Work Stories

Doing what I do, being with the kids all day long, I certainly accrue some awesome work stories!
I had a particularly good story the other week and I thought I would share it with you all.

So I had taken my three little kids to a giant children's wading pool at Greenlake. It was fabulous, they were in their bathing suits, splashing around and playing. We would walk around the wading pool and 'explore'. There were also lots of children and families around to become 'park friends' with!

I had sat down on the edge of the wading pool and was playing with my young girl, Alexiane. Meanwhile, I had let Kianna and Tristan go to play a little bit further away from me, just so long as they could see me and I could keep track of them. So Alexiane and I were having a good time, and we were walking through the wading pool towards where Tristan and Kianna were playing, when suddenly I see Kianna standing out of the wading pool, on the grassy edge of it, bathing suit and swim diaper around her ankles, bent over.... doing a poo!!! On the grass!! In front of dozens of children and picnicking families! I grabbed Alexiane's hand and we raced over there to find Kianna and Tristan looking at the poo observing the flies landing on it. I think the funniest thing was that I was not fazed by any of this. I just wanted to get Kianna to the toilet to clean her up a bit, but I had to congratulate her for trying to do the right thing, just in the wrong place.

A picnicking family nearby called out to me and (just to make it even worse) said "Just to let you know, she has been touching it" hahaha!! I thanked them for telling me, and they were kind enough to provide me with a plastic bag to place the, ahem, poo in. Tristan then ran at me crying "I want to put it in the rubbish! I want to put it in the rubbish!" The hilarity of the entire situation was just beyond description. I shooed him away, deposited the bag in the trash, put Kianna's bathing suit back on her and took all three of them back through the wading pool towards the toilet. I cleaned her up and we went back to playing in the wading pool. Really it was not a big incident, but the amusement of all of it will live forever, making me smile, and giving me pretty much the best work story ever! :)

A Weekend in Victoria, Canada

A little while ago I sprung a deal on the livingsocial website (a website similar to grab one or groupon where they offer a deal for a short amount of time) for a half price ticket on the hydrafoil high speed ferry the Clipper that runs between Seattle and Victoria, BC! I bought a ticket right away and encouraged my other au pair traveling partner to as well, unfortunately she took too long and ended up paying full price! Anyway, we booked for the last weekend in July, shortly after I returned from Switzerland and just days after buying my car. The weather was set to be beautiful so we were really excited!

My friend, Gabriela, stayed the night and then super early in the morning we headed in to the city centre, parked in overnight parking and joined the long line checking onto the boat! Since the boat goes to another country (Canada) we had to queue through customs and all that kind of stuff. We finally got on the boat and settled in for a three hour trip. By 10.30 we were in Victoria, although still stuck on the boat as the customs line on the Canadian side was just as long and slow. It was 11.30 by the time we actually got to the downtown area. Boy what a treat it was, arriving in magnificent sunshine. Victoria is located on Vancouver Island and it is very popular with tourists and the cruise ship crowd on their way back from Alaska (I know that all too well!). There were heaps of people around which created such a buzz and such a fun atmosphere.

After we had checked in to our hostel and had a yummy lunch of frozen yoghurt, we headed to the visitor information center to get a bus ticket for the Butchart Gardens - a beautiful garden about 45 mins from downtown Victoria. We got a great deal - $45 for the bus and admission, and we had freedom to arrive and then leave whenever we wanted. We took a brief look around the famous Empress Hotel before boarding our bus to the gardens.

The gardens were incredible, they really took our breath away. Lush grassy areas, fountains, plants of all colours and sizes, all arranged so beautifully. We also found out that there were going to be fireworks that night. Apparently they put on the fireworks on certain days during the summer and we were lucky enough to be there on one of the days! We wanted to experience the High Tea at the garden, but instead opted for a gourmet picnic dinner, which proved to be the best thing ever invented in the world!!!! More about that later.

Since we had decided to stay all day at the gardens, we suddenly had so much time on our hands, we decided to go really slowly and just enjoy every minute, so we took a long nap in the grass. It was absolute bliss, and the first time I have relaxed and gone slowly while travelling this whole year. In the afternoon we went to have our gourmet picnic dinner. We turn up and see all these lovely picnic tables laid out with checkered tablecloths in the afternoon sun. They gave us each a beautiful basket filled with little containers of food. We had five courses in total: shrimps, salad, chicken and noodles, cheese and bread, and yummy dessert treats! It was the most exciting and wonderful eating experience, and so much more enjoyable than a high tea. For me, who normally travels on the cheapest food possible, it was like a night of absolute luxury. Eating well, relaxing, taking time. It was a tonic for my soul! After dinner we watched the fireworks, they were set to music and told little stories, it was fabulous! Loved every minute. What a day!

