First Month

i have been here 1 month and i hope you are not tired of me saying i love it here... cause i love it here!!! i just got back from a horseback ride. which was awesome.. however.. all those english lessons i took however long ago.. like when i was what 12!? really didnt help i was bouncing around like my sister when we went horseback riding in the Dominican. all my insides were defiantly not in their proper places!

this week was also my first week with both parents back at work.. and it is pretty good considering i was expecting the worse! the only thing that has really changed is i now get some exercise in the morning walking with Robin and Ruby to kindergarten.. which is good... cause i know i need it. TO MUCH POTATOES! but i wont stop eating them cause everything tastes sooooo good! i am also in a bit of a routine now which is good even though i did wake up thursday sick so needless to say that day was a little rough trying to be happy and play all day when i really wanted to sleep. other than that everything is the same ol' and i have nothing to complain about other than surprise surprise  the language. the language schools havn't returned any emails or phone calls.. so i dont know how im going to get into class... and i really really need to!!! 

xo Cheers

B

p.s. my birthday was great, woke up to a lovely present from my family (paints (: ) then worked then we went to Bad Bevensen one of the neighboring towns and had a nice dinner out! 

Carnival

Friday afternoon I started my adventure to carnival in Köln.. only 2 hours in it became more exciting than I expected or wanted… meaning the train system 1 Brenna 0… I took a train in the wrong direction for 3 hours!!! I ended up in Leer which is by the north sea with no phone numbers or anyway of contacting my family or Kathi’s family (when you phone turns off here to turn it back on you need to enter a pin.. I didn’t remember my pin)… thankfully the man that noticed I was on the wrong train was able get a hold of Carola.. however it quickly declined in helpfulness when I had no idea where my pin was in my room after that conversation was over and her now worrying like she was my own mother about me another kind fellow was about to find Kathi’s home phone number which I then called and told them I wouldn’t get into Cologne till 1 in the morning (I should have been there by now). I then was given a new ticket with new instructions of what to do and where to go.  Then the conductors of both trains I was going on were notified about what had happened… by this time I am not doing so well with holding back the tears but I manage to hold them back enough till I was alone and waiting for my proper train to take me to Münster the I balled like a baby.. thinking about it now I’m not really sure why considering everything was going to be okay… I was just going to arrive very very late. It was a 2 hour train ride to Münster then another 2 hour till Köln and on both trains when the people came around to check my tickets.. they went “OHHHHH! So you’re the girl that got on the wrong train”. Haha I just had to laugh. On the plus side, my train from Münster to Köln was super old school and had compartments and I may or may not have thought I was on the Hogwarts Express…..

So after a 9 hour journey I arrive at Kathi’s house…only 5 hours late.. not bad eh..

At Kathi’s house the next morning we got up… all laughed at my misfortune and started to get ready for Carnival. We dressed up as Dalmatians and went into Leverkusen. It was nothing like I have ever seen so many people and so many awesome costumes. We started drinking as soon as we got out of the car.. it was very weird to actually be allowed to drink on the streets, it was hard for me to walk pass a police man when I was doing a shot and not instantly feel like oh Scheiße im going to get in trouble, however that was not the case.  We got into town at 1 and watched a parade at 3 where they throw heaps of candy and sometime give out flowers; we stayed there till about 6 (drinking the whole time). We (Kathi, Kathi’s middle sister Marie and myself) went back home for some food.. got into less warm costumes but still Dalmatians then trained into Köln where we went to 3 different bar/clubs/brew house and came home a 4 and I can honestly say I don’t think I have ever drank that much beer in my life!!  So all and all it was a great time!!

During my time at Carnival some things did happen and Kathi said I was just getting the full experience and that it was normal for Carnival hahah…

1. Got my ass slapped by a complete stranger in the train station (sorry you had to hear that Grama)
2. Meet a Canadian that just moved to Frankfurt with his wife from Salmon Arm 
3. Had a Creepy German keep telling me things in German.. and every time I would look and him and say English he would run away.. then he came back a kissed the top of my head.. Kathi and Marie just laughed.. I was a little shocked
4.  Met another guy (not Canadian) but has been living in Toronto for the last 6 years. 
5. Taught a few Germans what a Jäger Bomb was 
6.  Had people that found out I was Canadian constantly try to get me to sing Oh Canada! 
7. Took a guys contact out for him on the train ride home (dont worry it was kathi's friend not a stranger.. but a stranger to me)
8. And had my fake eyelashes cut my eyelid!  

