Chocolate Coma and a bit of Envy

I feel like this is starting to become a regular feeling and my body may or may not begin to revolt shortly.  Tonight I crashed the French 1 dinner down in our basement.  All the French classes were invited so I just tagged along with Mags, Lauren, and Steph.  Apparently at the French 2/3 dinner everyone in the house jumped on the bandwagon, but I had been at soccer and had missed out on the festivities last week but there was NO way I was going to miss out this time around!  What a good choice that was:)  I am now pleasantly full with ratatouille, chicken in double cream sauce, chocolate mousse, crepes with jam, and loads of delicious fruit.  Needless to say, I wish I could eat this way every night but I know my body would absolutely HATE me if I did--one good thing about the expensive nature of Switz!  However, if you check out the exchange rate we are doing quite well and are definitely getting more "bang for our buck" these days.

On another note, my internship at the Child and Adolescent Health (CAH) department at the WHO has been confirmed!  I didn't even to have an internship, which obviously has its benefit in the sense of not having to stress out, but additional it's negatives in the sense that I miss out on a chance to practice my professional interview skills.  Not to mention I don't get to wow my supervisor in my pre-planned, super professional interview outfit.  Oh well, maybe first day get up instead:)  Needless to say I am quite pleased and very eager to start on October 17th!

The girls and I are off to Lugano for a quick trip.  Despite the 10 hours of train travel, there and back, we will spend 16 hours in the Ticino canton town, who is conveniently hosting a Harvest Festival this weekend!  I am sure I will have much to report after this weekend's adventure.  Unfortunately, I will be missing a soccer "Canadienne" or potluck tomorrow night as well as a day trip for a game in Grenoble on Sunday.  This is technically our "revision" weekend so I felt like I couldn't quite miss a full weekend of studying with finals coming up next Thursday and Friday. I am currently feeling quite envious but excited for all my Santa Clara friends who are meeting up in Munich for Oktoberfest tomorrow.  Wishing I could be there to tackle Jacqueline and Casey but I am looking forward to Madrid even more now.  We might even try to plan a weekend in Paris, so fingers crossed everything works out!  Anyways, have a blast and be safe to all my Broncos heading East this weekend!! xxx

"There's time enough, but none to spare!"--1 month updates

So 4 weeks have come and gone--can you believe it?!  I know I'm having a difficult time comprehending this awesome feat.  I month ago today, I was downstairs with my 47 travel companions too tired to comprehend what was going on, sipping my first coffee of the trip, and in awe that these people in front of me would be the ones I learned to love and call my friends.  Well 30 days later and while the awe is still a part of certain elements of this experience, I would have thought I had known these people for much longer than a month.  One of my beliefs that has been reaffirmed on this trip is that fact that people need other people to survive and keep their sanity.  We love to share stories about ourselves and in return reciprocate the time spent talking with time spent listening to other people's experiences.  Additionally, at the ripe old age of 20, I have had enough encounters with people to know who I get along with well.  This process is only accelerated through the frequent travel opportunities and condensed time spent with under 50 people.  However, I have been pleasantly surprised by some people, who I guess I pre-judged or something to that extent, early on.  I can now affirm the fact that I am a person who does like the feeling of "instability" and am quick to get comfortable with what I know.  This weekend, I spent some time with people who I am now incredibly excited to get to know better and spend more time with these next several months!  Like I learned in my Sociology class last quarter, only if pre-judging turns into prejudice is there a problem.  You have to give people some time to surprise you and I guess that's one of the many lessons I have learned here in Geneva these past 4 weeks.

Other qualities about myself that I have reaffirmed durning my time here...

1) I LOVE to travel.  Being on the go is something I really enjoy--new experiences, getting to know and love a new place and people you share these experiences with, and trying something different than I have ever done before.  Travel is the basis for these new insights and I love it!  Looking forward to this weekend's day trip to Lugano and especially FALL BREAK (t-minus 10 days!!) in Madrid and Marrakech!!

2) I LOVE food.  Even though things were expensive initially (the exchange rate has altered in our favor in the last week or so wahooo!) we still managed to eat food we enjoyed.  Even if that meant a loaf of French bread and a chunk of cheese.  Also, while I do love food I need to improve my cooking skills and repertoire.  Pasta gets old quickly (like within the first day) and your body really starts hating on you if you eat a chocolate bar every day of the week.  Also, my affinity towards wine has grown immensely! I am no wine-o but I do enjoy a nice glass of wine.  While it is hard for me to admit to this, because I feel old saying "I like wine," I recognize I am drinking cheap wine and am no connoisseur.  A 4CHF wine will do for me and of course the whole "wine experience" also includes who you are sharing your bottle with.  Good company overrides taste for me ANY day:)

"Les Flots Bleus" Yvoire, France

3) I LOVE new experiences.  "Keep new friends but make the old" definitely holds true on this trip for me.  I am missing everyone at home like crazy but have been able to suppress this sense of "missing" people due to the other amazing people who have come into my life.  Whether we are trying to navigate the Swiss train system, unknowingly paying 40CHF for water at a restaurant, or romping around the Alps, new experiences shared with new friends is an UNBEATABLE experience.  While I like the comfort of familiarity, pushing myself outside of that comfort zone is definitely something that builds character and a better sense of understanding myself.  I am an independent person but like being surrounded by people.  Going to soccer practice that first Wednesday two weeks ago really challenged me but now I LOVE going!  Doing things that may kind of scare you is an important part of life and trying things completely on your own is a completely different feat on its own.  However, when it's all said and done you feel good about yourself for trying something new--even if it doesn't meet your expectations, you have learned something new about yourself.  And who knows, maybe it has exceeded your expectations! :)

Happy hikers on Mt. Blanc

4) I am an emotional person.  While this is something I don't readily admit, after a misfortunate experience in class on Monday, I have only reaffirmed the fact that I am emotional.  While I feel like I take constructive criticism well, I recognize I also take it personally.  If something does not go how I expected it to, this is more with respects to school work, and I invested time in it and do not see the results I was expecting--I am not a happy camper.  Maybe I don't deal well feeling like I "failed" or "disappointed" someone but tears are often my response.  Something to work on perhaps, or maybe just something to embrace.  I knew walking into my professor's office I would likely well-up at some point, but maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.  I know myself well enough to know how I respond in situations and sometimes that's not such a bad thing.  Anyways, I am emotional when it comes down to it and I recognize and have embraced this quality about myself...or am on the way to doing so.

