T'aimes le flânerie?

The sun is shining over Paris today, for the second weekend in a row. That's it, I'm calling it. Spring is here, and it's the perfect time to learn a new french word.

flâneur

A flâneur is someone who strolls around, observing society and soaking up the atmosphere. Balzac described flânerie as "the gastronomy of the eye", and Baudelaire explained it thusly:

For the perfect flâneur, for the passionate spectator, it is an immense joy to set up house in the heart of the multitude, amid the ebb and flow of movement, in the midst of the fugitive and the infinite. To be away from home and yet to feel oneself everywhere at home; to see the world, to be at the centre of the world, and yet to remain hidden from the world...

— Charles Baudelaire, "The Painter of Modern Life" - Originally published in Le Figaro, in 1863. 

An Au Pair Out And About Special- Haute-Savoie Region & Chamonix Valley

Winter in Paris has been cold and dry. The skies are grey, the rain comes down hard, and even the chicest Parisian is running into the nearest shop to protect their cashmere scarf. As I have mentioned before, things have been quite stressful with the family for a few weeks, and I needed a break. Luckily I had pre-arranged with the family to have a week off while the kids spent the first week of their holidays with Mamie and Pappie in Biarritz.

Many people would no doubt choose somewhere hot & sunny for a break away. Good choice. However I have always been a fan of cold weather holidays and I needed some physical exercise (there's only so much cardio running around after the kids can give you). So I headed south-east, for the fresh air and exercise capital that is the French Alps. Specifically I headed for the Chamonix Valley - home to the first Winter Olympics.

The best apps and podcasts to get you learning French.

So as part of my new year resolutions, I promised to put more effort into learning French. Perhaps it's because my family are fluent in English, but French does not seem to be progressing as quickly as other people's. So I have turned to technology to try and push my French forwards. Mostly because some days the only time I have to myself is the 20 mins on the metro.

Here are a few of my top picks of the best apps and podcasts out there to help improve your French. And I have to add - none of these app/podcast makers have paid me for these reviews, they are only my opinion.

Happy New Year

I hope you've all had a wonderful break over the Christmas period. For those of you who stayed withe your families I hope you had fun learning some new French Christmas Traditions. For those who did not have to stay with their host families, I hope you got to enjoy some peace and quiet!

Sadly the holiday is almost over, and soon it will be back to Work and School. But it's New Year's Day, so I'm going to recover from last night's celebrations and reflect upon what I learnt about being an au pair in 2015, and what I can do better in 2016.

Time for my Au Pair New Year's Resolutions...

Champs Elysées Christmas Market

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Or if, like me, you loathe crowded spaces and shopping its time to get your game face on and reluctantly trudge around desperately trying to find something to take home for Christmas. This is made all the more difficult by the fact that your whole family wants something "from Paris", a city famed for luxury and chic, and your au pair wages just won't cover a Chanel coat for everyone.

The one upside to this time of year is that is more or less acceptable to consume hot alcoholic beverages in public at anytime after midday under the ruse of 'being festive". This helps to take the edge off the dreaded christmas shopping stress to the point where elbowing strangers in the stomach to get to the last box of macarons is almost bearable.

So in the spirit of christmas, and drunken public disorder, have you checked out the Christmas Market on Champs Elysées?

Turning 26 - I'm an old au pair.

So yesterday I turned 26. Yes, the slow descent to 30 has begun. With the vast majority of au pairs being in their late teens and early 20s, I find myself firmly in the category of older au pairs. There's not much in life that you can be 'too old for' at 26, but au pairing can sometimes feel like one of them.

I have no sarcastic comment - this was a genuinely nice cake made for me by the kids.

Money Matters - How much is an au pair worth?

Money. No-one likes talking about it.

No-one ever said that being an au pair was a way to get rich quick. Yes you are paid, but part of your payment comes in the form of your bed, food, and use of the washing machine. While this is amazing and incredibly generous on behalf of the family, it is difficult to convert into cold hard cash. In a city like Paris, where life is pretty expensive, that can be a problem for a young person who wants to see it all. I was getting by on my payments, not seeing everything, but seeing at least one interesting thing a week, when I got a shock.

On one of my last blog posts, someone mentioned that they felt I was being underpaid for the amount of work I do. A quick survey of other au pair friends and colleagues on my French course confirmed that I was being paid at least 5€ less a week than anyone else, in some cases 10€ less. That's when I finally sat back and thought about money seriously.

