Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Pain au raisin
So, remind me how the French stay so skinny? I just ate this and it was fabulous. But has to be bad for me.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
ca ne marche pas.
A short and I'm sure incomplete list of things that don't work here:
Any of my electronics. I thought my hairdryer was going to explode.
Betting the kids I can do their chores faster than them.
Pandora.
My internet set-up.
The Turkish Toilet on my floor. (Look it up. It was invented by the devil. In fact, here is a cute little informative link. http://www.toilet-related-ailments.com/toilet-posture.html)
My credit card.
Netflix.
My brain when it comes to speaking french.
Anyone on a Sunday.
My map reading skills (oh wait those don't work anywhere)
CBS/ABC/Hulu or any form of american television ( CAN I GET A BACHELORETTE UPDATE PLEASE)
Being a baseball fan. "What's baseball? We don't have that here, do you like tennis?" ummmm....
more to follow.
on another note, despite complaints about les choses qui ne marche pas, I'm still having a wonderful time.
I took a french assessment today to hopefully enroll in a french class in the next 2 weeks,
the kids are adorable, I casually got to read in one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris, Parc Monceau, for like 2 hours today after taking the kids to school and then got to venture south to the jardin du luxembourg for a few hours, and I am living in Paris. Sooo life could be worse. I even found out where a starbucks is.
xoxox
Bisous
Any of my electronics. I thought my hairdryer was going to explode.
Betting the kids I can do their chores faster than them.
Pandora.
My internet set-up.
The Turkish Toilet on my floor. (Look it up. It was invented by the devil. In fact, here is a cute little informative link. http://www.toilet-related-ailments.com/toilet-posture.html)
My credit card.
Netflix.
My brain when it comes to speaking french.
Anyone on a Sunday.
My map reading skills (oh wait those don't work anywhere)
CBS/ABC/Hulu or any form of american television ( CAN I GET A BACHELORETTE UPDATE PLEASE)
Being a baseball fan. "What's baseball? We don't have that here, do you like tennis?" ummmm....
more to follow.
on another note, despite complaints about les choses qui ne marche pas, I'm still having a wonderful time.
I took a french assessment today to hopefully enroll in a french class in the next 2 weeks,
the kids are adorable, I casually got to read in one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris, Parc Monceau, for like 2 hours today after taking the kids to school and then got to venture south to the jardin du luxembourg for a few hours, and I am living in Paris. Sooo life could be worse. I even found out where a starbucks is.
xoxox
Bisous
Monday, May 28, 2012
No, everybody scoots here!
So today is Pentecost Monday, it's a national holiday so no one is at work and apparently there were like 8 national holidays this month so people have long weekends and go on trips or spend their days at the parks. I went to the park yesterday to look around and it was so crowded that I couldn't believe it. I've seriously never seen so many people. Every inch of grass was covered with people and it was sooo hot. Today both the parents worked from home so I came down and took the kids to the park in the morning and then came home for lunch, now we're watching a Turtle Story.
Friday was my first time picking the kids up from school and even though I thought I could handle it, I waited for L to get home from school so she could come with me. The little ones are done at about 4:20 so at 4:10 L comes to the door with two razor scooters. And I just look at her and she says we are going to take them to the school to go get the kids. Ummm we are?
I am 23 years old, the last time I rode a razor scooter I was scooting through the halls of AOII. L tells me that it's really common for everyone to ride on these scooters and I did not believe her. But I didn't have the heart to say no, so she and I scootered to pick up the other kids. I almost died. But I did it!
We got to school on time, got the kids and everything went well, but I just can't stop laughing about what I probably looked like.
Friday night after dinner the parents and the girls and I watched one of their favorite shows called "secret story" and it was entirely in French so I only got the gist of it but here is what I have so far. It's a reality show with a big house with a bunch of cameras and every person has a secret and each person has to discover the other people's secret without talking about it. For example: one girl in the house has over 100 tattoos that she is hiding, another persons ex girlfriend is in the house, a third had 12 fingers when they were born. But what I've decided is: this show isn't fair. The poor girl with tattoos is going to have a way harder time hiding her tattoos than the guy trying to hide that he was switched at birth. See what I mean? Maybe that was explained more during the show but I missed it.
Also, French television is completely different, this show started at 8:50 and ended at 11ish and there were only like 2 or 3 commercial breaks. Which I thought was cute when the kids complained. I tried to explain American tv to them and it was impossible. Why would shows only be 1 hour? Why would you break for commercials after 5 minutes? It made no sense to them.
But I guess c'est la vie because at the end of "secret story" my brain hurt from trying to listen to all the uninterrupted French.
Then Saturday I met Augusta in the city at a place called WOS, pronounced woss, it's an English speaking bar that they go to all the time and we got to experience Eurovision. Again, another bizarre euro thing I don't understand.
Each country in the EU was competing in an American idol kind of way, singing songs and performing. Then at the end you can call or text to vote for your favorites and let me tell you, people were super into it. The bar had a deal where if you were dressed in your countries colors you got a free drink so people were representing hard. This guy from holland had a giant pink wig on underneath gold and blue for holland colors.
