This weekend, we went hiking in Chamonix. Switzerland is home of Mont Blanc, or the famous white mountain. Many days, admiring the view of the lake and mountains, Swiss people have told me "it is not a good day, you cannot see the white mountain." Now, after seeing the mountain, I know what they are talking about! It was breathtaking!
First, we boarded the cable car to get to the top of the mountain. We rode over trees and saw the city become smaller below us. Looking above, we were just about entering the snow covered portion. Then, we saw a glacier. Wow! The cable car let us off at the top and we could climb the various platforms to see the mountain from various angles. We also had a picnic lunch in the snow. What is better than lunch in shorts, tossing a snowball in the air?
Afterwards, the cable car took us halfway down the mountain where we began our hike. It was the perfect beautiful day for what the Swiss call an "easy" hike. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of climbing up over rocks and down paths, winding through the forest. It was an amazing adventure. In three hours, we crossed over three mountains. Every view was more spectacular than the last--seeing the city down below, seeing the canals of green-aqua glacier water, looking up to the majestic white mountains, seeing the remains of erosion, watching the waterfalls and viewing the forest green trees against the beautiful blue sky. Finally, we made it to the glacier on the other side. What a feat!!! We definitely celebrated after this one.
The ride home-naps.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Good reads
I love taking the train! Not only do I get to stay clear of road construction and congested traffic, I also love reading. I have to admit that I haven't done much reading in the past few years. After the "heavy" lifting of class assignments, the last thing I want to do is pick up a book for fun. Not the case in Switzerland! I also think that reading has helped me developed patience. My mindset tends to be--Oh, I am 30 minutes early? Yeah, time to read!
Among my favorite reads this summer are: 1) The Glass House, by Maeve Binchy-this is a page turner about a family that has lost their mom. It has a great winding of relationships throughout the whole book. 2) King of Torts, by John Grisham- a look at the pharmaceutical industry through the eyes of class action lawyers. 3) I am Charlotte Simmons, by Tom Wolfe- A small town girl experiences college life in America. It brought me back to my days as an RA! Fellow Maple Hall-ers, pick this up! 4) Sons of Fortune, by Jeffrey Archer- twins separated at birth run for the same political office. And my recent find (only half-way, so it might not end up great) 5) River's End by Nora Roberts- a girl witnesses a murder, now a journalist wants to write her story. As of yet, she is not so willing to tell it!
If you are a reader, pick up any of these. Maybe we can chat about them upon my return! As my friend Jacki says, "Reading is Sexy."
Among my favorite reads this summer are: 1) The Glass House, by Maeve Binchy-this is a page turner about a family that has lost their mom. It has a great winding of relationships throughout the whole book. 2) King of Torts, by John Grisham- a look at the pharmaceutical industry through the eyes of class action lawyers. 3) I am Charlotte Simmons, by Tom Wolfe- A small town girl experiences college life in America. It brought me back to my days as an RA! Fellow Maple Hall-ers, pick this up! 4) Sons of Fortune, by Jeffrey Archer- twins separated at birth run for the same political office. And my recent find (only half-way, so it might not end up great) 5) River's End by Nora Roberts- a girl witnesses a murder, now a journalist wants to write her story. As of yet, she is not so willing to tell it!
If you are a reader, pick up any of these. Maybe we can chat about them upon my return! As my friend Jacki says, "Reading is Sexy."
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Canyoning, the Swiss EXTREME adventure
Sliding down rocks, repelling down a mountainside, and jumping off cliffs. That was my adventure of canyoning this past week. It was amazing and scary at the same time. The amazing part was confronting your fears and doing this all, but the frightening part was not knowing if you could do it.
I was very proud of myself for completing every task. The only thing I avoided was jumping off of the highest cliff. I opted for the shorter cliff, which still felt like a two story jump into cold glacier water below! Whew! I was very impressed with my canyoning mates that took the higher jump.
