Dear family and friends,
Throughout the years, many exchange students have come up with an assortment of little sayings meant to capture what the exchange year actually means to the exchangie. One of my favorites says that our exchange is not a year in our life but a life in a year. It is something that so many exchange students across the globe can relate to. Last weekend, rotex Switzerland arranged a winter weekend for all of the exchange students in east Switzerland. This gave me an opportunity to actually meet some of the new exchange students that had just arrived from far-flung places such as Australia, South Africa, or Argentina. To be able to interact with them was really interesting because it reminded me so much of my first few months and I actually found myself feeling just slightly protective of them, which is ridiculous because some of them are older than me and others speak better German than I do.
This interaction drove home for me how far I have come from my first few months both in language and in integration. In fact, a couple days ago, on two separate occasions, someone came up to me to ask for my directions and I was not only able to understand them but also tell them where to go. I love english but sometimes chafe at having to use my own language. When I write, often times I make silly mistakes such as writing my nouns with capital letters and certain sounds I write the german way instead of the way I would in english. Yesterday, I was talking to my friend and instead of saying I was hunger, I said that I had hunger. Just a bunch of little things that demonstrate how much I have changed.
The weekend itself was a blast. The first day we all met up in Luzern and from there travelled south to Engelberg, about an hour away. Before we dropped our stuff off at the youth hostel, we went to a near-by skating rink to go ice-skating. Even though I was happy to finally go skating, I was still really nervous because I hadn't been ice skating since I was thirteen or fourteen. As a result, when I first got on the ice, I had a difficult time maintaining my balance and I fell once. After twenty minutes or so though, I was skating just as easily as if I hadn't ever stopped skating. Now that is what I call muscle memory. I ended up really enjoying myself and was disappointed when we left.
After skating, we all headed to the hostel to settle in, choosing both rooms and beds. Once everyone was finished we all congregated upstairs to find out what was happening next. The option was given of either going into town to check out the sites or staying at the hostel and playing outside in the fresh snow. Naturally, I decided to stay. After changing into snow clothes, we went outside and attempted to build snowmen, but the snow was too light and not wet enough to roll. Instead, one of the rotex guys started a huge snowball fight, which was one of the best snowball fights I have ever participated in. While the snow was too light on top, underneath it was wet enough to pack into suitable projectiles. When making snowballs wasn't fun enough anymore, we switched to full-out snow-wrestling. I can't count how many times I was tackled and had snow shoved into my face (it is a favorite swiss tactic). Nonetheless, I gave just as good as I got and by the end of it we were all absolutely soaked. I found snow in places I didn't even know I could and that is saying a lot coming from an Alaskan girl with two older brothers. After going inside, I went downstairs to brush (literally) the chunks of snow out of my hair and by the time I was done it looked like I had just stepped out of the shower.
Once I was warm and relatively dry, I went upstairs to eat and hang out with the other exchange students. One of the rotex guys brought his speakers and both the latinos and the english speakers took turns playing their individual music. Around 9 o'clock, us english speakers had taken complete control of the music and proceeded to have a huge sing-along, just generally having a blast, while the latinos retreated downstairs. Thirty minutes later they came back and once more took possession of the speakers, after which we all had a party rotary style, with music, dancing, and even strobe lights. Around 11 o'clock a lot of people retired to their individual rooms to either talk or sleep. A group of us watched Django on one of the girls' laptop and when that was over we stayed up and talked until about three in the morning. What we talked about, I don't even remember anymore, what was special was the feeling of friendship and closeness that made that moment so great. Some more people went to bed around four while some of us watched Easy A, which is one of my favorite movies.We talked until to the sky lightened outside the window and we heard the rest of the house stir around us. At this point we all decided to head to our individual rooms to get ready for the day ahead of us.
We had a traditional swiss breakfast around 8 o'clock that consisted of bread, cheese, jam, and Nutella that left everyone very satisfied and content. Afterwards we all made sandwiches and then broke up into teams to tackle the cleaning of the house. Once everything was back in order and everyone had gathered their stuff together the rotex led us through town to the place where we would go sledding. I was initially reluctant to go sledding but once I was out on the sled, I had an absolute blast. The very last run, the four people I was sledding with all decide to do a race and I joined in just for fun without really expecting to win. However it was actually this attitude that helped me win, because while everyone else was busy trying to sabotage each other, I had smooth sledding the whole way down and as a result, reached the finish line a full minute ahead of the others. After about three hours of sledding, we went back to the hostel to pick up our stuff and head to the train station. I got off of the train way earlier than anyone else and hated having to say good-bye to all of my friends, both new and old. Nevertheless, I had a blast over the weekend and look forward to the next time I get to see everyone. Next week though, I have a completely different experience to look forward to. I will be staying with my third host family for a week while my current host parents are gone. I am sure that it will be just as amazing of an experience and can't wait!
Lots of love,
Grace
Friday, March 1, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
My, My, Time Flies!
Hi everyone,
As I was relaxing on the couch this evening, after a long day at school, it suddenly struck me that I have been here for over six months. Where has the time gone?!?! It is unreal to me how incredibly fast my time here in Switzerland is going, it is like so much sand just slipping through my fingers as I try desperately to make it stop. Some nights I don't want to go to sleep because I know it means the loss of another precious day. As the end of January approaches more and more exchanges students are arriving from far-flung places such as Argentina and Australia, the new inbounds. As I read posts on facebook from all these new students I often find myself shaking my head in disbelief, I am an Oldie now and I can't help but feel like I am still a Newbie.
