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… 😉

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… 😊

Picture Trip to Mahia

Mar 26, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

There was no apple left to pick. They are not quite ripe enough yet, we were told. What doesn’t mean any good to your bank account, delights your tired bones. Those 2 days off I will use to travel a little, I told myself and gathered information on what the area offers.

Many would go straight to a travel guide or the internet, but New Zealand teaches otherwise. I asked a native, who by the way is our merciful supervisor and whose Maori roots reach back to the very beginnings of Aotearoa. His culture is all about the environment and the historic backgrounds. He proposed Mahia as destination, next to many others. It is a peninsula on the northern end of the Hawkes Bay coastal line.

He had spent his childhood there and his ancestors set foot on New Zealand grounds in that place, too. So far, so promising… 😊

My flatmates confirmed the place as a popular (amongst Kiwis, not so much tourists) holiday destination and thus I packed my sleeping bag and camera and went.

In New Zealand you can’t go above 100 kph. For Germans, this sounds like punishment, but if you look closely, it is well justified: The Highways (outside of bigger cities) are at best compared to our country roads (Roads named L123 in Germany) and for 90% not to be mastered on (allowed) top speed. The corners always carry recommended speeds, so that you don’t miscalculate. For tourists, this is very helpful. 😉

Enjoying the Grand Liberty, I stopped at every place I deemed to fit my wellbeing and shot my pictures. First stop was Lake Tutira.

Lakeside House

The Mohaka Viadukt (built 1936, now a railway bridge), standing 95 meters tall, is the biggest structure of its category in all of Australasia.

In the forest it smelled like goats and I even saw some from afar. So, next to the State Highway 2 there are some Goats in the woods. Good to know.

In Mahia I checked in at a, thanks to the off-season very cheap, Holiday Park and parked my car in one of the few spaces looking towards the sea. A Holiday Park basically is a Hostel without rooms, as you carry your own housing (car, tent, caravan).

But arriving was only part of my plan…

That’s how I picture a welcome.

I relocated myself, so I could get a clear lookout west. Because even though the sun rises north down here, it still sets west…

By the way, that’s me minus the beard. 😉

Clouds can project shadows upon the underside of other clouds.

After having dismissed the sun properly, I drove back and spent my first night inside the car. It was quite cold, but some things you can’t miss in life… 😀

It wasn’t hard then, to interrupt the sleep and go some way to see the sun rise. The good thing about this peninsula is that you have a clear view of the sea, both to the east and to the west. Let me tell you, it is so worth it! Get out of bed, go to a nice place and watch this overwhelming spectacle of nature. Whether you press the shutter release of the camera, or someone else close to you, is up to you. 😊

Finally, the sun announces itself…

…and the sky burns.

New Zealand is getting the light. Even only the change from dark to bright is majestical.

I went this and that way on the peninsula, before making my way home.

Even though some sights are looking pretty in the picture; when you stand in that place, it is much more beautiful…

Tadaa! Again, something for the first time: My first portion fish and chips. One of the nation’s signature dishes… 😊

My supervisor did also mention the ‘White Pine Bush’, which I only passed on the way there. This time I stopped and immersed myself (a passionate fan of Tarzan) in the realms of the jungle.

Again, just next to the highway, the ‘White Pine Bush’-retreat is a stunning contrast to its environment. It was being made fit for tourists, but you feel not less embraced by nature…

Jungle vines are real! 😀 Pity I didn’t bring my loincloth, otherwise I would have swung away on one of those vines and would disappear into the thicket for some days and would hunt leopards, looked for gorillas and only lived off fruit and termites… 😀

The roots of those Kahitea trees are massive.

I better get the laundry in now, later it is a baking dish with some tomato sauce out of a jar (fell into my shopping basket), chicken breast and pasta. 😊

Tomorrow I am back at work and it is the everyday life again… But soon. Soon the last apple will be picked and a whole new chapter will begin…