I came to Toulouse full of expectation and excitement. I'm leaving Toulouse exactly a month later with a bad back. I wouldn't say I've wasted my time, I just perhaps could've spent it better. I've learnt a lot though. I've especially learnt to appreciate my Mum's cooking! Before I would've moaned about the veg or whatever but she could offer me cheesy cauliflower tomorrow and I would be lapping it up! Honestly, never turn down food, you never know when crazy French people will try to force you to live off raw cabbage. I've just realised that for tea today I had the twin's left over, cold mash potato. Literally living the dream! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE God, let my new family eat actual food! I'm actually quite looking forward to getting stuck in with the cooking, seeing as they'll have an actual oven!
I should really be asleep by now, seeing as my train leaves at about 10 tomorrow morning and I am nowhere near finished packing! I don't have a clue how I'm going to get my suitcase to the station but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it! Currently I'm in a half ready for bed state so I'm going to get the other half of me ready and have a sleep! No doubt Emilie* will be making as much noise as possible in the morning, just to annoy me! Oh well, that'll give me plenty of time to get the 140 euros off of them that they owe me! I should probably demand more for compensation on my back and empty stomach but they're not really worth talking to. I am considering leaving a little note though to express my feelings towards them! I feel I've been much to easy on them. Tonight for example Emilie said to me 'Me and Thilbault are going out, are you ok to babysit?' and left. I should have in fact said 'No Emilie! No, I am not ok to babysit. You've given me about 3 seconds notice and this is my last night in Toulouse. WHAT IF I HAD PLANS!?' I didn't say this because I was not quick enough! I wish I had been though because that would have thrown her. I've been far too nice to her so as soon as I get my money I'm going to warn the new girl about how much of a bitch she is! (See the blog post entitled 'Dear Lara...' I may do a similar one entitled 'Dear Emilie...' It'll just be one line though, You are a bitch.)
Well night night everybody! Next time we talk (are we technically talking?) I'll be in Paris! I'm trying to not set my expectations too high for Paris but I am looking forward to getting out of this shithole!
*Just spell your name properly will you? Dickhead!
Friday, 28 September 2012
Dear Lara...
So I've been replaced by a Spanish girl named Lara. I don't know what conditions she's used to in Spain but I feel like I should warn her about how she'll be living for the next year (or however long she can stand it).
Dear Lara,
I hope you settle in quickly with this family. Really, they're lovely people. Well that would depend on your definition of lovely but some may see it like that. They're not my definition of lovely, but then this apartment also isn't my definition of 'cosy'. You say 'potato', I say 'potato' I suppose! It probably comes down to whether you enjoy, let's say, spontaneity. For example if you signed your contract assuming what was written in the contract was true, this may not be the family for you. Don't get me wrong, I love a trip to the laundrette as much as the next girl but to go 5 times in one week is slightly much I believe! Especially when what you'll be washing are, in fact, the clothes of the parents. Your contract said you wouldn't be? So did mine. But as Emilie said, what's one more absolutely huge bag of laundry to carry up and down 4 flights of stairs in the great scheme of things!? And she's right, we're just the au pair so the condition of our backs should be the last of our worries. And anyway, what better way to rest your back after lugging around bags of washing than to relax on your nice cosy mattress on the floor? I know it's my favourite part of the day. And as sarcastic as that comment sounded, it wasn't. Genuinely, it doesn't get much better. Now, coming from Spain, perhaps you have certain culinary standards? Do not expect to find them here! Just a word of warning, I hope you like raw food. We're talking raw meat (if you're lucky enough to get some) and of course the infamous raw cabbage! A personal favourite of mine, which is lucky as it's also a family favourite! And nothing is better than to fall asleep to the sound of your own stomach rumbling... But of course, although it seems to be the smallest concern of the parents, this job is about the children. My advice to you on that front would be to dress them in their Abercrombie and Fitch, Ralph Lauren and Converses and try to forget about the fact that you all live together in a squat. No, absolutely nothing is childproofed, but who needs safety when you have designer clothing for 21 month olds?
So that's just a brief preview for you of your life for the foreseeable future, I hope you're as excited to start as I am to leave! And as they say over here, bonne chance!
