Halloween

Today is Halloween and to celebrate this ancient fest turned into a children candy charity (not that I never did it myself) we did a few of the classics. Me and my family never were big on Halloween stuff except for a bit of trick-or-treating and unsuccessful pumpkin carving in the early years.
Now that I take care of two children however, I at least tried to get into the mood.

Now the first thing that pushed everyone in the right direction wasn't even my idea or accomplishment, but I'm gonna tell you nevertheless. The children's German grandparents came to visit for a week and the grandma made this fantastic pumpkin soup. It was wonderful, I have never eaten something just like that. I even asked for the recipe which I will upload as soon as possible.

Starting with the pumpkin. We got one that was marked for carving only and it got clear why as the insides were all weird and absolutely useless for baking or cooking. Sadly we made the mistake to leave it like that for three days because we wanted to do the face together with the children but also went to Central London on the weekend. Do. Not. Do. That!! It got all mushy and smelly and frankly just disgusting. 0/10, do not recommend.
But we went on. After some google research and lengthy discussions we chose a cute little face for our rather cute little pumpkin-victim. We - or rather I - draw the face on the outside and then carved it really carefully.
In the end it actually turned out really good and we were able to put it outside our door (it was still too smelly to leave it inside).

Sadly that was about the end of the family Halloween, but that doesn't mean I didn't have some more fun! For the first time I actually decided to go to a Halloween party this year. I'm in London for gods sake, might as well do something I'm really not good at - socializing.
First of all, I dyed my hair again. It didn't go quite as I wanted, but now I have Manga-like hair so that's ok. I wanted to go from red to all blonde so I could dye them later on in different colours, only I didn't see the little instruction not to use it on already dyed hair. In the end, my roots are blonde and the rest just faded to some kind of red-bloodorange.



I have two costumes. One of them was for yesterday, the day before Halloween. A simple glow-in-the-dark skeleton T-Shirt from Primark and the easiest skeleton make-up there is. I only drew some teeth on, smeared some black colour on my nose and drew a tear-like thing under my right eye.
Later that night my friend and I went into Kingston. We were at a Manga cosplay meeting but only stayed for the quiz, mainly because my friend has no idea about Mangas/Animes and because I like them, but don't actually know that many, let along any facts. Besides, the noises gave me a headache.
Then we grabbed a bit in my standard pub O'Neill's and then went on a last walk through the city as my friend would be flying back to Germany just a few hours later.

Today is gonna be a bit more interesting I hope. Like I said, I decided to go to Central London. My costume was quite cheap as I did a lot of the 'scary' stuff myself, which means I ruined a pefectly fine dress from one of the many charity shops that you can find everywhere in Britain.
I tried to go for zombie bride with a rather elegant short lace dress in a champagner (?) colour. We made some holes and rips into it and then splashed it with mud and fake blood. It's not the best, but I think I rather like it. Together with ripped tights, my black leatherjacket and black boots and some makeup I didn't decide on just yet it's gonna be a great night I'm sure.

Although I should add that I don't expect too much from tonight. It's always the same with doing something for the first time, it's gonna be awkward and embarassing and I will probably feel out of place at first, but at least I'm gonna try it. If nothing works I will just try and get drunk, that always works.

Anyway, Happy Halloween and have a nice evening. Try not to get egged by buying the children's love with cheap candy and insult your neighbours with the best and most expensive decoration you can get your hands on.

Halloween

Halloween is behind us and man, what a night.
First of all: my costume wasn't extravagant and neither was my make-up, but as least it was easy and easy to remove. It went into some kind of murder(ed) broken doll. Torn tights, a black leather jacket and black boots made it more comfortable and rock.

At around 5pm I drove into London with the bus, getting off before Leicester Square which was a really good idea because there was a little 'parade' with people in costume driving on their in-line or roller skates. It was awesome, there was the puppet from Five Night's at Freddy's, zombies, werwolves, vampires, teletubbies and many more. I walked around a bit as I wouldn't meet the other au pairs for almost another two hours. On my way through Soho and Chinatown I saw some other really good costumes like the Spirit from Spirited Away, one of my favorite movies since I was a child, kids as the witch from Wicked and a zombie bride, Jokers and Harley Quinns and just generally injured people. I even got a few compliments for my dress.
Also there was a bit of firework at Leichester Square, probably because it is Bonfire Night in just a few nights. At that moment though I was really confused.

