Settling In and Discovering 'Allergies'

At this very moment in time, my head feels heavy and my sinuses feel indescribable. The 12hour 'mucus' (what a peculiar word)tablets I've taken are wearing off and I'm ready to launch the 'extreme congestion relief' spray up both my left and right nostril. Relief. So, now I suppose I can start to describe my time here since I left off...

Despite, wandering around Virginia with practically a whole box of Kleenex tissues folded up in my handbag (*Americanism 'purse')I've been feeling pretty on form; having visited a lot of places and keeping busy! On Friday night, Lisa, Isabelle and I drove up into D.C. which takes about 25 minutes to see some bands we had never heard of before. We chose to go to the Black Cat on 14th Street as the clubnight afterwards sounded good and the venue has hosted bands such as The Strokes and Blur in the past. After our ID's being scrutinised at the door we went in and up to the bar. Although, poor Lisa and Isabelle are only 20 and so they had big, black, permanent marker crosses on both hands to indicate they are too young to drink. On the other hand, I greatly enjoyed ordering myself a Budweiser (BUD)but I never choose to have too many as drinking alone isn't quite the same!

(My eyes are drooping in the photo...obviously too much mascara.)The first band we saw were kind of punky/ska-esque and were from Ireland. The front man introduced the band as 'Fat, Chinese, Short' which amused and also charmed the audience. The second band did not fair too well with us,  Isabelle commented (in her French accent) that they were making her 'ears bleed', Lisa wasn't too impressed either and my feet were hurting so we decided to leave. We never got to stay for the clubnight, but we are intending on going back in the near future! The area around the club/venue was quite hip with some really nice quirky bars and some beautifully quaint houses down the side streets. On the way home, we decided to stop by at Taco Bell (a Mexican McDonalds) which sells tasty tacos for as low as $2. Despite the price, I have yet to get ill by them...touch wood!

Saturday a big group of us decided we would do the 'tourist' thing in D.C. So, we all decided to meet at the Smithsonian Metro Stop which is positioned right on the 'Mall' inbetween both Capitol Hill and the Washington Monument (The Pencil!). It was the most beautiful day to walk around and we also had a wander up to see the White House (no Obama alas). Typically, we all had to go in some shops and those who didn't want to just waited outside...I think we have all been blessed with some patience since being abroad, it must be because of the children we look after!

After having such a busy Friday and Saturday I was really feeling like not doing much but as usual I was swayed by the onset of going shopping with Lisa and Isabelle. Instead of going to the usual mall, we decided to travel a little further and go to a huge outlet place where I picked up a sports bra and the others got a coat and some German biscuits! On the way back we decided to pay a little visit to Taco Bell and so this onsought of food and Friday's catalysed my drive to go to the gym on Monday. I'm definitely a Monday starter with things and completed my first work out since I left uni in May, which is rather embarrasing to admit! Needless to say, it wasn't pretty horrific and I managed to do a good hour. The sports bra purchase from the day before also sufficed!

That evening everything went downhill, I retreated to bed before the little boys and missed out on my first aupair meeting with all the other aupairs in the area. According to my host Mum, it's the changing of the seasons which has triggered my cold/cough/abundance of mucus...pretty attractive. Thus, Tuesday was a bit of a right off and I just did my daily things with the boys and opened up a bank account/savings account. I'm determined to actually save some money this year and to not spend it all on 'obligatory daily Starbucks' and clothes!

Yesterday was far more productive. After dropping the little boys off at school and quickly popping home to get changed (I drive them to school in my PJ's) I drove to the metro station and hopped on a train into D.C. This guy I randomly met on the metro a few weeks ago had offered to show me around the galleries and so we went to both the West and East Buildings of the National Gallery. I saw the latest 'Impressionism to Modernism', Edvard Munch and Mark Rothko exhibitions and I'm thinking of attending a lecture next month at the start of a new exhibition entitled 'The Pre-Raphaelite Lens:British Photography and Painting 1848-1875). It's completely free and it would be so nice to spend an afternoon listening to people talking about the works on display. It was yesterday that I realised how much I've missed studying History of Art every single day! Yesterday was definitely a day of escapism.

