Dawn of a new era!

May 2, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Thoughts

The rhythmic noise of the drum set let my usually stoic sleep end and I know exactly where I am: In Wellington. Not for a week, now. No, this time it is for a real long time…
I used to think I have spend quite a deal in New Zealand already, but looking out to nine and a half months at a single place, I get close to anxious.

So, how do I feel then? A great question, which entails an expressive answer:

Cat hair is all over my shirt, they just are too cuddly. My head is full of all the good things I lived through the last days. Starting with a heartfelt farewell by my flatmates in Hastings, continuing with a road trip through the splendorous and borderline unreal landscape up to the enthusiastic welcome by the family. I digest fish’n’chips (they have it every friday 🙂 ) and the piece of chocolate cake. It is late and I just watched some stand up comedy together with the host dad alongside some tea. It is hard to make out the humour between the shift of both, accent and culture. But in the end we had a few good laughs, which counts.
I am not cold, though my hands and feet are constantly cold. That is going to be soothed by the electric blanket, though. Isn’t that bliss in the cold nights? 😀 Just turn a switch and you have a warm surface waiting for you underneath the comfy sheets… I already missed this piece of luxury that one week back in Hastings. 😀
Indeed, it feels good to finish a chapter, also considering that I have seen the whole harvest period and every variety of apples being picked. When on top the seasons play along, you get an even stronger sense of closure. For it became autumn now. Most of the hot summer I spent on the orchard, but the last days featured yellow and also falling leaves and golden light of the sun. Thus, the last pages of the chapter ‘Working life in Hastings’ almost look romantic…

I am having enough of this and am happy to leave the apple picking behind. Even though it looked quite nice in the end…

Did you know that apples could be crispy, most literally?

The last variety: Pacific Rose

Every day on my way to work I had a muesli bar for breakfast and always put the wrapper into the centre console. Now this harvest didn’t disappoint. 😀

 

 

All in all I feel confident in what I do, as my way of life was dearly held with my flatmates, it seems. So there’s no question the times in my new home are going to be great.

What really changed are the living conditions. Until now I provided solely for myself, but quickly adapted to share shower gel and shampoo, buying milk on the family’s tab (I actually not once bought milk for myself here) and to not worrying about the next power bill while having a longer shower. A mind-blowing fact about water: It is ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! Only heating it up costs, depending on the way of doing it (electric or gas), a greater or lesser amount and even the wastewater is free of charge. 😀

When I was picking up the boy from school, which is only 5 minutes from the house, I came to realise once again what flash of a neighbourhood we live in. Fulminant house fronts, high fences and fine cars grace this suburb of the capital. I am more than happy to be this close to the little big city. I think that describes Wellington best. You never feel lost, but you can also explore new exciting places every time. 🙂

Courtenay Place is one of the most popular streets of Wellington

 

 

I think the biggest challenge will be to get the kids away from the ever-present screen. For school, both of the older ones have their own laptop and iPod and smartphones are all around and are known to reliably catch all the attention.
If any of you smart parents, siblings, au pairs or educators out here have any valid methods: Let me know. I am going to need all the tricks up my sleeve. 😉

I hope to spend more time blogging in the time to come, as now we approach the actual, the interesting part. And there’s much more going on as opposed to only working and doing not much for the rest of the day. Now more excitement and more variety is in order! And I want to be the last one to keep you from catching up on all that… 😉

Lull before the storm

Apr 24, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

The alarm rings and I have no clue where I am. My mobile lies on the floor and the lighting gives it away: I am in Hastings. Back again at the unfinished chapter of picking apples. On the other hand back at my dear flat with the even dearer flatmates. 🙂

Reluctantly I peel off my duvet and prepare for work. Outside it is dripping. But it is only a few more days, parted by a bank holiday weekend. Then I am through. Then my days at the orchards are over.
Having arrived at work, I try not to step into those huge puddles. We do the second pick, so the apples are not as red as in the beginning. The trees are huge and thick and soaking wet. What saved my motivation was the news: This is the last day for now. The next varieties are ready to pick next week.
That means, after careful calculations: !!4!! days off! 😀 I only have to make it through 2 more work days and my time here is fulfilled.

Life is pretty simple here. There is no grand master plan for each day, no unforseen calamities, no excitement. Last week as much happened as does here in 3. And I am most grateful for this week of relaxation, as I haven’t seen one au pair blog telling about a week’s break after the initial week.
This period of time gives me the opportunity to think about all the new and to form strategies for all sorts of challenges. But most of all I can zone out, before with all force the everyday life of that busy family will take over.
Also, I have the chance to ‘start over’ and to give my role another go.
On the other side, the family also has a week off of that stranger, who suddenly starts to live among them.

It is going to be hard, saying goodbye to my cosy flat. I came to new friends here, lived through an important chapter of my life and changed a lot personally. But I aim to visit around spring to see the apple trees in full blossom…

Fun fact: I live at number 212 and our direct neighbours at 116 and 300. I also saw some streets counting up to the 4-digit-realm. I love New Zealand. 😀

The first days with the family

Apr 18, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey

Here it is. The post you’ll see on every single au pair blog.

