Imagine Me

What an eventful week! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (or holiday) and everyone got what they truly wanted, which is of course spending time with family and friends. My week started off with going to the clinic to figure out what was wrong with my x-ray. Well, three doctors ended up coming in and looking at it and none of them knew what was wrong. They put me on antibiotics and called another hospital so that I could get a scan and they could figure it out. When I told them I probably couldn’t pay for a 100 Euro scan, they ended up giving it to me free of charge. So now, on January 26th, I’m going to a random hospital in Paris to have that scan and figure out what is going on.

On Tuesday, Alice and I got to go to Madagascar 2. It was nice to just have to look after one kid and I think she really enjoyed it. And Wednesday was Christmas Eve! And Alice’s birthday too. I looked after the kids for five hours that morning and then I got to relax until the big Christmas dinner at the grandparents’ house. Before we left, Emmanuel started calling me urgently so I ran downstairs and he was like, “I want to give you a cooking lesson.” Basically his cooking lesson was showing me how to put alcohol in gravy and then lighting it on fire haha, it was really cool!! So, Christmas dinner is quite a bit different here than in Canada; I couldn’t help but notice. We started off with the entrée, which was foie gras (look it up on google, I dare you). I think it was more of the idea of what it was which made me want to cough it up and stop eating. Anyway, I got through it okay. Next was the second half of the entrée, which were oysters. That was interesting… And then was the main dish, which was pasta and some kind of animal. Emmanuel told me it was a bird with wings, so that really slimmed it down. It was really good though. Then was the cheese part of the meal, which was goat cheese. And then my favourite part of the meal: chocolate ice cream cake, yay! It was for Alice’s birthday. We started dinner at 8:30 and I left at 11:15 cause I hadn’t stayed up that late since before I got sick. So Christmas dinner for me was quite interesting and different, but I still liked seeing how the French did things. Right before we went to bed, the kids and I each put one of our shoes under the Christmas tree.

Christmas morning had started and finished within about five minutes, which is different compared to the three hours my family takes to open gifts. After the kids finished opening their presents, I had to look after them for the morning and then I got some free time in the afternoon, which I used to open up all my presents from home. Who knew opening a box of Wheat Thins could be so emotional? No but really, being here has made me appreciate everything so much more. You know, when I went to church last Sunday, the pastor said if you take away everything: the tree, the stockings, the feast, the presents, the Champs-Elysées, you’re left with the true meaning of Christmas. Even though I still had some of those things, I felt like Christmas this year was more meaningful because it made me appreciate what I have. The family left at around four in the afternoon to go to Emmanuel’s mom’s house so I spent the next hour or two watching my family open all of their gifts via Skype. Afterwards, Adriana came over and we made StoveTop Stuffing for supper (yay! That was the closest we could get to a “normal” Christmas dinner) and we watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It was nice to be able to spend Christmas with someone and not spend it alone. Afterwards, I got some phone calls, some Skype calls, and then I went to bed.

The next day, the family came home late that afternoon. Their friends didn’t end up coming with them because the grandma is sick so guess who gets to go to Disneyland Paris tomorrow since the tickets have already been bought! On Saturday morning, I looked after the kids and then I got the afternoon off so I went downtown, which takes anywhere from ten to twenty minutes, depending on my choice of music. Drumline has changed my ways of walking…not only do I HAVE to walk in time with the music but I have to walk with the left foot on one and three, and the right foot on two and four. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem normal. Anyway, I walked around the grounds of the Rambouillet castle and found out where the Canadian geese come during the winter ☺. Afterwards, I looked after the kids a bit more until supper.

Today, I woke up nice and early to go to Paris. I made my usual stop to Starbucks before going to church. After church, I met up with Adriana and we had lunch at the Moosehead. I had my first poutine since the last time I had one in Quebec. Afterwards, we went to an English bookstore, where I purchased the Nanny Diaries. Adriana went home, I mailed a few letters and then I went home as well. Tonight, I’m going to bed early because tomorrow is Disneyland Paris day! I hope everyone has a great week and New Year’s, and has fun making up their New Year’s resolution that they will only end up doing for the first two weeks of January. Love always!
Imagine Me – Kirk Franklin

Cool Yule

So I finally got out of my homesick and depressed stage halfway throughout this week, Thursday to be exact. Maybe cause it was my dad’s birthday (Happy Birthday Dad!) or maybe cause it was my one-third done point (100 days through, 200 to go). I took the DVD my mom left me and popped it into my laptop. Now this is a very special DVD although I’m pretty sure she left it as a joke, but I still appreciate the humour. Because I don’t have the Shaw channel here in France, as most of you are so lucky to have, I will not have the privilege of being able to watch the Shaw Holiday Fire Log. Lauren and I would always put it on and joke about the man who looked after the fire, “Oh, he’s on again! This time he’s wearing a different shirt though!” Heck, I even created the Facebook group “I’ve never watched a TV show better than the Shaw Holiday Fire Log!” which gained quite a bit of popularity during the past year. So my lovely mother decided to leave me the Holiday Fire DVD. Unfortunately, I think they’ve edited out the man so that it looks like it’s a perfect fire all the way through, although I haven’t exactly watched it all the way through – just listened to the music. It put me back into the Christmas mood though and I’ve really been looking forward to what France has in store for me within the next six and a half months.

My week was pretty normal. Wednesday, the kids were surprisingly better behaved than I think I’ve ever seen them for a long time. Lately they haven’t been listening at all, even to their parents so it was nice to have a day without fighting. On Friday, it was supposed to be my last day of school before the holidays but instead I had to make a trip to Paris so that I could have my medical exam in order to get my green card, yay! So all I had to do was everything they asked and then I’d get my green card, right? Wrong. No, I went there and waited for 25 minutes until they finally called me. Then there was the weight and height test, the eye test, and then the x-ray. After that, I had to wait for a long time to talk to a doctor. The doctor said there was a problem with my x-ray and she could tell that I had been coughing a lot lately. I told her that I was sick for the past two weeks and now, she wants me to see a pulmonary specialist just in case it’s something contagious, such as pneumonia. So, they told me all this stuff like chances are they might not be able to get me an appointment for another 8-10 weeks so in that case, I would have to renew my demande de carte de sejour in Versailles and go to the prefecture yet again. Luckily, they called me later that afternoon and told me that they got me an appointment in Paris on Monday afternoon, as in tomorrow. I guess I’ll finally be able to find out why I was feeling so absolutely horrible during those two weeks, if they can still tell what it was. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something like pneumonia cause I have honestly never felt that bad my entire life.

