St. Malo

I was given a day off on Saturday.  Friday night, Clement suggested that spend my day off in St. Malo, and even offered to drop me off there in the late morning.  I thought it would be nice to get a pedicure in Dinard.  Laure told me about a place that does a great spa pedicure for an hour and 15 minutes for only 24 Euros (about $33.00).  The cheapest pedicures you can find in Paris are 30 Euros, and they only last thirty minutes.  So, my plan was to do that and then make my way (possibly by bus, even) to St. Malo.  Laure and I talked about it, and in the end, she booked me an appointment for Tuesday morning at 11:40, and I was dropped off in St. Malo.  

Thank goodness I didn't waste any time in the spa on Saturday.  I had such a great time shopping, eating and sight-seeing in St. Malo.  It's just magnificent there.  It's a walled city that was built in the middle ages. It's just stunning.  

Things here in Bretagne are much less expensive than they are in Paris.  That caused me to spend 98 Euros there!!!  I bought some food to bring home with me, some postcards, and some gifts.  I got one gift that I had been price-comparing all over Paris, and found it the cheapest here.  So awesome.  


I had lunch at a creperie.  I had moules-frites (muscles and french fries), cider (alcohol--cold), a crepe with caramelized apples, caramel, and vanilla ice cream.  So amazing.  I read that St. Malo has one of the highest concentrations of seafood restaurants in all of Europe.  

On Sunday, October 31 (Halloween...but it's not celebrated here in France AT ALL), there's a huge boat race that leaves from St. Malo.  So on Saturday, in anticipation of the race, there was an amazing festival atmosphere in St. Malo.  There were loads of people everywhere, and several entertainers (singers and dancers), and of course, boats, boats and more boats!

Off to bed. 

xo,

aKiP

Wednesday by the sea

Nothing all that exciting happened today.


I had a quiet breakfast with Ines.


I vaccumed the entirety of the main floor of the house.


Ines and I took a walk on the beach (after the rain stopped).  She was adorable on the beach.


I made Spaghetti Bolognese for lunch.


Family went out for afternoon so I rested, talked to my dad, and watched some Julie and Julia.


Guests for dinner, so I helped prepare the food and cleaned the table and kitchen after dinner.


Off to bed now.


xo,
aKiP

At Last!! Bretagne Photos

Just me, my tea, and the sea.

Bretagne Part 2

I took the train from Paris to St. Malo on Sunday night.  I negotiated the MAJOR train station at Montarnasse-Bienvenue alone and got on the train early.  Only problem was that I sat down in train car 10 instead of 9.  So the man who was supposed to sit in my seat graciously moved to my seat in train car 9.  The train was immense.  It was the longest train I've ever seen!!  Laure booked me an aisle seat facing the direction we were heading (there are some that face the other way as well).  The journey took about 3 hours and 10 minutes, and it was very comfortable.

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Laure picked me up from the train station.  She said they had a nice time on their drive to the house.  They stopped somewhere along the way for lunch, and arrived at the house around 4.  It was sunny and pleasant so they went for a walk on the beach.  I got in at 10:15, so it was pitch black all around.  It was hard to get a feel for the area.  
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I got to see the area yesterday and today in the daylight, and it is gorgeous.  It's absolutely lovely here.  The views from the home of the sea are like something out of a magazine.  The house is brand-spanking new.  It's open floor plan and there are huge windows everywhere so you can see the sea just about everywhere you go.  The house sits up a cliff-ish hill, and so it's directly "on" the sea.  Nothing between the back yard and the sea...well, there's direct access to the beach/sea via a set of what looks to be about 50 steps down and there's a patio in the middle that juts out to show another fantastic view.  

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They bought this house 3 years ago and they loved the location but the house didn't fit their needs.  It was built in the 70's and was small.  As you can imagine in a place as beautiful as this, the government has strict rules about protecting the land and preserving the integrity of the area.  So, they had to get permits to redo it, and they knocked it all down except for one wall.  The project took 3 years!   The interior design is minimalistic.  It's modern, yet very simple.  No frills...just clean lines and simple design.  My bedroom is not as nice here as my one in Paris, but it's still fresh and comfortable.  It's a single bed (reminds me of college!) with a private bath in the basement.  It's adjacent to the mudroom.

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The story here on vacation is that I work pretty much 24/7.  That's cool.  Because I work more, I get paid more.  So that's nice.  I've been asked to do housekeeping-ish duties here, as the housekeeper/cleaner in Bretagne happens to be away this week.

