In brief, then, I lost my heretofore job at the end of September. No, I wasn't fired (I did get asked that, but no, I wasn't). The four-year-old girl I was nannying was finding it utterly too stressful to learn English from someone who didn't speak much French. (I admit - the circumstances WERE quite stressful.) So her mother decided that she would hire a French-speaking nanny and she suggested that I start looking for work elsewhere.
Only a few days later, I departed France for the United States where I was happily in residence for two weeks, for the occasion of my sister's wedding. The middle of October saw me flying back to Paris, with very little clue where I would work next. I commenced to research families, with the help of an au pair agency as well as by word of mouth. There were four possible families... three of whom seemed to be truly viable options. I spent a week just north of Lyon - in a 13th century castle, no less! - "test-driving" one of the prospective families - this one with eight children. I enjoyed the week, but didn't think that the position was what I wanted for a full year, so I kept looking. I spent the Toussaint holiday with Rose and a French family in the (French) Alps... very pretty place!
Well, time was running short and finding a new job was taking longer - a lot longer! - than I had anticipated! Things got VERY stressful and I spent a couple of nights in a hotel in Paris for lack of anywhere else to stay. However, Providence stepped in (although I don't think that It had ever been truly absent!) and near the last minute, I heard from a friend about a traditional Catholic family with seven children in the Paris area who needed a nanny "tout de suite." Since I needed a position "tout de suite" and was more inclined to consider a 'trad' family than a 'non-trad' family, I made arrangements to meet the family ASAP. I arrived at their house on Monday, November 6 for a trial week. By this point, I told myself that if this didn't work out, I would know it was God's Will that I go home. I didn't want to, but I had been without work for nearly six weeks and I had neither the time, money, nor will power to continue trying to sell myself to various families. I simply WAS NOT up to it.
Fortunately, things went well and I decided that I could probably handle it for several months... apparently, the family thought they could put up with me as well in the meantime, because it looks like I'll be staying!! I like that I'm far enough away from Paris to have grass and trees and live in a HOUSE (not an apartment), but close enough to be able to take the RER into 'town' should I so desire. I enjoy the children - most of the time, anyway! - even if they're very noisy and VERY active, by American standards! ;) They are really growing on me. And a BIG plus is that I get along quite well with 'the lady of the house.' VERY important if I'm going to be working alongside of her in her house for the next 6-9 months!! The tricky part is that I'm supposed to help teach the children English (their father is British and speaks English to them, so they've already got a fair start in comprehension) at the same time as I learn French. MUCH more easily said than done! However, I'm in luck! Mrs. S used to teach French, Latin and Greek! So she is quite familiar with the way a language should be taught and learned. She helps me with my French while the children are at school and then I help the children with their English when they're at home.
My progress in French, then, is necessarily slower than if I were totally immersed... but hey, it's much quicker than if I were at home right now!!
So voila, there you have it! I am now "stationed" in St. Germain-en-Laye, several miles west of Paris-proper. There are five boys and two girls in the family for whom I'm working and the age range is six months to sixteen years. Stay tuned as my adventures continue! ;)
