@xggong8261 I absolutely agree. So many countries, once part or influenced by the China empire, still have so many things, habits, and lenguage influenced by it. Over time, they developed them in their own, uniquely beautiful way and that's what makes Asian countries one of my favourite places on earth: the richness in culture that comes from a common background that has been changed, twisted and developed over the centuries. I love that 💚

​@@Chiara.Keller Yes, and in my opinion, I think the Japanese have more ancient Chinese traditions in terms of politeness and civilization. Unfortunately, some traditions have been lost in China due to political movements and other events. In terms of personality, the Japanese are more polite when getting along with others, but they will deliberately keep their distance and are unwilling to cause trouble to others. The Chinese are more tolerant. Whether in the West or the East, the Chinese prefer to be lively or "trouble" each other, and have a stronger sense of humanity. In general, both sides have their advantages. You are welcome to come to China often to experience it.

Thank you! I'm always up for a Chinese ouverture 😁

@randomname931 that's good advice!

@andyk5286 you can still use it, no worries! Is just that the most used payment method in China is now scanning QR codes, but cash is still accepted in most places 😉

@@Chiara.Keller Good to know, thanks. I have about 20k yuan notes, by the time I end my travel, I'm sure they'll still be some paper notes left. Since I no longer wants to keep them anymore, do you know if I can exchange them in any bank to USD when I am there?

You can exchange them in the airport before leaving China 😉

@@Chiara.Keller Thanks for the advice! 🙂

@akaku_2166 Hey! It's great to hear you're thinking about embarking on this great adventure! I didn't mention it for a reason: I've spent 1 month in Yamanashi as a volunteer with worldpackers.com and the other one as a traveller around Japan. That means that after that month, I was moving with trains and buses constantly, hotels and B&B were my accommodation, eating in restaurants every day and I did a lot more "tourist" activities (climbing Mount Fuji, visit cities and so on) that would obviously increase my budget. As per Yamanashi, if you don't take into consideration the flight tickets (that vary on country and period), travel insurance (super important), I'd say I had only spent on that one month around 150/200 €/$ . That includes train tickets to arrive there from Tokyo, extras (snack, souvenirs, activities), and more transportation to travel around the area. Hope that cleared it for you 😊 Don't forget to use my code in the description box if you decide to volunteer with Worldpackers.com to save 10$ on your annual membership 😉 Happy travels!

Hi! Thanks for the support and the suggestion 😊 For Central Asia, I say don't give up! I haven't been there (yet), and I think it would be a great travel destination! It's not an overdone destination, so you can travel with ease, and it's such an interesting area, with so much cultural variety! I say pack and GO! Surely not pack and leave it 😁

@EnglishwithSam685 China has changed a lot in some sense, and it has remained the same in others. When it comes to practical things, everything is done technologically: think apps, pay methods, and purchase goods. Culturally wise, they have remained the same. It's still a pretty closed country that is not very used to having contact with the rest of the world. And speaking of that, my next KZbin video is going to be about this topic: practical apps and tips and cultural differences when living in China. So stay tuned 😉

I actually started learning Mandarin a year and a half ago on Duolingo App. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't put much faith in it, but I put some effort anyway. One of the best parts about coming with an agency is that they often offer mandarin classes. I took 40 hours, and after the first class, the teacher said I was an HSK 3 student. That's not bad for a beginner! Until the classes kept going, I felt like I was really improving, but once the 40 hours finished, I guess I didn't put in so much effort into practising 😅 That's on me. But one can truly improve if they put the effort to try to speak, even when you're not feeling confident about your language level. Keep your ears open at all times and truly try to separate even a word or two in conversations. I find that truly helps a lot in memorising vocabulary and understanding more. I think, like with every language, learning Mandarin doesn't come easy at first, but it gets easier the more you hear it and practice it, and that your worst enemy is being too shy to try to speak. Try! At worst, they won't understand, and you can use a translation app. But no one is going to laugh at you if you get it wrong, I promise 😉

@Sylphyuno ciao! Sono contenta di sentire che ho catturato l'interesse di qualcuno 😁 La Cina è un paese straordinario, che richiede un po' di pazienza ma che può offrire tantissimo. Puoi trovare l'agenzia con cui sono venuta nella descrizione sotto il video, comunque è www.lopair.com/ Tieni sempre presente che l'agenzia ti aiuterà durante tutto il processo di arrivare (Visto, documenti, trovare la famiglia, etc.), processo non semplice, perciò tieni duro! Se scegli di venire, fagli sapere che li hai trovati tramite il mio canale, così si prenderanno extra cura di te 😁 Spero che sceglierai di imbarcarti in questa starordinaria avventura! Ti assicuro che non te ne pentirai! Buon viaggio!

@@Chiara.Keller grazieee,per ora non sono tanto sicuro a causa università,perchè non so se prendermi o meno l’anno sabbatico.Però penso proprio che con l’indecisione della facoltà che mi ritrovo faccio l’au pair mentre prendo una decisione e via.Grazie ancora.

@@Chiara.Kellerciao sono sempre io,mi stavo informando meglio sull’au pair.Posso contattarti in privato per alcune informazioni?Perchè non sono sicuro su alcune

Ciao, certo scrivimi pure su IG @chiara_slowtravel 😊

China is definitely a country rich in culture, history, and beauty. I believe more people could open up to it if it was just easier to visit.

Italy ☺

@@Chiara.Keller nice

Yes, unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation around China. The fact that the country keeps all doors closed and doesn't let anything out definitely doesn't help. There's so much to discover on this side of the Great Wall!