 
Therefore if you are ever in Köln for Carnival.. I highly suggest you GO!!

Xox B

I placed my mark in a bar called boogaloo

dalmatians during the parade

Jan Kathi Marie and myself walking to another bar

False Alarm

False Alarm. Even though Carola (mama) went back to work and i thought it was going to be supppperrr hard but Christian (papa) is still on some holidays so it is more work than before but still nothing to extreme! I do have to wake all 3 up and get the fed and dressed but it isnt so much a push to get them all out the door.. i am able to take Ronja out and wait for the bus then come back and make sure the boys are set for the day. Next week however might be a bit of a different story!

As my time here progresses i can honestly say i don't have anything to complain about. I feel more like a member of the family then i thought i would and really enjoy just hanging out with the family (even when i don't have to). So far we have gone skating on a pond behind the house (and i wasn't as bad of a skater as i thought!!), played all sorts of fun and irritating games. Made play-dough and i even made spaghetti for dinner one night. I have also made a new friend (another Au Pair) from Russia, seen many of the surrounding villages and even sat in on an advance German language class.. which we all know.. did not go over well.. (i was so lost!) so i am now currently waiting for a beginner class to open up so i can actually start speaking full sentences to the children not just the odd German word here and there.  But i guess i cant expect to much considering it hasnt even been a month since i left the comfort and familiarity of Canada!

Till Next Time!
xo B

Dive Into Chaos

Monday i start the real work.. vacation is over! Mama goes back to work and i am left alone. Dun Dun Duhhh! I have to get all 3 children up, fed and dressed and out the door by 8:05am! wait for the bus to pick up Ronja then Ruben, Robin and i walk Robin to kindergarten. Come back to the house, clean up the chaos..then have to pick Robin back up at 12... and the chaos starts all over again till Mama gets home!

Oh Boy!! Wish me luck...I AM GOING TO NEED IT!

xo
B

So Far So Good!

Since last time, I have participated in a 7 year olds birthday which was very interesting considering they were talking to and about me.. and again I had absolutely no clue what was going on. However, at this birthday party there was the cutest little ginger boy named Max, if I was ever to have ginger children.. He would be what I would want them to look like!! Then I had my first day off.. it was strange. I had no idea what to do with myself, and the children went to their Oma’s house for a sleep over so I didn’t even have the children to play with. So needless to say I spent a stupid amount of time on the computer when you were all sleeping so I couldn’t even talk to anyone. And then watched part one of Lord of the Rings with English subtitles. Nevertheless that evening went quite well because I went out for dinner and drinks with the parents after their volunteer fire department meeting. Even though I couldn’t understand the conversations being told I found myself still laughing and being a part of the conversation.. It was strange.. again. I made good friends with a 14 year old girl at this meeting/dinner that keeps her horse at my house.. I feel like I have a new friend for the year.. because she would speak English to me!! But I also meet a Russian girl named Deanna who is also an Au Pair in my town.. but I can tell she doesn’t like it very much.. and her explaining what she does in a day.. I don’t think I would like it either. I lucked out BIG TIME! I love my family and everything about my stay here so far! It is going to be an excellent year I’m sure. 

p.s. -16 this morning while i was waiting with Ronja for the Bus... i thought i left Canada!! 

Success!

Today: i got through a full game of make believe with the kids in complete German and ACTUALLY understood what they were trying to tell me!!
xo B

First Meeting!!

hallo, Guten Tag!!!

the family.. (as of first impression)  AWESOME. they joke all the time and are so nice! the kinder (kids) are good..not to shy and so far we are getting along great!. the girls name is Ronja.. but it sounds like they say on-ya she is turning 7 on the 3rd. then there is Robin he is 4 turning 5 in may and his name is pretty much said the same just German sounding obviously haha. and last but not least is Ruben who is 2 turning 3 in November.. he is still warming up to me but i will soon be spending all day with him so im sure it will be good!! They don't speak ANY English.. hahah and i have been just guessing and learning what they want and have been saying today and half of yesterday. Ronja is really good with slowing down and doing actions for me to figure it out.. and if i still cant we just stare at each other for a moment then move on...hahaha

Everything out here is so beautiful! flat (not like Saskatchewan) and loads of farmland but it very cool and quite.. 

but i will put up pictures soon..

xo. B