I am really glad that I am with the Schmidlis throughout the winter here in Switzerland because, among many other reasons, almost every weekend we stay at their small condo in the Alps. And you now what that means.....I go skiing all the time. Even, though that means I have to get up early (for me) even on the weekends, I really couldn't complain. See, the thing is that I love downhill skiing, with all my heart. If I had a choice, I would even ski during weekdays also. I have to say that my skiing has improved so much from last January, at the Rotary winter orientation. The second day of winter orientation was one of the worst and best days of my life. That was the day I broke three teeth and then found out that I was the lucky girl going to Switzerland. Some of you already know the story of how my teeth got broken but I am going to tell it again because I find it pretty funny now.
So on this very eventful day, I had been expecting to stay behind while a lot of other people went skiing because I hadn't intended to go since I didn't have any skis. However, when my YEO offered to obtain some for me, naturally I jumped on the opportunity to join the others. So there I was, my second time on skis (the first time being five years before) at a ski resort that I had never been to before. Of course I wanted to go to the bunny hill to adjust myself to being on skis again before tackling a bigger hill. However, I had no idea where to go so I just follow another group of exchange students who then proceeded to get on a gondola. As it rose higher and higher, I knew that had made a terrible mistake and had chosen the wrong group to follow. These were the exchange students from places like Norway, Denmark, Germany, apparently all excellent skiers. As I stood there at the top of the slope, I found that I was so panicked I actually couldn't move. My friend from Denmark skied up to me and I explained that I had made a mistake, that I wasn't a good skier and was on the wrong slope. She told me to calm down and said that she would help me ski down. I did really good at first, making nice wide curves and maintaining my balance, just doing really well. But then things took a turn for the worse, literally. In front of me the slope curved and there was a small place where there was a short, but steep, slope and at the end a dip. Well I curved at just the wrong time and went straight down. Wow, but it was a blast! The wind was whistling in my ears and I saw the world laid out before me and I swear, I was flying. And then gravity decided to step in and ruin the fun while the ground rushed to meet me like a long lost friend.
After that everything kind of blurred and sped up and next thing I know, I am on the ground with one ski high up on the slope and the other one farther down while I was sprawled in the middle. Slowly I sat up, checking myself for any broken bones. As I was congratulating myself for having managed to avoid broken bones once again, my friend skied up to me to ask if I was ok. When I smiled to assure her that I was fine she gasped and then started laughing. As I ran my tongue over my teeth I realized why my mouth felt gritty, I had broken three teeth. I was so incredibly embarrassed the rest of the day and absolutely terrified about how people would react when they saw what had happened. However, everyone was very kind and understanding, and I got a good story out of the whole experience, as well as a reputation that has also followed me to Switzerland.
While I am becoming incredibly good at skiing as time goes by, I still manage to get myself into accidents. In fact, yesterday I went skiing on a new slope with my host parents. I did relatively well until the very end of the slope. Right before the slope ended there were a series of tiny hills, the first I saw and so was able to prepare myself for the jump, which I landed. However, directly after that was another hill that I didn't see in time, and as I went flying I had a flash-back to last January. I was unable to regain my balance before I hit the ground and as a result I fell. I was ok but because of the angle that my skis hit the ground, one of them broke.
I felt so terrible for having broken the ski, but everyone was just glad I was ok and immediately after that started teasing me. Among the many other nicknames I have acquired since being here, I now add Grace, the ski killer, to the list. I was happy to go in with my host father and get longer skis like we had been talking about, since my original pair had been for beginners. Although I absolutely love my new skis and the fact that they represent my improvement in skiing, I wish that the other ones hadn't been broken before I got them. I went back with my host family to the slope that I skied on yesterday and made it through to the end with out falling at all. You know what they say about practice making perfect!
Today was a beautiful day for skiing and spending time with my wonderful host family. We spent almost three hours skiing and I really enjoyed myself. However, in light of my accident yesterday and my new skis, I forced myself (my host father also) to slow down, to enjoy the experience of skiing instead of racing towards an imaginary finish line. While it was slightly frustrating (my host father deliberately going slow on many occasions just to annoy me) I found that I really liked being able to take my time and practice all the skills I need to become a truly competent skier. I look forward to the two weeks of skiing that I will be doing on my break in February.
Your Swiss Skier,
Grace
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Weihnachten Treat
Dear readers
Christmas is a time for being with family. A time of celebrating each other and the many blessings we have. This is the first christmas I have ever spent away from my family and I find myself missing them more than usual. I had a wonderful surprise on Friday when my host mom told me that two packages had come for me in the mail and were waiting for me in the office. Now, I wasn't exactly surprised that I had gotten that first package because I knew that my Rotary club in Alaska had sent one to me. However, the second package was totally unexpected. It was from my grandpa and grandma and as soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what it was. Every year for as long as I can remember, my grandparents send a container of my grandpa's famous rocky road candy to my family for Christmas and it is always one of the best things about the christmas season. I was heartbroken to know that I wouldn't be able to experience the joy of eating rocky road candy this year. So when I saw that container sitting there in front of me, I felt the love and consideration that my grandparents sent with it.
I enjoyed the second package equally as much. Between all of my families and my Rotary club, I now have enough chocolate to last me the whole winter. It is like people are trying to make up for my chocolate-deprived youth...I love it. Other than chocolate though, I received many Alaskana-themed gifts that I had been desperately needing for my families. I was so relieved to actually have enough gifts for all of the important people in my life. One of the greatest things about the package was finding my christmas stocking that my mom had sent with everything else. Inside were a couple of miscellaneous gifts but also a small bundle of letters and cards that my family had sent. It was a beautiful gesture of love from my family and I enjoyed it very much. My sister Araciela sent me a picture that she had colored and my brother sent a letter that he had folded into an airplane, one of our favorite pastimes together. My sister Aiyana sent a note asking me when I was coming home and what really blew me away was a headband that my sister Antonia had made for me. She knitted the whole thing by herself and while she said it was easy, I know it must have taken at least four days for her to make. All in all, it was a wonderful christmas gift from my friends and family back in Alaska. I now look forward to enjoying the rest of my break with my host family in Stoos, skiing every day and playing in a Swiss winter wonderland.