On Sunday, I got up nice and early to go to Paris. I stopped at Starbucks and enjoyed my usual chocolat viennois before going to church after missing it for the past two weeks. They had a nice Christmas performance, which was great to start off my day with. After church, I was just walking around, waiting to find a café and suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. I saw a small, bright sign with the word “Subway” written across it and I turned towards it without a second thought. It was nice to have Subway after more than 100 days without it but I’ve gotta say that the mustard pretty much ruined it for me. Even though I’ve gotten used to the mustard here, it doesn’t belong on a Subway sandwich, that’s for sure. After lunch, I went to the Galeries Lafayette to take a look at the inside of the store this time. The Christmas tree was absolutely amazing (and huge!). I then went to Montmartre (the most romantic part of Paris) and explored the streets, climbing the steep hills up to the Sacré Coeur. The view from it was so nice; I could see pretty much all of Paris. Not only that, but there were so many performers so I got to listen to Jingle Bells played on an accordion and many other Christmas carols played on a violin. I ended my night with a Nutella crêpe and went back home.

This week, the kids don’t have any school so it’ll be interesting to see if their attitudes will change or anything. I’m really looking forward to Christmas, even if I won’t be with any family or friends from home. But the Christmas spirit is really all I need and I have it, so there’s nothing to worry about. I hope everyone enjoys their holidays, wherever they’re spent, and just try to have the most fun possible. I’ll be thinking of each and every one of you. Merry Christmas! Love always xoxo
Cool Yule – Matt Dusk
**Also check out Carol of the Bells by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I love it!

Love and Memories

So this week was pretty much my worst week ever – health-wise… and possibly emotionally-wise as well. I really don’t have much to update on unless you want to hear in great detail about how sick I was. During the week, the kids and I were both sick. They didn’t go to school on Thursday and I think we all just felt absolutely horrible, although I’m pretty sure I had something different than them considering they had fevers. Nope, I didn’t get what they had until the weekend. Basically what I had was something that made me too weak to do anything. Going up the stairs felt like I had just run a marathon, I couldn’t stand up while even brushing my teeth, I’d wake up a million times throughout the night with pains going up and down throughout my body, Anne said I was dead which I’m sure it definitely looked like it. I still had to carry on throughout my week whether I liked it or not though so that’s exactly what I did, just with a lot of rest in between. Every time I wasn’t working, I was either sleeping or watching Full House – I’ve already watched the first 15 episodes of the first season.

On Friday, I had school and that afternoon at school, we made Macarons fourrés au chocolat for Christmas! They were really good and I got the recipe too so I will probably be making them for Christmas next year. That night, the kids (thank goodness) went to their grandparents for the night so I slept for 12 hours straight, woke up to get ready, got dressed, fell back asleep on my bed and Alice woke me up two hours later for lunch. That day was Alice’s birthday party. Let’s just say I never want to do that again unless I have at least a bit of energy. Ten kids running around screaming isn’t that much fun. That night was another early night for me and I slept for around 11 hours before making myself get up and leave the house. I went to Paris and it was my worst day in Paris ever haha. It was basically a “Let’s feel sorry for myself because I’m here all alone” kinda day. I just wanted to go back home and I didn’t want to be here anymore. Then again, I don’t think I was quite all there since I hadn’t been able to think straight all week. I started in Starbucks, where I stayed for at least an hour literally tearing up or crying every time a Christmas song came on (which was pretty much every other song, if not every song) and that Christmas thing continued throughout the entire day… it’s very hard to avoid Christmas songs in Paris. Then I went to a movie called Two Lovers, which I don’t recommend to anyone. It was just really, really bad. And then I realized it was midafternoon and I still hadn’t eaten all day, which as you all know with my history isn’t a good thing so even though I didn’t want to eat, I sat myself down and bought lunch before going to the post office and mailing the second-last of my letters and then going back home early.

And today, I woke up and I definitely feel alive? I still have the normal sick symptoms but at least I’m not a walking zombie anymore. I went to school and played piano for the morning and soon, I’ll be picking up the kids from school. I was nervous for next week cause the holidays start and the kids won’t be at school so I was scared that I would be with the kids a lot more. And that’s exactly the case, but not quite. Oh no, there’s more. I think it’ll be pretty much normal until Christmas, they leave ON Christmas for one night (StoveTop Stuffing, here I come) and then they come back the next day with their friends, who are staying for four days. Oh right, I forgot to mention that their friends have four kids. Now I know a lot of you loved the Sound of Music back when you were younger and wished you could live the lives of the von Trapp family but I think my mind will be changing quite soon. Let’s just hope it turns out alright.

I will definitely miss my Christmas with the family, especially last year’s Christmas. Us all squished together in the basement watching Disney movies on the big screen on Christmas Eve. Then the twenty of us all crowded around the guitar hero Christmas day, waiting for our own turn - and everyone leaving after Auntie Merla and Craig start Black Magic Woman for the seventh time, determined that THIS TIME, they’ll get it. And the food and the laughter and tears, and the family gift exchange with most people satisfied with their gifts but always one person with a fake smile on their face, holding their brand-new flashlight. But there’s one new addition to replace me this Christmas so that’ll make it very special for everyone. This week, the Fireside Singers have their big concert December 21st so I’m hoping many of you will get a chance to go watch. It’s a tradition for me but I’ll sadly be breaking it this year. Well, this is the last full week before Christmas and I hope everyone gets the last of their shopping done and doesn’t let the Christmas stress take over them. Cause remember, Christmas has one meaning and one meaning only which most people tend to forget, so take the time to remember and just be thankful. Happy holidays! Love always
Love and Memories – O.A.R. (Turn this one up loud ☺)

The Wanderer

And the first week of December has already been and gone! It’s going great here but I’ve never felt like I’ve NEEDED to do laundry as much as I have that feeling now. You know, I could do it but then I think logically, “When’s the next time a baby’s going to throw-up on my jeans or someone’s going to wipe his or her hand on my sweater at the dinner table?” and I convince myself that it doesn’t have to be done because there’s no point.

