So this time it really has been a while since I've updated everyone on my life and I truly apologize for that! The months of November and December were so busy with school engagements, dinner parties and outings that I completely ignored my blog - so much so that I actually forgot the password to my account. Oops...
I survived Christmas and New Years which are said to be the hardest times for an exchange student. To be honest, it never really felt like holidays were even here. It snowed the weekend before Christmas, but it all melted the Friday before because it was so warm outside...I had my first green Christmas ever (in Switzerland, what is this?!).
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| I was so excited when the snow came! You can take the girl out of Canada, but you can't take the Canada out of the girl (including the Birkenstocks) |
Leading up to Christmas, I received a few packages from home:
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| A beautiful Advent Calendar that my mom quilted stuffed with goodies to look forward to everyday! |
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| So many packages with Christmas presents for me and my host family! |
I also participated in a few Christmas traditions that my host family has. I went with my host dad and host sister to pick out our Christmas tree and cut it down. We walked from our house to a tree nursery in the middle of the forest and looked around for a long time until we found the perfect one!
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| It was critical. |
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| Taadaa! We found one :) |
I also helped my host mom and host sister bake Christmas cookies and we had a lot of fun! My host mom threw flour in my face when we were rolling out the dough and then we took selfies together!
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| Rita and I making cookies! |
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| We are such an attractive bunch! <3 |
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| So schön! |
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| SO CRAZY! |
In Switzerland, Santa Claus doesn't come on Christmas Eve, but instead on the 6th of December. He doesn't bring presents to the children, but instead he brings oranges, nuts and chocolate! He also looks a lot different here and resembles the Pope more than anything! My Rotary Club had a social gathering on December 6th and guess who decided to pay us a visit?!
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| St. Nikolas & his counterpart (but I forget the name...) |
Another thing I really missed this year about Christmas, was the big feast for dinner! Here, Christmas is celebrated on December 24th, so that was really different for me! Christmas Day was nothing here and I slept until 10:30am - WHAT IS THIS - before I Skyped with my family and opened the stocking my mom sent me from home! Although it was a very different Christmas this year, it was one that I will definitely never forget. My host parents gave me a Swiss German - High German dictionary and I don't think I could have received a better gift! It is so helpful and understanding Swiss German is becoming much easier!
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| Our Christmas dinner! Pork Roast wrapped in dough, Polenta and vegetables! |
In between Christmas and New Years, my youngest host sister had her 15th birthday! She really wanted to go skiing, so my host dad, Céline, her friend and I headed to the Alps to go skiing for the day. I thought I knew how to ski until I got to the top of the run looked down and almost peed myself... I did make it down eventually, but it was definitely an interesting day! Nonetheless, I can cross "Skiing in the Swiss Alps" off my bucket list and I'm sure it won't be the last time I'm racing down the slopes this year either!
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| We stuck to the easier runs in the afternoon, but the pure beauty is still astonishing. |
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| Adelboden was the name of the ski hill |
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| Oh, hey there! |
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| When the going gets rough, use your snowboard as a toboggan. |
For New Years, my host family and I headed back up into the Alps! We stayed in a little village called Sigriswil that over looks the Thunersee and is located in the Bernese Oberland. We were visiting a friend of the host family's and some of our other friends met us up there to bring in the new year! It was so much fun and my favourite New Years Eve I've ever had. For the first little while we just sat around and talked and did a lot of relaxing which was really nice. Just before midnight, we walked down to the village centre where there was a big party and celebration. It was complete with a Swiss tradition where some of the village people (not the YMCA singers), walked through the village with humongous bells. It was so cool! Céline and I stayed out pretty late and enjoyed the evening and it was so much funnnn!
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| Lisa - my host dad's Godchild - and I |
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| Céline & I |
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| The view from our house over New Years |
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| ... |
I have also managed to keep myself pretty busy over the past few months and here are a few photos from my adventures!
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| My friend from home, Alyssa, stopped through Switzerland on her European adventure She stayed with my host family and I They took us to eat fondue in Le Gruyère Céline, myself & Alyssa November 30, 2011 |
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| A visit to beautiful Zürich January 4, 2012 |
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| Looking out over Zürich with Emily January 4, 2012 |
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| A visit to the Lindt Chocolate Factory just outside of Zürich December 21, 2011 |
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| Lindt, Lindt, Everywhere December 21, 2011 |
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| Mixing the chocolate at the factory Me, Daniel, Adriana, Morgan and Mark December 21, 2011 |
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| The United Nations in Geneva - Round 2 Caroline, Kelsey, myself and Veronica January 5, 2012 |
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| At the United Nations Caroline, myself and Veronica January 5, 2012 |
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| I wrote my very first letter in German! January 5, 2012 |
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| Fooling around with a few of my classmates during a break from school Elena, Aline, Amy and I December 23, 2011 |
I have also challenged myself to take a photo a day for a year and post the pictures on Facebook! The link to the album is below. Feel free to check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150602757740120.429993.613480119&type=1&l=ad84b375f4
So that's all for now, and I promise not to keep you hanging so long again!
Herzliche Grüsse aus die Schweiz,
<3 Madi
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