The best part of this adventure, for me, was the repel and the zip line. After rock climbing at Bemdiji State (on the small wall), I feel very confident in my abilities to repel. Similiarly, I knew what to expect for the zipline after swinging through the rain forest of Costa Rica. On the zip line, they attach your harness to a rope and let you fly down the line. First, we went through a cave and secondly we went over fresh glacier water. We were encouraged to try to flip or somersault off the line. My lifeguard buddies would be very disappointed, after many attempts to swing my legs above my head, I fell into the water with a lame-o splat. Needless to say, it was a still fun! (An experience I may not do again… I guess time will tell).
I was very proud of myself for completing every task. The only thing I avoided was jumping off of the highest cliff. I opted for the shorter cliff, which still felt like a two story jump into cold glacier water below! Whew! I was very impressed with my canyoning mates that took the higher jump.
The best part of this adventure, for me, was the repel and the zip line. After rock climbing at Bemdiji State (on the small wall), I feel very confident in my abilities to repel. Similiarly, I knew what to expect for the zipline after swinging through the rain forest of Costa Rica. On the zip line, they attach your harness to a rope and let you fly down the line. First, we went through a cave and secondly we went over fresh glacier water. We were encouraged to try to flip or somersault off the line. My lifeguard buddies would be very disappointed, after many attempts to swing my legs above my head, I fell into the water with a lame-o splat. Needless to say, it was a still fun! (An experience I may not do again… I guess time will tell).
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
European (Swiss) Culture
Up until this point, I realized that I have not written anything about the differences between European and American culture. This stems mostly from the fact that things seem the same to me. Especially considering that my foreign travel experiences to China and Africa yeilded a vast array of differences. I now wish to share a few of my observations (please note these are my interpretations and by no means generalizations).
First, Europeans are much better dressed than Americans, particularly for casual wear, mostly on weekends and weeknights. It is not uncommon to find people wearing fancy skirts, designer shoes and/or nice dresses just to hang out in the park.
Another major difference is eating- this feat is accomplished with both your fork and knife in hand at all times. There is none of the one-handed fork eat, pushing the food on prongs with a finger! It took me awhile to catch on, but I have now mastered the left-handed eat. At first, I had trouble with hand-eye coordination and think I missed my mouth often. I am sure I was entertaining to watch!
One thing I dislike is the love for animals. People literally bring their pets everywhere- on the train, to restaraunts and shopping. While I like dogs, there are just some places an animal shouldn’t be. Eating at a restaurant loses its appeal when I have to walk over a dog larger than I am. I also was turned off at a shop where a cat climbed out of the back room and ran into the store. However, the worse part of this pet-loving is that there is doggy doo-doo everywhere. Walking on the sidewalk, hanging out at the Eiffel Tower, one really needs to watch where they step! I had the unfortunate experience of walking around smelling like poo since I accidently stepped in some doo. This all really makes me appreciate pooper scoopers ! Maybe I should market a European version.
This past week, I travelled around Switzerland as I was given time off from my internship. First, I spent two days in Interlaken, and took on the extreme sport of canyoning. Then, I swung by the mountain city of Brienz, where there is a Walz tea room/hotel. I also saw an amazing gorge in the mountains of Merigenen. At Lucerne, I visited the transportation and art museums, as well as the jazz festival. My trip rounded up with a day in Bern, the capitol city. More of that to come !
First, Europeans are much better dressed than Americans, particularly for casual wear, mostly on weekends and weeknights. It is not uncommon to find people wearing fancy skirts, designer shoes and/or nice dresses just to hang out in the park.
Another major difference is eating- this feat is accomplished with both your fork and knife in hand at all times. There is none of the one-handed fork eat, pushing the food on prongs with a finger! It took me awhile to catch on, but I have now mastered the left-handed eat. At first, I had trouble with hand-eye coordination and think I missed my mouth often. I am sure I was entertaining to watch!
One thing I dislike is the love for animals. People literally bring their pets everywhere- on the train, to restaraunts and shopping. While I like dogs, there are just some places an animal shouldn’t be. Eating at a restaurant loses its appeal when I have to walk over a dog larger than I am. I also was turned off at a shop where a cat climbed out of the back room and ran into the store. However, the worse part of this pet-loving is that there is doggy doo-doo everywhere. Walking on the sidewalk, hanging out at the Eiffel Tower, one really needs to watch where they step! I had the unfortunate experience of walking around smelling like poo since I accidently stepped in some doo. This all really makes me appreciate pooper scoopers ! Maybe I should market a European version.