Tuesday, I cleaned the house and looked after the kids. It was also the last night I had with my mom since she was going to stay at a hotel for the following week. On Wednesday, I looked after the kids in the morning and we had lunch. At lunch, Anne asked me if I could make cookies with the kids and I said sure, thinking she meant another day. But then, she explained “Our neighbours are coming this afternoon so I wanted something ready.” An hour to make decorated sugar cookies? Yeah, I’ve done that before…alone! And making cookies with an 8-year-old and 12-year-old is VERY different than making them with a 4-year-old and 6-year-old. There’s a lot of crying involved, cookie dough ALL over the floor, flour covering my black sweater…I can easily say I never want to go through that experience again. I got everything done though and then my mom and I went shopping in Saint Quentin, where I got some new boots, yay! We had dinner at the Taj Mahal and then I went back home.

On Thursday, I looked after the kids as usual and then my mom and I went to the Langlets’ (the former family) for dinner. I think everyone was glad to meet each other and they even made my favourite meal. Friday, I went to school and as I was walking, I was thinking how weird it was that it gets sooo cold but you never see any ice. Not that I really miss the ice. I remember walking to school, hesitating with every step I took because I was scared that I would fall straight to the ground. And then I would finally get to school and some random person would come up to me and say, “Nice wipeout this morning.” Yeah, I think I like it better without the ice. I had lunch with my mom and we bought myself a jacket. That evening, the kids had a festival type thing at their school so Anne, Antoine, Alice, and I all went. It was absolute mayhem - I thought two kids running around everywhere was bad but this was about thirty. I then had to take the kids home while Anne stayed at the school to help out. Oh but wait, there was a Christmas tree that I had to carry home. And the Christmas trees here are like razor blades, I’m not even kidding. Good thing it was a small tree though. We got back and then I got to go out for supper with my mom. We ate at her hotel and the waiter was really nice, except for the way he tricked me into eating something that I wouldn’t normally eat. I was asking what something was and he went to the kitchen and came back, showing me these sausages so I was like, okay, that seems fine. I guess I kind of noticed something different about these sausages, maybe the texture or I don’t even know what. After I was finished, he asked if I knew what I just ate and then I was scared. He started to explain to me (while my mom had no idea what he was saying) that they took a pig, took out the intestines, cleaned them out, chopped them up, and cooked them. Well, that’s appetizing… it didn’t really bother me because I’ve probably eaten at least five new animals while being here; I really only found it quite humorous. But now, I’m not sure if I want to eat a lot of sausage in the near future.

On Saturday, we decorated the Christmas tree and then my mom and I went to Paris. I stupidly wore my new boots and by the time we got to the hotel, my feet were in absolute pain. My mom and I had supper at an Italian restaurant and luckily, my mom had brought her moccasins. So, while we went to the Arc de Triomphe and strolled down the Champs-Élysées, I can proudly say that I’m probably the only person who has worn moccasins. We went back to the hotel and the next day, we had brunch at the Moosehead again. Then we visited a lot of the Christmas markets, stopped at Starbucks, and walked around for a bit before going back home. Yesterday, I woke up really sick which is why I never got around to updating my blog. I went to school, played the piano for a while (my mom brought me a Christmas book ☺), and then I went to the Langlets’ to visit my mom. I was shivering the entire day and my whole body was in pain so I tried to go to bed early and get some rest. Today, I feel a bit better but hopefully I’ll get over it soon. Yesterday was also my three-month point so as of today, I’m in France without a Visa. My mom leaves tomorrow so it’ll be weird not having someone here again. I think it’ll take a week or so to get used to. I hope everyone has a great week! Love always

The Wanderer – Marc Broussard

Never Be Lonely

Yay for December! It’s impossible not to notice that Christmas is on its way, and I’m so happy for it! Even though I will most likely be spending Christmas (…illegally…ahem) in France, I mean, that’s just me living on the edge, isn’t it? I’m getting well-adjusted into this family’s routines and everything; it’s not too difficult. That is it’s not too difficult when the kids aren’t home ☺. But I’m surviving and I’m enjoying it.

Monday, I went to class and then on Tuesday, I went out for lunch with some of the au pairs because Helena was going back home the next day ☹. On Wednesday, my mom arrived in France although I just continued my day like any other day would be because she wasn’t coming to see me until Thursday. I was put in charge of putting Alice’s invitations together for her birthday party, and I’m also going to have to help plan what they’ll be doing. I’m so excited because I love planning things (as you all know)!

On Thursday, my mom came! It was nice to finally see someone after two and a half long months. She and I unpacked her suitcases (mmm Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Wheat Thins and Stovetop Stuffing) and caught up on what we missed. The next day, my mom went to school with me. While I was in school, she went to the mall and afterwards, we went out for lunch to the usual café (and I got her hooked on my favourite drink – chocolat viennois). My mom made me skip school for the afternoon (geez, what a bad influence…) and we went shopping for clothes. That night, I got the evening off since the kids went to their grandparents so my mom and I went out for dinner to an East-Indian Restaurant (Taj Mahal – so good!) and then we went to a movie called The Visitor, which was also really good.

