SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR THE EXTREME LENTH OF THIS POST. IF YOU MAKE IT TO THE END, YOU ARE A TRUE CHAMPION.

I apologize for being so MIA the last week or so, but I have been extremely busy - but a fun busy of course! I'll try my best to catch you up on my day's happenings! 

Tuesday, although still sore from my Alps adventure, I trekked into Basel for the first day of my German language course. I felt so independent using the public transit system in a foreign country all by myself. And the public transit here is NOT as easy as it looks. To get to one location, I have to take 3 different modes of transportation, and make sure I don't miss any connections and yadda yadda. Anyways, Tuesday was my first day at my language class in Basel and it was my first time actually meeting some of the other exchange students (not just through texting and Facebook and Skype). Meeting everyone made this experience that much more real and it was really fun to interact with everyone. There are eight of us in the course - me, repping Canada hard all by my lonesome, one Finnish boy (Juuso was quickly nickname Juu-Juubyy because it is much easier to remember and pronounce), Marena from Ecuador, Rocio from Peru and Larry, Anna, Caroline and Kourtnie from the USA. So far we have only learned the basics but everyone has to start somewhere, eh?

After language class on Tuesday, I met up with a bunch of other exchange students (the oldies) from New Zealand and Australia (they are called oldies because they have been in Switzerland since February because of their school year). We met at the train station and then travelled into Basel so we could participate in the Basel Rhinschwimm which is an event where people jump into the Rhine and "swim" (more like float) down the Rhine for 1.5km. We were all speaking English while we were in the Rhine and people kept asking where we were from and what we were doing in Switzerland which was pretty cool. The whole evening was really fun because I was able to get advice from people that have been through what a of us "newbies" are experiencing and I was able to ask tons of questions and get legitimate answers from experience. We noticed people were walking around with medals around their necks and we obviously wanted one too so we went on a hunt to find them and now we are all gold medal holders, haha. We had a cute little Migros picnic (Migros is a grocery store) because exchange students are like college students - poor and unable to afford nice sit down dinners. Myself and 2 other exchange students had to get back home so we left everyone else at the Rhine and headed home on the slowest freaking train possible. 

On Wednesday I had language class again in Basel and made the almost 2 hour trek yet again. After language class I had to go straight home because my host parents were taking me to my school so that they could show me the way by public transit. When I got back to the apartment, my host dad drove the route of the bus and showed me where to get on and where to get off and where to transfer to the train and where the train stops and yadda yadda, you get the idea. On the way home, we stopped at a house and when we got out he said to me in English "This is your new home." I was scared for a second because I thought he was kicking me out, but he wasn't, we were just going to visit my third host family and pick up my GA (a transit pass that lets me travel through all of Switzerland for FREE - that's what's up!). My third host family lives in another village in a house that is in the Jura (the mountain range that goes from Geneva to Germany). They have 2 children who are in their 20's so when I live with them I'll be an only child. Both the mom and dad speak perfect English but by the time I live with them, I hope to speak perfect German (keep your fingers crossed for me). They also told me that in March we will be going to Austria for a week to go skiing and I am super excited for that! 

