The only reason for the heading is that apparently in about 10 minutes I am going to be called by Mr. Marc Reise to watch a scene of this movie with him and the kids... These are the things they do. Watch like 10 minutes of a movie with the kids... very strange, but interesting.
Life continues to be magnifico... Saturday was my first bool ... (i really need to learn how to actually spell that) tournament. They have them twice a year, one in the early summer that starts at about 6 at night and goes until 3 or 4 in the morning (glad that wasn't the one I attended) and this one called the 'chicken leg tournament' that started at 11 and went until 7:30... (including a lunch and dinner break). The winning prize for the top team of the 24 teams is a trophy that is a block of wood with engraved names of previous winners and standing atop is a large replica of a chicken leg. For dinner they also grill a bunch of chicken legs.. yum (blah!). It was wonderful, the experiance in general that is. Everyone is so kind, there are lots of father child and a few mother child teams. I love the idea of communities getting together often and doing things like this so you actually know your neighbors. I suppose it only works in smaller communities though, like this one... but very enjoyable. (we ranked 10th, me and big Bruno)
The nice days are equally split with rainy days, but at least there are still nice warm beautiful days to go out and see the sights. I have so much I am currently looking forward to. Next Thursday there is a sheep gathering of all the sheep in the alps ( i would assume just the ones around here) in a local village where they are divided back up by their rightful owners and taken home.... hopefully it is all I imagine it to be and I will attend. My second cousins ( i believe that is their title) are visiting this weekend which shall be quite pleasant to have company. And eventually I have 2- 3 day weekends in a row, which I'm not quite sure what I will do but hopefully I will do something other than a normal weekend.
Dienstag, 28. August 2007
Dienstag, 21. August 2007
Ahh
How do people plan vacations? Perhaps it is because I don't have endless amounts of money and am trying to get to London (somewhere very expensive) and spend very little to travel around there, but oh goodness I feel like this is an imposible task. At least I decided to hopefully go on my first vacation to a place that speaks english. I feel that will make the trip a little simpler. At least I can ask ANYONE any question with hopes that they will understand me rather than trying to guess what person looks like they might understand english.
So if anyone reading this has any suggestions on planning an inexpensive (i.e. very cheap) vacation I would be delighted to hear. And if anyone has been to London and has London specific ideas that would also be great.... this is hopefully going to happen the first week of october.
So if anyone reading this has any suggestions on planning an inexpensive (i.e. very cheap) vacation I would be delighted to hear. And if anyone has been to London and has London specific ideas that would also be great.... this is hopefully going to happen the first week of october.
Sonntag, 19. August 2007
one month tomorrow
I love the pools here. I take the kids swimming at an outdoor pool once a week and it is wonderful despite the stress of where the kids constantly are and the screaming of way too many people. When you sit down to watch the people (crazy i may add) jump off the 10 meter diving board, the backdrop is of a steep hill covered in sheep grazing. It is so strange but wonderful to see these sheep so close to these 5 outdoor pools. There is also a different feel at these pools. No one is perfect (although some look awfully close) but I think everyone realizes that. Almost all the womyn wear bikinis, and skimpy ones i might add.
