Manual da Au Pair Prática

• Não leia o blog, navegue pelas matérias nas listas de assunto.
• Caso você faça questão de ler as matérias em forma de posts, use a cabeça e navegue pela aba "Blog" no alto desta página.
• O MSN Spaces NAO NOS DÁ O E-MAIL DA PESSOA QUE COMENTOU, portanto por favor, deixe e-mail com o comentário.
• A ordem de postagem das matérias não reflete a importância delas.
• Deixe comentários. Utilize-os para fazer perguntas.
• Divulgue o Manuel do Au Pair no seu site, blog ou fotoblog, não custa nada e traz muitos benefícios.
• Não pergunte sobre agência na matéria sobre crianças, ou sua pergunta não será respondida.
• Não faça perguntas cujas respostas já estejam presentes no site.
• Caso sua pergunta seja relevante, de alguma importância ou inédita, uma matéria sobre ela será feito e um link será colocado em alguma das listas. Portanto, fique atento (a) às atualizações do blog.
• As perguntas respondidas serão colocadas no ar o mais rápido possível. Enquanto isso, procure no orkut por ela. Se após muitos dias não houver um link com sua pergunta, é porque ela era repetida e você, para variar, não procurou direito no site.
• Sugestões ou elogios devem ser depositados no tópico da "Apresentação" (este!). Estes comentários serão apagados quando houver atualização no site. Mas serão publicados na Comunidade "No Boteco com Au Pairs" e não serão esquecidos.

A agência não cumpriu o combinado??
BOTE A BOCA NO TROMBONE!!

Mas lembre-se de especificar: nome da agência e LOCAL. Pois ás vezes um escritório é ruim, mas outro da mesma agência, em outra localidade, pode ser bom. Se possível, deixe o nome da pessoa que te atendeu (ou mal atendeu).

Vou começar publicando a reclamação de duas pessoas, o resto DEVE SER POSTADO EM FORMA DE COMENTÁRIOS - que eu colocarei no texto principal assim que possivel.

* O Yazigi Travel também é um representante da APC no Brasil e não está na lista de agências. Ainda bem. Sugiro que nem ponha. As agentes não dão a atenção devida, e provocar alguns confusões antes mesmo do embarque. A espera por família é muito, muito, muuuuuuuito demorada. Sem contar os muitos casos de problemas e insatisfação de Au Pairs que confiaram nesta agência. Eu paguei, preenchi todos os requisitos, mas voltei atrás pois eles prejudicaram o meu perfil publicado no site da APC (que eu não tinha acesso. Apenas para famílias já cadastradas nos EUA). Bom, é isso. Eu não aconselho ninguém a ir. E quem já estiver escrita, desejo muita, muita mesmo, sorte!

* eu fui pela APC.. foi uma porcaria.. nao tive a ajuda q esta prevista pelas coordenadoras, nao me pagaram passagem d volta. foi mt dificil.. a familia me tratava mttt mal.. e quando pedi pra sair, a familia disse q eu tava mentido e as coordenadoras acrditaram so e exclusivamente na familia. me mandaram embora.

Expressoes idiomaticas em ingles:

1. guinea-pig: someone who allows himself to be used as a subject for experiments.
Ex: Why don't you try that new restaurant first. I don't want to be the ~.

2. Take your time!: Don't hurry!

3. on Cloud Nine: to be very happy. (= to be in seventh heaven). Ex: Since her engagement to Peter, Joan has been ~.

4. Time is running out!: There is little time left!

5. It's raining cats and dogs!: It's raining very heavily!

6. a fair-weather friend: a friend only for as long as things are going well.

7. down-to-earth: practical, sensible; concerned with facts not theories. Ex: I am surprised that a ~ character like Jim should suddenly start taking an interest in astrology.

8. the black sheep of the family: a member of a family who has disgraced himself/herself.

9. once in a blue moon: extremely rarely. Ex: What does it matter what your uncle thinks of you? He only visits you ~.

10. to see someone in his true colors: to understand someone's true character, often for the first time. Ex: When he lost his temper, he showed himself in his ~.

11. to see red: to get very angry at something. Ex: When the workers found out that their wages had been cut, they saw red.

12. to look through rose-colored/tinted glasses: to see things in a flattering or over-optimistic light. Ex: Anne always enjoys her visits because she sees everything through ~, but she would feel differently if she had to live there.

13. to catch someone red-handed: to catch someone in the act of committing a crime, usually a theft. Ex: Caught you ~! I saw you take the money out of the box.

14. red tape: bureaucratic delay, excessive attention to rules and regulations. Ex: I had to go through a lot of ~ to get a green card in the U.S.

