BUSISIWE, 21 YEARS

Dear Host Family, Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. My name is Busisiwe but I also go by my English name, Bebe. I am 20 years old and I live with my mother, and my older sister in Johannesburg, which is a big city in South Africa . My dad lives just 15 minutes away and I see him regularly. At the moment, I am trying to figure out what exactly I want to do with my life and how I want to contribute to this world, but I have always had a huge interest in helping people. In my spare time, I love to walk. With my newfound free time, I found myself taking leisurely walks more often and rediscovering the neighbourhood that I grew up in: what’s changed and what hasn’t. It's like a walk down Memory Lane! And I’m so excited to discover your city by foot as well and really get acquainted with my new surroundings. I also love doing community service. Coming from a catholic school, we were heavily encouraged to be of service to those who need it and it helped me foster an appreciation for helping others in need. My mother works in social development and so I would always tag along to her initiatives and help out. It was especially fun when we would help out schools because we’d get to play with the children there. I also love reading. I’m a particularly huge fan of modern classics and I’d love to take a look at the hidden gems some of your local bookstores might have. I would love to become your next Au Pair because I love children and enjoy spending time with them. I am prepared and I am well aware of the fact that being like a big sister for your children comes along with responsibilities for them and it will not always be just play and fun. My calm and patient personality will help me to master more difficult situations, for instance when the kids are tired or don’t want to listen to me. Having numerous leadership roles throughout high school has taught me how to handle difficult situations with care and tact, being able to listen to reason and not alienate people. I expect that in the first couple of days I will be exhausted at night because I guess taking care of children the whole time can be tiring. But I am sure that I will adapt to the new tasks and daily routine quickly and become a big help for you. I am excited to learn new skills and push the boundaries of my capabilities. Living with me is really easy as I am not a demanding person. I do respect that the house is your house and that I have to follow your house rules. If something works not quite as it should, I prefer to talk instead of ignoring things. I have never been abroad nor have I spent much time away from my family except for school tours so this will be a completely new experience for me. However I don’t imagine myself becoming particularly homesick because as my mother said “I’ve always had one head in the clouds and one foot on the ground ready for my next adventure”. I am really curious to hear all about you and your children. The information I have read so far sounds really interesting. I hope you like my letter and I can’t wait to hear back from you. Thank you for reading my letter and warmest regards, Bebe