I am finally home and my gap year is finished after all this time!
I shall start from where I left off, so we spent 2 nights in Hangzhou. The weather was a little rainy actually but we stayed in a really nice hotel with a great breakfast. We had a bit of confusion with our hotel and though that we were in a hostel nearby but we got there eventually. We spent our day there walking along the West Lake, where we saw a Pagoda. The area was generally very pretty even if the weather was a bit glum. We walked for about 2 hours and our final destination was an Ajisen where we had our vegetable ramen as awlays :)
The next day we moved on to Beijing and took the 300kmph train for 6 and half hours. The journey felt pretty long. At first we though our hotel was pretty far away from everything and we got a very expensive taxi (well £5 but expensive for China anyway!), but in the morning we found a nearby subway after all and also an Ajisen! We were so happy lol.
We went to a theme park which was a hilarious rip off from Disneyland. It had a very similar castle and characters and the slogan was 'Disneyland is too far away, please come here!' we went on quite few rides. Some of the indoor rides you walk through weren't that great but we went on a few fun rollercoasters.
We also met Marlon's dad for dinner three times in the evening. The best meal was at a great sushi place with a famous japanese chef who had come to China. I had some reeeally tasty veggie sushi. I don't think I will ever get bored of sushi!
We also saw the famous sights of the Forbidden City and Tia'na men Square. The square had pretty high security unspurprisingly. The first time we tried to go to the City we were too late for the day so we went back the day after. It was very big and we didn't see half of it in the two hours we were there. The weather was a lot cooler in Beijing and I finally used my jeans. It was almost cold!
The most surprising thing was that Marlon actually ended up coming back with me to London to try and apply for a uni course! Its great having him here. I guess that's the very end of my gap year and I start university in a couple of days now. I am very ready to start but am so glad I took a gap year. From France, Finland to China it was all a challenge but all fantastuc too.
I guess the next chapter begins now with starting university!
Bye byeee xxxxx
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Shanghaiiiiiiiii and Suzhouuuu
You’ve guessed it! I’m now halfway through my 2 weeks travelling with Marlon. We travelled on the same flight from Nanchang to Shanghai, after spending one night in Nanchang. It was quite a mission to get there as the bus from Taining to Nanchang was fully booked to se ended up getting a bus and a taxi which was really expensive. We also had to get up at 4o’clockish as our flight left super early.
Once we were in Shanghai we checked into the international youth hostel we were staying at. It was actually a really great place with a cool bar, nice garden and glass panelled walls downstairs with Buddhist quotes on it. Also had great acoustic music playing all the time and generally a nice feel to it. We stayed in Shanghai 9 nights in the end, so had enough time to have a good look around Shanghai and visit lots of places. The first day we visited the ‘Jade Buddha Temple’ which was a beautiful place which had some great tea that I bought! We visited another temple too a different day called the ‘Jinga’an Temple’ which was nice too but kind of under renovation at the time. We also saw the Shanghai museum which had some interesting exhibitions such as sculptures, paintings, stamps and calligraphy. One of the best trips was to the Shanghai zoo which was pretty expensive but definitely worth it, there was lots too see and I saw a panda eating bamboo which was pretty cute. The only downside was the ‘pets’ section which had a load of dogs in little cells which all looked pretty malnourished and badly kept, which was pretty sad to see But at least they were for sale I guess! Another great day was the last day when we went to ‘Dino Beach’ a big water park. There were lots of slides, a huge wave pool that Marlon loved and a veeery long lazy river. We found a great tag line for it online which said ‘the beach is fake but the fun is real!’ One night we went to the cinema to see ‘Source Code’. The seats were pretty unusual as they were more like 2 seater sofas which was funny.
We had more good food, quite a bit of sushi, a veggie stuff. We also found a great Japanese ramen noodle place called Ajisen which did a great veggie noodle dish we loved that we probably had about 7 times for lunch or dinner over the nine days we were there. It was just that good! We will try and search for an Ajisen in Beijing! We also found a juice and smootbhie bar that did great mango smoothies (we are kind fo addicted to mango smoothies) and also some more unusual Mochi (Japanese gooey sweet thing) flavoured smoothie which we also had quite a lot. Mmmmmmmm it was tasty. There was also a really snazzy cheap bar down the road that had great cocktails that we went to a few times. My favourite was the strawberry margherita.
We visited the different districts too such as the French District although that was a bit of a disaster as we walked around for so long trying to find places on the map that we just gave up in the end. We did find a big supermarket with Rose wine though so that was one success. An area called the Bund we visited was much better it was a long the waterfront with Shanghai’s business centre on the other side so I got some great photos from there in the evening. We got cocktails in a bar outside just by the water which was really nice, especially with all the ships going by in the dark. I think the only other place we visited was the Science museum. It was way more interactive than the London one with soo many crazy games and exhibitions. We went on a ride that took us into someone’s mouth and through their body showing different parts of their insides. We also did a crazy shooting game that involved us getting into a simulator thing that spun round as we shot a target. It was meant to show how astronauts get used to living in a moving shuttle, as their aim goes off completely to start with. We also played some archery. My first arrow didn’t even reach the target lol but I nearly got bull’s-eye the second time ;) The coolest interactive thing was when Marlon and I had to sit at each end of a table and put straps on our heads that measured the BETA waves from our brain. BETA waves increase when you concentrate and we had to concentrate on a ball in the middle of the table and the strap measured our level of concentration. We then moved the ball by concentrating on pushing it to the other side and it would move in the direction that the person concentrating the most wanted it to. I got pretty competitive lol and won in the end.
Yesterday we arrived in Suzhou pretty late and checked into our hostel. This morning we had breakfast (I’ve been having muesli most days which tastes soooo good after Rising Dragon) and then headed off the Lion Forest Garden. It was a beautiful Chinese garden and I got lots of nice photos. It had a coy carp pool, lots of pretty buildings and a maze or misshapen rock that you could climb all over. We then went to the Suzhou museum which was actually designed by the same Chinese man who designed the Louvre so pretty impressive. We plan to go out tonight for some drinks and then probably visit a temple tomorrow before heading off to Hangzhou. The Old Town area we are in is so lovely with winding streets and little wooden shops and cafes. We are right next to a canal with overhanging Willow trees all along it that looks perfect in the evening. They have so many kooky shops as well with quirky little postcards and trinkets. Just the kind of thing I love.
I think that’s all for now, wow this post may actually be the longest ever! I will probably report next when I am in Beijing! Much love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Once we were in Shanghai we checked into the international youth hostel we were staying at. It was actually a really great place with a cool bar, nice garden and glass panelled walls downstairs with Buddhist quotes on it. Also had great acoustic music playing all the time and generally a nice feel to it. We stayed in Shanghai 9 nights in the end, so had enough time to have a good look around Shanghai and visit lots of places. The first day we visited the ‘Jade Buddha Temple’ which was a beautiful place which had some great tea that I bought! We visited another temple too a different day called the ‘Jinga’an Temple’ which was nice too but kind of under renovation at the time. We also saw the Shanghai museum which had some interesting exhibitions such as sculptures, paintings, stamps and calligraphy. One of the best trips was to the Shanghai zoo which was pretty expensive but definitely worth it, there was lots too see and I saw a panda eating bamboo which was pretty cute. The only downside was the ‘pets’ section which had a load of dogs in little cells which all looked pretty malnourished and badly kept, which was pretty sad to see But at least they were for sale I guess! Another great day was the last day when we went to ‘Dino Beach’ a big water park. There were lots of slides, a huge wave pool that Marlon loved and a veeery long lazy river. We found a great tag line for it online which said ‘the beach is fake but the fun is real!’ One night we went to the cinema to see ‘Source Code’. The seats were pretty unusual as they were more like 2 seater sofas which was funny.
We had more good food, quite a bit of sushi, a veggie stuff. We also found a great Japanese ramen noodle place called Ajisen which did a great veggie noodle dish we loved that we probably had about 7 times for lunch or dinner over the nine days we were there. It was just that good! We will try and search for an Ajisen in Beijing! We also found a juice and smootbhie bar that did great mango smoothies (we are kind fo addicted to mango smoothies) and also some more unusual Mochi (Japanese gooey sweet thing) flavoured smoothie which we also had quite a lot. Mmmmmmmm it was tasty. There was also a really snazzy cheap bar down the road that had great cocktails that we went to a few times. My favourite was the strawberry margherita.
We visited the different districts too such as the French District although that was a bit of a disaster as we walked around for so long trying to find places on the map that we just gave up in the end. We did find a big supermarket with Rose wine though so that was one success. An area called the Bund we visited was much better it was a long the waterfront with Shanghai’s business centre on the other side so I got some great photos from there in the evening. We got cocktails in a bar outside just by the water which was really nice, especially with all the ships going by in the dark. I think the only other place we visited was the Science museum. It was way more interactive than the London one with soo many crazy games and exhibitions. We went on a ride that took us into someone’s mouth and through their body showing different parts of their insides. We also did a crazy shooting game that involved us getting into a simulator thing that spun round as we shot a target. It was meant to show how astronauts get used to living in a moving shuttle, as their aim goes off completely to start with. We also played some archery. My first arrow didn’t even reach the target lol but I nearly got bull’s-eye the second time ;) The coolest interactive thing was when Marlon and I had to sit at each end of a table and put straps on our heads that measured the BETA waves from our brain. BETA waves increase when you concentrate and we had to concentrate on a ball in the middle of the table and the strap measured our level of concentration. We then moved the ball by concentrating on pushing it to the other side and it would move in the direction that the person concentrating the most wanted it to. I got pretty competitive lol and won in the end.
Yesterday we arrived in Suzhou pretty late and checked into our hostel. This morning we had breakfast (I’ve been having muesli most days which tastes soooo good after Rising Dragon) and then headed off the Lion Forest Garden. It was a beautiful Chinese garden and I got lots of nice photos. It had a coy carp pool, lots of pretty buildings and a maze or misshapen rock that you could climb all over. We then went to the Suzhou museum which was actually designed by the same Chinese man who designed the Louvre so pretty impressive. We plan to go out tonight for some drinks and then probably visit a temple tomorrow before heading off to Hangzhou. The Old Town area we are in is so lovely with winding streets and little wooden shops and cafes. We are right next to a canal with overhanging Willow trees all along it that looks perfect in the evening. They have so many kooky shops as well with quirky little postcards and trinkets. Just the kind of thing I love.
I think that’s all for now, wow this post may actually be the longest ever! I will probably report next when I am in Beijing! Much love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Friday, 26 August 2011
The end of training ... but China continues!
It's a Saturday and I have just finished my last week of training in Tai Chi at Rising Dragon Martial Arts School. The last few weeks have been lots of hard work as always. I spent the last 3 weeks perfecting my Tai Chi. We did wonder whether wewould move on to a different style but our teacher wanted us to work on what we had learnt and to perfect it which worked out well in the end as I now know I won't forget it in a hurry! I will deffo contune to practise it most days when I return home as it is a great way relax and as a bonus is good for your health. It will also be great to do before exams and stuff when I am nervous or stressed.
A bunch of us went bamboo rafting a couple of weeks back. The rafts were three people per a raft and we each had a little bamboo seat. We went along a pool trhough some beautiful mountains and at one point it got really narrow with very high walls which was really cool. I've also been to Sanming a couple fo times recently with Marlon to sort out extending my visa. I had to miss a couple of days of training unfortunately but atleast its all worked out now.
We all went out to the local village Xinqiao last night and had a goodbye meal and drinks for me and Ben who is also leaving. It was a nice night. I have had a really great time here and probably would have liked to stay longer and try a different style. But I am also very excited about going travelling and I only have a week when I get back before I start university, so the end of my gap year is nearly upon me. What a gao year its been!
I've got so much out of this last China experience, the training has definitely been a test of my motivation and stamina, not to mention my ability to get out of bed at ridiculous times in the morning. I have met some great people here as I seem to have everywhere this year, and have some fantastic memories. Not only can I take away my tai chi and continue to practise it, I can now know that I have survived this intense thing, traveled to Asia and achieved a lot of personal goals. I am very happy :)
Moving on to the next eciting thing, ym trip os now over yet! My flight has been changed to just over 2 weeks later and I in fact now off with Marlon to visit first Shnghai and a couple of other places nearby and then to Beijing! I am soooo excited, it will be fantastic. Hong Kong was so good and that was only a few days so having this much time travel will be amazing. I really thought I wouldn't be able to do travelling when coming to China so the fact that I can see Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing is pretty much perfect. We are leaving in a couple of hours to go to Taining and catch a coupl of buses to get to Nanchang. We stay there for the night and then fly to Shanghai on Sunday so I guess my next blog will be from there!
xxxx
A bunch of us went bamboo rafting a couple of weeks back. The rafts were three people per a raft and we each had a little bamboo seat. We went along a pool trhough some beautiful mountains and at one point it got really narrow with very high walls which was really cool. I've also been to Sanming a couple fo times recently with Marlon to sort out extending my visa. I had to miss a couple of days of training unfortunately but atleast its all worked out now.
We all went out to the local village Xinqiao last night and had a goodbye meal and drinks for me and Ben who is also leaving. It was a nice night. I have had a really great time here and probably would have liked to stay longer and try a different style. But I am also very excited about going travelling and I only have a week when I get back before I start university, so the end of my gap year is nearly upon me. What a gao year its been!
I've got so much out of this last China experience, the training has definitely been a test of my motivation and stamina, not to mention my ability to get out of bed at ridiculous times in the morning. I have met some great people here as I seem to have everywhere this year, and have some fantastic memories. Not only can I take away my tai chi and continue to practise it, I can now know that I have survived this intense thing, traveled to Asia and achieved a lot of personal goals. I am very happy :)
Moving on to the next eciting thing, ym trip os now over yet! My flight has been changed to just over 2 weeks later and I in fact now off with Marlon to visit first Shnghai and a couple of other places nearby and then to Beijing! I am soooo excited, it will be fantastic. Hong Kong was so good and that was only a few days so having this much time travel will be amazing. I really thought I wouldn't be able to do travelling when coming to China so the fact that I can see Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing is pretty much perfect. We are leaving in a couple of hours to go to Taining and catch a coupl of buses to get to Nanchang. We stay there for the night and then fly to Shanghai on Sunday so I guess my next blog will be from there!
xxxx
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Hong Kong
Hello hello,
I have much to report, mainly that I went to Hong Kong Last week :D
A guy I met here needed to go to sort out some visa stuff and so I went along too, it was great to do a bit of travelling as I was sure I wouldn't be able to whilst I was here.
