Sigtes and the gurls!

So it’s Carnival time here in Spain, well and couldn’t happen to be any better that I had recently met 3 sweet girls from the US. All differently unique and great.
We all happen to be in the same language course. (which by the way the language course is going pretty good ;) ) I know I will get there.. Eventually.
So one of the Girls Angela (yes indeed I have to friends now called Angela), she got us hooked up with these event planners for college students. “Drive down to Sitges, where the Carnaval takes place on a private bus, including a bottle of sangria for everyone!! (Sitges is a summer- beach town 30-40 min from BCN, and Carnaval there equals a lot of gays and super fun ^^) ,
So as we all have our spot saved we met up at night and went to Carnaval. I was dressed as a peacock, ends of being peacock + some alcohol= a crazy bird, but yes… we went. How fun seriously there were so many people it was quite unbelievable.
We watched the parade, I have no clue what happened later on, I just knew that I looked at Angela and she towards me and we had no clue where the other group was or had gone. So even the girls, Caitlyn and Trina, we had traveled down with were gone. So we just took it as it was and just danced around, walked around, being silly as can be, and yes.. Enjoyed the time. Danced with gurls we didn't know.. haha even spanish, catalanas hahah, So it got to the point of needing to head back to the bus and we both didn’t have a clue how to get there, sooo we squeezed and walked through one of the most crowded street ever and tried to orientate ourselfs, seriously and tried to get through, as we got split a part through all the crowds pushing , we just said or looked the “keep walking and we will see each other at the end” kind of looks… haha… shouldn’t wouldn’t should have done that!… Angela, Angela, Angela?! Where are u?! I looked for 15 minutes, up and down. went on top of brick walls to find her in the crowd.. nothing eijajaja, so I was stuck alone.. I actually (how funny is this) saw a friend of a friend (crazy because I know bout only 7 people in BCN) and just joined their group until I drove back home. Wooow, quite the thaaaang, I took the train, because I had no clue where the Bus was meeting- let me tell ya there was a huuuuge line to get into the train and the sun was coming up aswell- my cell phone you are wondering?! - haha, it fell and it had turned off- of course I didn’t know the pin to turn it on with.. Eijaja.. Haha.. a bit too much drinkiiing huh?! haha
great times, great times....so to the other story...
So Caitlin and Angela and I went to the Park… and played one funny funny game…
?Guapa o Guapo?… translated as Pretty girl or pretty boy…
The game goes like this, find two ugly people, fat, funky, nasty any type similar to that… haha and decide if you had to, which one you’d “do” … ou my gosh, this might be silly and funny sounding to you, but I have never been this close to peeing in my pants ever.. And this many times…. Eijajaj It’s freakin’ hilarious!!!
Well got some news about my living situation, sooo stay tuned! enjoy the videos of us!! carnaaaaaaaaaaaval... sitgesss

... haha

BELIEVE me when I say, I wasn't even drunk yet!!

Crowded...

Caitlin and Angela

trinaaa ;)

dancing, we had lost everyone , laugh

pavooo real,

guapas

yeah.. haha

fun times...

To our fun gammmmmme .. smile

So who would u choose?! guapa o guapo????

　

It's the little things that make you smile, but is it enough?!

