Rugby and the weekend

May 25, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

Getting up early on saturday!
Well, for some undertakings you must pay a price. Besides, the little one invited me.

So, early we went to the regular Saturday rugby tournament. The lovely boy attends training once a week, to where I drive him and on Saturday there’s the game. This time the opposing team was too mighty, which denied us victory.

Rugby is the national sport of New Zealand. Almost everybody is playing it and everybody is a fan of the All Blacks, the undefeated national team. And what sport it is, indeed!
One day I will see the All Blacks themselves play, but thiss little game gave me quite a taste to begin with.

I just let the pictures and captions speak for themselves…

Rugby is played with a great deal of tumbling.

It is funny to see those rascals and rascallettes whack and smash each other all the way. 🙂

And running. Running is what you do! 😀

But rugby is not the only sport taking place that day, it isn’t! Afterwards I witnessed a game of netball of the eldest girl. Also some national sport, but more on the women’s side… From there we proudly took the ‘player of the day’ home. 🙂
Also afterwards both of the older siblings had an indoor cricket match, the youngest had a game of hockey and the eldest, again, had an underwater hockey match. As the schedule was interlaced and all cars plus grandparents were active, I stayed home after rugby and netball…

It is interesting to see what deal those sports mean to the Kiwis. The parents meet on the side of the park and talk, the kids have fun playing (well, mostly) and there’s an engaging club culture. The week plan, and often day plan is built around sport and when you just sit over a cup of coffe outside a café in the park, you see many people practising various sports.

It is becoming closer and closer to winter every day and you not only notice that by the smudgy wheather, but by the temperature. It is freezing now, even though the sun shines and the hills are green. But maybe my body is thinking about summer in May/ June instead about 10 degrees and breezes…
My heatable bed is most welcome then. 🙂 Also, things like the scarf/ my hat and gloves, which I didn’t pay to much attention towards until now, gain in relevance…

New Zealand grass.

Rarely a graveyard looked more beautiful. But as the ghosts woke up, we better went our way. 🙂

Ohariu Bay. Pretty cold. And pretty. 🙂

This morning we had a blackout! That was quite thrilling for me and the boy, as neither of us had experienced it yet. But after about 45 minutes of nailbiting everything went back to normal. All the clocks are now readjusted and heating works again.
The next weekend we will go to the South Island with some more au pairs. Thanks to the Queen’s birthday there is a long weekend coming up and we intend to make use of it.
So I will ditch my plans to first discover the North Island in favour of this adventure…

Life is taking shape

May 19, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

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.

 

 

While going down Highway 1 towards the city centre, you have a great view over Wellington Harbour.

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. 🙂

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies, just before visiting the oven. They were addictive… 🙂

New Situations

May 10, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Thoughts

There’s two ways: Either you blog about your new experiences (of which there are many) every day or you let the first work week pass in peace and you start telling in retrospect.
I decided for the latter. 🙂 Please do read the accumulated mass of experiences in my first work week as an au pair:

You find yourself in the situation to fill that bucket to mop the floor (fortunately there’s not much surface) on your own.
You find yourself in the situation to fight against the will of the children, to deal out disciplinary measures, to be strict.
You find yourself in the situation to embrace those kids after mentioned storms have passed and to show them your love won’t ever ‘just end’.
You find yourself in the situation to compose the day, to think ahead and to be rewarded by a smooth process.
You find yourself in the situation to take care of the laundry, to check school uniforms for spots and to be able to look behind the scenes of that ‘circle of life’.
You find yourself in the situation to blend together flour, butter, heaps of sugar and similar things and to put it all in the oven, hoping for the best.
You find yourself in the situation to see the happy faces after a meal or having discovered the rearranged cutlery drawer.
You find yourself in the situation to partake in a dance-off for a change, while doing some homework with the kids.
You find yourself in the situation to realise that hot water and some soap make all the dishes seem quite manageable.
You find yourself in the situation to notice that an early bed time not only benefits children of a young age. For adults it does hold joy as well. 🙂
You find yourself in the situation to deal with cat puke on the carpet.
You find yourself in the situation to design your life as a role model all day, to keep promises and principles up high and on top be wise and fair alike.
You find yourself in the situation to ration your time smartly, as you complete important things first and have some lazy time later. (On a clean conscience, of course. 🙂 )
You find yourself in the situation to put your own preferences and habits aside and to adapt in many departments…

 

 

 

 

My task is to help and guide the boy to his homework (more motivational work as of now) in the morning and to get some of my daily chores done, before I accompany him on his way to school. The school is close to us, so it becomes my daily walk; except for rainy days, we are made from sugar after all and would melt. 😀
One everyday chore is to keep the laundry rotation moving. That means getting the laundry from the machine online (haha) outside or inside when rainy (something about sugar, I am sure) and in the end allocate each piece to its owner. The latter is still hard, but I think the kids will do the swapping. 🙂
Next to generally maintaining order I am to deliver dinner 4 days a week. The first week was somewhat wild, as I have never ever baked a meat pie or crumbed chicken nuggets. Though it went (thanks to substantial instructions and the bits I remembered from home) well and everyone was happy…
I really enjoy having a list for all the tasks I can call my own. The family had a number of au pairs already, which provides a secure dealing with each other. You are the new one, no doubt, but the au pair itself is known element.
In the afternoon I pick up the boy from school and when the girls get home, soon there’s food and activities every day. Let it be swimming lessons, taekwondo, rugby training and so on. My job is to get the kids there and to make sure they have eaten beforehand. But with the well-tailored plan of my host-mum there’s no worries. 😉
On each of the 5 days there is a special task, like vacuum cleaning, mopping, baking something, cleaning the microwave… All in all doable with some time to spare.
Some of that time you look like the pets:

 

 

ZzzzZzzzZzzzZzzzZ

 

 

You might just as well get used to learning new stuff and doing new things everyday. But with every new activity I do for the second time you realise: Soon enough this will be normal, soon enough I will do these things blindly, won’t be needing any lists, won’t be asking basic questions. The only thing that counts then is the motivation you bring for the new day…

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. 😀