Samantha x
Dear Lara,
I hope you settle in quickly with this family. Really, they're lovely people. Well that would depend on your definition of lovely but some may see it like that. They're not my definition of lovely, but then this apartment also isn't my definition of 'cosy'. You say 'potato', I say 'potato' I suppose! It probably comes down to whether you enjoy, let's say, spontaneity. For example if you signed your contract assuming what was written in the contract was true, this may not be the family for you. Don't get me wrong, I love a trip to the laundrette as much as the next girl but to go 5 times in one week is slightly much I believe! Especially when what you'll be washing are, in fact, the clothes of the parents. Your contract said you wouldn't be? So did mine. But as Emilie said, what's one more absolutely huge bag of laundry to carry up and down 4 flights of stairs in the great scheme of things!? And she's right, we're just the au pair so the condition of our backs should be the last of our worries. And anyway, what better way to rest your back after lugging around bags of washing than to relax on your nice cosy mattress on the floor? I know it's my favourite part of the day. And as sarcastic as that comment sounded, it wasn't. Genuinely, it doesn't get much better. Now, coming from Spain, perhaps you have certain culinary standards? Do not expect to find them here! Just a word of warning, I hope you like raw food. We're talking raw meat (if you're lucky enough to get some) and of course the infamous raw cabbage! A personal favourite of mine, which is lucky as it's also a family favourite! And nothing is better than to fall asleep to the sound of your own stomach rumbling... But of course, although it seems to be the smallest concern of the parents, this job is about the children. My advice to you on that front would be to dress them in their Abercrombie and Fitch, Ralph Lauren and Converses and try to forget about the fact that you all live together in a squat. No, absolutely nothing is childproofed, but who needs safety when you have designer clothing for 21 month olds?
So that's just a brief preview for you of your life for the foreseeable future, I hope you're as excited to start as I am to leave! And as they say over here, bonne chance!
Samantha x
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Update
Oh my goodness I've kept you all in the dark so much recently! I just read back my previous posts and I've left you thinking that I'm moving to Paris! How things changed! So I'll just quickly update you on what has been happening.
Firstly, after telling you that I was moving to Paris I found a new family in Lyon. They sounded amazing! They were going to pay me more money, give me a car that they were paying petrol for but was for my own personal use, had a swimming pool, two alpacas and only one 3 year old child. It all sounds great and I went to visit them last weekend. Anyway, to cut a long story short, one of the alpacas had died. This had no relevance to the job but I'm using it as symbolism. They'd replaced the alpaca with a llama but what I'm trying to say is that, umm, I'm not really sure... That maybe my dream died with the alpaca? Basically, yes they were stinking rich, but stinking here being the operative word! They smoked like absolute chimneys and I hate smoking! Also the Mum seemed like a right bitch and it just didn't really feel right. Pretty sure they didn't want me anyway as when I left they said 'we'll phone you'. It's almost been a week now and they never have done...
However, because I'd thought that this family was a dead certainty I told the family in Paris that I would not be going to them. I later regretted doing that and tried going grovelling back to them but they had already found someone else. Quelle dommage!
Whilst I was Lyon though, I was contacted by a family in Toulouse. This would be so convenient! So I replied to them and it turned out their next door neighbour's au pair is one of my au pair friends! I went round to meet them and they were so organised and did everything by the book. In a good way though so the Mum was ensuring I wasn't working any more than I should be. We arranged for me to go for a trial babysitting last night. Meanwhile though, I'd been talking to another family in Paris. They were really really lovely and friendly and just wonderful people so I said yes I would come and booked my train. Me being me though, still decided that I would go for the trial babysitting. Because I'm a dickhead! Basically, I love them too. And the thing is I know for definite that I like their family. Like the other family I've only met on Skype so once I arrive they could be different. And I already have friends in Toulouse. But I've booked my train to Paris, for tomorrow! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! I think I want to stay in Toulouse but I have booked my train! And I've told the Paris family that I'll arrive tomorrow! Why do I have to be so flipping indecisive all my life!? I think I can still cancel my train, but what would I say to the family!?
So yeah, that's the predicament I find myself in right now, any advice??