This past week, I travelled around Switzerland as I was given time off from my internship. First, I spent two days in Interlaken, and took on the extreme sport of canyoning. Then, I swung by the mountain city of Brienz, where there is a Walz tea room/hotel. I also saw an amazing gorge in the mountains of Merigenen. At Lucerne, I visited the transportation and art museums, as well as the jazz festival. My trip rounded up with a day in Bern, the capitol city. More of that to come !
Monday, July 16, 2007
World wide learning
The week of classes was phenomenal! Each day, we had a host of presenters that gave an overview of their position and their organizations. As graduate students, we were encouraged to ask many questions and even take the speaker off topic. This was literally the best week-long training I have ever attended.
My favorite speakers were from the United Nations' OCHA office and the International Red Cross. The UN presenter explained that there are parts of the world assembly that need improvement. He said that the best way to influence this change is from the inside. I really related with this message. I thought about my work at the student association, knowing that we accomplished much more by working within the system than by working on the outside against the system. I could really see myself in a position like this in the future.
In contrast, the speaker from the Red Cross touted the importance of neutrality. When completing missions, these workers do not take a side. Meaning, if warring governments are fighting, the Red Cross comes in only to provide services. The work stays completely neutral. This allows the Red Cross to uniquely coordinate with both sides. For instance, the Red Cross is able to retrieve bodies of fallen soldiers and return them home. The Red Cross also works with Prisoners of War. By staying neutral, they can bridge gaps and fill a very important and necessary role. For this reason, I thought I could really identify with the mission of the Red Cross and the work that they fulfill.
I also had a strong lesson in what I don't want to do-work in "horrific" (my word) field settings. I say this because I know that I am not strong enough to see starving children or witness people losing limbs from landmines. The pictures of these events are too much for me to stomach. I can't imagine seeing this first-hand.
The thought of this makes me wonder how humans can treat each other in this way. How can someone rightfully watch another suffer or die? How can you sit by and see starving children? How can you put in mines in the ground knowing that innocent people will be hurt? Destruction and retaliation makes no sense to me. I just don't understand how far hate can move and impact. I think "winning" is a very selfish motive, especially when the innocent are hurt.
Overall, I was very humbled by the work of these service providers, especially those that worked in the mission field. I was truly grateful for the work that they were doing because I know I could not do it myself.
I did, however, find that I would love to be part of the post-conflict recovery efforts. Perhaps I could work in a school or set up schools after a conflict. Another exciting opportunity would be setting up elections or working to create a functioning government. I truly love seeing people come together to provide services, find commonalities and accomplish a task. While I have no idea what my ideal job is, I know that my many interests will keep me curious. I also believe that God provides you opportunities as you are supposed to take them. I think that many of my classmates and I finished the week with a question mark as to our futures. However, we were all very enlightened in the process. We were able to calculate ourselves how the international community works and how services are provided in time of conflict. It was a big-picture approach that most people do not learn at our ages. That, in itself, was pretty amazing. Like I said at the beginning, a phenomenal week!
My favorite speakers were from the United Nations' OCHA office and the International Red Cross. The UN presenter explained that there are parts of the world assembly that need improvement. He said that the best way to influence this change is from the inside. I really related with this message. I thought about my work at the student association, knowing that we accomplished much more by working within the system than by working on the outside against the system. I could really see myself in a position like this in the future.
In contrast, the speaker from the Red Cross touted the importance of neutrality. When completing missions, these workers do not take a side. Meaning, if warring governments are fighting, the Red Cross comes in only to provide services. The work stays completely neutral. This allows the Red Cross to uniquely coordinate with both sides. For instance, the Red Cross is able to retrieve bodies of fallen soldiers and return them home. The Red Cross also works with Prisoners of War. By staying neutral, they can bridge gaps and fill a very important and necessary role. For this reason, I thought I could really identify with the mission of the Red Cross and the work that they fulfill.
I also had a strong lesson in what I don't want to do-work in "horrific" (my word) field settings. I say this because I know that I am not strong enough to see starving children or witness people losing limbs from landmines. The pictures of these events are too much for me to stomach. I can't imagine seeing this first-hand.
