Things are finally looking up

Omigosh I have ome good news. After following a complaint I gave to the IND(Immigration in Holland) about paying my last host family back, I no longer have to du it anymore. And so now I've been getting my last 4 months planned out.

This month, I'm going with two friends to Octoberfest, and I'm excited to finally go to Germany for that. And a week before we do that, I'm going to Paris for a weekend to see the Eiffel tower and whatever else it has to offer. Found a bus that will do it, for only 68 euros round trip, how cool is that. And FREE WIFI the whole way. Though I'll probabaly be sleeping as the ride is from 11:00pm-5:45am, but then again, maybe not. Still not sure. In October, I'm finally going to London, I've been booking some things, and I'm going there and doing the Harry Potter Studio tour, seeing Big Ben, and the Eye, and Buckingham Palace. That's going to be great. Someone is eating something in the library, that reminds me of mexcian food.4 more months until my return and I'm going straight to get a spicy burrito..yum!

Let's see, at the moment, I got a moment of reprieve. The kids are visiting the granparents and the parents are in England for a wedding. Yeah, freedom until Wednesday. But on a brighter note, they go back to school on monday. I'm like cheering so loudly at that, or I would be if I wasn't currently in the library.

Let's see November, I'm thinking Rome, and doing a Segway tour, to see the sites, of course the coliseum, And I haven't truly thought about anything past it. There was a a big earthquake back home, a 6.0, but where we live everyone was okay, but Napa, and Sac, not to good up there. Man, the the big one is coming, it's just a matter of when I suppose. That's all for no,I'll update again, when I actually finally get to do it. 2 weeks here I come!

Vacation over, and it starts work again...*sigh*

This last week, my vacation was over and I spent it with the gurls. I'm exhausted by the way, but they enjoyed themselves. On Monday we went to the beach, it was an ugly wet day, and e did this glow in the dark Mini Golf thing, that was fun. They had pizza and ent to an arcade for the first time(No words for that) and then they got ice cream. Tuesday was low key, one of my host kids apparently has a mild allergy to tomato paste??? Why wasn't I told this before? I cook dinner 3 times a week as well...apparently according to the mom, the tomato paste she can't have is only foundin pizza that's not made at the AH or home. Basically she told me(the host mom) that the girl is allergic to all non-healthy things,,how in the hell doe that work? lol...Right...Let us not tell her of things I've been feeding them for the past 5 months then. I think she just doesnt want her eating it. Alright.

Tuesday was low key, aka stay at home because the middle child claimed sick when her mom came home the previous.  then realizes oh, I can't do anything fun today...can I retract it? No the damage is done, but anyway I built forts for them out of chairs, and they had a ball.

Wednesday, We went to a bunch of parks, my youngest one(4) ran away from us, and freaked I and the 9 year old out. 4 Year old don’t understand, that particular worry,, but we do and it sucks.

Thursday, we went to the museum, took a moment to get there as all the directions were driving and not biking but we got there.

Friday, we went back to the museum twice as my 7 year old tries to be an grown up and left the discount book  we needed for the museum at home atfer pitching a fit when I put it in my backpack..after that bit,,,I was too through. And then my week was over, well kinda. I went to my swimming class, and I made progress! I can now open my eyes under the water, and yes it is a big deal lol. My goggles broke and my substitute swim teacher said good I didn't need them anyway, lol...its a hindrance yeah but I'm so glad she pushed me!!!

Saturday, today really, I wanted to go to the Anne Frank Museum. But I'm gonna end up going alone and being happy about it. I have a few problems I've been dealing with and I'm about ready to go the hell home. I'm at the library, I don't get wifi in my room anymore, my host family did something to it, and won't fix it no matter how many times I ask . My bed, is an old like fold up wire bed, and my back is killing me, but I'm dealing with it.  And the important bit, my first family threatened to sue me if I didn't pay back the ticket lol, they bought for me to get here. Apparently, according to the Dutch IND I'm not allowed to pay back which I have been because I didn't know that rule...they're taking 100 euros out of 300 euros...a MONTH! Yeah, so my 4 months left, I'm ignoring them and enjoying my last few months. Why didn't I know this before..been paying...and been broke since April..