Firstly, after telling you that I was moving to Paris I found a new family in Lyon. They sounded amazing! They were going to pay me more money, give me a car that they were paying petrol for but was for my own personal use, had a swimming pool, two alpacas and only one 3 year old child. It all sounds great and I went to visit them last weekend. Anyway, to cut a long story short, one of the alpacas had died. This had no relevance to the job but I'm using it as symbolism. They'd replaced the alpaca with a llama but what I'm trying to say is that, umm, I'm not really sure... That maybe my dream died with the alpaca? Basically, yes they were stinking rich, but stinking here being the operative word! They smoked like absolute chimneys and I hate smoking! Also the Mum seemed like a right bitch and it just didn't really feel right. Pretty sure they didn't want me anyway as when I left they said 'we'll phone you'. It's almost been a week now and they never have done...
However, because I'd thought that this family was a dead certainty I told the family in Paris that I would not be going to them. I later regretted doing that and tried going grovelling back to them but they had already found someone else. Quelle dommage!
Whilst I was Lyon though, I was contacted by a family in Toulouse. This would be so convenient! So I replied to them and it turned out their next door neighbour's au pair is one of my au pair friends! I went round to meet them and they were so organised and did everything by the book. In a good way though so the Mum was ensuring I wasn't working any more than I should be. We arranged for me to go for a trial babysitting last night. Meanwhile though, I'd been talking to another family in Paris. They were really really lovely and friendly and just wonderful people so I said yes I would come and booked my train. Me being me though, still decided that I would go for the trial babysitting. Because I'm a dickhead! Basically, I love them too. And the thing is I know for definite that I like their family. Like the other family I've only met on Skype so once I arrive they could be different. And I already have friends in Toulouse. But I've booked my train to Paris, for tomorrow! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! I think I want to stay in Toulouse but I have booked my train! And I've told the Paris family that I'll arrive tomorrow! Why do I have to be so flipping indecisive all my life!? I think I can still cancel my train, but what would I say to the family!?
So yeah, that's the predicament I find myself in right now, any advice??
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
I will write a blog!
WARNING: This blog may come in instalments. I have a lot to say and it's almost midnight so I'm tired! Now, where's my Dairy Milk?
Ignore that. I'm so angry I can't even blog right now! I'll do it tomorrow or something.
Ignore that. I'm so angry I can't even blog right now! I'll do it tomorrow or something.
Monday, 24 September 2012
Sorry!
I'm so rubbish at this updating my blog thing. Probably why I have no followers because no one thinks there's anything to follow. I promise I will fill you in on everything tomorrow, as I have a lot to fill you in on! But right now I've just finished my Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut (Yes Mummy sent me some Cadbury! :D) which it makes it time for bed. Good night world. A demain, je promis x
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
I'm outta here!!
So I spoke to the family last night. It wasn't quite how I'd planned. The Mum got home, I was going to wait for the Dad too but the Mum started asking me how my day had been and we started discussing the oldest's behaviour. Yes he's difficult but I can handle him and so I said that actually it was the twins that I was finding difficult. Then it sort of all just came pouring out and I said that I think they should probably find someone new. She seemed slightly shocked but I cried, and who can be angry at crying person? She said she wasn't annoyed with me just a bit worried about finding someone else, so I felt REALLY bad! I'd also forgotten that she has a massive exam and the end of the week so probably doesn't need this right now, oops!!
Anyway, long story short I said I'd stay until they find somebody new but it is going to be so awkward now! I hope they find someone soon!
But on the plus side... I'M MOVING TO PARIS!!! YAY YAY YAY!
Anyway, long story short I said I'd stay until they find somebody new but it is going to be so awkward now! I hope they find someone soon!
But on the plus side... I'M MOVING TO PARIS!!! YAY YAY YAY!
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Get me out of here!
My previous blog posts may have given you the impression that I am enjoying living in France. Your impression is wrong. I hate it here. Nice little trip? Yes. Work here for a year? Definitely not! Don't get me wrong, Toulouse is a lovely city and I love the fact that everytime I post something on Facebook it says sent from Toulouse, France. However, I HATE my job!
I just really do. There's not actually a lot more to say on the case other than I hate it. Well, actually there's a lot more. I live in a squat, basically. I have a mattress on the floor. We have no oven. We have no washing machine. I have to hold the shower above my head in the grottiest bath known to man. We live on the 4th fucking floor with no fucking lift. In my other post I was chatting as if that was all perfectly acceptable, but it is NOT! You don't get an au pair when you can't even offer her a fucking bed! Am I being unreasonable?
