"Real People" Living

Monday was Day 1 of my internship at the WHO!  I was a combination of nervous/anxious/excited to get the first day under my belt and I survived!  My supervisor, who is such a nice man, just got back from Thailand and had a lot of personal affairs to attend to so I spent a lot of yesterday independently reading, discussing what I read with him briefly, and heading back to the library to continue reading articles published by our department.  We are still finalizing what my project for the next 2 months will be so I am eager to get going on that, whatever it may be!  I was able to sit in on a department meeting, which was fascinating but there are a lot of terminology I found myself jotting down to look up later.  Everyone I met in the department, including other interns, is incredibly friendly and I look forward to getting to know them on a better level in the weeks to come!

Today was our first day of our Controversies in International Health course.  Essentially, this week is “syllabus week” all around.  I look forward to next week’s class, which will hopefully be more interactive and engaging.  But all the “firsts” of the second half of the semester are over (at least in terms of course work)!  Our professor brought in pastries so I have a feeling this class is going to be a good one :) We have class for 3 hours in the morning, an hour off for lunch, then a site visit in the afternoon.   Today, we visited the UN--something I knew was bound to happen at some point this semester.  We had a guided tour of the complex and visited 3 conference rooms both in the Old and New wings.  My favorite room we saw was the room in the Palais de Nations with the incredibly brightly colored ceiling done by Spanish artist Miguel Barcelo.  The UN is filled with awe-inspiring art work and   

Fall Break Pt. 2

We had another early morning flight to Morocco and found ourselves acting like locals and navigating the Metro in a more efficient manner than upon arrival.  We all could not believe we were not only country hopping but continent hopping instead!  I was eager to be back in Africa and explore a country on the complete opposite end of the continent to Namibia!  We quickly found ourselves experiencing the greatest culture shock of our entire abroad experience thus far.  On our way to our hostel alone we thought we were going to hit other cars, donkey carts, people, etc at least 20 times.  Everything was fast paced like Madrid but poverty was definitely evident as well.  

We quickly found ourselves checking into our hostel, Mama Marrakech.  Owned by a Moroccan/American couple Mama opened on August 1^st of this year.  The hostel is completely homey as soon as you walk in the doors!  Mama, aka Crystal, welcomed us with open arms and sat us down for 45 minutes and gave us suggestions, mapped out the city for us, and locked away our valuables in her personal safe.  

Roof top terrace at Mama's!

Before long, we had a 2 day, 1 night camel tour booked in the Sahara and were on our way to get lost in the endless Marrakech Souks.  Before losing ourselves in the souks we treated ourselves to a traditional Moroccan meal of tagines and couscous—definitely our cheapest and one of our most delicious meals since we have been on the continent!  We quickly immersed ourselves in the fast paced, bartering maddess that is Marrakech's souks.  We haggled prices in French and English, made incredible deals, and came out weighed down with bags of goodies.  There was definitely a time or two we felt harassed and sped out down another alley way away from a shopkeeper.  However, we somehow managed NOT to get lost like everyone said we would!  

Souk Bargains

We came home, showered up, and relaxed on our beautiful terrace and talked with some of the other hostel stayers.  I soon discovered one of the guys was from Seattle and lives on Capitol Hill!  The world continues to amaze me in it's small size and endless connections.  It was fun having a bit of home in Morocco--never can get too far away:)  We called it an early night since we had a 7am departure for the Sahara the next morning.  In the morning, Mama provided us with a delicious breakfast of sweet, crunchy crepes, warm pita-like bread, eggs, and heart-warming coffee!!  We boarded our bus and began our epic 8 hour excursion to the desert.  With multiple stops, some of the most dangerous, twisty roads known to man kind, and a pit stop in the town where movies like Gladiator, Prince of Persia, and Indiana Jones 3 were filmed we finally made it to the edge of the Little Sahara at sunset.  We wrapped up in headscarfs and saddled up on our CAMELS!!!  We rode off to camp as the sun was setting and the moon was rising.  What a memorable experience.

Camels at Sunset

We then were treated to a traditional tagine dinner, Berber tribal games around a campfire, and mint tea before bed.  We couldn't help but walk out to a near by sand dune, bury our feet in the desert sand and bask in the glow of the full moon above us.  Morning came quickly and we were soon back on top of our camels.  Our lead guy had fun with the four of us and made the camels run a little--not the most comfortable but nonetheless a humorous experience.  

