and Slovak centre in Harley Street where she can rent films. As for things she will miss, well bread for starters. Czech bread is very different to our mushy white. It is harder like rye bread and tastes different. You can't get it here at all and the closest you will get is Rosidsky Bread sold in Tesco. It is Russian and like a small housebrick. They also do a Baltic bread which is dark and hard and flavoured with caraway seed. This tastes more like Czech bread. She will also not be able to cook with our flour. Czech flour is coarse and can be replaced by Whitworth's Semolina. If she cooks and wants to make you something with Knedlik (Czech dumplings) then she can make them with this. Our meal arrangements are different here. Propper cooked lunches are the mainstay and our habit of eating late when we get in from work is pretty alien. Make sure you have pleanty of good cooked meats, cheeses etc in with fresh bread rolls or french bread as she will use these for breakfast. Ask her to make you chlebicky, Czech open sandwiches - they are very good. Don't forget that English is a flowery beat around the bush kind of language and what takes us half a sentence can be said in a word or two in Czech. If your aupair is not terribly fluent she may say things to you that sound abrupt and possibly a bit abrasive. This is not intentional, Czechs say it like it is and she will translate to her best ability, don't get offended, help her out. Finally Political Correctness!!! Make an effort to remember that she comes from The Czech Republic and not Czechoslovakia. It has taken a long time, several invasions and finally a revolution for the czech people to get where they are now in Europe. Your Aupair may well have a much higher national pride than you. Most people don't remember from their history books that it was our Prime minister who allowed the annexation of Czecoslovakia by Hitler before he invaded poland! be sensitive. Well good luck and I hope it works out well. Contact me if you want to. Joss Irrespective of why she has come there are certain very practical things she will miss.
Joss I'm really bowled over by your generous message. Many thanks. Some great tips in there. All the best Steve
Hello All, Im going to the Czech Rep in the next two weeks. I am visiting a Czech (South Moravian) family for the first time. What should I take along as gifts, for mother, father, two daughters, and Grand Parents.? What would be really appreciated for all of them, maybe something they cannot buy or is very expensive in Czech. Any ideas anyone.? I want to make a good first impression.
Stop at getting Czech TV viewing for her. However, she will certainly appreciate having chance to watch tv in English. Even that is learning. Remember she is there to experience immersion into English language and learn and expecience living in other country like no tourist can.
To Isisuk: I have found your unanswered message from September 14. If you want to get replies to your question, post it again, this time separately as a New Topic. Eva