And when I arrived I got told that I cook for the kids and the Mum will cook for us later on but if I fancied cooking for them too I could. After all this was my home and I could treat it as my home. Sounds reasonable enough, right? Well let me tell you that yesterday I made some friends :) I'll tell you all about that when I'm not hating my life massively. Could be a while as I don't think I'll ever be happy in this shit hole. Anyway my new friend needed the toilet, and I live right in the centre. If I was at home, and by home I mean England, with Mummy, and we were passing my house I would happily let my friend in to use the toilet. No harm done. So I let my friend in, she quickly used the toilet. Didn't touch anything said a quick hello to the Great Grandma who was there and left quickly. This to me is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. I even supervised her to and from the toilet. (Not whilst she was on the toilet as that would've been weird, and she couldn't have possibly stolen anything from in there as it is literally just a toilet and the cats' litter tray. It's not one of these fancy bathrooms with a sink and posh soap to steal.) Anyway this morning, on my day off, the Mum woke me up at 9 to tell me that she doesn't like people they don't know in the house (squat) when they're not there. I apologised and decided this was fair enough. However, after having a day to think about this and discussing it with my friends, I think this is fairly out of order. So I can treat the house like my home when it comes to them leaving me a bowl of washing up or me cooking for them, but when I want to let a friend use the toilet this isn't allowed. It's not really my 'home' then is it?
I started writing all this yesterday when I was in the worst mood in the world. Anyway I've cheered up a bit now and I'll tell you for why...
So after all of this I decided to repost my profile on au pair world. I was also looking at old applications I had had that I hadn't bothered to delete. (For those of you that don't know, once you end the conversation you can't talk to that family again). So anyway there was a few families that I liked the look of but I assumed that most of them had already found au pairs by now and had just not bothered to deactivate their profiles. Anyway there was one family that had contacted me before from Paris but I'd already chosen this family. However they were offering me a car, a mobile a NAVIGO pass (Oyster card type thing) and other stuff all paid for. So I hadn't ever ended the conversation with them as I said that I may be interested next year. This morning I wrote them a quick message saying that they probably have already found an au pair but if they were still looking I wasn't entirely happy in my family. I said that it wasn't the fault of the family, and it isn't. I don't feel I have the experience required to look after toddlers and to be fair it would benefit the family to get someone who did. The children in the new family are older, two girls who are 11 and 9 and a 5 year old boy. To be fair I knew what I was signing up for when I came, there were no nasty surprises (I suppose a bed would've been nice but you can't win them all!) but I suppose I was a bit naive and didn't properly think about it. I probably unintentionally let on that I had more experience than I did and we both took a risk. It obviously didn't pay off.
So anyway, I got a reply from this family an hour or two later saying that their au pair left yesterday as she was incredibly homesick so they were now looking for someone new. Now, I'm not a massive believer in fate and all that shit, but surely, if anything is fate- this is!! They said they are happy to wait for me until my current family have found a new au pair and I'm so so so happy!
But, now I have to break the news to my current family! Which I'm really not looking forward to! But I think we can make it fairly amicable. I'll do the whole it's not you, it's me thing. Which to be fair it is. They're a lovely family but I just cannot handle the job. I just hope they understand!
I'll emailed the entire situation to my Mum and all I really want is a quick message saying 'Just go for it. Do what makes you happy.' However, more than likely I'll get a ridiculously long email saying that I should stick it out for a bit longer. But I don't want to. The longer I stay, the harder it'll be to go. Not just for me but also for the children. More than likely though, I won't get a reply at all. We have shit internet at home so Mum won't see the email until she's at work tomorrow and I'm planning on talking to them tonight. At least like this she hasn't said don't do it!
But I tweeted my Dad, Skyped my friend and emailed another and they all think it's a good idea, so I'll just have to take their words for it! A friend* I've made over here said that she told her host parents my situation and they said that if I'm not happy I should go. I'm not happy, so I'm going.
*I have made some friends :) Which does make the whole leaving thing slightly difficult but I'll do another blog about them because this one's getting quite long and varied.