Later the other girls and I made our way through the same parts of the city, armed with juice boxes and some Vodka. They had put on really cute make-up: Leonie as a vampire, Nele as a cat, Sarah as a kind of puppet and Jenni as a leopard. And the night was really funny! There were for example some Irish blokes who were open for a 'chat', if you could still call it that, and selfies. Though the question "Are you acutally Irish?" probably wasn't that clever... After that it got wilder and well, more blurry.

Anyway, I got home safely thanks to my friends and actually managed to get my contact lises out, my make-up and clothes off and fall into my bed without waking up everyone in the house.
I don't even wanna talk about the next morning/day. Lets just say that I didn't necessarily leave my bed a lot.

(31. Oct 2015)
(update 5.11.15)

Theatre

Trying to get tickets for Hamlet in the Barbican Centre is like climbing an active volcano; everyone thinks it's cool, only a few do it and it may result in death.

Therefore, I decided to turn up as early as possible without camping outside. Difficulties getting there included my alarm being set but only from Monday to Friday, me leaving the bus a stop too early and being tired of course. At least I got one more hour of sleep than planned, which means waking up at 3:30am. I actually got there at 5am. Waiting outside wasn't really bad as it cold but not freezing. I also had breakfast from McDonalds and a lukewarm cup of coffee to keep me awake and going. The girl that came after me actually offered me one of her newspapers to sit on and after a while we started talking about ourselves as well as the differences between Germany and Singapore.

When they let us in into the warmth I tried to take a nap, but as usual it was hopeless. Instead I allowed myself a hot chocolate, of course exactly at the moment when they started to get up and moving.
This was possible one of the worst moments so far. Not knowing if you get a ticket, let along two. Not knowing how many the others in front of you want. There were about forty-ish people and most of them only got one apparently, but you never know for sure.
When I got called to the desk it felt like the weight of the world got lifted off my shoulders. I wasn't the last one. Two tickets, ten pound each, for Shakespeare's Hamlet at 1:30pm. I was finally going to see my first Shakespeare play, and I was going to see Benedict Cumberbatch live.

After a bit of trouble meeting up with my friend we headed to the Museum of London for a really rushed tour. It was still nice, especially because it is a really interactive museum that also shows the culture from the 20th century, a period of time often left out or not shown a lot about.

Speedwalking back to the Barbican Centre to find our seats, B47 and B48 on the highest level, we didn't have time to sit down and eat calmly, but what were we suppost to do.
The play itself was breathtaking. The stageart and scenery was impressive and a mix of old and new just like the costumes. A mix of Nike shoes, band T-Shirts and official uniforms showed exactly who belonged on which side of the conflict. The actors themselves were realistic and obviously deep in character, though I'm no expert on this matter. The change from the first to the second part was so significant, you can only admire everyone who works behind the scenes and has to do this twice every day. Benedict Cumberbatch himself have a little speech about the refugee crisis after their bows which deserves our respect - not everyone would use their fame for such a matter, at least not at the end of a stage play.

Of course we waited outside the stage door after the performance, but as a member of staff told us Benedict himself wouldn't come out as he needed to rest. a lot of people left after this, but we waited for about twenty minutes for some of the other actors who would gladly sign our tickets.

Our plan was to go south to St. Paul's Cathedral after that, but we walked straight past the street we intended on using and instead made a little detour. Not that we complained about it, because on our way we saw a little wedding party leaving a church. Wanting to see the bride and the dresses of the guests we slowed down to a halt and watched when suddenly, a person caught my eye that looked fairly familiar.
Tom Hiddleston.
Tom Hiddleston, sporting an elegant suit, glasses and blonde short hair left the building. At first I couldn't believe it, I mean what are the chances?! But it was obviously him.
After a bit of awkward standing and sneeking obvious glances, obvious because he looked over several times, he made it clear with a headshake he wouldn't take pictures. Ready to walk away I was surprised when he came over really quickly to shake our hands, tell us that he wouldn't take pictures as it is a private wedding and that he was sorry. Which is understandable, so we assured him hastily that it is ok, said goodbye and turned around to go our way. he actually wished us a good day in the end. Now this sounds really nice and normal, but I'm pretty sure I looked like a crazy fangirl that stalked him or something. But well, at least I got a handshake and a little talk out of embarassing myself. It's not like he's gonna remember me.

