Not so sure about this place....

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Wow, it has been a very interesting roller coaster of a week. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve marveled at the beauty of this incredible place while at the same time longed to come home. Where to start….

The first couple of days definitely had their ups and downs, as I was still trying to adjust to the time change and get a restful night’s sleep while my body was keeping me wide awake. I was trying to build a relationship with the two little girls I will be taking care of, Marilena and Isabella, while attempting to figure out what the parents’ expectations were of me. It took a couple of days before the kids got used to me, and while things are going much better with them, they are still very hot and cold with me. They seem to love me when it is just us and I have the 4 year old speaking English pretty well, with the 2 year old repeating much of what I say (as they have both realized I am completely incompetent in Greek). But they don’t want much to do with me when their parents are around and only speak in Greek to them because their parents don’t make them speak in English. This is frustrating because it appears to the parents as if I am not doing my job…not to mention I don’t understand a word that is being said around me 95% of the time.

Another thing that is frustrating is that through the many conversations I had with Christina, the mother, before I arrived, it was explained to me that I would be an extension of the family and would be treated as such. So far, I feel no more at home here than a bird would feel living with a fish. The parents are the only ones that speak English in the house (besides the 4 year old, Marilena) and the only time they talk to me is when they are telling me what to do with the kids or telling me what I am doing wrong. The person I feel closest to here is their housekeeper, Marina, who speaks about as much English as I speak Greek.

It is difficult not to get a little homesick when my only real interaction is with a 4 year old and a woman who can’t understand anything I say. On the bright side, after the first few days of being here, I have met some of the other au pairs (from London and thus English speaking) and we met up one night for drinks and to discuss our experiences thus far. We all agreed that the language barrier is a huge issue and that it is a bit of a culture shock here, because Greeks do not try to hide nor control their emotions. If they are not pleased, you know it right away; if they are happy, then they are overly friendly. From an American’s point of view, they all seem bi-polar.

I am slowly adjusting however, and hoping for the best!

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