Topic of discussion? Pollution

     This week I thought I might be getting sick. It was quite rainy this week and cold (not as cold as it gets in Utah on some days, but it's been quite chilly), so it wasn't too much a surprise that I got a cough but I'm doing much better now. I spend most of the mornings studying my French and answering Emails to my friends/family.

I Love This!

    While I was studying my French one morning Cecile came in and was polishing the silver. I have never seen something like that. I thought that only existed in old movies. She helped me with some of my French pronouncing.

     It was raining really hard outside on Monday and I was all prepared to go out into the cold, but it stopped when I needed to go get the kids. I had to go pick up Daniel first, then take the bus to Aimée's Speech Therapist to pick her up. I haven't done that before and I got a little lost trying to do that. The Bus system is harder to figure out here, so we ended up walking the whole way back to the Metro stop. That was OK, it wasn't a long walk and the kids need to burn some energy.

     I asked Cecile how it was raising the bilingual kids. She said she would speak Italian to them as babies, Alain would speak French, and the Au Pair would speak English. Plus they would get English at School. So that is how you become fluent in three languages by the age of 6. It is amazing how much these kids know. I have been blow away by them.

     I have learned that heels and Paris don't work. Not with the cobble stones. Makes it harder to walk, and since I want to walk as much as I can... Flats are the way to go.

Love Me. Found this on one of my walks.

     Paris has one of the BIGGEST train/Metro stops in the world. It's attached onto a mall and movie theater. So I guess it's not all a train stop, but pretty close. I walked around the mall for a while, but really only went into H&M. Everywhere else looked very expensive. It's a nice place though. H&M will be a nice store to have because they have cute things reasonably priced. Plus they are all over Paris.

     This week Sara and I were walking around the gardens when I looked up to see Blue Bikes and sure enough there was Hava. I go close enough so she could see me and she stopped what she was explaining to the group to come give me a hug. "Olivia! It's so nice to see you! I'm so happy you are here?!" I hugged her back and she turned to the group to say "Olivia was here in May and came on this tour and now she lives here!" Then as I was walking away I heard her say "No really she moved here!" It was so great to see her.

     Daniel wanted to make a Parachute but everything he made came crashing to the ground. I helped him make one, but he wanted his action figure on it. When that didn't work he became very sad and cried. He has cried all week about it. When I went to H&M, they gave me a SUPER big bag for my stuff and I gave it to Daniel for his Parachute. He was so excited. He will be able to make a really good one

      We had sushi again for dinner this week. My Mom would be in heaven. The fish is SO fresh here. Lots of flavor. The kids are so smart and have very intelligent conversations with their parents. Today's topic of discussion? Pollution. They don't ask questions like normal kids do. Instead of saying "Mom, what is pollution?" or "What is the black smoke coming out of the chimneys do?" Questions that any other kid there age might ask. They ask, "Mom, what is acid rain?" Then it was Daniel, the SIX year-old that said "Oh I know, can I answer this?" Then he went on to explain "You know when factories have black smoke coming from their buildings, like in Willy Wonka? Well if they are naughty factories, they are putting chemicals from the things they are burning into the air. The soot collects into the clouds making them think they need to rain, and when they rain it’s mostly all the chemicals from these factories. The rain can cause things to set on fire." Then Aimée is like "Oh, OK I understand thank you. Are there still lots of acid rains or are there laws against it now?" The whole time I'm sitting there looking at these kids like "What are they teaching you in these schools?!" Aimée and Daniel are SO smart. I can't believe it. Alain would just answer their questions like it was a normal conversation with co-workers.

     The other thing I have found funny is Daniel's facial expressions. He is so animated! Then there's Aimée, who has the best terminologies. If Daniel does something wrong or drops something instead of calling him a name or yelling at him she will just look at him and say "OH Well Done," in a very British accent (Think Harry Potter), then move on with whatever they were doing. It's so funny to watch!

I taught Daniel how to do a
handstand. :) 

     Alain and Cecile were talking about how they think it's funny that American love their air-conditioning and heaters. "I can understand if you have it a little cooler in the house during the summer or a little hotter in the winter, but if it's hot outside I shouldn't need to put on a jumper (jacket) inside!" Cecile is so funny about things like that.

     This week, I got to see how it works with Grocery shopping. A person will go to the store and fill up their cart with everything that they will need, pay for it and then leave. The store will then put all the groceries in a barrel and having it delivered to your apartment. That way you don't need to find a way to bring it all the way home and up all the stairs. It's really a very good system.

