Host Family

Hi everyone :)

I'm all tucked up in bed with a cup of hot lemon-honey-ginger and chocolate writing this post, reliving yesterday. 

I had the most amazing day catching up with my host family. I had not talked to them for about 9 months only the occasional message on facebook.

I decided to walk to their place as it was a gorgeous day and the closer I got the more nervous I got. I can't explain it and I don't know why but I had this feeling of butterflies in my stomach. It felt like a mix of being in love and about to be sick. 

I thought that my little boy Rowan would not be able to remember me anymore since he was only just 3 when I left but boy was I wrong. 

My host mum opened the door and as soon as I was in Rowan asked if he could show me all the new things he had learned and the ginger bread men they had made and he had decorated. 

He knew exactly who I was and it was so good to see. It was a very heartwarming for me to see that even after a year he still wanted to spend time with me. 

He had to show me all his amazing things he had learned during the year that I had missed and I can honestly say I never enjoyed anything more. He has grown so much since I left and learned how to ride a bike and talks non stop. 

I can't even begin to explain how it felt. When I walked through the door it was like coming home after a long holiday, after all they were my family for a whole year. And in some way they still are. They are my family at this end of the world and they mean a lot to me.

My host parents have helped me become the person i am today and I don't think I would have learned as much as I did during my time here if it weren't fro them. They always encouraged me to aim higher. They taught me that I can reach every goal I set myself if I am prepared to work hard to get there. I have so much love for them and truly admire them for giving me the opportunity to become part of their family. 

So coming back to them was the best feeling ever. 

Just being a part of the daily routines again and seeing that it hadn't changed was great. I got there at around 3.30pm and I had a look around the garden and all the things that had changed there and met the chickens. There little one, which I met for the first time yesterday since she was still a baby bump when I left, is really fond of the chickens and tries very hard to say chicken. Next was their bedroom which was still a building lot when I left. It turned out really great which I could not have imagined having only seen the how it looked in it's early stages. Other then that they have switched the guest room and the AuPair room, so my old room did look nothing like it did when I left. 

After that we had the ginger bread men that my host mum made with the help of Rowan. I then played some football with the little monkey on the deck till his dinner was ready. 

I even got to be part of a bit of silly dancing around just like a year ago, dancing around the dining table all 5 of us and just being silly sausages. 

I cleaned up after dinner just like old times and joined bath time and story time. I even got chosen to read the bed time story which is an honor :)

All in all I enjoyed every single moment of that day and it wasn't over yet.

I also got to talk to the new AuPair for a bit, he seems a bit shy but also like a genuinely nice person. We chatted about AuPair problems for a bit and I hope I could help out a bit. I will also be taking him along to meet some of my friends because I think that meeting locals is very important and actually makes your stay a lot more enjoyable. And he seems like a friendly kind person so I have no doubts whatsoever that my friends here will like him and hopefully take him in.  

After a great day my hosts and I then proceeded with going our for dinner and it was soo delicious.

We talked about a bit of everything and it was 11 pm when we left the restaurant.

I can now say that I already think about the next time I will be coming back even though my stay here has barely begun. 

New Zealand and my year here is a huge part of my life and I underestimated  just how huge role it was still playing in my life. 

More from my stay here tomorrow :)

x

J.

Come Prima

Hi everyone :)

On my last weekend at home before I was going away to New Zealand my mum and dad both decided that it would be really nice to revive old Sunday lunch traditions.

Back when both my sister and I were still living at home we used to go out for lunch every Sunday as a family tradition.

So now whenever one of us is home visiting our parents love to take up the opportunity to pick up our tradition.

This time it was my turn and we decided to go to a restaurant called Come Prima just a short drive away from where my parents live.

They have landscapes drawn onto the walls that give a kind of Mediterranean vibe and storing their red wine in the dining area finishes of that feeling.

They make traditional Italian food and have a huge menu. So choosing something from over 50 dishes was incredibly difficult for me. I can't handle deciding on something if there are too many options, I tend to tell whoever I'm with to decide, after I have named three dishes :D

So in the end either my mum or dad, I can't remember who, came to the conclusion that I would be having tagliatelle hawaii which consisted of tagliatelle with a curry sauce, chicken, pineapple and parmesan.

It was heavenly. So thanks mum and dad for choosing this great dish for me although all it looks like is yellow pasta :D

Both my mum and dad had settled for a salad as a starter.

their decorations on the table itself were not as great though. Hints the utterly tacky Italian butterfly haha

For mains my dad went for something that was equally as delicious as what I had but had a name that I can not remember.

also you can tell it's my dad because of the way he holds his knife and fork :D Which I think is really funny

My mum went for the classic but nonetheless tasty option and had pizza. You gotta love a good pizza :)

It was a great meal that I thoroughly enjoyed and I even got to take a silly picture of my mum that she allowed me to upload on here :)

Yes she did have grappa which they give you for free after your meal but that is not the reason she looks like she does in this picture!

Now you at least know where I got it from :D

x

J.