(sorry I had taken me this long to finally write again, much going on)
As the Au pair lifestyle can be a little bit ruff, I have learned to listen to clues. It really isn’t bad this lifestyle. Let me just point out some things about it, not considering them wrong, bad or good. Vale? So being the new Au pair is probably quite interesting and comforting when you really are the FIRST new Au pair. But I have been maybe what Au pair number 10, 12, 14 I don’t even now. (the little girl said: “We already had a thousand Au pairs) So taking it as it is, the Mother, Father as are the Kids are very used to the lifestyle the way of “Au pair” -what to I expect and much more. For I am not very familiar with the concept. “My theory” is that it becomes so “Known” to the people, that they leave out the “this is what you need to do exactly” part and do it day by day- kind of like “ou did I forget to tell you this“. Which is fine. I am not even sure with where I am going with this list. You do not live at home, sometimes you are in a foreign country, with foreign cultures, - language, - people and - holidays. It just is a difference. Now having done the change already in many situations I am more prepared then others I think. But there is one gesture that makes you feel very welcome and taken into place. It’s the gesture of belonging. As my Au pair parents brought me “hello kitty” cookies, because the know I love “hello kitty“. As I received a card from Pandora (where I recently skied at) from my Au pair Family. As I just sat with the Parents and Family friend in there “wine room” and drank good wine, eat and talked about many funny things, like 2010, the rich and important people that are ruling and have a lot of power, lots of politics , may I tell you that the “guest” is a PR, Public Relations from German. Very intelligent man and also very “crazy”. These are just the nights, when you were invited and feel a part. Its great…
… For some reason I do have some contra to give to this one. As I have been here for about 2 month, I all the suddenly am being used for every little “sponge” of time the Au pair family can use me with. One week I babysat 4 times (which 2 is normally the max) I wake up the kids 4-5 times a week up instead of just 1-2. I sometimes now have to work weekend days. Which is really funny because, last minutes, 2 hours to, my Au pair mother calls me and says: ou u don’t have to come today?! So great now how am I even supposed to plan anything last minute?!
I opened a gym membership so that I could go and work out, well haha, think about that one twice, because I do not find any time possible, while the gym's business hours suck to get meeee into shape (9am-10pm). So my point of focus here is the time issue. I don’t have time to do anything, just barely a language course and that’s it. - Well wasn’t one of the main goals to also learn Spanish aswell?! So why isn’t it getting any better. Well duh, because I haven’t been talking any absolute any Spanish. It sucks. I go to a language course for 2 h 5 times a week, right, which is good, but my Spanish teacher started talking to us in English at the beginning and now it just sucks, because he accepts that we simply ask in English. So when I am trying to ask in Spanish he’s not helping me and I start speaking in English, because I don’t know how to ask… and everyone is looking at me impatiently Gahh, anyways.. So at the current moment I am thinking about moving families or other accommodations. Because not every Au pair has such a time schedule as me. So I am hoping to find a place to live where that will be accommodated. It’s not only the issue of timing, its where I live as well. I drive into Barcelona and it takes a bit over 1 h and back another one, so 2 h waisted time. Everything doesn’t open until 10 here in Spain, so really my window of possibilities shrank into 10am -1.00. Which really sucks! Really. Valldoreix, the town I live in, has almost nothing to accommodate you with. Not even a gas station. So it’s frustrating because at night after I am done working from 2-9 pm there is just nothing to do. squeze an hour of workout in there till 10 and basta-day is over! I could drive into the city at night, but got to consider it takes 1 h there, 1 h back and a late night call to my host dad, so he could turn the alarm off (quite uncomfortable to kick someone out of bed in the worst hours at night ^^). Well and that has been limited to a small amount as well because my babysitting accurse on weekends. As an example last weekend was Friday and Saturday babysitting time?! Really?! I know my Au pair Family likes me a lot. I know they are friendly and kind to me. So my situation is not bad, I have heard of a bad cases and it's not one of those at all, but  I also don’t feel very “close” to the parents though. I feel that the mum has a weird sight, towards au pairs. There is so much that takes place in feeling comfortable. I feel that my Au pair mum has a bit of a “controlling” personality. Her one daughter is one handful, and she doesn’t get set any boundaries, nor any consequences for her action. So imagine having to work with somebody, who’s parents are teaching them, that “it’s okay to do whatever, because I don’t get in trouble anyways” kind of attitude. Sooo at the current stage, I am not doubting that I could find a better place with more time for myself. I have something I am looking into, so as soon as I know, I will be sure to tell ya’ll about it.!!
I know the girls will be sad, they really do like me soo much, but this is my year, A year I took for myself and why should I settle for less, isn't that what I did the last 4 1/2 years, work, work and more work. So see it as selfish or not, I do want to find a place that accomadates me with, love and a feeling of belonging. A place that respects my values and needs/wants aswell as I theirs! So in good hopes of finding that Family, I am on my way to do! This is my time, my time alone!!
(Here are some pictures, when the girls and I had a “ladies night”. We crafted birthday cards, for the girls birthday. My Au pair child and I have been planning the Birthday together, which is Alien themed. It’s way cool. We drank self-made “caipirinhas” which is a alcoholic beverage (of course left out the alcohol). We made ourselves mini sized hamburgers. We read stories and did have a looooot of fun. The other pictures are of a day we ate out. We went to a Chinese restaurant, where the tables where in a pound of water and fishes were swimming all around, very cool.
So guys, I am not necessary feeling totally unhappy here, I just know that I don’t want to settle for less anymore and make my time as memorable as possible! Stay tuned, because I met some cute girls, I need to tell ya’ll bout!)