     After dropping the kids off I can walk back from their schools to the apartment. It's maybe a 20-30 minute walk and I walk right under the Eiffel Tower. It's a nice area so I take my time.

     Cecile was hosing a cooking demonstration at the apartment for several of the ladies in the Parent Teacher Association they have here. They said "Cecile make something simple that families could make on a school night." So Cecile, being the wonderful cook that she learned how to make Lasagna for this special event, and it was the best Lasagna I have ever had. She made it the week before to practice

Aimée and Daniel playing in the park. 

     I went to the post office and sent off a few letters. I'm going to need to learn how to do that an easier way. I don't want to think about if I will ever need to send a package. Other than that, it's not too bad to send a letter every now and a again through the mail. I prefer email though.

     Last night I cooked dinner for the kids for the first time. It turned out OK, but didn't get off to a great start. I could not figure out how to turn on their stove top. I worked with it for an HOUR. It is super fancy. So there are no knobs just buttons you need to press. Almost like an iPad type deal. I was just about ready to break down, and was going to need to feed the kids cheese for dinner when I decided to call Cecile (she showed me how to work the stove before, but I just couldn't get it this time for some reason). Turns out that you need to have a certain pan on top for it to work. So... I got it to work, but I still don't understand the system and will need Cecile to explain it AGAIN to me.

     I don't ever yell at the kids, but I think they could sense my frustration because they were really good. They played quietly together while I figured out the stove top, then when I told them to go take a shower they did so without any fighting or complaining. I didn't need to help them either (usually I need to be there to encourage them to go quickly). Aimée even came in and set the table while Daniel cleaned up all the toys in their rooms. I was so proud of them.

Aimée wanted to fix my hair. This is what
she did. 

     I'm sure you’re wondering what I made for dinner. Well Cecile left out some ravioli (no sauce they don’t use lots of sauce, just some cheese) and I cooked that will a little bit of goat cheese. The kids seemed to like it.

     I went in to my French school this week and talked to them. Oh what a story that is. Well the intensive course is not set up for au pairs. So I would be scheduled for school while I was needed with the kids (in the afternoon). I talked with them and worked it out with their au pair program. I have classes three days a week. I will be taught how to put my language skills into practice. So between my classes here and my online classes I have a full college load.

     Next semester if my French has improved I can sign up for a Certification Program, which will prepare me to go to a university here in Paris. It’s more advanced level with more hours.

      Glad to get that worked out, but I feel like I need more time to practice. I’m not really sure what to do. If anyone has an advice about learning a language, PLEASE let me know. I am struggling.

     Today in church I was asked to give a talk. All the Au Pairs where asked to give talks, but everyone else has until December. Mine is in 3 weeks. It’s on Revelation and Personal Inspiration. You know that feeling you get when you need to write a talk for Sacrament Meeting? OK now imagine writing a talk, translating it into French and learning how to say it. I’m SUPER SCARED!! More on that later…

     Thank you to all who have been following my blog. I love to see how many are interested in what I am doing. I will try to keep the blogs going. Thank You for your support.

Traveling In Paris

     I've had a few questions about getting around in Paris, mostly How do I get around in Paris? The answer is the Metro/RER system. It is the BEST way to get around Paris quickly and conveniently. There are several other ways to get around Paris. Driving, Taxi, Metro/RER, biking, and walking. Here I thought I would explain the wonderful ways to travel Paris.

     Driving is always the first option in the United States. There are usually lots of areas to park wither you are going to the mall, grocery store, or visiting a friend. In Paris, parking is the biggest challenge for the average Parisian driver. I drove a lot at my home in Utah, but I would NEVER drive in Paris. It's very confusing and I'm betting you will hit at least 5 roundabouts. When you are driving in Paris there is only you and where you are going, so if you need to cut across 3 lanes because you forget that you needed to turn left instead of right... well lets just say that their are a LOT of people who do that. Taxi is better because at least you are not the one who is having to drive, but like any typical taxi service it's expensive and you most likely will get stuck in traffic. I would bike, but the system is so close to driving that I'm nervous about it. Try following the same rules as a car but being less protected... 

    That leave waking and the Metro. I love walking, if I can walk there I will and Paris is very walker friendly. Since I'm usually in a rush to to pick up the kids, I don't walk as much as I like. If I have the time I will usually try to get off three or four stops before so I can walk a little. 

     The Bus is really good in Paris, it's a good way to go if you want to see Paris as you ride. It's not always the fastest and figuring out the map can get quite confusing, but it's not to bad. 