The thought of this makes me wonder how humans can treat each other in this way. How can someone rightfully watch another suffer or die? How can you sit by and see starving children? How can you put in mines in the ground knowing that innocent people will be hurt? Destruction and retaliation makes no sense to me. I just don't understand how far hate can move and impact. I think "winning" is a very selfish motive, especially when the innocent are hurt.
Overall, I was very humbled by the work of these service providers, especially those that worked in the mission field. I was truly grateful for the work that they were doing because I know I could not do it myself.
I did, however, find that I would love to be part of the post-conflict recovery efforts. Perhaps I could work in a school or set up schools after a conflict. Another exciting opportunity would be setting up elections or working to create a functioning government. I truly love seeing people come together to provide services, find commonalities and accomplish a task. While I have no idea what my ideal job is, I know that my many interests will keep me curious. I also believe that God provides you opportunities as you are supposed to take them. I think that many of my classmates and I finished the week with a question mark as to our futures. However, we were all very enlightened in the process. We were able to calculate ourselves how the international community works and how services are provided in time of conflict. It was a big-picture approach that most people do not learn at our ages. That, in itself, was pretty amazing. Like I said at the beginning, a phenomenal week!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Venice, the city of Water
This weekend I took my first trip out of the country. Two other interns, Jenny K. and Preeti, joined me to explore the city of Venice. It was an amazing city!
Friday morning, Preeti and I boarded a train, six hours later we were at our destination. We had reserved a room at the bed and breakfast on the outskirts of the city. It was the perfect place to stay! Quaint and cute. Breakfast - which consisted of plums (grown off the tree in the back) stuffed croissants, breads and jams- was served in the back yard. Both mornings were glorious and eating together with others made the experience unforgettable! (Sometimes, I turn on my emotional sponge to absorb the experience and memories. This is was definitely one of those moments!)
The city itself was great. Preeti and I arrived the day before Jenny, so we explored Venice Friday night. It was more than I could imagined, but looked just like you see in the paintings and photos. Stone bridges were built over the canals. Men pushing gondolas steered tourists through the maze of water. Walking through the squares, we found many restaurants. At one, men in stripped shirts played violins and the accordion (think Lady and the Tramp). For dinner, we ate authentic Italian pizzas. Preeti had one with grilled vegetables while I had a spinach calzone. In every sense, it was Europe at its best!
Jenny arrived the next day and enjoyed the city as much as we did! We travelled on the public ferry boats. It felt so great to be on the open water! In the city, the boat moved slow through the canals, but it sailed much faster on the open water to the islands. We first visited the island of Murano, famous for glass-blown beads. We also saw the historic clock tower and St. Marks’s Basillica. In this square, I confronted one of my biggest fears-pigeons. Ick. The birds were EVERYWHERE. To make matters worse, tourists fed them, held 8 to 10 on their arms, and let the birds flap in their hair. Ick, ick, ick. I did okay walking in the open square by the birds but I had to retreat to the covered path when I saw a bird flap, flap, flapping in a man’s hair. ICK! Every since living in D.C. and having pigeons fly by my head, I have been scared of those icky, gross birds. I was happy to leave this square.
We rounded off the exploration with a trip to Lido on Sunday. This is the island known for its beaches. It was so nice to be in a place where the sun was shiny and the temperature was TOO hot. We all enjoyed a great swim in the sea. It was just what the doctor had ordered. A needed change from the cold rain in Geneva.
This week holds classes and lectures with many of Geneva's great minds.
Friday morning, Preeti and I boarded a train, six hours later we were at our destination. We had reserved a room at the bed and breakfast on the outskirts of the city. It was the perfect place to stay! Quaint and cute. Breakfast - which consisted of plums (grown off the tree in the back) stuffed croissants, breads and jams- was served in the back yard. Both mornings were glorious and eating together with others made the experience unforgettable! (Sometimes, I turn on my emotional sponge to absorb the experience and memories. This is was definitely one of those moments!)