We stayed in a really nice hotel, which was heaven after the heat, mosquitoes and hard beds of the school and they had western style breakfast so I got to have cereal again which I have been craving since I got here lol. We also ate loads of nice japanese food and vegetarian stuff.
We did a lot of walking around Hong Kong and also got to see Harry Potter which I was a bit too happy about. I was sure I would have to wait ages but we found an English viewing no problem :D We also did a beautiful cablecar ride to an island where there was a giant biddha in the mountainside. It was one of the most beautiful places the view really did look like a tropical paradise. We also sorted out the visa stuff which didn't go exactly to plan so I will have to complete it here in Fujian but I'm sure it won't be a prob.
We travelled there and back in a night bus that had beds instead of chairs! It was pretty bizarre lol. It only took 11 hours from Sanming on the way there but on the way back we couldn't get a direct flight so we had to get 2 buses and a train which took more like 18 hours but atleast we got back eventually.
I did end up missing nearly a weeks worth of training which I was a bit worried about but it turns out I've managed to catch up with Stephen in terms of my form. I can feel my fitness has taken a bit of a step back but I'm sure I'll be back on track soon and it was totally worth it. It was such a nice trip and Hong Kong was a pretty great place, such a contrast from my what I've seen of rural China. Most people spoke English and I found I was the one staring at Westerners instead of the other way around as it is here out in Fujian.
I have now completed 5 weeks in China so only 3 weeks of training remain. I have fininshed 13 out of 14 parts of my Tai Chi form so probably only have one more day of learning to go! Then I'm sure I will have to keep going over timing and positioning for a bit but then I can move onto another internal style of martial arts. I'm not sure what to go for yet as I won't complete anything in this short space of time but I do want to do a more powerful form. Tai Chi is all about technique and self-defence so it would be great to build up some strength to compliment that.
Most of my friends here left last week and our class went from 9 people to 5 which did feel like a big drop, especially if someone is ill for a day and we have even less. New people have been arriving though and some people have stayed on of course. I've been visiting Taining a lot at the weekends as usual and a couple of weekends ago we went to a club with most of the school which was hilarious. We train so hard in the week and go to bed so early so everyone just wants to have fun at the weekend, we all got so into the dancing lol. We are hoping to go on a rafting trip through the mountains next weekend if I can organise numbers of people so I will feed back on that if that's a success. It looks beautiful.
I'll write here again soooon xxxxxxxx
I have much to report, mainly that I went to Hong Kong Last week :D
A guy I met here needed to go to sort out some visa stuff and so I went along too, it was great to do a bit of travelling as I was sure I wouldn't be able to whilst I was here.
We stayed in a really nice hotel, which was heaven after the heat, mosquitoes and hard beds of the school and they had western style breakfast so I got to have cereal again which I have been craving since I got here lol. We also ate loads of nice japanese food and vegetarian stuff.
We did a lot of walking around Hong Kong and also got to see Harry Potter which I was a bit too happy about. I was sure I would have to wait ages but we found an English viewing no problem :D We also did a beautiful cablecar ride to an island where there was a giant biddha in the mountainside. It was one of the most beautiful places the view really did look like a tropical paradise. We also sorted out the visa stuff which didn't go exactly to plan so I will have to complete it here in Fujian but I'm sure it won't be a prob.
We travelled there and back in a night bus that had beds instead of chairs! It was pretty bizarre lol. It only took 11 hours from Sanming on the way there but on the way back we couldn't get a direct flight so we had to get 2 buses and a train which took more like 18 hours but atleast we got back eventually.
I did end up missing nearly a weeks worth of training which I was a bit worried about but it turns out I've managed to catch up with Stephen in terms of my form. I can feel my fitness has taken a bit of a step back but I'm sure I'll be back on track soon and it was totally worth it. It was such a nice trip and Hong Kong was a pretty great place, such a contrast from my what I've seen of rural China. Most people spoke English and I found I was the one staring at Westerners instead of the other way around as it is here out in Fujian.
I have now completed 5 weeks in China so only 3 weeks of training remain. I have fininshed 13 out of 14 parts of my Tai Chi form so probably only have one more day of learning to go! Then I'm sure I will have to keep going over timing and positioning for a bit but then I can move onto another internal style of martial arts. I'm not sure what to go for yet as I won't complete anything in this short space of time but I do want to do a more powerful form. Tai Chi is all about technique and self-defence so it would be great to build up some strength to compliment that.
Most of my friends here left last week and our class went from 9 people to 5 which did feel like a big drop, especially if someone is ill for a day and we have even less. New people have been arriving though and some people have stayed on of course. I've been visiting Taining a lot at the weekends as usual and a couple of weekends ago we went to a club with most of the school which was hilarious. We train so hard in the week and go to bed so early so everyone just wants to have fun at the weekend, we all got so into the dancing lol. We are hoping to go on a rafting trip through the mountains next weekend if I can organise numbers of people so I will feed back on that if that's a success. It looks beautiful.
I'll write here again soooon xxxxxxxx
Sunday, 17 July 2011
China - Rising Dragon Martial Arts School
I've now survived over 2 weeks of martial arts training.
Internet is pretty unreliable so it has been hard to update this blog but I have got here eventually.
My flight here was a disaster. I had very short times to switch flights. My first flight was delayed so I only made it onto my flight in Frankfurt by sprinting to the other terminal. I was with a nice Italian girl all the way Beijing though which made a difference. My flight to Beijing turned up late aswell so I missed my flight to Nanchang and my luggage was still in Frankfurt. I ended up waiting for my luggage to arrive and eventually managed to persuade the Air China to change my flight to Wuyishan so I could still get picked up. Their English was very limited and it was very stressful, especially as I hadn't slept in a long time.
I was very relieved when I finally got to Wuyishan and got in the minibus with 6 other people. The place was incredibly cramped with a crazy driver playing chinese music, chain smoking, spitting lol. We had no seatbelts and one guy had to sit on a bucket but I've found out since then that all the driving here is very dodgy so nothing unusual there.
When we arrived a few hours later at 1am at the school I got showed straight to my room. I just had a shower, and a nice experience with a taratula in there and went to sleep. I met my room mate the next day, Harriet from Manchetser who was very nice but has left now this weekend.
I ended up doing Tai Chi which I am very happy about. I have learnt 7 out of 14 forms and hope to move on to Shingyi and more powerful punching version of Internal Martial arts for my second month. A Scotish guy stephen started the same time as me so we learn everything to same time which is good. First few days were so hard and I felt pretty sick but I have really got into ti now. Its very hard being vegetarian here, but I get a lot of rice and veg which is quite ok I guess.
Everyone here is really nice, mainly British like I thought, but there is also Swrish, German, French and a few Americans. We got out a lot at the weekend which is good as its a nice relief from all the training! We went to a barbeque, a karaoke bar and a club last weekend and this weekend just gone we went out for a meal. We go out for meals a couple fo days a week here as its only about £2.50 each time and its much nicer than the rice we get everyday.
There is a local village here which we run to everyday and go to get essentials in the evening too. Then a 40 min bus ride away is a bigger town, we stayed the night in a hotel there last weekend. There are quite a lot of shops and its a reasonable size. Its actually really pretty too so I will have to take more pictures of that.
The hardest part of the day is the morning circuit which is always so hard. Usually involving loads or pressups and situp or bear-crawls. One day we did a run to a load of bircks, had to run back with 2 then do lots of exercises with them. Getting up early isn't actually that bad anymore. On week days we all go to sleep pretty much at 8pm so we get enough sleep. I got bitten alive a couple of night ago, no joke, it was soo hell and I got over a hundred bits on my legs and feet. Agony. The locals couldn't stop laughin when I went to the village lol. But I've been using a load of afterbite and they are already a lot smaller and hurt a lot less.
We've done the bleep test 3 times and first time I got 7.2. A week later I got 9.2. A new girl's record so was very chuffed but this morning I went back down to 8.1. Hopefully I can get back up to my scord next week. I still have no upperbody strength but we do a lot of standing meditation in Tai Chi which is building up arm and leg muscle I hope. Tai Chi is turning out great for self-defence as all the moves when used fast are entirely self-defence based and teach you how to get someones hands off you or push someone away etc. which is exactly what I wanted to learn. It can be very mentally draining but the group is great. Everyone is quite mellow and we have a lot of laughs, no-one is competative because the whole idea of Tai Chi is to become mentally strong aswell as physically and have lots of 'Chi' (positive enrgy) so it seems to attract a good bunch of people.
I'm sure I could go into more detail here but I think I will leave it this for now and try to update again next week with more detail before this post gets ridiculously long.
To sum up, I am loving this place and the people, it is amazing being here in China, my first time out of Europe and this is just the kind of challenge I wanted. What a great way to end my gap year. This might just have got me hooked on travelling forever :D
Internet is pretty unreliable so it has been hard to update this blog but I have got here eventually.
My flight here was a disaster. I had very short times to switch flights. My first flight was delayed so I only made it onto my flight in Frankfurt by sprinting to the other terminal. I was with a nice Italian girl all the way Beijing though which made a difference. My flight to Beijing turned up late aswell so I missed my flight to Nanchang and my luggage was still in Frankfurt. I ended up waiting for my luggage to arrive and eventually managed to persuade the Air China to change my flight to Wuyishan so I could still get picked up. Their English was very limited and it was very stressful, especially as I hadn't slept in a long time.
I was very relieved when I finally got to Wuyishan and got in the minibus with 6 other people. The place was incredibly cramped with a crazy driver playing chinese music, chain smoking, spitting lol. We had no seatbelts and one guy had to sit on a bucket but I've found out since then that all the driving here is very dodgy so nothing unusual there.
When we arrived a few hours later at 1am at the school I got showed straight to my room. I just had a shower, and a nice experience with a taratula in there and went to sleep. I met my room mate the next day, Harriet from Manchetser who was very nice but has left now this weekend.
I ended up doing Tai Chi which I am very happy about. I have learnt 7 out of 14 forms and hope to move on to Shingyi and more powerful punching version of Internal Martial arts for my second month. A Scotish guy stephen started the same time as me so we learn everything to same time which is good. First few days were so hard and I felt pretty sick but I have really got into ti now. Its very hard being vegetarian here, but I get a lot of rice and veg which is quite ok I guess.
Everyone here is really nice, mainly British like I thought, but there is also Swrish, German, French and a few Americans. We got out a lot at the weekend which is good as its a nice relief from all the training! We went to a barbeque, a karaoke bar and a club last weekend and this weekend just gone we went out for a meal. We go out for meals a couple fo days a week here as its only about £2.50 each time and its much nicer than the rice we get everyday.
There is a local village here which we run to everyday and go to get essentials in the evening too. Then a 40 min bus ride away is a bigger town, we stayed the night in a hotel there last weekend. There are quite a lot of shops and its a reasonable size. Its actually really pretty too so I will have to take more pictures of that.
The hardest part of the day is the morning circuit which is always so hard. Usually involving loads or pressups and situp or bear-crawls. One day we did a run to a load of bircks, had to run back with 2 then do lots of exercises with them. Getting up early isn't actually that bad anymore. On week days we all go to sleep pretty much at 8pm so we get enough sleep. I got bitten alive a couple of night ago, no joke, it was soo hell and I got over a hundred bits on my legs and feet. Agony. The locals couldn't stop laughin when I went to the village lol. But I've been using a load of afterbite and they are already a lot smaller and hurt a lot less.
We've done the bleep test 3 times and first time I got 7.2. A week later I got 9.2. A new girl's record so was very chuffed but this morning I went back down to 8.1. Hopefully I can get back up to my scord next week. I still have no upperbody strength but we do a lot of standing meditation in Tai Chi which is building up arm and leg muscle I hope. Tai Chi is turning out great for self-defence as all the moves when used fast are entirely self-defence based and teach you how to get someones hands off you or push someone away etc. which is exactly what I wanted to learn. It can be very mentally draining but the group is great. Everyone is quite mellow and we have a lot of laughs, no-one is competative because the whole idea of Tai Chi is to become mentally strong aswell as physically and have lots of 'Chi' (positive enrgy) so it seems to attract a good bunch of people.
I'm sure I could go into more detail here but I think I will leave it this for now and try to update again next week with more detail before this post gets ridiculously long.
To sum up, I am loving this place and the people, it is amazing being here in China, my first time out of Europe and this is just the kind of challenge I wanted. What a great way to end my gap year. This might just have got me hooked on travelling forever :D
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Tomorrow = Heathrow to Frankfurt to Beijing to Nanchang to Taining!
TOMORROOOOOOW!!
I am definitely more scared than when I was leaving for France or Finland, I guess this is a much bigger deal for me. I am very glad I have had the experince of travelling abroad before though, even if it was just in Europe, I think its made me a bit more prepared for what is to come. I am still finishing packing and am once again worried that not everything will fit. So much for travelling light this time. I actually forgot to go get my last jab this morning oooops, but they called me and let me rush in a bit later. Then the nurse accidentally gave me an extra rabies jab, so I've ended up with 12 injections overall. Hopefully won't be having any more in a hurry!
I've said goodbye to everyone. we didn't have time for a barbeque but we did go out for a meal. It was great having my relatives here and my mum's party was great. It was very tiring in London everyday though and my fitness regime kind of went out the window when they were here but it was worth it. I saw my Hungarian friend Gygy in London the other day which was lovely. She came to visit a friend who is working there this year.
My first challenge will be the flight. It is sooo long and I have to flight transfers so fingers crossed I understand what to do. I am excited to meet everyone when I finally get there.
I actually don't have much to post, just wanted to report here before I leave. I am getting up early and my first flight leaves at 10.50. I'm getting there nice and early as there is a strike at Heathrow today so there might be a bit of a backlog tomorrow.
My next message will be from South East China, Fujian Province Eeeeeeeee!!
Fitness, please don't fail me now ...
xxxxxxxxxx
I am definitely more scared than when I was leaving for France or Finland, I guess this is a much bigger deal for me. I am very glad I have had the experince of travelling abroad before though, even if it was just in Europe, I think its made me a bit more prepared for what is to come. I am still finishing packing and am once again worried that not everything will fit. So much for travelling light this time. I actually forgot to go get my last jab this morning oooops, but they called me and let me rush in a bit later. Then the nurse accidentally gave me an extra rabies jab, so I've ended up with 12 injections overall. Hopefully won't be having any more in a hurry!