     The Metro is the best way to travel Paris. I have never seen a more efficient means of transportation.

   Basically you can go anywhere in Paris and during the day the trains are usually less than five minutes apart. A NaviGO pass is the best. You can have access for a month to the whole system  (RER-the train, Metro, and the bus), for the price of a tank of gas in the States.

     There are five zones of the Transportation System. Paris is in zone one and Versailles is in zone 4. Usually the NaviGo works for the first two zones, but on weekends they open it up to all zones for free. So a good time to go to Versailles is on the weekend, the only bad thing is that everyone else has the same idea. 

     The RER is the faster train System. There are less stops in between each stations. The RER has a huge history behind it, and it's a great system.  

    I have been very lucky to have both an RER and Metro Station right outside from where I am living. So I a can go anywhere in Paris that I need to go. I have loved living here and getting to explore different parts of Paris. 

     If you ever need it, here is a link to the best website that will help you get around Paris while using the Transportation System that is here: http://www.ratp.fr/fr/

     

Picnic in Versailles

Me with the Sacre Coeur

     My week has been quite amazing. Every day I ask myself how I have become so lucky to have such a wonderful opportunity. This city is so beautiful and the people are so friendly. I could get stuck in a pattern where I do the same things and eat the same things day after day, but really since I've come here not one day has been the same. Everything I do is different from the day before, and I learn so many new things.

     Sara (the other Au Pair that I met) is wonderful I am SO happy that I met her. She is so similar to me and so easy to talk to. I am very luck. This whole experience has been so great and I feel so lucky.

     Cecile asked me if I like being an Au Pair. She says she is very happy with how things are working out and that the kids seem to be better about homework and much happier lately. That makes me feel really good. I sometimes feel like they are giving me more than I can work for. I try to be a hard worker, but there are many time that they don’t need my help.

     Also the kids really love the jokes I have been getting from everyone. They laugh then try to make up their own with the same plot that I used for the ones I tell. They also really like different works we use to talk. Like Where vs Wear. Or Trunk and the multiple meanings that it comes with.

     Tuesday morning I went out with Sara to get breakfast. We were going to have some hot chocolate at this famous little cafe, but when we got there we realized that it was the same cafe that we went to last week. Sara said we should try to find something new, and we found this nice café to eat in. While there the TV's started playing music videos and one of the videos was the one I posted on Facebook; Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden. It was a music video that was filmed in Paris! I have been too most of those places, including Montmartre. It's the area where all the artists live and my second favorite spot in Paris (with the first being Place de la Concord). We went to one of my favorite little hamburger shops in the area and talked with the guy who owned it for a while, it was funny that he recognized me from before.

    Aimée was involved in this cooking group this week. A group of about 10 kids or so would spend the afternoon with a professional chief in his kitchen and he would teach them how to cook. They help him prepare some of the means that will be served for the night. We came to eat dinner there and ordered the things that Aimée helped to make. The dinner was like food you would get at a fancy wedding reception dinner, and the French eat like this all time. I really enjoyed the dinner. Aimée needed to bring her own set of knives. I can't believe that they would let an eight year old help cook at a professional restaurant and use knives!

Sara and I in Montmartre 

     The whole program was set up by a girl who is from San Francisco. She has been doing it for eight years and is now coming here to do the program as well. The profit goes to charity, where they do the same thing with kids who live in poorer conditions in hopes that they will learn to cook better for themselves. It sounds better when she explains it. It’s a really go idea in my mind. You go to wealthy private schools and say you will let their kids come and cook with a professional chief, then you take the money that you get for arranging that and donate it charity. The kids have fun, the restaurants get customers (the families still pay full price), and they can use the money they earn from setting up the program to help children in need. I thought it was clever.

     The only down side to the whole thing was that we got home late and the kids were very tired. We did however get to drive around Paris late at night. This city is SO beautiful! I love the buildings and the style that everything is in. Whoever is in charge of lighting Paris is brilliant. Everything looks amazing. Cecile and Alain were pointing different things out to me and telling me about different areas in Paris. Did you know that the law here is that when you turn 18 you are allowed to drive a car, vote, and drink? They think it's crazy that in America the ages are so different. They don't understand why we let 16 year old kids drive. Cecile is very interested in my point of view of the coming election. It’s interesting to hear the things that she likes about our Government.