Highlights from this week so far?  Definitely our Sunday trip to Chamonix!  I have posted endless pictures on facebook but similarly to Interlaken, pictures just cannot do these mountains justice!  After having been sick at the end of last week and a lazy day on Saturday, the fresh Alpine air was incredible.  I have literally never been that high (altitude wise, don't worry M&D:)) in my entire life!  Standing at 3842 metres, or nearly 12,000 feet was mind-blowing and definitely a natural high in itself.  You could look out and be directly "face en face" with Mt Blanc!  Our hike and guides were hysterical and made the day even more enjoyable.  The day was definitely surreal and yet another confirmation of my ALPaholic tendencies.  My Monday morning visit to the Stettler Chocolate factory also has topped the charts.  Incredible.  Delicious.  Biggest sugar rush in a while.  We took the bus in the direction of the UN and got off in this industrial looking neighborhood.  Upon entering the back room where the chocolate production takes place, we suited up in "snappable garbage bags,"footies, and hair nets before entering the actual room.  As soon as we crossed through the doorway, my slightly stuffy nose was greeted by the delicious, warm scents of, you guessed it, chocolate! Stettler does not actually produce the cocoa bean but sells chocolate products of their chocolate brand across Switzerland, France, and Germany primarily.  During the first demonstrations, we were kept silent by a sample of the liquid chocolate that fills the molds and creates the products sold and distributed by chocolate.  With little spoons, so you don't just chug this liquid form of heaven, we meticulously scraped and re-scraped our glasses while Robert explained to us the tempering, molding, and producing procedures.  We were treated to demonstrations of how to make chocolate flower pots, marzipan flowers, and Stettler's famous pavés, or chocolate bricks, that are meant to represent the cobblestones and bricks of Old Town.  During these demonstrations we were treated to samples of these pavés, which literally started to melt as soon as you touched them!, and dark and milk chocolates (plain and with rice krispies inside).  Needless to say we were a quiet but satisfied audience.  We learned more about the history and process of chocolate production and had the opportunity to ask about Robert's training experience etc.  Lets just say, I'm ready to start my 3 years of training ASAP!  Probably one of the best Monday mornings I have ever had.  Pictures to follow:)

View from Aiguille de Midi (3842m)

Mountains beyond mountains

I am still happy as a clam here in Geneva and am looking forward to continuing my exploration of this country--as well as a few others along the way:)  Even with a minor bump in the road this week, I am still looking at things in a positive light and trying to re-vamp my motivation these finals days of Part 1 of the academic time here in Geneva.  I still cannot believe phase 1 is starting to wind up already.  I am definitely not a fan of the emails we have received indicating our "part 2" activities, which include our Farewell Cocktail party...but it's time to continue living in the present and continue enjoying every day I have here!

Things I am looking forward to?

1) Being done with Art History.  

2) FALL BREAK!  Madrid and Marrakech with the girls and exploring Switz with Danny!

3) Seeing Casey and Liz in Madrid!  Essentially ALL of SCU is meeting up in Munich for Oktoberfest this weekend (except for Liz and me) so getting a Santa Clara fix in a week and a half will be very exciting to say the least.  Refer to #4 of the "things I have learned" and I think that will sum up the reunion.  

4) This weekend's day trip to Lugano!  Bekah (friend from home, one of Andrew's best friends from high school) went to school there for 2 years and Andrew visited her his Sophomore year at Brown.  Cannot wait to finally see the town especially since they are hosting a Harvest Festival this weekend!  

5) Mom and Paula's visit at the end of October.  Perfect timing for another taste of home in Geneva:)  Who doesn't love seeing their Mom and getting to show family around a place you have grown to love so much?!

Much love from Geneva:) xx

Jungfrau Mountain: Outside of Interlaken

Le Jet d'Eau: Geneva, Switzerland

Chamonix, Je t'aime.

What an incredible way to end/start the week!  After an incredibly lazy, but much needed Saturday, Sunday morning came quickly.  We had a 7am alarm welcome us into what would become such a memorable day.  We should have guessed it was going to be an amazing day when it started with us in "club" seating on our charter bus.  Danny, Mags, Steph, Lauren, and I took up this whole back lounge are with a table in the center and felt very VIP as we made our way to Chamonix.  Pretty much the entire bus passed out and was greeted by Mont Blanc as we pulled into our destination.  Right off the bat we took two cable cars up to Aiguille du Midi, which stands at 3842 meters (the highest I have ever stood on ground!).  Everyone definitely felt the altitude as we stepped off the cable car that had essentially just shot vertically towards the sky and dropped us off at our first destination.  We climbed to a viewing point, where the clouds slightly obscured our views, but nonetheless I felt as if I was among the heavens.  We were at cloud level and staring straight out into the Mont Blanc and her neighboring peaks of the Jura and Pre-Alps.  Inclassable!!  One of my new favorite French words literally meaning "unclassifiable."  I felt completely humbled by these monstrous mountains and tried to take in the picturesque views we were given as the sun broke through the clouds.  Our group made its way into the lodge and sipped on hot chocolates before heading up yet another flight of stairs for yet another incredible view of the mountains.  Our guides told us the legend of how Mont Blanc was discovered and "les dents des geants" or the pointy ridges to the right of the 3 Mont Blanc peaks before making a quick pit stop before boarding another cable car down to our next destination.  From there, we hiked 10 minutes, ran into some wild mules, and made camp for lunch on a cliff overlooking Chamonix and of course, the mountains.  After lunch, we broke off into three groups of ten and began our day hike.  Phillip, our guide, was not super confident with his English skills--yet another prime opportunity to practice our French!  He pointed out wild blueberries and cranberries and encouraged us to try 1 or 2--after telling us that foxes pee all over them and if you eat too many you will get stomach worms.  Lovely.  We still tried one :)  Definitely tart, so don't know if that was the "natural" environment or if they weren't quite ripe.  He also passed around some wild leaf that smells and tastes like celery!  Our hike was primarily flat, but we had a slight climb which ended in some of the most amazing views of the glacier!  Apparently, due to global warming and other extraneous conditions, the glacier recedes 4 metres ever year...madness!!  While we were taking in these unbelievable sights we heard a rock fall somewhere in the distance.  Apparently, there are a TON of accidents and deaths from avalanches and rock falls anyone climbing Mont Blanc anytime soon, beware!  The waterfalls in the distance were a pleasant sight as we took in our final views before climbing onboard our alpine train back down to Chamnoix.  Once again I find it SO difficult to convey the beauty and impressiveness of these magnificent nature scenes and try to do them justice with the multitudes of pictures I take!  We all collapsed onto the train and ambled our way onto the bus where we reclaimed our "club" seating.  The entire bus was passed out within 15 minutes and of course I get a second wind and am super punchy--don't worry this only last another 20 minutes before my face hit the table and I was out like a light.

View from Aiguille du Midi

Inclassable

Friendly mountain mule

"Mer de Glace"

Sick in Switz

The last two days have been a bit of a drag.  I woke up on Thursday morning with a bit of a sore throat which progressed into congestion later in the day.  I wasn't feeling great but thought maybe just the colder weather was playing games with my allergies.  This hypothesis was denied the following day when I woke up, was only breathing out of my mouth, and felt awful.  A draggy day that was made even more so by the fact I had to make it through both Art History and Health, I thought my bed would never come soon enough!  A lot of people have friends visiting from other abroad programs so the house was a lively place Friday evening.  I quickly resolved to changing into pajamas, borrowing a friends DVD collection, and cuddling up in bed--where I stayed the rest of the night.  Coincidently enough, one of the girls, Sammy, visiting goes to Santa Clara!  We didn't really know each other that well but it was fun talking about our abroad experiences, living situations for when we're back on campus, and missing the first week on campus of our Junior year!  It was so great getting to interact with Sammy and I will be excited to see her around campus come January!  Anyways, my Friday night I had a date with a 1 litre bottle of 7Up, multiple episodes of Friends, and a little bit of Mean Girls!  Mags and I turned on the movie and turned off the lights and I was out in 15 minutes!  Sleeping for 10+ hours really helped and I felt a lot better today!  Still had a relatively lazy day--caught up on Grey's Anatomy and Glee season premieres, made Taco salads for mine and Mags' dinner, and watched 21 with Steph, Mags, Danny, Rob, and Lauren joined us once her Law paper was done!  Looking forward to feeling even better tomorrow and hoping the fresh Alpine air of Chamonix will supplement that as well :)

WHO, What, Where?!