Yesterday was a day on a bicycle. Me and Stephanie biked to Fribourg, the second closest big city. We left at about 9:30, cycled along a river, over some roots, under some trees, and quite a few detours. Finally decided to go on roads instead and arrived in Fribourg at about 1. Had coffee at a cute little outdoor cafe. Our table neighbors were two old gentlemen, one with an accordion and one with a clarinet and a flute. They played wonderful very 'European' music. Our waiter didn't speak english or german, we had crossed into the French part of Switzerland. I find it so strange, how does a contry that cant communicate work, but I love it. ( there are also apparently different dialects of swiss german, like bern swiss german around here and around zurich they have a different one) Then we biked home, along roads and up hills and down hills. Finally home at around 5. A beautiful bike ride into the french and very Catholic town of Fribourg (there were very many crucifixes and mother of god shrines)
I have been learning to play the Japanese game 'Go'. I find it quite interesting, like chess in the needing to think and plan ahead aspect, but much less to remember in terms of rules. It would be wonderful if someone could learn it so when I come home I can play against someone :-). I finally got to pick flowers at the herb garden this week, chamomile, quite tedious but enjoyable. I also got myself signed up for the bocce ball tournament in the village next Saturday... so perhaps I will attempt to practice a bit this week so I don't completely bring down my understanding partner 'big bruno' as he is called. (hes got a belly)
Yesterday was a day on a bicycle. Me and Stephanie biked to Fribourg, the second closest big city. We left at about 9:30, cycled along a river, over some roots, under some trees, and quite a few detours. Finally decided to go on roads instead and arrived in Fribourg at about 1. Had coffee at a cute little outdoor cafe. Our table neighbors were two old gentlemen, one with an accordion and one with a clarinet and a flute. They played wonderful very 'European' music. Our waiter didn't speak english or german, we had crossed into the French part of Switzerland. I find it so strange, how does a contry that cant communicate work, but I love it. ( there are also apparently different dialects of swiss german, like bern swiss german around here and around zurich they have a different one) Then we biked home, along roads and up hills and down hills. Finally home at around 5. A beautiful bike ride into the french and very Catholic town of Fribourg (there were very many crucifixes and mother of god shrines)
I have been learning to play the Japanese game 'Go'. I find it quite interesting, like chess in the needing to think and plan ahead aspect, but much less to remember in terms of rules. It would be wonderful if someone could learn it so when I come home I can play against someone :-). I finally got to pick flowers at the herb garden this week, chamomile, quite tedious but enjoyable. I also got myself signed up for the bocce ball tournament in the village next Saturday... so perhaps I will attempt to practice a bit this week so I don't completely bring down my understanding partner 'big bruno' as he is called. (hes got a belly)
Freitag, 10. August 2007
please let me live
Good week, nothing too exciting. Thursday was a day filled with plums. Pitting and dicing 200 Kilos of plums to be dried (luckly I wasn't there friday for the 200 other kilos). And then arrive home to plum tart. Although this was much tastier then the semi tart fresh plums I had been munching on. Today I was asked to help clean up the kidergarten pond, and learned how to mow... or 'moo' as they say it with some hack like thing. it looked like a big grime reaper type stick and you hack the blade horizontal over the grass and hope to chop some of it down. Hard work but interesting.
Tonight I shall enter the night life of bern with the Stephanie (the other zietlam american nanny). She dropped in yesterday. Don't get me wrong, i don't mind people dropping in, but they can't just sit there forever doing nothing wasting my worshiped free time. She is nice and smart, as previously stated, but she is... straightedge. And we disagree with almost everything. To define this for the confused it means she has never done anything 'wrong', which is fine, but i'm usually more attracted to semi rebelious or more interesting people in other ways kind of people. She doesn't think there is anything wrong with how the environment is being destroyed, she figures just let things go and eventually 'checks and balances' will work it all out. And if you want to have 7 kids and raise them well then so be it. AHH... okay I am just picky because in Madison it seemed like no one followed all the rules, and everyone agreed with my point of view on at least SOMETHING.
Perhaps ill get over it. Or just pretend to.
Overall I am looking forward to this weekend, bern tonight, tomorrow the zietlum party and perhaps sunday bern again if I enjoy it tonight. It is a weekend long music festival type thing and its FREE wow what a term that isn't used here. it is actually gritis i think meaning free or take it or something. At least that is what people tape to things on the curb they don't want.