Wow...at the moment, there is a crying kid in the library....wont they comfort they're kid already? Okay, not much going on I know, but I have 1 and a half weeks of this left. For like 3 days my host parents are going to London, and my host kids are going to their Grandparents...I can't bloody wait! I'm tired...so effin tired.

Vacation is nearly over, Hi Amsterdam

So yeah my vacation is this final week and I find myself ready for it to end and just get back to working. That seems to make everything go by faster for me. I've mellowed out since coming here, and I find that I really am over the whole Au Pair thing. I'm not going to end it, as I'm 6 months in and that would be stupid, but I just think I'm done ya know. I come to the realization that though I love kids, this might not have been the best job for me.

Au Pairs have nothing when they leave their whole world to become an Au Pair. I lost a good friend of mine this past week, I just spent the week with her and then out of the blue I get a text from her saying the next day after I left mind you that she was going home the next day because her Host Mother decided she didnt want an Au Pair anymore.

I think I'm over the whole Au Pair thing as well, I can honestly say that as much as I love kids I never want to do this again. When I go abroad again, it will never be in Holland and never as an Au Pair.

This past week, I saw a movie every night lol, thank goodness for my movie card, I am going to miss that when I go back home.. And ontop of that on Wednesday I went back to Amsterdam and went on a tour that was free to Au Pairs. I'm all up for extra knowledge so it was fun, and I made a new friend in the process. We were going to visit the Anne Frank Museum,but good grief that line was atrocious, it was so massive.

 We did go to the Cheese musuem, and I tasted a ton of types of cheese, which was oddly fun. We tasted a cheese that tasted like Lavender soap, no joke. It was blue, and just gross. That cheese block to the right of the page is fake, however they do have cheese that big and more. If I ever get up the nerve to go into the neighborhood cheese shop and take a picture of some of them you'll see.

This next picture has a great story behind it, apparently there is a bridge in Paris that is filled with padlocks of all kinds. Look to the left there this was on a small brige in Amsterdam. The locks have names on them, and people...well couples write their name on them and they lock it to signal their love never ending. The bridge in Paris that covered in this, I want to see, however I was told that one section of it, collapsed because the locks(which I felt here) were really heavy. It was just an amazing thing to see.

 This piece of chocolate here, is so rich and yummy, reminds me thats yes we are close to Switzerland and yes I need to visit there before I go. I mustn't forget. My host family went to Switzerland for 2 weeks, and brought this back for me. It's huge, and so good.  It's like toffee nougat, swiss milk chocolate and honey I thnk. It's really good, never had this bit before. We do have those in the states, but this was just slightly different i think.

This bit to the right was a little walk through musuem we went through. The floor was covered in over the 100 or so different nationalities that currently reside in the Netherlands. America was there but our representation looks a bit like the UK flag lol. Anyone ever wonder why most of the countries have flags that have at least Red, Blue or white. Not all but alot have blue in them..wierd lol.

Now this last bit here was a disappointed. Starbucks will forever be overrated. This to the left is called a Vanilla cream, a Vanilla bean Frap at home. However the carmel as you can see on just the top was 50 cents extra, and I was disappointed and irritated that I paid that much and they only put it on the top. I anted the carmel in the cup like home. Sigh ..I won't really be back but I was peeved.

That's its I suppose, well there is more but I dont want to drama down my blog and turn this into a rant or something. i find myself wishing that my 5 months would just hurry up and go by already, it's beginning way to much. I'm not home sick as in I'm dying to see my family, but I do miss the simplicity of things. And on that note, I'm bucking up for 3 straight weeks of just me and the girls. #Icantwaitforschooltostart  

Vacation time, hurry up and come August 1!!!