So this week has, per usual, flown by way too quickly and has been jam packed with work and not so much play.  Monday night I finished my take-home portion of my Public Health quiz and had a lazy night. The next morning, my art history class visited the Museum of the Reformation, which is located next to the Cathedral de St. Pierre.  Inhabited by the Mallet Family in the mid 18th Century and was upgraded in a Neoclassical style to keep up with the times.  We saw a lot of original prints from some of the first printing presses in Geneva as well as a receipt for an "indulgence" or a Catholic vice to ensure entry into heaven from the 1520s.  There were a lot of interesting paintings depicting various historic events in Geneva and considering the context/severity of the Reformation, the museum was laid out in an original, engaging manner--definitely a contrast to the principles of the Reformation!  Later that day Dr. Philip Jenkins spoke to our health class about antibiotic resistance, a topic I did not think I would be very engaged in...that quickly changed.  Dr. Jenkins presented his material in an interesting way and showed a film that only further supplemented his point that the matter is not taken as seriously as it should be.  This class continues to surprise me and is reaffirming my interest in the field of Public Health!  I am always surprised by the level of interest I have in all these topics and I am excited to really figure out which field is most engaging for me!

With that being said...later that night I received an exciting email from our internship coordinator, Aline.  She indicated that I have been placed and will be going in for an interview with the WHO Child and Adolescent Health Department!!  I am so excited to finally have my prospective placement and am SO excited to further read up on the department and become more familiar with this incredible organization who plays such an integral role in the field of public health.  While this was exciting for multiple reasons, I couldn't help but be even more excited for our field trip and lecture AT the WHO on Wednesday!  Yesterday was an extremely early morning.  Mags and I couldn't bear to have our alarms go off in the 6 o'clock hour so we set them for a little after 7...we arrived at the WHO, or OMS (Organization Mondial de la Sante) as they call it here in Geneva, a little before 9--after a 40 minute tram ride--checked in and received our official visitor's badge, and met up with our professor.  Our lecturer met us in a room across the hall from the WHO library and presented on Primary Health Care reform with a focus on China's development.  He was so incredibly knowledgable on the subject and I was talking with my friend Rob afterwards and we both couldn't help but ask, "how are we supposed to get to that point on a subject?!"  I hope whatever experiences I have in the intern world here in Geneva are going to motivate me to achieve that level of depth and understanding and really kick me in to gear in terms of continuing my intensity of work throughout my schooling!  

Last night, I had my second night of soccer practice.  I was greeted by everyone with a warm, welcoming, "Salut!" and the customary three kisses on the cheek!  Doing this with almost everyone is time consuming so it is important to get there early!  Alex was there today, along with her daughter Natasha, so it was fun seeing her out practicing "sur le terrain."  We broke off into groups and played possession before finishing off the practice with shooting--or "frapper."  My first shot was rusty to say the least, but my next several shots made good connections with the ball.  There's nothing I love more than the sound that's made by a good, solid strike of ball and cleat ("crampon").  I am so happy I have decided to do this.  Definitely brings back some good memories from my childhood all the way through high school.  Not to mention, the team's official jerseys are green and white...I think it's a sign :)

Rösti on a Rainy Day

Happy Monday everyone!  After another incredible weekend, Monday seemed to come again too quickly. I woke up with slight headache and puffy eyes--definitely a "glasses" kind of day for me.  This essentially set the tone for the rest of the day.  I woke up to the lovely sound of rain against our window and made my way downstairs for a quick breakfast.  I still wasn't feeling well so turned on a relaxing playlist and allowed myself to doze for another hour before buckling down and finishing my Public Health studying.  I didn't have class until 2 today, which was nice and allowed me to prepare for my quiz until then.  Steph, Mags, and I talked through slides together before making our way over to Vollandes.  We had a very engaging HIV/AIDS speaker from South Africa today, and the allotted 2 hour lecture time reached closer to two and a half hours.  Professor Schnur had to cease questions, which I am sure could have gone on a lot longer, due to the fact we had to complete our in-class section of our quiz.  We were all slightly taken aback by the style of the quiz, nothing too out of the ordinary...just not what we expected, and for whatever reason I was in the rarest of form from after class on throughout the evening.  We still had a take-home portion of the quiz to complete and I was very frustrated with the amount of content our professor was expecting us to cover in 500 words!  I couldn't seem to let this go so relaxed a little in a warm shower before starting my outline.  Before I knew it, dinnertime had arrived!  Mags, Steph, Lauren, Danny, and I decided to actually make a real dinner of Rösti tonight!  The five of us got to work and produced the most delicious creation I have eaten in our house here these last 3 weeks!  We each assigned ourselves to a task and before we knew it we had fried up potatoes, bacon, onions, and cheese into one big grilled pile of deliciousness!  We gobbled down our food and decided Rösti is the perfect, Swiss comfort food for a dreary day like today.

I got back to finishing my paper but quickly was distracted by the fact Katie was online!  Today is the first day of classes at SCU and I was eager to hear about that along with Welcome Weekend.  I only allowed myself 5 minutes of chatting with her but just seeing her face was exciting in itself!  We are scheduled to have a more in depth catch up tomorrow whenever she is free.  I can hardly believe today starts the quarter for everyone at the Clara and I must admit I felt far away and distant from home for the first, real time today.  Knowing that I only have one more "start to the school year" at Santa Clara really hit home and I think I have finally allowed myself to miss everyone.  That combined with the fact Andrew is now down in the Bay really made me miss the familiarity of the start of the school year in California.  A little nostalgia just added to the dreariness and unease of the day.  I guess the weather may of been a slight reflection of how I feel towards missing out on all the West Coast adventures currently going on.  I know these feelings are temporary and I think it is refreshing to realize that even though I am having the time of my life over here in Switzerland, it is okay to miss the comforts of home.  