Still a bit shaken (at least me, my friend didn't even know him!) we finally found St. Paul's and went inside. Little tip: go during a mess to get in for free. It looks amazing, you get to see the priest and hear the choir.
To get us warmed up we got a drink at Starbucks and then went down to the Thames to make a few night pictures. I'm still getting used to my camera, but I think the modus "night without tripod" makes the cloudy nightsky look really cool.

And again, that was about it. by now I wouldn't even be surprised if we ran into the Queen at Tesco considering everything that happened the last few days. And maybe I will learn to hold a conversation at some point!

(24. October 2015)

Movie Premiere

What happens if you mix a day in London, two teenage girls and a bit of luck together?

You get one of the best days possible!

But lets start from the beginning: After sleeping in after what feels like a hundred years of early mornings, my friend and I had breakfast and headed to Central London. We actually managed to get to Buckingham Palace in time to see the guard change without even planning it. I have to say, it was nice but not really interesting.
Then we went down Birdcage Walk straight towards Westminster with the famous Big Ben. Which means a private photoshoot of course. And lets not forget about the squirrels in St.James Park that like humans more than I do sometimes.

Actually getting through the crowds of tourists on the Westminster Bridge is a task itself, but you feel so much better once you break free and have some room to breath. Taking a little detour along the Thames past the London Eye towards the Golden Jubilee Bridge leaded us right towards the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. After a little meal deal we went to see a little part of the Gallery; the Im- and Expressionism of the 19th century. after all, it's nearly impossible to see everything in one go.

What came after that however was the real highlight of our day. At Leicester Square we saw a group of people behind barriers waiting for someone. Quickly we figured out it was the premiere of Ed Sheerans movie "jumpers for goalposts" about his three shows at Wembley Station earlier this year. After a short trip to the M&Ms shop and a walk through China Town we came back and decided we could wait and see.

And again it proved that asking nicely is the best way of getting what you want. We actually got into the divided boots right along the green carpet. Right across from us were the standing places of the press, which means famous people were stopping in front of us to get interviewed. And let me tell you, waiting and freezing out there was totally worth what happened. Not only did we see Ed Sheeran himself (though we didn't get a photo with him, but that's ok), but also other invited guests like Justin Bieber, Maisie Williams, Olly Murs, the new Spiderman and different youtubers. That alone was amzing enough, but towards the end, when the promis already went inside or left, one of the managers of the event came to us and gave us free cards for the premiere. Yes, we actually got to see it for free.

Inside Ed came on stage after a quick introduction and between answering fan questions from twitter he gave live performances from free songs.
The film itself was very interesting, even if I wouldn't normally go and see it in a cinema. You get a view into Ed's private backstage life, his friendship with Elton John and how amazing it is to be on stage, to feel the adrenalin, to be famous. It makes you wish to experience it just once for yourself. And of course, you want to be friends with Ed even more after watching it and seeing how much he cares for his team, family and friends.

Outside I ran into Niki from NikiNSammy (at least I think it was Niki) and I was my awkward little self asking for a selfie. Because we were tired we headed straight to Piccadilly Circus and then down to Buckingham Palace and to Victoria Station to get on our bus home.

I really don't know what to say. I still can't believe it happened to be honest. But here I am, and I can say that was the most amazing day I ever had.

A Day in.... Munich?! (feat Fall Out Boy)

Saturday 

Everyone wants to go home at some point. There were some au pairs who went back for good because they were too homesick or because their new families didn't measure up to their expectations. And that's ok. If it doesn't work out it wouldn't be of any good for anybody involved to continue. You wouldn't really put any effort into it, they would be disappointed, you already are. If you feel like you can't do it, talk to them, talk to other au pairs and your family.
I went home - or at least back to Germany - for a Fall Out Boy concert only. I bought the tickets for my friend and me before I decided to be an au pair and to be honest, I love them way too much to sell my ticket. Luckily, the concert was on a Saturday.

My flight was at 7am, which means I had to get up at 3:30am. I was more excited than tired and after almost one hour in two night buses and another hour in a coach I reached Gatwick South Terminal at 6am. Still enough time to have breakfast, go through security and get to the Gate.
The flight was ok, I listened to music and read one of the books I took with me so that my family could take it back home. I brought a lot of them in the last two months - those damn charity shops! I already know this is gonna be a problem once I leave the country, they will be way too much and way too heavy.