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Laure says this area is not "gastronomic."  This region is famous for Crepes (sweet) galette (savory crepes) and brut cider.  Laure says restaurants here serve only crepes, galette, and cider.  C'est tout.  :)  That's gastronomic enough for me!!  
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I had my first cider here at dinner last, and it was awesome.  I liked it MUCH better than the one they have at the creperie by my apartment in le Marais (Beaubourg).  Much less acidic, and it didn't taste like alcohol.  Could get into trouble with that stuff!
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We had galette for lunch today.  It was lovely.  Laure bought the galette pre-made and we heated them and filled them with goodness.  I had egg, ham and cheese.  We ate it with a salad I made.  It was a great lunch.  
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Before lunch we went to the little village, Dinard, right near where we live.  There's an outdoor market there (with an indoor part too) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  You can find EVERYTHING there from food to clothes to accessories to home decor.  It was cool.  I want to bring my camera there when we go back so I can take some photos.
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After the baby woke up from her nap, we went on a little hike along a trail up on the cliff that runs along the coast.  It was breathtaking, but sometimes my breath was taken away because it was so high and there were no barriers to protect one from falling over the cliff!  I took loads of pictures from up there.  I'll attach some later...internet is cutting out and slow here in Bretagne.  I'm going to sign off for tonight.  I am behind on my postcards...still have to send the ones I got at Hôtel des Invalides!  Oy!
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*Fuel update: we were able to fill the car here today.  So the major shortage of fuel is no longer affecting us.  :)
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xo,
aKiP

Sunday, October 24, 2010: Bretagne

Poor me.  Part of my job description is to go on "holiday" (vacation) with the family.  Boo hoo.  The French schools are closed for the next week and a bit, and so we're due in Bretagne (Brittany) today.  The trip didn't come without a hiccup, however.


You may or may not have heard that there have been a series of national strikes and protests going on here in France.  The strikes/demonstrations are a result of the French government's proposal to change the age for retirement.  In France, one could retire with a partial pension at 60, and for a full pension, 65.  The government proposed bumping both those ages up by two years.  This caused a "freak-out" among even university students, as it impacts their future quality-of-life as well.


While covered in the news, and even in American newspapers, (Boston Globe photos) I didn't see any protesting or violence in my version of Parisian life.  I was, however, minimally impacted by the national strikes.


Monday night had me waiting over an hour for an RER train (only half were running).  I went to a French lesson at 8:30, it ended at 9:30...I walked to the station and went to platform B for the train at 10:05.  At 10:02, the screen went blank.  The train wasn't coming.  So, I went back down to the station to find that the next train was due at 10:55.   Oh joy.  Not that big of a deal other than being out a little later and being colder than I would have liked.  Mild compared to having a brick thrown through your car window.


Due to the oil refinery strikes going on, loads of petrol (gas) stations are bone dry.  Laure had to wait in a line over an hour long for petrol on Tuesday.  It was questionable as to whether or not the family would be able to fill the (other) car with a full tank of petrol (gas) to make it the 400 kilometers (250ish miles) to Bretagne.  The supply has run short all over France, and it was reported that Bretagne got hit the hardest.  So, once we were there, it was unclear if we'd be able to fill up again, which could leave us stranded in the house for the duration of our stay!


A lot of flights were canceled/delayed....which slightly altered Liz Willson and her husband's arrival to Paris, and could have affected their departure on Thursday, but didn't.  (In honesty, I wouldn't have minded them being stranded in Paris...had a lovely dinner with them on Friday 10/15, and would have loved to do it again).


I know of someone who was supposed to go to the Lady Gaga concert on Friday night.  The Lady decided it best to avoid France in this time of unrest, and so it was cancelled.


As I said, the impact on my life has been minimal.  In the end, the senate passed the bill to change the pension ages.  (NY Times).  So, now that all is calm (including the weather), I'm off  to Bretagne tonight to rendez-vous with the family.  They took the car, with a full tank of gas, and I am taking the train tonight to meet them.  Otherwise, I'd be traveling on the roof of the car.


xo,
aKiP

Not a mastercard, but....

Well, it's been weeks and weeks since I've written something significant on here.  After I explain, I think those of you who have reached out wondering if I'm still alive or asking "What gives?!" will understand.
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I haven't been able to give the full story as of yet.  But, now, I can!

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Here goes.


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I had a return plane ticket and was due to leave Paris on Thursday, September 30, 2010.  I did NOT want to leave, but after sending my CV out over 100 times for teaching jobs and hearing back about only TWO, it looked like I had no choice. 
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I was hopeful that I could get a teaching job through the school where I took the CELTA course.  I'd submitted my CV to them, and I thought the chances were good that they'd be willing to take me on.  Unfortunately, I was wrong.  On September 22, I got an email from my teacher stating that there was no position they could offer me at this time.  Big bummer.
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It was disheartening, but I kept plugging away.  I decided to pay a visit to a place I'd heard about from the FUSAC (the French-American monthly periodical), and a bunch of American people I'd met had suggested it, too. 
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On September 25, my Facebook message was "Karen Wislocky is off to the American Church for a JOB miracle."  James and Esmé graciously accompanied me to the American Church, which has a bulletin board loaded with job opportunities.  

