Elisabeth

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

I would love to take care of children, help with animals or to participate in household work, the maintenance of a (guest) house or to do some crafts, in a family in Iceland or on the Faroe Islands.

Description

First of all, I want to inform you that I am currently as workawayer in a family in Akureyri. I am very glad about this opportunity.
My name is Elisabeth and I live in a beautiful rural and green village behind a dike in the Ooijpolder in The Netherlands. As a senior person I have a life-long experience as a cleaner, gardener and handy woman in my own household and for friends and family as well. I was a scientist-biology teacher in international research laboratories where practical inventiveness and flexibility were needed. This being said, I still have so much to learn. Most important in my life, I am the mother of a lovely 37-year old daughter.

My current occupations as a volunteer (under supervision of young people half my age: works really fine!) are threefold: first, cheerfully playing, doing crafts and inventing games with children who live in a refugee camp. Second, using a two-seats tricycle, I go touring outdoors with elderly people of a nursing home. And third, I occasionally teach Dutch or French online. Thus, I am accustomed to accompany kids who are full of energy and with whom I don' t have a common language. We improvise, understand each other astonishingly well and very often laugh together. Sharing quality time with my friends and my daughter, in the garden, around a table or in a museum, is a major joy, but I can also stay happily alone. Further on, tasks in my own household, like cleaning, laundry, cooking (making preserves also), gardening, painting and repairing all kinds of items in and around the house, require attention, especially in summertime. Sewing has become a creative hobby of mine over the last decade and I like camping in nature (4x in Iceland) with my little tent. And then, doing some fitness exercises, as well as walking and biking, help me to stay strong... I would describe my personality as stable (in good mood), patient and flexible, just happy to enjoy simple things, open for new experiences and discovery and listening to others. I have been myself a host for two young ladies who were refugees from Ukraine; despite the sad background, it was an excellent experience in mutual respect.

Rather than being a tourist, I would prefer to discover your country under your guidance as a helping guest in a family, (guest) house or farm for a period of 6-8 weeks during the dark and cold months (approximately Jan. and Feb. 2024). I could take care of your (grand)children, help with the household work as you wish, like cooking, cleaning and doing laundry, but I am also very willing to learn from you to care for animals or to participate in the maintenance of a (guest) house or to help doing some repair work or crafts. I am a hard worker, accustomed to lead an active life, yet not the most appropriate person for the heaviest construction duties, but still available for all regular handwork, e.g painting.

French is my mother tongue, but Dutch became my first language since I moved to The Netherlands as a child. English has always been my main professional language. I am also more or less fluent in German, and I speak reasonably well Italian, as I have lived in Italy for some years. Unfortunately, I do not speak Icelandic or Faroese, but I am certainly interested to learn new words of my hosts' language.

Hoping for a happy match with a family!
Kind regards,
Elisabeth (Liesbeth or Piertje as nicknames)

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
Italian: Intermediate

More details about my language interests
I am interested to learn a bit of Icelandic or Faroese from the host family, especially if children are involved

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Being an elderly companion

Teaching

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Animal Care

Life at a Farmstay

Babysitting and creative play

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

General Maintenance

Eco Projects

Art Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Helping with Computers/ Internet

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Able to teach about:  

Charity Work

Languages

More details about your skills

My skills are diverse, as a mother and currently as a childcare volunteer, but also as a person with a life experience in running a household (i.e. cleaning, doing laundry and ironing, cooking, gardening) and doing myself most repair and decoration work in or around the house (i.e., sanding, painting, glueing paper wall, drilling, sawing, laying floors, making curtains and more). But I still can learn! As a (retired) scientist and teacher, and nowadays, as a social worker, I am familiar to interact with people of various ages and backgrounds, including (vulnerable) children and care-requiring elder persons. I have received governmental approvals that allow me to work with these people. Besides, I recently completed an extended first-aid course. I love doing crafts, creative sewing and special cooking (preparing preserved fruits and spreads as gifts) and I speak several languages (have lived in several countries), but be my teacher for Icelandic or Faroese, please.

Age

69

What else ...

I would like to express my sympathy to the people of Grindavík who are currently going through a hard time (Nov 15).🌷

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  No

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  Special dietary requirements
  As a guest I eat everything, also meat, yet when on my own I am vegetarian, but eat fish. I can cook a broad variety of meals, including food with meat if hosts wish so.