Anyway, I wanted Russia to win, they had these cute little old babushka ladies singing and dancing, it was adorable. They ended up getting 2nd place. By the time i got home I had to take the service entrance back to my room, did I mention I live at the top of 105 stairs? :)
The attached picture is one from the balcony :)
Friday was my first time picking the kids up from school and even though I thought I could handle it, I waited for L to get home from school so she could come with me. The little ones are done at about 4:20 so at 4:10 L comes to the door with two razor scooters. And I just look at her and she says we are going to take them to the school to go get the kids. Ummm we are?
I am 23 years old, the last time I rode a razor scooter I was scooting through the halls of AOII. L tells me that it's really common for everyone to ride on these scooters and I did not believe her. But I didn't have the heart to say no, so she and I scootered to pick up the other kids. I almost died. But I did it!
We got to school on time, got the kids and everything went well, but I just can't stop laughing about what I probably looked like.
Friday night after dinner the parents and the girls and I watched one of their favorite shows called "secret story" and it was entirely in French so I only got the gist of it but here is what I have so far. It's a reality show with a big house with a bunch of cameras and every person has a secret and each person has to discover the other people's secret without talking about it. For example: one girl in the house has over 100 tattoos that she is hiding, another persons ex girlfriend is in the house, a third had 12 fingers when they were born. But what I've decided is: this show isn't fair. The poor girl with tattoos is going to have a way harder time hiding her tattoos than the guy trying to hide that he was switched at birth. See what I mean? Maybe that was explained more during the show but I missed it.
Also, French television is completely different, this show started at 8:50 and ended at 11ish and there were only like 2 or 3 commercial breaks. Which I thought was cute when the kids complained. I tried to explain American tv to them and it was impossible. Why would shows only be 1 hour? Why would you break for commercials after 5 minutes? It made no sense to them.
But I guess c'est la vie because at the end of "secret story" my brain hurt from trying to listen to all the uninterrupted French.
Then Saturday I met Augusta in the city at a place called WOS, pronounced woss, it's an English speaking bar that they go to all the time and we got to experience Eurovision. Again, another bizarre euro thing I don't understand.
Each country in the EU was competing in an American idol kind of way, singing songs and performing. Then at the end you can call or text to vote for your favorites and let me tell you, people were super into it. The bar had a deal where if you were dressed in your countries colors you got a free drink so people were representing hard. This guy from holland had a giant pink wig on underneath gold and blue for holland colors.
Anyway, I wanted Russia to win, they had these cute little old babushka ladies singing and dancing, it was adorable. They ended up getting 2nd place. By the time i got home I had to take the service entrance back to my room, did I mention I live at the top of 105 stairs? :)
The attached picture is one from the balcony :)
Friday, May 25, 2012
"tu peux fermer la porte!"
I was laying in my bed last night and I thought to myself, what the heck am I doing here? Not necessarily that I am unhappy but just literally like, is this really something I'm doing? I am laying in a bed in France. I had dinner with 4 French children and their parents. I brushed a french 4 year olds teeth, is this really real? So here is the story of my first 24 hours in Paris.
I get onto the plane and I am sitting in between these 2 high school students who are on a class trip with 15 of their other classmates. The boy on my right immediately gets out a pack of gum and starts offering it to everyone because of the pressure change of takeoff. We start talking and he asks why I'm going to Paris so I tell him, pretty soon I have 3 or 4 high schoolers listening to this "amaaazing" story and they tell me how jealous they are and how lucky I am. They were cute. We land, we all get off the plane and I tell the kids that I hope they enjoy their trip. The gum kid looks at me and says "do a good job!" cutesy.
So I wait in a giant line at customs with people who are about as amuuuurican as it gets and then I go get my bags. Now let's review: there is one of me and 3 giant heavy bags, one carry on and one longchamp so I get a luggage cart and wheel myself to the gate. JC is standing at the gate with a sign with my name on it so I greet him and we stumble through a few words in French then he asks if I may like to speak English to have a "soft landing" for which I am sooo thankful- he speaks so fast it's amazing.
We get into their car, and begin driving and we are just having a lovely discussion about what it's like to live in France and he starts telling me about politics and healthcare and so many interesting things that I had no idea about! We finally get to our part of Paris and JC tells me that parking is a game here and it usually takes him 10-15 minutes to find a spot. Eventually we find one, carry my bags in to the tiniest elevator I've ever seen but I'm told it's one of the largest in Paris. We go up to my room on the 6th floor (we take te elevator to the 5th and stairs to mine, and we open the door and my room is smallllll. About the size of an AOII single but add a little kitchenette and a shower and a way lower ceiling. He then shows me their apartment which is fabulous. Gorgeous 3 bedroom apartment (did i mention that their 13 year old has a room next to mine) a cute little balcony and a wonderful view. We then go for a little stroll around the neighborhood, grab a coffee at a little cafe and then he has to run to a lunch meeting and that Nathalie would come at 4 to take me to pick up the children from school. So I go back to my apartment to unpack. I walk to my room and realize I have to use the bathroom so I go to the toilet that is in the hallway, I open the door and immediately realize that the bathro is one of the ones without an actual toilet. It's a hole in the ground with two foot rests and a string that you pull that flushes. I now remember JC saying I can use the bathroom at their house any time I want and that this one can be just for emergencies haha.