Today has been spend tie-dying t-shirts for Kevin's 6th Birthday party this weekend. They have been dyed orange and we are going to outline the shape of 'Jack O Lanterns' for the little ones to paint in black after the Mad Science people have finished performing on the kitchen counter! Inbetween having my hands submerged in the vat of dye and picking the boys up from school I quickly popped to the Mall and purchased some new pointy shoes from Urban Outfitters and some jeggings from Abercrombie and Fitch...they smell amazing as you can imagine! My friend Marta over here, has this theory that only Europeans wear leggings/jeggings and this definitely supports the reason why so many are still folded up/hung up in the shops over here! Time to start a legging/jegging fashion statement! Additionally, I've also introduced 11 year-old Ryan to Dizzee Rascal this evening which he enjoyed. Who's not to like Dizzzzeeee RASCAL?!!!

Starbucks (so far this week)
1 - I'm kicking the habit.

Americanisms

'Bicyclist' - Cyclist
Parking Lot - Car Park
Sweater - Jumper
Shirt - Top
Jack 'o' Lantern - Halloween Pumpkin

Columbus Day Weekend/Start of Week 2

Ultrabar is the name of the club in Washington D.C. which I detest more than Tiger Tiger or Oceana. In saying what I'm about to say, I could be described as a 'club snob' but I'll leave that up to all of you to decide. Ultrabar (check out the website... http://www.ultrabardc.com/ ) on a Friday night plays mainstream chart music and RnB whilst dancers on podiums (with just bras and short shorts on)dance as though they are in a stripclub...boys just stood there gaping and we all wondered what kind of place we had entered. It was also $20 entrance and we queued for over an hour. Yet, it was a pretty cool venue itself and drinks weren't too expensive...shame also about the abundance of bumpers and grinders and explicit couples at the sides of the dancefloor! My aim is to find somewhere which is more my kind of thing, reasonably priced all round and where overly skimpy clothes are not obligatory. I've been researching...I not just need to give them a try!

To get into D.C. all of us au pairs go on the Metro - which is pretty much like the London underground but far less confusing...it also runs to about 3am! My nearest stop is about 10 minutes away by car which is brilliant!

Saturday was spent going out for a meal with the other girls at the local mall and also going to see the new Katherine Hiegl film called 'Life As We Know It' which we all really enjoyed - added bonus of eating a box of cookie dough balls too!

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4365685/life-as-we-know-it/

Afterwards, a few of us hit McDonalds to grab a late decaff coffee and were confronted by hoards of teenagers who had just come back from their 'homecoming' dance...it was just like the movies, everyone was in their 'prom dresses' and the boys were wearing suits which all seemed a little bit too big!

Sunday was a lovely day, Dad had been over in the States on business and was staying not too far away in a place called Reston...so I took the backroads in the 4x4 and went to pick him up! He brought along a bag full of more things from home...my suitcase on the way over here was already emblazoned with a 'heavy' sticker. It's nice to now have my Sex and the City Boxset, more Marmite and gym clothes! Dad and I took a trip to the mall where we stocked up on 'dog walking' fleeces from Northface for Mum and also went to the Apple Store and my home from home - Starbucks! Afterwards, Dad came and met all the family I'm staying with and stayed for Sunday supper; we had bruscetta (the American's say it BRASCETA which drives me mad!), pasta, beef and this vegetable called Zucchini which I've never eaten before, but it's delicious! It was really upsetting saying goodbye to Dad once again, I'm no good with goodbyes and prefer to say 'It's not goodbye, it's see you soon' but even still I had to have the fans in the car blasting cold air towards my eyes on the drive back from the hotel and I also (embarrasingly enough) sang MAJORLY loud to the Michelle Branch song on the radio...I think it's called 'All You Wanted', then something happier came on and I was nearly home, complete with drier eyes!

