For a few weeks we've been trying to find someone to work here with us as an extra hand around the house as we have some big jobs coming up. I was mostly looking for a backpacker and there wasn't a great deal of interest but I had it down to two girls, an English girl who just seemed to want to take it easy and an Italian girl who is really enthusiastic and wants to help out where ever she can. The English girl may have been the better option because some of the job is doing school with our son so proper English would have been better but I decided to take the Italian girl because she really wants to be here and I just wasn't getting that from the other one - she seemed more concerned about how much time off she would have where the Italian one was asking if she could help around the farm on her days off. So my son will have an Italian accent after a couple months but really it was an easy decision.

So tomorrow night she is arriving and I know very little about Italy and Italians. Any particular things I should be aware of?? And if anyone can speak Italian what would be a nice welcoming message to put on a card for her? I don't want to trust Babelfish in case I get it wrong and say her Mum wears army boots or something

Sorry I can't help you with the problem but I loved this...

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So my son will have an Italian accent after a couple months

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What could be more charming that a little Aussie boy with an Italian accent?

I only visited Italy the one time and my main memory is just how friendly and obliging the Italian policemen can be particularly if you are two 24 year old English girls in a car.

Say"Lei è molto benvenuto qui"(you are very welcome here.) You are lucky. If you are kind,welcoming and friendly she should be too. Ask her about her family and if she has photos. Tell her about yours. I have never met an Italian yet who didnt love family.
As Sue says the Italian men.... well , never mind, this is a girl, right. She should teach Conor Italian too. Children mop up new languages like a spoinge.

The cultural exchange between your family and this girl will be fantastic, I am sure. We used to take in exchange students and it was such a joy learning about their country and culture, and we enjoyed exposing them to ours - showing them how Australians really lived, not the stereotypical llifestyle portrayed in the media.

Ren is right, Conor will probably absorb some Italian from her and it will be to his benefit. When coolcat90 was 2 1/2 years old, we had some Japanese people staying with us for two weeks and she managed to pick up quite a few words of Japanese. They do, of course, eventually forget it all from lack of use, but they never forget the overall experience.

You might find it leads to a lifelong friendship. When I was pregnant with coolcat90, we had a Danish exchange student. I think she thought we had our baby just for her to dote on! 17 years later, she still keeps in touch and now has three children of her own.

Personally, I was half raised in an Italian community and have always loved Italians and Italian food, history and culture. I had my fair share of Italian boyfriends too!

I have lived in Italy, visited the country often, and I have many Italian friends. The Italians are like everyone else: some good, some bad. It would help to know what this girl's background is -- what part of the country she comes from, how much education she has.

It sounds as though her English is decent, and one of the reasons that she wants to live in Australia is to improve her English. Speak your own language to her and enjoy helping her improve her speech while learning some Italian words and expressions from her.

The Italians appreciate food and relaxing over meals. One of the comments my Italian friends visiting the U.S. always make is, "You don't enjoy your food. You rush through meals." They're right. If your signorina likes to cook, encourage her to do so, and offer to teach her YOUR favorite recipes while she teaches you hers.

Make her work: she has said that she wishes to do so, and she is not a guest, she is an employee. At the same time, when she has time off, offer to show her important aspects and attractions of your country. (Don't push this if she doesn't seem wildly enthusiastic. She may wish to explore on her own.) You should, if you can, introduce her to Australians in her age group, taking some care to select young men and women you know and trust. She does have a right to socialize with with people in her own peer group on her days and nights off, and that is one of the reasons for her stay with you, as long as she understands that her work comes first.

In other words, try to strike a balance between being employer and benevolent host to a young foreigner, for whose welfare you are responsible, as you would be responsible for your own young-adult child. This is not easy, but try to imagine how you would want an Italian family to treat your son or daughter and proceed accordingly.

By the way: from what you say, she is an independent young woman, but if you learn anything about her parents, write to them. They may appreciate knowing something about your family and the place where their daughter is living. Don't forget that she is someone's child.

"Benvenuta!" is all you need say on a card. It means "welcome!" to a woman.

You should probably watch The Godfather as many times as possible.

"The Godfather"?

Only if they're planning to move to, say, Brooklyn, in the late 1940's.

Thanks for all the info It was a hard kind of job to advertise when basically all we wanted was another adult member of the family. I'm quite excited about her arriving but there is an element of "what if she turns out to be an axe murderer" and I'm sure she is thinking the same thing!

She is from the a country town in north of Italyy and is having a gap year from university. Her English sounds pretty good but as she says herself she is quite fluent but not perfect. I have talked to her on the phone and it's quite easy to have a conversation - there was only a couple of times I had to re-word something.

From Lanfranco "try to strike a balance between being employer and benevolent host to a young foreigner" .. that is what I will be trying to do ... I will want her to feel part of the family but do want her to do all the expected jobs too just as we all have to do. At least she will be getting paid for it!! lol

As for the socialising - well, we're pretty remote so that won't be too easy but there are two other govvies in her age group that live not too far away so will try and organise a BBQ or something with them once she settles in. There will be a couple of school things too where she can meet other girls doing similar jobs too.

She is going to love it when the sheep shearers arrive if they are the same 'fit' crew you showed us last year.

I suppose the main concern will be the isolation and lack of places to visit from Copago, your idea of 'not too far away' and ours are not the same thing. she is hardly likely to be able to 'wander around the shops'.

For those who haven't read it, it is worth reading the thread in which Jillian wrote about her sheep station.

http://www.funtrivia.com/ubbthreads/show...ge=0#Post826901

So you don't need to do the conversion to find out how large her station is, 85 000 acre = 132.8125 square miles so nowhere is going to be very close in most people's understanding of the word close.

Not wishing to be rude but I guess the scenery is a bit similar no matter which way you go, sort of red and dusty.

>>>>>Not wishing to be rude but I guess the scenery is a bit similar no matter which way you go, sort of red and dusty.

haha! and dotted with the odd sheep.

How is it going, Jill? Has she settled in well? How is your Italian?

I only meant near where Jillian lives, not the whole of Australia.

Sorry for not popping in too much. Fara is going great .. is wonderful with Conor, very laid back and you hardly know she is in the house. AND I even heard laughter coming from the school room. What is going on there????

It's been a great break from the school for me too and I'm sure the boy is enjoying not having the Mum from hell doing school with him a few hours a day!!

Her English really is very good although I know she still has trouble picking up what my other half is saying sometimes .. he's got a pretty broad accent and she said that the Australian accent is quite hard to pick up.

Nice to hear Conor and Fara are getting on so well. How is his Italian coming along?

Lol
she will have to teach Jack Italian , then they can really communicate!