March Analogue
April 2005
Hey Everybody
Well I’ve been here almost a month now and I thought you’d like to hear what I’ve done so far. You may already know some of this stuff, so bare with me.
I left New Zealand on Sunday 6th March at 8:00pm and was traveling with 2 other girls from New Zealand. Sharee from Putararuru and Leanne from Invercargill. Because we crossed the international date line we arrived at LAX 11.5 hours later at 10:30am on Sunday 6th March. It took us about 1.5 hours to clear customs and then we walked around to the United Airlines terminal. After checking in we had to go through security and all 3 of us were pulled aside and searched! Our flight from LAX to JFK was 5 hours and we arrived at JFK just after 12:00am on Monday 7th March. We had to catch a taxi from JFK to our hotel which was an experience. We had been told at our pre-departure meeting in Auckland that we were only to take the Super Shuttle or a NYC Yellow Taxi cab. As soon as we walked into the arrival area we were swamped with taxi drivers. One guy came up to us and told us that he was from the shuttle so we followed him to his car which turned out to pretty much be a private car! When we told him that we wouldn’t be going with him, he pulled out his ‘card’ which was not too official looking so we just walked off and took a NYC Yellow Taxi cab. We arrived at the New Yorker Hotel just after 1am and were in be and asleep by 2. None of us got a lot of sleep on the flights so we slept until about 12pm then wince our orientation course didn’t start until Tuesday and we didn’t have to check in until about 4 we decided to go out and have a look around. Macy’s was just across the road so that’s where we went. We also found a little Pizza place that we went to for dinner.
We were woken up at 6am on Tuesday morning as our course started at 8am. It went from 8am - 3:30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and we learnt a lot of stuff about childcare, first aid, and living in the USA. After classes had finished on Tuesday and Wednesday we were taken on city tours by our Orientation Director’s husband. On Tuesday we went uptown and our tour took us to the Theater district, Rockefeller Centre and Ice Skate rink, Times Square, St Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Empire State Building. It was cool seeing the city but the weather conditions were almost a blizzard, so it was freezing. On Wednesday after class we went downtown. We saw Trinity Church the oldest church in New York, we also went to Ground Zero. After spending time there we went down Wall Street and on the Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island and back.
On Thursday Suzie Hagen (my host mother) picked me up from the hotel just before 2pm. Although Hewlett Neck is not considered part of NYC; you can’t tell where one city starts and another one begins. When we got home Emily (10) and Bradley (5) were home from school with Katie (the Hagen’s previous Au Pair). Alison (almost 7) got home a little later. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but Suzie is a widow, her husband died 3 years ago from Cancer. Suzie’s boyfriend, Marc is also a widower and has 2 sons Jordan 16 or 17 and Garret 10. Hewlett Neck is a really nice neighbourhood. All the houses look like the house you see in the movies. Our home is 3 stories high, but the basement is underground. The centre level has the den, living room, kitchen, dining room, my bedroom, and one bathroom. The top level has the kids bedrooms, Suzie’s room, and a bathroom.
The kids all do a lot of after school activities, and Monday is probably the quietest day with no pre-planned activities. Tuesday Emily has Hebrew, Ali has Dance and Bradley has Sports. On Wednesday Emily has Tennis, Ali has her high school friend come to play, and Bradley has Karate. Emily has Hebrew every Thursday and Ali has it every 2nd Thursday - she takes Yoga on the alternate Thursday. Friday is also a non activity day. Then on Saturday Emily has swimming, and Ali has soccer. I usually work from about 7:15am - 9:15am and 2:30pm to 7:30pm except for Wednesdays when Suzie goes out with Marc in the evening and I work until 10:00pm; and Saturdays when my work time varies depending on what is happening. Sunday is my day off.
It is quite interesting living with a Jewish family. Suzie only goes to Synagogue for the important Jewish festival. So far I’ve been to a carnival at the Synagogue and a Purim Service a couple of nights later. The carnival was for the kids to celebrate Purim so they all dressed up and played games, ate junk food and had an awesome time. The actual Purim Service was a couple of nights later. Purim celebrates the Jewish Victory through Queen Ester. During the Purim Service the whole book of Ester is read and whenever Haman’s name is read everybody ‘boos’ and makes a lot of noise - the point, to eliminate Haman using noise! It was actually quite fun. Passover is coming up in April so that should be quite interesting.
I’ve made a number of friends here pretty much all Au Pairs. Firstly Katie who I took over from; even though I only spent a week with her we became quite good friends and will definately keep in touch; she’s from Australia. Then there’s Eckard from South Africa, he’s the Au Pair that lives closest to me, so I see him most days; he’s going home in August. Melyssa is from Brazil and also lives quite close so I see her 3 or 4 times a week as well; Melyssa goes home in May. I’ve also got a couple of friends from New Zealand; Jess lives about an hour away by train so I usually just see her in the weekend but we have awesome conversations and I know she’s someone I can ring and talk too if that’s what I need to do.
On Sunday’s I usually go to church in the morning then meet some of the others in the city round lunchtime. So I’ve been round the city with them to; China town (which reminded me of the markets in Thailand), Central Park, the National Museum of the American Indian, and Madame Tusards Wax Museum. It’s actually really easy to find your way around the city as it is in grid form and the street names are _ Avenue, or _ Street, also the subways are easy to use and I can get from Hewlett to Penn Station on the train easily even though you’ve got to change trains about halfway along.
Well I think that’s about all for this month! I’m really liking it over here. It’s so great getting emails from everyone just to hear what you’re up to at the moment!
