My first few days!

So I've been here in New Jersey for just over 3 weeks now, and I'm really enjoying myself!

When I arrived on July 28th 2008, the sun was shining and I saw New York city from the sky as I flew into Newark airport. Then of course I had to go through customs -- they are so welcoming over here, my customs officer didn't even smile! What a great start...

I'd met quite a few German girls on the plane on the way over, I was the only English girl at orientation, which is where they have around 150 Au Pairs from all over the world and give them basic childcare information. Namely, the "3 No's" which were: no drinking, no drugs, and no child abuse (what, really??). Some of the German girls were nice, but I quickly realised that if you weren't German they wouldn't bother with you -- they would just speak German to everyone! I find it quite isolating, especially since most of the people are German. Some people even complimented me on my "excellent" English! Was I meant to say thank you?

I decided to speak to other Europeans who weren't German, and I made friends with a finnish girl and a girl from the Netherlands, Hanneke who had been put in my room in the hotel as she was also from my same cluster and she lived in Chatham!

I also had the opportunity to visit New York City at night on a tour at orientation, which was amazing to see the city at night. We went to the top of the Rockafellar Centre as well and saw times square!

The next day everyone was very nervous as it was the day that everyone was meeting their host families! My host family were in fact on holiday (or "vacation") in Cancun at the time so their old Au Pair, Marine (from France) was picking me up at the airport. We were all standing at departures very nervous, watching some host families pick up their Au Pairs while we were left alone.

Marine picked me up and then we went home. The house is very nice but smaller than I thought it would be -- plus it is very cluttered! These people are certainly hoarders! My room was nice though, it reminded me of what it is like at home! Then we went out for dinner, and I started to learn just why Americans are so big: i ordered a meal with was tomato and chicken but then I also got a soup included and then a big plate of pasta on the side! This was all for $15, we get so ripped off in the UK.

I also got introduced to the families "zoo": 3 dogs; one cat and a hamster. Luckily for me they were getting rid of two of the dogs that weekend as they could not be house trained after 4 years, so they were being taken by a family in the country who didn't mind this! But the new edition was Couture the papillon puppy, who wasn't exactly house trained either -- but as a puppy we let her off! Then there is skitty the cat who likes to sleep on my bed and wake me up bright and early! And of course the hamster but she doesn't like people.

The next day we went off to New York to see Macys and Bloomingdales (where I bought store bags from both stores! I also went to see the famous "Flat Iron" (right) Empire State Building (left). We had a great time!

The next few days we got rid of the other dogs, and also went to see Drew University where I would be going this semester.

Then on the Sunday I finally met the girls (Lindsey, aged 9 and Shelby aged 11) and Celeste my Host Mom. Everyone was very friendly and even though I had been nervous about meeting the girls (what if they didn't like me?!) we hit it off straight away! :)

The next few days I bonded with the girls before they went to their Dad's for the weekend, and before Marine left on her travels, and Celeste to Key West on a business trip. So I was left all alone in the house, so I went to see Mamma Mia again!

I also went to a starbucks meeting with the other Au Pairs along with Hanneke my old roommate. Unfortunately there were more Germans, who were as rude as ever, laughing in German and someone asked me why I had bothered to come to America if I already spoke English -- like they were practising their English if they were speaking German every chance they got! They were also rude to Hanneke: "Oh but you can understand us, yes?" only for her to reply "No, I speak Dutch?!" Either way, I had no chance what-so-ever of understanding them...

Anyway, that's all for now!

NEXT BLOG: Pool Parties and Shopping Trips!