Hey, it's been a while and I know but I truly didn’t feel like wrting. My Laptop has been acting up for about a month and a half now, and as of last week I have no backspace button and it's very frustrating to type with. .I rather eish a key I don’t use decided to not work as I am about ready to throw my keyboard and computer, bascially the whole laptop into the nearest wall, but I know that would create more problems. Lets see, my vacation started on Friday the 18 of July, and I had planned on going to London for 3 days but due to lack of funds that didn’t happen. I still have 2 weeks of holiday left so I'm hoping to at least go somewhere during this time. When August 1 is here, more money, yessss!!!

I'm going to Assen on Sunday though, a friend of mine came to visit me for a week in the Hague and I'm going to return the favor by going there with her.

So far since my last update I haven't really done anything notable at least not anything worth writing about. Oh wait, I supposed this is one thing. I got my Dress for OctoberFest, and I'll show you a picture of it below, it's so bloody uncomfortable and it;s called a dirndl. And it's blue. Sorry about the state of my closet lol.

Lets see, the weather here has been almost like home, it's been in the 90's this past week, and it's been so humid it was almost unbearable, I love it. People are sweating profusely but I'm like, it reminds me of home. It's so nice.

6 months mark!

So I don’t have anything to write about I don’t think. Well not yet anyway. In a few weeks I'll have vacation and I'm supposed to be going to London, but due to insufficient funds I'll probably go somewhere else for the moment. Just until I get more money. No biggie. I'm 6 months in, and I'm so ready for my 6 months to be over. It's not even homesickness that is causing it. Its that my host mom is slightly insane and no I'm not joking. She constantly starts things and she opens my mail...yeah I know Illegal, I'll be talking about that with her today or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow as I'm still very much so irritated at the moment.

So we all know that the July 4^th was Independence Day, but over here it's not really celebrated obviously. So I didn't do much for it. Yesterday I got together with some friends and we went to the beach, it was SOOO windy, it was ridiculous. I hate the sand so much, and when the wind is intense the sand hurts!!! But I digress, we stayed there for hours, and then later at around 9ish, we headed to a beach bar and theyre they watched a soccer game, Holland VS. Costa Rica. They tied 0-0 for the game but then Holland won in the shootout part, it was crazy. I don't like soccer so it didn’t interest me. America lost last week, Wednesday to Belgium. That's as far as my support goes. I don’t like it, but I supported my country, when they lost I have no reason to watch it. I don’t enjoy it, its very tiresome to me. But everyone here is just crazy about it.

And this totally off topic but I find that in the past 6 months has been incredible. I've done a lot of things. Though, I still need to do a bit more traveling, and actually go out of Holland and see more of Europe. Like I've seen most of Holland I've decided it pretty much looks the same everywhere you go. Until next time when I have something interesting to post.

The Downs of being an Au Pair

I don’t believe I ever really went into the personalities of the children I take care of. If I did, it was probabaly a newbie's mistake. I should have settled in before even trying to describe them,because I can bet now my views have altered significantly. So I take care of 3 girls, 9, 7, 4, and my youngest two I really do adore they have their moments but they don’t hate me for just being me ya know?

My 4 year old, she's a typical toddler. Just started their kindergarten which is just Day care but at the school lol she, has half days, loves Dora the Explorer, speaks no english but understands it, when she does speak english it's only random words she learns from me. Loves to be tickled and cuddled and hugged and kissed. Has the curlyest hair ever, and LOVES baths. She's not a morning person, and if you want her to eat you have to feed her as she won't do it herself. If you want her to drink water you have to feed it to her, and sometimes bribe her. She has this piercing shriek and she often pulls her hand back to hit you, but she won't hit me, I made that very clear in the beginning. She's sweet and I will miss her when I leave, she's gets very attached to the Au pairs, and the last one who was with her for 2013 is taking a while to get over. I don’t want her to be that attached to me, it's very difficult for her, some days she asks for her and I feel for her knowing that she's not here. Other then feeling inadequate at times to help her with that, I love her very much.