The Old Paris with the New

     As I said before the kids were very tired, this did not make the next day any easier. Aimée and Daniel were very tired and cranky. Aimée got very upset when a girl in her cooking class made fun of her. She cried and pouted for the rest of the evening. Cecile doesn't have a very long tolerance for pouting and became very cross with Aimée. Daniel didn't have much Homework, but any little thing set him off. He was so tired that he almost fell asleep at the dinner table and cried for a few minutes because dinner was late and he wanted to go to bed.

     My hair does not like Paris. I have considered more than once that it might be a good idea to chop it all off so I don't have to worry about it! I might just need to get a really good brush, but I don't understand how it gets so frizzy and knotted. It is about 3 inches shorter than it usually is but makes up for it in volume. Talk about a major fro!

Versailles Palace

     This week was Alain and Cecile's 10th Wedding Anniversary and they threw a party. It started about 8:30 PM but most people didn’t start showing up until around 9 PM. So basically, French parties start when Utah parties are ending. J There were still people here until almost 12:30. Sara says that she usually does all the cooking for a party like this, but because there were going to be more than 25 people coming she hired a caterer. The food was amazing (of course), and yet again felt like I was at a very fancy wedding reception. I might have to go to a wedding here so I can see how someone could possibly top the food of everyday eating. Everyone was dressed up and Cecile looked beautiful! Everyone was very friendly and would “faire la bise.” I go kisses from both women and men. That is a new cultural experience. I had a few people try to talk to me in French, but I’m still not great with my French so they would talk to me in a little English. The children stayed awake the whole time and I’m sad to say that they might have been up later than me.

Picnic with the ward  

     Today was also a wonderful day. I went to Versailles for the Paris Stake Conference with the church. Imagine an entire conference in a different language. Although I didn’t understand most of what was being said, I could still understand the message of the meeting and feel the spirit. I wondered; are there many talks in General Conference where it is spoken in a language other than English? If not, I think there should be more talks like that. Why should other languages always have their talks translated? It’s amazing to see the church in a different environment, and to know that at that moment people of different background in different countries learning the same teachings I have been learning. I think we sometimes forget about that in are small Utah Mormon bubble. We are so lucky to have the church in our back yard and we forget about all the other wonderful cultures that are out there. It was a wonderful moment for me.

Katherine, Sara, and Me 

     After the conference my ward walked over to the Palace of Versailles and the BEAUTIFUL gardens. There we sat and had a picnic. Imagine sitting next to the lake in the gardens with the chateau behind you, and talking with various people about their life in Paris. It was a great experience. I was able to get to know some of the Au Pairs better, met the Bishop and his family, and talked with Sara, Katherine and Andrew. All of whom were very lovely.

     Well I hope this next week is as jam backed with adventure as this one was so I can tell you all about it. Please let me know if you have any questions. I love to hear from you. Until next week!

Arrondissements of Paris

     I was asked to explain the Arrondissements of Paris. Here is the basic break down. The city of Paris is divided into twenty administrative districts or more simply referred to as arrondissements (aron-deec-mont). The twenty arrondissements are arranged like a clockwise spiral starting in the middle of the city. To me it looks like a giant swirly seashell. The circle around Paris is the highway and outside the ring are the suburbs of Paris. 

Plan by ThePromenader (own work) http://www.paris-promenades.com

    The arrondissements are very similar to sections of a area, or little villages, that make up the city. It really is just an easier way to find your way around the city. All you need to know is the zip code of where you are. All the postal codes in Paris start with 75 and the last two numbers are the arrondissement you are in. So 75005 means you are in the 5th district or arrondissement of Paris. 

    

      I don't know why they are in the order they are in. I know that the fist arrondissement is the center of Paris. My guess would be that when they were first mapped out they were arranged in order of wealth. With the more wealthy areas being closer to the center.This makes since to me because the oldest parts of France are in the first 4 districts. 

     

     Now you can usually tell how wealthy a person is based on which district they live in, but these wealthy areas have changed locations since they were first made. The city is very good about putting the arrondissement on every street sign. So even if you get lost you still know what area of France you are in. 

      

     Each arrondissement is named for famous things that are in that area. For example: The first is named after the Louvre, the 5th after the Panthéon, 6th after Luxembourg, 9th is the Opéra (after the Opéra Garnier, the inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera), and the 18th has Montmartre. The 9th is the artists corner and has been the home of many famous artists, ant the 5th is where most of the Universities of Paris are so they are very student friendly.  

     I hope this explained everything a little more, and if I find out that I have made any mistakes I will update this post. 

We Will Be Friends

     One week. That is how long I have been here. It feels like I have been here for so much longer. I love the city, love the people, love the food, and love my family here. 