On Saturday, I had to look after the kids in the morning and afternoon and then at 5:30, I was free for the rest of the weekend! My mom and I took a train to Paris and stopped at our hotel (called My Hotel in France – how original, eh?) and then we went out for dinner to a French restaurant called La Véraison. I had risotto for an entrée while my mom had full shrimp (by full, I mean heads included), and for the main dish, my mom had white fish while I had the best steak I’ve ever had in my life. And for dessert, crème brulée and a chocolate tart. Amazing, like I can’t even explain it. After dinner, I took my mom to the Opéra house and then we walked to the Galeries Lafayette because the lights there are absolutely incredible! It’s completely lit up and then there are window displays in every window; it’s so cool. But it was also really cold that night so we soon went back to the hotel.

Sunday morning, my mom and I woke up to go to church. After church, we took the metro to somewhere that I’ve been planning to go for a long, long time… ready for it? The Moosehead – a Canadian Bar and Grill. You have NO idea how excited I was to have scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, and hashbrowns after not having them for three months! And maybe that’s why it tasted so good, but I really think it was just a great restaurant. After feeling completely full, we walked to Paris’ island to look at the Marché aux Fleurs and then we went to the Notre-Dame, which had a huge Christmas tree in front of it. We also went inside and it was amazing to see how enormous it was. After going there, we walked to Starbucks to get Crème Brulée Lattes which were good, but didn’t beat the actual Crème Brulées the night before. THEN, we took the RER to the Eiffel Tower, yay! And we actually went up to the top. It was so cool! And it showed where each country was if you looked through a certain window so at one point, I WAS actually looking in your general direction. There’s a light show on the Eiffel Tower every hour on the hour so that was also really neat to see. After feeling super cold, we went back to Rambouillet to have a quick supper (paninis) and then we went to bed.

Today, I woke up after having the “I’ll be home for Christmas” song stuck in my head the entire night (maybe it’s a sign?). I had to get the kids ready for school and then my mom and I had to go to Versailles for my meeting with the Préfecture. I brought all of the paperwork that they asked for (and there is so much) and then once they saw that I had it all, we waited for about a half hour more until they gave me my “Récépissé de Demande de Carte de Séjour,” which is basically proof that I’m waiting for my Carte de Séjour (which is the green card for me to stay here). So, my three-month visa obviously finishes at my three-month point, which is exactly in a week. And I’m pretty positive I won’t be getting my Carte de Séjour anytime soon, meaning I will most likely be in France without a Visa or anything. Kind of sketchy, no? Anyway, my mom and I went to the Versailles Castle, which was closed, but we still got to look at the gardens. Man, how I would love to have that much land with my own personal canal and everything… We came back in the afternoon (waiting at Platform V and four-eighths – not quite platform 9 and three-quarters but close enough) and I looked after the kids for a while and now I’m here!

There are a few new things that have been added to my schedule. First off, looking after Elsa. I was never supposed to look after her, especially alone, but it’s become a new occasional thing, not that I mind just as long as she isn’t crying. Also, I’m a personal drawer for Alice. I accidentally left a drawing that I was doing when I was bored in the living room of Nala in the Lion King, Alice found it and now she definitely keeps me busy, asking me to draw others. Then there’s the laundry. I mean, I don’t usually do it but when Anne once asked me if I could fold the clothes because she was busy, I was glad to help out. Now, she wants me to always fold the clothes because, “You fold so much better than I do” so that’s something that’s been added to my agenda haha. Now, what’s in your schedule for this week? Since you all missed the Rhubarb Festival at the Marr residence, you can go December 5th for their Old Time Christmas, yay! And that’s all I’ve got, sorry. I hope you all enjoy your December as much as you possibly can because the Christmas season is the best part of the year and it shouldn’t be wasted. I miss you all so much!! Bizous!
Never Be Lonely – The Feeling

Crystal Ball

Well I hope everyone has had a wonderful week! We only have one more week left of November and it seems like it’s only just started. Everything has gone really well for me, moving in with the new family and such. In this town, it’s against the law for there to be any fast food restaurants, but they have a big sign showing where you can find the nearest McDonald’s for those people who can’t survive without it. I love the house here! It’s so much bigger than the last one I was at. So is my room! It’s the biggest room in the house and it’s probably close to three times bigger than my last room. They have a TV in my room (so I can improve my French), and I have wireless internet so now I can communicate easier. I love the decorating too. The grandparents live in the house behind us so if I ever need anything, they’re usually home. The kitchen is another thing I enjoy. They have a blender, they have a mixer, and they have icing sugar, so I’m thinking this will be a place where cookies can be made easily! I really do think it worked out for the best.

On Sunday, I went to Paris to go to church and then I went back to the house to play poker with the family and their neighbours. Afterwards, Catherine drove me to the new house and I got to meet the kids for the first time. Alice is five (turning six Christmas Eve) and she talks non-stop in rapid French; she has already chained herself to me. Antoine is four and he’s a lot quieter, and hardly speaks at all. When I first came, he refused to say hi or anything because apparently he doesn’t usually like people who come over. But within a day, I already won his admiration and the parents said he liked me, which is good..I passed the test! Or so I thought. He can love me right before he goes to bed but as soon as he wakes up or finishes school, I have to try to win him over all over again. The baby is now two and a half weeks old and she is still just as cute as when I first saw her. The parents are really great; they explain everything to me in French because they know that I want to improve my French so now I’ve gotten to the point where I’m usually thinking in two languages the entire day. And I don’t mean thinking in French just because I have to have a conversation; I mean when I’m just doing random things, I’ll catch myself thinking in French. Like the other day I was just playing a Sudoku game and I realized halfway through that I wasn’t even thinking in English. It’s so weird… The first night that I was there, the parents offered me wine and I said, “No, thanks,” “Oh, but you have to,” “Are you sure? It’s French wine!” “It’s a specialty!” And I still continued to refuse. But Emmanuel (the dad) said, “Oh, you’re just like our last au pair. At first, she wouldn’t have any wine at all and by the time she left, she was drinking a litre a day!” I guess you should all know just so you’re prepared. That night, I woke up at quarter to six by hearing a crying baby but it’s just something I’m going to have to get used to.

