Published by Jess
on 30 September 2008 at 1:29 PM. 
I just returned from my first French lesson. The best part about it? I didn't have to wake up with a two year old! It is one o clock in the afternoon & I am not yet worn out from playing ball and reading Mimi.
The lesson itself was a new experience for me. The lesson is taught completely in French because there is not a common language between all the students (though all but one student does speak some English). It is difficult for me to, not only talk so much in a class, but to speak in French in class. I had to read my French alphabet, say my name & where I was from, and count up to ten. The teacher was very nice and encouraging. The other students in the class ranged from the old to the young and came from all over the globe. Some spoke with confidence and others struggled in their pronunciations. I was one of the only ones who could speak only one language though. The lessons will be good for me if I can overcome my shyness and just learn to speak with confidence and learn to laugh at myself. Probably the homework will be the most difficult art as I won't feel like doing it in the evenings.
Life in Brussels is going well for me. I am slowly begininning to feel like a part of the city. I get asked for directions on a regular basis (though I have never been able to show a person the correct way). I believe I am adjusting to my job here, learning that I just have to be as flexible and as understanding as possible. Living in Brussels is much different than my time in London because the majority of my time is not my own. I think I am shaping my character here. I am learning not to be selfish with my time--I must share most of it with the family. I am learning patience--I can't speak the language so I can't understand the family a lot of the time. So much to learn.
Published by Jess
on 21 September 2008 at 10:01 PM.
Today in Brussels the roads were completely off limits to cars. Bikes and baby strollers took over the roads which were framed by parked, depressed cars. The weather was beautiful, a more beautiful day for biking could not have been asked for. God smiles upon those who practice a 'green' lifestyle. I took my bike for a spin along with hundreds of other bikers all out enjoying freedom on the open roads. After a spin around the cemetary and who knows where, I ended up in a busy square where I sat and watched people going by. There were some pretty unique bikers and bikes out and about. One woman had a puppy in the basket attatched to her bike.
Published by Jess
on 16 September 2008 at 6:47 PM.
This weekend I had my first waffle, complete with ice cream and chocolate sauce. It was quite good, but I am pretty sure that I have had better ones at home. One fond memory of Valley Forge College when I was there was the belgian waffle maker in the Cafeteria. Oh how good it was after a bad meal to make a waffle and put on your own ice cream, chocolate sauce, and nuts. You really would think a waffle in Belgium would top that memory for me, but it has yet to. I won't stop eating waffles here though. I must continue to search for the perfect Belgian waffle.
This weekend I also went an an 'au pair' meeting. There were over thirty girls there from all over Europe who, the majority, have just recently arrived in Brussels. It was a bit akward as we sat there in the English pub starting at one another, to b
reak down cultural barriers and to connect on the common ground we all held. My new American friend and I were the only girls there from the States--apparently Brussels is not a popular destination for us American au pairs. I didn't stay at the meeting very long as I was feeling a bit sick and wanted to catch up on some sleep before I had to be back to work. It was good to stay long enough to see that other girls are taking time to adjust to their new families and other girls had two children under the age of four to look after!! I can't imagine!!
Also this weekend was a concert directly across the street. A concert complete with fireworks at midnight. You can somewhat see from the picture the many colored lights that were put in to place. It's crazy to me that it took nearly a week and a half to set up for this two night event. It was interesting to see all the people walk in and then to see them leave again. I am thankful it is over though because it is not pleasant to be awoken at midnight by loud booms and bright lights.
Published by Jess
on 11 September 2008 at 9:17 PM.
Today I sang the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" at least fifteen times. Little did I know that singing it and doing the motions would quickly become the magic key to getting Clarence to stop dead in his tracks. Little did I know that should I make the mistake of humming any tune whatsoever (I can hum because its not Monday!) he would do the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" motion and scream 'encore encore encore!!' which means 'more more more!!' Oh dear. The kid is horrified of spiders and yet he loves the song. He won't have anything to do with any other songs I introduced...If I have to spend the next year singing that song I might just explode.