Sincerely,
Grace
Christmas is a time for being with family. A time of celebrating each other and the many blessings we have. This is the first christmas I have ever spent away from my family and I find myself missing them more than usual. I had a wonderful surprise on Friday when my host mom told me that two packages had come for me in the mail and were waiting for me in the office. Now, I wasn't exactly surprised that I had gotten that first package because I knew that my Rotary club in Alaska had sent one to me. However, the second package was totally unexpected. It was from my grandpa and grandma and as soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what it was. Every year for as long as I can remember, my grandparents send a container of my grandpa's famous rocky road candy to my family for Christmas and it is always one of the best things about the christmas season. I was heartbroken to know that I wouldn't be able to experience the joy of eating rocky road candy this year. So when I saw that container sitting there in front of me, I felt the love and consideration that my grandparents sent with it.
I enjoyed the second package equally as much. Between all of my families and my Rotary club, I now have enough chocolate to last me the whole winter. It is like people are trying to make up for my chocolate-deprived youth...I love it. Other than chocolate though, I received many Alaskana-themed gifts that I had been desperately needing for my families. I was so relieved to actually have enough gifts for all of the important people in my life. One of the greatest things about the package was finding my christmas stocking that my mom had sent with everything else. Inside were a couple of miscellaneous gifts but also a small bundle of letters and cards that my family had sent. It was a beautiful gesture of love from my family and I enjoyed it very much. My sister Araciela sent me a picture that she had colored and my brother sent a letter that he had folded into an airplane, one of our favorite pastimes together. My sister Aiyana sent a note asking me when I was coming home and what really blew me away was a headband that my sister Antonia had made for me. She knitted the whole thing by herself and while she said it was easy, I know it must have taken at least four days for her to make. All in all, it was a wonderful christmas gift from my friends and family back in Alaska. I now look forward to enjoying the rest of my break with my host family in Stoos, skiing every day and playing in a Swiss winter wonderland.
Sincerely,
Grace
Monday, December 10, 2012
Samichlaus Skirmish
Dear citizens,
This past week was a relatively normal week for me up until Thursday. I started out my morning by missing my bus and being late for school. I got to there ten minutes after it had started and opened the door to my classroom, expecting everyone to be quietly seated while the teacher was giving the lesson. Instead, I walked in on utter chaos. Some people were running around carrying balled up, wet paper towels, while other people were shifting the tables around to form a defensive barrier. One girl was armed with a can of Axe while another was arranging all of the chairs around the door. I stood in this chaos for a couple seconds, utterly confused. Then my friend ran up to me and handed me some wet paper towels.
"Hurry, we need help getting prepared." she said
"What are we getting prepared for?" I asked
"Santa's coming." she said mysteriously
This of course left me more confused than before, but nonetheless I set about helping as much as I could. Soon, everything was ready and we all sat down behind our table barriers and anxiously waited. Then, all of a sudden I heard it, the sound of Call Me Maybe drifting up the hall outside our door. The sound of it struck fear into our hearts as it came closer and closer. All of a sudden the door burst open and Santa came in, followed by two clowns and two Schmützli (people in black, hooded robes). Despite this fearsome sight we valiantly stood our ground and started lobbing wet missiles at our terrifying foe. We were doing well until one of the clowns pulled out a bag of flour and rushed at us while flinging the nasty stuff everywhere. I am ashamed to say that for a couple moments we broke rank and all retreated to the far corner of the room.
However, we were saved when one brave soul rushed forward and grabbed two sufficiently sopping paper towels and managed to drive the clown back. But before we could force them into full retreat, they captured one of our soldiers and even as he fought and kicked, dragged him out of the room with them. While some people organized a rescue mission, the rest of us regrouped and started looking after the wounded and setting to rights our ruined camp. Many days later, or only a couple of minutes, a person staggered through the door. I hardly recognized him as the same soldier who had been dragged at of the room. His hair was unkempt and his shirt was ragged and dirty. We weren't even sure at first if he was one of ours or if he was an enemy, until he held up his hand in a gesture of peace and showed that he had no weapons. Some how this brave soldier had managed to escape and elude the enemy until he made it down the hallway and to the safety of the classroom. It was a hard fight and we had many casualties but at least we rest safe knowing that we beat Santa and that he won't be back until next year.
Your staunch warrior,
Grace
This past week was a relatively normal week for me up until Thursday. I started out my morning by missing my bus and being late for school. I got to there ten minutes after it had started and opened the door to my classroom, expecting everyone to be quietly seated while the teacher was giving the lesson. Instead, I walked in on utter chaos. Some people were running around carrying balled up, wet paper towels, while other people were shifting the tables around to form a defensive barrier. One girl was armed with a can of Axe while another was arranging all of the chairs around the door. I stood in this chaos for a couple seconds, utterly confused. Then my friend ran up to me and handed me some wet paper towels.
"Hurry, we need help getting prepared." she said
"What are we getting prepared for?" I asked
"Santa's coming." she said mysteriously
This of course left me more confused than before, but nonetheless I set about helping as much as I could. Soon, everything was ready and we all sat down behind our table barriers and anxiously waited. Then, all of a sudden I heard it, the sound of Call Me Maybe drifting up the hall outside our door. The sound of it struck fear into our hearts as it came closer and closer. All of a sudden the door burst open and Santa came in, followed by two clowns and two Schmützli (people in black, hooded robes). Despite this fearsome sight we valiantly stood our ground and started lobbing wet missiles at our terrifying foe. We were doing well until one of the clowns pulled out a bag of flour and rushed at us while flinging the nasty stuff everywhere. I am ashamed to say that for a couple moments we broke rank and all retreated to the far corner of the room.