On Thursday I had my first day of school...yes, school. And if going to school in a foreign country where everyone speaks a foreign language and where you don't know anyone or anything isn't enough, try waking up at 5AM to get there. My school here starts at 7:35 and I have to take 2 buses and a train to get there, so my mornings start very early. I have never been more nervous and full of anxiety than I was on Thursday morning on my way to school. I am normally a very social person, but when I don't speak the language and am the new kid, going to school is VERY overwhelming. When I finally got to school, the nerves in my body were so crazy that I honestly just wanted to run, hide and cry. I even found myself questioning why I did this whole thing in the first place. But then I remembered that this exchange is something I have wanted to do for a very long time and that in the end, experiences like the one I was I having would be something to laugh about in the future and would make me a better and stronger person later in life. So with that, I picked myself back up and wandered the school completely and utterly lost. The school is very confusing because there are 4 levels in the main building and 2 other buildings outside. I had to go to D16 to meet the Secretary who was going to direct me to where I was supposed to go, but unbeknownst to me the rooms are numbered based on floors (so 09 is on the main level and 19 is on the second level, etc). I was so lost and feeling extremely anxious and there was no one in the halls that I could ask and I didn't know what to do with myself. I wandered around for a little while until I saw a man walking the hall and in my broken (very, very broken) German, I asked him to help me find the room. He started talking to me in German and I just gave him a blank stare because I had no idea what he was saying at all. Then I recognized the words "up the stairs, left and right" and I felt so relieved! I said thank you to him (in German of course) and hurried to the Secretary's office. When I got there, 2 of my exchange friends were already there and were being taken to their classes. I was so nervous and the Secretary told me to sit down and she would be back for me. As I sat there, I nervously fiddled with anything I could and every thought possible was running through my head. Before the Secretary came back, the Headmaster of the school came up to me and started talking to me in English (thank gooodnessss). He took me on a tour of the school and explained to me how things worked and told me that the school has almost 2200 students (pretty much 3 times the size of Ancaster High). During the tour, everyone stared and gawked because I was the "new kid" who was being shown around by the principal. This was such a weird feeling for me because I have never experienced anything like that before. He took me to me class - music (seriously, really, what the hell!) - and introduced me to the teacher. As the students started to come into the classroom, they all stared at me and whispered to each other and I'm pretty sure my face went redder than it ever has before. I sat down beside 2 girls who introduced themselves to me (in English!) and one girl, Melissa, told me that she has always wanted to go to Canada and asked me if the heat was something new to me - I can't even count how many people have asked me if Canada was cold when I left and I guess everyone is learning something new! Music class was so difficult because not only is it taught in a foreign language, it itself is a foreign language. I don't know why I was put in a music class because all of these kids have been playing instruments for a very long time and are very advanced (I asked to change the class and thankfully the Secretary said that it was ok and I could go to art instead). My music teacher was very nice though and he tried to explain everything to me in English after he put the class to work. He even told me that his wife was a Rotary Exchange Student to Canada 15 years ago. I asked him where she went and when he didn't know, he called her to ask! So funny! Turns out she was in Sault Ste Marie. 

After class I followed the students into the hallway and stood there awkwardly as everyone stared at me again. Then 2 boys from my class told me to come with them, so I did. They took me to my next class, English (thank the lorddddd!) and once again I sat there awkwardly. I sat there, in the front row (like the biggest nerd in the world) for what seemed like forever until a boy came and sat beside me and started talking to me. At that point the anxiety had subsided a bit and I finally was able to breathe a little bit easier. When I introduced myself to my English teacher, pure joy spread across his face. He was so excited to have a "native speaker" in the class and asked if I could be his "assistant" for the year and help the other students when they were having difficulty. Such a big task, but one that I am happy to help with because hopefully it will help me make friends faster (and learn a little German as well). My teacher made me do a 3 minute presentation in front of the class about who I was and where I'm from and thank goodness I was allowed to do it in English. Everyone here speaks really good English but they deny how good they are and say that they "only learned it in school, so they aren't that good" to which I reply with an eye roll and "whatever". English class was good because I understood everything (for the first time since I've been here) and the teacher asked me to explain a few things as well. 

After English class, I walked outside the school to see if I could find the other exchange students so that we could all travel to Basel for language class together. I wandered around for a little bit until I saw 2 people and a bike in the distance. I walked towards them and realized that they were my friends (thank goooooodnesss). When we met up, they told me that they were looking for Caroline's house so that she could drop off her bike before we headed to the train station. The thing is, Caroline couldn't exactly remember where her house was, or how to get there or what the address was. We were officially lost in a foreign country (checked that off my bucket list). After wandering around for a while, Caroline remembered that she had her address in her bag. We took it out and in broken German, asked a few people if they knew where the house was. And of course, they replied in German - very fast German - so we nodded our heads, said thank you and walked away with no real idea of where were supposed to go. So we wandered around some more when Caroline recognized the van driving towards us. Her host mom had come looking for her - sooooo adorable. We all got in the car and her host mom drove us to her house to drop off the bike and then drove us to the station so we could catch our train to Basel. 

After having a day of school in a foreign language and then going to class for that foreign language, I had the BIGGEST headache I have ever had. I think it's because I have to concentrate that much harder and pay attention that much more intensively hoping to understand just one word every 10 minutes! I get home around 6:45 every day and I am so tired when I get home it is incredible. 