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I scoured the board, initially hoping for a teaching job, but really open to anything that would enable me to stay.  Unfortunately, there were no teaching job advertisements.  There was one person looking for a private tutor, and I of course, took down the number.  There were several ads for nannies/au pairs.  So, I began to write those down as well.  In the end, I took photos of the board to make sure I had all the information I needed.  One stood out in particular to me.  It was on the September 24 board, so I found it the next day.
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(Roughly): "Paris sixteenth arrondissement family with three daughters (11, 8, and 2 years old) returning from London is looking for a young woman who must speak English to help the girls maintain the language.  Housing offered: beautiful room with a private bathroom, and payment.  Approximately 25-30 hours per week.  

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Over all the other ads on the board (which ranged from singing waitress to live-in au pairs), this one leapt off the page at me.  The family is returning from London....so, chances are that the whole family speaks English.  The girls definitely do.  Maybe they're English people?  And a beautiful room?!  sounds nice...  

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Even though I was open to this opportunity, I didn't jump on calling them that day.  First, I wanted a teaching job (primarily to justify all the money I'd dropped on the dang certification!), and secondly, I didn't think the chances were very good that the family would want to take me on under a "tourist visa."  I've heard about loopholes for renewing a tourist visa that let you stay off the government radar, but at the end of the day, it still isn't kosher to work without a working visa.  So, this advertisement stayed in the back of my mind, but I didn't think it was the miracle I'd gone looking for. 

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So, the flight arrangements were still up in the air.  I'd gone back and forth a zillion times about whether to push back my flight for a month and keep pounding the pavement OR if I should just go home as scheduled.  A huge part of me knew that if I went home as planned, I'd essentially be waving my white flag admitting defeat.  I knew if I wanted to get a job in Paris, I needed to be IN PARIS.  There was no other way around it.  Aer Lingus told me that the last I could reschedule/change my flight was 3 hours before take-off (quite generous).  

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Just days away from my impending return, I was still at a loss for what to do.  So, I scheduled a video chat with my parents on Sunday (Sept. 26) to discuss it with them.  My parents have been so encouraging and supportive during this entire process.  I am so incredibly blessed to have them.  In the end, the three of us agreed that it was probably best that I come home as planned.  The risk of shelling out even more money to stay another month just to end up where I currently was, was just too great.

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So, after a (nearly) sleepless night, Monday morning came.  I decided to go over the ads from Saturday's trip to the bulletin board.  I called a restaurant who was looking for people to sing in English.  I told the lady I don't have a visa, and she told me to call back after 3 the following day.  (Turns out it was a singing WAITRESS job.  We don't just serve you with a smile, we serve you with a SONG!  Guess what, tourists?!  The song is in English, too!)  Ha.

After reviewing the photos of the board, I decided to call 3 families: 

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Got the mother for tutoring.  She'd already found someone.  

Got the mother for the live-out, and arranged a meeting for that evening at 7:30.  

Got a voicemail for the live-in, and left a message.  

About 30 minutes later, I got a call back from my voicemail.  She explained how she'd just been burnt from the last au pair she'd brought over from London who left after two weeks, and I explained in great detail my visa issue.  She decided she wanted to meet me, and we arranged a meeting for 3:00.

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I went to the house in the 16th (which Esmé shared with me is a shi-shi neighborhood.)  I met the mother, Laure, and the middle daughter, Flore, who was home from school that day.  They were lovely.  Around 4:00, I met Alix, the oldest, who came home from school.  Flore had dance, so Laure asked me if I would stay with Alix for an hour and a half, which I gladly did.  It was lovely.


As I left the house and hit the metro station, I got an email from the woman I was to meet at 7:30 that something had come up and she needed to reschedule.  (Funny how things work out.)
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So, needless to say, I got the job.  I moved my belongings over to their place on Wednesday night and I moved in and stayed my first night in their guest house (where my room is) on Thursday, September 30.  

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Now, this may be new news or old news to you.  I have told a few people, but I've asked them to keep it on the DL as the agreement was that I would stay here and "work" on an under-the-table type deal.

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In a meeting with the parents, my employers, on October 11, the visa situation came up.  After talking to their friends, they learned that I can mostly likely renew the tourist visa two times without a problem, and after that it'd be difficult to do again.  We know that the visa situation was difficult and time-consuming (meaning I'd have to be in the US for 6-8 weeks, which is not good when you need your au pair on a daily basis...it's a bit far for a daily commute), but the father suggested that we should, at some point soon, look into what's involved in getting me visa.