However, we were saved when one brave soul rushed forward and grabbed two sufficiently sopping paper towels and managed to drive the clown back. But before we could force them into full retreat, they captured one of our soldiers and even as he fought and kicked, dragged him out of the room with them. While some people organized a rescue mission, the rest of us regrouped and started looking after the wounded and setting to rights our ruined camp. Many days later, or only a couple of minutes, a person staggered through the door. I hardly recognized him as the same soldier who had been dragged at of the room. His hair was unkempt and his shirt was ragged and dirty. We weren't even sure at first if he was one of ours or if he was an enemy, until he held up his hand in a gesture of peace and showed that he had no weapons. Some how this brave soldier had managed to escape and elude the enemy until he made it down the hallway and to the safety of the classroom. It was a hard fight and we had many casualties but at least we rest safe knowing that we beat Santa and that he won't be back until next year.
Your staunch warrior,
Grace
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Four Months Already!?!
Hey everyone,
As Christmas quickly approaches I find myself alternating between excitment that I am in a new host family and having a hard time with the fact that it has already been four months since I arrived in Switzerland, on a warm August day. I look back on that day and my trepidation that I still had a whole year to wait before I could see my family again. Now, I just wish I could go back and have another four months more to stay here.
Shortly before I left my first host family, I was reminscing with my host family about how I spent that first day trying to not be overwhelmed by the german that I heard all around me. Now that I have a better grasp of the language I even sometimes willingly join into conversations instead of just responding when someone asks me a question. I remember the first time I heard a conversation in Swiss German and actually understood what was being said. I didn't know until later that it hadn't been High German. When my friend told me, I was absolutly incredulous! The pride I felt when I was finally able to tell the difference between swiss german and high german was such that I just had to tell my host family and most of my friends. I don't think thyt they were as excited as me though.
I can't believe all of the things that I have done in just four months of time. My first month was realtively mellow since I had my german course almost everyday, but even then I still went to Basel and spent many a happy day in Luzern with my classmates getting to know the most beautiful city in Switzerland (many other people will disagree with me about that). September was a lot more busy because that was also when I started school. We had the Wanderwoche, I had the school party, I went to Basel, lost my wallet, and learned the value of my GA which allows me to travel on any public transportation free (a wonderful gift from rotary Switzerland. I also purchased a phone with a plan, much to my excitement and later to my great frustration.
I have to say the highlight of October was when I went to Austria with my second host family. It was a week of amazing activities, lots of laughter, and great company. I went to a movie theater for the first time since I started my exchange and enjoyed seeing Madagascar 3 with my host brother and a couple of cousins, might I add that it was in german. I also got to go and see an official olympic ski jump. I played tennis for the first time and even though I wasn't very good at it, still enjoyed myself immensly. My host dad helped me improve my ping-pong skills in preperation for a tournament that some younger cousins had arranged as evening entertainment. While he was disappointed that I decided not to compete, I am sure he was very proud when me host brother won (especially since the prize was a huge chocolate bar that no one person could eat).
I ended up getting a lot of lessons that week. I also learned how to play Dog, which is a game that is very similar to the game Sorry that I used to play back at home. Ône day we took a bahn, which is basically a train or a gondola, up a mountain and then the whole family, all thirty or so of us, had lunch at a resturant. The next day we went to a Seilpark, which is like an obstacle course in the trees. That was an absolute blast, as was the rodelbahn that we visited the next day. The rodelbahn was so cool because it is like this rollercoaster down the side mountain and everyone gets their own cart with a lever that controls how fast you go. My first time I was a little nervous and even had someone offer to accompany, so they attached her cart to the back of mine. I had so much fun that I went twice more. I met so many wonderful people that week and was really sad when I had to say good-bye.
November was a little bit of a whirlwind for me. I went to so many places and did so many things. I finally visited Bern and saw some bears that actually live in the middle of the city in a small sanctuary. I discovered that Bern is actually bear in German, which did a little to explain why they had random ones living there. I also went to a Herbstmesse, which is like a big fair, that was going on in Basel. One Sunday Rotary arranged a country fair where representatives from every country were supposed to showcase their respective countries to the new outbounds and convince them that the each country was the best. I became slightly notorious that weekend because while every country had their own plaque, Alaska, with one representative had both a table and a plaque just for us. I got so many questions after that as to whether or not Alaska was its own country, both joking and not. One of the best parts of November was when rotary arranged the Matterhorn weekend. It was two days and ninety-nine exchange students. Needless to say, it was slightly crazy. We ended up all having a blast even though the weekend was slightly tinged with sadness because it was the last time we would see all of the oldies again because they are leaving at the beginning of January.
Friday night my first family made me a going-away dinner and then gave me a going-away present. I was touched by the thoughtfulness of both gestures and I was very sad to have to go. I love my current host family but I love that host family too. I comforted myself with the knowledge that it wouldn't be the last time that I see them. They were a wonderful family to have when I needed help intigrating into the culture and are some of the nicest people I have ever met.Yesterday was an incredibly busy day for me though. I woke up at 6:20 in the morning because I had to be in Zurich by 9:00 for my german course and Zurich is about two hours by train from where I live. After the lesson was over I came directly home to finish up the packing and cleaning that I had left to do in my room. After about an hour or so of the two families talking my host parents finally had to leave. For me there was a tense moment right after the door closed where I experienced intense panic and then my host mom offered to show me around and my host borther helped make Zopf bread. Just like that I knew that I would do just fine in this host family. I am so thankful for that one week in October because it has made the transition between families so smooth and even though I was a little nervous, I know how much worse it could be. They even took me later to see a parade that is tradition here in Switzerland and I saw St. Nicholas. When I went to bed last night I was exhausted but also extremely content. These are going to be a great four months.