     I have had a few questions about adding comments after the blog. I believe you don’t need to have an account with Google to do so. If you would like to leave a comment you can mark it under anonymous. So Comment As >>> Anonymous. It should work. 

     This week was FULL of adventures. I don’t think I sat down to rest all week until Saturday. I’m getting use to my different life and new habits. One of the greatest things that I learned this week was how to open my window! Now I won’t get so hot at night! 

     Cecile is like super mom, and she is an amazing cook. I am learning so much from her. I really look forward to dinner every night. Breakfast isn't as big here; usually it’s either a bowl of cereal and milk with a cup of tea or toast and tea. The good thing about eating here is that everything is safe to eat. There are no added chemicals and Cecile is also very cautious about what is in the food. She is also very good about giving the kids a balanced diet. Watching their multivitamins or if they have too much of a certain vitamin. It is a very rare occasion if the kids get any kind of sweets, and because I basically eat the same food as the kids, I'm doing really well, and I walk everywhere I go! Yay for me.

     My biggest job is speaking to the kids in English. That is my main purpose, to speak correct English so they can mimic me. So that's been a bit of a challenge. Did you know that speaking is really hard when you need to continually think about what you are saying and how you are saying it? Well it is! I am mostly picking them up from school, playing in the park, reading to them, or helping with homework. 

    One day, I picked up Aimée and we walked to the le magasin de fruits et légumes, where you buy fruits and vegetables, to pick up a head of garlic for Cecile. Aimée is so smart. I don't think I knew what a head of garlic was when I was her age, let alone know how to stay it in both French and English. Both of the kids are smart. I forget they are only six and eight all the time. 

     

     After I picked up Daniel they were both super hunger, and it took me the whole walk home to explain that we were going to lunch and “no we can’t stop to buy a snack.” They have very good English, but I like to catch them off guard. They sometimes will speak French to each other when I'm with them. Most times it’s so they can ask each other how to explain something, but I knew this time they were just doing it because they could. Instead of telling them in English I said "Je ne vous comprends pas, s'il vous plaît parler en anglais!" They were both so shocked! Haha. Aimée said my French was getting really good. I would love to practice my French with them, but Cecile told me not too. "When you are with me you are supposed to practice your English."

     I took the kids to school this week and that was very stressful. The dropping off run is a much quicker pace then the picking up run. I don't know how Cecile has been doing it all this time. It's really hard because both the kids go to school on opposite sides of the Metro stop. So you would need to get off the Metro go one direction to take one kid then back track and take the other kid. If you are running late I can't even imagine what it might be like. The kids are good though so it wasn't too bad. 

     I always need to check to see if they have homework but it's all in French. They bring home these journals that tell what homework they have for the day. Aimée is very bad at this and always puts it on the wrong day or forgets to bring something home. Daniel is very good about his Homework, but his usually isn't very hard. Today Aimée had to memorize the song We Will Be Friends. It’s the song that is well known in America, and I was kinda surprised that she needed to learn it for school. 

Market at the Metro

     I have gotten the hang of understanding what they like and what they need. They are so friendly. I haven't even known them a week and already I feel so accepted by them. They treat me no differently than they do their parents and understand that I am the adult but also there to play with them. They will come running into my room from the other side of the house yelling "O-liV-Ei-A! Come here I want to show you something!" Then they will take my hand and drag me away. It’s funny to watch them with English jokes. They tell the cheesiest jokes in the book, but because it’s new to the whole family they laugh for hours. So if anyone has any funny jokes I can tell the kids I would LOVE to hear them.

My Favorite Spot in Paris.
Place de la Concord

     It's still kind strange for me how quickly the family accepted me into their family. They give me a set of keys to their house, and send me off with their children only a day after really knowing me. No test runs, no seeing how I am. If I were in their place I would be super scared that the person would steal from me. Maybe that is just how we are taught. Or maybe these things happen more often in the U.S. I don't know what it is, but they are so trusting. The kids too! I think they are more worried about over working me than anything. 

    On Wednesday, I got off the Metro Dupleix there was a HUGE farmers market going on all the way down under the train tracks. I had a little time before I needed to leave so I was able to walk through it a little. The food is so fresh and sweet. I haven't had any sugar since I got here just because the fruit is so good. That is all I need. I talked about it with Cecile and she couldn't understand how we get our fruit and vegetables. They only have seasonal foods out and she thinks it silly we can get most fruits any time of the year.  "Do you need to buy it Frozen?" Nope, it’s just got lots of genetic alterations and preservatives. She won't buy American cheese because of the preservatives. It was hard explaining Costco to the family.