The next day we woke up and leisurely made our way to the downtown area. It was beautiful and sunny and we ate frozen yoghurt for breakfast. We enjoyed the waterfront area, we walked to a local castle and the Governor's house. We saw everything we wanted to see and we still had time left, so, for the second time this whole year, we took a break and just relaxed and slept on the grass and people watched. 

Of all the places I have visited, Victoria will always have a special place for me because it was the one and only place I have been where I actually relaxed. Thank you, Victoria BC!

The Stallion & Gina's Car Buying Guide

I have been very lucky to have the uninterrupted use of one of my host family's cars while I have been in the States so far. But, I am a traveller and I loooove to drive, so I really needed a car of my own to make all my trips with. I was praying about a car and I felt that it was what God wanted for me, despite me not having any money to be able to buy one. For a while I entered in to any car competitions that I saw going, but alas I never won any of them. Miraculously, over a short amount of time I was given some money and got a very nice and completely unexpected tax refund in New Zealand which meant I had enough to buy my own car! 

I went straight to work on the car hunt, looking for something in good shape for long roadtrips that still fitted my budget. I found my car two days after returning to the States from Switzerland. I took a look over it and I just knew it was the right car for me. It is a 1992 Subaru Legacy Station wagon, and I named it "the Stallion". It was an incredible price and has no mechanical issues, which is a miracle in itself. It really truly is a miracle car and a tangible answered prayer.

Because I want to do budget roadtrips I bought a station wagon so I could set up a bed in the back and be able to sleep in it. I went down to Home Depot and picked up two foam mattresses for $15 each and cut them into shape, then went to a second hand shop and bought some bedding and supplies and made a very comfortable bed for myself!

My dad tests out the bed and gives it 2 thumbs up!

I have never heard of another au pair buying a car so perhaps I am just a crazy one, but for me it was economical because for the final 13th month of travel in the States I want to do an epic road trip and  renting a car would have ended up even more expensive. Luckily, coming from New Zealand (and from a family who taught me a bit about cars) I knew what to look for in a car and what questions to ask when car hunting. So, I thought I would put together a little guide for anyone else who was interested in buying a car in the States but who never knew how :)

Where to buy it from

When I was looking for my car I only looked on the classifieds website Craigslist - which is like the American equivalent of NZ's trade and exchange or trademe (but with no auction feature - which I liked). There were heaps of listings for cars, I searched them based on price and car make and model. I was only interested in buying from private parties, not from a car dealership, because a dealership has higher prices and they know less about the car's history.

What type of car to buy

I was looking for a roadtrip car that would be very reliable so I was looking for a Japanese car, mainly Toyotas, Hondas, and Subarus. I was looking for a minivan or a station wagon so I could put my bed in the back. A station wagon was better for me in the end because it has better gas mileage than a minivan and was less expensive. I was looking for a car with newer tires, that had been regularly serviced (and had service records), a recently changed cam belt (timing belt), a clean ownership title (i.e, the car is actually owned by the person selling it and does not have a record of being stolen or severely damaged), an engine size around 2L (which has power to climb hills but is more economical than the bigger 3L (or larger) motors). Looking in the lower price bracket meant that it was going to be hard to find a vehicle which met all the criteria, but at least it was a benchmark for me to compare from. I have to say, I was also inspired by a website called www.carsforagrand.com where a group of guys bought a 1974 Pontiac for $899 and drove it from San Diego to Miami! In the States, they have a term to describe a car like that: a 'beater', so yes, I was definitely looking for a 'beater' for my own coast to coast roadtrips!

