On July 25th, our Au Pairs all gathered at the Dai ethnic village of Shenzhen to experience Dai people’s

traditional Water Fighting Festival. The Dai ethnic group is one of the 56 ethnic groups living in China. This cu

-ltural trip was rated by our Au Pairs to be “the best day in China!”

Look at their outfits, everyone was ready. Yes, these little basins were our weapons to attack and shield.

In Dai people’s Water Fighting Festival, the more water people throw at you, proves your higher popularity.

            Even before arriving at the village, our Au Pairs were very excited. Not only would they get to

participate in the water fight, but they would also get a chance to appreciate the traditional Dai archit

-ecture, which is famous for lifting houses into the air with wooden columns.

When the water fight began, all the people in the square started to chase each other, yelling and laughing

. Our Au Pairs completely joined in with the crowd. There was no longer a divide between culture or country.

          “Today is my happiest day in China,” many Au Pairs said. We the staff were also happy to bring this

amazing cultural experience to them.

 We will keep on taking Au Pairs on fun and meaningful cultural trips. On August 10th we will take the Au

Pairs to participate in helping the “left behind children. The “left behind children” are children left at homes in

 the countryside, usually with relatives, while their parents worked in the city. These children only get to see

 their parents a few times a year during holidays, and can get very lonely. Unfortunately, this is a common phe

-nomenon in China, therefore it’s very important or us as a society to care for them. And our Au Pairs will soon

 participate in this important public welfare activity.