@shaeera2346 I struggle with Chinese table manners. I just can't get past the difference in etiquette between China and my country 🙈

@EnglishwithSam685 Hey! I'm so sorry you had such a bad first experience. Believe it or not, the exact same situation happened to me the first time I came as an Aupair in China 8 years ago. Thankfully, the agency I came with at that time was able to find me another family, so as for you, things got better 😊 But as you said, I know what you mean when you say you had to handle everything on your own. Unfortunately, some agencies do appear to care more about the host family than the Aupair. You did great at not giving up, though! All the best for your new adventure! I hope it goes so well that it will make you forget the first 🙈

@@Chiara.Keller Thx a lot for the kind words! Also I got a good opportunity to explore another great city, Shenzhen haha.

@lwg7575 hey! That depends a lot on the Agency's policy, if you go with one, and the family. I get 2000 RMB per month, which is roughly 250 €/$. That's around the standard, but it can vary from 1500 to 2500 RMB. If you go directly to the family, without an Agency, that can be very different, depending on your working hours and family disposition.

@lbunnygordon1133 hey! I know packing is a struggle, but it gets easier over time. Don't worry 😁 For the mosquito repellent, I found that the Autan brand works for me, but I'd advise to pick one that covers also against tropical and tiger mosquitoes. All the best for your future travelling adventures!

Hi I’m interested.

Do you have WeChat?

Thank you! I'll definitely have a look. I miss Yamanashi province and its beautiful landscape! Japan is just gorgeous, and I'd love to go there on a long-term travel adventure once again in the future!

@@teresamexico309 you're welcome 😊

@giuliapietrantoni3634 step 3 : enjoy the adventure 😎

Ciao Michele, grazie per il feedback! Stay tuned, perché viaggi backpacking e posti must-see sono assolutamente in programma a breve 😎

Thank you! More energy soon to come! 😎

Hi! Thank you! Who knows, maybe one day, I'd love to come to China again

Hello! I applied with a aupair agency, which is the easiest and safest way to find a family and be au aupair in China. You can find a few aupair agencies online, just type it in your browser research bar. Hope it helps! All the best with your aupair exchange!

If you are alone with the kid, anything from drawing together, playing simple card ges like uno or memory, if they have children blocks (like Lego) you can use that too. If there are more kids and you are outside you can play hide and seek, Marco Polo, red light green light. You can go play at the park or read some picture books, play board games. There's a lot and it all really depends on the kid's personality and age and of course what you like too. Think about what you liked to do when you were a kid and have a go at that😉

Hi! Lovely to hear you want to be an AuPair in China! To do that there are a few things you want to do: First of all, your best option is to find an AuPair Agency, that will speed up the process and make it so much easier as they will lead your way through it. To find one you can have a look at the www.iapa.org where you can find all of those that are approved by the internationa Aupair Association. They will help you through all the steps and guide you through. There is no set or specific time nor lenght to be an aupair in China, it will depend on your availiability and the agency request for an aupair from your country and with your lenguage background. I hope this helps, have a great adventure in China! Pan

After so many years and 5 months spent in China, I think that is mostly a cultural barrier. It is not just the language, it's the cultural approch that is quite different from what I'm used to at least. 😊 I had similar, yet very different responses in other Asian countries I visited, Japan, South Korea, Thailand.

Ahah! I KNOW the feeling! Duck brain was my turning point. I had it and it was ok, but I can understand some things are not easy to try, especially in the beginning. No need to push oneself excessively. Trying new things it's good, but it shouldn't be a chore

Duck brain 😆🙈 WTF

@@LennyMali I still live 😆

I had a 5 years old with special needs and there the real problem was the mom. Then I had a 9 years old, very spoiled, so different kinds of problems. I think every aupair experience with the kids will come with some kind of difficulties, that's part of the deal and an important one as well. Both parties will learn from each other. As for your case, it might be helpful trying to understand why the toodler won't be able to listen at some point. Did he just watch TV or recently had some food or snack? That could keep his energy levels high and make it hard for him to relax as he's got sugars in his body and TV stimulates your brain to be active. You could try to pick a time to read further from this times, or avoid having the kid eat sugary snacks right before. If it's just a matter of the kid's usual behavior, you'll have to work with that step by step, channeling his energy in more active activities at other times of the day. That could help making him more calm in other moments and read to him at that time. I'm really no expert, so I'm simply sharing my own experience through dealing with similar issues, but I still hope it helps😉

🙈 I feel like I hear that quite a lot 😅

Aye! Lots of you guys have been asking me about this, so I will make a video about that 😉

I went with ASC Aupair study in China. I understand what you mean, it depends a lot on a cultural difference and the way Chinese consider aupairing, sometimes more like a job then an exchange program. Don't feel down, some agencies are now more used to the worldwide concept of aupairing and consider more the aupair problems. The one I went with is probably going in this direction, although keep in mind that there will always be a difference dependent on cultural differences. Hope it helps and enjoy China!

Juan Sebastian Quintero Niño it's not internet in general, it's specific websites. Especially social media like Facebook and yes KZbin as well. But for every problem there's a solution, which in this case is called VPN. They are apps that allow you to use internet in China as if you were connecting from another country, like Australia for example. It's like being Batman on internet, you know who you are but nobody else does. There are free VPNs and those you pay for. I honestly used a free one and it was just fine. Internet is going to be a bit slower obviously, but you'll live. I can't remember the one I used but if you just Google free VPN app you'll find reviews on the best ones and such. Hope it was helpful and all the best with your aupair experience!

Juan Sebastian Quintero Niño no problem! I'm afraid I can't remember which are free to use and which are not, but I used both of them.