Your Swiss Miss,
Grace
As Christmas quickly approaches I find myself alternating between excitment that I am in a new host family and having a hard time with the fact that it has already been four months since I arrived in Switzerland, on a warm August day. I look back on that day and my trepidation that I still had a whole year to wait before I could see my family again. Now, I just wish I could go back and have another four months more to stay here.
Shortly before I left my first host family, I was reminscing with my host family about how I spent that first day trying to not be overwhelmed by the german that I heard all around me. Now that I have a better grasp of the language I even sometimes willingly join into conversations instead of just responding when someone asks me a question. I remember the first time I heard a conversation in Swiss German and actually understood what was being said. I didn't know until later that it hadn't been High German. When my friend told me, I was absolutly incredulous! The pride I felt when I was finally able to tell the difference between swiss german and high german was such that I just had to tell my host family and most of my friends. I don't think thyt they were as excited as me though.
I can't believe all of the things that I have done in just four months of time. My first month was realtively mellow since I had my german course almost everyday, but even then I still went to Basel and spent many a happy day in Luzern with my classmates getting to know the most beautiful city in Switzerland (many other people will disagree with me about that). September was a lot more busy because that was also when I started school. We had the Wanderwoche, I had the school party, I went to Basel, lost my wallet, and learned the value of my GA which allows me to travel on any public transportation free (a wonderful gift from rotary Switzerland. I also purchased a phone with a plan, much to my excitement and later to my great frustration.
I have to say the highlight of October was when I went to Austria with my second host family. It was a week of amazing activities, lots of laughter, and great company. I went to a movie theater for the first time since I started my exchange and enjoyed seeing Madagascar 3 with my host brother and a couple of cousins, might I add that it was in german. I also got to go and see an official olympic ski jump. I played tennis for the first time and even though I wasn't very good at it, still enjoyed myself immensly. My host dad helped me improve my ping-pong skills in preperation for a tournament that some younger cousins had arranged as evening entertainment. While he was disappointed that I decided not to compete, I am sure he was very proud when me host brother won (especially since the prize was a huge chocolate bar that no one person could eat).
I ended up getting a lot of lessons that week. I also learned how to play Dog, which is a game that is very similar to the game Sorry that I used to play back at home. Ône day we took a bahn, which is basically a train or a gondola, up a mountain and then the whole family, all thirty or so of us, had lunch at a resturant. The next day we went to a Seilpark, which is like an obstacle course in the trees. That was an absolute blast, as was the rodelbahn that we visited the next day. The rodelbahn was so cool because it is like this rollercoaster down the side mountain and everyone gets their own cart with a lever that controls how fast you go. My first time I was a little nervous and even had someone offer to accompany, so they attached her cart to the back of mine. I had so much fun that I went twice more. I met so many wonderful people that week and was really sad when I had to say good-bye.
November was a little bit of a whirlwind for me. I went to so many places and did so many things. I finally visited Bern and saw some bears that actually live in the middle of the city in a small sanctuary. I discovered that Bern is actually bear in German, which did a little to explain why they had random ones living there. I also went to a Herbstmesse, which is like a big fair, that was going on in Basel. One Sunday Rotary arranged a country fair where representatives from every country were supposed to showcase their respective countries to the new outbounds and convince them that the each country was the best. I became slightly notorious that weekend because while every country had their own plaque, Alaska, with one representative had both a table and a plaque just for us. I got so many questions after that as to whether or not Alaska was its own country, both joking and not. One of the best parts of November was when rotary arranged the Matterhorn weekend. It was two days and ninety-nine exchange students. Needless to say, it was slightly crazy. We ended up all having a blast even though the weekend was slightly tinged with sadness because it was the last time we would see all of the oldies again because they are leaving at the beginning of January.
Friday night my first family made me a going-away dinner and then gave me a going-away present. I was touched by the thoughtfulness of both gestures and I was very sad to have to go. I love my current host family but I love that host family too. I comforted myself with the knowledge that it wouldn't be the last time that I see them. They were a wonderful family to have when I needed help intigrating into the culture and are some of the nicest people I have ever met.Yesterday was an incredibly busy day for me though. I woke up at 6:20 in the morning because I had to be in Zurich by 9:00 for my german course and Zurich is about two hours by train from where I live. After the lesson was over I came directly home to finish up the packing and cleaning that I had left to do in my room. After about an hour or so of the two families talking my host parents finally had to leave. For me there was a tense moment right after the door closed where I experienced intense panic and then my host mom offered to show me around and my host borther helped make Zopf bread. Just like that I knew that I would do just fine in this host family. I am so thankful for that one week in October because it has made the transition between families so smooth and even though I was a little nervous, I know how much worse it could be. They even took me later to see a parade that is tradition here in Switzerland and I saw St. Nicholas. When I went to bed last night I was exhausted but also extremely content. These are going to be a great four months.
Your Swiss Miss,
Grace
Friday, October 26, 2012
Pretty Fun Parties
Hey everyone,
I am just updating you on some of the more recent stuff that I have done. For fall break I found many opportunities to see Switzerland, to get to know the wonderful country and the people that I share it with. For me it was really interesting having a fall break because that isn't something that really is done in the United States. It was so funny when I was talking to my friends at home, that when I told them I was on break for two weeks they always talked about how they wished we had a break like that in fall and also how lucky I was. The first week of my break was very busy and I found myself doing something every single day. As crazy as it was I loved it!