Yesterday was his birthday party. Complete with ballons, lots of candy, chocolate cake, and crazy French speaking relatives and children. Of course I felt like the awkward American nanny in the corner. Things only felt more awkward when I realized I had a big stain on my shirt. Oh geez, I have become the stereotypical (if there is a stereotype for us) American nanny. Stains on my shirt, hair all over the place, singing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" on demand. The lines I will be able to add to my resume after this job.
In other news I met another American au pair who has been here for three weeks today. It was nice to be reassured that I'm not the only one who is going through the whole transitional phrase. Made me wish that I had more time to get out and about though and talk to other people. I realized how long I really have been shut up in this house talking to a two year old.
Published by Jess
on 09 September 2008 at 9:54 PM.
The following excerpt was taken from a book written by an Italian author entitled Invisible Cities. It imagines a conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan
" 'The other ambassadors warn me of famines, extortions, conspiracies, or else they inform me of newly discovered turquoise mines, advantageous prices in marten furs, suggestions for supplying damascned blades. And you?' the Great Khan asked Polo, 'you return from lands equally distant and you can tell me only the thoughts that come to a man who sits on his doorstep at evening to enjoy the cool air. What is the use then of all your traveling?' "
...
I have been thinking a lot about my reasons for being here. What is the use of all my traveling? Sometimes I wonder why I do it. Its not that it is the easiest path to follow. It's difficult to try to become part of a family that doesn't speak your language. It can be time consuming to figure out a new city as you slowly forget about and are forgotten in your old city.
...
"What he (Marco Polo) sought was always something lying ahead, and even if it was a matter of the past it was a past that changed gradually as he advanced on his journey, because the traveller's past changes according to the route he has followed: not the immediate past, that is, to which each day that goes by adds a day, but the more remote past. Arriving at each new city, the traveller finds again a past of his that he did not know he had: the foreignness of what you no longer are or no longer possess lies in wait for you in foreign, unpossessed places."
...
Enough of random book quotations that you could care less about. Things here are continuing on with the same challenges. Not knowing the language, wondering exactly what the family expects, and trying to make some friends in a new place. I can't believe that I have been here for only three weeks. Or maybe that's a long time, I don't know. It's practically one month gone. I keep thinking about the U curve that I came to know so well at OIS. (I will think about the W curve later)
It seems I am tottering back and forth between the honeymoon and the hostility stage. The little guy celebrated his second birthday today. Tomorrow is the celebration complete with chocolate cake. It could be sufficiently boring for me since I do not speak French and that is what everyone will be speaking. I can't wait for my French lessons to start! I really should be more proactive and start trying to learn it on my own...but when I attempt to speak it the children just poke fun at me and that tends to be discouraging. I can hear the words in my head it is just that they don't want to jump out of my mouth.
Published by Jess
on 07 September 2008 at 3:07 PM.
It has been almost three weeks since I got here. I can't believe how quickly time does go the older you get. Being with the kids all day I realize why time moved so slowly when we were little--we didn't have any great time consuming projects. We could move from activity to activity without feeling like there was something else that we should be spending our time on. If you want to play ball for 20 minutes you can. Lately, during the day, I never spend more than twenty minutes on any one activity. You can do a lot in a day when it only requires twenty minutes of your time. For instance, on Friday I:
- played ball
- pretended to eat and enjoy plastic food
- read 'mimi' book, making up the story of my own since it was in French
- made lunch
- played ball some more
- played kitchen
- went for a walk and fed the ducks (or the baba's as the little one calls them)
- drew some pictures
- etc, etc, and some more repeating...
A day spent on such activities is exhausting. I struggle to spend more than twenty minutes on any of the time consuming activities that I have filled my life with. eh.
Today in Brussels the roads were completely off limits to cars. Bikes and baby strollers took over the roads which were framed by parked, depressed cars. The weather was beautiful, a more beautiful day for biking could not have been asked for. God smiles upon those who practice a 'green' lifestyle. I took my bike for a spin along with hundreds of other bikers all out enjoying freedom on the open roads. After a spin around the cemetary and who knows where, I ended up in a busy square where I sat and watched people going by. There were some pretty unique bikers and bikes out and about. One woman had a puppy in the basket attatched to her bike. 
