April April!

During the day while I'm working I think about things I should do when I'm done like study german, write emails, clean my room, write in my blog-whatever...I guess my bedroom door as some kind of special brain washer thing that makes me forget about those things. I only remember to get on facebook and watch the daily show/colbert report. Hmm...
To my credit I have seemed to be pretty busy these past few weeks. The day before Jessica and her family came I took a train to Strasbourg for the day because I had to get my visa. I had some issues with the visa, well actually really the only issue was this woman (...well there is another word for what she was) I spoke with on the phone at the Swiss Embassy in New York who tried to tell me, in the rudest way I've ever been spoken to on the phone, that I would need to go to New York to get the thing. Luckily, she was the only one that seemed to have this idea. So I took a day trip to Strasbourg. I enjoyed it, did some shopping, spoke some french. I realized how independent I am, which I like to be. I just get on the bus, and an hour later I'm in a different country with only an address of the consulate. I didn't even call ahead. I didn't even know I was arriving there 20 minutes before the place closed, so lucky me.
On Tuesday, I went with the whole Geiger family and with Jess and parents to Lucerne. We first took a boat on the lake, then we headed up to mount Pilatus which was nice, cause I just think it would be a little sad if I came to Switzerland and never went up a big mountain. In the late afternoon/evening we walked around Lucerne a bit. It's funny because the whole time I enjoyed having the kids around. Sarah just makes things a little more interesting. However, I sat next to her on the car ride home and I was dying to get out of that car. That just how it is with her. Jess describes her like this, and I would to, "One minute you want to give her big hug, then the next you want to pull your hair out." I think described in similarly before.
Yesterday, I went to Rebecca's for her birthday dinner. Debbie was there too. She wished for borritos, so that's what we had. I miss my tex mex food. I think she had a good birthday. However, I talked to her today and she said she and her host sister were throwing up the whole night.
My parents and I are trying to plan the details of their visit which in in less than one month now! I know that will be a good time.
I guess I should explain the blog title-It's the German version of April fools. It's funner to say I think.

Jessicas here!

I thought I would write now before the month changed, since it separates the posts into months. Than I have more for March.
Interlaken was good with Rebecca. The hostel was nice. But the main activities in Interlaken involved the mountains. Although I would love to go rock climbing or skiing or paragliding, at this point I can't afford to spend 200 dollars on one of these activities for a day.
Easter day I went to Debbie's house for lunch. It was nice that they invited me. On Easter it snowed, which I had never experienced. Luckily the weather has gotten better since then. I'm so sick of coldness.
Jessica and her parents are here now. I'm enjoying having them here. Andre likes showing them around. Tommorow I get to go to Luzcerne with them.
Anyways, I think I'm going to save the rest for another time since I'm finding it hard to write trying to have a conversation with Jess, mixed in with the wine I just had for supper, and it being a little late in general. So good night.

Home and Alone

Geigers left for Easter vacation today to Bayern to visit Elke's mom till next Thursday. They were actually supposed to leave Sunday but Elke's neck pains and headaches were really bad, then they were said they were leaving on Monday, then Tuesday, and I half expected to see them when I got home today but they were gone.
Since Monday I'm helping a family that Elke knows from church. I think I mentioned it in my previous blog. Most of the day involves watching Sarah and playing with her. She is very hard for me to understand. But it's good. The family is really nice as well. I take the bus and train to and from their house. I love the public transportation here, it's so simple. I do like driving sometimes though. Finally Andre gave me some "driving lessons" this morning which had to be done before I can drive on my own. It seemed to be an unwritten rule. It was only to make sure I was okay driving here with the narrow roads, narrower than in Pennsylvania, and such. So that went fine. Now that's out of the way I can use the car this week, as well as for other things sometimes. Plus it's a 3 year old Mercedes :), automatic. I hadn't driven at all since the Micra in Germany and my left foot kept wanting to do something.
This weekend, I did go to Geneva. I enjoyed visiting with Beaches. It was really nice of Naomi to show me the city. I like Geneva, and the lake of course is gorgeous. But I agree with Andre who said there is, "unheimlich viel diplomats." I guess they gotta be somewhere though. I got to use my French just a bit, but I heard so much English around me. On Sunday, I went to church with the Beaches, which is even an English church! Sunday I went with them and another couple that was also visiting, to a woman's, also an expat, house in France for lunch. She had the coolest looking house, very artsy. I mostly just listened to their long conversation. And caught a glimpse into the world of NGO diplomacy or whatever that world is that they're living in. Something I don't know much about, and why would I? Nevertheless it was pretty interesting to listen to.
Monday night I went with Debbie and Rebecca to Basel for a some St. Patrick's festivities. Nothing like Dublin, or New York, actually there was nothing outside of the pub. The holiday is a little silly-get wasted and use Ireland as an excuse. But I felt like participating this year cuz sometime you just have to be silly and participate in silly holidays, and FYI-I only had 1 pint of guiness. Anyways it was pretty fun. Really no one even know the holiday here. I showed Elke my the hat and necklace I scored that night, when I got home. She never heard of such a thing as St. Patricks. Ironically enough though, there was leftover potatoes and Baileys on the counter...very Irish.
I'm going to go watch tv or something and continue to work at getting the Pippi Lonstocking song out of my head, which has been torchering me since yesterday when I heard it. O yeah, and I have to pack for Interlaken that I'm leaving for tomorrow with Rebecca. I'll be there till Saturday.