The first day I treated myself to a nice late morning and I didn't get up until almost 1 o'clock. After I had a leisurely breakfast. Then my host sister and I went to replace my phone cable because it had broken over the Wanderwoche. After that I caught up with an exchange student from Texas. After wandering around Luzern for thirty minutes or so, we caught a train heading to her house, where I would be staying the night. After a three-hour train ride, she lives far away from me, we arrived in Bad Ragaz, where she lives. Once we got to her house I diposited my stuff in her room and followed her upstairs for a traditional swiss snack of bread and cheese. Unfortunatley, we culdn't stay up late and talk because we had to get up early the next day to go tour a chocolate factory.
We woke up at about 6:45 the next morning and groggily made our way upstairs for breakfast. After getting ready we headed to the train station, just strolling along leisurely talking...until we realized that or train arrived in two minutes. We made it onto the train literally ten seconds before it pulled out of the station. We met her friend a couple towns away and then we all continued on to the town where the chocolate factory was. The tour itself was actually only mildly interesting but the chocolate was absolutely superb! It was also fascinating to watch the precision of the workers as they did the same task over and over again. I even got a free box of chocolate from the tour! After we were finished, we went to get food at the local Coop, and then went to a local park to eat. I then headed home and for the rest of the day relaxed and enjoyed my break.
On Wednesday, my host sister and I went to Basel to stay at my host brother's apartment, because he had invited us to a party a couple weeks before. We got there around six o'clock in the evening and were quickly invited into the apartment, where we were surrounded by music and people. I quickly grabbed myself some water and then went and sat in a chair before I was completely overwhelmed. On the TV they had a football game playing, with Basel vs. Another Team and every now and then people would cheer when Basel scored a goal. I ended up really enjoying myself and met many interesting new people. I was still very happy to get to bed later that night because I was absolutely exhausted.
The next day, I woke up at about 11 o'clock to the sound of my host sister rustling around in the kitchen. She had already been up for an hour or so and had gone to the store for bread, to eat at breakfast. My host brother woke up about ten minutes later and then everyone sat down to eat. After we had cleaned up, my host sister and I were trying to figure out what to do for the rest of the day. When she suggested the zoo, I jumped on the chance to go see it. I loved it there! My favorite exhibit was the chimpanzees because it has always fascinated me how agile they are in the trees. I could have sat and watched them for another three hours, at least. I also enjoyed seeing the penguins and lions as well. When we got back to my host brother's apartment, we found him sitting and playing on his gaming console. We joined him and proceeded to play for the next few hours. I had so much fun. Later that night we went to a club where I eventually lost my wallet. Despite having lost my wallet, I still ended up having a good evening. It was interesting to see how young people in Switzerland party. It was an Oktoberfest party so of course there was a lot of acohol. They also played traditional Swiss music and had girls walking around in traditional Swiss clothing. For the second night in a row, I felt into bed completely, mentally exhausted. Trying to make sense of the conversations I heard that night was so difficult.
On Friday, I got up around ten with my host brother to go report that my wallet was missing and then we had to go to the train station to get my GA replaced. However, they only were able to give me a signed ticket saying that my GA had been lossed, so that when I went to get the card replaced, I could get reimbursed for the ticket purchased. I had a great time in Basel, but I was relieved to be heading home. Once I was back in Stans, I took some time to unpack my things and wrap the present that I had purchased for a friend that had his birthday the next week. I then had to repack some of my things so that I would be ready the next morning when my second host mom came to pick me up when we went to Austria. After I had everything packed, I grabbed my gift and then headed to Zurich, where I was meeting up with some other exchange students to celebrate my friend's birthday. After wandering around Zurich for thirty minutes trying to find somewhere to eat, we finally stopped at Coop to buy sandwiches, me and my friend from Texas also bought a tiny carrot cake for later. After we finished our sandwiches, we brought out the cake and proceeded to savor every bite. When I got home later that evening, I crawled into bed to get some sleep. The next day I was going to Austria for a week!
I am just updating you on some of the more recent stuff that I have done. For fall break I found many opportunities to see Switzerland, to get to know the wonderful country and the people that I share it with. For me it was really interesting having a fall break because that isn't something that really is done in the United States. It was so funny when I was talking to my friends at home, that when I told them I was on break for two weeks they always talked about how they wished we had a break like that in fall and also how lucky I was. The first week of my break was very busy and I found myself doing something every single day. As crazy as it was I loved it!
The first day I treated myself to a nice late morning and I didn't get up until almost 1 o'clock. After I had a leisurely breakfast. Then my host sister and I went to replace my phone cable because it had broken over the Wanderwoche. After that I caught up with an exchange student from Texas. After wandering around Luzern for thirty minutes or so, we caught a train heading to her house, where I would be staying the night. After a three-hour train ride, she lives far away from me, we arrived in Bad Ragaz, where she lives. Once we got to her house I diposited my stuff in her room and followed her upstairs for a traditional swiss snack of bread and cheese. Unfortunatley, we culdn't stay up late and talk because we had to get up early the next day to go tour a chocolate factory.
We woke up at about 6:45 the next morning and groggily made our way upstairs for breakfast. After getting ready we headed to the train station, just strolling along leisurely talking...until we realized that or train arrived in two minutes. We made it onto the train literally ten seconds before it pulled out of the station. We met her friend a couple towns away and then we all continued on to the town where the chocolate factory was. The tour itself was actually only mildly interesting but the chocolate was absolutely superb! It was also fascinating to watch the precision of the workers as they did the same task over and over again. I even got a free box of chocolate from the tour! After we were finished, we went to get food at the local Coop, and then went to a local park to eat. I then headed home and for the rest of the day relaxed and enjoyed my break.
