I'll Give This A Go...

Half of me feels like writing the other half not. So we'll see which one wins...
On Wednesday, the trampoline finally got put out for the summer. The kids have spent a ridiculous amount of time on it since then. I have inevitably too. It's a good way to use their energy. I get some pleasure out of it as well, although my attention span is shorter.
Switzerland just scored against Portugal, who's perhaps taking it easy on them. But still impressive. Not the Switzerland has a chance to advance at this point but they could gain some pride or whatever the word is I'm looking for. It's not like they were expected to do good but as the hosting country you could hope they could win something.
They played on Sunday against Turkey. Unfortunately they lost that one. I enjoyed watching it though. Martina, a Swiss girl I met the one night out with Katie, picked me up at the train station and we watched it in Liestal. Her boyfriend is part of some club or something that organized this viewing in some parking lot. It wasn't crazy like the city, maybe 100 people. It was a good crowd though, all people about my age. Martina's really cool and plus she complimented me several times how impressed she was with my German. That always makes me feel good.
On Saturday Rebecca and I were invited to visit Jessica, a girl who lives in France, who we knew through Rebecca's youth group. She's half American so her English is perfect and her French, and her German for that matter. Ugh jealous. Anyways, she lives in Mulhouse but on the weekend we were at her parent's farm. We had a barbecue with two married couple French friends of hers. Which was nice to hear them speak French to each other and to know that I can still understand it enough.
Her mom is from Pennsylvania around the same area that my mom is from. She wouldn't have had to tell me though for me to know that. I realized it's such a distinct Mennonite population especially in that generation and the ones before. She reminds exactly like any one of my great aunts on that side with how she was. Being "disgusted" at things and speaking with a strong PA accent, saying a "gl-ay-ass of woo-ter." I just found it interesting how distinct it really is. Weird. I enjoyed my weekend.
I think I'm off to bed now so I can wake up feeling refreshed for the work week.

My Weekend blogged.

I was randomly reading a magazine, actually I think in the bathroom at Schowalters, anyways, this Christian Family Magazine. There's this section where people submit funny quotes from their kids I've only read a couple. The quote was something to the effect that this kid could not understand why his kindergarten teacher needed a break since playing with kids isn't actually work. It hit me then and this weekend especially that kids really can't fathom that playing with them is in some or many ways work.
I basically stayed at home this weekend and the whole time the kids wanted to play or just be with me watching TV or in my room. It made me slightly crazy.
We didn't end up having an official breakfast or lunch on Saturday and there was a reason for that. We were invited for dinner to the neighbor's, Gabor's birthday party. Him and his wife are in their sixties. Two other neighbor families were there as well. He's quite funny actually, filling our wine glasses as fast a we could drink it and the word "small" meant nothing when it came to portions of food. I ate a piece of pork fillet then he asked if I wanted a chicken leg. I though sure I could eat a drumstick. I end up with a half a chicken on my plate. For dessert we had chocolate mousse, then there was still cake! I was stuffed.
I really did enjoy the good food and the company of the night however.
Elke came down with bad cold this weekend so we didn't go to church on Sunday. I decided that night it was time to get out of the house and go watch some football in Basel. I was really curious how it is there with the "fan-zones" they have set up. It really takes me that extra push to go out by myself. I did though. In Liestal in mid-run from the bus to the train I see Rich. That was a surprise since I thought went back to the UK on Monday. Now he's back since the flat he wanted didn't work out. It was a pleasant surprise though since now I have someone to watch the games with.
So that made me happy enough, plus the prospect of an enjoyable evening of me, my mp3 player, football, basel, and good enough weather. Unfortunately, thanks to this african douchebag that followed me out of the train, and me being to nice than to tell him to "piss off" my otherwise pleasant evening, well wasn't. I can't understand why are African men here so desperate and forward. It's so pathetic. I woudn't even dare generalize like that except that this is like the forth time I've run into it this this year. Every african man I have talked to this year. I hate to even generalize Africa and you really can't in any other way. But I'm curious, from a cultural standpoint, to know where they learn to act in such ways. Sorry, I was just really annoyed yesterday.
Anyways Germany beat Poland 2-0....