15. a white lie: a harmless or well-intentioned lie. This is generally not considered morally wrong because the motive is to spare the feelings of the person lied to. Ex: Thanks for such a delicious supper Ms. Carman. You're an excellent cook. (This is what you would say even if you did not like the meal.)

16. white trash: very poor white people. A derogatory term that Blacks might use when referring to White people.

17. in the air: of plans, undecided, uncertain. Ex: We haven't made up our minds yet where we are going to spend our summer vacation; our plans are still ~.

18. to be in a jam: to be in great difficulties, to be in a mess. Ex: I'm really ~ right now because I have a faculty meeting at 2:00 and have to pick up the kids from school at 2:15.

19. a backseat driver: this phrase refers to the passenger in the back (or front) of a car, who is always telling the driver what to do. Ex: Watch out for that car! Don't go too fast! Slow down! Careful, there's a stop sign ahead! Don't park to close to the curb! (These are things a ~ would say.)

20. to hit the road: to leave by car (or on foot). Ex: I better ~ now or I'll be late for class. What you might say when you have to leave someone.

21. a labor of love: a work done without payment, either for its own sake or for the sake of a loved one. It may just be something that you enjoy doing. Ex: Her work at the homeless shelter is ~.

22. moral support: encouragement. Ex: I'm taking a driving test tomorrow at the Division of Motor Vehicles. I hope you'll go with me to give me ~.

23. I've got to hand it to you: I must congratulate you.

24. to give someone the cold shoulder: to treat someone with marked coldness, to ignore him in a noticeable manner. Ex: When I greeted Lucy this morning, she pretended not to see me. I wonder why she is giving me ~.

25. an early bird: someone who rises early or likes to rise early.

26. a night owl: someone who likes to stay up late.

27. to play it by ear: to wait and see how things will be before doing something. Ex: Mark: Should we go to the beach tomorrow? Bob: Let's ~. We might be too tired after tonight's party.

28. It has your name on it: It's just right for you. It's something you would like.

29. You can say that again!: Really! or That's true! This idiom expresses strong agreement with what someone else has said.

30. to be two-faced: to agree with a person to his face but disagree with him behind his back.

31. like father, like son: resemblance of the son to the father. The son is likely to do the same thing that his father would do. You can also say: like mother, like daughter.

32. a redneck: (American colloquialism) a person (usually a man) who is very crude and insensitive. A typical ~ might look like a trucker, have a beer belly, and laugh loudly.

33. to have the guts to ... : to have the courage to ... . Ex: He didn't ~ stand by his friend when he was in trouble.

34. it runs in the blood: it is an inherited quality. Ex: The Barkers have been great bakers for generations. It ~. You can also say: It's in someone's blood.

35. a skeleton in the closet: a source of embarrassment and shame to a family, which is kept secret from strangers. Ex: Don't the Millers have a ~ ? I think they have a relative who has been in prison.

36. a scorcher: a very hot day. Ex: Today was a ~ when the temperature reached 96 degrees!

37. no way or no way Jose: (colloquial American) out of the question, impossible. Ex: "Could you lend me $ 100 bucks?" " ~ , I haven't got that much money myself!"

38. the bread-winner: the wage-earner who supports the family. Ex: With Father ill, our eldest brother has become the ~ of the family.

39. in the same boat: to suffer the same predicament as somebody else. Ex: We are affected by rising prices just as much as you; we are all in ~.

40. to give something a shot: to try something to see how well you do. Ex: Table tennis looks pretty easy. Why don't you give it a shot.

41. to give someone a break: a popular expression used to express annoyance and disbelief. = "You're kidding!"

42. "Come on": 3. = "You're kidding!"

43. come off it (to): to stop talking nonsense. Ex: "Why don't you buy that car over there?" " ~ ! I could never afford that."

44. grab a bite: to get something to eat quickly. Ex: Let's ~ before the movie."

45. knock it off (to): to stop. Ex: Could you please ~ ? Your drums are driving me crazy!.

46. to have it made in the shade: to have an easy time of something. Ex: This test isn't long! Once I answer the questions in this difficult section, I should ~ .

47. "It's up to you.": = You can decide.

48. fender-bender: a minor car accident without any casualties.

4 9. chicken out (to): to become scared. Ex: I was going to ask her out but I ~ at the last minute. You can also call someone a chicken, meaning a person who is afraid to do something.

50. crackdown: n. a rigorous attack. Ex: The police force has implemented a ~ on gang violence. Also used as a verb (to crackdown on someone), meaning to become more strict with someone. The teacher decided to ~ her students because they were being to lazy.