I've said goodbye to everyone. we didn't have time for a barbeque but we did go out for a meal. It was great having my relatives here and my mum's party was great. It was very tiring in London everyday though and my fitness regime kind of went out the window when they were here but it was worth it. I saw my Hungarian friend Gygy in London the other day which was lovely. She came to visit a friend who is working there this year.
My first challenge will be the flight. It is sooo long and I have to flight transfers so fingers crossed I understand what to do. I am excited to meet everyone when I finally get there.
I actually don't have much to post, just wanted to report here before I leave. I am getting up early and my first flight leaves at 10.50. I'm getting there nice and early as there is a strike at Heathrow today so there might be a bit of a backlog tomorrow.
My next message will be from South East China, Fujian Province Eeeeeeeee!!
Fitness, please don't fail me now ...
xxxxxxxxxx
Monday, 13 June 2011
Returning home/preparing for China :D
Hello little blog,
I feel I have neglected you for a while as its been a couple of months since I last posted but I promise to update as best I can.
So my last few weeks in Finland went by quite quickly I spent Vappu with my cousin Ellu which was great, we went to hers and made some very impressive blackberry chots consisting of blackberry soup, blackberry liquer and whipped cream mmmm. We then went out to some bars and saw Anna and her fiance then went onto a club. Goood night and we went to the vappu market the next day too. I went back that same afternoon to Helsinki on the long train journey and spent 2 nights in Helsinki. I had time to see my Disney friend Elsi again for a bit which was nice as I saw her just as I had arrived and then just as I was leaving 4 months later :)
Back home it was a great feeling when it was warm! Although we had a few nice sunny days before I left and we did some gardening it did get cold again just as I was going. It was so nice to wear shorts and no scarf I swear my legs hadn't seen daylight since the new year :/ It was a very worthwhile experience for the language, the cooking, the whole winter xperience and everything, but it was till such a nice feeling to have the freedom of my own home and not have to worry about the kids.
I've been doing the usual uni visits which is always fun so I saw Poppy and Kim at their uni. I worked with Alexander for a short time when he was back from College for halfterm. I've been to london a bit and got a new earpiercing, aparently its called a 'conch'. I#m not really up with that lingo. I plan to get a little tattoo on my foot before uni, but I'll wait for that till after China. Laura has been at home so I've seen her quite a bit and people are gradually getting back which is nice. I haven't however seen the likes of Jen, Maddie or Tiff this entire year which makes me quite sad and I can't wait to see them!! Luckily I see Mads and Jen next week but Tiff is off in Rwanda so we will finally be reunited at the end of August.
I've done the odd thing like helping out a bit with the youth ambassadors and I am appearing in my drama teahcer's Karen summer village show which is always fun. Appart from that I've just been trying to get up my fitness a bit for China as I am off to a Martial Arts course for 2 months in the Fujian Province SE China, crazy tiiimes!! I'm sooo excited. I've stretched barely at all, bad Naomi, so I've sure I will regret that but I will try and be better before I leave! I've done quite a lot fo swimming and running.
I leave in 18 days I think now so I am trying to get all my stuff together and organise evrything. I have 11 injections to have that are mega expensive, I think I've had 6 or something so far so still quite a few to go. My last one is the day before I leave so I really squeezed that one in. There is so much to think about, money, phone, flight transfers etc etc etc I have never been outside of Europe so I am not prepared for this! I got my 'buddy list' from the gap year company which had emails of people who start at the academy the same day as I do so I have been in contact with a few people, which was great as I don't feel so much like I am entering into the unknown! It still blows my mind a little to think I am heading off to China alone for 60 days, though I'll meet people when I get there. I got my visa with no probs which was a relief.
It is my mum's birthday party this weekend and lots of our Finnish relatives are coming to stay for quite a few days. It will be fantastic as we have never had that many here at once and some have never even come here at all. I can't wait for the manicness of having everyone stay and it will be nice to see them all again.
I hope to have a barbeque again before I leave to say goodbye to all my friends. It is funny because ti almost exactly a year ago, give or take 2 days, that I was leaving for France, Disneyland. It doesn't feel like a year ago but I guess a lot has happened since then so in some ways it does. I am about to embark definitely on the biggest part of my gap year which I guess is a nice way to end it as three weeks after I am back I am off to uni. I will have to have some though and reflections on the entire thing when I return! I already know I can't wait for uni though which is a good feeling as after A-levels it was the last thing I wanted to think about. So I guess thats definitely a positive thing to come out of the gap year as now I am ready and want to go to uni :)
I will deffo do an update before I leave on how my mum's party went and whether I am prepared or not for the biggest adventure so far. We will seeeeee.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ps. I don't really know why I put x's after this its not like this blog is to anyone in particular, mainly for recording stuff for myself which kinda means I am sending x's to myslef. Not acceptable. But I know my fam atleast reads this so I'll keep sending them anyway :P
I feel I have neglected you for a while as its been a couple of months since I last posted but I promise to update as best I can.
So my last few weeks in Finland went by quite quickly I spent Vappu with my cousin Ellu which was great, we went to hers and made some very impressive blackberry chots consisting of blackberry soup, blackberry liquer and whipped cream mmmm. We then went out to some bars and saw Anna and her fiance then went onto a club. Goood night and we went to the vappu market the next day too. I went back that same afternoon to Helsinki on the long train journey and spent 2 nights in Helsinki. I had time to see my Disney friend Elsi again for a bit which was nice as I saw her just as I had arrived and then just as I was leaving 4 months later :)
Back home it was a great feeling when it was warm! Although we had a few nice sunny days before I left and we did some gardening it did get cold again just as I was going. It was so nice to wear shorts and no scarf I swear my legs hadn't seen daylight since the new year :/ It was a very worthwhile experience for the language, the cooking, the whole winter xperience and everything, but it was till such a nice feeling to have the freedom of my own home and not have to worry about the kids.
I've been doing the usual uni visits which is always fun so I saw Poppy and Kim at their uni. I worked with Alexander for a short time when he was back from College for halfterm. I've been to london a bit and got a new earpiercing, aparently its called a 'conch'. I#m not really up with that lingo. I plan to get a little tattoo on my foot before uni, but I'll wait for that till after China. Laura has been at home so I've seen her quite a bit and people are gradually getting back which is nice. I haven't however seen the likes of Jen, Maddie or Tiff this entire year which makes me quite sad and I can't wait to see them!! Luckily I see Mads and Jen next week but Tiff is off in Rwanda so we will finally be reunited at the end of August.
I've done the odd thing like helping out a bit with the youth ambassadors and I am appearing in my drama teahcer's Karen summer village show which is always fun. Appart from that I've just been trying to get up my fitness a bit for China as I am off to a Martial Arts course for 2 months in the Fujian Province SE China, crazy tiiimes!! I'm sooo excited. I've stretched barely at all, bad Naomi, so I've sure I will regret that but I will try and be better before I leave! I've done quite a lot fo swimming and running.
I leave in 18 days I think now so I am trying to get all my stuff together and organise evrything. I have 11 injections to have that are mega expensive, I think I've had 6 or something so far so still quite a few to go. My last one is the day before I leave so I really squeezed that one in. There is so much to think about, money, phone, flight transfers etc etc etc I have never been outside of Europe so I am not prepared for this! I got my 'buddy list' from the gap year company which had emails of people who start at the academy the same day as I do so I have been in contact with a few people, which was great as I don't feel so much like I am entering into the unknown! It still blows my mind a little to think I am heading off to China alone for 60 days, though I'll meet people when I get there. I got my visa with no probs which was a relief.
It is my mum's birthday party this weekend and lots of our Finnish relatives are coming to stay for quite a few days. It will be fantastic as we have never had that many here at once and some have never even come here at all. I can't wait for the manicness of having everyone stay and it will be nice to see them all again.
I hope to have a barbeque again before I leave to say goodbye to all my friends. It is funny because ti almost exactly a year ago, give or take 2 days, that I was leaving for France, Disneyland. It doesn't feel like a year ago but I guess a lot has happened since then so in some ways it does. I am about to embark definitely on the biggest part of my gap year which I guess is a nice way to end it as three weeks after I am back I am off to uni. I will have to have some though and reflections on the entire thing when I return! I already know I can't wait for uni though which is a good feeling as after A-levels it was the last thing I wanted to think about. So I guess thats definitely a positive thing to come out of the gap year as now I am ready and want to go to uni :)
I will deffo do an update before I leave on how my mum's party went and whether I am prepared or not for the biggest adventure so far. We will seeeeee.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ps. I don't really know why I put x's after this its not like this blog is to anyone in particular, mainly for recording stuff for myself which kinda means I am sending x's to myslef. Not acceptable. But I know my fam atleast reads this so I'll keep sending them anyway :P
Friday, 8 April 2011
Three weeks of snowy times remaining!
I guess I should try and pick up where I left off which was .... just over a month ago, wow it feels likes ages ago!
So the langage cafe I mentioned in my last post was very enjoyable. I've been to the English and French cafe's a few times each and it was really nice to meet some foreigners :) I also did a French cooking evening with the French group where we made all kids of quiches and an apple tart. We went over to one of the Finnish girls apartments and listened to French music, drank red wine and chatted in french, t'was a rather perfect night ;) Oh I did miss my last bus home though so had to get a taxi at midnight which did cost me 15 euros more than the bus would, but not a big problem I guess!
I was ill for basically a week with a stomach virus I caught of Tatu which was more than a bit unpleasant. Just a kind of constant stinging pain that meant I got hardly any sleep for days. But to be fair Riikka and their Dad both got it so I was bound to get it at some point even though Satu did escape it!
Last weekend we had Satu's 40th birthday party which was lost of fun. The kids went to a family friends and me and Satu baked all sorts of things. We had 2 cakes, 3 quiches a salad and I even made some spring rolls..get me. We spent the whole day cooking and everyone seemed to really like the food. Almost everyone went out to a bar about midnight but being the youngster there I decided I didnät really fancy it. i've been out a couple of times with Satu to bars and I've enjoyed it but when you are way younger than everyone else it isn't quite the same lol. So me and one other lady stayed back. I tidied up too which Satu was very pleased about. She did feel rather il in the morning which was quite funny as it seemed like I was the sensible one looking after the guests who had stayed over haha.
I have also made a good friend on my English course called Rachel who is from the Philipines. She is around my mum's age but we get on really well so the age difference doesn't seem to matter at all which is nice. She lives down the road from me and so gives me a lift to the lessons and back most days. I dropped off her homework one evening when she had been away from the lesson and she invited me in for dinner as she had a guest round and one person was missing. That is when she taught me to make the spring rolls and I did for the party and thenwe sang Karaoke after which I haven't done since Disney so brought back many mems. It was a funny night. Also her husband used to go out with my aunt when they were young and lived in adifferent town, small world! Its funny because I seem to bump into more people I know than Satu does when we are out, it makes us laugh. I wonder if I have anything else major to report?
The children's dad is in Thailand and Satu has gone to Lapland on training for 3 days so I am with the kids alone this weekend. It always scares me because it really could be a disaster with Tatu. So far its been ok, both kids did come home like an hour late so I got quite worried but I seem to have got them to bed ok with no major probs. Saying that Tatu may come down any minute and want his mum but fingers crossed he falls asleep! Then only one more night to go. I made Mokkapalaat with him earlier which he seemed to enjoy.
I've been out with Ellu in the evening a couple of times and also with Anna once. We went to a place called 'Tivoli' which means carnival and is the young people's place here. Funny thing was that even though it was over 18 everyone looked even younger than me and we were sure there were some 15 year old sneaked in there lol. Its always funny when we go out as my cousinf Elina never speaks English to me, but when she has had a few drinks we chat away! I really had never heard her speak Enlgish before!
So my last few weeks will be filled up with Easter and then Vappu which is a Finnish celebration when I get to wear my graduation cap my aunt and uncle bought me :D I visited my older cousin Vilja with her 2 children last weekend and we are off with Vilja, her sister Saara, Anna, Ellu and me to dinner, bowling and drinks next Friday which I am really looking forward too. I can definitely say the thing I have enjoyed most about my experience here is spending time with my relatives that I usually only see once every year or two and for only a couple of weeks. They've really been so welcoming and I've really felt like part of the family. I am also going to Kuopi next weekend with Satu to visit her friend there when the children are ¨back at there Dad's. I met her friend and at the party and she is nice.
Ooh one more thing, I visited Satu mum and dad with the children one weekend a while ago in Kuhmo. I loved the food their grandma cooked as it was all vegetarian traditional finnish food mmmm, I have a feeling the kids weren't so pleased with all the vegetables though. It was nice to get away from Joensuu and see somewhere new and we stopped off at Nurmes on the way back so I saw my Mum's old house hwere she grew up :) It was quite stressful in the car with Tatu screaming though so I did have to have my ipod speakers up quite loud to try and stop the frustration lol.
I think my next blog will either be from home sweet home in England or when I am just about the leave which is exciting times! Once again as I am nearing the end of this experince I am reeeaaally ready to be back home. I keep thinking about my friends and fam and the fact that I am offto China wooooo! Although I will have to go on a major fitness drive when I am back to try and even be slightly prepared, but I can deal with that I hope as I've done more than enough lying around inside in this cold weather! Love to all xxxxxxxxx
So the langage cafe I mentioned in my last post was very enjoyable. I've been to the English and French cafe's a few times each and it was really nice to meet some foreigners :) I also did a French cooking evening with the French group where we made all kids of quiches and an apple tart. We went over to one of the Finnish girls apartments and listened to French music, drank red wine and chatted in french, t'was a rather perfect night ;) Oh I did miss my last bus home though so had to get a taxi at midnight which did cost me 15 euros more than the bus would, but not a big problem I guess!
I was ill for basically a week with a stomach virus I caught of Tatu which was more than a bit unpleasant. Just a kind of constant stinging pain that meant I got hardly any sleep for days. But to be fair Riikka and their Dad both got it so I was bound to get it at some point even though Satu did escape it!
Last weekend we had Satu's 40th birthday party which was lost of fun. The kids went to a family friends and me and Satu baked all sorts of things. We had 2 cakes, 3 quiches a salad and I even made some spring rolls..get me. We spent the whole day cooking and everyone seemed to really like the food. Almost everyone went out to a bar about midnight but being the youngster there I decided I didnät really fancy it. i've been out a couple of times with Satu to bars and I've enjoyed it but when you are way younger than everyone else it isn't quite the same lol. So me and one other lady stayed back. I tidied up too which Satu was very pleased about. She did feel rather il in the morning which was quite funny as it seemed like I was the sensible one looking after the guests who had stayed over haha.