Early Saturday Morning Post

Ok, well it's not that early, it's 9:50. But Saturday are typically eating breakfast as a family days. Which is actually more like brunch since it's always late. It's annoying because typically I can't sleep in when I'm used to getting earlier. I almost always wake up like a couple minutes before my alarm clock because my body is smart like that. Today I did pretty well, sleeping in till 9:30. I went straight for the computer, my room is still dark since I didn't even bother to put the roller's up. If you don't know what those are then you've never been to Switzerland or maybe you do know...Even if I did open them there I doubt there is much sun to be seen. My little MSN today weather thing says today is a high of 12 degrees and a low of 12 degress, with a cloud and rain next to it, not so different from the rest of this week.
The work week was alright. I spent quite a bit of time playing with Sarah. I enjoy playing with her, but for short amounts of time and the less pretend the better. We almost always play doctor. I normally like when I'm the patient and I just lay there, but not when she wants me to make birthing noises for 10 minutes. "MACH!" she always says, ugh..."Ich will nicht." Once I'm healthy again then I have to be the doctor or "Krankenhaus"(which actually means 'hospital') She means 'Krankenschwester', a nurse. She just dictates everything I'm suposed to do and I don't always understand what she means and then she gets annoyed. I laugh.
I normally spend most of my time with Simon and Sarah. Yesterday Simon was at a friends house and Sarah has school till 4:30. Elke and her mom were shopping the whole day in Germany. I ironed the whole morning. I then made lunch for Tim and Andre. In the afternoon Tim asked if I wanted to go bike riding with him. He normally does things with friends and I'm with the other two. So we went bike riding in the woods and went to Volg and bought chocolate. It was still rainy and cool though. We went back and watched an episode of Zack and Cody till Sarah got home.
I don't really have anything planned this weekend. I'm invited to go with the family to a neighbor's birthday party this afternoon. Unfortunately, the party is at the exact same time that the kick off of the European Cup begins, in Basel. Which is a pretty big event. The countdown sign and the train stations, that have been up for over a year are finally down to just hours. The city will be crazy with partys despite the weather. I would love to be there as well, but I don't have anyone to go with me. Makes me a little sad, especially since before I had Katie and then Rich, a 10 minute walk away. They're both gone now.
I'm gonna get take a shower now, or at least after I listen to my bbc Friday night pub quiz podcast. It's funny.

Playing with fire

Friday I went along with Geigers to a kid's circus in the neighboring village. I don't think they could do some of the things they did in the states with the kids, for example dipping their hands in gas or alcohol then lighting them on fire! It's better when people don't have to be so strict about those things. It was cute in any case.
Saturday I went to the flea market in Zurich for the second time around. Rebecca wanted to go so we went. I love the flea market there, if I didn't mention that before. It has nice things, unlike the ones in the US. I like Zurich aw well, although I'm not supossed to say that being from Basel. They kind of have this rivalry that started I suppose with football, but I'm not exactly sure. Some people there are minted though. I've seen more bentleys and ferraris there than I've ever seen in my life. In Zurich you can also rent bikes there for free. We wanted to do that, but you have to put down 20 bucks and an ID card. I'm half to blame for forgetting my swiss "foreigner id card" and I blame the rest on the dumb man that wouldn't accept my drivers license as an acceptable form of id. So that kind of sucked.
Monday was a rather pleasant working day for me. I ironed in the morning then spent the rest of the day with Simon, bike riding, playing computer, and dancing. It was just me and him for lunch as well and he wanted me to make "my pancakes" for him, that I had made Friday night. My parents brought a box of hungry jack pancake mix for me and syrup. Comfort food :) The kids really liked them as well. But Simon said the syrup is too sweet so instead he eats them with a pile of sugar on top. Really.
Today I cleaned. When I visited Schowalters, Nikki said she will never clean "like a German." I have to agree with that. Generalisations are not something I like to make, but I'm gonna go with it anyway. I cleaned things this entire year that I would never think to clean myself. For example, doors, the rim between the floor and the wall, and the indents on the buttons on the oven (with a toothpick!). I also think a lot of time and energy would be saved if they just took all the calcium out of the water. So much time is spent getting rid of it. I guess the vinegar lobby is strong in Germany and Switzerland. I dunno...
The weather has been pretty pathetic here. It's been cool, rainy, then a bit of sun and hotness, then windy. I'm not a fan. I'm trying to talk to my dad on Skype now and type this and I seem to be incapable of doing both.

Driving Around the Place

My parents visit came and went so fast. I really enjoyed it, although the beginning stated out a bit rough. The time at Geigers was fine. But Paris, although overall enjoyable had some rough patches. Jessica one month ago had also done some traveling with her parents. She said the first few days she was really moody with them. Then she got used to them. That was her, but I will just be too happy that I won't get like that. Somehow I did. Partly based on the circumstances of the horrible hotel and the ignorant people running it, the other was just me being critical. It just took some getting used to. Maybe part of the reason is, family is really the only people I can truely let all my frustration out in perhaps not always the most mature ways. So they got nine months of things I had pushed aside dumped out on them. Really my attitude only lasted a day and a half. Then I was fine. Our trip ended up being two nights in each place-Paris, Netherlands (staying with a friend my dad worked with in Burkina Faso, and his family), Zwickau, Germany(with my former host mom's brother), then back to Dorndorf for the weekend. From each of those places we made a day trips to Keukenhof(where all the tulips are), Dresden and Munich. I loved being back at Schowalters. I really love that family. It was good to have Nikki there as well to be with.