Kapiti Coast

 Hi everyone :)

Today was the first real day in New Zealand as you can't count yesterday since I was feeling really bad and couldn't really do much. I actually fell asleep at like 9 pm last night as I just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore :)

Today a great friend came over to pick me up. I got to know him through one of my former AuPair coworkers who I was great friends with already. One time she took me to meet her native friends and Jordan was one of them. We clicked instantly and he is actually the friend I was talking about in my blog post about friends, a view days back. 

He was originally supposed to pick me up from the airport but since that did not really work out for obvious reasons we hung out today.

I was really looking forward to meeting him again and it was better then I expected it to be. We literally picked our conversation up where we left of a year ago. 

I did not know where we were going because he wouldn't tell me beforehand so I was really excited to see where he'd take me. 

First we went to a little book store. It was really cute and I loved the smell of it. I know that might sound a bit strange but I'm sure you all know the smell of books. No? Ever been to a library? That is what I am talking about. 

At the book store they sold like used books and really old storybooks that were beautifully illustrated. I would have loved to buy one but they were really heavy so there was no way I could have taken them back with me :(

We then went on to go to the beach quite close to where I used to live before I moved to Wellington. It was a bit emotional for me but Jordan didn't fail to cheer me up again.

At this point the gorgeous sunny day had already turned into a bit of a windy day that was slightly cold but it did not rain :D

I swear I did not try to look like a tiger I was only trying to prevent myself from falling of :D

this was a piece of wood that had washed up on the beach

Somehow we thought doing this was a great idea just seconds later it turned out not to be so great because I nearly fell off when the tide came in :D

 On our way back we drove up a hill road to avoid the highway and traffic. This is the amazing view we got 

the island in the background is Kapiti Island. It also is why this part of the coast is named Kapiti Coast.

the mountains you can see at the horizon is actually the south island of New Zealand. You can only see it on really clear days s we were really lucky to get a glimpse of it. 

more pictures to come tomorrow :)

x

J.

Becoming YouTube

Hi everyone :)

I don't know how much time you spend on the internet or YouTube for that matter but speaking for myself I can say that I watch YouTube more then I watch TV and have been for years. 

TV is just not my kind of medium anymore.

So depending on how well you know your way around YouTube you may or may not have heard of this series called 'Becoming YouTube'. It's created by a guy called Benjamin Cook and simply brilliant.

It looks at YouTubers and the YouTube community itself and not only shows the bright side of the situation. It really asks critic questions and I think Benjamin has a really good point of view on the whole thing.

He addresses important topics about YouTube and it's content creators (only the British ones in this case because he is from the UK but nonetheless it is interesting to watch).

If you however can not stand people with their own opinion who maybe dare to criticise your favourite YouTuber you should probably not watch it!

If you are interested in learning a bit more about YouTube though,  then this is the right thing to watch because Benjamin Cook asks some pretty damn good questions.

I have watched every episode of becoming YouTube but I will leave you with the one I liked best so far.

You can watch the rest of them on Benjamin Cook's channel: ninebrassmonkeys.

They are really good and not the 'normal' kind of content you usually would expect to find on YouTube.

x

J.

The Adventure Ahead

Hi everyone :)

Just one day left and then I will hop on a plane and fly off to New Zealand. This is what I have been waiting for, for a whole year.

I got a job only to be able to pay for my plane ticket and the three weeks that I will be spending in New Zealand catching up with people and hanging out with all the amazing friends that I sadly couldn't take to Germany with me. 

A whole year of saving money has finally lead to this and I couldn't be more excited to board that plane and start the adventure New Zealand 2013, I really hope it's been missing me as bad as I have been missing it.

Also as of this very moment I am able to say that everything is packed and ready. 

I got the last bits and pieces that I needed today and repacked my suitcase for what feels like the 50th time. 

I'm really happy that my dad allowed me to take his camera on the trip so I will now at least technically be able to take great pictures :D As long as my eyes don't fail me I will try and provide you with as many picture updates from my trip as I can.

That is also where I address the elephant in the room: What will happen to this platform here? What will happen to the blog?

Well I will obviously try to upload post as much as I can but I simply don't know when that will be, as the internet in New zealand can be a bit difficult from time to time. But even if I have to sit in a McDonalds for half a day just to upload post I will most definitely do that because I really enjoy writing posts. 

So don't fret there will be post now and then just not as regularly as they are now. And most certainly not daily. But I will try my best :)

And there will not be any posts on Monday or Tuesday since my journey to Wellington starts on Monday (9.9.'13) morning at 7 am and ends in New Zealand on Wednesday (11.9.'13) at 5 pm.

Also I have a stopover in Hong Kong for like 10 hours so if anyone knows something for me to do for 10 hours at the airport tweet me or write a comment because I am desperate to know. 

So after struggling with my suitcase and the broken washing machine that wouldn't allow me to wash my clothes that I needed for the trip I am now all set :)

My flatmate was luckily able to fix the washer and my washing ended up being dry at 1 am on Friday morning which resulted in me going to bed at 3 am after I had finished packing and managed to close my suitcase after jumping around on it. It just is way to small. Like I am allowed to take 30 kg of luggage with me but my suitcase is so ridiculously small that it now weighs 17 kg. 

