Hollande (Holland)

What a life I live! I’m 3/4ths of the way through with my 3rd two week vacation and just got back from a six day trip to Holland! I went with my friend Sarah, who is from Mexico but like me, works as an au pair in Paris. We set off on our voyage last Wednesday. The train takes only three hours to go to Amsterdam but we had to take a train after that to go to Groningen, a college-town in the north. Why Groningen, you ask? We thought it would be a good idea to go to other cities besides Amsterdam to see another aspect of Holland. Groningen was easy because we could stay there for free with Arlet, Sarah’s Dutch friend who had studied abroad for a year in Mexico. On our way there, there was an issue with the train. It happened like any tourist situation in a country where they don’t speak your language: you’re sitting comfortably in your seat when a voice comes over the intercom and says something that you understand to be absolute nonsense but it propels all of the people around you into action. You’re left clueless and helpless unless you can find someone to translate. Fortunately, practically everyone in Holland speaks English, so we were able to find a translator. The train had some problem and another one had to come in it’s place. Ugh… hiccups like that while you’re traveling can be rough. With no other choice but to wait for a train that “may or may not come”, we hung out in a very cold train station and people-watched. Finally, a woman who worked for the train company told us that we could catch the train on platform 5—it would leave in five minutes. We ran to platform 5. 5a or 5 b??? Ahh! We jumped on a train just before the doors closed. “Is this the train to Groningen?” Yes. Whew!!

After arriving in the station, taking the bus, and meeting Arlet; we dropped our stuff off and went out for drinks. While walking to the bar we saw just how cute this little Dutch town was. Sarah and I both remarked how it reminded us of Holland at Epcot! Spot on Disney! Well done! The next day was explored more of this picturesque place but found that there wasn’t a lot for tourists to do. We climbed (up a very narrow and long spiral staircase) to the top of Martini Tower, the sin-dial tower of the city. It was a lovely view of all of Groningen but it was windy and very cold so we didn’t stay for long. The rest of the day we wandered around and eventually ended up in a coffee shop. Now, in case you don’t know, marijuana is legal in Holland. As is prostitution (i.e. the Red Light District**—which can be found in every city, even Groningen). So coffee shops are actually where you buy the marijuana. You can smoke it there, too. It’s not that we’re opposed to smoking, but this particular day we chose not to as we would be meeting Arlet for dinner and we figured it would be rude to show up super high. But it still turned out to be an interesting experience because we realized that we did feel a little different after a few minutes surrounded by the smoke. No, I didn’t see pink elephants or whatever you think happens when you’re high—we both felt an energy that wasn’t there before— and, typically of course, we were more giggly. So anyway, that was the end of that. We went out with Arlet and had a really great time. The one really astounding thing was that when we left the bar at 3:30 in the morning, everybody and their mom was out and about on their bicycles—going home, going to the next club, wherever. But always on bike. No matter what time of day. I loved it.

The next day we were off to Amsterdam. We stayed with a friend of Arlet’s in Amsterdam, but he was busy with life so we didn’t hang out much. In the end he had to go away for the weekend so we stayed in a little hotel for a couple nights. But Amsterdam is very cute with all it’s canal’s and people on bikes. We did our touristy things during the day—Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank’s House, Sex Museum, and the Hash Museum (Actually we didn’t go in the last one, but we did pass it on the street). One night we strolled through the Red light District. I was surprised by how pretty the girls were. In fact the whole area was very pretty. The road was split by a canal and in this canal were swans! Periodically a bridge linked the two sides of the road and to top it off, the buildings that housed the “ladies” where typical Dutch architecture that is the epitome of charming. Wouldn’t be so bad to work there, right? Mom, Dad; I’m JOKING! Haha.

The weather was lovely except that it was C O L D!!! At night it was below freezing and not too much warmer during the day. The killer was the wind. Ugh, it makes me cringe just thinking about it. In fact, the cold is the only thing keeping me from wanting to live there.

One of the most interesting things that happened while we were there was that I realized my eagerness to speak French. Neither of us knew Dutch and it was almost tiring to hear it because I simply cannot make sense of it. Sarah and I always speak French together, so it was more conflicting to have conversations with people in English. What was the most fun was when we could speak French and no one understood us. This came in handy when we were out on the town and we could discuss the gentlemen who were courting us without worrying about being over heard. Muahaha.

But by the end, we were ready to go home. We’d run out of clean clothes and money and we we’re ready to understand the voices on the trams and trains again. Paris waited for us with warmer weather, our own beds, and normal, non-traveling food (I will not eat another sandwich for a MONTH!). Mmmm… So life is good. Till the next time!

** Red Light District—Arlet told us a little know fact about the RLD that I think I should share with the world. Yes, some girls choose to live this life, but many do not. There are still girls there who are forced to work and are part of human trade. I don’t know what can but done but I think knowledge is power. Now you know.

J'aime le soleil! (I love the sun!)

