Au Pair Place

September Au Pair Place Coffeehouse

2009-08-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Join us Friday, September 4, 2009 at 7:30 for The Au Pair Place Coffeehouse.

We look forward to meeting new friends and catching up with old ones!

Pilgrim [a work in progress]

2009-04-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Youth Ministry of Covenant Life presents Pilgrim, an original, contemporary musical based on John Bunyan’s classic book Pilgrim’s Progress, that brings to life the trials and difficulties of the Christian walk. The story is a message of hope—a reminder of God’s presence in our lives and of the promise of heaven at the end of the path.

More details at www.covlife.org/static/pilgrim.

The Au Pair Place would like to invite Au Pairs to the play on May 1 at 7:30. Please pick up your tickets free of charge at the ticket booth.

We're looking forward to seeing you!

Achtung Au Pairs

2009-03-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Wolfgang Wegert, der Pfarrer der Kirche Arche in Hamburg, wird predigen hier am Palmsonntag, 5. April, und er wird uns mehr über das, was Gott tut in Deutschland. Wir freuen uns über die Arbeit und das Zeugnis der Kirche und unserer wachsenden Freundschaft.

April 4 Cherry Blossom Festival

2009-03-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

Come see the beautiful Cherry Blossoms of DC on Saturday, April 4. We will meet at the Shady Grove Metro Station near the ticketing area at 9:00 AM.

We will plan to have lunch in DC and then go see the beautiful flowers! Please bring a little money for the metro and lunch.

April 3 Au Pair Place Coffeehouse

2009-03-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Join us on Friday, April 3 at 7:30 PM in the Spurgeon Room of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland for some snacks, coffee and desserts. As always, you are welcome to bring special food from your country. We look forward to meeting you and your Au Pair friends!

Friday, March 6: Movie Night

2009-03-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

Come join us watch "The Ultimate Gift" this Friday at 7:30 PM.

Au Pair Place Coffeehouse

2009-01-30T08:27:00.001-08:00

Dear Au Pairs and American Friends,

Please join us Friday, February 6, 2009 at 7:30 PM for a night of games and gab. We hope to meet new Au Pairs, so bring along your friends!

Also, please bring some finger foods from your country to share!

We'll meet at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD.

Ice Skating at the Sculpture Garden

2009-01-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

Please join us for Ice Skating this Saturday, January 24th, at 11 AM

The Plan: meet at Covenant Life Church at 11 am.

Please bring at least 10 dollars for the Ice Skating and money for the metro.

See you then! Wear warm clothes!

January Coffee House Cancelled

2008-12-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

Our first Monthly coffeehouse for 2009 will be in February. However, please keep an eye on the blog to see if we're doing something else during the month!

Play

2008-12-16T07:43:00.001-08:00

Come join us for a Christmas play entitled What Child is This at Covenant Life Church on December 23 and 24 at 6:30 PM. Ring in the Christmas morning with holiday songs and stories celebrating Christ's birth.

Christmas Caroling

2008-12-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Come join us in this festive holiday tradition of singing songs with Christmas themes from door to door on Sunday, December 21 at 4:30 PM. We will meet at Covenant Life Church first and then leave for the festive singing event!

The Au Pair Place Holiday Party - December 5

2008-12-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

This Friday we are going to have a holiday cookie decorating party and we hope all our Au Pair friends can come. We'll also be singing carols and sharing desserts from around the world.

See you there!

2008-11-10T07:05:00.001-08:00

For those of you who made it to the Fall Welcome Party, we had a wonderful time together over lunch and games. We hope to see more Au Pairs in the future! Invite your friends!

Fall Welcome Party

2008-09-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome New Au Pairs!

If you are new to the metro DC area and you are an Au Pair, we would like to welcome you to America and to the Au Pair Place, a group that meets bi-monthly to establish a community between Americans and visiting internationals.

Please join us and spread the word among your international friends about our Au Pair Fall Welcome Party on Saturday, November 1 at 12:00 PM at Covenant Life Church. Over food and games, you'll get a chance to meet new friends and learn more about your new community.

We hope to see you there!

October Coffeehouse

2008-08-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Come join us at our monthly coffeehouse Friday, October 3, at 7:30 PM. We will reconnect with old friends after summer vacation and meet new ones! We hope to see you then at Covenant Life Church, 7501 Muncaster Mill Road in Gaithersburg, MD.

Beach Trip!

2008-08-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

When: Saturday,Sept 6th From 6am-6pm

Where: Bethany Beach

We are meeting at Covenant Life Church at 6:00 AM and carpooling from there.

Covenant Life Church is located at 7501 Muncaster Mill Rd in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Please bring cash to buy food and help with gas for the trip to the beach!

See you for some fun in the sun!