On Monday, I had class and afterwards, I spent two and half hours cleaning the house before picking up the kids from school and drawing pictures. On Tuesday, I got to feed Elsa; she is so adorable, I just wanted to keep holding her forever. I did laundry, changed the sheets on the beds and worked on my letter of motivation for living with the family (done in French and handwritten… I think I made up a few letters because my handwriting days finished the same time they started, in grade four, so I didn’t really remember some of the awkward letters). Wednesday was the longest day and probably will be the longest day every single week since the kids don’t have school. I played with Alice while Antoine and the mom were gone. So, I was making French fries (with an oil thing and everything) for lunch while entertaining Alice (aka playing Candyland), and looking after a crying baby all at the same time. Good thing I could multitask before coming here. I then fed Elsa, who threw up all over me but no biggie, and then I played with the kids after lunch and I literally had kids hanging off of me for half of the afternoon. By five, I was completely worn out and ready to go to bed. The kids are really trying to test their limits with me right now to see how far they can go and so far, I haven’t broke but I’ve been close. Hopefully it won’t happen for long. Anne (the mom) said she’s never seen Alice so excited before, so maybe it’ll wear-off soon.

On Thursday, it was a lot easier to get the kids up and ready for school. The best way to make a kid do something is to trick them into doing it so that’s exactly what I did… and we were ready for school with 20 minutes to spare! I was quite proud. That night, I had my first glass of wine… grossest thing I’ve ever had in my life. They insisted cause apparently it’s a holiday known around the world on the third Thursday of every November or something? Beaujolais Nouveau? But the type of wine is really disgusting so maybe that’s why I didn’t like it. On Friday, I started looking for the best Christmas songs to start listening to before going to school. We didn’t go to workshops cause it was grammar and instead, we went to the mall. I stocked up on my favourite Lindt chocolate balls (they didn’t have the dark ones!!! I had to settle with milk chocolate..). When I picked up the kids from school, Alice and I had to wrap a present for her friends’ birthday that was the next day and she sort of left me while we were doing it. So I ended up wrapping a present all by myself (I know you’re all surprised because I’ve pretty much never wrapped a present in my life since my idea of wrapping a present is putting it in a plastic bag from a random store and giving it to the recipient). While I was doing that, I looked behind me and the kids were looking through my purse that I left (closed) by the stairs to take up later. They found the chocolate and I was just freaking out but luckily, they found the gum too and they settled for the gum. So while I was hiding my purse, I come back and Antoine had started to open my wrapped presents! Oh my goodness, I am definitely not used to looking after younger children. I asked him to help me rewrap them and it turned out well. On Saturday, I looked after the kids in the morning and then we went to the market before lunch. I played with the kids until they went to a birthday party and then picked them up and played with them some more. I showed them how to cut up paper to make snowflakes and how to make one of those fortuneteller things that everyone has made in elementary school. That night, I had sardines for the first time and they weren’t even that bad. It’s crazy how many new animals I’ve tried in the past two months!

Sunday was my free day, yay! I took the fast train to Paris so I had quite a bit of time to spare. I stopped somewhere that ended up being closed but I’ll definitely be going next weekend so I won’t talk about it just yet. I ended up settling on Starbucks (for the first time in Paris). Now here, the prices at Starbucks are the same, if not cheaper, than every other café in Paris so for once, I didn’t have to feel guilty buying a drink there. Plus, all the Christmas music that was playing there made everything seem a lot more jolly. I then went to church and afterwards, it was snowing! Just for about ten minutes though.. I met two girls after church (one from the US and one from Australia) so we went out for lunch to a place called L’As du Falafel, which was on my “Go here!” list so it turned out well. Unfortunately, it was raining and the restaurant was just an outdoor stand so it was quite cold eating outside. We then went to an outdoor market while it was STILL raining, and by the end of it, I couldn’t feel my feet anymore. Never ever ever wear Converse sneakers on a rainy day, especially a cold rainy day. They get soaked and then freeze your feet. At midafternoon, I took a train back to Le Perray to visit the former family because this week, I received two emails from the kids asking me to come visit. I stayed for about an hour and then I went back to the house to have supper. Today, I had workshop at school and then I'll have to pick up the kids for lunch. After lunch, I think I'll go buy some food for the food hamper at church.

It’s crazy to think that yesterday, it was two and a half months since I left. Two and a half months without seeing anyone in person from back at home. It just seems so weird; most of the other au pairs have seen their parents or friends but me, nada. Well at least in two days, my mom will be here for the next two weeks. Yesterday was also my 1/4 done point, meaning I only have three more of this amount of time. This week, the play at the Barn Playhouse starts, which reminds me of when my family and I used to go when I was little. We’d have a buffet dinner first and then watch the Christmas play, and sometimes we would even get a ride on a horse-drawn carriage back to the parking lot. Not only that but this week, the Christmas exhibits at the WDM start as well! All my Christmas memories are helping me stay in the Christmas spirit, even though it’ll be a lot more different here. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of November! Love always

Crystal Ball - Keane

Hope

For those of you who find it fun to sneak into my bedroom and take pictures with my things, maybe try to do it more discreetly ☺ As weird as I find it having people in my room while I’m not there, I still find the pictures quite entertaining. I’m writing today instead of tomorrow because I’m not exactly sure when I’ll get internet hooked up so I thought it would be the best to do it now.

Monday after class, I walked to the house where my interview was. Both of the parents were there, as well as the 4-day-old baby (which is absolutely adorable!). We just talked about what I would have to do and they seemed like a really great family (6-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy; I still haven’t met the kids though). When I told them that music was a huge part of my life, the dad said, “Oh well in that case, we’ll probably buy a piano as long as you teach the kids.” Oh my goodness, I was so excited! Later that night when they phoned, I told them that I would like to be their au pair. With all the contracts and everything, it makes it a bit more difficult but it’s going to work out so that I move in later this evening (how fast everything is happening, hey?). I really, really hope that everything turns out well and that I get along with everyone. Now that I have my little “Hillsong family,” I feel a lot more confident and I know that if something goes wrong, they’ll be willing to help me out. I played Monopoly that night (I also really hope the new family doesn’t even KNOW what Monopoly is) and then we had supper. Tuesday was a holiday so I played football (aka soccer) with Julien (and no, this was not PlayStation football, it was actual football haha) and afterwards Julien, Alexia and I melted chocolate and put them into moulds.

