No Wonder I’m So Tired Everyday

This place is crazy! I’m always going places and doing things.  Keeping myself busy and being made busy with everyone else’s plans for me.  I love it with a passion. 

Yodelling Concert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AH0yava0tY

With Andreas on Saturday night, we went to a yodelling concert in town.  The singer’s name was Nadja Rass, and she was totally and completely amazing.  The link I’ve added is of her only, but the concert was with her, a clarinettist, a bass guitarist, and an electric guitarist.  It began as traditional yodeling, but somehow managed to incorporate many styles and flavours throughout.  Dad always said the best cooking was when you mix contrasting flavours to create an amazing food sensation.  Salty, sweet, crunchy, soft, spicy, sour, etc.  This music was kinda like that.  The guitars played jazz, while she yodelled.  There were also portions of classical music and acapella yodelling.  So cool. 

Mountains

With Barbara and her mother, on Sunday I saw my FIRST mountains!!! Apparently the ones I’ve been taking thousands of pictures of and avoiding at all costs on my runs are simply minor bumps. I swear, Google Switzerland, and when pictures so beautiful they look fake pop up, I can now assure you- they are real.  It literally took my breath away.  The wind was cold, but the sky was clear and we took a ride on one of the lakes (near interlocken- I think).  It was stunning. Beneath us was turquois coloured water, directly off shore were houses with small farms, beyond that were rounded, steep, green mountains, and further still were jagged, snow-capped Alps.  We stopped for lunch in a small town.  Stone fire pizza- it definitely rivalled Italy’s.  But certainly some of the best I’ve ever had.  My stomach hated me afterwards (the pizza was so large it didn’t fit on a dinner plate, and yes, I devoured it all).  Before we left, I saw another amazing Swiss sight….

Self-Cleaning Toilets

Okay, I know that it may seem strange to write a blog about a toilet, but this thing was incredible.  I almost took a video, but decided against it.  When I first walked into the stall, a green light above the toilet was on with the words “clean” beside it.  I thought “awesome, thanks for letting me know”, and went along with my business. After, when I flushed- and I kid you not- a mechanical arm shot out from the back of the toilet with a squeegee attached, and lowered itself to the toilette seat.  It attached onto the seat, and then the whole seat rotated in a circle while the arm stayed still, cleaning it as it turned.  Once more, the little green light came on, and I was left in awe.  I flushed twice, just for fun. 

Where Am I?

The strangest thing keeps happening to me constantly throughout my days here.  I talk to my family, or friends, or to Branden, and everything, everyone, just feels so close.  Half of the time it feels as if they are right down the street and I could visit at any time.  I go for a run and see a black cat and think, mika, get off the road.  I smell the farms and when I blink I half expect Branden’s grandparent’s dogs to come running over to me.  I see the water, the trees, the farms, the houses, and the smallest things make me forget that I’m not in Canada.  It’s a hard feeling to explain.  It doesn’t make me homesick, or feel sad when it ‘clicks’ that I’m halfway across the world.  These brief moments of feeling like I’m in Canada make me smile.  I smile because I love my home there, and I continue to smile when I think of how much at home I feel here.  Mind you, I was NOT smiling the other night when I woke up around 3.00am to go to the bathroom and thought I was back in midland.  I crawled out of bed, and wandered aimlessly through my pitch black bedroom searching for the door.  I clawed at empty wall searching for a knob for what seemed like forever (the wall where the door should be at my mom’s house) before finally realizing where I was and walking across the room to the correct opening.  I guess I’m not totally used to everything-yet. 

Ciaou Canada!