Ada (Mian)

& YIJIE

Travel information

We are currently

Activities we are interested in:

Language practice
Gardening
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house

Description

Dear Host,

My name is Ada, and I am a single mother travelling with my 16-year-old son, EJ.

I have volunteered several times in New Zealand and have always loved the experience. I have helped with farm work, gardening, babysitting, house sitting, cleaning, waitress and many other everyday tasks. I learned many practical skills along the way, but what I treasure most are the friendships I made. Some of my hosts became genuine friends, and you can see a little of these experiences in my photos.

This time, however, my journey is a little different — I have brought EJ with me.

EJ has a mild stutter, and unfortunately this has sometimes made school difficult for him, including experiences of bullying. So we decided to take a year away from the usual school routine. Instead of spending another year struggling in a very competitive, exam-focused environment, I want him to see more of this beautiful world, meet kind and interesting people, and discover that there are many different ways to live a meaningful life.

Please don't worry, though — EJ is not a child who needs looking after! 😊 He is a gentle, well-behaved and responsible 16-year-old, already about 5'11" (180 cm) tall, and perfectly capable of working alongside me. We are happy to garden, clean, cook, help around the house, look after animals, do simple maintenance, or learn whatever needs to be done.

For me, volunteering is also part of EJ's education.

I want him to learn through real life and real work: to use his hands, take responsibility, contribute to a household, and understand the value of effort. I also hope that by living with people from different cultures, he can discover different values and different ways of thinking about family, work, happiness and life.

Perhaps this journey will help him understand himself a little better and give him more confidence about the person he wants to become.

In return, we will take our responsibilities seriously. I have volunteered before, so I understand that a work exchange is an exchange: hosts generously open their homes and lives to us, and we should contribute with genuine effort, respect and reliability.

We would be very grateful to any host willing to welcome a mother and her teenage son into their home. We hope we can bring not only two extra pairs of hands, but also curiosity, laughter, stories from China and our travels, and perhaps a new friendship.

Interests

Movies & TV

Self development

Sustainability

Pets

Fashion or beauty

Events & social

Culture

Charity work

Writing

Animals

Cooking & food

Gardening

Languages

History

Books

Nature

Fitness

Camping

Beach

Adventure sports

Water sports

Winter sports

Yoga / Wellness

Sailing / Boating

Outdoor activities

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent

More details about my language interests
I’m trying to bring my English up to a native-speaker level.

Find a language partner

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Languages

Eco Projects

Babysitting and creative play

Animal Care

Light gardening

Life at a Farmstay

Hospitality/Tourism

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Some knowledge of:  

Charity Work

Teaching

House & pet sitting

Light maintenance

More details about your skills

Gardening
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance

Age

39 & 18

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

• 

  Driver's licence

• 

  Allergies
  No

• 

  Special dietary requirements
  NO, I am OK with everything.