A Brazilian Au Pair in Catalunya

Perspective. More than once I’ve noticed that, all you need is perspective from a situation, so you can properly think about it. Or in my case, write about it. In that way, sometimes it is better when I don’t have time to write about my experiences right after they happened. I just hope I don’t miss up too many details…

My experience as an Au Pair in Spain should’ve been easier than the one in Ireland, being the second time and all. It was different.

Being here, in Catalunya, made learn so many things about Spain and Catalunya. This is pretty nice! I could be inside this fight for freedom that Catalunya has been going through for the last few years, and get their point. I learned and tasted some typical foods (even that the most local ones are made of meat) like the bread with tomato, sandwiches all the time, Mató cheese with honey, the mantecados (a pine nut type of cookie), the pumpkin soup, chickpeas with spinach, potato with green beans, bread soup, the most famous tortillas de patatas, and some other stuff.

I also learnt that for the kids, who bring the presents on Christmas is not Santa Claus but the three kings for whom they write their letters. Or else, I learnt about some curious characters (to say the minimum) like the Tío de Nadal (or Caga Tío that translating is something like Uncle shit) which is a piece of wood with a creepy face and red clothes, which stays in the living room in the first week of December, and the kids not just “feed” it as also hit it to make this peculiar character defecate (to sound more polite) the presents. And not forget about the Cagón: a boy who is literally shitting (entitled to a piece of shit on the floor) and he is the one staying on the cribs in Catalunya.

I might have increased my Spanish a little bit and also learnt that Catalan can sound very different of Spanish, much harder, tougher.

I no longer agree that we Brazilians are very similar to Spanish people. I have the impression that, perhaps in general, Spanish people can be a bit harsh compering to us Brazilians. And that’s mostly because everybody keeps saying that Spanish people are so cool and friendly. It is not that they are not, they are, just not as much as I imagined.

As an Au Pair, my main duty is… to cook! Yay! I take the girls to school, right after we have breakfast together; and I will pick them up late afternoon. I must cook dinner for all of us, which is nice because I love cooking, I just wish I’ve done better. Perhaps if I had felt more comfortable about asking for ingredients, and not having to use what they already had in the cupboards, in order to finish it… I don’t know. Me and my way of not wanting to bother anyone…

I chat with the girls in English, and sometimes we also play together. They have very different personalities, each one much closer to one of the parents than the other. Sometimes, I have a hard time with Martina, the older one, and the reason is, I believe, because I am as “girly” as she expected. I wish I had then the knowledge and wisdom I have now (not that I am wise at all, but you know, time change things and it is a good giver…), so I could talk more with her and trying make her understand certain things. For example, when I did a volunteer work in Czech Republic, in 2021, the daughter of my host was also 12 years old, just like Martina, and just as Martina, she wasn’t very happy with me at first, for exact the same reasons. With time, patience and lots of talking, we ended up being best friends!

Together with the family we take trips together; we go to the theatre; to birthday parties; we give parties; we visit grandma and grandpa in the countryside, etc. It is a blast and a great culture immerse.

I grow very found of Queralt, the mother. I think she is a lovely lady, very kind too, and I enjoy the time we spend together. She helped me so much, in many different ways, and I will always be grateful to her.

I stay in Catalunya for a bit less than 3 months, so I could also travel a bit in Andalucia, and not finish my 90 days permission to stay in the Schengen Area as a Brazilian. Next destination is Africa! I’m so excited!