I have also made a good friend on my English course called Rachel who is from the Philipines. She is around my mum's age but we get on really well so the age difference doesn't seem to matter at all which is nice. She lives down the road from me and so gives me a lift to the lessons and back most days. I dropped off her homework one evening when she had been away from the lesson and she invited me in for dinner as she had a guest round and one person was missing. That is when she taught me to make the spring rolls and I did for the party and thenwe sang Karaoke after which I haven't done since Disney so brought back many mems. It was a funny night. Also her husband used to go out with my aunt when they were young and lived in adifferent town, small world! Its funny because I seem to bump into more people I know than Satu does when we are out, it makes us laugh. I wonder if I have anything else major to report?
The children's dad is in Thailand and Satu has gone to Lapland on training for 3 days so I am with the kids alone this weekend. It always scares me because it really could be a disaster with Tatu. So far its been ok, both kids did come home like an hour late so I got quite worried but I seem to have got them to bed ok with no major probs. Saying that Tatu may come down any minute and want his mum but fingers crossed he falls asleep! Then only one more night to go. I made Mokkapalaat with him earlier which he seemed to enjoy.
I've been out with Ellu in the evening a couple of times and also with Anna once. We went to a place called 'Tivoli' which means carnival and is the young people's place here. Funny thing was that even though it was over 18 everyone looked even younger than me and we were sure there were some 15 year old sneaked in there lol. Its always funny when we go out as my cousinf Elina never speaks English to me, but when she has had a few drinks we chat away! I really had never heard her speak Enlgish before!
So my last few weeks will be filled up with Easter and then Vappu which is a Finnish celebration when I get to wear my graduation cap my aunt and uncle bought me :D I visited my older cousin Vilja with her 2 children last weekend and we are off with Vilja, her sister Saara, Anna, Ellu and me to dinner, bowling and drinks next Friday which I am really looking forward too. I can definitely say the thing I have enjoyed most about my experience here is spending time with my relatives that I usually only see once every year or two and for only a couple of weeks. They've really been so welcoming and I've really felt like part of the family. I am also going to Kuopi next weekend with Satu to visit her friend there when the children are ¨back at there Dad's. I met her friend and at the party and she is nice.
Ooh one more thing, I visited Satu mum and dad with the children one weekend a while ago in Kuhmo. I loved the food their grandma cooked as it was all vegetarian traditional finnish food mmmm, I have a feeling the kids weren't so pleased with all the vegetables though. It was nice to get away from Joensuu and see somewhere new and we stopped off at Nurmes on the way back so I saw my Mum's old house hwere she grew up :) It was quite stressful in the car with Tatu screaming though so I did have to have my ipod speakers up quite loud to try and stop the frustration lol.
I think my next blog will either be from home sweet home in England or when I am just about the leave which is exciting times! Once again as I am nearing the end of this experince I am reeeaaally ready to be back home. I keep thinking about my friends and fam and the fact that I am offto China wooooo! Although I will have to go on a major fitness drive when I am back to try and even be slightly prepared, but I can deal with that I hope as I've done more than enough lying around inside in this cold weather! Love to all xxxxxxxxx
Friday, 25 February 2011
Snow, snow and more snow!
SO I am half way through the whole au pairing experince already! To be fair it does feel like I've been here a while but it's still nice to think that I've reached this mile stone.
So where to begin with my update? Well I started the Finnish grammar course which is good and helping I think. All the other people are older internationals who have lived in Finland quite a while. So in one sense I speak and understand a lot quicker and more fluently, but they on the other hand have been studying Finnish for a few years so they have a grasp of the grammar where as I have never strudied it before. So in that way it is quite challenging. I learn new vocab every time and the grammar I have learnt has really hepled me to hopefuly make less mistakes when I speak as I really had no clue about how any of it worked before and just spoke, hoping it was correct.
I have spent a lot of my free time with my aunt, uncle and cousins which is really nice. Been to the cinema a few times, went skiing with Anna and have stayed over night at my aunt's a few times. The children stay over at their Dad's every other weekend so that is when I get a chance to stay away one night if I want.
It snowed like crazy all through Januray and through half of Feb and I did atleast an hour and a half of snow clearing everyday which is really quite tiring. It was also really dark and gloomy in January. In february it got a lot colder like -20 to -37 but the sun came out (yaaaay!) and it hasn't snowed for about 2 weeks now which is a record since I've been here (fingers crossed) but aparentley its snowing again this Sunday. Its much more cheerful when the sun it out here and the snow might start to melt a bit in a few weeks which will be nice. My aim is to see some grass before I leave haha.
I have also helped out at Riikka and Tatus's school 3 times. I went into the different classes and did a presentation about life in England compared to FInland and about myself. It was quite daunting at first but it was enjoyable and a change. I also even taught and Enlgish class once one my own when the teacher was away! Riika's teacher gave me achocolate bar on the first day to say thank you, which was nice of him. I also got to have a school dinner the days I was there for free. The school food is free for all the students and everyone eats it. It is much nicer and helathy than English school dinners by a looong way. The food is actually something I would like to eat at home and is much better for the kids. The girls were very sweet there and showed me round the school during breaks and chatted to me lots.
Then for Yasmin's birthday she came to Finland :D It was so great as the whole thing was a planned surprise that she didn't find out about untill on her birthday 2 days before. I took the the train up to Helsinki at the weekend for 3 nights and most of the cousins came aswell. With had a meal at my aunt's a played a board game, then went bowling and then clubbing. We waited outside the blub for an hour and I honetsly think that's the coldest I've ever been! Though I would die soon of cold, don't think I warmed myself up again that whole night even when finally inside. I went shopping and ice skating with Yaz too. Elina and Anna came all the way from Joensuu too but Anna actually got ill about an hour after arriving here! It was such a shame becasue the train ticketd are so expensive and she'd come all this way only to be ill and have to stay in bed :(
A week later my parents came to Joensuu and only left yesterday. I spent a few night's with them at my aunt's which was lovely and my aunt and uncle from Helsinki were there too. There have been some winter sports going on in the town centre and we saw some ice swimming and some amazing ice sculptures too. Anna took me to see the 'vanhujen tanssi' last friday where all the 6th formers dress up in ballgowns and tuxedos and have a traditional dance. The girls all looked amazing I was very jealous of their pretty dresses, it would be great it we did something like that in Enlgand.
Last but not least I went to a thing called a 'Language Cafe' yesterday with Anna for English speaking people to talk to each other, organised by the university. It was great to finally meet some other internationals who sepak English as I don't know where they've all bee hiding out before. They also have a French meeting I will try out next week which will be even better as I really should be practisiing my French for uni. I'd love to go to both meetings every week but as I also do my Finnish lessons twice a week I think that may be too many evenings away from my job so I will just take each week as they come and go to as many as I can really.
Over all, I have been enjoying my stay more recently. I'm sure seeing my family helped a lot and also I don't feel that Tatu's bad behavious is affecting me as much. It was still pretty scary when Satu went away to Denmark for a couple of days and he has had a couple of really bad tantrums alone with me since I last wrote but I THINK he may be a little calmer these last couple of weeks or atleast it maybe I don't mind it as much now. I will end this new blog here as my arms are starting to ache from all this typing! I will probably write a new blog in a months time or some thing. Hei hei for now xx
So where to begin with my update? Well I started the Finnish grammar course which is good and helping I think. All the other people are older internationals who have lived in Finland quite a while. So in one sense I speak and understand a lot quicker and more fluently, but they on the other hand have been studying Finnish for a few years so they have a grasp of the grammar where as I have never strudied it before. So in that way it is quite challenging. I learn new vocab every time and the grammar I have learnt has really hepled me to hopefuly make less mistakes when I speak as I really had no clue about how any of it worked before and just spoke, hoping it was correct.
I have spent a lot of my free time with my aunt, uncle and cousins which is really nice. Been to the cinema a few times, went skiing with Anna and have stayed over night at my aunt's a few times. The children stay over at their Dad's every other weekend so that is when I get a chance to stay away one night if I want.
It snowed like crazy all through Januray and through half of Feb and I did atleast an hour and a half of snow clearing everyday which is really quite tiring. It was also really dark and gloomy in January. In february it got a lot colder like -20 to -37 but the sun came out (yaaaay!) and it hasn't snowed for about 2 weeks now which is a record since I've been here (fingers crossed) but aparentley its snowing again this Sunday. Its much more cheerful when the sun it out here and the snow might start to melt a bit in a few weeks which will be nice. My aim is to see some grass before I leave haha.
I have also helped out at Riikka and Tatus's school 3 times. I went into the different classes and did a presentation about life in England compared to FInland and about myself. It was quite daunting at first but it was enjoyable and a change. I also even taught and Enlgish class once one my own when the teacher was away! Riika's teacher gave me achocolate bar on the first day to say thank you, which was nice of him. I also got to have a school dinner the days I was there for free. The school food is free for all the students and everyone eats it. It is much nicer and helathy than English school dinners by a looong way. The food is actually something I would like to eat at home and is much better for the kids. The girls were very sweet there and showed me round the school during breaks and chatted to me lots.
Then for Yasmin's birthday she came to Finland :D It was so great as the whole thing was a planned surprise that she didn't find out about untill on her birthday 2 days before. I took the the train up to Helsinki at the weekend for 3 nights and most of the cousins came aswell. With had a meal at my aunt's a played a board game, then went bowling and then clubbing. We waited outside the blub for an hour and I honetsly think that's the coldest I've ever been! Though I would die soon of cold, don't think I warmed myself up again that whole night even when finally inside. I went shopping and ice skating with Yaz too. Elina and Anna came all the way from Joensuu too but Anna actually got ill about an hour after arriving here! It was such a shame becasue the train ticketd are so expensive and she'd come all this way only to be ill and have to stay in bed :(
A week later my parents came to Joensuu and only left yesterday. I spent a few night's with them at my aunt's which was lovely and my aunt and uncle from Helsinki were there too. There have been some winter sports going on in the town centre and we saw some ice swimming and some amazing ice sculptures too. Anna took me to see the 'vanhujen tanssi' last friday where all the 6th formers dress up in ballgowns and tuxedos and have a traditional dance. The girls all looked amazing I was very jealous of their pretty dresses, it would be great it we did something like that in Enlgand.
Last but not least I went to a thing called a 'Language Cafe' yesterday with Anna for English speaking people to talk to each other, organised by the university. It was great to finally meet some other internationals who sepak English as I don't know where they've all bee hiding out before. They also have a French meeting I will try out next week which will be even better as I really should be practisiing my French for uni. I'd love to go to both meetings every week but as I also do my Finnish lessons twice a week I think that may be too many evenings away from my job so I will just take each week as they come and go to as many as I can really.
Over all, I have been enjoying my stay more recently. I'm sure seeing my family helped a lot and also I don't feel that Tatu's bad behavious is affecting me as much. It was still pretty scary when Satu went away to Denmark for a couple of days and he has had a couple of really bad tantrums alone with me since I last wrote but I THINK he may be a little calmer these last couple of weeks or atleast it maybe I don't mind it as much now. I will end this new blog here as my arms are starting to ache from all this typing! I will probably write a new blog in a months time or some thing. Hei hei for now xx
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Suomi/Finland - Life as an au pair
Hello there my blog you,
So the next part of my gap year has officially begun, and as always I'm thrown straight into the deep end. I've been in Finland for 2 and half weeks now. I'm staying exactly 4 months, 3rd Jan - 3rd May.
I spent the first week with my fam in Finland, I had a few days in Helsinki and saw my Disney friend Elisa which was great :D then I went up to Joensuu in eastern Finland by train with my cousin Mikko and his girlfriend as that is where I am now au pairing. I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle in Joensuu for the remaining few days and did some shopping and went bowling with my three cousins and their bfs/gfs before meeting my au pair fam. I actually had the flu/a very bad cold for the entire first week that I was here, which was typical considering I'd just arrived! I don't think I could have caught it here in Finland as I actually started feeling ill the first night I arrived and a few of my friends back home had been ill, so I blame them I'm sure! There is of course lots of snow here and in Joensuu it has been very cold some days, it has ranged so far from -2 as the warmest and -30 as the coldest. I haven't really had too much trouble with it though, I think the amount of warm clothes my Mum bought me has really paid off!
SO i am into the second week with my au pair family. The mum Satu is really nice and chatty, we get on very well and do quite a lot of things together. She is very busy with her work as she's a doctor and always has lots to do in the evenings too so doesn't get much of a break, so I've been helping her get things done. Her daughter is 11 and caled Riikka. She could'nt be better behaved and is very sweet. She loves horses and was quite shy at first but now chats to me quite a lot and tries the English out on me that she has learnt. Her son Tatu though is a real handful. He can be quite a sweet kid as he likes playing with me. We play cars, and shooting games running round the house. We read toghether sometimes and he recently built a den is his room that he likes to play in. On the other hand he doesn't have any control over his temper. If he doesn't have his way in the slightest he gets very angry and can cry/throw things/ lash out at people a lot and it is next to impossible to calm him down. I felt I was controlling this ok in the first week but the past 2 days have been very difficult as he is home all afternoon with me without his mum and its hard for me to know what to do when he has a tantrum and throws mine or Riikka's things around. I realise this is part of the job, so I will have to stand up to it and let him know I am in charge, but for people who know me they should realise by now that the one thing I am terible at doing is standing up for myself, so this will be a real challenge for me. I am really enjoying everything else about the job and being here, so I really hope that the difficulties I have with Tatu don't ruin it as it is becoming very difficult for me. I am determined to not let it get to me and to work it out somehow so I'll up date on that next time, fingers crossed.
My work generally consists of clearing snow (lots of it!) from the drive, doing some cleaning, looking after Tatu in the afternoon and the children in general when Satu is out e.g. getting them to bed. I also have done lots of cooking such as lasagne, vegetable dishes, spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce, macaroni cheese and chocolate/coffee cakes etc. Some have been very successful, others less so, but I guess that's how you learn! It is all good practise for uni I am sure. In the evenings I have been going to a couple of exercise classes with Satu, going with Satu to take Tatu to football or Riikka to horseriding, going food shopping. Hopefully I am starting a Finnish grammar course twice a week starting next week in the evening.