Many of those are filled with utter excitement and many new impressions of the country. With me, it is no different, only that the country itself is anything but unknown to me…

The first day, I arrived late the night before by bus, I spent alone in the house. The whole family was away and thus I had much time to get to know my new home. In the evening I was even asked which drawer holds the boy’s socks. I knew almost all of the things and hope not to have raised to many high hopes. 😀

So, I now live in a suburb of Wellington. Filled with big, nice houses and windy, most importantly.
‘My’ kids are 2 girls (aged 10 and 5) and a boy (aged 8) and there’s the cuddly toys, too: 2 burmese cats and an itsy-bitsy good boy. The elder cat is just sitting on my lap and rests its head on my wrist.

The first week is great to climatize, given that I will have much time to ponder over all new learnings while picking the last apples and to prepare mentally.

Next to 3 super cute greeting cards, my pinboard was decorated with a welcome message. As the ninth au pair of the family you can sense a certain routine to it, right away.

 

 

The children (this is quite common in New Zealand) tend to do a lot of sports, like taekwondo. It will be my job to take them to all those places. Amongst other things of course.

The family is well organized, so there is a plan for everything. That is a good concept, as it lets you know all the whereabouts. Actually it is crucial in order to survive, knowing where abouts you find yourself in all the chaos. 😀

Safe to say, it’s amsuing to see miniature fighters. 😀

 

 

We then went to places in Wellington I wouldn’t be able to reach without a car. For example the wind turbine on Brooklyn Hill… Just like all high ground around Wellington, you are presented with a fantastic view of the coolest capital in the world. 🙂

As opposed to where I come from, wind turbines are a rare sight here.

My beloved city…

 

 

Life changed dramatically once again. Now there are toys in the shower, my clothing has (thanks to the extraordinary cuddlyness of the pets) fur all over it and partly due to excitement, partly due to the raised ambience noice, my sleep has become more shallow. But that might correlate with the lack of the daily physical struggle. 🙂

It’s the school holidays and the kids are at home at all times. The family is tech-orientated, so I tend to see my own childhood, with a different eye now, sitting in front of the screens.

My diary holds about 4 times the information compared to the previous time and I hardly keep track of what happened what day. There’s just that much going on…

I bet EVERY au pair has errected a ginger bread house at some point.

 

 

Well, enough of this massive post. Meanwhile, the cats have swapped places and the kids shall not have a computer addicted au pair. 😀 Even though you’re off duty, you still are a role model…

Medium Sized Interim Report

Apr 12, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Updates

Finally, the Granny Smith Apples are done being picked. After a rainy day off, we continued with the variety called Fuji.

Those are quite different from Granny Smiths. They are red, so you find them at first glance without having to search first. Their trees are much smaller than the Grannys’ trees, which translates to the count of fruit (so, 30 ripe apples and not 3000). But most importantly: Fujis are HUGE!!

On the first day I filled double as many bins as usual! 😀 That actually was the first day picking was actually fun…

Even otherwise the last days held some (little) successes. 😊

My first haircut on New Zealand soil was carried out, which was somewhat exciting for me. Mind you, this was only the 3rd Hairdresser I entrusted my graceful scalp to. 😀 I am quite pleased with the result…

Kiwis don’t know the wonderful and delicious concept of cheese soup!! So, I stepped forward and took my chance (for the first time as so often) on the recipe. When shopping, I had to realise that there was nothing like the German ‘melting cheese’. Cream cheese did the trick perfectly in the end.

I couldn’t believe it when I was back home as I finally tried it. My roommates loved it as well, which multiplied the achievement. 😊

It is only two days, until I will swap the rather dull (you notice in the count of posts) everyday life here in Hastings for the first week in the host family. As said, I will come back for a week after (cause visa extension) and then turning my back on Hastings for good in May. I grow more and more excited and am aware, how much my life will change.

I have spent the last three months only in Hastings and didn’t do much apart from work… Right now, I am looking forward to nine months in my beloved Wellington. And it is going to be unbelievable! All new tasks, many new people, not having to pay for everything you eat, having full weekends off…

Well, more on that in a few days. 😉

Olivia, one of our four chickens.

Praying Mantis with a broken wing.

Cheese soup like at home. (or at Auntie Anna E.’s 😊)

Another Small Interim Report

Mar 31, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Updates

Too much green cabbage. Unfortunately, I only realise when there’s already a massive amount inside the colorful frying pan. The rest, thinking in advance as a good chef does, already lies finely chopped…

Now you must be strong and find alternatives and compromise. Right, a salad. But I only have chives, onions, garlic and cabbage. A little plain in terms of color… I submit (young and inexperienced as I am) to the online advice and let the leftover cabbage mingle amongst a mixture of garlic, oil, salt and pepper and some slightly expired lime juice.

Thus, I have completed the second salad of my life and the 24th warm meal (Ha! As if I still count 😀 ).

And it is delicious. I’m still mum’s son, in the end. 😛

The calculation around the time change gets much more complicated. From the 5th of April, I am only 10 hours ahead of you… I don’t know who invented this. At mine, we go FORWARDS and at yours you go BACKWARDS. 😀

These days I am picking apples again and from tomorrow we will harvest the world-famous variety ‘Granny Smith’. These apples won’t get to Germany, but the look of the trees is overwhelming. Not the least in the eyes of the picker. 😊

The mornings grow increasingly ‘crisp’, but it always ends in baking heat. 😀 Did your sweat ever go INTO your ears? 😀

4 arms would be the only logical answer.

Monstrous compared to other trees and as full as it ever gets.

The days until my (temporary at first) arrival at the family grow less and less and the anticipation rises on both sides, as I have heard…

By then there would be quite different things and all new impressions to report. Now the working life only flows by itself as it is… 😊