June, 26th 1996
I couldn't sleep very well, I was nervous, I didn't know, what I was going to find there.
It was my first time abroad and on my own -not really, because I was going with a classmate-, but even though I felt very nervous.
I was going to work as an Au pair during two months in Dublin. That was really exciting at the beginning, because I had to prepare everything on my own. An Au-Pair agency, a family and a flight... And from then on, and until the end of August, I would have to live with a family in another country. I would have to look after one child and help with the housework and I would get weekly 40 Irish pounds for that...I convinced myself that I would handle it.
I met M. at the airport (at least I wouldn't start my adventure all alone) and we said good bye to our families. This was also my first time on a plane. I remember that in those old days passengers got a free meal during the flight. After 2 hours we landed in Dublin airport, and as we had imagined it was raining!
I couldn't sleep very well, I was nervous, I didn't know, what I was going to find there.
It was my first time abroad and on my own -not really, because I was going with a classmate-, but even though I felt very nervous.
I was going to work as an Au pair during two months in Dublin. That was really exciting at the beginning, because I had to prepare everything on my own. An Au-Pair agency, a family and a flight... And from then on, and until the end of August, I would have to live with a family in another country. I would have to look after one child and help with the housework and I would get weekly 40 Irish pounds for that...I convinced myself that I would handle it.
I met M. at the airport (at least I wouldn't start my adventure all alone) and we said good bye to our families. This was also my first time on a plane. I remember that in those old days passengers got a free meal during the flight. After 2 hours we landed in Dublin airport, and as we had imagined it was raining!
We picked up our baggage, went to the exit and there we found M.'s host family holding a paper with her name on it. We greeted them, we said good bye and they left...
And I stayed there all alone wondering where my family was...
And I stayed there all alone wondering where my family was...
I looked all around, looking for someone starring at me or a paper with my name on it, but I didn't see anybody (!). After a while, I noticed a woman looking at me and we approached one to the other. She said she had forgotten the name of her au pair (me) but she guessed it was me (I had already sent her a photo from me!!!), and I was her Au pair, indeed.
So, we left the airport by car and on the way home she told me about the family. The family was made up essentially by two people: her and her son. I was shocked, as I didn't expect that, but I didn't dare to ask for further information. V. explained me that she had an olive store (I didn't know that either!) so she had to leave very early in the morning and come back at about 6 pm. And I should spend this time with O. She told me that in this moment O. was with his granny in Cork, and he would come back next week.
We arrived home. It was a little red terraced house. On the ground floor there was a little kitchen, a little living room, a bathroom and a little room (my room). Besides, there was a little rear courtyard and a shed. In the second floor, there were two rooms. I occupied the room of O. as, in the one below there was no bed still. I had to unpack my baggage, but I didn't have any closet to place my clothes. V. had to leave, she had to go to the store. She said she would come back in the afternoon.
So, finally at home, well, not really...The house was on the outskirts of Dublin, it was a low-class neighborhood, the streets were empty and there wasn't any store nearby. In the front side I could see an industrial area by the sea. Heavy industries, fume, chimneys and water...I started feeling homesick, and I cried asking myself why. I managed to calm down and I went for a walk, I had to call home, otherwise my parents would be mad. After one hour waking around I finally found a phone box and I called home. I didn't want to admit that my expectations weren't fulfilled, so I lied to my mum when she asked me about the house and the family. Suddenly I had to interrupt the conversation, as I realized I was crying.
I managed to calm down again and after I called M. She told me that she lived in a high-class quarter by the sea and that she had a huge room and furthermore, she would work together with another girl, so both would look after the two children of the family. That was great...I felt really bad...And I told her the truth when she asked me. She told me that maybe I should ask the agency for a change, but I didn't have any objective reason...It was only my perception and my prejudices. Maybe it was a lovely family, and maybe I was only afraid and I couldn't appreciate the reality the way it was, after all I had just arrived.
After talking with them I felt a little better. I went back home and I looked for some food (but the fridge was empty) so I waited for V., after a while I turned on the TV and I waited, and finally at 10pm I went to bed, I was too tired, and I felt sleep immediately.
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