I just really do. There's not actually a lot more to say on the case other than I hate it. Well, actually there's a lot more. I live in a squat, basically. I have a mattress on the floor. We have no oven. We have no washing machine. I have to hold the shower above my head in the grottiest bath known to man. We live on the 4th fucking floor with no fucking lift. In my other post I was chatting as if that was all perfectly acceptable, but it is NOT! You don't get an au pair when you can't even offer her a fucking bed! Am I being unreasonable?
And when I arrived I got told that I cook for the kids and the Mum will cook for us later on but if I fancied cooking for them too I could. After all this was my home and I could treat it as my home. Sounds reasonable enough, right? Well let me tell you that yesterday I made some friends :) I'll tell you all about that when I'm not hating my life massively. Could be a while as I don't think I'll ever be happy in this shit hole. Anyway my new friend needed the toilet, and I live right in the centre. If I was at home, and by home I mean England, with Mummy, and we were passing my house I would happily let my friend in to use the toilet. No harm done. So I let my friend in, she quickly used the toilet. Didn't touch anything said a quick hello to the Great Grandma who was there and left quickly. This to me is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. I even supervised her to and from the toilet. (Not whilst she was on the toilet as that would've been weird, and she couldn't have possibly stolen anything from in there as it is literally just a toilet and the cats' litter tray. It's not one of these fancy bathrooms with a sink and posh soap to steal.) Anyway this morning, on my day off, the Mum woke me up at 9 to tell me that she doesn't like people they don't know in the house (squat) when they're not there. I apologised and decided this was fair enough. However, after having a day to think about this and discussing it with my friends, I think this is fairly out of order. So I can treat the house like my home when it comes to them leaving me a bowl of washing up or me cooking for them, but when I want to let a friend use the toilet this isn't allowed. It's not really my 'home' then is it?
I started writing all this yesterday when I was in the worst mood in the world. Anyway I've cheered up a bit now and I'll tell you for why...
So after all of this I decided to repost my profile on au pair world. I was also looking at old applications I had had that I hadn't bothered to delete. (For those of you that don't know, once you end the conversation you can't talk to that family again). So anyway there was a few families that I liked the look of but I assumed that most of them had already found au pairs by now and had just not bothered to deactivate their profiles. Anyway there was one family that had contacted me before from Paris but I'd already chosen this family. However they were offering me a car, a mobile a NAVIGO pass (Oyster card type thing) and other stuff all paid for. So I hadn't ever ended the conversation with them as I said that I may be interested next year. This morning I wrote them a quick message saying that they probably have already found an au pair but if they were still looking I wasn't entirely happy in my family. I said that it wasn't the fault of the family, and it isn't. I don't feel I have the experience required to look after toddlers and to be fair it would benefit the family to get someone who did. The children in the new family are older, two girls who are 11 and 9 and a 5 year old boy. To be fair I knew what I was signing up for when I came, there were no nasty surprises (I suppose a bed would've been nice but you can't win them all!) but I suppose I was a bit naive and didn't properly think about it. I probably unintentionally let on that I had more experience than I did and we both took a risk. It obviously didn't pay off.
So anyway, I got a reply from this family an hour or two later saying that their au pair left yesterday as she was incredibly homesick so they were now looking for someone new. Now, I'm not a massive believer in fate and all that shit, but surely, if anything is fate- this is!! They said they are happy to wait for me until my current family have found a new au pair and I'm so so so happy!
But, now I have to break the news to my current family! Which I'm really not looking forward to! But I think we can make it fairly amicable. I'll do the whole it's not you, it's me thing. Which to be fair it is. They're a lovely family but I just cannot handle the job. I just hope they understand!
I'll emailed the entire situation to my Mum and all I really want is a quick message saying 'Just go for it. Do what makes you happy.' However, more than likely I'll get a ridiculously long email saying that I should stick it out for a bit longer. But I don't want to. The longer I stay, the harder it'll be to go. Not just for me but also for the children. More than likely though, I won't get a reply at all. We have shit internet at home so Mum won't see the email until she's at work tomorrow and I'm planning on talking to them tonight. At least like this she hasn't said don't do it!
But I tweeted my Dad, Skyped my friend and emailed another and they all think it's a good idea, so I'll just have to take their words for it! A friend* I've made over here said that she told her host parents my situation and they said that if I'm not happy I should go. I'm not happy, so I'm going.
*I have made some friends :) Which does make the whole leaving thing slightly difficult but I'll do another blog about them because this one's getting quite long and varied.
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