ACTS: A Modern Musical

2008-08-25T07:26:00.001-07:00

Hello Au Pairs and American Friends! Please join us this weekend at Covenant Life Church for a unique show: Acts: A Modern Musical Based on the Biblical Story. Although a majority of us will be attending the Friday August 29 show, there are also performances on Saturday and Sunday. Please RSVP if you can come and let us know which day you will attend. For more information on the event, click here . We hope to see you there! Au Pairs, pick up your tickets **FREE** at the will call ticket booth and meet us there 10 minutes before the show so we can sit together!

Berry Picking August 17!

2008-07-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

Attention berry lovers! We are heading out to pick berries next month! Read on for details :

On Sunday, August 17th, we will meet at Covenant Life Church at 1:30pm, get lunch, and then go berry picking! You are also welcome to come to the church service at Covenant Life Church at 11:30pm if you would like, but you are welcome to just join us for lunch and berry picking. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you need directions to Covenant Life Church.

Summer Activity Ideas

2008-07-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

One of the Au Pair Place Team Members shared a great list of activity ideas. When you have free time, check out one of these events. Bring on the Summertime fun!

Free outdoor movie at Rockville Town Center every Saturday Night

Follow up by rockin to some Latino music at La Tasca also in Rockville Town Center

Swing Dancing lessons at Glen Echo

Paddleboating at Lake Needwood

Monday Nights on the National Mall in Washington DC : Screen on the Green = Free Movie

Free Jazz concert (bring a picnic!) in the sculpture gardens of the National Gallery of Art

Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls

Bike riding along the C&O canal into Georgetown

Free Shakespeare Night at Olney Theater

Stay Tuned for Next Event

2008-07-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

The August coffeehouse has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict, but stay tuned for an upcoming event! We will most likely get together during the month- just check the blog for updates.

Enjoy the summer and stay out of the heat!

The Au Pair Place

JULY 4!

2008-06-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

Not doing anything for Independence Day? Are you an Au Pair and you're new to the area? Come celebrate Independence Day the American way at the nation's capitol! We'll be heading to the Mall for fireworks, concerts, and food!

Meeting at Covenant Life Church at 3:30 to head over to the Shady Grove Metro.Bring plenty of water and food for the evening.Other good items to bring: sunblock, hat, games, books, tarp/sheets, poncho/umbrella.

Welcome Party June 28!

2008-06-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 28th from 12:00-2:00 PM at Covenant Life Church we will celebrate the arrival of new au pairs!!!! Spread the word......

American Friend Program

2008-05-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

If you are an Au Pair and you want to know more Americans, the American Friend Program coordinated by the Au Pair Place is perfect for you. Read on to discover an American's experience with the Friend Program:

How long have you been a part of the American Friend Program?
I have only been matched with Anna for about one month. While waiting to be matched with someone, I've had a great time getting to know other Au Pairs who were matched with someone else.

What sort of things have you done together?
What is becoming one of my favorite activities is sharing traditional foods from our countries. This past weekend I had some Au Pairs and another American Friend over for a traditional Chinese Meal called "Steamboat." I've also had a chance to try Thai soup and chicken, Brazilian chicken, and yummy baked goods through another dinner.

Apart from eating, we've also gone on some short trips - Hershey's Chocolate Factory and Snowtubing.

Is it difficult to find time to hang out?
We just try to plan around each others schedules and plan in advance. Having the weekends off helps.

What do you hope to get out of being an American friend?
Making friends with people that I may never get a chance to talk to and having the friendship last even after the year or two is up.

Are you happy with how things have worked so far?

Yes, I'm very happy. I'm not only getting to know other Au Pairs, but I'm also getting to know other Americans in the Au Pair Place.

Au Pair Events

2008-05-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars Au Pairs and American Friends:

June 6 @ 7:30-10:00 PM --> Au Pair Coffeehouse at Covenant Life Church (Gaithersburg, Maryland)
June 28 @ 12:00-2 PM --> Au Pair Welcome Party at Covenant Life Church (Gaithersburg, Maryland)
July 4 --> Independence Day trip to the National Mall (Washington, DC)

We hope to see you at these events!!!!

What is an Au Pair?

2008-04-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Do you know what an au pair is?

Wikipedia says the following:

An au pair is a foreign-national domestic assistant working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs are young women and take on a share of the family's responsibility for child care ...

The title comes from the French term au pair, meaning "on a par" or "equal to", indicating that the relationship is intended to be one of equals: the au pair is intended to become a member of the family, albeit a temporary one, rather than a domestic servant. In the best circumstances, both parties benefit from learning about the other's culture.

Pretty cool, huh?

Cherry Blossom Festival this Sunday

2008-04-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, ladies! It is Cherry Blossoms time, and the Au Pair Place is planning an outing to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. We are meeting at 2pm on Sunday, April 6th, in the Covenant Life Church parking lot and then taking the metro to downtown DC. Please RSVP so that we would know how many are planning to come. With questions, please contact Jackie (jacksterjax922@yahoo.com) or Katrina (katscaires@yahoo.com.br), and look for them in the parking lot on Sunday. As always, please feel free to invite others.

Au Pair Place at Potbelly

2008-03-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

The Au Pair Place visited Potbelly after the Joseph play yesterday. Thanks for coming girls! It was a lot of fun!