In Munich I not only met my family at the airport but also my friend who was going to the concert with me. After some trouble finding the hotel we would stay in and later finding parking space in the middle of Munich - great idea dad - we went for a little shopping trip. At half past four we split; the two of us searched for the underground to get to the event, my family carried on shopping.
On the train we also met some other girls who obviously headed for the same destination. This kind of things are like a big game of 'spot the emo' if you ask me. at least you make some friends with the same interests, one of the best ways of making friends. Definitely better than approaching random strangers in the streets.
We might have had some trouble finding the venue, which was totally not my fault I swear!, but when we finally arrived we still had almost two hours until the doors opened. So I did what I was planning on doing: recreating the make-up from the "American beauty/ American psycho" album cover. I think I did rather well.

And it was amazing. Truely amazing. The atmosphere was ecstatic and full of energy without being overwhelming. Even the supporting act, a Londoner called Charley Marley, was entertaining and had a really nice voice, though it was more on the hiphop side and not really my cup of tea. Everyone was singing along and lets be honest, Fall Out Boy is one of the best live acts I've ever seen. Scratch that, it was without a doubt my favorite concert so far.

1. Sugar, We're Goin Down
2. Irresistible
3. The Phoenix
4. A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me"
5. I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
6. Thriller
7. Alone Together
8. The Kids Aren't Alright
9. This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
10. Immortals (acoustic)
11. Young Volcanoes (acoustic)
12. Drum Solo
13. Dance, Dance
14. American Beauty/American Psycho
15. Jet Pack Blues
16. Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
17. Fourth of July
18. Uma Thurman
19. Thnks fr th Mmrs
20. I Don't Care
21. Centuries

Encore:

1. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)
2. Saturday

I really liked the setlist, a mix of old and new songs (and a few of my favorite ones as well). I had a good place, somewhere in the middle and slightly to the right in the line of the loudspeakers. Pete kept announcing the next song by making little puns and even tell the fable of the frog and the scorpion that wanted to cross a river - no idea how he decided on this one as an intro for Irresistable to be honest, but it was really funny and entertaining. For two songs - Immortals and Young Volcanoes - they left the main stage and came to a tiny stage in the middle of the ground which was extremely close to where we were standing. And oh, it sounded amazing and you could actually see how happy Patrick was when everyone was singing along. While they got back on stage Andy put his heart and soul into an amazing drumsolo. Being shirtless was another plus on my list. Joe got on the steps and joint Andy up there for a little while.
Leaving the stage the first time, because everybody knows there is always gonna be an encore, the whole crowd simultaneously hummed/sang the melody to My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up). After that and Saturday they left for good. By that point I was exhausted, covered in sweat and and my knees hurt more then ever before. But it was totally worth it, I mean I even got a really cool and fuzzy FOB sweater! We got a drink and said goodbye as I was gonna spent the next day with my family alone.

Sunday

Sunday was a family day. After having breakfast and packing our stuff we went to the Old Pinakothek, an art museum in Munich, for several hours. It was nice, but after the exhausting night a lot to take in. We ate in a Pakistani restaurant just around the corner and we were lucky to actually get a table. I love this kind of food for it is spicy and tastes really rich. We then headed for the airport. My flight back didn't go until 10pm, but it was a rainy Sunday in Germany, which means the shops were closed so there really wasn't anything to do. Instead, we walked through the airport shops and had a drink.
At around 7pm we said our goodbyes. After all, they still had an 3 hours drive back home. Which means they were still way faster than me. I wasn't home until 1:15am UK time!

My Daily Routine

One of the first and most important questions about being an au pair is what your usual day would look like. Everything else could be just fine, but if you can't cope with your daily routine you won't be of any use, as harsh as that sounds.

Now, the thing about being an au pair is that it can differ a lot depending on the country and the family you are working for. How many children are there? What is their school schedule? What are the parents working hours? 

There are families that need you because they are expecting another child, which means one of them will be at home but needs you to pick up the other kids because they will be too busy. You may have to work with one or with three or four kids. Maybe you will have a pet to look after, too.

Some families have cleaners and others don't. You may have to drive the kids to school or you are lucky and live close enough to walk.

Families from the USA may be more liberal and open-minded than families from the UK or China. Or they may be more strict, you never know.

Like I said, there are a lot of factors to be considered. You should talk about everything with your potential au pair family before you make a final decision.

My daily life? I'm lucky. It's rather easy.

I found a home in London, UK. It's a nice, quiet neighbourhood, a lot like where I come from which is probably why I feel happy and at ease and not homesick. There are two small cities just a short bus drive from my place (Kingston upon Thames and Putney), which means I can go out anytime I want. And I only have to take two buses to get to Central London!

