LISA, 23 YEARS

Dear host family letter: My name is Lisa, I am a 23 year-old(female) from South Africa. I was born in Cape Town I stay in a town in South Africa called Orania which is located in the Northern Cape . The culture in South Africa is a mixture between English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu. It’s extremely diverse and it is filled with people from all types of different backgrounds and circumstances. I come from a large sized family. I am the second youngest out of four siblings, with two brothers, one older, one younger and an older sister. I'm grateful for my siblings and have a good relationship with them. My youngest brothers name is Andre he is 21 years old and he works at aluminium factory in my town. My older brother is Jacques, he is 32 years old and works in IT in Vryburg. My older sister is Rene, she is 25 years old and works as an electrical engineer in Johannesburg. My mom’s name is Tracey and she is a manager at an agricultural hardware store. My mom and I have an amazing bond and relationship but like all mothers and daughters we have our ups and downs. My dad’s name is Henk and he works for a business that supplies water to local farmers. I have always looked up to my dad as he is such a strong and hardworking man. My parents play an important role in my life because they showed me that if I work hard I can achieve anything! When it comes to childcare experience, I gave plenty of it! I worked several months at a daycare in my hometown and I were an aupair in the Netherlands for one year. I looked after children from 6 months to 10 years old, this included energetic children, shy children, disabled children and let’s not forget about the naughty ones to. I painted their faces, colored in with them, baked with them, played TV games with them l, played on the Jungle gym with them and overall kept them safe and entertained. In the next 2 to 3 years I would like to pursue a career in theatre arts. But for now I would like to experience a whole new culture and lifestyle. I believe that this au-pair program will help me grow as a person. I think that being an au-pair, living in Denmark and being part of a Danish/Swedish/Norwegian or even Swiss family is going to be an amazing experience. I also think that being part of a Danish/Swedish/Norwegian/ Swiss family will help me learn more about their culture, which is something I’m very eager to do. Living in Denmark/Norway/Sweden/ Switzerland will also help me gain more independence and strength as a person. I would love to be an au-pair because I absolutely adore children! I love how much energy they have all the time and that also helps to keep yourself young. I love their curiosity and seeing the world through their eyes and their little laughs and giggles always makes my day. Every child that I have ever looked after has brought so much joy to my life and they help me to be a more happy and positive person. As mentioned before I would love to gain more strength and independence from this experience. Some of my hobbies include cooking, painting, drawing, writing , reading (I enjoy tapping into my creative side). I also enjoy walking dogs, exploring and cycling scenic routes. I think that my childcare experience and my personality would make a great au-pair because I am a caring, young, energetic, adventurous, nurturing, loving, trustworthy, enthusiastic, reliable, responsible, fun, respectful, flexible, adaptable, communicative and I always enjoy a good challenge! Also I am a very bubbly person which is a plus. I am filled with excitement for my journey that lies ahead, I look forward to hearing from you! Best Regards Lisa van Reenen