I have one full day off a week and another day in parts, so I have been seeing my family who live in the same town. It is really nice that I have them as I'm not sure who else I would spend it with! I went shopping one morning with my aunt last week and then at the weekend on Sunday I was at my cousin's Anna with my aunt and Uncle then went to the Cinema with my other cousing Ellu. I should be seeing then again this weekend which is a nice break away. It makes me feel a lot more at home by having them with me here.
So the beginning of this experience has been quite a mixture as I have explained. I said when I first did this blog that I would put the bad aswell as the good bits so I want to do that still. Over all there have been many positive things so far, and I'm sure my Finnish is improving (we speak 2 days Finnish,2 days English) which is the main reason I came here. There are some difficult parts to the job to be sure, but I am optimitic that my time here we be very positive.
I will write again soon <3
So the next part of my gap year has officially begun, and as always I'm thrown straight into the deep end. I've been in Finland for 2 and half weeks now. I'm staying exactly 4 months, 3rd Jan - 3rd May.
I spent the first week with my fam in Finland, I had a few days in Helsinki and saw my Disney friend Elisa which was great :D then I went up to Joensuu in eastern Finland by train with my cousin Mikko and his girlfriend as that is where I am now au pairing. I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle in Joensuu for the remaining few days and did some shopping and went bowling with my three cousins and their bfs/gfs before meeting my au pair fam. I actually had the flu/a very bad cold for the entire first week that I was here, which was typical considering I'd just arrived! I don't think I could have caught it here in Finland as I actually started feeling ill the first night I arrived and a few of my friends back home had been ill, so I blame them I'm sure! There is of course lots of snow here and in Joensuu it has been very cold some days, it has ranged so far from -2 as the warmest and -30 as the coldest. I haven't really had too much trouble with it though, I think the amount of warm clothes my Mum bought me has really paid off!
SO i am into the second week with my au pair family. The mum Satu is really nice and chatty, we get on very well and do quite a lot of things together. She is very busy with her work as she's a doctor and always has lots to do in the evenings too so doesn't get much of a break, so I've been helping her get things done. Her daughter is 11 and caled Riikka. She could'nt be better behaved and is very sweet. She loves horses and was quite shy at first but now chats to me quite a lot and tries the English out on me that she has learnt. Her son Tatu though is a real handful. He can be quite a sweet kid as he likes playing with me. We play cars, and shooting games running round the house. We read toghether sometimes and he recently built a den is his room that he likes to play in. On the other hand he doesn't have any control over his temper. If he doesn't have his way in the slightest he gets very angry and can cry/throw things/ lash out at people a lot and it is next to impossible to calm him down. I felt I was controlling this ok in the first week but the past 2 days have been very difficult as he is home all afternoon with me without his mum and its hard for me to know what to do when he has a tantrum and throws mine or Riikka's things around. I realise this is part of the job, so I will have to stand up to it and let him know I am in charge, but for people who know me they should realise by now that the one thing I am terible at doing is standing up for myself, so this will be a real challenge for me. I am really enjoying everything else about the job and being here, so I really hope that the difficulties I have with Tatu don't ruin it as it is becoming very difficult for me. I am determined to not let it get to me and to work it out somehow so I'll up date on that next time, fingers crossed.
My work generally consists of clearing snow (lots of it!) from the drive, doing some cleaning, looking after Tatu in the afternoon and the children in general when Satu is out e.g. getting them to bed. I also have done lots of cooking such as lasagne, vegetable dishes, spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce, macaroni cheese and chocolate/coffee cakes etc. Some have been very successful, others less so, but I guess that's how you learn! It is all good practise for uni I am sure. In the evenings I have been going to a couple of exercise classes with Satu, going with Satu to take Tatu to football or Riikka to horseriding, going food shopping. Hopefully I am starting a Finnish grammar course twice a week starting next week in the evening.
I have one full day off a week and another day in parts, so I have been seeing my family who live in the same town. It is really nice that I have them as I'm not sure who else I would spend it with! I went shopping one morning with my aunt last week and then at the weekend on Sunday I was at my cousin's Anna with my aunt and Uncle then went to the Cinema with my other cousing Ellu. I should be seeing then again this weekend which is a nice break away. It makes me feel a lot more at home by having them with me here.
So the beginning of this experience has been quite a mixture as I have explained. I said when I first did this blog that I would put the bad aswell as the good bits so I want to do that still. Over all there have been many positive things so far, and I'm sure my Finnish is improving (we speak 2 days Finnish,2 days English) which is the main reason I came here. There are some difficult parts to the job to be sure, but I am optimitic that my time here we be very positive.
I will write again soon <3
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Home Sweet Home/ Time for the next adevnture!
Sooooooo I have been home a month and a half but it feels like sooo much longer I swear. The first week or so it was so nice to be back and I literally couldn't wait to get home from Disney when I was leaving. Looking back, Disney really was a fantastic experience. All the amazing times and the yes really bad times too made it everything I wanted! I got some work experience and met some amazing people. I had a fantastic time living in Paris but the work wasn't so interesting that I wanted to stay, it made me realise I really wouldn't like to be in a job like that for the rest of my life. Plus I learnt a load of French which was just great :) So all in all everyhting I could have asked for.
About 10 days after being home I went to visit Gygy my Hungarian friend from Disney and stayed with her in Budapest. I had a fantastic time and stayed there for 6 days. It was actually the first time I had flown anywhere completely on my own but no glitches (ok I did get on the wrong bus on my way home and no-one seemed to speak English so I nearly missed my flight but lets not mention that) so I am feeling rather wise and travelled now... ok maybe not that much! We did so much in those days and I really couldn't have asked for anything more form Gygy she showed me everything, I really did have my own personal tour guide! I stayed in her university halls in Buda and we did lots of touristy things during the day. Everything was seriously cheap too which was a plus. Ok so I did get my purse stolen on the second day, that was a low point, BUT just by chance I didn't have any important cards in there or my passport and only some money so I had enough to last and I have just the other day got most of the money claimed back on my insurance so it didn't really matter. I was on the bus and it was crowded and my bag wasn't closed properley so it was my own fault really. Gygy was my translator at the police station and we had to write an official report it was quite an experience for my first time in a police station. In the evenings we did lots. We went to a folk dance and a belgian bar on the second night and then also to an amazing cruise trip down the river Danube with a buffet dinner and musicians. The view was amazing. Another night we saw Beauty and the Beast at a lovely theatre (we can't escape Disney!) which was in Hungarian but with English subtitles at the top of the stage. One night we went to a huge club called Morrisons (yes I know its like the supermarket, lol) which was an entire building with 4 floors or something. I think we counted it had 9 bars and who knows how many rooms. Each room had a different type of music playing so there was RnB, House, Pop, Indie, Cheesy, you name it it was there. There was a karaoke room too so me and Gygy sang 'Hit me baby one more time' for Disney memories of karaoke. I also went to some parties at her university which was really nice meeting all her friends. I could go on about Hungary forever but I never made a post when I got back so I must move on or this post will take up forever!
I've visited quite a few uni friends now I've stayed at Poppy's twice, been up to visit Jen in Sheffield over Halloween for a long weekend (we went all out a zombies it was great) and visited my sister for a few days and Kim for a few hours as she was nearby. Laura is at home so I have been seeing her quite a bit and we are off to see Kirsty in Bedford this weekend as I finally have a car again(YES!)and we are going to a silent disco which I am a bit too excited about as I love these sooo much. Ellie has been here too as she's on a gap year working so I've seen her a bit and we are going to watch the new Harry Potter on Firday, I cannot wait. Anyone who knows me know that I am a super Harry Potter geek so this will be my heaven. I spent a week working with Alexander during his halfterm which was lovely to see him as I missed his party so he showed me all his pictures and I found out a bit about his time at college. It was be really nice I'm seeing him again at xmas.
To add to that, Niek came to stay for a long weekend too and we really did pack everything in. Ok so we did see 3 muscials which I know is a bit unacceptabole but we both do acting and he reeaally wanted to see them and I wasn't complaining :P so we saw Oliver!, Legally Blonde and Mamma Mia! They were all great and whole less cheesy (or atleast bearably cheesy) than I thought they might be. We also went to Thorpe Park, Ripley's Believe it Or Not and London Dungeons with lots of half price tickets so we really did do loads. I was pretty exhausted by the end of all those days in London, but it was really fun I'm happy I saw Niek and Gygy since Disney and hopefully we will all 3 meet up next year too.
Wow so looking back at that it really does seem like loads, no wonder it feels longer than a month and a half, BUT even so I am verrry ready to move on to the next part of my gap year now. 3 months does feel like a long time at home and if there's one thing I hate its sitting around and doing nothing. I guess this is a good length of time to be at home because I have managed to catch up with my friends and do some other exciting things but it still feels like I often have days lounging around the house trying to find things to do. I did try to find xmas work but I arrived a bit late and all the major stuff seemed to be taken so I will hopefully earn a bit with Alexander. I also may be doing a couple of scratch play performances with NYT which would be amaaazing but I've yet to hear back so fingers crossed for that. I have booked my flight for Finland and am off on 3rd of January. Just to mention I am now officially going to martial arts academy in China for the summer, how crazy is that?! I should explain more about how I ended up doing this but this blog is so lengthy I think I will have to leave that discussion for another day. So for now I have had a bit of a break here in Enlgnd but am sooo ready for my next endevour so not long now!xxxxxxxx
About 10 days after being home I went to visit Gygy my Hungarian friend from Disney and stayed with her in Budapest. I had a fantastic time and stayed there for 6 days. It was actually the first time I had flown anywhere completely on my own but no glitches (ok I did get on the wrong bus on my way home and no-one seemed to speak English so I nearly missed my flight but lets not mention that) so I am feeling rather wise and travelled now... ok maybe not that much! We did so much in those days and I really couldn't have asked for anything more form Gygy she showed me everything, I really did have my own personal tour guide! I stayed in her university halls in Buda and we did lots of touristy things during the day. Everything was seriously cheap too which was a plus. Ok so I did get my purse stolen on the second day, that was a low point, BUT just by chance I didn't have any important cards in there or my passport and only some money so I had enough to last and I have just the other day got most of the money claimed back on my insurance so it didn't really matter. I was on the bus and it was crowded and my bag wasn't closed properley so it was my own fault really. Gygy was my translator at the police station and we had to write an official report it was quite an experience for my first time in a police station. In the evenings we did lots. We went to a folk dance and a belgian bar on the second night and then also to an amazing cruise trip down the river Danube with a buffet dinner and musicians. The view was amazing. Another night we saw Beauty and the Beast at a lovely theatre (we can't escape Disney!) which was in Hungarian but with English subtitles at the top of the stage. One night we went to a huge club called Morrisons (yes I know its like the supermarket, lol) which was an entire building with 4 floors or something. I think we counted it had 9 bars and who knows how many rooms. Each room had a different type of music playing so there was RnB, House, Pop, Indie, Cheesy, you name it it was there. There was a karaoke room too so me and Gygy sang 'Hit me baby one more time' for Disney memories of karaoke. I also went to some parties at her university which was really nice meeting all her friends. I could go on about Hungary forever but I never made a post when I got back so I must move on or this post will take up forever!
I've visited quite a few uni friends now I've stayed at Poppy's twice, been up to visit Jen in Sheffield over Halloween for a long weekend (we went all out a zombies it was great) and visited my sister for a few days and Kim for a few hours as she was nearby. Laura is at home so I have been seeing her quite a bit and we are off to see Kirsty in Bedford this weekend as I finally have a car again(YES!)and we are going to a silent disco which I am a bit too excited about as I love these sooo much. Ellie has been here too as she's on a gap year working so I've seen her a bit and we are going to watch the new Harry Potter on Firday, I cannot wait. Anyone who knows me know that I am a super Harry Potter geek so this will be my heaven. I spent a week working with Alexander during his halfterm which was lovely to see him as I missed his party so he showed me all his pictures and I found out a bit about his time at college. It was be really nice I'm seeing him again at xmas.
To add to that, Niek came to stay for a long weekend too and we really did pack everything in. Ok so we did see 3 muscials which I know is a bit unacceptabole but we both do acting and he reeaally wanted to see them and I wasn't complaining :P so we saw Oliver!, Legally Blonde and Mamma Mia! They were all great and whole less cheesy (or atleast bearably cheesy) than I thought they might be. We also went to Thorpe Park, Ripley's Believe it Or Not and London Dungeons with lots of half price tickets so we really did do loads. I was pretty exhausted by the end of all those days in London, but it was really fun I'm happy I saw Niek and Gygy since Disney and hopefully we will all 3 meet up next year too.
Wow so looking back at that it really does seem like loads, no wonder it feels longer than a month and a half, BUT even so I am verrry ready to move on to the next part of my gap year now. 3 months does feel like a long time at home and if there's one thing I hate its sitting around and doing nothing. I guess this is a good length of time to be at home because I have managed to catch up with my friends and do some other exciting things but it still feels like I often have days lounging around the house trying to find things to do. I did try to find xmas work but I arrived a bit late and all the major stuff seemed to be taken so I will hopefully earn a bit with Alexander. I also may be doing a couple of scratch play performances with NYT which would be amaaazing but I've yet to hear back so fingers crossed for that. I have booked my flight for Finland and am off on 3rd of January. Just to mention I am now officially going to martial arts academy in China for the summer, how crazy is that?! I should explain more about how I ended up doing this but this blog is so lengthy I think I will have to leave that discussion for another day. So for now I have had a bit of a break here in Enlgnd but am sooo ready for my next endevour so not long now!xxxxxxxx
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
The end is nigh!
I only have 10 days till I come home it is crazy! I have 5 work days left with 2 days at Steam and 3 at BTM. This month has been so much quieter than the 2 summer months which was always expected. 90% of the people I knew left so haven't really been partying it up anymore! I kind of liked the fact is was more relaxing though with the 3 days off (despite the 10 hours days!) and just relaxing when I'm home. Work seems to take up the whooole day here though as I will get up at 9 to get ready for work, then leave at 10 (stupide bus times) to get to costuming ready to start just before 12 and then I don't finish till 10 and by the time I get home its about 11.30!
Tiffany came to stay the other week and we spent one night in Paris togther and then one night in my apartment. It was soo nice to see her and forget about Disney for a bit. We did go to the park one day, but its always so different being a guest there when you are not working so it was nice to show her around. We spent the other two days in paris and actually got so much done. We weren't in a rush but we were very efficient we went to the flea market, Versailles, catacombs, orangerie museum, Shakespeare and co bookshop and latin quarter to name a few! The hotel room was nice aswell.