upcoming birthday girl

yummy

being silly and having such a great time, silly gurls huh ey ;)

birthday cards handmade, we had quite the crafty night! of course aliiiiiien themed

the cookies they brought me, hello kitty my fav :)

flower time ;)

my host parents

12 courses, bueno no ;)

 having ablast feeding and playing w / the fishiiis

Struggleling in Barca,

My first struggles in Barca,
　
As I told you about my "first" confrontation with my Aupair Mum in Andorra (ski- vaca),I got to thinking and was super nervous these days. I felt like maybe they weren't happy with how I was.
To my part, I really do try. I keep my bathroom (el bano) super clean, as well as my Bedroom (el dormitorio). (She wants them mopped once a week and well cleaned) I don't leave anything laying around. I say thanks, I am super polite, I try to join into Family activities. I try to play with the kids (which they are super busy, we don't ever really have time to play, but the girls are starting to grow on me, we are bonding ;) ) Follow her instructions, ask if I could help when I see them doing "housework" like laundry, cooking and so on, I clean the kitchen , wash dishes/ empty the dishwasher, things that could be expected- I try. So as its not as easy to know how things and people like things to be done- I try to guess! Well ….I guess there were a few things she needed to tell me.
One morning she came in my room and said, we need to talk. She said: what are you doing now. You seem like you are on the waiting list. What are your plans. Are you staying here, are you thinking about doing something else?!
- it was strange the talk, since I didn't know what exactly she meant with "waiting list" and couldn‘t read the orca of the conversation,--- was it negative or positive -or even both!?. She said that Au pairs have it pretty easy and that there are things that she automatically does, but the Au pair should be doing them. (was that I sign of me not doing things- or just a statement). I wasn't sure and after that talk I was just totally sad. I was confused. Followed by strange days of "not being woken up and told to eat breakfast" Then I was also told that they will start having a Meal plan. (a few days before that, she said that they waited for me for lunch- but I never came- in my defense I had told them I went to go workout) I am not sure when we eat and when to tell them.. and eijajaja. A lot of things you see!
So As I am just worried and not feeling comfortable. I am trying to find solutions. My friend was suggesting a job position as a "cleaning lady" also with room and board, same hours more physical work but also more money. So I was enjoying that thought for a while. But How would I tell them this (my current Au pair fam). Hmm, happens to be that the job offer I got, was the German friend of my Au pair mother. (this would just complicate the situation even more) therefore I wasn't sure if I should even have my Friend Angela ask about the position. Well she did and her Au pair mum said that I was "too good" for this job. Then at night time my au pair mum was on the phone with My friend Angela's Au pair mother. So now I was totally confused and scared that she would say something. Aghh, gah…..!
Then I received the “good” news from Angela- my friend- she said. Andy your Fmaily totally loves you. They were just lifting you up high. They were so pleased and said it is working out so well. Jipiiiiie…. Gah, So happy… next morning… what can I say, I saw the light and the positive again :D… my Au pair mother so cute.. Bought me these cookies.. “hello kitty” cookies, because she knows I love “hello kitty” hahah… supper sweet.
We had some great sunny days… Some lunches with the family, delicious deserts.
Ou, I started school. It is a language school in Barcelona. Metropol. I am currently catching up 30 hours of class in 6 hours of private lessons, therefore I will be able to join back with the group (hopefully) so every day I have these lesson with her, we go through 3-4 chapters.. And my brain is in overload.. I feel like I don’t have the chance to practice one thing slowly.. Eijaja.. Not so sure how this is going to go.. Well Andy, time to get to work and study… Going out it put down for a while, focus and structure is much needed… and it wouldn’t be any better then to share this with my Spanish bestie Angela. We just sat down at the beach studied at her place, I help her in English and she helps me with my Spanish! J I am incredibly happy to have found her.. Gah, I don’t get how similar we are sometimes.
She said, my dream car is a mini, in black, convertible… gahhhh mine too but in charcoal; (weird, I know but its crazy).“Andy should we buy chocolate.. “ “ well I only eat dark dark chocolate” “haha so do I” She is a believer… she’s awesome!
She is a person that fits in my life… Introducing the things that I need. And had planned. (like we said back in the treatment center I used to work for.. A total healthy friend and such positive influence) Gah, She is a blessing!
Wednesday- miercales (castellano) aka “miracle day“… is her birthday… salsa, cake and much needed fun J stay tuned!

Studying Spanish, Angela didn't want to smile for the cam

Angela and andy

Barca center beach

did I mention how ou sooo deliciouuuuuus these sweets are, not too sweet just right on (that's dangerous ^^)

beautiful spring time

herbs from our garden