Dear United States Dollar, stop falling.

I usually don't write during the day, mainly because I'm working. But there's nothing for me to do at the moment. So I thought I'd write.
I just got an Easter card from my parents and a gift card from the church-shirks. I love getting real mail. I enjoyed reading them. Nathan wrote me a few weeks ago, although I'm sure mom made him. That made me smile. But I still can't get over the fact that he won't come to visit me. It drives me insane every time I think about it. I always say something to him, which probably drives him insane. The other night, I was talking to him on msn and he said he wouldn't give up going to Orlando to come here. However, he said to dad that he would rather have a new tv than go to Orlando!! So according to some law of which I forget the name, that I learned in math class, he would take a tv or his sister!!!!!!! And I quote from our conversation, "family is priceless, you're right, but time is pricesless too, and I would have more time with the tv than with family and so it's worth more." Does that make any sense!?!?!? I love him, but don't understand the child!!!
This weekend I went to a cabin with the youth group here. I don't really know them that well but this was a chance to get to know them. The nice thing was that Jessica went too and she already knows them. So it worked out really well. I like them a lot. It would have been stupid for me not to go. Since I've been to Switzerland, I've compared myself so much to Jessica(the trainee before me). Especially when I went to the youth group because I felt like everybody around me was comparing me to her. So I struggled with that. This weekend helped me get passed it. Since we were able to be together, and be seen as two different people. Well people probably already did. It was more for myself. The weekend allowed for a lot of time to spend alone in prayer. Which I don't really do on a regular basis. So that also helped with this struggle. It is ridiculous that I should compare myself with her. I love that girl. She has been such a blessing to me as a friend.
Sunday night, when we go back I went to Basel with her where she had to catch the train to go home. We went to Starbucks (cuz she wanted to go there, not me). We had a good discussion. Then it was time for her to leave. Jess had gotten in her mind that the train left at 19:19 when really it was 12 after! So we arrived to just in time to see the train drive off! The poor girl-that is something that I could so see myself doing! But the bad thing is, because of the type of ticket she had, she had to buy a new one- 44 euros, and get home really late. The only positive thing about it was that we could keep talking.
So I am continuing this post in the afternoon. Elke, my host mom, wasn't feeling well today. She had a car accident about ten years ago and ever since has had problems with he muscle in her neck and head. So she often gets really bad headaches. It comes and goes the pain. But today was a bad day. I made crepes for lunch, then played with Simon since then. We played Wii. Normally I don't like video games but Wii is fun since the controllers are motion sensored, or whatever that called. Simon is outside playing now, Sarah is at school. Tim went to the Volg, the only grocery store in the town, really it's more like a convenient store. I get sent there every other day for one thing or another.
This evening I'm going out to eat in Basel with Debbie and Rebecca I think. Then this weekend I'm going to Geneva. I'm looking forward to that visit. Sunday, my host family leaves for Bayern to visit Elkes family. They're gone for two weeks. I'm still here since they don't have room for me to go with, and I'm not taking any vacation time. Next week I'm going to go another family in the church to help. Elke worked it out. They also have a daughter with down syndrom, also named Sarah. She only four. So that will be good I think. So I'm keeping busy.

Gut Eingelebt.