On Wednesday, Julien and I made our own city using pretty much everything possible: building blocks, cards, dominoes, etc which was a lot of fun. We then had lunch (it was bunny day again.. oh and did I forget to mention I had veal for the first time last week?), and then I got to spend some time with Alexia. We played a board game as well as cards. On Thursday, Julien and I attempted to make a card castle a numerous amount of times until supper. After supper, I talked with Alexia for an hour and a half and for the first time ever, Julien came in (when he was supposed to be sleeping) but we all had a silent agreement that he could stay for awhile. The kids came into my room before and gave me a Christmas bag of chocolates and candies, yay! The whole day, I couldn’t stop thinking that I’d be gone three days later, which was so hard because this has been my home for the past two months and now I not only have to go through my homesickness from Canada but possibly even homesickness from here. Then I started to think of all the things I was missing in Canada already (yes, mostly food): Coffee Crisps, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Icy Squares, ice caps, banana slurpees, Dairy Queen onion rings, sundaes, peanut buster parfaits, licorice milkshakes, Stove-Top Stuffing, Ukrainian Food, the stresses of high school that now seem so foolish, listening to an English radio station, watching English television (although I’ve definitely improved at La Roue de la Fortune), my piano, seeing the first blanket of snow on the ground, Christmas carols, and then my thoughts slowly wandered. I thought about how on Christmas day, I always take the time to think of the people who have to spend Christmas alone or without all the things we take for granted: a tree, stockings, presents, snow, carols, family, a feast… and every time, I would never have thought that I would become one of those people. But here I am, on my 19th Christmas, spending it without presents, snow, carols, family, and possibly without a tree, stockings, or a feast. Who knows, maybe the new family will have something huge in store, but even so, I think Christmas in Paris will be unforgettable, even without everything that I’m used to because I’ll still have my Christmas spirit, which is the most important part.

On Friday, I went to school and there were two new additions to our class: one girl from (I believe) Moldova and another from Canada. I didn’t even get a chance to talk to either of them though so next week, I’ll have to find out where the Canadian is from. I picked up Julien from school and he asked if I wanted to make another card castle. So we tried making one again (or I tried while he jumped around excitedly every time I finished a new layer). This one was a lot better than the one on Thursday though; we got pretty far. Yesterday morning, I went to the store with Catherine and Alexia to buy (yet again) more Christmas presents. Afterwards, we went back home and played cards. It was crazy to think yesterday was my last full day here! Today, I’m planning to go to Paris to go to church and then come back and spend time with the family before I move in with my new family. I really hope everything works out!! And lucky for you guys, the Enchanted Forest and the Festival of Trees start this week!! How exciting with all of the Christmas spirit spreading throughout the world, I love it! I hope everyone is having a great weekend and I’ll try to get internet hooked up as soon as I can. Hugs and kisses!
Hope – Twista feat. Faith Evans

Maestro

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I’m sure most of you are wondering what’s going on because you’ve heard a little bit about it, and I bet a lot of you don’t even know it’s happened. Well, you’ll definitely find out by the end of this post. The kids still had school off on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so during that time, I was either reading or spending time with them. I finished the last Harry Potter book, which I’ve never read before. Luckily in these libraries, the English books seem to be forgotten, although there’s quite a small selection. I read another book the day after which was alright but kind of weird. On Tuesday, Julien taught me how to juggle using a baton while holding two sticks; I dunno what it’s called in English.. It was so hard though! When he does it, it looks so easy but when I tried, it was way too difficult. And just having those two sticks in my hands just made me want to play a drum; I had forgotten how much I’ve missed it! Alexia and I made a candle on Wednesday as well as some other Christmas presents. It turned out nice and pink, and we’ll probably be making more next week.

On Thursday, I went to Saint Quentin to do some more shopping for Christmas presents and then I came back home to do homework before the kids came back from school. I watched and helped Alexia practice guitar, which was fun cause I got to learn a little bit, and then we had supper. After supper, Alexia had her guitar lesson and then I talked with her for an hour before she went to bed. Friday was school again, which was nice because we hadn’t had class for two weeks. After school, I went back home and just watched TV with the kids before supper.

And Saturday was the day when everything changed. Saturday was supposed to be the day I was officially 20% done this chapter, probably the longest chapter in my book of life. I thought four more of this amount of time would be so incredibly long. But in a matter of seconds, I had already reached the 100% finished point. I thought something was up when I was eating breakfast with Alexia and she wasn’t talking; she was only saying one-worded answers to everything I asked. After breakfast, Catherine asked to speak to me so I sat down with her and Laurent. And that’s when they told me that they decided they were going to stop the contract. The feeling that washed over me wasn’t sadness, wasn’t disappointment, wasn’t anger, but was relief. I knew that with their expectations being so incredibly high, I couldn’t cope with staying here for another eight months. They basically said that they appreciated me and I was a great au pair but they’re looking for something more than that and obviously, I couldn’t reach their standards. I’m not a perfect person and I can deal with that but I’m not going to change who I am in order to fit in with the “perfect family” (or so they think). The first thing that came to my mind was “Everything happens for a reason” and I knew that I could deal with it. And no, this does not mean I am coming back home. I have three short weeks to find another family and if I don’t, then I have no choice but to come back. But I feel that I am not quite done and that I still have a part to play here, in France. After my talk with Catherine and Laurent, I went straight to Alexia’s room and as soon as she saw me, she burst into tears, gave me a huge hug, and cried in my arms for at least ten minutes. I felt so bad that there was nothing I could do and I think she felt the exact same. The relationships that I’ve built with these kids are so incredibly strong and you’d think that would be enough of an importance to a parent, but they’re still looking for more. If they ever find it, I don’t know but it will definitely be difficult.

