You Know You're in Switzerland when...

Yesterday I felt like I was finally Swiss – I even told my host family how Swiss I felt and they laughed and agreed.

Yesterday was the annual Alpabzug event in Plaffien, Fribourg. The event only happens once a year and is a celebration of the farmers and their respective cows coming down from the mountains for the winter. The farmers and farm hands are all dressed in traditional Swiss clothing and the cows are adorned with big flower bouquets on their heads, and traditional cowbells around their necks. I can still hear the ringing of the cowbells in my ears. It was definitely a day for all of the senses – the sight of the traditional outfits, beautiful flowers and hundreds upon hundreds of cows and other farm animals; the sound of the cowbells, the huge crod of people, traditional Swiss music - alphorns, yodeling, Swiss accordions; the smell of cheese, Snapps, fresh bread and cow droppings (yum); the taste of Raclette, pretzel bread and meringues; and the feeling of being so fully immersed in Swiss culture that you almost forget your true nationality (well until someone asks you if you play hockey because you’re Canadian…but more on that later).

I took almost 300 pictures of the event and a few videos as well. It was one of the coolest things I have ever –and probably will ever – seen. To see everyone so proud of their lifestyle and to see how rich and beautiful Swiss culture really is was truly a once in a lifetime experience. It was an even more special experience for me because one of my host sisters, Lara, was coming down from the mountains, so we were able to spend most of the afternoon with her and her “mountain family”. We were in a private room in a restaurant and everyone was singing and dancing to traditional Swiss music that was played by two men with Swiss accordions. I sat there and observed for a long time as it was such a new experience and definitely one that I will hold on to for a long time to come. Everyone in the restaurant kept coming back to peak into our room to see what was going on. When I went upstairs to go to the bathroom, I could still hear the music from downstairs and when I came back, Lara grabbed my hand and said in German “Come now, we’re going to dance!” I had the biggest, goofiest smile on my face the whole time because I was so happy and so embarrassed at the same time - I couldn’t do the dance properly, but at the same time, I didn’t really care. I danced with a few other people throughout the night, and was just as horrible each time. My host family and I walked around the street – which was alive with people partying – for a little while and then went and ate some Swiss ice cream before heading home.

There were farmers selling the “Farmer Calendar” which is like Sports Illustrated but with farmers and animals. People look forward to the new editions all year long and they had the models there to sell them as well.

I am no longer a “Canadian exchange student in Switzerland”, I am now a “Swiss citizen with a Canadian passport” – or at least I like to think of myself that way.

P.S. I got my first Swiss sunburn…who even knew that was possible.