Yesterday (Friday), was the same as the day before. School, school and more schoooool, then some language school and then a trek and half home. When I got home from school yesterday, we had a visit from Tommy and Andrea who live in the apartment building behind us. Even though I don't understand everything, I still sit outside with my family and pay attention to the conversation. I have to say that I understand a heck of a lot more now than I did when I arrived here. I can usually walk away understanding the gist of the conversation. I study body language and hand gestures a lot as well, which is really helpful in helping me to understand. 

Today was another amazing Saturday in Switzerland. I woke up at 11 (so late, and I felt so bad), had some breakfast and talked in the kitchen with my host mom for a little while. I went into my room to clean it up and read my book but instead, I fell asleep on my bed. Clearly, my daily adventures make me exhausted. When I woke up from my afternoon siesta it was almost 2 in the afternoon (ooooppppss!), but it was time for the fun to begin. My host mom and host sister and I were going to the Burgaschisee (a glacial lake really close to our house) for the afternoon. The lake was packed and there were a ton of people, but the the water was really warm and the sun was really hot. The water in the lake is green, not blue, but it is extremely clear. My host mom explained to me that the water is green because it was once a glacier millions of years ago but that they do tests regularly and the water is really healthy for the skin. There was an anchored raft in the water that moves when you stand on it depending on the weight distribution. My host sister and I were playing on the raft for a long time and were the oldest ones by a long shot - but hey, kids will be kids will be kids. She kept pushing me off and laughing and then I would chase her and splash water and then push her off and laugh. It was so much fun and it proved that even though there may be a small language barrier (and I say small because she can speak English better than I can speak German), we can still have fun and be friends. 

When we got home from the beach, we had dinner (corn and steak, yummmm) and I practiced my German with my host family. It is no where near perfect, but it is getting better than when I arrived two weeks ago. I also Skyped with my family tonight and it was so amazing to hear their voices and see their faces again! It's only been two weeks, but when you are constantly doing something and are always occupied, you never forget about them but sometimes you forget what they sound like. 

Tomorrow I have a Welcome Meeting with other exchange students and will be meeting my counsellor for the first time. I am really excited to meet the other exchange students in person! We are going swimming in Bern after the meeting and I can't wait! 

I apologize for the length of this post, but I want to keep all of you updated on my adventures in as much detail as I can! If you read this far, congrats, I love you. I'll try to update more often, instead of in one big post, but I am so busy with school and language classes, but I will try my hardest - promise! 

Until next time,

Madi

xoxo <3

The Burgaschisee

Me and Larry (from Oklahoma) waiting for the Tram after language class

ps. check out my YouTube channel (fromcanadatoswitzerland) for videos of my adventure in the Swiss Alps!

Welcome to Switzerland...Let's climb the Alps!

Wow, where to begin.

Yesterday morning I began a once in a lifetime journey that was truly incredible.

My host family has 4 daughters. Two of them live at home, one in Olten and another in the Alps as a shepherdess. Yesterday was Lara's birthday - the daughter who lives in the Alps - so my host family and I went to visit. And by visit, I mean hike up the Alps, which are the steepest mountains I have ever seen. We hiked up for 2 hours and then down on the other side for 30 minutes until we got to the house. The party had already started and there were about 20 others already there. There was a Swiss accordion and everyone was singing songs and dancing and have a fantastic time. It was truly incredible...except that I didn't understand a thing.... The language barrier is really frustrating right now, but I hope that there won't be one at all in a little while!

When I think of Switzerland, I think of the Alps, yodelling, sheep, cows and cheese. And man did I ever experience the real Swiss life. I was so lucky to have gotten to do this because as my family kept saying, it is not something a tourist would get to experience - ever. My legs still feel like jelly and my clothes are still covered in mud, but it was such a crazy 2 days! I wish I could post more, but my brain isn't thinking right now. I am uploading videos of the trip to YouTube right now and am putting pictures on Facebook - so hopefully they can speak for themselves!

I start language classes tomorrow and then start real school on Thursday, so this is bound to be a busy week! I am nervous but excited and get to meet other exchange students for the first time tomorrow!