I unpack my room, make my bed and it's about a bajillion degrees so I open a window change into a dress and decide to lay down because it's only 2. I took the best nap in the world and then woke up around 3:45, got ready and then Nathalie and I walked to school. It's only about 5 minutes away and a nice little walk. We get there to pick up A and he is so cute I can't stand it. We then go get B and H and begin our walk home. The boys are wiiiild. They were showing off in front of the new au pair :) running, kicking each other and saying all around funny things. H is calmer and walked calmly with her friend.
We get to the apartment and it's time for the older kids to do their homework which Nathalie helps with. Meanwhile I ask a to show me a game. He shows me mousetrap which idont even know how to play in English and all the instructions were in French. Luckily, a doesn't know how to play either do we just end up building the mouse trap which turns into him wanting to fill the little yellow bucket that the diver goes into with water because as he said "il est plongeur" "he is a diver" almost like I was dumb for not putting water in it in the first place.
We put water in it and I lay a towel down an we spend the next .5 seconds trying to catapult the diver into the water. Well then A realizes that I did NOT put enough water in the cup so he asks for more, then more, then more. Finally he tells me he has a great idea and pulls put a huge bowl from the cabinet. He asks Nath if he can fill it with water and she says yes an he looks at me with a giant smile and tells me that we are making a giant pool.
He digs through his toy boxes and finds all the Lego people he can and several boats and we begin to play pirates. It was so adorable. It's time to clean up so A helps me and then goes to take a bath. The boys keep playing pirates in their bath and I help the girls set the table. We eat dinner, salad and quiche, then I tried FOUR French cheeses. Which is a lot coming from someone who doesn't really like cheese anyway. After dinner we find A eating honey out of the jar and everyone starts singing the winnie the pooh theme song which kills me. After dinner the kids pick up the table and it's time for the boys to go to bed. A wants me to read him a story and has a fit that I won't read a French one but finally let's me read an English one as long as its Disney princesses. (this kid may be my soul mate) JC puts them to bed and I hear my name being yelled from their room. I walk back in and A scolds me for not giving him bisous. (kisses)
After that I excuse myself because I'm exhausted and I go to my room, shower and sleep for everrrr. I woke up this morning, got ready, went down at 7:45 to help the kids get ready for school, they had already eaten and were dressed, H was getting her shoes on, B was playing with his Lego people and A was on the potty with the door ope
and kept yelling for papa. I asked him of I could do anything to help him and he said NON! I told hi
Papa was busy and asked again if I could help instead and he said to me "tu peut fermé la porte!" you can shut the door! I laughed, eventually JC helped A, we walked to school, I wished the kids a good day, we stopped and got a cafe and croissant on the way home and now here I am. Sitting on a gorgeous balcony facing the Eiffel tower and getting ready to try to meet Augusta for lunch.
Bisous :)
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The last state-side post
Today is the day everyone! This is my last blog posting from America! (I'm sorry, I believe the official spelling has been changed to 'Muricah. I will be sure to inform the French.)
Before I write all the nonsense I was going to write in this post I want to thank everyone for being unbelievably supportive. Never in my life would I have believed that I would have so much love in my life as I leave. I have gotten messages of love and support from basically everyone I know and I will never be able to explain how much it all means to me. If I haven't responded to you or gotten back to you, I am so sorry - It has been a nightmare trying to fit everyone in because I really do love each and everyone of you, plus this is all so last minute that I have been up to my eyeballs in things to be doing. Expect post cards, skype, facebook messages, and if you spend a dollar to download the What's App messenger, we can even internationally text. I love you all.
Enough of that. Finally once my visa arrived, I bought my ticket, told work I'd be done and then kinda sat there and didn't let myself think about it. I have a flight booked for tonight leaving O'hare at 5:50pm arriving in Paris at 9:10am.
Let's do a quick recap of my last week:
I had a going away party at howl at the moon and a good time was had by all
I went out with a few fabulous friends in broadripple and FINALLY made it to an A-Bar
I said goodbye to friends and family
I got the COOLEST travel companion ever, he is a garden gnome named Kilroy (or better names if they are received) he is wearing red overalls, an IU hat and holding a basketball
and I have to give a shout out to Liz Wright. Who saintly came over and helped me pack.
Consolidation and I don't get along well so I have 3 full size suitcases to check, a carry on and one personal item bag. Things are about to be unreal.
JC, the father of the family I will be au-pairing for, is meeting me at the airport and hanging out with me for the morning, then I think I will have the afternoon to un-pack then reconvening to have dinner and meet the kids.
I think I am in shock that in less than 5 hours I will be climbing onto a plane to live in Paris for a year. Thanks to Aileen who aptly texted me "just breathe deeply, you will be fine" or something similar. I've got snacks for the plane, 2 new books on my kindle and 2 people magazines, tylenol PM, dramamine, my passport, boarding pass, make-up with liquids in the checked bags, a travel blanket... umm am I missing anything?