Shout out to Andrew who is now officially a Cali Brah...cannot wait to hear all about Orientation etc.  You better wait for me to get home to go to Chef Chu's!!  Go get 'em Cardinal :)  Also, to my Santa Clara family--I cannot believe 2 years have already passed since our first days together!  I know you're tearing up Europe, Africa, and of course the Clara.  Missing you all and thinking of you as always.  Happy first day of classes! :)

Countdown to Cottage

Miss these crazies

Benson Fountain and Palm Trees

Fête des Vendanges

I just got back from the Fête des Vendanges in Russin.  A short 12 minute train ride outside of Geneva, Russin is a small town surrounded by vineyards and not a whole lot of anything else!  The train station is very small and the train itself is a lot smaller than any of the other trains we have taken outside of Geneva.  Danny, Maggie, Tommy, and I left an hour earlier than the big group that we met up with earlier and even though it was starting to rain when we left we were glad we made the trip earlier.  There was something quaint and special about wandering around town in a slight drizzle and before the big crowds arrived.  A little background on this two day festival:  this year marks Russin's 49th annual festival!  There are carnival type rides and games for "la fête des enfants" that happened yesterday, market vendors, and most importantly...food vendors!  Apparently it is possible to try or "gouter"135 different wines of 30 different varieties along with traditional food dishes.  Since it was a lot less crowded when we arrived around 1:15, we made a round around the whole town to scope out what was cheap and delicious looking.  We settled for some "white" sausage that was served with mustard, fries and bread.  The food was hot, delicious, and completely satisfying for a rainy, fall day.  I went up to thank the two women who had served us all and we ended up having the sweetest conversation, in French!  They asked where we were from, what we were doing here, etc. then one of the women proceeded to tell us about how her daughter and son-in-law live in Montreal and the differences she has noticed between their French language and actual French from France.  I still am not completely able to say exactly what I want without having to pause and think about it for a second but I hope that with every encounter, like this one today, I will gain more confidence and be able to mindlessly have conversations with people like I did today.

Even though we haven't quite made the complete transition to autumn weather, clacking around town in boots, being surrounded by the aroma of delicious foods, and hearing carnival game sounds made me feel like I was at the Puyallup Fair back home!  I guess I can settle for a festival in Switzerland to fulfill my "fair fix" for the fall:)  2:30 was the scheduled start time for the parade "de  chars  décorés  et  fleuris--a float parade!  Danny and I grabbed a crepe au sucre et some mulled wine for our parade entertainment!  We crossed the road just as the first groups passed through and met up with some other people we were with who had claimed part of a wall along the road for our viewing pleasure.  There was a group of Bolivian dancers who were so lively and fun to watch, various marching bands, and countless groups handing out candy, chicken, and wine!!  So random but such an animated environment and response from such a charming little village.  We wandered around, listened to the ongoing parade (that not only seemed to be re-circling the town but also playing various American songs like Avril Lavigne and Nelly Fertado...), and relaxed on some benches near the town center.  Our little group hopped back on the train and got back home a little after 5pm.  What a pleasant little getaway before settling down for the night to study for Public Health and try and get motivated for this Art History paper due Friday...why is it these weekends come and go so quickly?!  Pure bliss in Swiss, it's gotta be the reason:)

Delicious Lunch à la fête!
 

Ready for the Parade!

Russin

Lazy Days and Memorable Nights in Geneva

After a Thursday filled with a field visit to the Museum of Art and History, public health, and a nice extended run by the lake and through the jardin d'eaux vives, we wound down the evening by watching No Strings Attached aka one of my current favorite movies.  We cuddled up in Lauren's bed and somehow managed to keep our eyes open until 1:30 when we the movie finally finished!  Obviously we started the movie later than planned and I definitely felt the repercussions of a late night and an early morning the next day.  We had part 2 of 3 of our field visits to the Art and History Museum.  Friday, we examined different mediums of art and are learning how to examine and describe art without simply pointing or generalizing areas of a piece of art.  This is surprisingly a lot more difficult than it sounds!   We saw some of the original frescoes from the Chapel of the Maccahbees of St. Peter's cathedral, which was pretty amazing to see!    We had yet another incredible speaker in Health from the International Health Regulation department of the WHO.  He was very engaging and had lots to share about ensuring countries comply with policies and regulations implemented by organizations like the WHO.  He is originally from Worcester, England so I talked to him briefly during our break about Dad and all the family in Wales.  Once health was over, I made myself continue my running streak and ran a new path along the lake and again through the garden.  Even though I more or less follow the same outline for my runs, I always manage to create a "new" run everytime.  There are so many twists and turns within the garden that I think it would be impossible to run the exact same route twice!  Danny and I made what has been my most immaculate dinner here since arriving in Geneva.  We collaborated and concocted and spaghetti sauce with ground beef, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic and poured it over noodles for dinner last night and lunch today!  We had a blast cooking together and it felt good to actually eat a real meal--not just Nutella on bread:)  Even though all of us were tired and planned on having a night in, somehow we all were convinced to go out with everyone to this club called Bypass.  There was free cover before 12 so we took the tram, while it was still running, and danced for a couple hours in a big group of us from the program.  Some of the girls took a cab back home but Mags, Steph, Lauren, and I did not want to spend money on a cab soooo we walked...3 miles home...barefoot.  I had worn wedges out (obviously with NO intention of walking home!) and there was no way I was going to prance about in them for an hour when I was tired and all I wanted to do was collapse in my bed.  Lets just say my heels are torn up.  Last night they looked as if someone had painted layer of tar on the soles of my feet, fabulous.  And even better that I was on my feet all of today in Neuchatel!  Probably not my smartest idea to decided to break in my new Cole Hahn boots either...oops!  Anyways, today 25 of us from the group went to Neuchatel where we were treated to a guided tour of town.  This year is the 1000th birthday of the town, something that is completely unfathomable to our enfant 250 year old nation, and needless to say they are celebrating right!  There are all these markets and festivities to celebrate this momentous anniversary/birthday!  Our tour guide, Ursula, was so sweet and showed us the city's wine caves (cellars), one of the immaculately designed original city estates, the famous castle and prison tower, and the heavenly entrance to the museum of art and history!  All of these Swiss towns are so historic, charming, and full of life I feel so lucky to have already experienced as many as I have!  And I'm not even 3 weeks into my time here yet!   We were greeted by some sporatic rainfall so we ended up spending a lot of our free time in a creperie and making a quick loop around town before heading back to the train station to head home.  Lauren bought and tasted some "raclette," a Neuchatel specialty, that essentially is a block of cheese cut in two and placed under a little flame.  The melted cheese is scraped off the top and served with potatoes, pickles, and pickled onions and it looked and smelled delicious!  Apparently we have a raclette set in the house and we are all eager to try and re-create it for ourselves!  On the train ride home nearly everyone fell asleep.  We all are planning on going to the Harvest Festival outside of Geneva tomorrow but have a lot of work and rest to get in before our 12 departure tomorrow! I can hardly believe I only have 3 weeks left until finals!!  Time flies and for some reason there is no motivation to do work on weekends here when trips to quaint, historic villages and day trips to festivals are at the tips of our fingers!  I foresee a week of late nights and buckling down ahead of us all...wish us luck!