Paris has been a cold and cloudy place since the beginning of winter but today… its sunny and warm and absolutely fantastic. I walked outside to run some errands and felt the sun on my skin for the first time in a long time. It was the kind of moment where the lingering cool air of winter surrounds your skin but the sun pierces through and warms it. Ahh. I took a deep breath. What I hadn’t realized was there, weight of winter on my shoulders, the coldness stuck in my hands, the tension that keeps my body tucked into my clothes to keep me warm, was melting, cracking, and crumbling away. I didn’t want to move because I knew the shadows around me held the prickly feeling of winter. I just kept filling my lungs with the fresh air. The warmth reminded me of the possibilities ahead of me. I allowed myself to dream of the upcoming few months. What I only hope will be weekends spent with my friends drinking bottles of wine and eating delicious baguettes on the Champs de Mars, along the banks of the seine, in the Jardin du Luxembourg, and at the top of the Arc de Triomphe. I dreamt of the summer, when the sun would no longer be my friend. When I can wear shorts and t-shirts and try to be tan. Mmmm. I was completely rejuvenated, like I had the energy to do anything. I decided that later I would go for a run (in SHORTS! My pasty legs need to see the sun) which gave me the opportunity to watch airplanes cross the expansive cloudless sky. It inspired me to be poetic (or at least try)! However, after a few minutes, a light breeze blew and stole the warmth that was resting on my skin, reminding me that it’s only the beginning of February, winter isn’t finished. But the quiet excitement remained: Spring is coming!!

On top of it all! Another 2 week vacation starts tonight!! I’ll be traveling to Holland for a week with my friend Sara. After that, I’ll enjoy my time in Paris or here at the house but without responsibility of dealing with the children! I’ll be sure to keep you all updated!
Have a good weekend!

Le Week-end avec les Jeannettes (The Weekend with the Jeannettes)

Apologies to my followers! I haven’t written in a while. I have a confess to make. Th reason I’ve been too busy to write, is because I’m searching for jobs here, in order to stay for a bit longer. Not forever! But another year would be nice. So I’ve been writing and rewriting my CV and cover letter in English and French which has taken up all of my blogging time. No jobs yet, but its early yet and I remain hopeful.

In other news, I spent last weekend with the jeannettes. Background: Sometime around September Alain was telling me that, as scout master of his troop, he was short one leader for the youngest group of girls. If he couldn’t find anyone the group would not be able to participate this year. They met only one Sunday each month. No big deal. My age and gender fit the criteria and at the time I had few to no friends to hang out with on the weekends so I volunteered. Not to mention the could-have-been terribly uncomfortable situation if I had said “No, sorry. I’d rather sit at the house every Sunday and surf the web. Zoe- no scouts for you and Alain- failure for your troop.” THAT is highly frowned upon in this family--- understandably so. Long story short, I am a chieftain name Ameriquette (because I’m from America, cute huh?) for the Jeannettes, girls ages 8-12.

Back to the story. As I had been told that it was simply one Sunday a month, I was a little perturbed to be spending my entire weekend there (I stayed in Friday out of fear that I would be too tired too communicate!). On top of that, it was the last weekend my friend Gillian would be in town before he moved to Bordeaux and I would have liked to go to that party Saturday night. Alas, there have been and will be others. None-the-less that morning I woke up in a annoyed mood because of what I would be doing for th next 30 hours. What broke my brooding humor was what you see in the picture. Alain was showing Zoe his old duffel bag and said that it was large enough to fit here. And sure enough, he was right.

All went well Saturday despite the fact that it was the only weekend in January that the temperatures dipped and lingered below freezing. Really, it wasn’t such a problem because we were inside but I was still ever so reluctant to take off my coat and, at times, gloves. (Can you guess who the foreigner is? Yep, the only one wearing all of her winter-wear INSIDE.) The girls were happy to be there and I was energetic enough to speak and understand French. Like normal, we went to mass. Side note: this is a catholic organization and I am not catholic. No big deal, I guess, because even if I was, I certainly wouldn’t know the words in French. But I am still totally lost in the rituals but I can stand, sit, and do the sign of the cross with everybody else. I’m pretty sure all the girls think I’m a little crazy when I do things like that. If you went to mass last week you’d know that topic was happiness and what makes us happy (answer: the love of Christ). Our girls were sitting front and center and so the pries chose to talk to them. He asked them “Why are you happy?” The answers were innocent and childish and therefore cute. My favorite response, however, came from Elisa, the youngest and smallest of the group. She said “parce que j’ai mangé” (because I ate). We had just eaten a deliciously sugar snack and apparently that’s all it takes to make her happy. Haha. Amen, sister.

The rest of the evening passed easily and the girls were in their sleeping bags by 9:30 and “asleep” by 10. Christy was in her sleeping bag by 11:30 but had a difficult time going to sleep. My sleeping bag was laid on a very thin pallet which was on a cold, hard floor. Not to mention Elisa work up crying 3 times that night. Ugh…

Sunday proved to be more difficult. About 3 girls woke up at 7am which distrubed everyone and was one and a half hours before we planned to wake up. So running on what I estimate to be 4.5 hours of sleep, I started the day. My French and patience were at critically low levels but Marine, the other leader with me, did all the talking until I regained some energy around lunch time. After that I was in charge of two activities conducted by just me. It was pretty difficult because I hadn’t prepared well enough in advance and simply didn’t know the words I needed like “let go”, “untangle”, “wrap”, and “tie a knot”. In the end, I managed but with frustration from both ends.

Finally, the end of the weekend had arrived!! But we did one more assembly to show the parents and to do “the promise” for two girls. The Promise is a higher level without the group and is fairly important. I watched all the girls faces and it reminded me of what it was like when I was little. What a HUGE deal it was and how it really impacted my life. It made me happy to be a part of that despite my frustrations.

Definitely rewarding but I’m glad to be free this weekend. My friends and I are doing a girls night Saturday and, to be perfectly honest, we’ve decided to dedicate this weekend to our mischievous friend, tequila. I will surely have some good stories for you next week. Until then, take care!!