Did I mention that although I have 3 full size suitcases, I have everything I own in space-bags? Can you imagine if i tried to fit everything without space bags? And they are either exactly at 50lbs (we hope, we couldn't really see the weight on the scale so we just got as close as we could) or a little under. AND since I booked my flight so last minute, I am in the 2nd to last row, in the middle section, in the middle seat.
Murrrrr
Au Revoir!
Before I write all the nonsense I was going to write in this post I want to thank everyone for being unbelievably supportive. Never in my life would I have believed that I would have so much love in my life as I leave. I have gotten messages of love and support from basically everyone I know and I will never be able to explain how much it all means to me. If I haven't responded to you or gotten back to you, I am so sorry - It has been a nightmare trying to fit everyone in because I really do love each and everyone of you, plus this is all so last minute that I have been up to my eyeballs in things to be doing. Expect post cards, skype, facebook messages, and if you spend a dollar to download the What's App messenger, we can even internationally text. I love you all.
Enough of that. Finally once my visa arrived, I bought my ticket, told work I'd be done and then kinda sat there and didn't let myself think about it. I have a flight booked for tonight leaving O'hare at 5:50pm arriving in Paris at 9:10am.
Let's do a quick recap of my last week:
I had a going away party at howl at the moon and a good time was had by all
I went out with a few fabulous friends in broadripple and FINALLY made it to an A-Bar
I said goodbye to friends and family
I got the COOLEST travel companion ever, he is a garden gnome named Kilroy (or better names if they are received) he is wearing red overalls, an IU hat and holding a basketball
and I have to give a shout out to Liz Wright. Who saintly came over and helped me pack.
Consolidation and I don't get along well so I have 3 full size suitcases to check, a carry on and one personal item bag. Things are about to be unreal.
JC, the father of the family I will be au-pairing for, is meeting me at the airport and hanging out with me for the morning, then I think I will have the afternoon to un-pack then reconvening to have dinner and meet the kids.
I think I am in shock that in less than 5 hours I will be climbing onto a plane to live in Paris for a year. Thanks to Aileen who aptly texted me "just breathe deeply, you will be fine" or something similar. I've got snacks for the plane, 2 new books on my kindle and 2 people magazines, tylenol PM, dramamine, my passport, boarding pass, make-up with liquids in the checked bags, a travel blanket... umm am I missing anything?
Did I mention that although I have 3 full size suitcases, I have everything I own in space-bags? Can you imagine if i tried to fit everything without space bags? And they are either exactly at 50lbs (we hope, we couldn't really see the weight on the scale so we just got as close as we could) or a little under. AND since I booked my flight so last minute, I am in the 2nd to last row, in the middle section, in the middle seat.
Murrrrr
Au Revoir!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Here we are at last
My visa is on the way! With a few minor hiccups, the visa process is finally complete and was put in the mail to hopefully arrive tomorrow so I can begin the next part of this journey.
I have spent about a bajillion hours researching flights, looking at options, different airlines, times, dates, so much so that my head feels like it's about to explode.
The family wants me to arrive on a weekend because it is easier for them to come pick me up, it seems to be about a hundred dollars cheaper to fly in the middle of the week. I have to work until Thursday, they want me there Thursday, then when that won't work they want me there during this next weekend. I haven't even begun to pack. Can someone please tell me how you fit your entire life into ONE CHECKED BAG (THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH AMERICAN AIRLINES) Suffice it to say, I will be paying the extra charge to check more than one.
There is no way in god's green that I will be able to be there by this weekend. So, we have narrowed it down to driving to Chicago tuesday night and seeing family, flying out wednesday evening and arriving in Paris thursday morning OR driving to Chicago thursday night and seeing family, flying out friday and arriving in Paris saturday morning.
Now, since I have already landed at CDG (Charles de Gaulle Airport) and taken the train into Paris once, I would not be concerned about landing date or time; however, knowing myself and my inability to pack like a normal human being, I know that I will have LOTS of suitcases, and they will be heavy. I have about a million pairs of shoes and even more clothes and I haven't even begun to think about how to pack other things I may need like pictures, decorations and the commercial-sized steamer I bought in college (something I think my roommates used more than I did, but worth it, never the less. If you're ever at Bed Bath and Beyond with X amount of dollars to spend on something you probably don't actually need, I would suggest this steamer. I also say X because I don't want to admit what I paid even though I used a 20% off coupon.)
With all of this actual stuff to do, I have begun planning my going away party. (Avoidance is something that I am SUPER talented at) Obviously. I won a party at howl at the moon for me and 100 friends so this Friday should be really fun!
I will also take 2.5 seconds to discuss how legitimately terrified I am to be going on this adventure. I am having anxiety about every single aspect. What if the family is annoyed by my inability to pick a flight, what if I am not in the United States to vote for Phillip Phillips on American Idol and he loses by 1 vote, what if I get lost, what if my parents repaint my room a color that I hate, what if by moving to Paris I am ruining some other amazing opportunity that is in my near Indianapolis future, what if I forget how to speak English, what if I can't figure out how to get back into the airport off the train and no one is there to help me (OH WAIT ALLIE AND I DID THAT ALREADY) what if I hate it, what if I get the flu and I can't lay around and watch Say Yes to the Dress all day? These are my main concerns. Just kidding, half of those are serious and the other half are only mildly serious. But really. I have never lived out of the state of Indiana. Even when I did move out of my parents house, I moved into a house with 200 other people where someone cooked for me and when I moved out of that house I moved into a house with 7 other idiots and all we did was eat hot dogs for an entire year. (soooo skinny)
I know life is what you make it and that I will be okay. I am 23 years old and it is time for me to grow up a little bit. I found a quote on stumbleupon the other day that I loved and it is going to be my mantra for my time in Paris and maybe for the rest of my life.
