I think it's safe to say that Marilie has well and truly accepted me as her au pair/family/best friend. I regularly receive reminders of how much she likes me, like this beauty. Sometimes, though, I'm brought back to the harsh reality by a shrill scream or a tantrum or the sheer disrespect that I would've never shown my own mother.
I still cannot grasp why it's okay for these children to speak to adults the way they do. I don't think I'll ever get used to it. Every other child I've ever met, from all around the world, conducts themselves differently around adults, particularly their parents. I would have never dreamed of saying the word ‘no’ to my mum, not out of fear, but out of respect. Because she and my dad are the people who raised me, and I have so much to owe them both.
On a less depressing note, I've once again been making time for friends. Definitely not as much as I would've liked, but if I saw them that much I wouldn't spend any time working. Not much of my time is my own at the moment, what with extra clubs and half term holiday coming between my plans. It's funny how something as simple as pizza at someone's house can be so heavenly. I really took for granted my ability to just invite someone over to my house whenever I wanted. That's one thing I really do miss...
We foolishly made a trip one weekend to a shop where this happened. We managed to come away generally unscathed, with just a tiny mouse and a mirror in tow, which was quite an achievement for this family!
Marilie and I accidentally baked 52 tiny cupcakes, ready for our dinner party at the underground mansion. I must say, they were delicious little things, but absolutely not enough to satisfy any kind of hunger. Great if you're on a diet though!
We took about half of them to what I'm affectionately calling James Bonds lair, where we enjoyed a homemade Chinese buffet (homemade meaning made by the nanny, obviously.) That poor woman must've slaved away for days making all of that food, but holy mother of god that food was incredible! It was strange, because ordinarily I would feel quite out of place in a house of such magnitude. However, we were made to feel so welcome and I felt quite at ease. They're not the kind of rich where they bring out their best silverware for special occasions, or use birthdays to show off their immense wealth. It strikes me that the parents are two people who have worked damn hard for the money they have. Everyone else here seems to have acquired money through their family, so I can't help but admire them.
The most memorable moments from this party were as follows;
Seeing the mad size of the house
Realising that it was actually quite a casual affair and I had no reason to feel sick with nerves
The Chinese food!
Jo’s INCREDIBLE carrot cake
The kids (and big kids) inhaling helium
Making conversation with a lovely Irish mum, who actually seemed quite interested in what I had to say. Her son was lovely too, bonus mum points for her.
Currently I am sat in the car, squished into the back seat with two small humans with the larger one behind me, facing a 4 hour drive back to Divonne-les-Bains after a long weekend away in Provence.
You all have that update to look forward to. Until then, pray for me while you are undoubtedly somewhere far more comfortable than I am.
Each week is becoming easier and easier to deal with. I taught Marilie this classic game and she absolutely loved it. We've made a whole monster family for Halloween!
I managed to whip up these beauties for Mel’s ‘food friday’ (I don't know how because I had virtually no time) and they were apparently delicious. She didn't come back with any, so that's usually a good sign...
So, I managed about a week of healthy eating. It's not so hard to eat well in the week, but when the weekend brings a food festival and a market how can I stay on the wagon?
I spent the entire weekend with beautiful people visiting semi-new places and eating our way through the country.
On Saturday, I went to Kevin's birthday party at SB Sport. Basically, I watched a twelve sweaty kids playing football for about two hours. It was strangely enjoyable feeling somewhat part of a family. One of the mums bought me a tea within five minutes of meeting me, so she's definitely in the good books!
After the party, I headed straight to Gourmandiv, which was a food festival hosted in Divonne. For €5, you could go and try food from any participating place. We managed to spend the afternoon stuffing our faces with cheese, chocolate, champagne and other delicacies.
In the evening, five of us girls went to Marta’s for pizza and an interview (thanks Hana!) It's so interesting to learn about why people are here, what they were doing before and what their plans are afterwards.
We come from such vastly different walks of life, that I feel as though I'm learning so much about myself as a person, as well as others. I'm definitely going to come back from France as a changed woman (for the better I hope)
Sunday always brings my little tutoring job. Now that it's becoming more structured, poor little David likes the idea of me less and less. Hopefully, I can make these subjects interesting because I really value the extra €15 per week.