I've been sorting out stuff for leaving gradually, present shopping, attempting to get my eurostar tickets but failing miserably and my mum now has to send them from England which is annoying but can't be helped. I am on my 3rd day off today before back to work tommorrow, I went to Paris with Elisa yesterday and we went to the Paris science museum. It was happy hour apparently so we got student tickets for 3 euros and spent nearly all day there lol. We also went to a famous cemetary before and saw the graves of Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and Chopin. Afterwards we went to see the arch of La Defence which was huuuge and then headed back home in the evening. I am going to a swimming pool with lots of slides called Aquaboulevard today with a German girl from BTM which will make a nice change. Not really sure where it is but I guess I will will wait and see!
I had one really hard day at work on Steam near the beginning of the month when it was a aturday evening. We had changed to only having one train and there were around 47,000 guests in the park so this was no way enough and we ended up with 2 hour queues at every station! Needless to say we had plenty of guest situations and the guests were all just shouting and complaining for the 30 minutes I had to wait alone at each station. Was actually quite scary when you have 400 guests in a queue that you are in charge of and all of them are shouting at you! Not fun! Also when the train left Fantasyland station everyone actually started booing really loudly! Oh the lovely guests of Disney. I spoke to people on other attractions and they said it was the same with some of them having worked there for ages and had never seen the guests that bad! I hope I don't experience that again before I leave but I'm not working at a weekend again so I should be safe lol.
I have already started making plans for when I go home as the last thing I want to do is be bored and fed up, I am going to make the most of my time back in the Shire and have a break too as I have been working since I finished my last exam! I have already planned to visit Laura in Southampton, then I am going to Hungary for 6 days to see my firend Gygy from Disney. Also at the beginning of November Niek is coming to stay for a long weekend and we have booked tickets to go see Legally Blonde and Mamma mia which will be great :D I am really quite concerned about my money and all that though. I know I have enough right now till I leave but there is no way it will last the whole 3 months at home with everything I want to do and I still want to save some. I will have to find some kind of work as soon a sposs when I go home which will be difficult to work around everything else I want to do. I hope it all works out I will just have to keep searching untill I find something!
This last week I hope to do a lot more fun things and go out etc to party before I leave! I am definitely heading off to Paris for the night one last time and hopefully will have a party here in la Boiserie. My next post will probably be when I am back in England aaah can't wait! Definitely time to come home and 'rentre chez moi'. Kohta kotiin! xxxxxxxxxx
Tiffany came to stay the other week and we spent one night in Paris togther and then one night in my apartment. It was soo nice to see her and forget about Disney for a bit. We did go to the park one day, but its always so different being a guest there when you are not working so it was nice to show her around. We spent the other two days in paris and actually got so much done. We weren't in a rush but we were very efficient we went to the flea market, Versailles, catacombs, orangerie museum, Shakespeare and co bookshop and latin quarter to name a few! The hotel room was nice aswell.
I've been sorting out stuff for leaving gradually, present shopping, attempting to get my eurostar tickets but failing miserably and my mum now has to send them from England which is annoying but can't be helped. I am on my 3rd day off today before back to work tommorrow, I went to Paris with Elisa yesterday and we went to the Paris science museum. It was happy hour apparently so we got student tickets for 3 euros and spent nearly all day there lol. We also went to a famous cemetary before and saw the graves of Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and Chopin. Afterwards we went to see the arch of La Defence which was huuuge and then headed back home in the evening. I am going to a swimming pool with lots of slides called Aquaboulevard today with a German girl from BTM which will make a nice change. Not really sure where it is but I guess I will will wait and see!
I had one really hard day at work on Steam near the beginning of the month when it was a aturday evening. We had changed to only having one train and there were around 47,000 guests in the park so this was no way enough and we ended up with 2 hour queues at every station! Needless to say we had plenty of guest situations and the guests were all just shouting and complaining for the 30 minutes I had to wait alone at each station. Was actually quite scary when you have 400 guests in a queue that you are in charge of and all of them are shouting at you! Not fun! Also when the train left Fantasyland station everyone actually started booing really loudly! Oh the lovely guests of Disney. I spoke to people on other attractions and they said it was the same with some of them having worked there for ages and had never seen the guests that bad! I hope I don't experience that again before I leave but I'm not working at a weekend again so I should be safe lol.
I have already started making plans for when I go home as the last thing I want to do is be bored and fed up, I am going to make the most of my time back in the Shire and have a break too as I have been working since I finished my last exam! I have already planned to visit Laura in Southampton, then I am going to Hungary for 6 days to see my firend Gygy from Disney. Also at the beginning of November Niek is coming to stay for a long weekend and we have booked tickets to go see Legally Blonde and Mamma mia which will be great :D I am really quite concerned about my money and all that though. I know I have enough right now till I leave but there is no way it will last the whole 3 months at home with everything I want to do and I still want to save some. I will have to find some kind of work as soon a sposs when I go home which will be difficult to work around everything else I want to do. I hope it all works out I will just have to keep searching untill I find something!
This last week I hope to do a lot more fun things and go out etc to party before I leave! I am definitely heading off to Paris for the night one last time and hopefully will have a party here in la Boiserie. My next post will probably be when I am back in England aaah can't wait! Definitely time to come home and 'rentre chez moi'. Kohta kotiin! xxxxxxxxxx
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
The summer has ended and Disney continues
I've reached the 2 month mark and am still surviving the Disney experience ... just! Unfortunately I have been ill this last week so not sleeping very well and feeling lousy at work but it finally seems to be passing thank god! Lots of people at work have had the same thing.
Right I will try and start from the beginningish of the month and explain things in a vaguelly chronological way seeing as its been nearly a month since my last post! Hmmm Well there was results day which was strange being here so far away from it all, looking back I really should have booked a eurostar back for that day and taken some time off, silly Naomi! Not sure how I would have paid for that though to be fair. My Belgium friend Niek took me out to Cafe Mickey in the Disney Vilage though that eve and we had a really nice time, not quite school disco at Stonehouse but we had lots of fun taking pictures with the characters and generally being big kids. He is training to be an actor so we get on really well and seem to have lots on common :)
I have been out to Paris twice in the night this month. First time was at Duplex with a czech girl and then 3 people from work, my English friend Ben, Mikk the Estonian and Elisa a Finnish girl. We went on a Sunday so it wasn't too busy and overall a good night if a little crazy! Then a couple of weeks ago I went to a bar called Cafe Oz with Elisa again and my German friend Laura. It was a reeally cool australian bar which at night turns into a club. They push all the tables aside and everyone dances on the table and the drinks were reasonably cheap! It did close at 4.30am which did mean we were waiting for the first metro for an hour or so, but it worked out ok and had a really god night.
I did my training at BTM and it was very tough there are so many procedures etc. I much prefer Steam Train I have to say, ti definitely made me realise how attatched I am to the team there and I really like the job so whenever I am at BTM I am not too happy. I also may have pressed the wrong button when dispatching a train a caused the attraction to break down! They were not pleased at all and since I have only been on outside positions and not controlling! I am working there all this week though so they may give me a refresh or somehting. I have my hours up to 16th now and I am thinking I will come back end of Sept instead of extending to Oct. I am enjoying it here but I have thought of lots of things to do at home before I go to Finland in January and one person can only take so much Disney! Tiffany said she can hopefully come see me this month too which would be loverly!
As the summer is over and the peak season has ended I have started 10 hours of work a day with 3 days off. I have only done one day that long so far and it really took up the whole day. I woke up for work at 9 and then didn't get home till after 9 in the eve. Another day off though will be nice, I will try and do some more touristy things in Paris. Almost all my friends have left because they were only staying the summer so I have had to say goodbye to so many people which is sad, especially the people I am closest to. I have already planned to go see my Hungairan friend in Budapest when I am back home and Niek wants to come to London which would be great. It was so strange at work as there is usually 20 of us working and there were only 10 instead!
This also means that I have had to move residence as I was staying in a hotel before that was being used only for the summer as the Disney residences were full. I have now moved into the Boisserie a fulltime Disney resdince and arrived today. I am with an Italien girl and 2 French girls so will be speaking French at home all the time too which will be a great intense French experience for the last month when I really want to keep getting better before I leave. I haven't actually met the two French girls yet but the apartment is really nice. It may not be the 4 star hotel but ti is a lot cosier and ther is lots of space. I am lucky because some people have apartments of 6 but we are only 4. There is a really big room with Kitchen, liunge and Dining room in it, then two doors lead of to two corridoors each with a bathroom and bedroom for 2. There are lots of bits and bobs everywhere and it seems really like I home so I think my roommate may have lived in the apartment for a long time as I know the other Italien arrived today like me and she says her roommate has only been here 2 months, I will ask her when I meet her. It really reminds me of my aunt Anne's flat in Finland, all open plan and lots of trinkets everywhere. I could see myself living happily here. Also my Spanish and Finnish work friends are at the same residence as they are 2 of the 3 short contract people who are staying on at work because they are doing 6 month contracts which finish end of Sept. That makes it nice and I went to the supermarket earlier with Elsa earlier.
I will try and get to bed now it is neary 11(I'm alone in the apartment atm), as I have a loong day at work tomorrow and want to feel better for that! Night night England not too long till I see you dear xxxx
Right I will try and start from the beginningish of the month and explain things in a vaguelly chronological way seeing as its been nearly a month since my last post! Hmmm Well there was results day which was strange being here so far away from it all, looking back I really should have booked a eurostar back for that day and taken some time off, silly Naomi! Not sure how I would have paid for that though to be fair. My Belgium friend Niek took me out to Cafe Mickey in the Disney Vilage though that eve and we had a really nice time, not quite school disco at Stonehouse but we had lots of fun taking pictures with the characters and generally being big kids. He is training to be an actor so we get on really well and seem to have lots on common :)
I have been out to Paris twice in the night this month. First time was at Duplex with a czech girl and then 3 people from work, my English friend Ben, Mikk the Estonian and Elisa a Finnish girl. We went on a Sunday so it wasn't too busy and overall a good night if a little crazy! Then a couple of weeks ago I went to a bar called Cafe Oz with Elisa again and my German friend Laura. It was a reeally cool australian bar which at night turns into a club. They push all the tables aside and everyone dances on the table and the drinks were reasonably cheap! It did close at 4.30am which did mean we were waiting for the first metro for an hour or so, but it worked out ok and had a really god night.
I did my training at BTM and it was very tough there are so many procedures etc. I much prefer Steam Train I have to say, ti definitely made me realise how attatched I am to the team there and I really like the job so whenever I am at BTM I am not too happy. I also may have pressed the wrong button when dispatching a train a caused the attraction to break down! They were not pleased at all and since I have only been on outside positions and not controlling! I am working there all this week though so they may give me a refresh or somehting. I have my hours up to 16th now and I am thinking I will come back end of Sept instead of extending to Oct. I am enjoying it here but I have thought of lots of things to do at home before I go to Finland in January and one person can only take so much Disney! Tiffany said she can hopefully come see me this month too which would be loverly!
As the summer is over and the peak season has ended I have started 10 hours of work a day with 3 days off. I have only done one day that long so far and it really took up the whole day. I woke up for work at 9 and then didn't get home till after 9 in the eve. Another day off though will be nice, I will try and do some more touristy things in Paris. Almost all my friends have left because they were only staying the summer so I have had to say goodbye to so many people which is sad, especially the people I am closest to. I have already planned to go see my Hungairan friend in Budapest when I am back home and Niek wants to come to London which would be great. It was so strange at work as there is usually 20 of us working and there were only 10 instead!
This also means that I have had to move residence as I was staying in a hotel before that was being used only for the summer as the Disney residences were full. I have now moved into the Boisserie a fulltime Disney resdince and arrived today. I am with an Italien girl and 2 French girls so will be speaking French at home all the time too which will be a great intense French experience for the last month when I really want to keep getting better before I leave. I haven't actually met the two French girls yet but the apartment is really nice. It may not be the 4 star hotel but ti is a lot cosier and ther is lots of space. I am lucky because some people have apartments of 6 but we are only 4. There is a really big room with Kitchen, liunge and Dining room in it, then two doors lead of to two corridoors each with a bathroom and bedroom for 2. There are lots of bits and bobs everywhere and it seems really like I home so I think my roommate may have lived in the apartment for a long time as I know the other Italien arrived today like me and she says her roommate has only been here 2 months, I will ask her when I meet her. It really reminds me of my aunt Anne's flat in Finland, all open plan and lots of trinkets everywhere. I could see myself living happily here. Also my Spanish and Finnish work friends are at the same residence as they are 2 of the 3 short contract people who are staying on at work because they are doing 6 month contracts which finish end of Sept. That makes it nice and I went to the supermarket earlier with Elsa earlier.
I will try and get to bed now it is neary 11(I'm alone in the apartment atm), as I have a loong day at work tomorrow and want to feel better for that! Night night England not too long till I see you dear xxxx
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Steam Train uniform
So many people have asked to see it so here it finally is. One is costuming at I Imagination building with the sexy hat and one on Mainstreet station in my 1st week.
1 month of Disney!
I am now in my 5th week at Disney and much has happened since I last posted!
The more I work here, the more I like the job that I am doing. I have been out with the team quite a few times now and they really are a lovely group of people. I understand the job quite well now and though I still make mistakes every now and again I definitely know what I am doing overall. Saying that, yesterday I opened the station at Discoveryland too early, I looked like some mad woman running to catch up with the long queue of guests to stop them getting into the station!
Next week I am being moved to Big Thunder Mountain to do 5 days of training there so that I can work on that attraction too. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Overall it is good to be moving onto others things especially as I am here for longer than almost all the other people my age who leave in August, but even so I don't want to work on the Steam Train less haha. I really have become attatched to those trains! Plus everytime I have told one of the older workers that I am going to BTM (Disneylingo for Big Thunder Mountain) they all say how hard it is and how the group isn't very good and its very stressful! I remember how hard the first times at Steam were and I dread to think what this will be like! BUT it is a good oportunity to practise my French even more and learn new vocab and I guess a challenge is always good so I will update on that when I have finished it. The cowboy costume is miles better anyways :)
I have been to karaoke 3 times now and I love it lol, it s atradition now and I'm a bit of a regular. First time I sang YMCA with a group of us. Then 2nd week we sang Spice Girls Wannabe and I sang A Whole New World with a Hungarian friend and Spanish friend, which was quite a treat I'm sure! Last monday it was the goodbye of my Spanish friend Pere who has finished his contract already so there were about 30 of us there in the end and I sang Its Raining Men as a duet with him haha, first up and everything! Its really sad he's gone he always cheered up Main Street station.