Soccer in France...the "Firsts" Continue

Last night was my first practice with a women's soccer club just over the border in France! Our program's financial coordinator, Alex, and husband run the club and she saw I had some soccer experience and invited me out to play!  There are between 20-30 young women aged 15-26 who come out and practice Wednesday/Friday and have games on Sunday.  Apparently, in previous semesters, Alex has always found someone in the program interested in participating so as of now I am our program's recruit!  She even brought me cleats--that had been worn by her daughter...who is currently 9 years old. HA! I spoke French with the girls and coaches the entire practice, having to quickly pick up on French football terminology, and enjoyed meeting another international student from Senegal along with all the French and Swiss players!  After having been out of (real) practice for two years, it was such an incredible feeling being back out on the pitch!  Definitely using muscles that haven't been used in a serious "soccer sort of way" for a while so needless to say I'm comfortably sore this morning...what a good feeling!  We warmed up, did a circle warm up with a partner, "une binome," and progressed on to 4vs3 and 5vs4 offensive/defense drill.  We ended practice with "la vitesse" or agility training that involved ladders, cones, and lots of sprints!  There is such a fun, energetic, and inviting atmosphere so needless to say the 2 hours passed by extremely quickly!  On our way home, the girl from Senegal finally spoke to me in French!  Earlier in the practice when she found out I was American she immediately speaking in English...I persisted and continued using French so felt quite proud when she reciprocated and even commented on my accent and speaking abilities!  After having been apprehensive to go in the first place, I am so, so happy I made the leap and tried something new and on my own!  Depending on my schedule, I may even try and play in some of their games, which take place on Sundays!  I will be sure to keep you posted on the status of that and will have to bring my camera to a practice in the near future :)


Sidenote, I got a 40/40 on my Art History quiz!  Now, time to buckle down on the 2 papers and 2 presentations that are due in the upcoming weeks...

Swiss Immersion

Monday was a reality check.  I holed up in my room and later the study room downstairs in preparation for my Art History quiz yesterday.  Hello Junior year!  I felt like I was back at the Clara this past June studying for my finals, but knock on wood, it paid off.  Yesterday, I had the entire day off once I finished my quiz in the early afternoon!  Mags, Steph, and I decided to put our local tram passes to use and after initial confusion of tram numbers and directions we found ourselves walking through the gates at Place Neuve to the Parc de Bastions!  The park is situated on the University's grounds and lots of people, young and old, were out and about enjoying the beautiful weather we had yesterday!  I quickly discovered the city of Geneva provides their citizens with wireless internet and Mom and Dad happened to be on Skype!  Talk about an idealistic setting for an afternoon Skype!  After a quick hello and update, I read some public health reading for class today and sent some emails.  Danny, Lauren, and Nancy met us after their class that is held at the university.  We soaked up some sun before deciding to make our way back to Muzy.  Our attempt to board the jam packed train must have been amusing, to say the least, for locals on board and we tried to play it off and casually walk away without drawing too much attention to ourselves.  We ended up walking back home--a short 15 minute walk away--in the pleasant early evening temperature.  I went for a quick run along the lake but had to make sure I was back before 6:30 when our program was hosting a "Swiss Food Tasting" for all of us!  Good thing I made it back with plenty of time because it was heavenly.  There were four kinds of bread with hand-churned butter, an assortment of cheeses, my favorite being the Chevre...there was Gruyere also!, various local wines, hand pressed apple juice, a special grape juice using grapes that are just barely pre-fermented before turning to wine, apple tarts, prune tarts, salami and another cured meat, and little pickles!  Before coming down to the tasting, our program directors reinforced the point that this was merely a sampling and NOT a meal...I was stuffed and in one of the greatest food comas ever post "sampling."    

Pre-Food Coma/Inhalation of Deliciousness

Danny and the Swiss Canton Flags

Homework in Parc de Bastions

Das Ist Schön--the Weekend I discovered I am an ALPaholic

Friday morning came quite quickly.  After a whole week of little sleep and lots of activity, I wasn't certain how a full day in Bern with my art history class would go over.  The morning started off with a brisk walk to the Gare Cornavin and then a 2 hour train ride to Bern.  Talk about a picturesque train ride!  Views of Lac Leman, vineyards, and gorgeous green countryside the entire time...not too shabby!  Upon arriving in Bern, our class split up and picked up a little snack before starting our jam-packed day of site seeing.  I settled on a delicious salami sandwich on a pretzel roll--delicious!--but such an interesting experience.  Being in a German speaking canton in Switzerland really placed me out of my language comfort zone.  I tried communicating with the man behind the counter in a combination of French, Spanish, and maybe what I thought was German but ended up settling on hand motions and smiles to relay my desire for the sandwich!  He asked, "Americana?  Obama?"  I couldn't help but laugh.  Once we left the train station, our entire class had the difficult task of trying to keep up with our long-legged, speed walking teacher.  Our first stop was outside the Bundeshaus, which is the primary government house in Switzerland's capital city.  The water fountains jetted skywards as we left the site and continued onwards to the Bern Munster, or cathedral.  Founded in the early 13th Century and funded by St. Vincent , the Bern Cathedral is rich in history and architecture.  Post Reformation when a majority of Catholic cathedrals experienced iconoclasm (the smashing of saints and very characteristically Catholic objects such as Mary), the Bern Cathedral maintained a lot of its original figures and paintings.  Zwengli, the leader of Reformation in Bern, was less extreme and seeing as the cathedral has only recently been completed, decided to allow a lot of the original features remain in and on the cathedral.  A figure of Mary was replaced with an iconic figure of Justice but the side panels emulating the Enunciation and Adam and Eve are still in place today.  This particular cathedral has three naves, or aisles (the "long, vertical"part of a cross) with the most incredible stained glass and ornate ceiling details above and near the apse.  My personal favorite piece of stained glass was the "Dance of Death" which was originally created by Niklaus Manuel around the 1520's.  Each panel shows death ascending on various members of the population.  This is a unique, social commentary that was meant to reinforce the idea that "death levels all" regardless of your position in society.  Following the Cathedral we explored the rest of the Old Town, visited the Bear Gardens, and ended our day at the Museum of Art History across the river Aar.  A lot of the original objects and figures from the Bern Cathedral are housed here and are uniquely NOT displayed behind glass cases but are instead exposed and resting on pillars!  A little daunting thinking about accidentally knocking down or leaving a pen mark on such a historic object!  Also, we even were treated to a guided tour of the clocktower that was originally built in the late 12th Century!  We saw how the clock functions from inside before watching the actual exterior action of the clock an hour later from the town square.   Carla brought us the traditional Bernese dessert call Hazelnuss-Leckeril.  This treat tasted like hazelnut but had the consistency of a power bar...not sure I could consume them on a daily basis but I am excited to try more traditional desserts of various towns and Cantons across Switz!!

Okay, enough about Bern...even though I could go on for another post JUST about the capital I want to get to one of the most magical weekends I have ever had!  A lot of people not in Art History met up with us in Bern before taking an after 7pm train to Interlaken.  Last Bernese anecdote...we ate Rosti, a traditional Swiss-German meal of hash browns with onions, ham/bacon, cheese, and topped with a fried egg (delicious!!), at this little restaurant and asked for water.  Long story short, we get the bill and see a 40 CHF charge for the water.  Water is so easily accessible and safe to drink from fountains all over the city, including the one right next to our restaurant.  We were all literally speechless and couldn't help but laugh.  What were we supposed to do?!  We drank every last drop and I ate everyone's lemons.  Most expensive water EVER!  Okay back to the surreal weekend that followed...