"Today is the oldest you have ever been and the youngest you will ever be again."
xoxox
I have spent about a bajillion hours researching flights, looking at options, different airlines, times, dates, so much so that my head feels like it's about to explode.
The family wants me to arrive on a weekend because it is easier for them to come pick me up, it seems to be about a hundred dollars cheaper to fly in the middle of the week. I have to work until Thursday, they want me there Thursday, then when that won't work they want me there during this next weekend. I haven't even begun to pack. Can someone please tell me how you fit your entire life into ONE CHECKED BAG (THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH AMERICAN AIRLINES) Suffice it to say, I will be paying the extra charge to check more than one.
There is no way in god's green that I will be able to be there by this weekend. So, we have narrowed it down to driving to Chicago tuesday night and seeing family, flying out wednesday evening and arriving in Paris thursday morning OR driving to Chicago thursday night and seeing family, flying out friday and arriving in Paris saturday morning.
Now, since I have already landed at CDG (Charles de Gaulle Airport) and taken the train into Paris once, I would not be concerned about landing date or time; however, knowing myself and my inability to pack like a normal human being, I know that I will have LOTS of suitcases, and they will be heavy. I have about a million pairs of shoes and even more clothes and I haven't even begun to think about how to pack other things I may need like pictures, decorations and the commercial-sized steamer I bought in college (something I think my roommates used more than I did, but worth it, never the less. If you're ever at Bed Bath and Beyond with X amount of dollars to spend on something you probably don't actually need, I would suggest this steamer. I also say X because I don't want to admit what I paid even though I used a 20% off coupon.)
With all of this actual stuff to do, I have begun planning my going away party. (Avoidance is something that I am SUPER talented at) Obviously. I won a party at howl at the moon for me and 100 friends so this Friday should be really fun!
I will also take 2.5 seconds to discuss how legitimately terrified I am to be going on this adventure. I am having anxiety about every single aspect. What if the family is annoyed by my inability to pick a flight, what if I am not in the United States to vote for Phillip Phillips on American Idol and he loses by 1 vote, what if I get lost, what if my parents repaint my room a color that I hate, what if by moving to Paris I am ruining some other amazing opportunity that is in my near Indianapolis future, what if I forget how to speak English, what if I can't figure out how to get back into the airport off the train and no one is there to help me (OH WAIT ALLIE AND I DID THAT ALREADY) what if I hate it, what if I get the flu and I can't lay around and watch Say Yes to the Dress all day? These are my main concerns. Just kidding, half of those are serious and the other half are only mildly serious. But really. I have never lived out of the state of Indiana. Even when I did move out of my parents house, I moved into a house with 200 other people where someone cooked for me and when I moved out of that house I moved into a house with 7 other idiots and all we did was eat hot dogs for an entire year. (soooo skinny)
I know life is what you make it and that I will be okay. I am 23 years old and it is time for me to grow up a little bit. I found a quote on stumbleupon the other day that I loved and it is going to be my mantra for my time in Paris and maybe for the rest of my life.
"Today is the oldest you have ever been and the youngest you will ever be again."
xoxox
Getting a Visa
ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 26
My life isn’t real. Let me start by saying that. Any of my friends can tell you that my name may as well be Murphy because everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Today I drove to Chicago to get my visa. This is that story.
I woke up with plenty of time to get to Chicago, park, and take the el to the French consulate by my appointment time at noon. I was making fabulous time, even having time to stop and get coffee, use the restroom and hit an ATM. I get to wrigleyville and park my car by my friends apartment. She and I walk to the el and as we are walking, I trip and cut my foot.
Anyone who knew me last year recalls the horrid south padre island Texas trip in which I cut my foot. Let me just clarify for everyone, same foot.
So I cut it and all of the sudden I am bleeding profusely but I can’t stop going to the train, I really need to be to the consulate on time.
We get on the el and head downtown, I use a bar teeshirt in my bag (sorry kilroys) to try to stop the bleeding while I’m sitting next to a guy who is obviously pretending not to notice, bless his heart. Luckily this is probably not the strangest thing he will ever encounter on the red line.
I get off at my stop with 5 minutes until my interview time and a shoe soaked with blood and I realize there is no way I can walk into the consulate in this shape so I go to a nearby Walgreens. A woman points me in the direction of the bathroom and bandaids, I clean the cut, purchase bandaids and the pharmacist offers me alcohol pads to help disinfect my disgusting toe.
I get it all bandaged up and realize I am officially 25 minutes late for my appointment and the website clearly said if you are more than 5 minutes late your appointment will be cancelled.