     I went to lunch with another girl from Utah. Her name is Sara. She went to Murray High School. She only has one more semester at the BYU, but decided to wait to gradate until after she came to Paris. She is awesome to talk too. Her family lives outside of Paris so she needs to take the train in. I knew I would like her when I first met her! We walked around Paris exchanging stories and talking about how smart the kids are here in France. Then we found this little Cafe and stayed there for lunch. It was really nice. 

     

Sara and Viktória  

     I went with Sara and Viktória (another Au Pair from Hungry) to the little restaurant area later in the week. It is a very popular area at night. There were people out everywhere. It was really fun. Sara is a wonderful person and Viktóriais very sweet. Sara thinks exactly like I do, and I really enjoyed talking with her and Viktória. We then walked around Paris, and Notre Dame. The river is beautiful at night!

    It’s weird to live in an apartment complex. I have never lived like this. I hear all these noises from the neighbors all the time. Not annoyingly so. I don't hear them much at night unless I am already awake. I can hear people walking around and doors slamming, people talking... It's all very new for me. 

Me and Monica

     After I drop the kids off, I walked through the city. I had a lot of time to kill since I didn't want to go back to the apartment (the maid was there cleaning). I really like Paris. It's a very beautiful city. They have put a lot of work into making it a wonderful place to live. So when I was killing time I walked through the streets. All the shops where setting up for the day. There were bread shops, flower shops, cheese shops, and so on. Just walking through and seeing the older lady arranging flowers for the display our front (they smelled wonderful), and the bread shops baking fresh bread for the day... Wow! Everything looks so clean and well kept. 

     

     Cecile said something really interesting the other day about the difference between American and France. She said that America is a very energetic place. The energy in the air is so different from Europe. Everything is quite paced. She says that France is not like that. France is calm and clearer. It has a different vibe about it. She said that American is still a very young country and that European counties have had more time to figure out problems. It's like comparing the countries to people. Saying that American is still a young teenager compared to all the countries in Europe. Europe is the older mom who sometimes gets caught up with trying to be "hip" again. I agree with her about the difference between them. I don't feel like a clock is ticking above me as much as I do at home. Yes, I have a set schedule, but there is no rushing around. Maybe it will change when I start classes and become busier. No one in France seems to be in a hurry.  

Line outside Elysee Palace

Outside the Church in Paris

     Today was a great day. I went to church where I met many new wonderful girls from Utah. BYU Study Abroad Program. After me and Sara tried to go to the Élysée Palace because this weekend all the buildings that are not usually open to the public where open. We didn't get in because the line was REALLY long, the longest line I have ever seen. We both met up with Monica, a girl from our ward, and her boyfriend Jeff who was visiting Paris for a week. We walked around the city with them and got something to eat. I learned that both Monica and Jeff were new converts to the LDS church. It was amazing for me to see how strong their testimony was and how excited they were for this coming conference. It made me excited for conference. 

     Tonight I went out with Dorrie, a friend of my mom's from work. She is a lovely woman and very personable. She was so great to answer all my questions about her job as a flight attendant and why she enjoys flying Paris so much. Thank you Dorrie for a wonderful evening. 

     Thank you to everyone who reads my blog. It's nice to know that I have a following of people who like to read what I'm up too. I will try to keep the posts coming and make them as interesting as possible. I love and miss you all.  

About Au Pair's (Different from Nanny)

         I have been asked about what it means to be an Au Pair. Well au pair means "on a par" or "equal to", showing that the relationship is intended to be one of equals: the au pair is intended to become a member of the family, though a temporary one, rather than a traditional domestic worker.

     The au pair service is not very well known within the United States because it is generally a European job. The United States looks at an au pair job as the equivalent of a babysitter or nanny, but in Europe it is not uncommon for a family to have an au pair to help with domestic responsibilities. The biggest difference between au pairs and nannies is: au pairs are usually foreigners who live with the family and share daily responsibility for childcare, and nannies usually are residents of the same country in which they work. The concept for au pairs is they work part-time and study part-time giving them the opportunity to have a cultural exchange and gain care-giving experience. A nanny is often someone who is performing childcare as a career. Depending on the location, au pairs often learn a new language and expand on communication skills.