Tonight I shall enter the night life of bern with the Stephanie (the other zietlam american nanny). She dropped in yesterday. Don't get me wrong, i don't mind people dropping in, but they can't just sit there forever doing nothing wasting my worshiped free time. She is nice and smart, as previously stated, but she is... straightedge. And we disagree with almost everything. To define this for the confused it means she has never done anything 'wrong', which is fine, but i'm usually more attracted to semi rebelious or more interesting people in other ways kind of people. She doesn't think there is anything wrong with how the environment is being destroyed, she figures just let things go and eventually 'checks and balances' will work it all out. And if you want to have 7 kids and raise them well then so be it. AHH... okay I am just picky because in Madison it seemed like no one followed all the rules, and everyone agreed with my point of view on at least SOMETHING.
Perhaps ill get over it. Or just pretend to.
Overall I am looking forward to this weekend, bern tonight, tomorrow the zietlum party and perhaps sunday bern again if I enjoy it tonight. It is a weekend long music festival type thing and its FREE wow what a term that isn't used here. it is actually gritis i think meaning free or take it or something. At least that is what people tape to things on the curb they don't want.
Sonntag, 5. August 2007
American...
Thursday> First time at Obereichi (or something close) organic herb farm, to volunteer. Only rainy day all week. Weed the green house (get muddy). Eat large spaghetti lunch (with good organic tea). Package dried pears and teas. Tea time (with pralines). Go home. Overall enjoyable, not super educational, but met some nice semi-english speaking people. Will return.
Friday> Work (or play I shall say). Bocce ball... although I don't think that is what this game is really called... with the men. They call it booal.. boo, like a ghost, ul, like nul. Metal balls one kiki (small ball you aim at). Seems the same to me but apparently not. Enjoyable, quite. One younger male (apparently 18?) seemed nice but quiet. Oh well.
Saturday> Farmers market in Bern. New book, thrilling. Relaxation. Joyous.
Sunday> Flea market in Bern. Splendid. Bought a helmet for 3 CHF (swiss francs) and a lot of nice clothes for very cheap. Met the other American nanny in the Zietlum (sp?). She is really nice, has traveled all of her life, for the child of an army father. Fluent in german. 22. Catholic. We shall see.
Why oh why do people buy new. The beauty of something used and loved before. A sweater you love so dearly that it has holes and stains that you meticulously patch and scrub at. Although nothing like it once was, but better. Soft and scented. You know how it will fit you and could wear it daily. To obtain something that someone has already loved a little, you are part of the way to a new loved item. The history behind it, especially something quite old. A sweater passed down through generations bought in another country and traveling with the people. Why contribute to mass production of similar items when you can contribute to passing on history and using things until unusable, and then find new uses, perhaps a pillow or a patch for a blanket. Perhaps a statue or a piece of art. Imagine.
Oh how flea markets thrill me.
Friday> Work (or play I shall say). Bocce ball... although I don't think that is what this game is really called... with the men. They call it booal.. boo, like a ghost, ul, like nul. Metal balls one kiki (small ball you aim at). Seems the same to me but apparently not. Enjoyable, quite. One younger male (apparently 18?) seemed nice but quiet. Oh well.
Saturday> Farmers market in Bern. New book, thrilling. Relaxation. Joyous.
Sunday> Flea market in Bern. Splendid. Bought a helmet for 3 CHF (swiss francs) and a lot of nice clothes for very cheap. Met the other American nanny in the Zietlum (sp?). She is really nice, has traveled all of her life, for the child of an army father. Fluent in german. 22. Catholic. We shall see.
Why oh why do people buy new. The beauty of something used and loved before. A sweater you love so dearly that it has holes and stains that you meticulously patch and scrub at. Although nothing like it once was, but better. Soft and scented. You know how it will fit you and could wear it daily. To obtain something that someone has already loved a little, you are part of the way to a new loved item. The history behind it, especially something quite old. A sweater passed down through generations bought in another country and traveling with the people. Why contribute to mass production of similar items when you can contribute to passing on history and using things until unusable, and then find new uses, perhaps a pillow or a patch for a blanket. Perhaps a statue or a piece of art. Imagine.
Oh how flea markets thrill me.
Samstag, 4. August 2007
A tribute to bikes
A tribute to biking...