We LOVE the Sahara

Chamoux with camp ground in the background

We were so thrilled to be welcomed back to Mama's with a warm shower before heading back to the market square for a quick night out on the town.  The city's square comes to life at night--from snake charmers to food and fresh orange juice stalls, we could have spent all night exploring if we hadn't been so tired.  Seeing as it was our last night we wanted to make the most of it.  We sampled food from the stalls the locals were going to which was a major win.    I think I had my favorite meal that night--fresh OJ, pita stuffed with hard boiled egg, cream cheese, potatoes, and hot sauce...sounds weird but it was incredible!  We then had big, steaming glasses of mint tea and Lauren and Mags picked up a delicious baklava like pastry that was divine!!  We quickly faded and found ourselves regrettably making our way back to the hostel.  We had a big day ahead of us and before we knew it we were packing up and saying goodbye to wonderful Morocco.  

We arrived back in Madrid around 8pm and long story short we locked our bags away at the airport, met up with friends at a club, danced the night away until 4am, and made our way back to the airport for early flights back to Geneva (for Lauren and me) and Barcelona (for Mags and Steph).  I will spare you the details of how we managed to survive this epic/only would happen in Madrid while abroad experience but it was an incredibly entertaining evening.  From sipping on coffee while everyone else around us was slamming back beers, to singing Beyonce with Case, to being in a room that instantaneously filled with fog from a fog machine (I literally thought I was dying...finally caught my breath then it happened again--when is my inhaler when I need it?!)--one of the most epic nights ever!  We finally made it safely back to Geneva after what was the longest day of my life.  The weather definitely has transitioned to brisk, fall temperatures and I couldn't be happier.  I haven't had a real fall for two years now so I felt at home on so many levels after a memorable week abroad.

Tagline for the week:  3 countries, 2 continents, 5 languages, 48 hours.  

Fall Break Pt. 1

Fall break has come and gone and it will be a quick snap back into reality!  I couldn’t have asked for a better fall break—from seeing friends from Santa Clara, to spending an epic week with new friends, memories were made in 3 countries, 2 continents, 5 languages.  Our break started out with a complicated navigation from Muzy to the airport.  Thank goodness we left ourselves plenty of time is all I can say to that!  We eagerly boarded our early morning flight to Madrid on Saturday and all were in awe the day had finally come and we were embarking on our Fall Break adventure! 

We were non-stop from the time we touched down in Madrid until I returned back home in Geneva Friday afternoon.  Our first day in Madrid consisted of a half hour purchase period of metro tickets,where Lauren really got to test her Spanish skills,  an overwhelming welcome to the city center at Puerto de Sol (essentially the downtown area of Madrid where our hostel was located), and the most epic reunion with Casey and Liz inside our hostel.  And this was all before 2pm!  We did Rick Steves’ walking tour of the city, guided by Liz, and went to Retiro park where we met up with my friend Eloise from SCU!  Next, we visited the Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral, and Reina Sofia museum before making our way back to Sol before a wild night experiencing the essence of Madrid nightlife. 

Reunited!

After a shower and siesta, we met up with Case by the fountain in Sol before heading out to a delicious tapas restaurant where we indulged on two rounds of chorizo, corquettes, and potatoes with more chorizo!  What a fabulous introduction to Spanish cuisine.  We then met up with some of Casey’s friends from her program before heading to a club called Pacha where we were treated to the crazy nightlife and music Madrid has to offer!  After a late night, morning came early and we couldn’t wait to sip on some Spanish coffee!  Liz was conviently staying at our same hostel so along with my friends from the BU program, the 5 of us navigated our way to the Rastra, which is Madrid’s famous Sunday flea market.  There were so many things to see, so many people to be aware of, and endless market stalls lining the streets!  I quickly found myself overwhelmed by the immense amount of people who were literally everywhere you looked.  Definitely a lot busier than our quaint and orderly Geneva!  We found ourselves losing steam quickly and Liz and I had plans to meet up with Casey later in the afternoon so we walked back to Sol to recuperate a bit before our mid-afternoon rendezvous.   I absolutely loved spending the afternoon with Case and Liz eating kebabs and churros con chocolate outside in Casey’s home stay neighborhood.  We all caught up and quickly found ourselves falling back into our usual rhythm of telling stories, offering advice, and reminiscing about life back at Santa Clara.  We didn’t realize just how much we have missed each other’s presence until we were teased with spending a weekend together.  Nonetheless, it was a magical weekend that I know we all feel incredibly lucky to have shared together.  Definitely made memories none of us will ever forget.  