    The notion of an au pair started in Europe after World War II where an abundance of domestic servants looked after upper-class children. Changes to economics made it more available to middle-class families as an increase in middle class girls rose who needed to earn their own living. It was a middle class position, so an au pair was supposed to be treated like a member of the family rather than a servant. Now au pairs come from all around the world, but must first pass basic application criteria. An au pair receives pay and a private room, and the Council of Europe recommends that au pairs be issued standard contracts and are considered employees of the family.

     Some of the duties of an au pair are: waking the children, taking/collecting children to/from school, helping with school homework, playing with the children, taking the children on outings to parks, playgroups and other activities, preparing light meals for children, doing the children’s laundry and ironing their clothes, making the children’s beds, cleaning the children’s bathroom, keeping the kitchen tidy and clean, including sweeping and mopping the floors, and light shopping.

     Cecile, my host mom, likes to keep the kids involved with as much of the cleaning as I can. Most days I am helping them, but they are required to learn as much as they can from cleaning up after themselves.

     I hope that was interesting and helpful. Please ask if you have a question. 

My New Life

 I have arrived in Paris! I got here on Friday and have been very busy with lots of new things, so this post might be quite long as I talk about my first impressions as an Au Pair in Paris.

 Last Few Moments with my Parents.
This was taken at the Goodbye Party they threw for me.

     Friday a long day for me. Lots of new things to take in. I arrived at 11:00 AM Paris Time which is basically the middle of the night for me. Some how I was able to stay awake the whole day is beyond me; not to mention getting to bed at a reasonable time. So my body clock is right on schedule. Yay for me! No really, I have adjusted wonderfully even with the little sleep that I got on the flight.

     Going through customs went a lot faster than I was expecting. I don't even think I slowed down the moment I got off the airplane until I was through customs. It was really nice. However, it was scary when I turned on my phone it wasn't working. I had a slight panic attack thinking that for one minute I just might be all alone in another country with no way of getting in contact with anyone. Thank goodness the airport offered 15 minutes of free WiFi allowing me to Face Time with my family so we could fix my phone and I could call Cecile to let her know that I was here.
   

At the Airport Before my Flight Left

     The bad thing was that I had arrived one hour earlier than expected, so she was at a hair appointment. I talked to her over the phone she asked if I could meet her at this hair salon instead of at her house. So I gave this new address and taxi and was on my way with no idea what I might be in for.
 
     I never thought is was very important to learn how to talk politics in French. I didn't think I would need to know how to do that for a very long time, and so when we went over a few topics in my French classes at the U I wasn't overly concerned about memorizing phrases. Sure enough I get into this taxi and the driver asked me questions about the Presidents Election in America, and of course he only speaks French. I stand corrected. You never know what you might need to know how to say when you visit another country.
   

Arc de Triomphe

     The hair salon was quite a culture shock. I walk in to a room on the second level of the building, with people everywhere. The shop must have been in an old apartment. It was very vintage, meets modern, meets a fashion show runway, meets an exotic zoo. There were stuffed animals everywhere. White peacocks, a leopard, and a few more that I couldn't really see. Everyone was dressed like hipsters. Very messy, uneven clothing. All I could think was "Welcome to Paris."

     Yesterday I got to be on my own for the first time, and with the kids alone for the first time. When I was by my-self I decided to walk up to where my class will be, and then decided to continue on up the Arc de Triomphe, only I went the wrong direction. I walked the opposite way for about 20 minutes, then realized what I did then turned around to walk back. The other problem that I faced was when I was taking pictures of me at the Arc de Triomphe a lady came up and tried the whole "found (dropped) a gold ring, is it yours?" act. I didn't catch on to it at first (she was very good), but it was just her and she didn't ask me for money. Well, at first she didn't. After she walked away, I was going to walk back toward home when she decided to come up and ask for money. I gave her a 2 euro coin from my pocket and the ring back, then walked away from her. When I was coming out of a monoprix after getting a sandwitch for lunch, there was another lady there. She followed behind me for a little bit saying "Excuse me Madame!" After calling for me about 4 times the group of men in front of me turned around and gave her a dirty look and she ran off. Thank goodness.

When I First Met the Kids 

     Watching the kids today was different than any other group of kids that I have ever watched! They are sooo smart. A few times other ladies would ask me a question and the kids would answer for me in French explaining that I don't speak French (I could understand about that much). It was in those few hours being alone with them at the park that I wished I knew French better. I'm trying, and I ask questions when I don't understand something, but the kids are so smart. They NEVER need to ask their mom what I'm saying. They usually just ask me to explain the word or the action. They understand so fast! It might just be Aimée and Daniel because even their friend at the park asked them "Tu parlez anglais?" when they were speaking to me.