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A few days later, Oct. 13, I went to try and enroll in French classes that au pairs typically take, and the class was full.  I was told I could start in January.  
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The next day, Thursday, October 14, Laure told me some great news.  They found an au pair agency that would take care of all the paperwork involved for me to get an au pair visa.  It would allow me to work for them for one whole year.  And, the best part is, that I will come home for Thanksgiving and pick up the visa during my 10 days home.  No long waiting period!!  Only thing was, I had to enroll as an au pair through their agency.  No prob Bob!  
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I met with the woman yesterday (October 22) and signed my contract!!!!  I am an official au pair in Paris for the next year!!!!  WOOO HOOOO!!
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I had to wait to make sure everything was going to go through before I broadcasted this whole process to all the world.  It's not like I think I have 10,000 readers, but I'm just conscious of my Internet footprint, and I know that these things can never be "deleted" from the net once posted.  So, I've just been conscious of my (& the family's) safety.
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I (obviously) won't be posting any pictures of the kids or the house or anything on here.  That's out of the question.  I do have a photo of my bedroom on my daily blog though (365,000 words).
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Feels so good to not "hide" it anymore!  Ahhhh.....


Guess I got the miracle I was looking for after all.  
xo,
aKiP

French classes

So, I went to a French language school yesterday to try to sign up for classes to improve.  I had to take written test, and then I had to speak some to one of the registrars.  It was quite intimidating.  It didn't help that the lady I dealt with was not particularly nice.  The courses are full for now, so I have to go back in November to register for classes in January.


Everything is going well.  I have booked my flights for my brief visit home, and I will be home from November 20-30.  I'd love to plan a little gathering so I can see everyone I want to see before I have to head back!  


Was down for the count last Monday with strep throat.  I had to go to the doctor, and after finishing 6 days of antibiotics, I felt better....but still not 100%.  I took a trip to the pharmacy today to get some Sudafed to hopefully dry up some residual congestion and yucky stuff.


I had to spend a whopping $5.00 on more storage for my blogs/email/picasa albums.  I was over the limit, and it wouldn't allow me to add any more photos on here or 365,000 Words.  So, that's now up-to-date as well.  


Off to bed...early day tomorrow and it's already really late here!  
xo,
aKiP

Parc Buttes-Chaumont

Thought I'd share some photos of my awesome Sunday in the Park Buttes-Chaumont (19th Arrondissement).

xo,

aKiP

French classes

So, I went to a French language school yesterday to try to sign up for classes to improve.  I had to take written test, and then I had to speak some to one of the registrars.  It was quite intimidating.  It didn't help that the lady I dealt with was not particularly nice.  The courses are full for now, so I have to go back in November to register for classes in January.


Everything is going well.  I have booked my flights for my brief visit home, and I will be home from November 20-30.  I'd love to plan a little gathering so I can see everyone I want to see before I have to head back!  


Was down for the count last Monday with strep throat.  I had to go to the doctor, and after finishing 6 days of anti-biotics, I felt better....but still not 100%.  I took a trip to the pharmacy today to get some Sudafed to hopefully dry up some residual yucky congestion and yucky stuff.


I had to spend a whopping $5.00 on more storage for my blogs/email/picasa albums.  I was over the limit, and it wouldn't allow me to add any more photos to 365,000 Words.  So, that's now up-to-date as well.  


Off to bed...early day tomorrow and it's already really late here!  
xo,
aKiP

Hôtel des Invalides (Napoleon's grave)

(Photo of Invalides taken on Sept. 25, 2010)

David and I toured the Hôtel des Invalides today.  According to my Eyewitness travel guide, Invalides "was built from 1671 to 1676 by Louis XIV (the fourteenth) for his wounded and homeless veterans and as a monument to his own glory.  At its center lies the glittering golden roof of the Sun King's Dôme Church, which marks the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte.  The emperor's body was brought here from St. Helena in 1840, 19 years after he died, and place inside the majestic (this is debatable) red sarcopagus, designed by Joachim Visconti, that lies at the center of the dôme's circular, glass-topped crypt.  " 

"Today, the harmonious classical facade is one of the most impressive sights in Paris, with its four storeys, cannon in the forecourt, garden and tree-lined esplinade stretching to the Seine.  The facade of the Hôtel is 645 feet long, and is topped with dormer windows, each decorated in the shape of a different trophy." 

David @ Invalides with Eiffel Tower in the distance

Wedding guests--there was a wedding there today

PART 1: War museum

Entrance to the war museum

Armor of Louis XIII as a child

Just helping out with the cannonball

Hercules

End of a cannon (I think it's supposed to be Medusa)

Medusa cannon again

This armor totally has a mustache.  So funny.

PART 2: Crypt & Napoleon's tomb

xo,
aKiP