My host family booked a vacation to Bali and I had the possibility to come with them.

After I spend the morning with the children and my host parents came back from work, we all drove to the airport. In the evening we landed in Bali after a seven-hour flight on which I slept most of the time.

On the way out of the airplane, my host father told me that in Indonesia you often think that some things are very serious, but at the second glance, you realize that it is not always like that. Already at the airport we saw how broken cables hung from the ceiling, although everything looked very well-kept. At the passport control I had to go through separately from my host family, because they ask why you coming to Bali. If I had gone with them and said that I am the au pair of my host family, they would have assumed that I was working here and than we would had problems getting into the country. So I went through alone and said that I come to Bali to go on vacation.

Other countries, other customs

As soon as we got out of the airport we drove directly to our Villa. Already on the way there I noticed how different the culture in Indonesia is compared to the German or Australian. There are hardly any rules concerning traffic. In the car the children could sit on the lap of the parents, the taxi driver did not think is necessary to put the seatbelt on, everyone drives as he wants and everywhere is honking.

After a 30 Minute drive we arrived at the villa my hostparents had booked. The Villa was just amazing. We had a beautiful pool, a house with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Each room had a large double bed. We also had a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. Everything was well maintained.

Holidays without WiFi

When we finally arrived and unpacked the bare necessities, I wanted to connect to the WiFi network to let my family and friends know that I arrived safely. And how it had to come when everything was so gorgeous, my phone couldn’t connect to the WiFi. Luckily, my host mother could connect to the WiFi and I was able to send messages on her phone. Also in the following days I couldn’t connect to the WiFi. Although I could use my host mother’s tablet, I could not use more than Snapchat to write a few messages. That meant for me once vacation without WiFi. On this evening we ordered something to eat and then we went to bed.

Getting in touch with a new culture

The first morning the kids went straight into the pool after breakfast. Of course they were total Excited and had a lot of water toys. Shortly thereafter, we all went grocery shopping together. On the way there we passed many small stalls where people sell their goods. Everybody were talking to us and try to sell us something. As soon as I crossed the road, the taxis stopped in front of me and asked if they can take me.

In the supermarket we brought some snacks. I also bought a pack of TimTams, which is the most typical chocolate in Australia and is just incredibly delicious but unfortunately I was disappointed and the TimTams taste a little different in Indonesia and not as incredible as in Australia.

For lunch (which was at three o’clock) we ordered something to eat. As a side dish was also a small pack of vegetables, which I ate and it was incredibly spicy. My mouth and my throat burned, I just drank so much water and asked my host parents if their vegetables were also that spicy. My host father asked me then if I also ate the Chili. And of course I did. I had not seen her before. It took a while until it didn’t burned anymore. In the evening my host parents went out and I took care of the children.

A day off

The third day was my day off. Either I could do something with my host family or do something on my own. I then decided to do something on my own while my host family was in the water park.

I think that was more interesting for the kids than for me. In the morning I went to the supermarket and bought some food for the day. I really wanted to go to the pool and explore Seminyak a little while I had so much time this day but after I went to the supermarket I had to come back to spend my time in the Villa because I wasn’t feeling well.

In the afternoon, when I was feeling better I went to the beach. My host mother had already told me that it was not so nice there but I was still a bit disappointed when I was there. I had expected a bit more from a beach at Bali. I didn’t stayed long there and went back to the Villa.

In the afternoon my host dad made his way to the airport because he had to travel for work for two days. In the evening I went out for dinner with my host mum and the children to a nice restaurant where I ate spaghetti carbonara since I don’t really like asian food. And our drink we drank out of a coconut.

Spending time with the family

Since my host father was not there, I „worked“ the day. I spend the day with my host mother and the children. In the morning we went out and bought a smoothie for the kids. Then we had breakfast in a Café. When we got back to our villa we went all to the pool together and spend the rest of the morning there. In the afternoon we went to a shopping center. Already in the taxi, both boys felt asleep. While my host mother was shopping, I was waiting for her with two sleeping children on my lap. In the evening we were in the pool again and then we ordered our dinner.

The next morning I went to the Café where we had been the day before. There I ordered a bowl with banana, coconut and peanut butter like the day before because it was so delicious. Then I went back to the pool with my host mother and the children. In the afternoon we stayed at home. My host mother was shopping and I took care of the children during this time. In the evening we had dinner in a Mexican restaurant.

Relaxing at the beach

On our last day at Bali I went to the beach with my host family. This beach was a lot nicer than the one I was the days before. While my host family was in the water, I relaxed on the beach. In the evening I took care of the children while my host parents went out. I packed my suitcase and went to bed. The next morning I left early for the airport because I had to go back to Sydney since I had booked a Surf Camp for the weekend. My host family stayed in Bali for two more nights.

It was very nice and interesting to get to know another culture. It was also nice to spend my last week with my host family in Bali.