My 7 year old, this one well she can be a brat at times but she aplogizes for that right after she is one. She hits her father but not me because I do not tolerate it, I refuse to let a kid hit me, I'm not gonna hit you, so your gonna treat me with the same respect and not hit me. She screams and she often use to throw a lot of tantrums, she still does but I walk away and then 30 seconds later it stopped. I'm not giving my attention to that. She's often sick, something happened with her stomach last year and she was in the hospital for a month and now we(her mom and dad and I) have to make sure she gets the reccommended about of fiber and calcium and stuff. At the moment it's gluten free week and she hates it..lol. Anyways she's a morning person, she wakes up at 6am every day with no alarm and is very happy about being awake. She likes to be tickled, cuddled, and takes up a lot of her parent's attentiion causing resentment in the eldest. She's very sweet though, everyone calls her the 'monster' as apparently she's a terror at times. Some days I see that, she gets that way but it doesnt last that long and I can usually bribe her out of that mood. She's very affectionate, and always wants me to braid or brush her hair. She looks up to her oldest sister, and despite being the middle child doesnt get too jealous of the youngest.

The 9 year old, I'm well aware I can't even say that she's my 9 year old, that ship has sailed and I wasn't on it. It's gone and eff it ya know. At first glance, pretty girl, freckles, nice smile, sweet. Once that wears off, devious little brat comes through, if she's mad your going to feel it, she slams things, throws things, screams, takes it out on you or whoever else is around. Given my current mood thiis will turn into a rant if I'm not careful, so I'm just gonna focus on her good parts. Some days I think are okay, and when she's going to bed, she lets me read to her, and she's nice then, she's kind then. Some nights we talk and its like a totally different girl, but only when it's us. As soon as someone else comes into play she's meaner then ever. I don't understand and I've tried but a person can only take so much before they distance themselves away from her. I'm getting there.

So I guess you're wondering what brought this on, I need to get this off my chest, and this is my blog, so I'm venting and getting it the hell off my chest

I could just be over sensitive from the weekend, but I know what I heard ya know? They tell you when you apply to be an Au Pair( I know now I will NEVER be an Au Pair again Fuck that but I digress) As I was saying when you become an Au Pair, that means your not just an employee but an extended member of the family right?

My current family the father, and the mother do treat me like a member of the family. My 4 year old and my 7 year old does as well, now the 9 year old does not. Ever since I got here she's not been what everyone has been telling me she is. She's extremely smart for her age, I will give her that, but out of the 3 of them she's the worse one for me. Everyone calls her the 'goody two shoes', but she's not.

Maybe it's cause I've lived with her and they only see the public persona, but she's the ones that throws things at me and tells me to pick them up(yes like a dog...I refuse...fuck that) She start screaming at me for being a stupid idiot( I find that calling her the same in return, well I don’t like the words she uses it very harsh...the term brat really irritates her so that is my word when she gets into that mode) Somedays she curses, but then quickly takes it back and then might say a quick sorry just so I won't tell her parents. I thought they were really just wrong to her when I came, but now I don't see it that way.

Today for instance It's Monday but I didn’t have to cook today because they neighbors outside are having a block party. I know cool right? The mother told me this morning on a post it (thats how we communicate in the morning as I never see her) and then the father told me again.. They both said there's a block party with Barbeque, no cooking we're all going, uncluding you. Okay so thats my mind set right? I'm invited, but when I get home with my 4 year old and the 9 year old from school and we start talking, she tells me point blank..we're doing dialogue again.

“So what are you going to be doing for dinner?” The 9 year asks.

“The neighbors are bbqing remember?” I point out.

“Yes I know, they invited the family, not you,” she says.

~Stares at her for a second before shaking my head~ “Well an Au Pair is part of the family, as it says in the contract. So I'm coming too,” I reply as if she was slow, because at this point she was acting it.

“Yeah I know when we have family parties and stuff you're allowed to come but this is different,” she said with a pointed look.