The city itself was great. Preeti and I arrived the day before Jenny, so we explored Venice Friday night. It was more than I could imagined, but looked just like you see in the paintings and photos. Stone bridges were built over the canals. Men pushing gondolas steered tourists through the maze of water. Walking through the squares, we found many restaurants. At one, men in stripped shirts played violins and the accordion (think Lady and the Tramp). For dinner, we ate authentic Italian pizzas. Preeti had one with grilled vegetables while I had a spinach calzone. In every sense, it was Europe at its best!
Jenny arrived the next day and enjoyed the city as much as we did! We travelled on the public ferry boats. It felt so great to be on the open water! In the city, the boat moved slow through the canals, but it sailed much faster on the open water to the islands. We first visited the island of Murano, famous for glass-blown beads. We also saw the historic clock tower and St. Marks’s Basillica. In this square, I confronted one of my biggest fears-pigeons. Ick. The birds were EVERYWHERE. To make matters worse, tourists fed them, held 8 to 10 on their arms, and let the birds flap in their hair. Ick, ick, ick. I did okay walking in the open square by the birds but I had to retreat to the covered path when I saw a bird flap, flap, flapping in a man’s hair. ICK! Every since living in D.C. and having pigeons fly by my head, I have been scared of those icky, gross birds. I was happy to leave this square.
We rounded off the exploration with a trip to Lido on Sunday. This is the island known for its beaches. It was so nice to be in a place where the sun was shiny and the temperature was TOO hot. We all enjoyed a great swim in the sea. It was just what the doctor had ordered. A needed change from the cold rain in Geneva.
This week holds classes and lectures with many of Geneva's great minds.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Happy, happy (cold and wet) 4th of July
Well, it was no day at Don and Julie’s (my aunt and uncle) cabin on the pontoon. There were no boat parades, flags, swimsuits or fireworks. We spent the day working, the sun didn’t shine and we were bundled in layers. Needless to say, it still was an American celebration for our nation's Independence Day.
Of course, we did include one American tradition - sharing a drink with friends. We also sang the national anthem, on the request of Dina, my Swiss friend. Eight American students met up with local Europeans to celebrate. (I think that it is a day I won’t forget, even though we did nothing American). First, George, Dina (interns at GCSP) and I had cheese fondue and berries with real cream. Whew, we were full after that heavy meal! Then, we all put our phones to good use (texting is huge here) and invited out people we knew. Pretty soon, our party of three grew to eleven! It was a nice time. We all celebrated at a wine bar in Carouge, a neighborhood of Geneva. Dina and I had girly-manly drinks—fruity beer. She had raspberry, I had peach. The night ended by going home and getting warmed-up!
On that note, the weather in Geneva has been odd. It is almost as if God is telling us if it is a work day or the weekend. Monday to Friday has been cold and dreary. So cold, that I have been wearing a coat, sweater, and pants on a daily basis. I have also gotten very used to carrying my umbrella. Sadly, the little thing broke this week (perhaps from too much use?). Today, I had to invest in a big sturdy one. Ha! I will show Mother Nature.
This weekend: Venice, baby!
Of course, we did include one American tradition - sharing a drink with friends. We also sang the national anthem, on the request of Dina, my Swiss friend. Eight American students met up with local Europeans to celebrate. (I think that it is a day I won’t forget, even though we did nothing American). First, George, Dina (interns at GCSP) and I had cheese fondue and berries with real cream. Whew, we were full after that heavy meal! Then, we all put our phones to good use (texting is huge here) and invited out people we knew. Pretty soon, our party of three grew to eleven! It was a nice time. We all celebrated at a wine bar in Carouge, a neighborhood of Geneva. Dina and I had girly-manly drinks—fruity beer. She had raspberry, I had peach. The night ended by going home and getting warmed-up!
On that note, the weather in Geneva has been odd. It is almost as if God is telling us if it is a work day or the weekend. Monday to Friday has been cold and dreary. So cold, that I have been wearing a coat, sweater, and pants on a daily basis. I have also gotten very used to carrying my umbrella. Sadly, the little thing broke this week (perhaps from too much use?). Today, I had to invest in a big sturdy one. Ha! I will show Mother Nature.
This weekend: Venice, baby!
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