How I bought my car

I called several numbers from the listings I had been looking at and arranged viewing times with them. I went, asked my questions, took a good look at each car, and took each one for a test drive. I was able to see very quickly if it was the right car for me or not. When I called up the owner of my car, he told me that he had people coming in the morning to buy it! I asked him if it was OK if I came to have a look that night, he agreed because you never know for sure if someone will actually complete a sale. I went to see it and as soon as I had look at it, I instantly knew it was the right car for me, despite any problems it may or may not have. It wasn't that I had fallen in love with the car because I keep my emotions right out of business deals, it was more of a spiritual conviction - I had been praying and praying and praying for the Lord to provide me with a car and I knew right then in that instant that this was the car He had for me. I got an amazing deal on the car, it was a very good price US$1100. It did not meet all my criteria (I had to change the timing belt, and it did not have the full service record), but it was in pretty good condition, you could see that it had been looked after, it had a 2.2L engine, and a clean ownership title. Like I said, I just knew it was the one for me. I bought it on the spot, the previous owner drove it back to my house for me which was kind of him. The owner signed the forms - the Bill of Sale, and the Ownership Title, and I spent the evening organising the car insurance. 

Car Insurance

In the States, car insurance is mandatory. It is also pretty affordable and very easy to arrange. It just took one phone call and it was all sorted. I was able to get full coverage including roadside assistance and fire & theft for only $70 a month. 

Sorting Paperwork

The next morning I went to an emissions testing shop and had the emissions on my car read. They gave me a paper saying I had passed, and I took that, along with the Bill of Sale and the Ownership Title to my local DMV which was located in our local supermarket. They sorted the documents, entered some information into the computer and after I paid an administration fee the car was officially mine!

The car runs so well and I am so so so happy with it. It really is an answered prayer and I will always remember my Stallion, long after I sell it. If you are considering buying a car in the States during your au pair year, feel free to send me any questions you may have. :)

One Day in Paris

In my second to last weekend in Europe I took a high-speed train to Paris one Sunday! I was there for 1 day, stayed the night and then took the first train back the next morning. It was a brief stay, but better than nothing and, in true Gina style, I was able to pack in an awful lot in my short time.

After a 4.30am start, I finally got off the train in Paris at 10.30am. I was dressed in my travelling best - a nice dress with a belt, and had jammed my few overnight essentials (including pyjama pants) into my handbag so I would just have one bag. The aim of all this was to be as free as possible, but also to look as much like a local as possible (it was Paris after all, my well-worn practical comfortable grey travelling pants just weren't appropriate!). I immediately bought a small booklet of Parisian streets (Plan du Paris) which I had read the locals use (instead of a massive fold-up paper map). I then took off on my waka waiwai (feet!) and headed towards the inner city. I am not sure why, but I was so happy walking that I walked the entire day and did not take one bus, metro or taxi. I walked for about 10 hours straight. Boy did my feet hurt the next day!!!

I had read of a nice walking route that goes through quite a large part of the inner city, so I began my day by doing that. I walked through St Louis, past Notre Dame, into the buzzy area of St Germain and the Latin quarter. There I stopped for a Nutella and banana crepe, and some Parisian macaroons! Very nice!

Me looking very French!

Notre Dame

Ahhhh cobbled pathways!

Mounds of macaroons!

The oldest cafe in Paris, first open in 1694!

Paris is built around the river Seine so there are many bridges around to cross from side to side. The bridges were so beautiful, each one was like beholding a little piece of sculptural art. Underneath the bridges it was dirty with broken bottles and urine, but hey, nothing's perfect right?!

I then walked over to the Louvre, walked through the courtyard of the incredible buildings and then walked through the gardens, I would have loved to go into the Louvre but the lines were too long and I simply did not have the time. Another trip :) 

Outside the Louvre, man what a long line to get in!

The gardens

After strolling through the gardens I went to musee l'Orangerie, a museum designed by Monet himself, housing some of his massive Water lilies paintings. It was incredible, and, being a less famous museum, there were no lines! 

Monet's classics on show at the musee l'Orangerie

From there I walked to the Arc de Triomphe. On the way I walked alongside the river and caught my first glimpse of the Eiffel tower!

Champs-Elysees was a neat street to walk down after the Arc de Triomphe. It was absolutely full of people, and I saw some of the most strange sights, like massive queues of people lining up just to get into the Louis Vuitton shop, even the Abercrombie & Fitch shop had a massive line outside of it! I simply could not understand why people would come all the way to Paris simply to line up at an expensive clothing shop!! In my disgust (haha) I walked onwards towards the magnificent Eiffel tower. I got to the base of it and decided to do a Seine river cruise. It was fantastic! And the first chance I had had all day to sit down! It was nice to see the city from the water, and the boatload of tourists proved a great opportunity to people watch!