On Wednesday, my host sister and I went to Basel to stay at my host brother's apartment, because he had invited us to a party a couple weeks before. We got there around six o'clock in the evening and were quickly invited into the apartment, where we were surrounded by music and people. I quickly grabbed myself some water and then went and sat in a chair before I was completely overwhelmed. On the TV they had a football game playing, with Basel vs. Another Team and every now and then people would cheer when Basel scored a goal. I ended up really enjoying myself and met many interesting new people. I was still very happy to get to bed later that night because I was absolutely exhausted.
The next day, I woke up at about 11 o'clock to the sound of my host sister rustling around in the kitchen. She had already been up for an hour or so and had gone to the store for bread, to eat at breakfast. My host brother woke up about ten minutes later and then everyone sat down to eat. After we had cleaned up, my host sister and I were trying to figure out what to do for the rest of the day. When she suggested the zoo, I jumped on the chance to go see it. I loved it there! My favorite exhibit was the chimpanzees because it has always fascinated me how agile they are in the trees. I could have sat and watched them for another three hours, at least. I also enjoyed seeing the penguins and lions as well. When we got back to my host brother's apartment, we found him sitting and playing on his gaming console. We joined him and proceeded to play for the next few hours. I had so much fun. Later that night we went to a club where I eventually lost my wallet. Despite having lost my wallet, I still ended up having a good evening. It was interesting to see how young people in Switzerland party. It was an Oktoberfest party so of course there was a lot of acohol. They also played traditional Swiss music and had girls walking around in traditional Swiss clothing. For the second night in a row, I felt into bed completely, mentally exhausted. Trying to make sense of the conversations I heard that night was so difficult.
On Friday, I got up around ten with my host brother to go report that my wallet was missing and then we had to go to the train station to get my GA replaced. However, they only were able to give me a signed ticket saying that my GA had been lossed, so that when I went to get the card replaced, I could get reimbursed for the ticket purchased. I had a great time in Basel, but I was relieved to be heading home. Once I was back in Stans, I took some time to unpack my things and wrap the present that I had purchased for a friend that had his birthday the next week. I then had to repack some of my things so that I would be ready the next morning when my second host mom came to pick me up when we went to Austria. After I had everything packed, I grabbed my gift and then headed to Zurich, where I was meeting up with some other exchange students to celebrate my friend's birthday. After wandering around Zurich for thirty minutes trying to find somewhere to eat, we finally stopped at Coop to buy sandwiches, me and my friend from Texas also bought a tiny carrot cake for later. After we finished our sandwiches, we brought out the cake and proceeded to savor every bite. When I got home later that evening, I crawled into bed to get some sleep. The next day I was going to Austria for a week!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Wonderful Wanderwoche
Hey everyone,
Recently I got to spend a whole week with my class from school, climbing in the mountains. When I first heard that I would be spending a whole week hiking my first thought was that there was no way I was going to survive a week of intensive hiking. But after getting to think about it, I realized how lucky I was to be getting the opportunity to become better aquainted with my fellow classmates.
The two or three days before we were supposed to leave, I spent preparing for a week in the wild. I didn't have much trouble with that part though since, being from Alaska, my whole life is spent living in the wild (just kidding). I must admit though, I found myself listing pointers that my dad had given me in the past, such as no cotton and plenty of chocolate. Being in Switzerland I had no trouble with the chocolate part. I have to admit that is one of my favorite aspects of Switzerland, the chocolate. Although I have to admit that the transportation is pretty incredible too.
One Monday, we all arrived at the bahnhof at about 8:20 in the morning. We then proceeded to get on about five different trains and travel for about four and a half hours before we finally arrived in Andermatt, our starting point.From Andermatt, it was a five hour hike up into the beautiful swiss mountains. I actually found myself singing songs from The Sound of Music. I wanted to start dancing and singing Do, Re, Mi . Sadly, I restrained myself. I also found it curious how many little cabins there were fpr people to stay in, all along the trail.
When we arrived at the place where we were staying for the night the first thing I did was peel off my wet rainclothes and then stand in front of the blazing fire for the next five minutes. After I felt sufficiently scorched, I went to get situated in my bed, then trotted downstairs to find out what everyone else was doing. I spent the next several hours enjoying the company of my classmates playing card games and learning to play a game called Die Werwölfe von Düsterwald. I enjoyed the food and the warm, inviting bed at the end of the night.
The next day we had pretty horrible weather. It was like Switzerland was trying to prove to me that it could get as cold as Alaska if it wanted to. I got really frustrated when I had to take off and put on my jacket, like twelve times throughout the day. Everytime we started hiking I would heat up and have to take of my jacket and then everytime we would take a break, I would immediately freeze my tushy off. I am a little suprised I didn't get hypothermia. Needless to say, it was a blessing when I finally saw the place where we would be staying for the next two days. It was a cute little hostel (for a lack of better words) up in the middle of the mountains. After securing a bed for myself, I went to obtain some food for my poor stomach. Unfortunatley, that meant walking uphill for five minutes, in pouring rain and strong winds. The meal was so good that it ended up being worth it. After hanging out with my classmates, laughing and talking, I finally curled up in my bed and slept.