Coffeehouse: Friday April 4th @ 7:30 PM

2008-03-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Monthly International Au Pair Coffeehouse

Where? Covenant Life Church 7501 Muncaster Mill Rd., Gaithersburg, Md. 20877

When? Friday, April 4th at 7:30 PM

Who? cool Au Pairs and awesome Americans

What? Come out for a nice time of chat, games, and music. On top of all that, it's a way to make some new friends who may be local to the area or from the other side of the world.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

2008-03-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

Saturday March 29th at 2:30 PM

Mark your Calendars!

We will be attending the matinee performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat the last Saturday of March at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Au Pairs, please RSVP to aupairplace@gmail.com if you are interested in attending!

Afterwards, the plan is to go get a sandwich and milkshake at the Rio Potbelly's.

Come out and have fun meeting other Au Pairs and making American friends!

March Coffeehouse Cancelled

2008-03-05T12:54:00.001-08:00

Hello Au Pairs and American Friends! Our March monthly coffeehouse is cancelled, but we want to keep you updated with upcoming events. We're reserving seats at the performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat which will take place at the end of March/beginning of April. If you are an Au Pair and would like to come, make sure you email aupairplace@gmail.com so we can reserve your seat!

Recap:

March coffeehouse cancelled

Coming Soon: A Performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
at Covenant Life Church

The results are in!

2008-02-06T18:29:00.001-08:00

Au Pair Survey

What is your favorite thing about being an Au Pair?

Kids - 17%

New Culture - 50%

New Friends - 33%

What do you miss most from your home country?

Friends - 17%

Food - 33%

Family - 50%

What do you want to do most while in the United States?

travel - 72%

learn English - 28%

What is your favorite US store?

Target - 67%

American Eagle - 33%

What is the most challenging thing about being an Au Pair?

Kids - 50%

Boredom or Loneliness - 50%

What would you say to a friend who wants to be an Au Pair?

Do it! - 2%

Check out the family carefully - 98%

**Thanks for your participation in our survey! :)**

Dessert = Yummy

2008-02-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

We had a fun time last friday night with the Au Pairs; all who participated brought in a delicious dessert from their home country. The sweets ranged from green bean bread, which is enjoyed
in Korea and China, banana yogurt hailing from Deutschland, scrumptious chocolate Japanese pretzel sticks, banana coconut pudding from Malaysia, rice cookies from China, and some blintzes that lasted all of 15 minutes before they were gobbled up- wow those were good!

Don't miss our next Au Pair coffeehouse, and tell your friends about our blog. We're always excited to welcome new Au Pairs to our group! We meet usually the first Friday of the month from 7:30-10 PM at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. See you there! Bis Bald! Nos vemos ahi! A plus! Sayonara! Ciao!

February 1, 2008 International Dessert Coffeehouse

2008-01-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

Attention Sweet-toothed Au Pairs: Our upcoming coffeehouse on Friday, February 1st will feature YOUR national dessert. Please participate in this delicious event by bringing along some sweets or a dessert from your country! Looking forward to seeing you at Covenant Life!

International Thanksgiving Dinner

2007-11-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our church's annual International Thanksgiving Dinner took place Sunday before Thanksgiving. Many au pairs and team members came to celebrate this great American tradition. We had a chance to have some traditional thanksgiving foods such as turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumkin pie, as well as to try some international dishes from Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Some of the au pairs and team members wore their beautiful traditional costumes.

Upcoming Events

2007-11-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

As a reminder, these are our upcoming events, so please mark your calendars:

November 18th, 6pm: International Thanksgiving Dinner (Covenant Life Church, 7501 Muncaster Mill Rd, Gaithersburg, MD). A fun night with a variety of international dishes, games (with great prizes), and getting to know more about other countries/cultures represented in the DC metro area. Please bring a dish from your home country and feel free to wear a traditional outfit.

December 7th, 7:30pm: Monthly International Coffeehouse. (Covenant Life Church, 7501 Muncaster Mill Rd, Gaithersburg, MD).

Welcome Party Recap in Pictures

2007-10-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time together this past Saturday at the Fall Welcome Party. There were Au Pairs from Germany, Japan, Austria, & Mexico - old and new faces. We were so happy to see all of you there! Some girls signed up to join the American Friend program. We look forward to getting to know you all better! Welcome to the US!

Fall Welcome Party

2007-10-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

The Au Pair Place is having its bi-annual Welcome Party on Saturday, October 27th, from 12-2pm. We host such events twice a year, in June and October. They are a great place to meet and spend time with au pairs and members of the Au Pair place team. We have delicious refreshments, play fun games, and get to know each other. Here are some pictures from the June Welcome Party.

Our first official post

2007-07-30T09:38:00.001-07:00

Hello, everyone! We are happy to announce the launch of our blog. Here we will be posting stories, updates, announcements, and pictures. There is also a link to our calendar where you can find out about our upcoming events. So, thank you for visiting our blog and please come again soon!