Later that night, after a sad goodbye with the girls, Mags, Steph, Lauren, and I  met up at the Prado museum where we saw Picasso's Acrobat on a Ball, Goya's infamous political paintings, and other various incredible works of arts.  As we left the museum, we were greeted by a huge Latin American Pride parade that featured a ridiculous party bus equipped with a  band on top that was followed by various dance troups and flag bearers singing and dancing along to the music.  We felt like we truly got to experience the wild madness of Madrid the entire weekend and were loving the polar opposite change of pace compared to our orderly, clockwork lives in Geneva!  Later that night we treated ourselves to a delicious 12 course tapas meal, pitcher of Sangria, and churros (round 2 for me…) outside the Plaza Mayor.  I don’t think I have enjoyed churros and chocolate more in my entire life, but let me tell you my body was not pleased for the next 24 hours.  When in Madrid?

Tapas!

Churros con Chocolate Round 2

to be continued...

Finals in October? It's Official, I'm a Junior.

There is no denying it anymore, I am a Junior in college.  This week completed the first part of my abroad experience, which is hard to believe in itself.  I cannot believe we have been in Geneva for nearly 6 weeks.  Time continues to soar which is absolutely terrifying.  At the same time, I have acclimated to the Genevois lifestyle so easily I think everything has passed more quickly than I had anticipated simply because of how comfortable I feel here.  

While this week was definitely the most stressful week so far here, I have so much to look forward to in the  weeks to come!  Monday was my last public health lecture which came to an end with an incredible lecturer who spoke to our class about TB.  Our professor had already covered half the lecture a couple of weeks ago so we were able to have more of an open discussion with her.  I have absolutely loved my health class and all the opportunities made available for discussion with important people in the public health world.  All our discussions, papers, etc. have made public health a lot more real and tangible future for me which has been an incredibly exciting feeling!  I am really looking forward to my "Controversies in International Health" course starting after break.  Art History has been a very "up and down" experience for me.  I have loved all the site visits and the knowledge I have gained about Geneva and Switzerland in general, but there have certainly been some speed bumps along the way.  Tuesday, we spent our final class at the Phillipe-Patek museum.  We had one of the sassiest people I have ever encountered as a tour guide, which was amusing, but all of us were on edge about the finals we had to study for after 5 hours of class.  Overall the museum was fascinating and I learned a lot more about watches and mechanisms than I ever thought possible.  I am overall happy that I decided to take this class because I will greatly attribute my level of comfort in Geneva to the multiple visits to the History of Art and History, Old Town, and various cities and chateaus across the country.  Nonetheless, I felt completely liberated as of 12:30 today when I proudly turned in my final exam.   

And now, off to Madrid and Marrakech!  Steph, Lauren, Mags, and I embark on our adventure tomorrow morning.  With a 6:30 wake-up call, I better call it a night!  Hoping Andrew "breaks some major leg" this weekend with his magic performance at the Broadway Center in Tacoma!  It was great seeing him on Skype, even if it was brief, and I cannot wait to hear about yet another successful performance!  

Sidenotes and Shoutouts:

An early birthday shootout to one of the sweetest girls I have ever met.  To my darling little one, Hilary Blackstone...welcome to your 20's babe!  I am so lucky to have met you and you mean the world to me. I hope you have the best birthday ever filled with celebrations galore and lots of love.  I am sending all my love and birthday wishes across the Atlantic directly to you on the 11th! Wish I could be there but I know you will live it up!! Miss you Hil!! xx

Also, my inner sorority girl is about to come out so bear with me...

I wanted to extend a warm welcome to the Epsilon Class!!  I cannot wait to meet all 59 of you klassy ladies in January!! L&L.

A Food Filled Weekend!