We arrived in Interlaken around 9pm Friday night.  We made the trek to our hostel, Balmers, an internationally known hostel that attracts a younger crowd of people.  With "Metro Club," or the bomb shelter club as we called it, beneath the hostel, you really won't ever have a quiet evening.  We quickly became part of all the hustle and bustle downstairs and had a late first night in Interlaken.  The morning came very quickly, but Balmers was up and bustling seeing as Interlaken is known as the "Adventure capital of Switzerland" ( think Queenstown any NZ people!).  My friend Lauren is a Ranger during the summer months at Philmont in New Mexico so she had us up and ready to go around 8am.  As we waited for our first bus we encountered some traditional Swiss horn players who were on their way to the start of the marathon in Interlaken.  We heard them blow their horns, something we assumed to be the start of the race, before boarding the bus--how Swiss!  Next we got on a train to Lauterburnen (quick note, all the following spellings of towns are phonetic and very questionable!) where we saw the front runner of the marathon right before we boarded our first gondola up to Schilthorn!  This is where we experienced and tried to take in our first view of the immaculate landscape that is the Alps.  We had a perfectly clear, sunny day that only made the mountains appear to be more photoshopped and surreal than we already imagined them to be.  After a brief Alpine photo shoot, we began our trek to Murren, the town where slalom skiing was first done!  We weaved in and out of gorgeous country sides, trees, glacial streams, and of course immaculate views of the mountains.  Next, we made our way to the quaint village of Gimmelwald, which sits at 5000 ft. elevation.  we took an extended stay here where we ate at Pension, a restaurant with fresh Alpine cheese (that comes from Erica's house...she wasn't in that day to sell cheese because it was a hay day, literally.  Everyone was harvesting hay...unreal!) and an incredibly friendly Australian waiter.  AFter tearing ourselves away from the most majestic lunch spot ever, we took a roller coaster of a gondola ride down to Schleteburg.  Note to all you James Bond fans out there, this is a gondola in one of his movies!  I felt like I had descended into a fairy tale as soon as we stepped off the gondola and into this little town beside the river.  The path was surrounded by trees and scaled by the mountain side giving it the ultimate "Hansel and Gretl" feel.  We meandered down the winding path and absorbed the endless views of chalets, cows, and waterfalls.  After a winding 50 minute adventure, we were absolutely exhausted and piled onto a train, then a bus back to Interlaken.  We treated ourselves to a Kebab in town before heading back, showering, and getting ready for another night in the "bunker."  Sidenote:  hostel showers attempt to conserve water, but do not tell you before doing so.  I couldn't help but laugh out loud as my shower shut up mid-shampoo and started up again in a glacial temperature.  First time for everything and my hostel first time was definitely a memorable one!

Sunday, while the majority of the group headed home, a group of 10 of us stayed and made our way down to Thunnersee where we once again tried to comprehend the beauty of the Caribbean blue lake and mountain views.  The boys ventured into the lake more quickly than we did but I was the first girl to take the plunge into the glacial lake!  I literally could not get my mind around the fact I was bobbing in an Alpine lake with views of the Swiss Alps. Unreal.  We then made our way back into Interlaken and had 5 hours to kill before taking the train back to Geneva.  We ate kebabs, again, (attempted to) nap, watched a lightning storm from the station, and tasted an assortment of chocolates from the Coop.  Everyone (attempted to) do homework on the train, but we quickly found ourselves collecting our thoughts and attempting to process the whole weekend!  Quickly, we realized it was the 10th anniversary of September 11th and found ourselves recalling the morning of that memorable day.  Mind you, memorable in a very different way from the weekend we just had.  I recalled being my 5th grade self eating Cocoa Puffs and watching news coverage that didn't make much sense to me at the time.  Many others had similar recollections and it felt necessary to stop and take a moment of silence to reflect on an event that changed our nation's history forever.

We returned to Rue Muzy around 10pm, with a sense of renewal and awe, excited to load pictures and share stories, but more importantly, exhausted!  I quickly found myself showering and climbing into bed for a night of sound sleep and dreaming of the Sound of Music--something I am sure was sparked by an indescribable weekend among the Alps.

A Week in Pictures

 Lauren. Lindsey. Steph. Maggie.  A Night out in Geneve!

 Roomies!

 Le Jet d'Eau

 Henri Dufour: Swiss Army Officer who presided over the 1st Geneva Convention.  Place Neuve.

 La Clementine. 

 Danny and I in "Le Jardin de Cinq Sens" Yvoire, France

Armory with mosaic depictions of the 3 major historic events in Switzerland. Seen here are the medieval markets during the time of Caesar 

Beautiful flower at "Le Jardin de Cinq Sens" in Yvoire, France.

A Day in France and Then Some

Wow!  I can hardly believe it has officially been a week since I left Lakewood and started my journey to Geneva!  I feel like I have already done and seen so much, it is incredible!  So for updates on the last two days...Sunday our whole group to a day trip to Yvoire, France.  Situated just across the Swiss border, Yvoire is a picturesque lakeside destination that transports you into a medieval feeling town adorned with gorgeous flowers, gardens, and views of the Yvoire castle overlooking the lake.  The program treated us to a delicious 3 course lunch at a restaurant named "Les Flots Bleus."  We ate our delicious salads (ahh fresh greens--what a novelty!), sauteed fish and chips in a yummy white sauce, and strawberry sorbet and vanilla yogurt while enjoying an obstructed view of the lake and the Jura mountains.  Unfortunately, the weather was quite drizzly so our views were not sensational (and we couldn't take the 2 hour boat ride there) however, the weather did add a small town ambiance that could not be replaced.  At lunch, I got to talk to Dylan, Radu, and Brian who are 3 of the 9 guys on our program.  They are all so nice and come from different backgrounds that I have began to learn about!  For example, Dylan is really into biking and has two younger sisters.  He originally went to Skidmore his freshman year and took a gap year following that to travel and work in France and Italy.  Radu is from Romania and plays defense in soccer, and Brian swam for BU his freshman year and is interested in swimming for the university here in Geneva.  One of the many aspects I love about our program is the intimate size that allows everyone to get to know each other if they would like to--which of course I do!  Following lunch, I talked to the restaurant host/manager who asked about our group and I continued my practical French application and replied in French.  I started speaking in English but made a quick transition into French which I think they appreciated!  The woman offered me a restaurant pen, which I have been using in class these past two days.  We then headed to "Le Labryinthe: Jardin des Cinq Sens," which Yvoire is well known for.  This maze of a garden has 9 separate areas each of which targets a certain sense us humans posses.  One of my favorites was "le jardin d'odorat ou des senteurs" that targets the body's sense of smell.  Some of the plants and flowers elicited smells of chewing gum, lemon, and lasted on the tips of your fingers for several minutes.  My personal favorite was the lavender bush!  Reality seemed so far removed from where we were as we made our way through the various sections of the garden.  After a little over 30 minutes in the garden, a group of us made our way down to the lake where there was a misty view of the mountains adjacent to the castle itself.  The path down to the water was lined with the most beautiful pinky/coraly colored begonias I have ever seen.  All the colors were so vibrant and lined all the flower boxes of the stone and cement homes that make-up Yvoire.  Several people spent our last hour in town in a creperie where the ambiance reminded me of what I associate with an Alpine ski lodge.  Everything was warm and cozy and my friend Danny, whose had a lifelong dream of going to France, could not get over the fact he was eating a crepe in France!  We made our way back up to the bus, which was situated right next to a home that housed chickens, roosters, and the biggest geese I have ever seen!  We left Yvoire feeling sleepy, content, and ready for a nap.  Later that evening a huge group planned our first, non-Geneva, weekend excursion!  There are 20+ people in our program who will be staying at Balmer's Hostel in Interlaken, Switzerland Friday and returning on Sunday!!  My Art History class has a field trip in Bern all day Friday so whenever everyone else finishes class, they plan to meet us in Bern and we will all take the train down to Interlaken after 7(when we can travel by train for free)!  Who knows what we will actually end up doing there but we all look forward to starting our exploration of Switzerland outside of Geneva!