Mount and begin. Clumsily at first, the bikes head tube of the truss reaches just millimeters from my groin, making my nervous system switch to parasympathetic as the automobiles drive 50 km per hour past just decimeters away. Uphill. Always uphill when returning from Bern. Four buttons to press. Left Top: Easier, Left Bottom: Harder, Right Top: Harder, Right Bottom: Easier. This is my simplistic method of remembering, so as not to be in mid-hill and decide to make my workload harder. Hmm, top left and bottom right. The chain slips from the sprocket, always wait for the front to switch gears and then do the back, never together. Pull over, replace gear, black fingers, clumsily mount and continue.
I can see my quadriceps femoris muscle group protruding with each downward extension of my leg as my gastrocnemius muscles contract, feeling the strain of the uphill climb from the day before. The sweat begins to form tiny droplets along my hair line and beneath my backpack. I feel the warmth of the afternoon sun tanning my darkened skin. Hiding under all the layers there are some areas still as white as they were in the darkest of winter days, unexposed to the harmful rays of the sun.
The weight of the backpack didn't seem too bad walking through Bern, but now it begins to pull me back down with gravity working against me. Why was Bern the only place to find local organic good beer around here? And why was it so heavy?
Summit, and coast. Deep breaths, take in the air, although less oxygen lies here than Wisconsin I quickly grew accustomed to the deeper breaths until my body began to carry in more oxygen. What goes down, ultimately goes back up.
Hill.
Hill.
Hill.
A slight breeze would benefit me greatly as the droplets of sweat are beginning to gather and slowly drip. The only chance at a breeze is to push harder, go faster. Down and harder, and coast. Let the air fly past and cool my hot face.
Close. A sign. Mittelhausern.
Just one hill awaits, the worst off all.
Top Left, Bottom Right.
Push.
Breath Deep.
Smile to the neighbors.
Push.
Turn, ground levels slightly.
Coast.
Deep breath.
Home.
Water.
Mount and begin. Clumsily at first, the bikes head tube of the truss reaches just millimeters from my groin, making my nervous system switch to parasympathetic as the automobiles drive 50 km per hour past just decimeters away. Uphill. Always uphill when returning from Bern. Four buttons to press. Left Top: Easier, Left Bottom: Harder, Right Top: Harder, Right Bottom: Easier. This is my simplistic method of remembering, so as not to be in mid-hill and decide to make my workload harder. Hmm, top left and bottom right. The chain slips from the sprocket, always wait for the front to switch gears and then do the back, never together. Pull over, replace gear, black fingers, clumsily mount and continue.
I can see my quadriceps femoris muscle group protruding with each downward extension of my leg as my gastrocnemius muscles contract, feeling the strain of the uphill climb from the day before. The sweat begins to form tiny droplets along my hair line and beneath my backpack. I feel the warmth of the afternoon sun tanning my darkened skin. Hiding under all the layers there are some areas still as white as they were in the darkest of winter days, unexposed to the harmful rays of the sun.
The weight of the backpack didn't seem too bad walking through Bern, but now it begins to pull me back down with gravity working against me. Why was Bern the only place to find local organic good beer around here? And why was it so heavy?
Summit, and coast. Deep breaths, take in the air, although less oxygen lies here than Wisconsin I quickly grew accustomed to the deeper breaths until my body began to carry in more oxygen. What goes down, ultimately goes back up.
Hill.
Hill.
Hill.
A slight breeze would benefit me greatly as the droplets of sweat are beginning to gather and slowly drip. The only chance at a breeze is to push harder, go faster. Down and harder, and coast. Let the air fly past and cool my hot face.
Close. A sign. Mittelhausern.
Just one hill awaits, the worst off all.
Top Left, Bottom Right.
Push.
Breath Deep.
Smile to the neighbors.
Push.
Turn, ground levels slightly.
Coast.
Deep breath.
Home.
Water.
Abonnieren
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