When I got off the cruise I spent some time walking around the base of the Eiffel tower, taking in the sights, the sounds, the size of it all. I laughed at the length of the line to go up the tower - not for me!! I kept walking on and went and saw the Hotel des Invalides - the tomb of Napoleon. I didn't go right up to the building though because I had to keep pressing on - I had scheduled to meet my couchsurfing host at 7pm! (You didn't think I would come all the way to Paris and not couchsurf did you?!).

My couchsurfing host lived just 5 minutes from the Louvre, so it was a fantastically central location. He was very friendly and we waked to the suburb of Montmarte (made famous in the movie Amelie) on our way to Sacre Coeur - a beautiful white basilica on top of Montmarte hill. As we walked we spoke of travelling and the places we had been, when all of a sudden we turned a corner and there was a group of men in the street having an argument and one pulled out a gun and began waving it around in a frenzied manner. People were running for cover and hiding in nearby stores. I subtly told my couchsurfing host that he had a gun and we just steered off in a different direction. Funnily enough, the gun-toting man walked right passed us shortly after, on the phone calling for mates to back him up. We got to the basilica and it was truly something special to see. It was shining white and people were crowded sitting on the steps ready to watch the sunset. It was so neat. 

View of Montmarte

Sacre Coeur basilica

Walking down from Montmarte, my couchsurfer got a invite from some friends to listen to some live music. I was invited too! We had to pick up our pace a little so we rented bikes and glided through the ancient streets, stopping at various landmarks along the way including the Moulin rouge and the opera house! 

We went to an area called Saint Michel for a fondue dinner (where my host almost set the restaurant on fire by tipping the fondue pot onto the floor!) before meeting up with the friends at a rustic underground bar. It was all made of stone beneath the ground, it was like listening to music in a castle! The band played jazz music all evening, we left at 1am and walked back to the apartment.

Moulin Rouge

Bicycling through the Parisian streets!

Louvre pyramid at sunset

My couchsurfing host (on the right) and his friends at the venue

Bright and early the next morning I caught the metro to the main station and then my train back to Lausanne, Switzerland. On the ride, I befriended a 90yr old artist who was so interesting. He was very friendly and told me all sorts of stories about his life and his paintings and all sorts of things. We spoke for a long time, and at the end of the train ride he said I could stay with him anytime I was in Paris! It was so neat! I felt so blessed to meet him!

Looking back, it is incredible to think that I did all that in just one day! It was an incredible time for me, I loved every minute :)

When In Rome, Do as the Romans

Ahh Rome! For the last two years I have been telling my dad that I would go to Italy. Instead, I ended up in the States, well, little did he know that I would be able to pack in a trip to Italy as well! I took an overnight train from Switzerland to Rome - left at 7.20pm and arrived in Roma at 7.30am the next morning! When I got to Rome I bought some breakfast (Brioche Marmellata - it is to die for!!) and did a little bit of planning, then leisurely made my way to the bus stop to go and meet my couchsurfing host. Unfortunately, that particular day all the public transport was on strike!!! I was so lucky that I was couchsurfing and was able to call my host and ask him to pick me up. He had to pick up another couchsurfer as well, from another station, so while I waited for him I had a quick look around the streets surrounding the station, went to an Italian supermarket, bought some postcards, was proposed to by an Italian man who bought me a bottle of water (strange to say, but this is not the first time I have been asked out by men who buy me bottles of water!) but he was a kind hearted soul and was harmless. I politely refused the man's proposal, and was grateful when I was finally picked up by my couchsurfing host in a beautiful long black convertible! He drove us around the city with the top down, I was in the back, hair flying everywhere, loving every minute of it.

 

How better to experience Rome than to drive through it in a convertible?!!

We went to lunch in a local Italian restaurant, I had the best gnocchi I've had in my life. We then dropped our luggage off at his awesome rooftop apartment with great views and lovely balconies, and went out for proper Italian gelato - now this was really something special. 

My couchsurfing host

My first taste at authentic Italian gelato: Strawberry, After 8, and macaron (yes, it was actually gelato stuffed with macarons!)