I had to leave shoes at home. Shoes!

I guess I'll survive :D 

So tomorrow is my last full day in Germany and the last you will hear of me till Wednesday :)

x

J.

Food Friday - Ultimate Breakfast

Hi everyone :)

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the beautiful weather outside as those my quite possibly be the last sunbeams we will get this summer. 

I however wasn't lucky enough to spend my days outside over the last week since I have been in physiotherapy for my scoliosis which is a result of the car accident I have been in. 

And although my physiotherapist is amazing with his hands and has really been helping my back now looks like I have been  and is completely bruised. It almost looks a bit like a giant hicky :D So well no running around in a bikini for me :)

Which is why we had to do something else that was equally as great as lying around in the sun getting a tan and nothing other than food can achieve that haha.

So on Sunday, as you already know if you are not here for the first time or follow me on Twitter or Instagram, I made the best breakfast ever :) You could call it the ultimate breakfast because that is what it was for me and my flatmate.

Al the way through the week he had been bugging ma about making breakfast on Sunday and on Friday I finally had enough and gave in. 

So him saying: We should make some epic breakfast on Sunday turned into me going grocery shopping on Saturday and getting up at 9 am on Sunday to make breakfast. 

The things I do for my flatmates, I should really win an award for this! 

Don't get me wrong I love to do these kinds of things even though it means I have to get up fairly early on a Sunday. 

Ingredients:

250 g     flour

2 tbsp     sugar

1 tsp     baking powder

1/2 tsp     baking soda

1/2 tsp     salt

500 ml     buttermilk

60 ml     sour cream 

2     eggs

3 tbsp     melted butter

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt together in one bowl and the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs and melted butter in another. Slowly stir the two mixtures together but don't stir for to long. It is okay if it is not a even mixture. Let the dow expand for about 10 minutes.

Melt a bit of butter in a pan and heat it up on a medium temperature. Depending on how big your pan is make 3 to 4 pancakes leaving them to bake for 2-3 minutes (or until the edges are baked) on one side. Flip them round and leave for another 1-2 minutes. This also depends on how brown you want to have them so just experiment with it a bit. 

Next thing you do is eat :D

Preferably for me with maple syrup and banana but you can have it with whatever suits you best :)

Or you can add blueberries to the finished dough if you like that!

I also made some hot orange-ginger-drink thing. I have no idea what it was called :) 

For two glasses you need:

6 oranges

1/2 tsp of grated ginger

Squeeze the oranges and heat them up in a pot with the ginger. You can then either drink it hot or wait till it is cold. It is tastes good either way and is actually very healthy. 

To change it up a bit you could also add the juice of a lemon and 1 tbsp of honey. If you do that though drinking it hot is way better :)

As you can see we also had hot chocolate but I don't think that I need to explain how that is made to any of you :)

It tastes a lot better though if you heat the milk up and add real chocolate instead of cocoa powder and a bit of cream. Also makes it a lot less healthy but who cares, right? It is breakfast so I don't really care how many calories it has. I can eat healthy the rest of the day :D

x

J.

Throwback Thursday - Funfair

Hi everyone :)

I am just going to take a wild guess here and say all of you have been to a funfair at some point in their childhood. If not I truly am sorry for you and you should make good for it like right now! Go to the next funfair because I can tell you my friend: You have been missing out on something big :).

I used to go with my grandma, sister and cousin every year and as soon as I was old enough to go by myself I did that. 

I am obsessed with these things and get way to excited over them as well.

Now I have no idea how I managed to live in Augsburg for a whole year and not go to the funfair that is called 'Plärrer' that we have here. 

This week was the third time they have had it since I live here and I finally managed to go with my flatmate who had never been before either (I feel like I should address the fact that he has been living here a whole lot longer than I have hahaSo shame on both of us)

Basically this funfair is a little 'Oktober Fest' but since I don't drink alcohol I just took part in eating loads of sweet stuff and candy floss :)

I kind of regret not having one of these lollies but I got to a point were eating more sweet stuff just wasn't an option anymore, sadly :D

I was so excited to go on the Ferris wheel that by the time we got there my flatmate was annoyed enough with me to promise he would go on it with me. I literally felt like I was 10 again and he and his friend probably thought I was some crazy person but that is fine with me haha.

our view from the Ferris wheel :) The green thing was some water ride but no one wanted to go on it with me :(

At one point I felt like I was enjoying the whole thing way to much for a 21 year old but I then got told that that is just who I am and they like me like that so I was fine with it :) I was probably the reason both my flatmate and his friend had so much fun because me squealing like a child over candy floss must have been pretty entertaining. Funfairs are just so amazing I couldn't contain myself.

We also had some real food to eat and didn't just live off candy floss, chocolate fruits and sweets.

this pizza was actually really good for funfair food

I enjoyed myself very much and would really love to go back but I am going home tomorrow and I'm off to New Zealand on Monday, so no more funfair for me. But hey New Zealand is even better :)

Although packing has been a nightmare so far :D

that is the space I have left

and that is all the stuff that still has to go in there

I think I'm starting all over again after this post goes up :)

Wish me luck :)

x

J.