Lots of Love and God Bless
Anna
Hey Everybody
Well I’ve been here almost a month now and I thought you’d like to hear what I’ve done so far. You may already know some of this stuff, so bare with me.
I left New Zealand on Sunday 6th March at 8:00pm and was traveling with 2 other girls from New Zealand. Sharee from Putararuru and Leanne from Invercargill. Because we crossed the international date line we arrived at LAX 11.5 hours later at 10:30am on Sunday 6th March. It took us about 1.5 hours to clear customs and then we walked around to the United Airlines terminal. After checking in we had to go through security and all 3 of us were pulled aside and searched! Our flight from LAX to JFK was 5 hours and we arrived at JFK just after 12:00am on Monday 7th March. We had to catch a taxi from JFK to our hotel which was an experience. We had been told at our pre-departure meeting in Auckland that we were only to take the Super Shuttle or a NYC Yellow Taxi cab. As soon as we walked into the arrival area we were swamped with taxi drivers. One guy came up to us and told us that he was from the shuttle so we followed him to his car which turned out to pretty much be a private car! When we told him that we wouldn’t be going with him, he pulled out his ‘card’ which was not too official looking so we just walked off and took a NYC Yellow Taxi cab. We arrived at the New Yorker Hotel just after 1am and were in be and asleep by 2. None of us got a lot of sleep on the flights so we slept until about 12pm then wince our orientation course didn’t start until Tuesday and we didn’t have to check in until about 4 we decided to go out and have a look around. Macy’s was just across the road so that’s where we went. We also found a little Pizza place that we went to for dinner.
We were woken up at 6am on Tuesday morning as our course started at 8am. It went from 8am - 3:30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and we learnt a lot of stuff about childcare, first aid, and living in the USA. After classes had finished on Tuesday and Wednesday we were taken on city tours by our Orientation Director’s husband. On Tuesday we went uptown and our tour took us to the Theater district, Rockefeller Centre and Ice Skate rink, Times Square, St Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Empire State Building. It was cool seeing the city but the weather conditions were almost a blizzard, so it was freezing. On Wednesday after class we went downtown. We saw Trinity Church the oldest church in New York, we also went to Ground Zero. After spending time there we went down Wall Street and on the Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island and back.
On Thursday Suzie Hagen (my host mother) picked me up from the hotel just before 2pm. Although Hewlett Neck is not considered part of NYC; you can’t tell where one city starts and another one begins. When we got home Emily (10) and Bradley (5) were home from school with Katie (the Hagen’s previous Au Pair). Alison (almost 7) got home a little later. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but Suzie is a widow, her husband died 3 years ago from Cancer. Suzie’s boyfriend, Marc is also a widower and has 2 sons Jordan 16 or 17 and Garret 10. Hewlett Neck is a really nice neighbourhood. All the houses look like the house you see in the movies. Our home is 3 stories high, but the basement is underground. The centre level has the den, living room, kitchen, dining room, my bedroom, and one bathroom. The top level has the kids bedrooms, Suzie’s room, and a bathroom.
The kids all do a lot of after school activities, and Monday is probably the quietest day with no pre-planned activities. Tuesday Emily has Hebrew, Ali has Dance and Bradley has Sports. On Wednesday Emily has Tennis, Ali has her high school friend come to play, and Bradley has Karate. Emily has Hebrew every Thursday and Ali has it every 2nd Thursday - she takes Yoga on the alternate Thursday. Friday is also a non activity day. Then on Saturday Emily has swimming, and Ali has soccer. I usually work from about 7:15am - 9:15am and 2:30pm to 7:30pm except for Wednesdays when Suzie goes out with Marc in the evening and I work until 10:00pm; and Saturdays when my work time varies depending on what is happening. Sunday is my day off.
It is quite interesting living with a Jewish family. Suzie only goes to Synagogue for the important Jewish festival. So far I’ve been to a carnival at the Synagogue and a Purim Service a couple of nights later. The carnival was for the kids to celebrate Purim so they all dressed up and played games, ate junk food and had an awesome time. The actual Purim Service was a couple of nights later. Purim celebrates the Jewish Victory through Queen Ester. During the Purim Service the whole book of Ester is read and whenever Haman’s name is read everybody ‘boos’ and makes a lot of noise - the point, to eliminate Haman using noise! It was actually quite fun. Passover is coming up in April so that should be quite interesting.
I’ve made a number of friends here pretty much all Au Pairs. Firstly Katie who I took over from; even though I only spent a week with her we became quite good friends and will definately keep in touch; she’s from Australia. Then there’s Eckard from South Africa, he’s the Au Pair that lives closest to me, so I see him most days; he’s going home in August. Melyssa is from Brazil and also lives quite close so I see her 3 or 4 times a week as well; Melyssa goes home in May. I’ve also got a couple of friends from New Zealand; Jess lives about an hour away by train so I usually just see her in the weekend but we have awesome conversations and I know she’s someone I can ring and talk too if that’s what I need to do.
On Sunday’s I usually go to church in the morning then meet some of the others in the city round lunchtime. So I’ve been round the city with them to; China town (which reminded me of the markets in Thailand), Central Park, the National Museum of the American Indian, and Madame Tusards Wax Museum. It’s actually really easy to find your way around the city as it is in grid form and the street names are _ Avenue, or _ Street, also the subways are easy to use and I can get from Hewlett to Penn Station on the train easily even though you’ve got to change trains about halfway along.
Well I think that’s about all for this month! I’m really liking it over here. It’s so great getting emails from everyone just to hear what you’re up to at the moment!
Lots of Love and God Bless
Anna
posted by AnnaJ @ Thursday, April 14, 2005
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