In theory I have two kids to take care of (a seven and an eleven year old), but the older one goes to and from school on here own or gets picked up by her parents when she has after school clubs or sports training. I have no idea what kind of eleven year old I was, but she is rather independent.

The younger one is my main responsibility. She gets driven to school by her mum, but once I week she has judo before school. I take her by bus and usually jog back if the weather is good enough.

Then I'm free to do whatever I want until 3:35pm when I have to pick her up again. I have to cook something if there isn't enough leftover or do the laundry once a week. I pick up toys from the ground and clean the kitchen including dishwashing. This however can be reduced to almost nothing if you remember to do it right after you cook or put everything in the dishwasher as soon as you are finished eating.

If I don't have anything to do I either hang around in my room watching Netflix (not a euphemism, sorry guys), reading books or go shopping. I could actually go to CL and be back in time with enough planning and good timing. I also have pilates lessons once a week and go jogging every once in a while. Other au pairs have English lessons which means they continue to get child allowance, but this courses aren't cheap usually and if you factor transportation costs into the calculation you are almost down to zero. I decided not to do that and will instead reapply once I go university.

Later I pick up the younger one and we drive back home by bus. While she changes, which can take a while, I prepare her meal. She eats and then we do her homework. This can either go really quickly or be really frustrating when she has a bad day and can't concentrate or throws a tantrum. On a few occasions I had to give her over to her mum because she just wouldn't listen to me. Then a quick bath, brushing her teeth and off to bed she goes. Of course she doesn't fall asleep immediately, but that's not my fault. Kids are just way too active for their own good sometimes.

And that's it. Sometimes I play with them or read them a story or we go out into the nearby park, but during the week we usually don't have time for that. Evenings and weekends are free and even though I usually don't make real plans in advance I'm always on my feet, either in CL or out with the other au pairs or on trips to other places in the UK. 

I'm not gonna lie and talk about how easy and fun everything is and that they love me like their older sister. It is difficult. It is challenging. Sometimes you doubt yourself and your decision. There are days when everything seems to go wrong and you feel like a failure. Some people can't stand to be homesick or have bad luck with their families and are therefore forced to either find a new one or stop it altogether. But I'm also really happy to be here. I know I will gain a lot from this experience, and if it's just the knowledge how to work a washing mashing and cook more than three meals.

A Day in... Brighton

Brighton is very different from London.

Not only is it smaller - obviously - but the spirit is much more connected to life at sea. Instead of big, impressive buildings it reminds you of movies about the 70s in America. White, run-down buildings with cute coffeeshops inside graze the streets. Especially 'The Lanes', part of the historic centre, is worth a visit as well as the Royal Pavilion.

Arrival and The Lanes

When we arrived at half past twelve after a two hour coach drive my friend and I were looking for a place to eat. After looking around for a bit, we decided to try a burger at Brighton Burger. And let me tell you, it tastes just as good as it looks. After that we roamed the Lanes, more looking than actually searching for anything (though I managed to get an old military jacket with the German flag on it). It's not like we needed an engagement ring or a very impressive looking cake. 

The Lanes are part of the historical centre and, as the name suggests, consists of a labyrinth of small, narrow lanes. Most of the shops are jewellers or cafès, but there were also normal tourist shops selling clothes, glitter make-up and postcards.

The Royal Pavilion

The Royal Pavilion, that was clearly inspired by Indian architecture, was another important stop on our tour. Though you are not allowed inside or even on the terrace, everyone should at least get a few good photos and maybe even take a blanket for a little picnic.That day, a documentary movie was shot about an Indian wedding. It was definitely fun to watch.

Brighton Pier

Probably the most famous tourist attraction of Brighton however is the Brighton Pier. Various food stands, a casino and an arcade as well as roller coasters and other fun rides. I didn't go on any of it, but I will at some point in the future. That's for sure.

Sunset

After walking through the city and doing what every tourist does, the two of us sat down in a cafè and had a tea (me) and a hot chocolate with a muffin (her). As our coach back drove rather lateat 7:15 pm, we decided to sit down at the beach and watch the sunset. Despite the clouds we saw a bit of the sun peaking out right behind the old, burned-down pier which only added to the spooky atmosphere of the place. The chills however were a product of a poor choice of clothing and a chilly breeze. We also used the opportunity to write our postcards.

I'm already looking forward to coming back. There is still so much to do and explore, you can't pack it all into one day.