I will keep you all updated, but until then, Adio!

xoxo,
Madi <3

A typical Friday in Harkingen

Yesterday (Friday), was a whole lot of fun! In the morning my host family and I lazied around; but for some reason being lazy in Switzerland is more fun than being lazy in Canada, why, I don't know, it just is. I went shopping with my host mom for groceries for lunch mid-afternoon. After lunch, I asked my host parents if I could take one of their bicycles for a little bit and obviously they said yes :)

I went exploring through the village (and surrounding villages) for almost 2 hours. I got lost a few times, but I was able to find my way around eventually. The villages in Switzerland are breathtaking and so different from the Canadian countryside. I took a couple videos, but for some reason YouTube won't let me upload them - but I'll try again later.

Upon my return from my bike ride my host mom told me to get ready to go out because this weekend the village of Harkingen has it's annual festival. I spent the beginning of the night with my host parents and their friends until later when my host sister Natalie came from work and I spent the night with her and her friends. Most of her friends speak English, so it was fun spending the evening with them because we could communicate. They made fun of my accent when I spoke in German and they kept trying to get me to take the "test". They make all new comers take the "test" which is to say kitchen cabinet in Swiss German. But the word is a lot of guttural and throat noises and I can't do it, so they all just laugh. But I told them I'd report back in 10 months and have it perfect (fingers crossed everyone!). The village festival was really fun because unlike at home, there are not drunk teenagers roaming the streets and making fools of themselves because they are legally allowed to drink and know how to handle their alcohol.

My host sister and I got home around 12:30 and went straight to bed, but we both woke up around 4am when my host parents came home. My host dad, Ernst, had sliced his hand open on a glass at the festival so they were about to go to the hospital when they got home and just wanted to let us know. He had to get stitches and his hand is all wrapped up. So grosssss.

This morning has been pretty relaxed and my host mom and I went over all of the information for my school and my german classes. My host dad is still sleeping because he had a pretty rough night....

This afternoon I'm meeting my host sister in Olten and we are meeting up with some of her friends for the evening and then we are going back to the village festival again tonight!

Should be a good day, and I'll keep you all posted on everything!

xoxo,
Madi








P.S. Early tomorrow morning my family and I are headed to the Alps for the night so I won't be posting again until Tuesday!

Bus, Zug und Tram!

Today my host mom, Rita, and I ventured into Basel so that she could show me the way to the language camp that I start on Tuesday. It is about an hour and half commute and I have to take a bus, a train and a tram (streetcar) to get there. 

Basel is the northern most city in Switzerland and Germany is on the other side. It is a beautiful city full of old buildings and bustling with people. I can't wait to explore Basel more with my exchange friends next week! On our way back from Basel, we stopped at a small cafe to grab a drink because it was so hot outside. And guess what...to use the bathroom, you need a code. So crazy. 

My host dad, Ernst, and one of my host sisters, Celine, met us in Olten and we toured yet another beautiful city! I am almost positive that there are no "ugly" places in Switzerland. We stopped for dinner at an outdoor restaurant and had the most delicious burgers ever. Sorry Dad, but you've been upstaged and outdone. Over dinner my family and I talked about the differences between Canada and Switzerland - like how you don't tip the wait staff here and how the money grows in size as the denominations get larger. They are just as interested in Canada as I am in Switzerland - it's like we were meant for each other. :P

Looking out over the bridge at the city of Olten

The view from the Restaurant in Olten

When we got home from our adventure my host dad and I sat out on the balcony and he tested my german with the flash cards I had. He was so excited because he is "able to learn English at the same time!" All night I've been learning High German (the dialect spoken in Germany) and Swiss German (the dialect spoken here). It is so fun, but I swear no one can understand me because I can't pronounce anything properly. My host mom keeps assuring me that it will come with time. I hope you're right Rita, I hope you're right! 

I also had my first Tim Horton's in a long time tonight (well since I've been here) and it tasted even better than at home. I also brought maple tea with me and my host family is loving it which makes me happy! 

It's getting late here and Im still a little bit jet lagged, so I'm off to bed! 

Talk to you all later!

xoxo, 

Madi

Mein Tage

I forgot to mention in my earlier blogs what was on my desk when I first arrived at my host family's house...

Translation: 

Dear Madi, Welcome to Switzerland

So adorable and it definitely made me feel at home right away! 