While several people in the program spent their Revision Weekend traveling to Madrid, Paris, or London, we chose to take a domestic day trip instead.  Maggie, Steph, Lauren, Emma, and I packed our bags (of course it looked like I was carrying a small child on my back) and made our way to Gare Cornivan.  Friday night, after 7 of course, we were on board the first of three trains for the night.  Long travel story short, we had 6 hours of train rides in between us and our hostel in Lugano.  While some of the girls slept, I somehow managed to stay awake the entire train ride there.  I was so eager to be visiting a place that Bekah had lived in and gone to school for 2 years, Andrew had visited 5 years ago, and Dad had been to several years ago as well!  For whatever reason I felt like I was making a pilgrimage and joining a group of people I love in an unexplored place.  We literally traversed the entirety of Switzerland in 24 hours, 6 trains, and a total of 12 hours on the train.  It would have been a straight shot to Lugano if it wasn't for the Alps but alas, we literally either had to climb mountains or circumnavigate them--clearly, the latter was what we chose.  Anyways, we ended up making it to our hostel Saturday morning around 1:30 am.  We entered our room and couldn't help but laugh.  It literally looked as if we were staying in a spaceship--thank goodness we had a private room!  There were 3 mattresses, a little wooden wall, and an additional 3 mattresses all lined up and more or less, that was our room!  Definitely clocked in some cuddle/bonding time with the girls.  While we thought this was absolutely hysterical (aka foot wrestling over the wall) we all slept like logs.  The mattresses conformed to your body shape and nestled you right into them.  Morning came to quickly and we had a long day ahead of us!  Our primary reason for coming to Lugano this particular weekend was for their Autumn Festival that was taking place this weekend.  We started our day off in this incredible bakery that, as most bakeries do, smelled divine.  There were the most gigantic, crumbly topped muffins I have ever seen that were so tempting but somehow we managed to avoid them.  We quickly began our navigation of the festival and quickly learned that chestnuts and polenta are two of the big Autumn festival delicacies.  We decided to pick up some roasted chestnuts (how American Christmas of us!) and were expecting to bite into the delicious sweet smelling nuts we had smelled upon approaching the stand.  However, instead we cracked open the roasted shells and bit into a soft nut that tasted and had the texture of a slightly cooked potato.  Not the sweet taste we were expecting so unusual facial expression ensued.  Now, not only did we feel like we were locals but we also felt as if we had experienced an American tradition 2 months early!  We quickly decided we wanted something sweet to wash down our "delicacy" so we tried a local Ticino canton white wine!  Yum!  We wandered down to the lake front and basked in the sun before we were hungry.  Theme of the day...it was nearing lunch time so we decided to go for the much anticipated gnocchi!  Two plate fulls of delicious potato pasta covered in the most divine red sauce and topped with parmesan cheese later, we could have been rolled out of the tent!  We enjoyed our gnocchi to the sounds of a local band and our sense of being locals continued to grow.  Once again, we found ourselves wandering down by the lake.  We plopped ourselves down on a bench and shared stories for an hour or so while taking in the incredible views of the hillside contrasted against the glistening, blue, blue water.  We continued to explore the festival and tasted some of the fried fish we had seen so many people eating.  They were yummy, a little fishy, and in the end we couldn't bring ourselves to eating the larger fish whose tails were quite prominent and it felt as if the fish had just been plucked from the water.  Like with the chestnuts, we were glad we had tried them but were looking forward to the main event, polenta!  Before this could occur however, we tried Limoncello, ate some of the most delicious gelato I think I have ever had (I got noisette--or hazelnut...SO good!), and watched the preparation of the vats upon vats of what would be one of the fastest meals of my life.  We knew we wanted to catch the 7:12 train to Luzern but polenta wasn't served again until 6...we waited in line, tried to be aggressive in holding our stance as two lines merged into one, and somehow Emma managed to be one of the first people served!  We shared polenta with the most delicious meat sauce along with a polenta dish with two huge chunks of gorgonzola plopped on top!  This was what we had been waiting for all day, and believe me, it was worth the wait.  After scarfing down these two dishes (and a complimentary glass of red wine I had received from a friend in line behind me!) we made a rapid trek back to our hostel to fetch our bags and make our way to the train station.  We were all winded by the time we got to our platform and we still had a 20 minute wait before our train arrived.  Better to be early than late!  We were all exhausted and this time I definitely passed out on the train.  We were all eager to get back and fall asleep so finally when we arrived home I took a quick shower and was passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The next morning I woke up and found myself back at the train station.  I took a 15 minute train ride to Nyon--the town I am presenting on for Art History.  I made a wrong turn out of the train station, ambled around the outskirts of town for 45 minutes before properly orienting myself and making it into the Old Town area.  I explored the Chateau de Nyon and la Musee Romain--entrance was free since it was the first Sunday of the month!  Nyon was one of the first town founded after Caesar's arrival in 52 BC so obviously there is a large Roman influence.  I visited the Roman columns and enjoyed After 8 and dark chocolate gelato as I strolled by Lac Leman on an incredibly clear, sunny day in October!  I loved having some time just to myself: exploring a new town, getting lost and having to find my way, and enjoying what will probably be our last week of gorgeous SUNNY weather.  I am sure this week is about to get incredibly hectic so a little downtime, even if it will turn into a presentation, was a rejuvenating way to start my week.  Good food, good company, exploring and experiencing new things--even if I am already 4 weeks in to my program, I don't think it will ever get old :)

Lugano

Mags, Lauren, Emma, Me, and Steph

Polenta, Polenta, Polenta!

View from Chateau de Nyon

Musée Romain, Nyon

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