Lost in Translation

It is Sunday morning right now. I just made it through my first actual weekend. I'm not counting last weekend because I was in such a state of shock that I didn't really do a whole lot. This weekend I didn't have to work Friday or Saturday night which was really nice. I think most weekends in the future I will have to work one night or the other just staying in the house while the kids are asleep to make sure everything is ok. Easy work.
So I am beginning to notice that there is a lot of things lost in translation when Susanne and I talk. I also am starting to think that she thinks I am dumb because she doesn't realize that many things are not done the same way where I live. For instance we don't use anal thermometers on 9 year old kids in the United States. Which by the way was definitely not in my job description so I will not be doing that.
So at lunch on Thursday Susanne asked me if I liked fish, if I ate it. I said yes I really like fish actually. She said good because that is what we are having for dinner on Friday. So I, being the presumptuous American that I am assumed that I would be eating something other than a piece of bread for dinner.
Friday came along and Carlotta had her friend over and her friend's mom over for lunch. Susanne had made two little pizzas. There really wasn't enough for everyone. I swear I have never seen children eat more than the two oldest Carlotta and Maximilian. I had one piece of pizza that was about a 2 by 2 square. I was ok with this because I knew their was fish and potato soup coming for dinner.
At 6 Susanne told me to start getting the children's bread ready. I did not take out a piece for myself simply because there was only one piece left and I didn't want to be the last and I was still under the impression that I might be having something else for dinner.
Susanne came back into the kitchen and asked me where my bread was. I didn't want to tell her that I had assumed I would be getting grown-up food so I told her that I had told Katie that I would eat dinner in the Alt Stadt with her. I guess I can't really blame her because she didn't exactly tell me that I was going to be able to eat with the adults. It turns out they were having a dinner party. I hate asking questions about every little thing just because I really do think that Susanne thinks I am slow. It is frustrating because I know I am not, things are just really different here.
Friday night I met Katie, the other Au Pair from the U.S., out in the Alt Stadt. We went to McLaughlin's the Irish Pub that she practically lives at. We stayed there pretty much the entire night. We left once to go get some pizzas because by this point I was starving. This pub is nice to hang out at because it is not to loud and their isn't usually a huge crowd. The people there are also very friendly and Irish so they all speak English, well at least I think most of them are speaking English, some of the people I still can't understand. On Friday night I met the Irish UN member, or something like that, I don't remember his exact title I just know that he has gray hair, is living in Bahgdad, and is apparently a pretty big deal in the world.
I left Katie at McLaughlin's and went home at about 12. I was getting tired. I had been sitting at the bar for the past hour making origami things for the bar tender out of blank order form papers. Katie had been in the smoking room for the past hour so I thought it was good to head back at that point. I also had to get up at 8 to take Carlotta to ballet the next day.
On Saturday I took Carlotta to ballet in Kaiserswerth. This is a small town about 15 minutes north on the U-Bahn. I really like this little town. It is really old looking. There are cobblestone streets. I sat and read my book while Carlotta was in ballet, the rest of the family had taken Maximilian to a school. He is 9 years old so that means he must choose what type of school he wants to go to next year. There are sessions starting now through most of November I think. I am thrilled, more one on one time with Carlotta or Carlotta and Cecilia together.
Carlotta is the middle child and she is definitely the stereotypical middle child. She will try and cause problems with everything. She will throw things she will hit and yell. She is even worse when Cecilia is around, the two cry at the drop of a hat. Carlotta cried at lunch the other day because Cecilia would not give her one of her potatoes because she was going to eat it. Carlotta still had like 3 potatoes on her own plate. Annoying.
Carlotta and I went up to her room to play and I had to follow her around like a hawk because she will climb on her desk or her spinning chair and I can just imagine her falling and hurting herself. She is horrible at listening.
Finally Susanne came back with Cecilia and came upstairs to tell me that I was free. I started walking down the stairs when Carlotta ordered me to come back and play with her. Her mom told her that I was free and I was no longer working but Carlotta kept yelling no and telling me I had to come back right now. I just smiled and said I would see her later.
I went into town to do a little shopping. There are so many things that I need or would like to have but I have to idea where to go to get them. A straightener for instance. You have to go to a specialized store for this and I have no idea where one is. Also notebooks. They have notebooks at the department store but they are the expensive pretty ones. I just need a cheap notebook so I can keep track of things. I have been using my planner but have started running out of blank pages.
My trip to the department store was not a total loss, although I did not find a straightener or a notebook that I would buy I did find a purse. I really needed a small purse. I had been using my wristlet but I feel like that would be to easy to steal. I also have this huge purse I took on the airplane, but it kind of looks like a briefcase to me and it is a pain on the U-Bahn because it always hits someone.
Well this is all that I have for right now. I'm sure I will post again soon. Sorry I still don't have pictures. It is harder than you think to take pictures. I finally have a purse that I can put my camera in though, so at least I can take it with me now!