I hear the word "einleben" a lot in the form of a question here, in Germany it was mentioned a lot in my goodbyes. I got the idea of the word but didn't bother to look up the meaning till today. It means "settling in". Makes sense.
At this point I am feeling pretty settled in in my new home here. I already love Switzerland as country more than I expected to. It's hard to explain why. But I think it has something to do with the smallness of it, people are more locally oriented it seems. I can't really put my finger on specific reasons. But according to a study by Britain's University of Leicester, Swiss are the second most happiest people in the world. Only in Denmark are they happier. Newsweek also reported on a study that Switzerland is the greenest country out of 149 studied. (http://www.newsweek.com/id/98010) Happy and environmentally friendly. I guess in Switzerland you CAN have you cake and eat it too!
I guess I should say what I've been up to the past few weeks. I've been in Lupsingen most of the time. Me and the vacuume cleaner are becoming good friends. The kitchen, living room, and dining room have white floors so it needs a lot of vacuuming. But it's all good because I think that what keeps me from being allergic to the cat Tiger. Tiger is a very unusual cat. Not only am I not allergic, but he's friendly. While normally I'm a cat hater, I make exceptions for the nice one (which are very rare.)
I love the kids. They keep me pretty busy, as well as entertained, and sometimes very worn out. Sarah is the best at doing so. Last Tuesday she wanted to go for a walk with me and she took her bike. It started off nice until we got to an apartment building. She stops and says her friend lives there. Well I don't know for sure that her friend doesn't so I let her ring the one bell. Maybe she knows...Then she rings another one. Ok she doesn't. Luckily nobody answers. Then we get to more apartments. Unfortunately the door actually opens and she goes in and onto the elevator. Then I finally get her out of that building and she already into the next, still talking about how she wants to visit her friend, who I found out later doesn't even live in our town. In this building she rings a couple door bells and someone even comes out very confused. Once she out of there, she hops onto her bike. I say we're going home now! But she's on her bike and she goes to the community offices, where I had registered the day before. She starts talking to them about this friend and I have no clue what else. They have even less of a clue. By then I wasn't going to take anymore, so I took her bike and headed home. Then she's wailing and sits on the sidewalk continuing to do so. Then she recovers and walks with me. By the time we reach the house she's perfectly fine and talking to me about what she did in school and I am completely worn out. It's defiantly a new learning experience working with Sarah. Often by the end of the day I have had enough of her. Then the next day, I'm so happy to see her again. It's interesting.
I've been able to see some things in the area already here. I've gone to Basel the last two Sundays and the weather has been nice. I like the city a lot, although I haven't done all that much-a lot of walking around though. Last Sunday I went with Rebecca and Debbie to a movie, since Debbie had a gift card. I don't think I'll be seeing too many movies here...it costs 18 francs(about 17 $$) and next time you go to starbucks don't complain about the price, here a tall normal coffee is over 4 usd. I guess my shock will soon subside. I'll adjust, like I have to so much at this point. Funny how that works, how one's mentality can be so easily changed, there's reason why it's called a shock, it's very temporary. I just hope it is when I go back to the US, which I don't want to talk about, I still have time here, I'm not going to rush it. I will not talk about it anymore till the the very end of my intermenno term. I don't even know why I mentioned it now. But no more.

I am proud to be an American (or at least I'm not ashamed)

There's a lot of talk out there about how now is a bad time to travel as an American, because of our government and our reputation as ignorant people. People are so quick to slap on a Canadian flag patch on their bag, before boarding the plane.
That couldn't be more wrong. One should try to hide what they are, really it's only the geographical location one happens to be born in. Nor should an American think that it is a bad time to travel abroad. In fact, it is just the opposite. The fact is, the bar has been set so low, a baby could crawl over it. Yeah, maybe when you first let someone know that you are an American they will assume the worst (most don't). However, it doesn't take much to impress them and change their view of you, and then maybe even their view towards Americans as a whole. In reality, people do base stereotypes of a society on very few encounters or more pathetically-on hearsay.
I have found language to be a very simple way of impressing and also just learning a little about the world around you and not only from an American perspective. But about language, as an American one doesn't have to know much of another language, they just have to try. But nobody is impressed if a German, or anyone else for that matter, is speaking English. Of course they can. It's English.
Really when it comes down to it, don't act like the "ugly american" people expect you to be and nobody will give you trouble. I promise it's not that hard. So I just thought I would share that.

While I'm venting, and sort of on the topic of languages. One thing that bugs me in German is when I hear English words that have a different meaning in German. I'm sure more example will come to me later, but one I can give is "handy", which is a cell phone. Then one can't imagine it would be a different word in English. Understandably, but what dumbass thought of the word in the first place. But then I realized that we have plenty of words like that in English. Like "salsa", it means sauce in Spanish or "gelato" in Italian, it took me a while to realize that it simply means "ice cream", nothing specific. We specify general terms. These things could bug Spanish or Italians. But only the fussy ones like me of course.