My roommate Sophie left last week too because of problems with a friend back home, which was soooo sad because she was my closest friend here. Its very quiet in the room without her and I miss having her around but its kind of got me to go out with more different people and I am especially good friend's with a Hungarian girl from Steam called GyGy :)
I went out a lot last week actually as it was also an English guiys birthday and then I also went to Paris 'clubbing' for the night with some girls. That was a complete disaster as we never actually got in the club. We went to some guys apartment which was like a millionaire's flat and really surreal with these really god looking guys and velvet carpets, chinese vases and paintings, with opera programmes just strewn around the floor. Then one of them turned out to be a professional musician and serenaded us. Turned out they didn't want to go clubbing with us in the end and my friend was feeling pretty rough so we lef tin the end but did go and try to find the club. The station entrance was closed though so we found another club but weren't allowed in! It was 2.30 by this point so I don't know if it was too late or if they'd thought we'd drunk too much or what but it was so bad. We had to get a taxi to the bus station (though the view of Paris as we drove in the night was BEAUTIFUL) then we got a night bus for 2 hours where my friend got off at the wrong stop for her hotel and had to wait 2 more hours alone for the first train! Then the other 3 of us finally got to Val D'Europe the near by town and had to walk from there to home. We finally stumbled in at 6am. I wasted sooo much money on travel but atleast it was a story to remember!
I am seeing my parents and Yasmin next week yaaaay :D I can't wait and best of all is I have one day off when they are here! I only found that out today as I was doing training on BTM so thought it would be impossible to swap but it's all worked out :) They arrive on 10th and will go to the park free with my tickets I get then I will meet them there after work. 11th I will meet them in Paris after work and stay the night there then I have the next day off to spend in Paris with them. I feel rather out of touch with everything back home so it will be so nice to see them. Plus I have a million and one things I want my mum to bring for the next 3 months and I need to give her some stuff back so that is always useful! I will be shattered that week though with doing the training aswell.
I also now have 19th August off as my Germnan friend wanted to swap a dfferent day with me. This kind of works for me with it being A level results day and all :/ Even though I am abroud I have thought about it quite a lot, but all I can do is wait I guess, my sister and mum will go get them at 10.
I'll end my update here as its 11 and I'm chatting it up in reception so night night England. Lots of love from Paris xxxx
The more I work here, the more I like the job that I am doing. I have been out with the team quite a few times now and they really are a lovely group of people. I understand the job quite well now and though I still make mistakes every now and again I definitely know what I am doing overall. Saying that, yesterday I opened the station at Discoveryland too early, I looked like some mad woman running to catch up with the long queue of guests to stop them getting into the station!
Next week I am being moved to Big Thunder Mountain to do 5 days of training there so that I can work on that attraction too. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Overall it is good to be moving onto others things especially as I am here for longer than almost all the other people my age who leave in August, but even so I don't want to work on the Steam Train less haha. I really have become attatched to those trains! Plus everytime I have told one of the older workers that I am going to BTM (Disneylingo for Big Thunder Mountain) they all say how hard it is and how the group isn't very good and its very stressful! I remember how hard the first times at Steam were and I dread to think what this will be like! BUT it is a good oportunity to practise my French even more and learn new vocab and I guess a challenge is always good so I will update on that when I have finished it. The cowboy costume is miles better anyways :)
I have been to karaoke 3 times now and I love it lol, it s atradition now and I'm a bit of a regular. First time I sang YMCA with a group of us. Then 2nd week we sang Spice Girls Wannabe and I sang A Whole New World with a Hungarian friend and Spanish friend, which was quite a treat I'm sure! Last monday it was the goodbye of my Spanish friend Pere who has finished his contract already so there were about 30 of us there in the end and I sang Its Raining Men as a duet with him haha, first up and everything! Its really sad he's gone he always cheered up Main Street station.
My roommate Sophie left last week too because of problems with a friend back home, which was soooo sad because she was my closest friend here. Its very quiet in the room without her and I miss having her around but its kind of got me to go out with more different people and I am especially good friend's with a Hungarian girl from Steam called GyGy :)
I went out a lot last week actually as it was also an English guiys birthday and then I also went to Paris 'clubbing' for the night with some girls. That was a complete disaster as we never actually got in the club. We went to some guys apartment which was like a millionaire's flat and really surreal with these really god looking guys and velvet carpets, chinese vases and paintings, with opera programmes just strewn around the floor. Then one of them turned out to be a professional musician and serenaded us. Turned out they didn't want to go clubbing with us in the end and my friend was feeling pretty rough so we lef tin the end but did go and try to find the club. The station entrance was closed though so we found another club but weren't allowed in! It was 2.30 by this point so I don't know if it was too late or if they'd thought we'd drunk too much or what but it was so bad. We had to get a taxi to the bus station (though the view of Paris as we drove in the night was BEAUTIFUL) then we got a night bus for 2 hours where my friend got off at the wrong stop for her hotel and had to wait 2 more hours alone for the first train! Then the other 3 of us finally got to Val D'Europe the near by town and had to walk from there to home. We finally stumbled in at 6am. I wasted sooo much money on travel but atleast it was a story to remember!
I am seeing my parents and Yasmin next week yaaaay :D I can't wait and best of all is I have one day off when they are here! I only found that out today as I was doing training on BTM so thought it would be impossible to swap but it's all worked out :) They arrive on 10th and will go to the park free with my tickets I get then I will meet them there after work. 11th I will meet them in Paris after work and stay the night there then I have the next day off to spend in Paris with them. I feel rather out of touch with everything back home so it will be so nice to see them. Plus I have a million and one things I want my mum to bring for the next 3 months and I need to give her some stuff back so that is always useful! I will be shattered that week though with doing the training aswell.
I also now have 19th August off as my Germnan friend wanted to swap a dfferent day with me. This kind of works for me with it being A level results day and all :/ Even though I am abroud I have thought about it quite a lot, but all I can do is wait I guess, my sister and mum will go get them at 10.
I'll end my update here as its 11 and I'm chatting it up in reception so night night England. Lots of love from Paris xxxx
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Paris Je t'aime
3 weeks in France now and still so long to go! I've given in my letter asking to stay untill the end of October and they said it should more or less definitely be ok.
I'm trying to remember all the things I've done since I last updated a couple of weeks back I have 2 days off at the moment and I don't think I will be able to recount the events in any particular order so I'll just have to try and remember what I can!
In terms of work, the job has got a lot better than the first few days. It no longer seems in possible like it used to and I'm even understanding some of the things that are said to me on the phone and walkie talkies lol. I use the codes whenever I can! I still have problems with opening and closing stations and pannic when I'm asked to do safety checks. I had to go and do crossing control the other day which was going to the road that crosses over the trains tracks and control the parade that goes over the tracks, telling the trains when they can and can't use each station. That was definitely tough with the walkie toalkie and I made quite a few mistakes but I think I'll be ok the next time I do it its just a case of practising. I put my first train away in the garage aswell which went fine I changed all the train track switches correctly and no crashes! I'm getting on really well with the new people who started Steam Train the same time as me there are so many of us from Finland, England, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Estonia and more. Most of the older ones are really nice too they like to tease me quite a lot which is funny, like making me jump when I'm doing announcements or speaking to me on the walkie talkie when they're actually behind me to confuse me lol, but they're really nice and only joking! I get my own back when I can! I worked 3 days of closing last week till 10.30pm and I have the same next week, I much prefer the mornings to be fair but atleast I'm getting lots of practise of it!
Now what have I done outside work?? Well I've been to the park A LOT, its free, fun and you get to see the people you know who work there so I'm not sick of it yet! I went to Paris for the first time since I got here last weekend with a Spanish freind Juan and we were proper tourists and went to all the sights. We went to a sushi restaurant for lunch which was heaven becasue I hadn't had it since we arrived. In the evening we watched the world cup with more Spanish people in front of the Eiffel Tower which was rather magical and just a bit busy! I've been to the Sports bar in the Disney Village quite a lot aswell, my Friend Ollie from England came to stay for a few days at the park so I saw him at the bar which was lovely and then we went shopping the next day so I could get him discounts on merchandise. I keep meaning to go clubbing in Paris for the night as most poeple have done so far but I haven't had a chance yet really so hopefully next week. I've been to the Disney I max twice and seen Twilight and Toy Story 3, both in French which was quite odd with the dubbing but still good. I went for a run this morning, the first bit of exercise I've done since I go there and it was hell, I crawled back into the hotel after 20 minutes rather embarrasing! I'll try and go tomorrow and keep it up more often from now on! I have another day off tomorrow before I work again so I'm going to Val D'Europe for food shopping which I desperately need to do and might even do some clothes shopping in the sales. Its Karaoke night at the bar in the evening so will be going there with the Stram Train Crew which will be funny. There'only one washing maching here which costs 5 euros and it literally took me 5 days of going there and back till it was finally free, I even went there at 2 am and it was busy! Finally all done though and I have clean clothes again. Still waiting for the cleaners to change our sheets for the first time, I wish they'de hurry up its been a while.
Hmmmm I think that's all to say really, I'm sure there's more but I'll never remember it all. I have tough days and I have great days which is always expected. Its getting better at work all the time as I understand more and more so I've just got to keep going when I really don't understand! I love the whole experience of this all and my french has definitely got better already which I'm so happy about, I WILL be fluent after 4 months, I keep telling myself!
Love to everyone and I'll update sooooon (Well as soon as I have the energy anyway!)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm trying to remember all the things I've done since I last updated a couple of weeks back I have 2 days off at the moment and I don't think I will be able to recount the events in any particular order so I'll just have to try and remember what I can!
In terms of work, the job has got a lot better than the first few days. It no longer seems in possible like it used to and I'm even understanding some of the things that are said to me on the phone and walkie talkies lol. I use the codes whenever I can! I still have problems with opening and closing stations and pannic when I'm asked to do safety checks. I had to go and do crossing control the other day which was going to the road that crosses over the trains tracks and control the parade that goes over the tracks, telling the trains when they can and can't use each station. That was definitely tough with the walkie toalkie and I made quite a few mistakes but I think I'll be ok the next time I do it its just a case of practising. I put my first train away in the garage aswell which went fine I changed all the train track switches correctly and no crashes! I'm getting on really well with the new people who started Steam Train the same time as me there are so many of us from Finland, England, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Estonia and more. Most of the older ones are really nice too they like to tease me quite a lot which is funny, like making me jump when I'm doing announcements or speaking to me on the walkie talkie when they're actually behind me to confuse me lol, but they're really nice and only joking! I get my own back when I can! I worked 3 days of closing last week till 10.30pm and I have the same next week, I much prefer the mornings to be fair but atleast I'm getting lots of practise of it!
Now what have I done outside work?? Well I've been to the park A LOT, its free, fun and you get to see the people you know who work there so I'm not sick of it yet! I went to Paris for the first time since I got here last weekend with a Spanish freind Juan and we were proper tourists and went to all the sights. We went to a sushi restaurant for lunch which was heaven becasue I hadn't had it since we arrived. In the evening we watched the world cup with more Spanish people in front of the Eiffel Tower which was rather magical and just a bit busy! I've been to the Sports bar in the Disney Village quite a lot aswell, my Friend Ollie from England came to stay for a few days at the park so I saw him at the bar which was lovely and then we went shopping the next day so I could get him discounts on merchandise. I keep meaning to go clubbing in Paris for the night as most poeple have done so far but I haven't had a chance yet really so hopefully next week. I've been to the Disney I max twice and seen Twilight and Toy Story 3, both in French which was quite odd with the dubbing but still good. I went for a run this morning, the first bit of exercise I've done since I go there and it was hell, I crawled back into the hotel after 20 minutes rather embarrasing! I'll try and go tomorrow and keep it up more often from now on! I have another day off tomorrow before I work again so I'm going to Val D'Europe for food shopping which I desperately need to do and might even do some clothes shopping in the sales. Its Karaoke night at the bar in the evening so will be going there with the Stram Train Crew which will be funny. There'only one washing maching here which costs 5 euros and it literally took me 5 days of going there and back till it was finally free, I even went there at 2 am and it was busy! Finally all done though and I have clean clothes again. Still waiting for the cleaners to change our sheets for the first time, I wish they'de hurry up its been a while.
Hmmmm I think that's all to say really, I'm sure there's more but I'll never remember it all. I have tough days and I have great days which is always expected. Its getting better at work all the time as I understand more and more so I've just got to keep going when I really don't understand! I love the whole experience of this all and my french has definitely got better already which I'm so happy about, I WILL be fluent after 4 months, I keep telling myself!
Love to everyone and I'll update sooooon (Well as soon as I have the energy anyway!)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Monday, 5 July 2010
The First Week
So I've been meaning to write on here pretty much since the day I've arrived but I've been either too tired or busy to do so but really have no excuse now as I have a day off, especially as I hear Matt has been checking up often :)
Ok where to start?? I think for the first week it would be easiest to go through day by day as it feels like so much has happened and so I can give a general explanation of what everything is like. I'm settling in here nicely and have met lots of lovely people, the language is definitely a shock though when it comes to working!
sooooo....
Day 1: I was a little nervous travelling there as I was quite scared about getting lost or messing up when I changed trains but there were absolutely no problems. There were tons of kids screaming about going to Disney on the Eurostar for 2 and half hours but I suppose I'd better get used to that! When we got there we had a mini orientation about work and then got sent straight to accomodation. In the summer months they hire loads more people so we are staying in temporary accomodation which is actually a 4 star hotel! We were all shocked when we arrived because the place is sooo nice and nothing like what we expected! I am in an apartment with 2 other English girls. At first I thought it would have been good to be with French people to practise my language even more but I've found that after a ten hour day at the park it really is nice to be able to speak in your own language. The apartment is all open planned so almost like one big room and looks quite Finnish with wooden floors etc. We are on the bottom floor so have glass doors to go outside which makes it nice and easy to go outside and sunbathe whenever. That's another thing ....THE HEAT! Ok so I've never been to even a vaguely warm country so this I'm finding it really hard to cope with 35 degrees all day but have actually managed not to burn yet (thankyou factor 50 sunblock) but my roommate has already had sunstroke twice and I have no idea how I won't collapse working outside in costume! We didn't do much the first night just walked to Val D'Europe (The town where I live) and did some food shopping for the week. Also I have the only double bed in the apartment, we drew names out of a hat and I won wooo.
