Today was a frustrating and tiring day in many ways. Although, I continue to think Zdenka and Josef are amazing people, who really love their girls; I still struggle with the differences in how we deal with their children. Perhaps, it is a matter of cultural differences or just personal opinions. I am learning to pick my battles with the girls and let some things slide. Basically, I have been observing how and what the parents react to and discipline, and take those as guidelines. However, personal insults to me, like being yelled at by a 6-year-old, deliberately going against what I ask, or other rude behavior towards me, I don't tolerate so well.
When I picked Fina up from school today, I met someone finally! I am not going to say "friend" because that word insinuates we have future plans of interaction and fun, and that's just not the case...yet. He is a small, petite fella' with reddish-brown hair from the little country of Ireland. I will refrain from any witty, pigeonhole jokes because I could potentially befriend this man, and any offensive material, even for the sake of humor, would not be appreciated...certainly? So, everyone can draw their own joke about a short, red-headed Irish man. The important things are A) he speaks English B) He works at the school, which means he has to know more people that work at the school C) Can give me some leads as to what people do around here for fun.
I also met two, young German girls, who both live really close to me. One is the daughter of this really kind lady Carrola, who actually lived in Tennessee before (Oak Ridge). They are probably 11-years-old or something, and really sweet and their English is good. They eagerly asked me questions about Bri (the Grills' dog, who I brought with me to the school and chained to the fence) and then, they told me stories of their dogs. As I talked to them, I realized, if I am to be an au pair again, I definitely will have to go for their age group. I felt like I could really enjoy hanging-out, mentoring those girls. I guess because they are older, it is a completely different dynamic, and one I think I would enjoy better. You can have actual conversations with them, and it doesn't seem as much like babysitting, as really just hanging out with your little sister or cousin or something.
My current thoughts are that I will stay with this family (if things continue the way they are) until July or August. Then, most likely, go home to TN for 3 weeks or so, but already have a family lined-up in Spain for fall. There, I would take Spanish classes, and stay for at least 6 months and hope to really get a solid, basic grasp on the Spanish language. I think being around Spanish that much, plus, studying it, and making a conscious effort, I will pick it up so much quicker than if I were to just take classes in the U.S. Then, the fall of '09 start grad school for Spanish/Teaching. Well, this is the vague idea for now. However, I really think it's important to take one day at a time... I guess, I will just have to see in a few months how I feel.
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