Anyways, on to my day!

I woke up this morning to the sound of dogs barking - a very familiar and welcomed noise! My host family doesn't have any dogs, so it has been a big change from having 3 around me all of the time. I keep looking for them and from what I've been told, they are looking for me too!

When I got up to go to the bathroom, only my host mom was awake and she showed me where all of the breakfast food was because I didn't eat breakfast yesterday. She told me to make myself at home when I wake up in the morning and to take whatever I want. I even had my FIRST glass of milk since I've been in Switzerland. Crazy, I know. I usually drink 269 glasses a day, so not having any for a couple of days has been an adjustment! I went out on the balcony to eat my food but quickly returned to the table inside because there were bees circling me wanting to share, haha.

After breakfast I sat on the balcony and read a little bit. My host mom then asked me to go with Celine, my youngest host sister, to the store to buy groceries for lunch. We took the bikes and it was a lot of fun! When we returned to the apartment Celine noticed that the basket on my bike was missing 2 screws which prompted another bike ride into another village later in the day to have it fixed. We also stopped for some ice cream at a little ice cream store!

I helped my host mom and Celine make lunch today. It was a typical Swiss meal and consisted of what I think was a corn meal based food, cheese and onions! Rita asked me to cut the onions and when I was doing it I started to cry and they both laughed at me and handed me the cheese grater instead! It was a great opportunity for me to ask questions and learn german verbs while we were cooking and Celine even made me a few post-it notes with pictures to help me understand the verbs! Lunch was so good and cleaning up was fun too because I am starting to learn where everything goes and I am starting to feel like I am one in the family! :)

After lunch, we relaxed a little bit before our second bike ride of the day! It feels very odd to be riding a bicycle without a helmet but thus is the norm here! We passed Celine's school on the way to the bike shop and she saw a few of her teachers and introduced me. After our stop for ice cream we ventured back home and chilled out for a couple of hours. I swear the days here have 67 hours instead of 24 because the days seem so much longer - but I'm not complaining one bit!

That is about the extent of my adventures today! I'm going to go have a shower and watch TV with my host dad and host sister because my host mom is at a concert tonight! Watching TV is cool because I don't understand anything so I have to make up my own story to go along with everything, haha.

Until next time,

Madi

Dienstag!

I left of the last post saying that my host mom was taking me into Basel. Well, I lied. Sort of. We still went on a trip, it just wasn't to Basel. First my host mom took me to the store to get my picture taken for my bus pass and residency card. It was so cool because we did it in what looked like a photo booth that we find in the malls. And it was only 8 Swiss Francs for 4 photos, instead of $20 for 2 like back at home!

 After we took the photos, we went back to the apartment to get my host dad and then we drove to another small town to meet my fourth host dad who also happens to be the man in charge of the bus passes for all of the exchange students. He owns a stable and has lots of horses. They are so beautiful and I can't wait to ride them and spend time at the stable! He kept joking (or maybe not) that he can;t wait until I am able to help him clean out the stalls everyday!

This is one of the horses at the stable! 

And I swear, everything in Switzerland has a beautiful view of the mountains!

After leaving the stable we drove up into the mountains and stopped at an old castle so that I could look out and see the city of Solothurn below. It was breathtaking! Fields upon fields upon fields and then there was an area of old buildings and a river running below. Driving up the mountains is just as beautiful but it is also scary because the roads are so narrow! Whenever there was a car coming the other way, I got nervous because I didn't know how 2 cars were going to fit on the road. But they so - as long as both vehicles drive on the very edge! :)

The view from the castle overlooking Solothurn

After looking out we drove back down the mountain and went into the town of Solothurn and walked around. There are cobblestone streets and many old buildings and a cathedral under construction. There are lots of stores and they sell a variety of things. From restaurants, cafes and bars to H&M to an official Swiss Army store, everything is so much cooler because it is all "Swiss". 