Now, in Rome it seems there are gelato shops and gelato shops. Some have a range of standard flavours, of course all are delicious, but the place my host took me to was a real gelato shop - they had so many flavours I could not believe it. It took me 10 minutes just to decide what to have. It was the best gelato I've ever tasted in my life, and was better than all the other gelato I ate in Rome.

After the gelato, the other travelling couchsurfer and I went to the city for a while, we strolled around Piazza del Popolo, saw the sunset views from the Borghese gardens and walked to the Pantheon. We got home around 9pm and went out to dinner at another local restaurant, I have to say, I ate really really well on this trip, like a proper Roman!

Piazza del Popolo 

Rome at Sunset

All the famous names!

The next day, bright and early I headed for the Vatican. I already had bought my ticket so was able to bypass the line (best decision ever!). Of course I was looking forward to the Sistine Chapel - you hear so much about it - but what was really such a surprise for me was just how beautiful the other parts of the Vatican were. Every ceiling was painted, everything was beautiful and ornate and incredible. In fact, it was all so beautiful that when I went into the Sistine chapel, I wasn't all that impressed. The artwork was exquisite, but there were few windows so it was quite gloomy, and there were so many people, and they were disrespecting the rules (no photography, no loud talking) - I have to say it did marr the experience a little. But I found a spot sitting on the side, and I listened to an audio guide I had downloaded which talked me through each section of the ceiling. My time at the Vatican was simply magical.

Wow!!! Painted ceiling in one of the corridors at the Vatican

I left the Vatican after spending hours there, and headed for St Peter's Basilica. Upon entering the Basilica you are hit with this incredible vision of mammoth size and beauty. Everything is generous, lavish and ornate. The ceiling soars so high, the floor is so spacious, there was so much to see. It was breathtaking. The things that man has made for the glory of God, really special. I spent a long time walking around and experiencing it, it was lovely and cool inside - such a refuge from the searing heat outside. And it felt so far away from time and reality, time became meaningless. There were statues everywhere. I didn't even manage to find Michelangelo's Pieta which I was disappointed about, but I wasn't too concerned, there was so many other incredible sculptures.

Bronze statue of St Peter - the feet have been made toe-less from thousands of people touching them over the years.

Amazing rays of sunlight filtering through the windows at St Peter's Basilica

I finally pulled myself away from the church and back to reality. It was 4pm and I hadn't eaten. So I grabbed a gelato and headed toward the Pantheon to get a good look inside (it was closed when I went there the night before). By the time I got there I found out it was closed to the public so they could hold a mass. I asked if I could attend the mass, they let me in! So I was able to go to a Roman Catholic Mass, in the Pantheon, in Rome. It was an unforgettable experience! I could not understand a word of the language, but the singing and the organ and the acoustics of the Pantheon were so amazing to me.

The Pantheon

After the mass I headed back to my couchsurfing home and met some more couchsurfers who were going to stay with him. There were 5 of us in total, and our host decided to drive us out to the beach for sunset! We got there just in time to see the sun disappear over the horizon. We took photos, chatted and put our feet in the warm, warm water of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

At the beach, on the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Mediterranean Sea)

Hanging out with my Couchsurfing friends at the beach at sunset

Just before midnight we left the beach and had authentic pizza in yet another fabulous local restaurant.

Eating 'real' Italian Pizza in Italy!

The next day was my last day, and my train left at 3pm, so I decided to pack in a few more sights - the Spanish Steps, the Fountain of Trevi, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palentine hill, and Circus Maximus. Sounds like a lot, but I managed to do it in plenty of time - even with time to get breakfast at a local cafe. I had my last meal in Italy - a delicious lunch of lasagne at a restaurant near to the train station.

The Spanish Steps

Roman streets

Dropping my coin at the Fountain of Trevi 

Guess what this building is!

Me looking like a turtle with my house on my back at the magnificent Colosseum. The Colosseum itself is looking very bare now, but what made it so neat for me was the audio guide I had downloaded - it really put things in perspective and created the original atmosphere for me. 

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum

Circus Maximus! (looking a little baron and abandoned)

I was exhausted. I got on the train for my 6 hour journey and slept and slept, well, that is until I got a text from a couchsurfer in Switzerland inviting me to the Montreux Jazz festival, to which I immediately replied yes! I got off the train one stop early, went to the Jazz festival until after midnight and then came home for a good sleep! What a fabulous time!