Sunday was the highlight of my week. I woke up early to go to church and I met quite a few people there. After church, we all went to the café next door, which we filled up with about twenty people. I was so surprised looking at the menu because it was the cheapest restaurant I’ve ever been to in Paris. I was sitting there thinking, “This doesn’t seem normal… should I just buy two things in order to pay the same amount of money as usual?” But I decided one sandwich would be good enough. I remember in Trois-Rivières, I found it so amazing how there were so many people from across Canada who decided that one location. They could have chosen anywhere else in Canada but for some reason, we were all brought to that one place. But here, it was so much bigger than that! There were so many people from around the world and so many times, the same thought went through my head, “All of these people somehow ended up here with me.” For a reason too, I don’t know what reason yet. I don’t know why I met the two girls from Kenya, the girl from Germany, the one from the US, the one from Sweden, the guy from Ethiopia, the guy from Australia (who happened to just be visiting Paris for three weeks and was leaving the next day), and all the other people as well. But I DO know that they were brought into my life for a reason and it just seems so magical: how we all ended up in the same café after church in Paris from every part of the world imaginable. It’s great how He works, isn’t it? Anyway, I got to talk to a bunch of them about my situation and there were so many of them willing to help, only after knowing me for a couple hours. They reassured me that I would find a family within the next three weeks, even if it’s the last day possible. And for the first time since I’ve come to France, I felt accepted, I felt appreciated, and I felt like someone really cared about me. One woman came to talk to me and she said something that has replayed over and over in my head and will probably stay with me forever. And this is what she said, “You are not going through this alone; you have a family here, okay?” At that moment, I almost burst into tears and I don’t think she realized how much that meant to me. We were there for three hours and so many people gave me their contact numbers before leaving, asking me to write them the next day and tell them how everything’s going. Lots of them are even trying to help me out: getting me contacted with agencies, asking their schools if there’s anyone looking for an au pair.. I was shocked because I’m not used to being faced with so many nice people willing to do something for someone they just met. After lunch, I walked around with four of the people I had just met and we toured around Paris for a couple hours before I had to go back home. I’m so glad I met each and every person that I talked to today and they have definitely all made an impact in my life in one way or another. Sunday night, Julien and Alexia knocked on my door to say goodnight to me – something that has never happened before. I don’t know why, maybe they’re hoping that they can change things, but I know that they still care and that meant a lot.

Today, I have class and then afterwards, I have an interview with another family. I'm really hoping I'll be able to find the family I'm looking for. I hope everyone has a great week! I miss everyone so much! Love always

Maestro – Hans Zimmer **If I had to choose one song as the soundtrack of my life, this would be it

Morning Train/Night Train(s)

For those of you who missed it, there was another post on Friday so make sure you check it out! I hope everyone had a great Halloween and had lots of fun. This weekend was pretty much the best weekend so far, minus some small mishaps. On Friday, I helped Julien with homework and then we watched a movie. After lunch, Alexia, Julien and I made sugar cookies and decorated them into pumpkins. They turned out amazingly well and it was fun being able to make them with the kids. At three, Baptiste’s mom came and picked us up so we went to their house where the kids dressed up and then we played Monopoly. After Monopoly, Celine (the mom) had crêpes made for us so we got to eat those, as well as the cookies we made. We quickly went home to get ready for trick or treating and then the kids went trick or treating for about 45 minutes. Halloween is a sad, sad thing in France. We only saw three other kids and out of the first ten houses we went to, I think only four had candy. At the end, the candy was shared so I got all the leftover candy that couldn’t be distributed equally. And they got one chocolate bar each; that was it for chocolate. I actually felt sorry for them, but they were still happy.

On Saturday, I spent some time with Julien until lunch. After lunch, the family and I went to the Salon du Chocolat! It took forever to find a parking spot, and then the line-up was huge so we had to wait for a while. But once we got in there, it was chocolate wonderland! There were stands with every well-known chocolate imaginable. I first saw M&M’s, and then Lindt (my second favourite!), so I knew it would be good. There were some people carving chocolate so they’d give out the shavings and then there was a sample on almost every table. I kept eating the chocolate until I felt sick. And you know that feeling where you put something in your mouth thinking it won’t be that great but once you put it in your mouth, it gives you a sensational melting feeling? That’s what happened every time I tried a chocolate. It was the best of the best. There was even a stand for my favourite Palmer’s cocoa butter; I was so surprised! There were so many people though so it was hard to get anywhere and we went home pretty soon after coming (sadly for me; I would have stayed forever).

On Sunday, I left the house really early (7:20) to catch the train to go to the Musée D’Orsay. I thought it was supposed to open at 9 because that’s what it said on the internet but it didn’t end up opening until 9:30. Luckily I did come early though because by 9:30, there was a huge lineup. When I finally got in, I spent the next 45 minutes looking at all the paintings and I loved it! The Louvre was boring compared to this. Every time I walked into a different room, at least one thing caught my eye whereas in the Louvre, it seemed like everything I looked at was exactly the same. All of the things that I looked at were Impressionism paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc. so there was a wide variety of stuff. Unfortunately after 45 minutes, I had to leave so I could go to church but I definitely want to go back again. I went to Hillsong yet again which was fun and then Helena called me to meet up. We met at the Catacombes but the lineup was way too long so we just went to the Jardin du Luxembourg instead, which was gorgeous; much better than the Jardin des Tuileries. Helena and I started to get hungry so we found a little restaurant called Crêpes à Gogo. We thought it would be suiting to have a crêpe for the main course and a crêpe for the dessert cause you can’t go to Crêpes à Gogo and not take advantage of all the crêpes they offer. It was really delicious and worth all the money that we spent. After we were finished eating, we took the train back home. The train that we were on went directly to Rambouillet so I got off in Versailles and while I was waiting for the next train, I didn’t feel too well. Let’s just say I got sick twice on the way home and it was the worst feeling ever. Once I got back home, I went straight to bed and fell asleep at nine, only to wake up again at seven for school.

