Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Grüezi! So Many Trains - The 2nd Entry

Sent: September 7, 2009

Gruezi! So Many Trains - The 2nd Entry

Howdy ya'll,

So so far, alle ist gut in der Schweiz! Oh the babies have taken to me so well and look for me every morning at the base of the stairs. I've taken three small movies with my camera. One of the boys watching their daddy have his OCD ticks, them running out back in diapers and
another at the park. They may be too big to add since they are all like 3 min or so but i'll try. Also pics will be included.

The temperature is still good here. Chilly at night and warm during the day. Libby gave me a couple of her "fat" clothes (all medium - and yes, this is fat to her) to wear and a new pair of "inspiration" pants, size 10 jeans, since I already fit into the size 12 jeans that Rachael's gave me. I've already had one German class, just basic greetings and farewells, where I'm from and what language i speak, kind of stuff. I practice by reading out loud labels, their version of the pennysaver and putting together 2+2 since, surprise!, alot of our words in English (ya'll have no idea how many) came from German because its spelled and means the same. nouns are easy to figure out here, not so much the verbs.

As for adventures, other than going to Herblingen (shopping mall) and Winterthur (classes), I finally traveled to Griefensee (Gree-fen-sea) and Hinwill (Hin-vill), Two small nowhere towns, why? Well, I had a character from Hinwill and i finally wanted to see it. Its the last stop on the S5 train, seriously a village in the mountains. Nothing worth noting until I came home and Alain is like, "did you go to the tower in the mountains and the pirate bar?"

to which i replied, "What tower and pirate bar?!" Why doesn't anyone tell me these things, especially since Alain grew up in Wetzikon (Vet-si-con), the village right before Hinwill. So i'm having another trip there. Now Greifensee was beautiful, its on a huge (i mean it
looks like it never ends) lake and its a sailing, canoeing, cycling, swimming town. I wished i had a bike, none of this psychotic mountainous hills, nice flat mountain trails along the lake to bike.

That day it was raining off and on and i put my most said phrase to good use, "Ich spreche ein bission Deutch" = I speak very little German. Exhausted after hiking a total of five hours, it was pouring, i found a bus stop and it looked like it said that it went to the Bahnhof. I was catching the last bus in this village and when the driver went to the last stop and opened the door for me to get off, i went up to him and said my coined phrase followed by, "bahnhof, ja?" he figured out that i was not from there and smiled, apparently it was not far since he took me to the bahnhof, i jumped off the bus saying, "Vielen Danke!!" which meant, "Thank you so very much!"

Friday night i went wandering into town to the Rhine. Today (Sunday) we all went to Konstanz, Germany to an aquarium. Its was the boy's first time and maybe not the best choice for them. they were PETRIFIED of the fishies. and on our hands were the whiniest, scaredy cats ever.
Silly things. Thank goodness we didn't go to the petting zoo with Priska and Marco (canceled due to car trouble), those boys would be screaming and shaking in their shoes! Ah, they'll get over it. On the way back, we went to Stein am Rhine to the Schloss (castle) on the top of the mountain since i never got the chance to and its a good few hour hike up the damn mountain (i'm referring to the day i came back in January. Today we just grove). The view is breathtaking, especially
on a clear sunny day. I am returning to Stein am Rhine for the museums and i want to tour the Schloss. Libby and i want to come early one sat morning and jog the numerous mountain trails on the way to the Schloss.

Sarah, the Indian neighbor gave me half a Kewpit ( i think that's how its spelled), its like a pumpkin that she grew in her garden and in her broken English, she said that she heard i baked. I tasted the flesh and inspired by its mild sweetness, i baked two loves of bread with a homemade glaze. The first loaf disappeared within a day and i gave half of the other loaf to Sarah. She is bugging me for this recipe so i got to sit down and convert it all to Metric. :)

Okay, picture time! beware these are only from the point and shoot. Finally.


