Life is taking shape

So what’s he doing, now that he’s ‘there’? 🙂

One sweet as thing about the au pair life is that you practically pay for nothing.
You eat wth the family, you share their internet connection, you sleep under their roof, you are invited to every family do like sporting events, visits and many more. Additionally, you receive a small allowance and come to enjoy living that way, especially from the background of a self-supporting working life…
But this weekend I funded my own way of entertainment. And it was definitely worth it! 😀
I met up with an au pair from anther suburb of Wellington and we had a fine day in Wellington.

And what do you do on a sunday in Wellington?

• You go for a walk. Wellington is beautiful and has many sights to offer. And whilst walking, you can think about hiding from the ever-present cold gusts.
• You visit Te Papa. This museum has it all and the advantage of being completely free. You can just wander and gather information about New Zealand at will, you can leech off the free WiFi or (that’s what we did) you can just sit down in a corner spot, look down on Wellington and talk. And the conversation between two au pairs ‘in office’ is most interesting. 🙂
• You buy something on impulse. At the market with fresh fruit and vegetables you can trust and follow the intel of an experienced apple picker for the most exquisit apple.
• You visit the Embassy. Have I ever rhapsodized this movie theatre? Never? Then this is the time: It is old, it is cosy, it has character, a humongous screen in the main auditorium, it is the only theatre in New Zealand featuring Dolby Atmos (ceiling speakers for the perfect surround sound) and holds the utmost brutal sound I have EVER encountered. By saying brutal, I mean that I am deeply impressed each and every time. My Mivoc Sidekicks at home used to shake the room at home so I was almost worried, but this relentless pressure in any frequency just has to have unbelievable tech supporting it. We went to see a pure and well-made action movie and you are just dazed as the movie proceeds to a quieter moment. Awesome!
• You go out eating. There’s a restaurant or takeaway at every corner and of every cuisine, it makes coosing hard. Inside the Capital Market the choice falls easier. There even is table service in the centre area as food stalls of all colours gather around. You purchase your meal, sit down at a table, eat and you’re happy. I chose Indian. It was yummy. 🙂
• You can go for another walk. Especially at nightfall you are well off walking through the botanic gardens or up Mount Victoria. But it was rather chilly out and we went for the last big point.
• You can have some coffee. It is an integral part of the culture, there’s lots of cafés, inside a huge offer of hot beverages and always a laid back atmosphere. Just what you need on a sunday night… 🙂

Besides that the everyday life solidifies with each day. The fact that English is the language we speak doesn’t get any second thought… I hope to live up to the family’s expectation, teaching them some German in a consistent way.

Today was rather stressful. I had to save the laundry from the rain and put it up in the living room. It hasn’t dried yet, but at least all the pegs (which fell to the ground while collecting the laundry) are on the line now, sorted by colour. 😀
The chicken nuggets came out nice and the crumbing process has been improved. I got the kids to taekwondo on time and taught the German word ‘Schabernack’ (meaning mischief) to the youngest.
The family’s vacuum cleaner is GENIUS, by the way! 🙂 You just strap that thing to your back and only have to take care of the cable. I transform into Vacuuminator for that time. 8/
Once a week I bake and that is tomorrow. I’ll see, what sugar bombs I will let loose this time. 🙂