I feel fine today; I’m thinking it might have been the Crêpes à Gogo, unfortunately. People were surprised when all I was wearing was a T-shirt but all I had to say was “Oh, I’m from Canada” (in French, of course), and they understood. And today, they were decorating the streets for Christmas in Rambouillet, so I’m getting really excited! The kids still have school off until Friday this week so I’m not exactly sure what I’ll be doing but hopefully it’ll be as good as last week. Three more days until it’s been 2 months that I’ve been here (meaning 8 months left!). I hope everyone has a great week! Love always

Morning Train – Sheena Easton Night Train – Oscar Peterson

All That Matters

Firstly, for those of you who have STILL not become dedicated readers of my blog, do so now! Just click the “follow this blog” button on the left side of my blog. I think that because this is such an eventful week, I’m going to have to do two posts for this week. I’m just going to completely skip over Monday because it’s a day that I would rather not remember but I can sum it up as my worst day here. On Tuesday morning, I took the train to Paris and decided I would spend most of the day outside. I stopped at the Louvre, this time actually going into the grounds. Then I walked through the Jardin des Tuileries, which is a statue garden about the size of two football fields. I’ve read my tourist books almost from cover to cover so therefore, I literally know all the pick pocketing tricks and scams in the book. I was actually kind of excited when one person tried one on me because I remembered Rick Steves’ advice about the “lost ring” scam. A lady came up to me asking if I dropped a ring and I said no, but then she stated, “But it’s made of pure gold!” just as the book said she would. So I just walked away and continued on my walk while she kept yelling, “Wait, wait!” At the end of the garden, there was the Luxor Obelisk, which was a gift from Egypt. I then walked down the Seine (a very long walk) until I came to the Flame of Liberty, the memorial site for Princess Diana. After that I walked to the Passy Cemetery, which not only seemed like hours from the Louvre but WAS hours from the Louvre. It could be because the street sign pointed me in the wrong direction and I ended up walking all the way around the cemetery plus more. With very sore feet and my temper slowly getting shorter, I finally ended up finding the entry to the cemetery (this cemetery being A LOT smaller than the other ones I’ve been in) and I visited Debussy’s grave. I thought I should because if it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have performed at variety night. After that, I was literally hardly able to walk so I took the metro to St. Michel, walked a tiny bit more, and found what I’ve been waiting for: The Great Canadian Pub. It was cute, with maple leaves and jerseys and such and I FINALLY got to have a much-needed Tim Horton’s coffee. Oh but wait…I’m in Paris, remember? So MY Tim Horton’s coffee cost me 4 Euro (aka 6 dollars). It was still worth it even if I don’t like coffee, but that’s the closest to Tim Horton’s I could get. I loved the music they played too: a lot of really old songs as well as lots of Barenaked Ladies. The bartender seemed to be from England or something, as she didn’t have a Canadian accent. After my rest, I took the metro to a shop called Chercheminippes – one of the many Value Village-like stores of Paris. However, it’s Paris so the chance that you’d find something here for 2 bucks is very unlikely; I think the cheapest thing I saw was between 30 and 45 Euro. After deciding that I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on second-hand clothing, I took the metro to a shop called Ken Claude, which is closer to resembling Value Village. The prices are more reasonable so I made sure I bought something I normally wouldn’t buy. I then went home and relaxed my feet and legs before having supper with the family.

Wednesday, I had to go shoe shopping and as most of you know, shoe shopping is one thing I can easily live without. It’s probably also kind of obvious with my three-year-old Vans but I needed a change because those Vans were actually carving a hole into my foot. I decided my best bet would be the Galeries Lafayette, a huge department store. And when I say huge, I mean seven levels (and that’s not counting level 0 and level -1). When I got there, I was so overwhelmed because each level was really big and I had no idea where anything was. Once I figured out the shoes were on the first level, I made my way to the 3100 m2 shoe department. I tried spending the smallest amount of time possible there and I got a pair of Converse sneakers since that’s all that everyone else seems to have (they’re CHOCOLATE coloured ☺). I then went to the Islands of Paris and got a large majority of my Christmas shopping finished. I know it’s the end of October but shops aren’t usually open on my day off so I thought I should just get most of it over with now. On my way home, I had my eyes closed while listening to August Rush and as it came to the climax of the song, I opened my eyes and it was white everywhere! It had snowed just in the one town we were passing through and I loved seeing it; it was really quite magical. When I got back to the house, I found out that I got a big package in the mail! The rest of the night I relaxed since I’d be working for the next two days.

Yesterday morning, Alexia and I dropped Julien off at a friend’s house and then we walked to the train station to go to Saint Quentin. Once we got there, we got tickets for the movie that we were going to and then we went to McDonald’s. With this being the second time that I’ve been to McDonald’s in the past seven years (the only other time being a week before I left), I was kind of scared what the outcome would be since last time, more of my food ended up in the toilet before even seeing my stomach. However, we stood in line for over a half hour to get our food and once we finally got it, I sucked it up and just ate it. It wasn’t that bad, and it definitely wasn’t as greasy as Canadian McDonald’s is. We had to eat in a hurry so that we could make it to the movie in time but because they show a half hour of previews when the movie’s supposed to start, we had plenty of time left. I got to spend the next hour and a half watching the French version of Highschool Musical 3, yay! It wasn’t even that bad, maybe cause it was in French so it didn’t seem as corny to me as the other two did. Afterwards, we went to the Carrefour to buy some food and then we went back to the house. Julien and I played PlayStation and I got pwned real bad. After, I taught him English while he taught me French until Catherine came home from work.

Today whether you are trick-or-treating, dressing up and partying, celebrating a birthday, or doing nothing, I hope you all have a fun Halloween that will start off a good weekend. There will still be another post on Monday, as usual. And one more thing: Happy Birthday, Mom! xoxo
All That Matters – Addison Road