Being the sassy American that I am, I go anyway, get up to the office and the women only speak French. Unfortunately I do not know enough French to say “I’m an idiot, cut my foot, bled all over the el and then into a Walgreens and that’s why I’m late” so I just let them scold me in French as I mumbled “je suis desolee” the apology generally reserved for serious infractions such as accidentally running over someone’s dog.
They process my paperwork with matching scowls and then tell me I need to go to the post office to get an envelope, one of the women hands me a map and shoos me out the door.
Despite having a map, I go the wrong direction and have to turn around twice. Eventually I find the post office, get my envelope (18.50 thankyouverymuch) walk back to the consulate, slip the envelope under the door because they are now closed, and walk back out into the street.
They told me that my visa paperwork may not process by my expected may 8th departure, so that seems to be my next hurdle.
…I also think I was supposed to photocopy the documents I left at the visa office…
Cheers.
My life isn’t real. Let me start by saying that. Any of my friends can tell you that my name may as well be Murphy because everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Today I drove to Chicago to get my visa. This is that story.
I woke up with plenty of time to get to Chicago, park, and take the el to the French consulate by my appointment time at noon. I was making fabulous time, even having time to stop and get coffee, use the restroom and hit an ATM. I get to wrigleyville and park my car by my friends apartment. She and I walk to the el and as we are walking, I trip and cut my foot.
Anyone who knew me last year recalls the horrid south padre island Texas trip in which I cut my foot. Let me just clarify for everyone, same foot.
So I cut it and all of the sudden I am bleeding profusely but I can’t stop going to the train, I really need to be to the consulate on time.
We get on the el and head downtown, I use a bar teeshirt in my bag (sorry kilroys) to try to stop the bleeding while I’m sitting next to a guy who is obviously pretending not to notice, bless his heart. Luckily this is probably not the strangest thing he will ever encounter on the red line.
I get off at my stop with 5 minutes until my interview time and a shoe soaked with blood and I realize there is no way I can walk into the consulate in this shape so I go to a nearby Walgreens. A woman points me in the direction of the bathroom and bandaids, I clean the cut, purchase bandaids and the pharmacist offers me alcohol pads to help disinfect my disgusting toe.
I get it all bandaged up and realize I am officially 25 minutes late for my appointment and the website clearly said if you are more than 5 minutes late your appointment will be cancelled.
Being the sassy American that I am, I go anyway, get up to the office and the women only speak French. Unfortunately I do not know enough French to say “I’m an idiot, cut my foot, bled all over the el and then into a Walgreens and that’s why I’m late” so I just let them scold me in French as I mumbled “je suis desolee” the apology generally reserved for serious infractions such as accidentally running over someone’s dog.
They process my paperwork with matching scowls and then tell me I need to go to the post office to get an envelope, one of the women hands me a map and shoos me out the door.
Despite having a map, I go the wrong direction and have to turn around twice. Eventually I find the post office, get my envelope (18.50 thankyouverymuch) walk back to the consulate, slip the envelope under the door because they are now closed, and walk back out into the street.
They told me that my visa paperwork may not process by my expected may 8th departure, so that seems to be my next hurdle.
…I also think I was supposed to photocopy the documents I left at the visa office…
Cheers.
Leaving the Country: An Au Pair's To-Do List
ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 23
This to do list is a work in progress but this is what I have so far, these are obviously in no particular order.
Get a TB test
Get a copy of birth certificate
Obtain long-stay visa
Cancel subscriptions to the following
Netflix
Weight watchers
Tanning packages
Anything else
Figure out prescription information
Figure out money stuff, do I need a new credit card/ bank account?
Laundry
Pack
Clean room
Call AA to see about open ended round trip tickets/ticket changes in an emergency
Book flight
Get children small souvenirs from home
Say goodbye to friends and family
Haircut
Buy new planner
Take language placement test
Music playlists
Shop for a wardrobe that will work for a year
To be continued
This to do list is a work in progress but this is what I have so far, these are obviously in no particular order.
Get a TB test
Get a copy of birth certificate
Obtain long-stay visa
Cancel subscriptions to the following
Netflix
Weight watchers
Tanning packages
Anything else
Figure out prescription information
Figure out money stuff, do I need a new credit card/ bank account?
Laundry
Pack
Clean room
Call AA to see about open ended round trip tickets/ticket changes in an emergency
Book flight
Get children small souvenirs from home
Say goodbye to friends and family
Haircut
Buy new planner
Take language placement test
Music playlists
Shop for a wardrobe that will work for a year
To be continued
The next steps
ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 22
So there needs to be a replacement au pair found asap for this specific Parisian family. Without really thinking, I decided to do it. I didn’t weigh the pro’s and con’s, I didn’t really discuss it with anyone, I just decided to go for it. I emailed the woman in charge of the Au Pair agency, attached my resume and told her I was extremely interested in learning more about the opportunity.
Within an hour of my email, I received a phone call from the American ambassador for the program, she was eager to start my application process and get the entire situation underway. She sent me a quick application to fill out, told her that I needed to send the family a letter about myself including photos of myself, my life and explaining what I hoped to gain out of this situation.