Yesterday, Monday, I had my first day of Art History.  We met in the classroom at Rue de Vollandes, where our instructor, Carla, handed out our textbooks for the next 5 weeks.  All the Swiss books have such eccentric covers so I'm hoping the content will be just as interesting!  The majority of our classes are "on site" so our first class took place in Le Jardin d'Eaux Vives, which is about a 5 minute walk from our classroom.  Carla crammed our brains with SO much information it was incredible.  Certain sites we had previously seen came to life with so much more meaning and a greater understanding of how and why they were built the way they were!  For example:  all the homes made of stone represent the slave labor used in the area centuries ago.  Since a lot of the stone homes were built for wealthy citizens who wanted a lake view that wasn't immediately next to the water, all the stone had to be transported FROM the water TO the building site.  This obviously required lots of hard labor, which was carried out by slaves at the time.  Since there were no safety regulations at this time, these houses also represent the hundreds of lives that were inevitably lost during construction--or as Carla put it, "the houses built by blood."  There are so many aspects of history that can be easily overlooked so I am excited to delve into the past of such a historic country!  One of the other points, not necessarily directly related to class, that really stuck with me yesterday was the thought that you "look better when you don't know what you're looking for."  This, ironically enough, is Carla's approach to our homework.  She suggests not doing the reading until AFTER our class so that we can look back on our day's discoveries and continue to learn about them and support what we now know with the hard facts.  Naturally, I think deeper past Carla's intended meaning (or maybe she meant for it to be as philosophical as I took it!) and apply the thought to real life.  I often find myself trying to look for things in life--whether it be potential jobs in the future, a cute pair of shoes, or even something as idealistic as love (yes, yes I know this is corny but think about it!!) sometimes it is better going into things blind and with little expectations only to be blown away by what you discover simply by absorbing your surroundings and taking everything in as you experience it!  There is always time later that day, or later in life, to process and really understand an experience.  Okay, I know I'm notorious for these philosophical rants, but I thought it was a really neat idea!  After class, Steph and I went for our first lakeside run in Geneva!  It was one of the most spectacular runs I have been on ever.  We were literally RIGHT next to the lake and had views of the Jura mountains the entire time!  We both went a lot farther than I think either of us anticipated on running, but it was such a great feeling.  We haven't worked out since we have arrived, and while we walk EVERYWHERE, there is something about breaking a sweat that I love.  I'm sure we will discover more running paths in the months to come but I was so stoked to get that first run under our belt :)  Everyone attempted to get an early night last night seeing as we had to leave Rue Muzy AT 7:20 this morning!  Mags and I had crawled into be around 11 when Lauren came up to our room.  The 3 of us had an 1+ long pillow talk that was epic.  Lauren is one of the best story tellers ever so the hour flew by and before we knew it, it was creeping past midnight!  Needless to say, this morning was rough.  After chugging back a quick cup of coffee we were off to a DOL type office where we validated our extended residency and got finger printed.  I guess it's official, I'm here until December!!  After that, Steph and I went on our same run before a noon meeting with our internship coordinator, Aline.  She talked to us about our placements, interviews, etc.  and everyone's nerves definitely escalated a little!  A lot of us have yet to receive our placements and that combined with the prospects of interviewing with such prominent organizations brought about some nerves from most everyone!  In Public Health today we had a speaker from the WHO talk to us about Physical Activity and Diet--one of my favorite areas of public health.  Professor Xuereb had a lot to say on the subject matter and was very engaging.  There are so many underlying factors that are easy to overlook when looking at program development for healthier food initiatives and encouraging physical activities across the globe.  This is a subject matter I am pretty passionate about so I really enjoyed receiving a professional insight on the matter.  Apparently, there is the second ever UN convention on the matter on the 19th/20th of September--so watch out for that in the news!  Another jam-packed couple of days here in Geneva.  I'm barely 1 week into my abroad experience and have already been exposed to SO many different opportunities and experiences.  They will just keep coming and I will try and be as diligent and keep sharing :)

A Bit of Home in 1207

Today was our first real rain and it definitely reminded me of Spring rains in Washington--except it was warm.  We woke up relatively early to make our way into Old Town for our art and architecture tour.  Our tour guide, Anna, was very knowledgable and had lots to say about everything we saw.  We saw everything from the Henry Dunant memorial (founder of the Red Cross), which was located at the site of the guillotine used during Napoleonic time, to the Academy of Music, and le Cathedral de Saint-Pierre in Old Town itself.  There was so much information to try and absorb especially dates and styles of architecture!!  I am so excited to learn more in depth about all of these things in my "History of Switzerland through Art and Architecture" class that starts up on Monday.  After our 4 hour tour we decided to wander around the farmer's market that takes place every Wednesday and Saturday.  A lot of people bought paninis while I made sure I had enough food for the weekend.  After returning back to rue Muzy, Maggie and I slept from 2:30-4 before starting our scavenger hunt around Geneva.  We were about to cut out about half of the hunt because of our morning's tour in Old Town and our visit to the international district of the US Mission.  We discovered a new shopping place, Manor, where we located cheap wine and cheese!  After we completed the scavenger hunt, we made our way back home in the rain.  Steph, Mags, Lauren, and I continued our search for an inexpensive Fall Break trip and as of now (fingers crossed) it looks like Madrid and Morocco!  I was able to Skype with Case tonight which was great!  Even though I am loving every bit of Geneva, I am definitely overcome with waves of nostalgia as I think about this time last year and getting to move in to my Sophomore year.  Most everyone decided to go out--seeing as it was our first Saturday night--and Steph, Mags, Lauren, and I found ourselves quickly pulling outfits together to get ready to go!  We attempted to make our way out to a club called Shakers but ended up talking with some local students, and maybe football players, at a bar we don't know the name of close to Old Town.  They were really nice and I LOVED getting to finally practice my French.  I don't think I spoke English until we got back home!!  We enjoyed our time out, even though we didn't stick to our original plan, and before too long we were getting tired and declining to progress our night at a salsa club.  We got back home and hung out with some people in our program we haven't hung out with much before and they were so nice and enjoyable to spend time with!   I love that everyone is really making an effort to get to know one another and I am excited to continue the "getting to know you" process with everyone in the weeks/months to come!  What a fun weekend so far--only augmenting my love for the incredible city that is Geneva :)