“Well your parents said I could come,” I sighed.

“But you're not supposed to,” she muttered out before sighing loudly and stomping up the stairs.

So you see how is one supposed to take that? I saw the the parents like 10 minutes ago. The father told me to come outside and I was like thanks but you know...your oldest made it clear I wasn't invited, thanks though and walked upstairs. I knew he wasnt gonna let it go as I didn’t hear the door close.

And maybe 3 minutes later the mom comes up to my room and is like, you're invited, I invited you. Theres like the entire block, families she doesnt even know are there, and she points out that they knew I was their Au Pair and I was invited too. I probably won't go I just don’t want to anymore ya know? I'm not even hungry, I have never had that happen to me before, and its really not a nice feeling. I was then told, it was a miscommunication to what the eldest said to me...how the fuck do you miscommunicate that? Seriously?

6 months left...its a damn shame, I'm loving the experience getting to travel and stuff, but I'm really starting to hate her. And I know that's wrong to hate a child but she's very devious...you have no idea.. I guess it did turn into a rant...well at least I feel better..slightly.

Amsterdam Holi Color Festival 2014, and homemade Chicken soup :)

Hey guys, I have an interesting post for today I think. I'm still really tired but it's noon so I'm forcing myself to get up now. Yesterday I went to the Holi Color Festival, and I guess when I first heard of it I wasnt sure just what it entitled. Sure I knew they through color powder through the air, but I didn’t fully get it. The color stains the hands, I've scrubbed my skin almost raw and I'm still sporting blue and green fingers on each hand It was fun I think a lot of drunken people there. Apparently thats what you to at festivals, you get drunk and then you dance, and have no inhibitions. I don't ever think that scene will be for me. I was slightly tipsy earlier that day but only because I hadn't eaten and I drank the alcohol on an empty stomach more of less. Does yogurt count? This post feels like it's going every which way so let me try again.

My weekend started off with Friday, after a horrible day of working, I was finally off. Horrible because I woke up with a sore throat that day and had these chills to go with it. Since I have the mornings after 8:30am free, I slept until 2:00pm as the girls come home at 3:00pm. I was cold and it was Netherland Hot! It sucked, and I then I had my swimming class(which I love btw) but I had to miss it because by the time I got back from the girls tennis lesson, my whole body was achy, and I was congested, I had no energy(I had no desire to even eat that day) I was plain miserable, so I went back upstairs and slept somemore hoping the next day(the festival I would feel better)

Saturday, I woke up early, and continued religious drinking lemon, hot water and honey as it soothed my sore throat but I still felt pretty horrible and I hate talking I've decided. I meet up with my friends........that word irks me right now, as I don’t feel like their my friends at the moment, but anyways getting ahead of myself. I meet up with them and we take the train to Amsterdam stadium, its like an hour or so long. There I am told that they don’t allow outside food or drink inside and I had too mixed drinks and simply chugged them. 

I had only yogurt to eat so I felt the alcohol immediately and didn’t like it. I then ate a half of my sandwich(which was a bitch to swallow oww!) and tried to enjoy the rest of the ride.I don’t remember. Much inbetween it, but the ride was slightly boring. We get off the train and the festival its just down the street from the station. I'm dressed in all white, I went out and bought new capris and a tshirt for just this occasion lol. Thankfully they weren't like expensive...Yay for the Action Store! We get there and peoples stuff is thoroughly searched mine had some clothes blocking it so I was able to bring in an ice tea and two cokes, not that I could enjoy the last two, slightly bitter about that but I'm not going to go there.. It started at 12pm but we got there around 3pm and stayed there until it closed at 10pm. So during the 7 hours of walking around, lounging on the grass, I didn’t drink I was completely sober, particularly because I was sick and the taste of beer is really gross to me. I will never understand that bit.

That to the left was only the beginning...it got worse...way worse lol.