Monday was Columbus Day over here (celebrating when Christopher Columbus discovered America) and it was such a chilled day, can't really say I did very much although I did meet friends for Starbucks nearby! My youngest host son, Kevin has been ill with what is called 'Strepthroat' so he has been off school since Friday. Yesterday, we went to the doctors and just spent the day inside whilst he felt sorry for himself most of the time. Yet, today he was back on form (strangely enough...fast working antibiotics!) and we spent the day playing outside on the climbing frame, drawing chalk on the paved stones in the garden and also going for a picnic in the local park- he made two friends at the park which was really sweet! The local park was also full of what appeared to be other au pairs too, but I didn't recognise any of them! Last night I also had a Starbucks (!) and I tried meatloaf for the first time...I told my host Mum Tracy that it reminds me of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and she just laughed!

I think from now on I'm going to have to do both 'Americanisms' and a weekly Starbucks Tally!

'Americanisms'

Sneakers
'Swing Set' - Climbing Frame

Starbucks Tally (so far this week)

2

First Week in Virginia!

All the years of having a dog in England, I have always swiftly avoided cleaning up any form of dog dirt in the house. So, I move to America and whilst the boys are at school one of the dogs (I don't know which one) decided to leave me a present on the carpet. I never knew being an au pair would involve this!

The last time I posted I was about to have a pedicure in the town where I am living and it was possibly the most relaxing experience; all of us (my host Mum Tracy, Rose, Lizzy and Rebekka and her host Mum Kristin plus baby Mairin) lined up on massaging chairs whilst women did our feet and nails, with hot stones too! All pretty surreal but I'll have to treat myself now and again now...like I do with buying Vogue every month back at home. This month in the US, the cover is of Carey Mulligan and there is the most beautiful feature/interview with her wearing these couture clothes. It's such nice escapism from my current bubble involving Lego, remote control cars and Xbox!

http://www.vogue.com/magazine/

Have yet to get over my jetlag so pretty tired this evening although I'm going out with some au pairs from my cluster this evening in D.C. The Metro runs right out to Vienna and so it is both a cheap and quick way to get into the city! I'll have to blog how the nightlife compares to England!

Slowly getting into the routine here, I get up about 6.30 to be upstairs helping with the boys before school between 7 and 7.30 when we leave! Have spent this week getting to know the area, paying visits to Tysons Mall (about 10 minutes away by car) and the local supermarket and Starbucks...all essential places! Hoping to do some more exploring next week - just as long as I'm back for the 'pick-up line' about 2.45 for school finish at 3.00. After school the boys come back and change, whilst I make them an after school snack (often 'Mac n Cheese') and then they do their homework. Quite a few evening a week football practice is on the cards so there is always a flurry of activity! Had a meeting with my Area Director on Monday which was informative...just need to figure out where I want to complete my 6 credits of study and what course. Prices are fairly astronomical for some places, so will have to do a fair bit of research! Hoping to do something involving PR, Journalism and Speech Writing which will hopefully help me get a job upon my return to England! Not much more to really report at the moment, apart from I need to start going to the gym and seeing more of Virginia! It's such a huge state with so much to see and do and other big east side cities such as Boston and New York are not far away either! I have yet to buy any clothes... amazing shops here but I still keep itching for Topshop! No surprises there!

Will blog soon - don't really have that many more 'Americanisms' at the moment, but Ryan's friend Nick's Mum reported how much she loved my accent - evidence that I have not 'slipped' into an American twang!

A Few Photos From My First Week!

Rebekka, Me, Katharina and Susan (Netherlands) - Times Square New York

Empire State Building In All It's Glory

One of the market stalls near to the Flat Iron Building

A Real Advertisement in New York!

Lena, Me, Martina and Susan (Denmark)

First Week!!!

Hello All!

Currently writing this at the kitchen table, waiting for the kettle to boil so I can make myself a nice cup of Earl Grey! I'm so sorry it has been so long since I have updated this blog but it has all been such a whirlwind. The question is, where do I start?!