As always, I headed straight to the market for food! First things first, crêpe. I foolishly chose salted caramel as my topping and was bitterly disappointed. It definitely wasn't as good as it sounds. Then, I returned to my beloved taco lady for a huge chicken taco, which was evidently made with love. We had macarons AND churros, which was definitely not good for the diet!
After the market, we tootled along to Lausanne for the afternoon, where I got told off for eating the churros outside a pub, whoops. We wandered around, trying to get to the lake. The adventure was not so bad on the way, because it was all downhill. On the way back however, I thought I was going to die. When the only food you've really had all day is sugar-based, you crash catastrophically at the most inconvenient time. Unfortunately, I really started to feel death approaching whilst ascending up a nearly vertical hill. Wonderful. My only salvation was the bright lights of Burger King. Due to feeling like all of my insides were going to cascade down my leg, I chose the veggie option and boy, I was not disappointed! Definitely going to have that again…
The
Obviously, these busy weekend plans brought a hefty step count. I'm just proud I didn't get any sort of blister or sore.
Score
Sara: 1
Inner obese Sara:0
This week has brought the gang closer together, without any sort of negativity. It's refreshing to feel so entirely good for once. Nobody's time is coming to an end anytime soon, I'm becoming increasingly happy in the family and I'm popping home soon for a short weekend. Life's getting damn good and I can't wait for what the coming weeks have to offer.
I'm back again, still reeling the torture of last week. Slowly but surely, I'm adapting to everyday life without Paula and Meta. It's strange to see pictures of them at home with their family and friends. I'm still half expecting Paula to walk back into my French class. I can't wait to see them both again.
The day after we said goodbye to Meta, a few of us went for a barbecue by the lake. Hana has opened my eyes to coke and red wine. Honestly, if you don't particularly enjoy alcohol, give it a bash. The more time I spend with these people, the crazier it feels to imagine life without them. I keep trying to plan what I'm doing after this year is over, but I haven't got a clue. I desperately want to keep travelling, but in what format? If I do carry on being an au pair, I think I'd go somewhere for less time. (I've yet to find a rich French man that can fund fancy trips…
I got absolutely thrashed at snakes and ladders. Kevin has good luck like nobody else I've ever met. The shame I feel being consistently beaten by a ten year old is immense. I am determined to find a game that I can win!
On Saturday afternoon, we went to the UN open day in Geneva. It was thought provoking in every sense of the phrase. I don't feel like the majority of people here care too much about those who who are less fortunate than them. It was somewhat ironic to see all of the rich tourists wandering around talking about poverty, pollution and inequality, when they are totally unaware of the sheer magnitude of the situation.
Afterwards, we headed to Lac Léman armed with bags of food. I appreciated just sitting and chatting with friends. I feel like sometimes I take them for granted and I don't truly bask in their company, but Saturday I really did. Somehow, I've ended up planning to go to Slovenia for Christmas. Madness. I'm super excited, though, and I'm adamant that I'm going to seize every single opportunity I get!
I have been upgraded to best friend. No longer am I labelled a mere au pair, oh no. I even have the friendship bracelet, keyring and cat card to prove it! I have also begun to notice when Marilie dresses like me. The first time was super cute, but it's becoming a regular thing. I seem to have gained a mini me...
Sunday = market day. Therefore, it's known as the day I well and truly fall off the dietary wagon. I had the usual: taco then churros. Hana and I were a little bummed that the crêpe man wasn't there, that's usually our breakfast. We soon replaced him with the macaroon guy, whose macaroons did things to us that I can't describe. Unashamedly, we destroyed five and a half each in under five minutes.
What can I say? We appreciate good food!
In the afternoon, we rolled on over to Nyon for a bit of exploring before we lose yet another friend. I'd be interested to see whether there's an unattractive part of this country, because I haven't seen it yet. Some of the views are incredible and I have to pinch myself daily to make sure this isn't a dream. If it is, I don't want to wake up any time soon.