An Au Pair Out And About: Hallowe'en Special! Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle

It's Hallowe'en! And to celebrate here is a special spooky edition of An Au Pair Out And About - Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle! How is a natural history museum spooky? Well I'm specifically going to be looking at les Galeries d'Anatomie comparée et de Paléntologie - aka the bone rooms!

Bonjour. My name is Pierre, and I am your hell hound guide for today...

Fortnight of au pair hell begins

This Monday morning I got up, dressed and went to breakfast. Unlike most mornings, I was not greeted with the sound of fighting over cereal, or the microwave pinging as it churns out porridge. The kitchen was dark, and the dad was getting ready for work without being harassed for apple juice or goodbye kisses. But do not be fooled by this illusion of calm, dear reader. The children were asleep, and as I write this are STILL asleep, but they are merely resting in preservation of the two weeks of hell that is about to descend on all the au pairs in Paris today.

A beautiful sunrise to start the week

An Au Pair Out & About: Père Lachaise Cemetery

Ok, so for this edition of An Au Pair Out & About we are going with a classic Parisian tourist spot - Cimetière du Père-Lachaise (Père Lachaise Cemetery). If you aren't afraid of graveyards and have excellent map reading skills, this can be a fun and interesting way to spend an afternoon.

My first month as an au pair - What I have learnt.

So my first month with the family is up. It's been a mad month, and I have learned a lot. To recap what has happened, here is a list of the 30 things I have learned during my first 30 days as an au pair

Coffee is BAE

An Au Pair Out & About: Les Jardins Albert Khan.

Last weekend was les Journées du Patrimonie. These heritage days allow Parisians, and those in the many small villages outside of Paris the opportunity to go behind the scenes of buildings that are normally off limits or to enter local landmarks for free. I took the opportunity to visit Musée Albert-Kahn. I was joined by fellow British au pair Lucie for a free look at this unusual and beautiful place.

Beware: This is an image heavy post.

Where did the time go?

Alors! Bonjour! Ça fait longtemps!

Well I'm sorry for the lack of updates. It turns out that looking after children is incredibly time consuming. So is trying to adjust to a new country.

So what has happened since I last checked in?

Well, I've stepped on this about 100 times for a start....

La Rentrée

Bonjour from Paris! I am finally here! I hope you understand the lack of updates over the last fortnight - you can probably guess I was very busy!

I arrived last Friday at Charles de Gaulle airport just outside Paris where my new family was waiting to meet me (with a home-made banner - how cute). Despite a horribly early start, there were no problems during travel, and I managed to unpack a year's worth of clothes in one afternoon. I immediately took photographs of the Kitchen, because you can see la tour Eiffel from the window. After 3 nights the light show late at night is still beautiful to me.

La tour Eiffel from the kitchen

I have spent my time here so far out in Paris with the family, enjoying the last few days of the summer holiday. This has been accompanied by a heatwave in Paris - temperatures reaching above 30 degrees celsius. Considering I mostly packed for the upcoming Autumn, I not only found myself short on chic floaty dresses, but have also treated the Parisians to the sight of a very red-faced, overheated Brit who has spent the summer in Wales and the English countryside where the temperature barely made it over 20 degrees. How nice for them.

Hiding from the heat on the balcony - not a bad view.

However, last night it rained and this morning there are grey clouds over la tour Eiffel. There is a slight chill in the air, and the streets that had been mostly deserted except for some very tanned teenagers and a few old ladies with dogs are now filled with business men in suits and chic women with portfolios and silk scarves. This is the beginning of La Rentrée.

La Rentrée is the name given to the 'back to school period' in France, though it is much more than that. In August, many parts of France shut down almost entirely. Not only are the schools and government AWOL (as they are in the UK), but many shops, businesses and restaurants close as well. This means that some parts of Paris can feel a little bit dead, as not only are the businesses closed but many families leave the oppressive heat of the city for family homes in the countryside. Paris si mostly left to a few families, some pigeons, and a lot of hot and sweaty tourists.

This morning, my family's mum and dad (Teresa & Marc) have left for work. However, the children do not start back at school until tomorrow, so my first official day of work is going to be pretty intense! The eldest (Nina) has a music exam at 18:00, but the rest of the day I have to entertain them without giving in to their demands to watch the television.

Wish me luck!

x

Allons-y!

By the time you are reading this I will be boarding a plane from London Heathrow to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.

À quelle heure part le prochain vol pour Paris?

Ah! My first term at law school. I am going to get a Graduate diploma in Law (GDL) under my belt, where it will join my MA and BA. I am taking control of my life. I am ready for the real world. I have been offered an internship at the EU commission and am discussing it at a conference for students going to Brussels at my university...