I promise I will write about my life soon. It's just that Rebecca and I were talking about these things the other day, so I was thinking about it and I though I'd write about it.

This blog needs to be modified-any suggestions?

I am now writing from the same laptop in a new room, in a new house, in a new family, in a new town, and even a new country (this country being Switzerland). Which is great, however, the title of this blog doesn't really fit. So please tell me what to do about that. I hope this incoherance doesn't keep you from reading.

So let's get to the point and roll another j-. Never mind-song. Once again I have too much to write about. It always happens.

I left Schowalters on the 30th of January. The Saturday before I spent the day shopping with Mirjam and went to see Bee Movie. So that was some good quality time together before I left. That Sunday in church Sonja made me say something to the church. She didn't tell me before which was probably for the better. Public speaking is one thing-but in German...ehhh. O well. Egal. In youth group they did a little going away thing!! So sweet. Well I will put a picture. They even made me a picture book. Awww. The day I left I had a little "kaffee und kuchen" going away thing which turned out really well. I was very pleased. Unfortunatly I didn't plan my time well (story of my life) and I kind of left my room a mess. Which I don't think Schowalters were too happy about, well they wrote me and told me. So I just want to say to them Es tut mir sehr sehr leid!!! I do feel very bad about that. oops. Anyway so then the next week was spent a lot en route.

Wednesday I traveled overnight to Listal where I met Jessica and dropped my huge suitcase off. That worked out really well. Then...I went to Basel airport and hopped on a plane to London. So I went to London. I stayed part of the time with Kate and Ben. Ausralian friends I met at the Hofbrauhaus. I know that sounds slightly ridiculous but it's not. Just have to change your thinking. *cough mom. I sightsaw a lot by myself but then did some with Kate and Ben which was a lot of fun. I even went out with her coworkers and talked after lunch with kate and her boss. Three of the nights I then stayed at the mennonite centre in London. There's a lot to see in that city-like infinite things to do. It drains your money though, i'll tell you what.

A week later I took the plane to Dortmund, then from there I went to the Midterm conference at Thomashof. I thoughoully enjoyed my time there. It nicely organized-i think. Well...okay we went to an opera which I don't really like. But I'm glad I went because I think in order to acheive a "cultured" status one has to see at least one opera. We had a few formal discussion things about culture and stuff which to me is always an interesting topic.

Monday morning I said goodbye to the other trainees and we were all sent off to our new placements. Now I've been here for almost a week. I really like it so far. But it has only been a week. I love my host family so far, although they don't speak ANY english. So communication is not always the best, but I can tell it won't really matter. Except that my host dad Andre is one of those people that knows a lot and like to talk a lot and fast and with a swiss german accent. It's good practice for me, but he has to know that I'm not really understanding everything and I just nod and smile. I'm noticing things here that I missed at Schowalters but didn't really know I was missing, which is good. For example, being nearer to other trainees, good public transportation, and having more of a nanny job than just cleaning. Sarah, the 12 year old with down syndrom has been at camp since I got here so that will be different dynamics when she is here. But I love Simon, the 5 year old who I spent a lot of time this week with. He's incredibly cute. Like how he says "amerita" not amerika. But this week is not a normal week in this canton. While everywhere else in the world mardis gras/faschings/carnival whatever you call it is over. Here it is the monday, tuesday, and wednesday after ash wednesday and here it's called "fasnacht". Everyday there are parades and musik and such. So those three days we went to parardes. It's definatly a unique experience that I didn't even know I would get to experience. The parades consists of marching bands all wearing masks with some theme and then wagons with people also in costumes that give out candy, flowers, oranges and some random things like little toys, tester products, and really random things like leeks, carrots, and potatoes. Really they are more willing to give to kids. But my host mom, Elke and I still left with full bags. The other thing is that the throw out confetti and tons and tons of it. I've never seen so much in my entire life. They even sometimes grab you and rub it in your hair. It was really quite the experience.

This morning I went shopping in Germany, (because its cheaper and we're only 25 minutes away) with Debbie, an intermenno comitee person who also lives nearby. Later we're going to Andre's mom's house and between then, well I've been doing this.

note: i don't know why the spell check isn't working but its not.