Sunday night we were back in Lupsingen. Monday was a holiday, Pentecost, so I had off. My parents and I drove to Vevey to visit friends of my moms from when she lived in Haiti. I remembered them since they visited us in Burkina. They live by lake Geneva. I didn't know it would be so pretty. We took the boat to a castle, toured that, then walked along the lake through Montreux. My parents stayed there a night, then went to Geneva for a night. I took the train home Monday and was back to work on Tuesday. I spent a couple hours every day last week on the latest project of collecting stones in the yard. Geigers are redoing? thier yard and now it's just dirt. They have to take a machine over it, so there can be too many rocks. I hate the job because it is seemingly endless. I could work in one spot for an hour and still not guarantee that there are no stones there. It's still not finished-I don't actually see an end to it, so I will be confronted with this job again. Hopefully not too much more of it.
I was happy when Friday came and had to catch a bus at 16:20 to get to the trainee spring retreat for the German and Swiss trainees. Unlike the majority of them, who spent half the day traveling. I was there in less than an hour. It was at some salvation army house, slightly isolated, that is used for these type of gatherings. It was good to see them all again. I did kind of like the fact that I didn't have to be so far from home. Saturday we spent most of the day in Basel, doing as it unfortunately turned out to be, a non-competitive scavenger hunt, as well as some shopping. Sunday we went to Debbie's church, then had our lunch there.
Jessica stayed overnight at Debbie's Sunday night for a meeting, then came over to Geigers before lunch. That made my work day very pleasant. She and I(i just realized writing this that out loud I would say "me and her", although I don't personally care) played with the kids most of the afternoon. I love it when we can be with the kids together. I'm glad she loved it here so much that she keeps finding ways to come back. At night, the neighbors, Rudy and Monica came over and visited. They're good friends with my host parents so I'm getting to know them pretty good. They're really nice people as well as their two daughters that are often around as well.
Jessica and I ended up staying up late talking as we always do. Surprisingly though I didn't feel that tired today although it's beginning to set in.
Elke's mom is here now till the end of June for a visit. Obviously a very extended one, which is normal for her. It makes things a little different around here. For example I do less dishes, but then I also am more likely to stay home when they both go shopping. Oh well. Anyways she's nice just like Elke, they are actually so much alike.
Anyways, I think my ramblings are done for the day.

Laufen in Lupsingen

Last weekend I went to Jessica's placement in Germany, near Worms. It was her birthday so we went shopping, to a movie, and then out to eat. Her host family had "kaffee and kuchen" for her on Sunday.
This weeks work came a little more difficult than usual. I think it's because I'm looking forward to my parents visit coming this Thusday!! I'm excited. I can't believe I'm gonna see them again after 9 months!
Nearly every evening this week I went over to Katies and hung out there. Thursday night I did go to youth group here. It's only the second time that I've been. It's so hard there because it's always in swiss german and I really don't understand it well. Actually there wasn't even a bible study we just prayed nearly the whole time. I think I dosed off a couple times. I do like the people. It's more the language thing than anything.
Katie left early this morning to travel a bit more in Europe then back to States. I will miss her and my shirt that I forgot to get back from her. It was since she was leaving that I thought I'd see her when I could last week. On Tuesday, the woman she lived with, son came over from England and is here till he feels like going back.
Today was the "Lupsingen Lauf" aka run. It's mostly for the kids but adults can run in it too. They run about 2 km, then later go to the gym to get prizes and have food and drink. I watched some of the event, then checked out the prize giveaway with Rich, the guy from england. It was a little humorous when I was buying ice cream. Rich was standing next to me. The lady thought he was standing in line too and he said in English, no I'm just waiting. She then said something in English, then the other lady selling ice cream as well. I heard 2 more comments in English from behind me. I just had to laugh how excited they got to use their English. I never speak English otherwise so it doesn't happen. Today was perfect spring weather. We haven't had much of it yet. So I couldn't get enough of it today.

Um um um...

The weather was gross all this past week. So when it came to the weekend I kind of had to force myself to be active. But it turned out fine. Luckily the weather was also better. Friday night I met up with Katy, the girl from Minnesota. On Saturday we decided to go to Zürich since she only has to weeks left in Switzerland she though she should get around a bit. I enjoyed the day. The highlight of it being a flea market. It was pretty cool, actually. Better than the flea markets in the states, like you can find some pretty good souvenirs there. They have swiss army knives by the dozen. And I just remembered while writing this that I wanted to visit those Mennonite things in Zürich. Oops I forgot. There is something there, I think, and I do want to. That night we decided to go into Basel. We started talking to these people on the train there who were going to some funk/jazz club. Since we didn't have any specific direction it worked out well. Meeting people on public transportation is working out really well. Another advantage of it.
Sunday, I assumed I would go to church, I've only been to Elke's like twice. But Andre and the boys went to a car race and she didn't go. So the day was pretty lazy for me. I also wanted to go to an FCB game with Debbie but she was sick. I guess I won't make it to one at all. Not that I still couldn't have gone by myself. I just didn't really feel like going alone. O well. I did go for a walk in the evening and then we went out to eat for supper.
Today I did my usual tasks of vacuming, mopping, ironing, picking Simon up, and going for a walk with Simon and Sarah. I don't really enjoy walking with them when they have bikes or scooters and I'm on foot. It's hard to control them. I was over at Katy's for a couple hours this evening. I am really glad we met.