Day 2: Tuesday was a day of Disney traditions where two enthusiastic castmembers taught us all about the past, present and future of Disney, one dressed up as Aladdin and another as some evil guy which was rather odd. They also taught us how to draw Mickey mouse properley, I'm not sure exactly how that will help me but it was fun anyway!
Day 3: We had a lecture (We all fell asleep in almost every single one of these) on the advantages we'll get at Disney like ridiculously cheap food (my dinner costs about 70 cents) and free park entry and transport. Then we went to costuming, as I'm doing a double contract with attractions and spectacles I'm doing training for attractions first so my costume atm is for the Steam Train attraction which does a tour of the whole park haha. They're very strict about taking photos backstage but I will try to ge t a friend to take a photo while I am working it is quite hilarious with conductor's hat and all. We also had a tour of the park and watched one of the outdoor shows. At the moment I am working in Frontierland I really need to try and learn how to get round the park better! In the evening me and my roommates went to 3 Finnish girls' room (there are literally sooooo many Finns here I know atleast 15 already) and had some wine whilst watching the Disney fireworks from their wondow aaah, it was rather lovely.
Day 4: We had a rigorous medical check this morning with drugs tests, full body checks and all which was more than a bit unpleasant but I guess it has to be done! After that we were free 'till 2 so me and Sopie thought it would be a good idea to walk into town. ! and half hours later we were completely lost and Sophie had sunstroke and couldn't really stand up. What a disaster! After a load of rushing around we just about made it back for the security talk in the afternoon but Sophie went home to sleep. In the evening was the cast member summer party which was pretty incredible. There's 13,000 castmembers and most of them turned up. It was like a mini festival with some creative things to do and tents everywhere with all the free food and drinks you could want. Then there was a big performance with singers and dancers and after the whle place outdoors turned into an enormous club of 10,000 people with 2 DJ decks put on stage and lasted till 2am. I don';t think I'll ever go to a staff party that extravagent again and with that many people .... but then again, it is Disney!
Day 4: Friday was meant to be my first day of work but I actually have a day off already! I went to Val D'europe with Sophie and Clare my roommates who were also off and then went to the park and went on Buzzlightyear lazer quest which I am absolutely rubbish at and then Space Mountain which is probably my favourite ride. When we got home we cooked a meal for the boys living down the corridoor from us who are Juan from Spain Yohann from France and Harvey, who is Sophie's brother. It actually was quite a success I made a salad (got out of the hard task), Clare made the main of pasta and Sophie did icecream and strawberry's for dessert. We had 3 bottles of wine to go with it of course. After that we went o a bit of a party upstairs but we have to be quite careful about noise here because there are also guests from the parj staying here for just a couple of days each. At the other permanent residences aparently it is a real party atmosphere with noise up to 5am every night but I guess we get the luxury apartments so we can't complain!
Day 5: Saturday was my 1st day of work and oh my god it was soooo hard! I'm working on Steam Train at the moment and I worked for 10 hours from 9.50 to 7.30 with getting up 2 hours before to get ready then go to casting a change and find the actual backstage area. Everyone was friendly but they are all either French or completely fluent. I met an English boy and a Finnish girl at my work which is good but haven't really had a chance to work with them yet. There is so so much to learn and I was being inducted with a French guy who had no problem understanding ofcourse but the lkanguage was so technical and it was impossible to remember when I was hearing it all in French. I did ask when I felt I could but it was impossible to ask about everything. We were shown how to safety check the trains, then how to change the tracks and get them out of the garages in the morning and shown all the different station and our job in each area. There are loads of forms to fill out each day in French which will be really hard to do. We are all given walkie talkies which I struggle to hear in English so are even harder in French and also when on the attractions everyone speaks in code which I will have to learn. For example to say 'the train is open' is 10.08 and 'closed' is 10.07. The train is working on a two train basis is '105' and the train is broken is '102'. I think 54 means there is a bomb suspexcted or something lol There is a list of dozens. Hearibng a list of numbers on a wlakie talkie in French really quickly and reacting to it imediately but I just really how it all somehow clicks. It might all sound a but impossible now but all I can do is try my best and keep working to try and understand. I was shattered when I got home.
Day 6: Sunday I had off again lol so didn't have to work for long so I slept in (which I really needed as I've got up before 7 every day since I've arrived) and then went to the park with Yohann and a Spanish girl Marianna. We went on Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Carribean and Indiana Jones before I met Sophie at the Imagination building backstage for dinner. At night we watched th Disney parade and fieworks which were beauuutiful then some of us went to the Disney Village. We planned to go to the Sports bar but by the time we had wandered around it was gone 12 and we needed to get the last bus back so I'm sure we'll go another day.
Day 7: Finally! Monday, today, is my last day off before I have 5 days of hardcore work which will hopefully be more of a success than the first day. I slept in again (last chance to!) then walked into Val D'Europe with Harvey and Yohann before meeting Sophie again for dinner. I'm in the reception now finishing this off awaiting a 6.45 wake up for work tomorrow. I'll probably post my next blog after my next few days of work to let you know how its all going and hopefully I'll let you know about all the improvements I've made ... I hope. After 3 days I have a test to see if I'm capable of working on my own which I have to do well in or else.
I think that's all the major things I wanted to explain, overall I am really happy with how it has all gone so far and its a really sociable job and if there's anyway I'm going to learn French I guess its by throwing me into the deep end! And so it begins ...
Ok where to start?? I think for the first week it would be easiest to go through day by day as it feels like so much has happened and so I can give a general explanation of what everything is like. I'm settling in here nicely and have met lots of lovely people, the language is definitely a shock though when it comes to working!
sooooo....
Day 1: I was a little nervous travelling there as I was quite scared about getting lost or messing up when I changed trains but there were absolutely no problems. There were tons of kids screaming about going to Disney on the Eurostar for 2 and half hours but I suppose I'd better get used to that! When we got there we had a mini orientation about work and then got sent straight to accomodation. In the summer months they hire loads more people so we are staying in temporary accomodation which is actually a 4 star hotel! We were all shocked when we arrived because the place is sooo nice and nothing like what we expected! I am in an apartment with 2 other English girls. At first I thought it would have been good to be with French people to practise my language even more but I've found that after a ten hour day at the park it really is nice to be able to speak in your own language. The apartment is all open planned so almost like one big room and looks quite Finnish with wooden floors etc. We are on the bottom floor so have glass doors to go outside which makes it nice and easy to go outside and sunbathe whenever. That's another thing ....THE HEAT! Ok so I've never been to even a vaguely warm country so this I'm finding it really hard to cope with 35 degrees all day but have actually managed not to burn yet (thankyou factor 50 sunblock) but my roommate has already had sunstroke twice and I have no idea how I won't collapse working outside in costume! We didn't do much the first night just walked to Val D'Europe (The town where I live) and did some food shopping for the week. Also I have the only double bed in the apartment, we drew names out of a hat and I won wooo.
Day 2: Tuesday was a day of Disney traditions where two enthusiastic castmembers taught us all about the past, present and future of Disney, one dressed up as Aladdin and another as some evil guy which was rather odd. They also taught us how to draw Mickey mouse properley, I'm not sure exactly how that will help me but it was fun anyway!
Day 3: We had a lecture (We all fell asleep in almost every single one of these) on the advantages we'll get at Disney like ridiculously cheap food (my dinner costs about 70 cents) and free park entry and transport. Then we went to costuming, as I'm doing a double contract with attractions and spectacles I'm doing training for attractions first so my costume atm is for the Steam Train attraction which does a tour of the whole park haha. They're very strict about taking photos backstage but I will try to ge t a friend to take a photo while I am working it is quite hilarious with conductor's hat and all. We also had a tour of the park and watched one of the outdoor shows. At the moment I am working in Frontierland I really need to try and learn how to get round the park better! In the evening me and my roommates went to 3 Finnish girls' room (there are literally sooooo many Finns here I know atleast 15 already) and had some wine whilst watching the Disney fireworks from their wondow aaah, it was rather lovely.
Day 4: We had a rigorous medical check this morning with drugs tests, full body checks and all which was more than a bit unpleasant but I guess it has to be done! After that we were free 'till 2 so me and Sopie thought it would be a good idea to walk into town. ! and half hours later we were completely lost and Sophie had sunstroke and couldn't really stand up. What a disaster! After a load of rushing around we just about made it back for the security talk in the afternoon but Sophie went home to sleep. In the evening was the cast member summer party which was pretty incredible. There's 13,000 castmembers and most of them turned up. It was like a mini festival with some creative things to do and tents everywhere with all the free food and drinks you could want. Then there was a big performance with singers and dancers and after the whle place outdoors turned into an enormous club of 10,000 people with 2 DJ decks put on stage and lasted till 2am. I don';t think I'll ever go to a staff party that extravagent again and with that many people .... but then again, it is Disney!
Day 4: Friday was meant to be my first day of work but I actually have a day off already! I went to Val D'europe with Sophie and Clare my roommates who were also off and then went to the park and went on Buzzlightyear lazer quest which I am absolutely rubbish at and then Space Mountain which is probably my favourite ride. When we got home we cooked a meal for the boys living down the corridoor from us who are Juan from Spain Yohann from France and Harvey, who is Sophie's brother. It actually was quite a success I made a salad (got out of the hard task), Clare made the main of pasta and Sophie did icecream and strawberry's for dessert. We had 3 bottles of wine to go with it of course. After that we went o a bit of a party upstairs but we have to be quite careful about noise here because there are also guests from the parj staying here for just a couple of days each. At the other permanent residences aparently it is a real party atmosphere with noise up to 5am every night but I guess we get the luxury apartments so we can't complain!
Day 5: Saturday was my 1st day of work and oh my god it was soooo hard! I'm working on Steam Train at the moment and I worked for 10 hours from 9.50 to 7.30 with getting up 2 hours before to get ready then go to casting a change and find the actual backstage area. Everyone was friendly but they are all either French or completely fluent. I met an English boy and a Finnish girl at my work which is good but haven't really had a chance to work with them yet. There is so so much to learn and I was being inducted with a French guy who had no problem understanding ofcourse but the lkanguage was so technical and it was impossible to remember when I was hearing it all in French. I did ask when I felt I could but it was impossible to ask about everything. We were shown how to safety check the trains, then how to change the tracks and get them out of the garages in the morning and shown all the different station and our job in each area. There are loads of forms to fill out each day in French which will be really hard to do. We are all given walkie talkies which I struggle to hear in English so are even harder in French and also when on the attractions everyone speaks in code which I will have to learn. For example to say 'the train is open' is 10.08 and 'closed' is 10.07. The train is working on a two train basis is '105' and the train is broken is '102'. I think 54 means there is a bomb suspexcted or something lol There is a list of dozens. Hearibng a list of numbers on a wlakie talkie in French really quickly and reacting to it imediately but I just really how it all somehow clicks. It might all sound a but impossible now but all I can do is try my best and keep working to try and understand. I was shattered when I got home.
Day 6: Sunday I had off again lol so didn't have to work for long so I slept in (which I really needed as I've got up before 7 every day since I've arrived) and then went to the park with Yohann and a Spanish girl Marianna. We went on Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Carribean and Indiana Jones before I met Sophie at the Imagination building backstage for dinner. At night we watched th Disney parade and fieworks which were beauuutiful then some of us went to the Disney Village. We planned to go to the Sports bar but by the time we had wandered around it was gone 12 and we needed to get the last bus back so I'm sure we'll go another day.
Day 7: Finally! Monday, today, is my last day off before I have 5 days of hardcore work which will hopefully be more of a success than the first day. I slept in again (last chance to!) then walked into Val D'Europe with Harvey and Yohann before meeting Sophie again for dinner. I'm in the reception now finishing this off awaiting a 6.45 wake up for work tomorrow. I'll probably post my next blog after my next few days of work to let you know how its all going and hopefully I'll let you know about all the improvements I've made ... I hope. After 3 days I have a test to see if I'm capable of working on my own which I have to do well in or else.
I think that's all the major things I wanted to explain, overall I am really happy with how it has all gone so far and its a really sociable job and if there's anyway I'm going to learn French I guess its by throwing me into the deep end! And so it begins ...
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Leaving tomorrow!
So I've packed almost everything and I'm off on the Eurostar tomorrow! I am seriously concerned about the amount of stuff I am going to have to haul around. I have a reeaally heavy suitcase and holdall, not to mention some smaller bags.. oh dear. My main concern is finding the actual building when I get there and buying a ticket for the right train when I have to change. I'm excited about meeting my room mates and I've looked at the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks and looks to be about 35 degrees most days! I AM GOING TO BURN!
I had a lovely barbeque with my close friends on Friday night and it made me realise how much I really am going to miss them. I know I'm not going for a year straightaway but it does feel like the end of an era with everyone starting uni and knowing I won't see them much this year as I'm abroad most of the time. They gave me some lovely presents which I will take with me :)
I'd better be off now to finish my packing, I knew I would leave stuff 'till last minute, typical. My next post will be from Disney! I'll post some photos up as soon as possible aswell!
I had a lovely barbeque with my close friends on Friday night and it made me realise how much I really am going to miss them. I know I'm not going for a year straightaway but it does feel like the end of an era with everyone starting uni and knowing I won't see them much this year as I'm abroad most of the time. They gave me some lovely presents which I will take with me :)
I'd better be off now to finish my packing, I knew I would leave stuff 'till last minute, typical. My next post will be from Disney! I'll post some photos up as soon as possible aswell!
Saturday, 12 June 2010
First stop Disneyland Paris
So I'm off to the city of love in 2 weeks! People keep asking me if I'm nervous and I keep saying 'a bit' just automatically, but if I really think about it, I'm not really nervous at all yet. Honestly I really can't wait. I mean, I'm going to France - a place I love, I'm going to be living near Paris -an amazing city and I'm working in Disneyland - where dreams come true! How could I not be excited?! I still have two Alevels left next week so unfortunately still studying for those but as soon as they're over I'll be shopping and packing to my hearts content. My hopes for France are to come back A LOT better at French than I am at the moment, hopefully make some lovely friends and if at all possible bring some money back too but we'll see how that goes! I hope this experience will be all that I am hoping for, I am NOT going to waste this year I am going to pack it with crazy, wonderful and spontaneous moments that will make me a happy happy person. Ready or not.
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