After having sent her my application, she wanted to set up a Skype interview to discuss details. That went well and only took about 15 minutes. From there she got me in contact with the woman in charge of the program who lives in Paris to set up another Skype interview. This one was conducted in french, (Scary considering that when I was in Paris last time, I got so nervous and tongue tied that I couldn’t even ask for help buying a train ticket…) but I made it through and she seemed to really like me.
I sent her a list of references, my letter with photos and in return I got a letter from this family, introducing themselves, with photos as well. Let me just say, before I’ve even met them, that they are adorable. We then set up a skype interview with the family.
There were originally going to be 2 interviews, one with just the parents and the second with the children, however due to a scheduling issue, we only had one and I met everyone all at once. They were cute, funny and polite. They spoke to me in English so that I’d be more comfortable, which was nice. The only time I spoke in French was when the teenage daughter asked me to say a few things in French so they could hear my accent.
Caught off guard, I managed to say “Je m’appelle Mandie. J’espere d’aller au Paris pour etre votre Au Pair,” which I think means “My name is Mandie. I hope to come to Paris to be your Au Pair.” Fingers crossed.
They seemed to like it, I got a nod of approval from the family, the mom was very polite and told me that I sounded good! We hung up and I was so excited I couldn’t stand it.
We then went back to the agency and told them that we’d like to continue on in the process, so that meant getting me registered for a french language school and working on my visa. I found a language school just a short walk from where my apartment will be, and after several failed attempts at international payment, I made a deposit on a class beginning in September.
Here are the next steps starting now:
Get a copy of my birth certificate from the health department
Get a TB test from my doctor
Drive to Chicago, to the French consulate, to get my long-stay visa
Book a flight
Shop for a wardrobe that will last me an entire year
Pack
Say goodbye to friends and family…
stay tuned!
So there needs to be a replacement au pair found asap for this specific Parisian family. Without really thinking, I decided to do it. I didn’t weigh the pro’s and con’s, I didn’t really discuss it with anyone, I just decided to go for it. I emailed the woman in charge of the Au Pair agency, attached my resume and told her I was extremely interested in learning more about the opportunity.
Within an hour of my email, I received a phone call from the American ambassador for the program, she was eager to start my application process and get the entire situation underway. She sent me a quick application to fill out, told her that I needed to send the family a letter about myself including photos of myself, my life and explaining what I hoped to gain out of this situation.
After having sent her my application, she wanted to set up a Skype interview to discuss details. That went well and only took about 15 minutes. From there she got me in contact with the woman in charge of the program who lives in Paris to set up another Skype interview. This one was conducted in french, (Scary considering that when I was in Paris last time, I got so nervous and tongue tied that I couldn’t even ask for help buying a train ticket…) but I made it through and she seemed to really like me.
I sent her a list of references, my letter with photos and in return I got a letter from this family, introducing themselves, with photos as well. Let me just say, before I’ve even met them, that they are adorable. We then set up a skype interview with the family.
There were originally going to be 2 interviews, one with just the parents and the second with the children, however due to a scheduling issue, we only had one and I met everyone all at once. They were cute, funny and polite. They spoke to me in English so that I’d be more comfortable, which was nice. The only time I spoke in French was when the teenage daughter asked me to say a few things in French so they could hear my accent.
Caught off guard, I managed to say “Je m’appelle Mandie. J’espere d’aller au Paris pour etre votre Au Pair,” which I think means “My name is Mandie. I hope to come to Paris to be your Au Pair.” Fingers crossed.
They seemed to like it, I got a nod of approval from the family, the mom was very polite and told me that I sounded good! We hung up and I was so excited I couldn’t stand it.
We then went back to the agency and told them that we’d like to continue on in the process, so that meant getting me registered for a french language school and working on my visa. I found a language school just a short walk from where my apartment will be, and after several failed attempts at international payment, I made a deposit on a class beginning in September.
Here are the next steps starting now:
Get a copy of my birth certificate from the health department
Get a TB test from my doctor
Drive to Chicago, to the French consulate, to get my long-stay visa
Book a flight
Shop for a wardrobe that will last me an entire year
Pack
Say goodbye to friends and family…
stay tuned!
The Beginning
ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 6th
This story starts a few weeks ago on a trip to Paris. But I actually think it starts in 6th grade. We were required to take a language class that introduced us to the 4 possible languages we could study in 7th and 8th grade; Spanish, French, German and Japanese. After the intro class, we ranked our choices for study and while all of my friends ranked Spanish numero uno, (I think this is how it is spelled…case in point, I did not study Spanish) I ranked French. There was something about the language that I just loved.
So 7th grade rolled around and there I was, the eager little one in the front row, ready to learn a foreign language. French and I clicked. I was always the one who knew how to conjugate the verbs, I knew how to pronounce words with accents and most importantly, I learned a little about French culture. From this first year, I knew that I wanted to keep studying French, so I studied it in 8th grade, and then in high school up until my junior year.
Senior year I was put in the position of choosing between studying French and participating in choir, because the classes met at the same time. I chose choir, because while I loved studying French, I knew that in college I would have the opportunity to come back to it, but showchoir? Maybe never again.
So the year came and went and it was time for college. In college we were required to take 1 year of foreign language so everyone was required to take a language placement test. After having not spoken French for a full calendar year and then some, I tested into 300 level French in college. I was the only freshman in my class and I was intimidated as all get out.