     Aimée was able to look at a Butterfly, tell me that she likes the color of it, come home look it up and show me what kind it was. I would say that's because she LOVES butterflies, but she hasn't mentioned them before or since the short conversation. The kids are so friendly. They are very happy to go out to the park and play with whoever is there and whatever they are doing. They have a very good memory, if tell them we will do something at a certain time they come up and remind me about it. I brought a book about Utah and the area that I live in. The kids where looking at it and able to ask very intelligent questions about the mountains and the people that live in Utah. I was quite amazed.

My Room

      That is a big difference that I see. The kids here are encouraged to get outside and explore. No matter how dirty they get, no matter what they are doing. If they are doing something that might not be the best idea, the parents don't tell them they need to stop. They let them figure out on their own why they shouldn't do something (like if someone falls because they were twisting on the slide funny, the parents don't run to them to make sure they are OK). And the kids don't cry just because, usually it comes with a reason. I hope I'm explaining this well enough. You don't see a lot of parents following their kids around telling them NO or STOP (and yes I know both of those words in French), they don't need to because the kids aren't bad.

Bathroom and Personal Entrance 

     I have gotten to see how they are able to keep the kids this way, because you would think that some would drop the ball a little. They drill routine into the kids at a young age. You go to school, then you can run and play after. You must do your homework, shower, eat dinner, then you can watch some T.V. If you play around or don't do what you are suppose to then you lose minutes off of your play time and TV time. They don't reward with food, they don't hit, spank, or yell (at least not very often). They walk to pick up their kids from school, and on the walk home they ask them ever little detail about what they did and learned. Aimée  is learning Chinese and Cecile had her teach her some different phrases on the walk. They ignore their kids when they are throwing tantrums and they walk away when the kids are not behaving. The kids know that in order to express what they are feeling they need to be calm and respectful. They don't acknowledge them when they are being bad, and praise them when they are being good.

My Apartment. The RER and Metro Station
are Across the Street

 
     I think it's great how much time they are able to spend together. I might be because Cecile isn't working right now, but there were still quite a bit of moms walking to pick up their kids from school. No one drives, everyone use's the public transportation. Even Alain was explaining to me that if he didn't have Saturday as a day off, he wouldn't be able to do very well the rest of the week. They are very good about accomplishing the goals that they set for the day, and when it comes to resting for the day, they really do rest. They don't have all of these "oh I will do it later" or "I don't have time to do this or that." They do so much and still find time to rest.
   
     Cecile's cooking is amazing. She has cooked fairly simple dishes, yet they are so good. We might be over thinking our dinners to much. Adding to much fluff and presentation. The food is simple, yet healthy and with variety. Her cooking looks and tastes really good! I really have no idea how I landed such a wonderful family. I am pushing myself so hard to become a different person for them so I can be great Au Pair for this family.

      Today I went to the Latter-Day Saint Church for the first time. I think that the Mormons in Utah are very spoiled. We have church buildings on ever corner, filled with books, music, comfy chairs, and its always filled with people. The ward building is very small. It is combined with the LDS Visitors Center of Paris, the Institute, and BYU study abroad program. It is three floors, but Sunday church is only on the first floor. The Sacrament room is about the size of a normal Primary room, and it's also the room where they have Sunday School and Relief Society. The whole meeting is in French, but they do have someone that translates it into English.

    To listen to the English you would either need to sit in another room where a video of the Chapel is showing with the English Audio, or wear headsets that have the English Audio. The meeting is translated by one of the members in the ward and sometimes it's hard to focus during the meeting. I try to listen in French to see what I can understand, but the translator is also sitting in the front speaking softly into the microphone. It can be very distracting. Other then the distraction from the translator, the new and very different church environment, and the different dress (the men mostly wear jeans, and a few women wore pants), it's still a great place to be. They are all very friendly and inviting.

This is the View from My Bedroom Window

     It was during Church that I met three other Au Pairs living in Paris. One from Idaho, one from Arizona, and one who is from the other side of Murray and knows one of best friends family. What a small world. The other girls live no too far from where I am living, and one girl lives two streets away. We were all very excited to meet girls our own age, with the same job, and doing the basically the same thing I am doing. We have decided to see where our open free time matches up and make Sunday after church our go to park and have a picnic day. How great is that! I'm so happy to find other girl who are doing the same thing I am doing there to live the same standards that have. It makes things so much easier.


Well for now that is all the stories I have about my new job as an Au Pair. I will be on here trying to write down as much as what I am doing as I can. :)