A Visit to the US Mission to the UN

This morning was an early start (especially after a late night!) but an exciting one!  We used our bus passes for the first time to make it over to the governmental neighborhood that houses the UN, WHO, and other international agencies.  Apparently, the US Mission to the UN requires some of the top security procedures for entry into their facilities in Geneva.  We had to arrive half an hour prior to our presentation began just to ensure we were prompt.  After passing through security, we were greeted by food and drinks in a lecture room prior to the briefing.  There were some unfamiliar college-aged faces in the room and my friend Lauren, who had arrived on the earlier bus, was talking with them so I went over and introduced myself.  Apparently, this program was not as fortunate as ours in terms of rescheduling flights after Hurricane Irene played interference with their original departure.  A small number of the 30 people associated with their group made it to Geneva and have a week to kill before the rest of the people arrive.  One of the guys, Campbell, and I got to talking and after he mentioned he lived near Chicago, I mentioned my Aunt Ann living in Libertyville--lo and behold that is where he actually lives!  He goes to Miami of Ohio, Guillome goes to Kent State, and Nick goes to Wakeforest.  All of my friends on my program are familiar with these Midwest/East Coast schools but I have very limited knowledge on any of them!  The program quickly began and we were briefed by the heads of the Public Affairs, Economics, Security, and Migrant/Refugee sectors within the Mission.  All of the speakers were very engaging, but I definitely felt like I had a limited knowledge on a lot of what was being discussed--especially in comparison to a lot of the IR students who posed very sophisticated questions!  The final presentation, the Migrant/Refugee portion, was very interactive.  Ned Nyman, the director of the program, could tell we were all a little tired so he divided us on two sides of the room and named one side "Red Sox Nation" and my side the "Bronx."  Suddenly, he approached me and introduced himself.  I, suddenly intimidated and completely unaware of what was about to come next, composed myself and (hopefully) charmingly introduced myself as well.  He quickly informed me that I was president of the Bronx and continued on to name Natasha president of Red Sox Nation.  Mr. Nyman crossed the room back to me and continued his spiel briefly before telling me to hit Nick, who was standing next to me.  I think I gave him a blank stare as he continued to coach me to hit him!  I finally gave him a light tap and before I could take another breath he approaches Nick and says, "are you going to let your president treat you this way?!"  Nick moved to the other side of the room following Mr. Nyman's instruction.  Next, he tells me to hit Steph.  I step in saying I don't want to harm my citizens but he is insistent that I must hit her!  Steph moves to the other side of the room.  Meanwhile, Mr. Nyman goes off about how the Bronx is letting me walk all over them and before too long I will be going into their homes, raping their wives, etc.  I was DYING!  He goes up to Campbell and asks if he trusts his president anymore--meanwhile I am all smiles trying to be as innocent as possible!--and he makes some comment about how mean I look.  Mr. Nyman finished up his presentation and needless to saying everyone was quite engaged.  Once the briefing was over, we thanked the man who ushered us to and from security and made our way out of the Mission.  The Kent State program boys were on the same bus as us and we continued our previous conversation.  Let me say, I was upset I haven't memorized my Swiss cell number--they got off a couple stops before us and hopefully will find us on Facebook!  Mags, Steph, and I all had to do our reading for Principles of International Health (PIH) before our 2 o'clock class.  The reading we had, "Maternal and Newborn Health" by Matthews Mathai, was very interesting and made even more fascinating by the fact the author was our guest speaker in class today!  He had an hour and a half presentation that further discussed and supplemented the reading.  We had an open Q&A session that brought up lots of interesting discussion (I posed a question regarding what is being done in countries/regions where HIV/AIDS prevalence is high but the need for blood transfusions is just as high, especially considering the high maternal mortality rate (MMR).  Often times, MM results from bleeding, which would only increase the need for donated blood in these infected regions).  Dr. Mathai is very knowledgable on this subject and had lots to say on all of the questions he was asked.  I am so looking forward to our remaining 12 guest lecturers that compose our remaining 18 classes!!  After class, we made another trip to our new go-to store, Denner, which is a cheap food store just blocks from rue Muzy.  I'm thinking this whole shopping every other day thing is how the semester is going to be.  After some down time, Steph, Mags, Lauren, and I cooked up a meal of pasta (this is also becoming a pattern...and a dangerous one at that) with chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, peppers, and balsamic!  We felt so sophisticated (especially considering our other meals have been plain pasta and bread and cheese) and are looking forward to omelets in the morning!  I think everyone is planning on going out somewhere tonight--anywhere is "somewhere" at this point and I am perfectly content if the night turns into another one comprised of wandering aimlessly around the city!  First Friday night in Geneva and I'm certain it's going to be a good one:)

It's Official: I'm a Junior...in Geneva

So today officially marked my first day of Junior year...weird.  I had a solid night's sleep, which was great! I woke up feeling well rested and ready for my day.  We continued orientation with legal presentations, filling out forms, and receiving our University de Geneve student cards and additional information.  After a couple of hours of sitting doing nothing, we all began to get a little sleepy so walking back home was refreshing.  I had a little down time which I spent reading over our new pamphlets and before I knew it, 2 o'clock was approaching and Steph, Mags, and I had to be back at rue de Vollandes for class.  Our professor, Alan Harvey Schnur, is the coolest guy ever.  He is originally from the Bronx but has worked for Peace Corps and the WHO for 30 years.  He just retired last year but continues to teach our International Public Health course for BU.  Class was long but interesting.  Professor Schnur is very engaging and encourages lots of class participation.  During our 20 classes, we are scheduled to have 13 guest speakers from 5 continents and numerous UN, WHO, and various other health organizations in Geneva.  Professor Schnur carried out his 3 years in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia and shared with us a quote that says, "Kes b'kes inkulal b'igru yihedal" which in this particular Ethiopian language translates to, "Slowly the egg will walk on two feet."  Prof. Schnur supplemented this quote with Chinese characters pronounced, "Wan shi kai tou nan" which means, "everything is difficult in the beginning."  I thought these quotes were a nice touch to our opening class and were easily realtable to our time here in Geneva.  Additionally, they apply to implementing public health policy and thought it was a clever hook into our first class.  After our 2 and 1/2 hour class we were all feeling pretty sleepy.  Rob, a BU student in our class, suggested we all take a walk down by the lake.  Steph, Mags, Baruch, Tommy, and I ventured down to the lake and enjoyed the gorgeous sites the Lac Leman has to offer.  It was quite a warm day so when we ventured out to the enormous fountain, the spray was welcome :) We walked on a rock jetty for an alternative view of the fountain and enjoyed sitting and taking in the gorgeous scenery surrounding us! We plan on taking a paddle boat adventure soon--maybe even this weekend!  By the time we got back home it was closing in on dinnertime.  Maggie and I went to Deener, a cheap grocery store near by, and got some drinks to accompany dinner.  We got distracted looking up flights/making plans for our upcoming long weekend so Maggie and I didn't end up eating until after 8!  After dinner lots of people were coming in and out of Lauren and Steph's room and we all shared stories about Halloween costumes, student housing, and other college memories.  Before too long, we decided to join a group who had gone out an hour or so before and were down on the lake and caught in a lightning storm!!  It was absolutely gorgeous--lighting over the lake illuminating the Swiss alps...can't get much better!  Everyone went back home to avoid rain but Lauren, Steph, Maggie, Danny and I walked along the water and ended up by a park we had seen on our earlier walk.  The park is called the "Cheetah Baby Plage" where there were ridiculous rope ladders, rings, and tire swings.  We amused ourselves there for quite some time and even dipped our toes in the lake.  Finally, we decided to turn back seeing as we have to leave Rue Muzy at 8:45 tomorrow morning for our visit to the U.S. Mission in Geneva!  Bon Soir tout le monde, a demain!