I was 8 credits short of a minor when I stepped foot into my first french class in college, I studied French for 2 more years until Spring semester of my Sophomore year, my teacher gave me a poor grade for attendance reasons. (2 absences and a half a letter grade for each additional absence…of course I got extremely sick and blew well through this allowance) I completely understand the teachers reasons for doing so, seeing as that it was Conversational French and I couldn’t very well participate in the conversations from my house.
From that class, I never got back into another class. I remain, to this day, one credit short of a French Minor and I kick myself constantly.
Fast-forward to graduating from college and one of my sorority sisters gets a job as an au pair and moves to Paris. I’m instantly, obviously, jealous. But I could never do that! At this point I had yet to find a job in my chosen career field because my chosen path requires attending grad school, and after my student loans started to fill in, I couldn’t dream of affording grad school, so I resumed my summer jobs and thought I’d go from there.
In the spring, I decided to visit my friend in Paris. Hey, a free safe place to stay and a friend to show me the ropes? Of course. So off I went with my friend to visit. I fell in love the second I stepped off the plane and navigated my way through the crowded and confusing Charles de Gaulle airport, through the metro, where we exited at the wrong time, had to stumble through trying to buy another metro ticket, enter again, find our friend (AKA use our non-international phones to make a very expensive phone call to find out we were just down the hall from where we needed to be) and out into the city. I loved every minute.
I spent the week doing every touristy thing I could think of with my friends and as the week drew to a close, I dreaded going home. My Au Pair friend said, you should be an au pair and come back! Of course, my response was, oh my gosh that would be so fun of course I should! Within a few minutes, she looked at me and said, no seriously. one of my friends has to leave her host family and they are desperate for a replacement. Do you want to start in April-ish?
um….yes?
This story starts a few weeks ago on a trip to Paris. But I actually think it starts in 6th grade. We were required to take a language class that introduced us to the 4 possible languages we could study in 7th and 8th grade; Spanish, French, German and Japanese. After the intro class, we ranked our choices for study and while all of my friends ranked Spanish numero uno, (I think this is how it is spelled…case in point, I did not study Spanish) I ranked French. There was something about the language that I just loved.
So 7th grade rolled around and there I was, the eager little one in the front row, ready to learn a foreign language. French and I clicked. I was always the one who knew how to conjugate the verbs, I knew how to pronounce words with accents and most importantly, I learned a little about French culture. From this first year, I knew that I wanted to keep studying French, so I studied it in 8th grade, and then in high school up until my junior year.
Senior year I was put in the position of choosing between studying French and participating in choir, because the classes met at the same time. I chose choir, because while I loved studying French, I knew that in college I would have the opportunity to come back to it, but showchoir? Maybe never again.
So the year came and went and it was time for college. In college we were required to take 1 year of foreign language so everyone was required to take a language placement test. After having not spoken French for a full calendar year and then some, I tested into 300 level French in college. I was the only freshman in my class and I was intimidated as all get out.
I was 8 credits short of a minor when I stepped foot into my first french class in college, I studied French for 2 more years until Spring semester of my Sophomore year, my teacher gave me a poor grade for attendance reasons. (2 absences and a half a letter grade for each additional absence…of course I got extremely sick and blew well through this allowance) I completely understand the teachers reasons for doing so, seeing as that it was Conversational French and I couldn’t very well participate in the conversations from my house.
From that class, I never got back into another class. I remain, to this day, one credit short of a French Minor and I kick myself constantly.
Fast-forward to graduating from college and one of my sorority sisters gets a job as an au pair and moves to Paris. I’m instantly, obviously, jealous. But I could never do that! At this point I had yet to find a job in my chosen career field because my chosen path requires attending grad school, and after my student loans started to fill in, I couldn’t dream of affording grad school, so I resumed my summer jobs and thought I’d go from there.
In the spring, I decided to visit my friend in Paris. Hey, a free safe place to stay and a friend to show me the ropes? Of course. So off I went with my friend to visit. I fell in love the second I stepped off the plane and navigated my way through the crowded and confusing Charles de Gaulle airport, through the metro, where we exited at the wrong time, had to stumble through trying to buy another metro ticket, enter again, find our friend (AKA use our non-international phones to make a very expensive phone call to find out we were just down the hall from where we needed to be) and out into the city. I loved every minute.
I spent the week doing every touristy thing I could think of with my friends and as the week drew to a close, I dreaded going home. My Au Pair friend said, you should be an au pair and come back! Of course, my response was, oh my gosh that would be so fun of course I should! Within a few minutes, she looked at me and said, no seriously. one of my friends has to leave her host family and they are desperate for a replacement. Do you want to start in April-ish?
um….yes?
I didn't "Get" Tumblr
I started with a Tumblr. I did not understand it. I liked how I could update it from my phone, but when it came to searching for my blog I found it difficult and sending a link was gonna be a pain in the butt for my family and friends. So this is my tumblr moved. Hopefully this will go better. PS. say my blog name aloud. You're welcome Alpha Os. It's just the perfect amount of lame, but I am less than creative today.
xoxo
xoxo
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