So what we did was we got bracelets that say the Holi Festival 2014, Amsterdam and then I went and got my tshirt and my 5 bags of color, which I still have one left, a souvenir I supposed. Towards the end of it about 7pm, I was so over it all and just wanted to go home by then. I didn’t even want to get colored or throw up color. When I first got there, we had our mouths open, I think we were talking and then they threw the powder you tasted it, and never did it again. It was so salty and disgusting where if you drank water to clear the taste the water tasted like it. I think I got slightly dehydrated yesterday because I came home and chugged my water in my fridge, and then had 3 more cups of hot tea.

So when the festival was over it was chaotic, everyone trying to find someone else who was on their own but not really if you know what I mean. One of my friends(I can still call her a friend) she horribly messed up her foot that day. Like and hour or so after we got there,(she was wearing flip flops) and one of my others friends mashed their feet together(on accident I'm sure of it) and her toenaiil(on her big toe) end up being flipped upwards, It was gross and it looked painful especially as the first aid tech clipped it off.. Ow..just for thinking about it.

Told you, the bloody powder was everywhere ad it doesnt wash off without intense scrubbing!!!!

Anyway her toe was throbbing and I was slightly dizzy and my throat was sore we were more then ready to go. But the other two girls we were with had no such qualms. Theres a saying for guys,; 'Bros before hoes', and there's one for girls too I think, is chicks before dicks, or besties before testies.. or something of that nature. Ths gist of it is clear, I suppose. For the whole damn day I've gladly been letting my less then sober friends have their way at it ya know? I've done no cock blocking(so to speak) or anything and then when its FINALLY time to bloody go, they don’t want to stop. We make it out the festival, and then we stop. Walk a few more feet and then stop again. Walk some more, and then stop. We made it as far as the I am Amsterdam sign and they stopped permantedly. 

Tired, cold and sick I'm more then ready to go and so is my friend with the throbbing foot. I have a few choice words but they weren't nice so I kept them to my self, which is lucky as I've been known to hurt people more with my words, one girl describe it as it harsh and cutting of her flesh. But I'm getting off topic anyway, as they;re surrounded by guys(On the bases of not wanting to ditch my friends, and just generally being sober and ick and not finding anyone attractive to me I politely declined when the guys tried to talk to me today, wasn't feeling) Who the eff wants to chat with a sore throat?

So we wait for them for a half hour, (I know because the festival closed at 10:00pm but we didn’t get to the train station until 10:36pm.) Until finally my friend with the throbbing foot is in so much pain, I simply walk over to the two girls and I'm like, 'I'm leaving,'. And they did nothing, continued making out with their guys. I think. I stopped at that point. It had been a long day. A person can only take so much, not to mention I've been disrepected all DAMN day by someone who is supposed to be my friend. So I'm through with her at the moment and lemme finish this post before I end up on a rant.

I got to the train station with my friend, who I'm gonna refer to a Kiwi(because she's from New Zealand). We wait a half hour for a train, take that to Rotterdam Central(it take a whole hour, instead of the 34 minutes it was suppose too) Then we transfer and that takes 47 minutes, by the time we get to the train station, I'm exhausted, we part ways as she parked her bike somewhere other then I did and then I rode home. I saw her as I was riding home. We both live in the direction of the beach, her slightly more so then me as shes literally 5 minutes away from the beach.

I then get home, scrub my skin raw, drank 3 cups of lemon tea and passed the heck out around 2am. Now, I have a HUGE craving for Chicken and Potato stew, and I'm about to go to the store and get the chicken and veggies to make some. Hope everyone's weekend was great.!

So I went to the store, and made my soup...omg its so good! I found some pepper at the store and garlic salt...How I missed you guys! Man the only bad thing is, the sun is shining outside so its hot in my apartment, and theres no one to share it with. Ooh a breeze but on the bright side my sore throat is starting to feel slightly better. Yay! Thank you mom, for teaching me how to cook at 11...even if I hated it then, I appreciate it now! :) See doesnt it look yummy?? It was..trust me..and I have leftover too...mhm..