1. WC in Oerlikon Bahnhof. (i was waiting for my connection) It was
literally the size of a closet.


2. Boys at park


3. View from Stein am Rhine's Schloss at the top of the mountain.

4. Karaoke at Priska's


gute Nacht,

Rebekah

Grüezi! Kissies - The First Entry

Okay, so I decided to back log my email as entries here. I figure, why not?
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SENT: AUGUST 31, 2009

gruezi! Kissies - the first entry


Howdy ya'll,

as promised, an email! Well since i am writing i obviously made it to Switzerland in one piece, luggage included! Unlike last time when a piece was lost. Did have way too much drama at the airport but that was handled efficiently. Its a big difference coming here in the late Summer with so many people in the airport and more people out and about. Its so beautiful here with the roses and flowers in every flower box and garden. Including Libby's, I spent Saturday pruning the
roses since she doesn't like the thorns. The boys are very handy helpers and picked up the clippings for me.

I flew with United this time and the only perk was that i didn't have to pick my luggage up in DC on the way to Switzerland but in comparison to AirCanada, it was 3 out of 5 stars.

Cons: less legroom, food was mediocre, crappy entertainment system with inability to choose what you want to watch, barely any attention from the stewardesses after the lights went out. And panel of the plane inside the cabin fell off and hit the lady next to me. Seriously, it was very nerving.

Pros: Didn't need to go through customs on the way, and more bathrooms.

I had the vegetarian meal (which i normally do on a plane since i don;t want to hit the bathroom often) and it was very good. I heard nothing but complaints about the meat dish so i was happy i didn't get the turkey. Of course i had to have the super talkative person next to me but in the morning a 12month old wanted to look out the window and her mommy asked me if it was ok for me to hold her. The baby girl was adorable, she loved the clouds.

The boys are huge and adorable! They don't do hugs but they will give you kisses and unlike last time, they actually come to you! Libby is so happy that the boys are taking to me. Of course they love their sausages and yogurt, still can't live with "blankie" but they can eat with their utensils, they can tell you when they are going to the bathroom, they nod = yes, they can get their shoes, assist you with putting on their clothes, hold hands when out walking, do handstands and rollovers, and let you know when they are hungry. They haven't expanded their vocabulary too much, added "ababba" for drink and that's about it. but they are very vocal now with other people but they still speak to each other constantly in their own special language. Aidan sings and Raffie dances.

Day one, to Winterthur to sign up for my German classes which i will start tomorrow (Monday), a little bit of window shopping and some food shopping. Friday was they big shopping day to Germany, this time instead of going to the other border near Singen, Germany we stayed in
the Kanton of Schaffhausen and went to the border here. One of the buses here goes to that shopping center since the village of Burlingen (within Schaffhausen) actually belongs to Germany, so it has Schaffhausen transit to take the folk of Burlingen to go shopping.

There is a Lida (like an Aldi), DM (like a Walgreens), a "dollar store" and i can't remember the other place. Then we went into town for a little bit where we picked up a cell phone to use while I'm here. So i have my own Swiss number! but it seems weird having a phone with no one to call. Its just for us to be able to get a hold of each other since i am going to be out and about alot on my own.

Saturday, we went to Jumbo (like a cross between Michael's and Lowes) to get me a plug adapter for my laptop. Mainly played with the boys and Today we had breakfast together and then we went to Priska's for dinner and sang karaoke. Raffie held the microphone and was singing.
(It was more lake "wawawaaawawaaa" but absolutely adorable to witness!) She's letting me borrow an extra pair of roller blades (we wear the same size) to practice on since she wants me to join them when they go out. Libby's happy to have a running partner and we run up the road to the forest that houses the hospital which is well lit at night. Running here is nothing like running back in Florida; higher altitude, hills galore, perfect weather where you are not dying of heat and lovely scenery.

LOL, Priska's cat, Sonne, broke my sunglasses and it also likes to attack toes. I'm heading into Winterthur and hour early tomorrow to buy glasses, they have a C&A and a Claires and it will be less expensive than going to a MANOR or a H&M here. Right now there is so many summer sales! I'm waiting for H&M to have one since i loved shopping there. I baked biscuits for breakfast and honey soaked cakes for dinner Friday.

Anyway, currently, Libby and I are eating jelly filled wheat croquettes while waiting Wurthering Heights on the Italian TV station. Almost time for bed. I'm getting my railway and buss passes tomorrow!

TTYL,

Rebekah

ps: i will have pics next time.