L'Arrivée!!

Salut!

This entry is really long so definitely feel free to read it, but otherwise just skip to the pictures or list at the end.

I'm finally settling in! I flew into Zurich Saturday and spent the day jet-lagged while trying to keep my eyes open to meet the people in my program -- there are only 9 of us. Until I got to take a sweet shower and nap in a hotel that was pretty tripped out... the entire place had a cow theme and we had wall murals in our room of cows and gophers on giant car phones from the 90s. Also, I think a sister of someone from my high school was staying in the room below me. Small world. But hey, there was toblerone chocolates on our pillows.

The rest of the day and part of the next was spent touring Zurich which was kind of overcast, but it was still a very a cute european city. The first night, the program treated us to this Swiss German meal at a really nice sausage-y restaurant. My first, or maybe second faux-pas: standing in the aisle as an angry waiter screamed "Achtung! Achtung! Achtung" then gestured rudely at me when I heard her and moved. But anywayyy, since they were treating us i decided to go all out and get the "must have while in zurich" a veal and mushroom dish that was about $35 US dollars and some wine (legally!) so my meal was over $40... I was nervous about ordering it though so every time we've eaten out since then people find the most expensive dish on the menu and want me to order it. HAH not when im paying! Especially in Switz, everything here is waaaaaay overpriced. I needed a towel and they were at least 30 CHF which is like $26 US. (I was very happy to find a hand towel in my dorm room.)

The next morning we took a train (which left EXACTLY on time, crazy swiss with their great watches and promptness) to Lucerne, which is a pittoresque city on Lake Lucerne. It was snowing, but really beautiful. I saw more rivers and mountains and older looking buildings, with crazy-ass bridges and swans in the river while it was snowing. We were treated to dinner again, but this time with a price limit... ho well, it was totally worth it. Our french teacher who is like 24 has been with us this whole time and she is awesome and always teases me about this and the fact that i said her 17 year old brother was "just ripe" which he is. We went to a pub in Lucerne and a club after and that was chill.

The next morning we went to Berne which is right near Fribourg, but still not quite. And we went to the bear pit, which I was worried about considering my history of animal attacks and the fact that I packed a baloney sandwich in my purse so my scarf smelled like baloney and was wrapped around my neck. Luckily the bears were sad so no animal attacks to report just yet.

We finally went to Fribourg after that so we didn't have to deal with bags anymore and could settle into our dorms, which by the way are ridiculously nice! We all have big singles with one connected bathroom for 2, and they clean both once a week. The dorm is mostly international and I met some kids that have shown me the night life here, which so far has been clubs that are hot-boxed with cigarette smoke and people speaking 935384768754 different languages. Although I've been assured it gets crazier when students are around and that I should get ready for Crazy Monday. The first night we went out I invited the group and all of them decided to come so we awkwardly drank our 2 Franc Tuesday beers in a circle standing up clearly American, but it was still good. The next night I decided to go out with the kids who've been here again but by myself and we got a table and it was much more chill (until this kid Dan got in a fight with a belligerent canadian about politics). The only problem is that me and all the clothes i wear out smell terrrrible from the smoke. Hm, maybe I will have to repeat the same going out outfit if I don't want to do laundry all the time.

During the day we have language classes basically all day in French and German, which is great but all I want to do is explore and ski and be outside! These all end next week so that'll be good. I've been interacting with people in French which is also good, but it's frustrating that half of the university speaks german!

I took a run exploring Fribourg the first day we were here and I ran along the Sarine River which runs through the old city and it was beautiful and somehow I ended up running by an abbey from the middle ages and through what smelled/looked like fresh horseshit, but it was beauuuutiful. I can also see the Swiss alps from my window and everywhere in the city.

I think all that's left is that I bought a used bike today and was already nearly killed because the breaks are kind of shatty and here is my list of thoughts so far on the swiss:

-They're always on time and angry if you are not.

-Do they exist? (Most people are home now between semesters so I've met mostly other international students)

-They have great dairy products and CHOCOLATE.

-They still know I am American... gotta work on that.

-They do 3 "bises" instead of 2.

-They take 1 minute showers.

-There are more clocks than people.

-They all wear black.

-They are way expensive.

-They only go skiing if the sky is blue and the snow is deep.

-Even their trash is stacked neatly and bundled.

Don't worry, my posts won't always or maybe ever be this long.

Feel free to comment here or email or skype or whatever! stay in touch!

Jen