A Successful Week
Well, I have successfully completed my first week at school and am moving into my second. My Thursday was pretty uneventful, I don’t have school in the afternoon, so Barbara and I did some shopping and she cooked some delicious Chinese food for dinner. I went to soccer which is always good for a light workout and a few laughs- my team is extremely funny and I always have a good time with them. They are constantly goofing around, singing and dancing as opposed to training- it’s wonderful. I still understand very little of what is going on, but I find that little by little, things come together. I realize what a universal language English is becoming when the girls rattle of Swiss German, and then break into English songs. I couldn’t imagine knowing every word to a German song! I still have no news from my licence- I really hope I can be able to play soon, but if not, so be it. Practice is still fun!
On Friday I had my first art lesson, which consisted of me covering my favourite jeans in hot pink paint, and doing my assignment wrong because I’d misunderstood. Not being graded in school is a wonderful thing. This lesson is over two hours long, and it’s nice not to have to try to listen, but just to sit, relax, and paint- even if I’m doing it wrong. Friday night I went to Zurich with some other exchange students which was great. It was nice to share our stories about our first week and also to just relax.
Busy Saturday
I slept long into Saturday morning and woke up to the smell of pancakes and the sound of children laughing downstairs. I half expected “Mamma Mia” to be playing- and it would be just like when I was little at home. Breakfast was delicious; I used 10x too much maple syrup (as always) and topped it off with fresh raspberry sauce. I babysat Lydia and Luca for about an hour. With my dictionary in hand, a full stock of maple candies and loonie chocolates, and lots of energy from a good night’s sleep I was ready. We jumped on the trampoline, played hide-and go seek, drew pictures, made bracelets, played with toys, read books, and learned how to blow bubbles with bubble gum. Yes, all in one hour; talk about a fast pace. When Andreas got home, we all went for a hike behind the house, up in the hill. With Lydia’s hand tight in mine we hiked to the top, where there is a small campsite with a gorgeous view of the farmers’ fields below. A spring water fountain was in the middle, with a picnic table, and a fire pit. Andreas made a swing out of a few ropes and a small log for the kids. I went for a walk through the bush and carved my campfire stick. It was such a calm and serene place. I hardly talked, but I was just happy with where I was. As we were finishing our evening, I looked around the site and I was reminded of how much fun I had in Awenda this year with my family, and felt a pain inside me. I question whether it was homesickness, or the excess amount of bratwurst, paprika chips, and banana-chocolate melts I had feasted on. Maybe both. Either way, it was soon relieved as we packed up our things and hiked off. Little lights began to shine from the houses in our town and the sun set behind the hills, leaving the sky pink-streaked and wonderful.
When I got home, I continued to carve my stick from the campsite (not following the rules from home of “no use of sharp objects for any reason”). As you may guess (knowing me) this did not end well. I won’t go into details, but I will say that my bedroom ended up looking like a murder scene and it will take a few days until my finger closes up and stops bleeding. Turns out Swiss army knives aren’t my thing.
Yet Another Beautiful Day
Sunday was also busy- I woke up, had some Nutella (okay- let’s get real. A LOT of Nutella), and then did something I have not yet done here! I went for a bike ride by myself. It was wonderful, and I really think I’ll start to do it more often. The joke here is that I am actually not capable of biking and walking because I just hop on the bus ALL the time. However, I surprised myself by biking until i knew my sense of direction was dwindling before turning around. This isn’t as far of a distance as one would think, given my directional difficulties. But after about 45mins on the bike I was feeling refreshed and awake. I came home and did my first crossfit workout in Switzerland! I grunted and groaned as a completed my push-ups, sit ups, and air squats in the back yard- my body complaining every step of the way. I forgot how long it had been since I did any strength training whatsoever. I had a relaxing afternoon with my book and my first Skype date with my Grandparents! In the late afternoon we had a kind of “block party” for all of the duplexes like the one I live in. Everyone brought an appetizer and desert to share, along with meat for their own family to cook on the grill. Barbara brought me three large pieces of chicken, seasoned, and wrapped in bacon. It was heaven. I can’t remember if I have already written this, but the two “most common questions to ask Stephanie Edmunds” have both been asked in only a month of living here.
1. Do you work out? (While simultaneously poking at my arms).
2. How do you eat so much?
I had two helping of desert and headed home for a little piano before bed. Happy day, happy girl. Also, I know I talk about me eating ALL the time, but surprisingly, I have noticed very little, if any, change in my body type in the past month. I think I am running enough to balance out my crazy diet.
Anyways, that’s all for now!
Muah.
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