We stopped at a small - but busy - outdoor restaurant and had a drink. I stood there looking at the beautiful sights while my host mom explained the history of everything to me - first in German, then in English! My host dad ran into someone he knew who was with a  girl from New York! It was awesome being able to speak English with someone from back home! :)

Looking out from where we were at the Restaurant 

After our small adventure in Solothurn, my family and I drove back into Harkingen where we live and went for dinner at a small, but beautiful, restaurant. My host sister, Nati, had just finished work, so she came to meet us for dinner. My younger host sister was at theatre practice so she couldn't join us. I had a tea after dinner while my host parents had coffee and man did drinking tea remind me of my mama! If you're reading this Mom, I love and miss you tons and can't even drink tea without think of you for goodness sake! 

And now I am back at the apartment getting ready for bed. I watched a little bit of TV with my host parents and studied my german phrase book - nerdy, I know. I couldn't wait until the morning to update all of you on my adventures of the day, so I am doing it quickly before I go to bed. I am still not fully adjusted to Swiss time. I think I belong somewhere between Ancaster and Switzerland because my body is operating on half Canadian time, half Swiss time - somewhere in the ocean! 

But it is getting late here and I should probably get some rest because who knows what tomorrow has in store for me! Both of my host parents are on vacation this week so I think we are going on another adventure tomorrow!

So for now, Gute nacht! 

Madi <3

Ich bin hier!

Hello Everyone!

I arrived safely in the land of the Swiss yesterday morning after a very long and sleepless flight! When I landed it was 5am my time, but 11am Swiss time, so even though I was super tired, I had to fight it and stay up!

As soon as I unboarded the plane, I knew that I had to be in Europe because I had to board a train to get to the baggage claim area of the airport! Go figure! My bags were one of the last ones off of the plane and I was starting to get very nervous and thought that my bags were lost because the crowd around the baggage claim belt was quickly dwindling and my bags still hadn't made an appearance! Luckily though, they came through just as I was beginning to strategize how I could make the 2 outfits I had in my carry-on last a whole year!

After I retrieved my bags, I continued to the exit of the terminal and walked into what seemed like a sea of people. I had seen my host family in pictures, so I knew who I was looking for, but I couldn't find them! Luckily they saw me and started wing so I was able to find them! With big smiles, we greeted each other and I gave each of them huge hugs. Especially my new mom, Rita, because I couldn't stop thinking about my own mother back in Canada. We went to the car and loaded my suitcases and piled in.

The drive from Zurich to Harkingen (where I live) is about an hour long and I swear i had my mouth open the entire time because I was trying to comprehend the immense beauty of this country! Rita speaks quite a bot of English so she was able to explain some things to me on the drive home. We pulled up to this red apartment building and I knew I was home. There is always a feeling you get, and I definitely had it.

My family lives on the 3rd floor, and their apartment is what we know as the "penthouse". There is a balcony surrounding the entire the apartment and each room has a door that opens onto it! I have my own bedroom here and it is very cute. Rita even hand sewed my curtains! I unpacked my bags and settled into my new home as my host dad, Ernst, made lunch! It is a really odd feeling eating lunch foods at my breakfast time, and dinner foods at my lunch time!

One of my host sisters, Natalie, and I went for a walk around Harkingen and to her grandparent's house to buy eggs from their small chicken farm. Natalie also speaks a fair bit of English, so our walk wasn't as silent as I thought it would be!

Marielle is the oldest daughter of my host parents but she does not live at home. She came over for dinner last night so I was able to meet her! She spent a year in Montana in 2004, so her and I were able to converse about things that were familiar to me!

One thing I have noticed is that my host family has a LOT of maps and atlases. It is so awesome because they often pull them out and show me things about Switzerland on a map and then I show them things about where I am from in Canada on a different map! Rita's brother lives in near Montreal, and my host family couldn't believe how far the distance was between Hamilton and Montreal, because in Switzerland, you would be in a different country if you traveled that far, haha!

I went to bed right after dinner yesterday because I was so tired! And to my surprise I didn't wake up until 11am! I think I am almost on Swiss time now!

I think about home and my family and dogs a lot, but every time I do, I get teary eyed because it is so different and weird not having them in my direct contact all of the time! With that said, I do love it here and wouldn't trade this experience for the world! It is difficult and very different having everyone around you speaking a different language and only understanding every 20th word, but with time I am hopeful that will change!

I have to end here though because my host mom is taking me to Basel this afternoon!

I miss you all and think about you often!

Much love,
Madi <3

Here are some photographs of my view! :)

 Looking out from the dinner table!

 The view from my room!