The first four days in America were spend at what is called the 'Au Pair Academy' and it was here that around 100 au pairs had an orientation! The days started really early (about 6.30am) which was prety harsh seeing as all of us were severely jetlagged! Depsite this, however, the days were really fun we learnt things such as 'childhood development', 'activities' and First Aid/CPR- we all took some things more seriously than others! The instructors were so friendly and welcoming but at times a few of us felt they were fairly patronising, especially when they had us all doing the 'finger on the lip, shhhhhhhhhh'. All this happened at the hotel we were staying at in Newark (I shared a room with two girls from my state). All of us au pairs got the chance to go on a nightime New York tour and I've attached a few photos for you all to have a look at! We got to spend a little time around Times Square and also got to walk around the World Trade Centre which was really interesting, especially as our tour guide had lots of stories to tell. A few other au pairs and I were lucky enough to explore New York on our own the following afternoon/evening as we did well in our Pre-Departure projects- not bad for doing it all on the last minute! It was this evening that myself and a few others really explored, walking a fair amount of blocks to reach the 'Flat Iron' building where we discovered not only a really cool market selling food and unknown designers clothes and accessories BUT this 'eatery' where there were about 100 different types of soft drinks and choices of sushi, salad, pizza - it was the kind of place you had to see, to really see the excess! I think that is the main difference I have noticed here, everything is so big and there are so many choices; for example there are around 4 shelves of deodorant in a pharmacy and an American 'small' is a European 'Medium or Large'.

Unfortunately, the flight to Washington DC was cancelled on Thursday when I was meant to be flying with three other au pairs...a storm termed the 'East Coast Soaker' by CNN News. Needless to say, none of us were overly impressed when we had to return back to the hotel. Our host families were upset/disappointed and my host family were on a mission to get the agency's permission for me to get a train instead. They refused to grant approval on terms of 'safety', so we flew the following day without any hitches. Yet, when we got onto the place it was the smallest thing I've ever been on- my row (Row 9)was the back row with about 5 seats at the back like a bus so all of us au pairs were together. I'm not going to lie but it was possibly one of the scariest things I've been on as it was so turbulent, drinks were shaking on the put down tables and we basically felt we were on a rollercoaster but in the sky!

Panic over. My host Dad, John, Rose (their current au pair) and Lizzy (their oldest son Bobby's girlfriend) met me at the airport with a banner made by the boys and some balloons. I was so pleased to have finally arrived but jet lag was definitely taking it's toll and I have definitely spent the weekend running on adrenalin, Pro Plus and lots of black coffee! The weekened was really busy as the boys were playing lots of sport, I've managed to unpack all my things in my lovely room (where Tracy my host Mum had made me a HUGE basket full of lovely things such as candles, slippers, snacks and beauty products!), watched Kevin play soccer , hang with the family and try out driving! Saturday evening the family had a 'cook out' inviting over family and my friend Rebekka's host family who live just through the woods! We had a BBQ and had a good laugh, although I nearly fell asleep at the table later on! I don't think I have ever been so exhausted, except after music festivals after a week in a tent! Sunday's here are really leisurely, everyone does what they like during the day whether it's reading papers, having a lie in or just watching American football...I still can't understand it and something tells me I never will!

Today was an early start, I helped Rose and Tracy get the two youngest boys ready for school doing their packed lunches and making sure they had everything they needed! Rose drove them to school, but afterwards I drove and we went on a bit of an adventure up to the nearest mall (even though it wasn't open yet)...also experienced rush hour traffic going into DC. DC isn't at all far away so I feel this is somewhere I'll visit regularly, especially as there are lots of interesting exhibitions coming up...Pre-Raphaelite to name a few!

Will update soon on how my first week with the family goes! About to have lunch with Rose, then we are off to the spa to have our nails done with Tracy! Think we are hitting the mall later!

Also, will put the photos up in a little while!


Americanisms

'Cleets' - football boots with studs
'Pick up line' - for getting the boys from school (will explain later when I have more time!)
'Playdate'
'Mac and Cheese' - Macaroni Cheese