Bflyw asked me;
As a Norwegian, growing up in Enebakk's neighbor municipality (Rælingen), I am curious.... you told me once (If I'm not remember this wrong) that you were au-pair or exchange student in Enebakk/Norway when you were young(er). Would you like to tell us a little bit more about that experience? :-)
It was in 1986 and I was 17 years old.
I worked as an au pair from January until June.
It was in Ytre Enebakk on a hilltop - it felt liked a hill for me ;)
There were Mum and Dad; he was Swedish, and two small children, Helena 3 y/o and Henrik 1 Y/o. The kids were the main job, but it also included cleaning and shopping. (I included cooking too, as the Mum hated to cook and after we had fish soup 3 days in a row, I asked if she wanted me to cook too)
I got a nice room in the house and earned some money. Not a lot but more than I have ever had before ;)
It was one of the worst winters in Norway in 25 years I was told, so we spend most of January and February inside the house.
I had a blast with the kids, taught them Danish children songs, told them fairy tales, and read to them. We made a lot of playdough, drawings and baked a lot….
When I cooked dinner, Henrik was sitting in his high chair and Helena helped me cook. Her biggest job was the gravy (I was never good at gravy, but you could get a lot of different gravy’s in packages to add water and warm. She would watch over it a whisk it when it boiled.
Later when the weather got better, we went into the woods and collected flowers, acorns, and all things that we brought home and made funny stuff off.
I got letters and packages from home and one of the greatest things was leaven for rye bread. The family loved the bread so much so at the days I baked, they actually invited their friends over so they could have fresh baked rye bread.
There were many other kids around and they loved to come and spend time in “our” house, maybe because we always made many fun things. Some evenings the kids called around to see if I would come out to play with them…..so we skipped ropes, played ball, ate cookies and had fun.
When the Norwegian Independence Day May 17 came, some friends invited me into Oslo, but I had promised the kids that I would come to their school arrangement. So I took the bus with Helena and Henrik and went to the school, where there was a show and a flee marked, soft drinks for the kids and we had such fun.
I turned 18 in April and the family threw me a party, and invited all my little friends. It was so cute and I got presents from Helena and Henrik, cards and drawings from the other kids and a nice dinner.
It was sad when I had to go home. I was supposed to stay for longer, but the Mum was fired from her job, so she was home, and they didn`t have money to keep me.
I found a little book where I got everyone I knew there to write in. The family, all the kids and their families and everyone else I have met there.
One of the kids wrote this I remember:“Jeg er ikke Bjørnson eller Bull, så det jeg skriver er bare noget tull”
I don`t know how to translate it.
I had six wonderful months there and I will always remember how great it was.
I guess that kids liked me even then ;)
It was in 1986 and I was 17 years old.
I worked as an au pair from January until June.
It was in Ytre Enebakk on a hilltop - it felt liked a hill for me ;)
There were Mum and Dad; he was Swedish, and two small children, Helena 3 y/o and Henrik 1 Y/o. The kids were the main job, but it also included cleaning and shopping. (I included cooking too, as the Mum hated to cook and after we had fish soup 3 days in a row, I asked if she wanted me to cook too)
I got a nice room in the house and earned some money. Not a lot but more than I have ever had before ;)
It was one of the worst winters in Norway in 25 years I was told, so we spend most of January and February inside the house.
I had a blast with the kids, taught them Danish children songs, told them fairy tales, and read to them. We made a lot of playdough, drawings and baked a lot….
When I cooked dinner, Henrik was sitting in his high chair and Helena helped me cook. Her biggest job was the gravy (I was never good at gravy, but you could get a lot of different gravy’s in packages to add water and warm. She would watch over it a whisk it when it boiled.
Later when the weather got better, we went into the woods and collected flowers, acorns, and all things that we brought home and made funny stuff off.
I got letters and packages from home and one of the greatest things was leaven for rye bread. The family loved the bread so much so at the days I baked, they actually invited their friends over so they could have fresh baked rye bread.
There were many other kids around and they loved to come and spend time in “our” house, maybe because we always made many fun things. Some evenings the kids called around to see if I would come out to play with them…..so we skipped ropes, played ball, ate cookies and had fun.
When the Norwegian Independence Day May 17 came, some friends invited me into Oslo, but I had promised the kids that I would come to their school arrangement. So I took the bus with Helena and Henrik and went to the school, where there was a show and a flee marked, soft drinks for the kids and we had such fun.
I turned 18 in April and the family threw me a party, and invited all my little friends. It was so cute and I got presents from Helena and Henrik, cards and drawings from the other kids and a nice dinner.
It was sad when I had to go home. I was supposed to stay for longer, but the Mum was fired from her job, so she was home, and they didn`t have money to keep me.
I found a little book where I got everyone I knew there to write in. The family, all the kids and their families and everyone else I have met there.
One of the kids wrote this I remember:“Jeg er ikke Bjørnson eller Bull, så det jeg skriver er bare noget tull”
I don`t know how to translate it.
I had six wonderful months there and I will always remember how great it was.
I guess that kids liked me even then ;)