The next day was nice because we didn't have to go hiking at all. After breakfast, we all came back to the hostel so that our teachers could outline what the plan was for the day. For the most part, we would stay inside. However, for two hours we were supposed to go off by ourselves and have alone time to think. As much as I had enjoyed my classmates, I welcomed the opportunity to be by myself and just let my mind have a rest. So I went off into the woods to think. At first I was a little bored because I had nothing to do, but once I settled down, it was nice to just think about home, what I missed, what I would do when I got back, how happy I was in Switzerland, and I even started reciting sentences to myself in German. After getting back I sat in front of the fire driving the cold from my bones. We had a brief moment where we panicked about the exchange student from Mexico who hadn't returned yet. When she got back, she calmly informed us that she had fallen asleep. I still chuckle when I think about it. That night, one of my classmates had a fever, so the next day he went back home.
On our fourth day we were back on the trail, heading to the next hostel that we would stay at. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and even though it was cloudy, at least it wasn't raining.
Once we arrived at the hostel, all of the girls took a well-deserved bath. Once everyone was settled into their rooms and had indulged in a nice shower, we all went downstairs for dinner. Afterwards, the chores were delegated and I ended up working in the kitchen cleaning up after everyone. I loved it though. For some reason, doing dishes is such a great job for me to do when I want to relax. Later in the evening, we all had a talk as a group about what we had liked about the week so far and what we found difficult. After that we played a couple games and then everyone went upstairs to our rooms to sleep.
The next day we were blessed with beautiful weather and I mean absolutely gorgeous. There was not a cloud in the sky and there was only a slight breeze to keep us cool as we hiked. After about three hours, we were in the valley where we would catch a train back. It was really cool to be in the italien part of Switzerland and the other exchange student kept pointing out words that she understood because of her spanish. One of my classmates ran around with no shoes and we all enjoyed a nice meal. I really enjoyed the architecture because it was slightly different from what I had seen so far in Switzerland. After catching a train back to Nidwalden, I took a bus to get to Stans and was there picked up by my host parents after having said good-bye to everyone. Once I got home, I had dinner and then excused myself to go get some well-deserved rest. For the next two week I would have fall break and I knew that I would need my rest because I had a lot ahead of me.
Grace Mullins
Recently I got to spend a whole week with my class from school, climbing in the mountains. When I first heard that I would be spending a whole week hiking my first thought was that there was no way I was going to survive a week of intensive hiking. But after getting to think about it, I realized how lucky I was to be getting the opportunity to become better aquainted with my fellow classmates.
The two or three days before we were supposed to leave, I spent preparing for a week in the wild. I didn't have much trouble with that part though since, being from Alaska, my whole life is spent living in the wild (just kidding). I must admit though, I found myself listing pointers that my dad had given me in the past, such as no cotton and plenty of chocolate. Being in Switzerland I had no trouble with the chocolate part. I have to admit that is one of my favorite aspects of Switzerland, the chocolate. Although I have to admit that the transportation is pretty incredible too.
One Monday, we all arrived at the bahnhof at about 8:20 in the morning. We then proceeded to get on about five different trains and travel for about four and a half hours before we finally arrived in Andermatt, our starting point.From Andermatt, it was a five hour hike up into the beautiful swiss mountains. I actually found myself singing songs from The Sound of Music. I wanted to start dancing and singing Do, Re, Mi . Sadly, I restrained myself. I also found it curious how many little cabins there were fpr people to stay in, all along the trail.
The next day we had pretty horrible weather. It was like Switzerland was trying to prove to me that it could get as cold as Alaska if it wanted to. I got really frustrated when I had to take off and put on my jacket, like twelve times throughout the day. Everytime we started hiking I would heat up and have to take of my jacket and then everytime we would take a break, I would immediately freeze my tushy off. I am a little suprised I didn't get hypothermia. Needless to say, it was a blessing when I finally saw the place where we would be staying for the next two days. It was a cute little hostel (for a lack of better words) up in the middle of the mountains. After securing a bed for myself, I went to obtain some food for my poor stomach. Unfortunatley, that meant walking uphill for five minutes, in pouring rain and strong winds. The meal was so good that it ended up being worth it. After hanging out with my classmates, laughing and talking, I finally curled up in my bed and slept.
The next day was nice because we didn't have to go hiking at all. After breakfast, we all came back to the hostel so that our teachers could outline what the plan was for the day. For the most part, we would stay inside. However, for two hours we were supposed to go off by ourselves and have alone time to think. As much as I had enjoyed my classmates, I welcomed the opportunity to be by myself and just let my mind have a rest. So I went off into the woods to think. At first I was a little bored because I had nothing to do, but once I settled down, it was nice to just think about home, what I missed, what I would do when I got back, how happy I was in Switzerland, and I even started reciting sentences to myself in German. After getting back I sat in front of the fire driving the cold from my bones. We had a brief moment where we panicked about the exchange student from Mexico who hadn't returned yet. When she got back, she calmly informed us that she had fallen asleep. I still chuckle when I think about it. That night, one of my classmates had a fever, so the next day he went back home.
On our fourth day we were back on the trail, heading to the next hostel that we would stay at. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and even though it was cloudy, at least it wasn't raining.
The next day we were blessed with beautiful weather and I mean absolutely gorgeous. There was not a cloud in the sky and there was only a slight breeze to keep us cool as we hiked. After about three hours, we were in the valley where we would catch a train back. It was really cool to be in the italien part of Switzerland and the other exchange student kept pointing out words that she understood because of her spanish. One of my classmates ran around with no shoes and we all enjoyed a nice meal. I really enjoyed the architecture because it was slightly different from what I had seen so far in Switzerland. After catching a train back to Nidwalden, I took a bus to get to Stans and was there picked up by my host parents after having said good-bye to everyone. Once I got home, I had dinner and then excused myself to go get some well-deserved rest. For the next two week I would have fall break and I knew that I would need my rest because I had a lot ahead of me.
Grace Mullins
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