Skiiing!!! In Switzerland!!!
Well, hello hello! I'm back from the land of Switzerland and am now about to recount events about the following 5 items (I have) deemed to represent said Land:
1. Cheese
2. Heidi (you know, the girl on the mountain with the goats or whatever)
3. Watches
4. Bankaccounts (secret ones, optional)
5. Knives
Before I continues, I will remind those of you who didn't know that I went to Switzerland last Thursday to go skiing in a place called Arosa. Grand total travelling time, from Germany, through Austria and Switzerland = 2.5 hours via Autobahn. That's what? To Gladstone? Haahahaha! I went skiing with Peter, Gabbi and Valeska (Hannah didn't want to go) and another family (who are very nice). On Thursday we settled into the high altitudes of about 2300m (?? I'm guessing here) and the hotel (nice, but small). On Friday I signed up for a 3-day skicourse. On Monday (the last day) I went with everyone ... well, they took me: they all ski very good and go down the black pists (the hardest) while I manage to go down the blue (easy) ones without tooooo many accidents. Actually, the last time I went down the mountain (probably my last skiing experience...at least in Germany!) from 2,513m (I'm sure about this one), I only fell over twice! The first time, I think, doesn't count, cos I was zooming down just ine when this little punk ran into me! By 'little', he was about 7 years old or something, and yes HE ran into ME, cos he was coming from behind. And the 2nd time, well. I was skiing down at a break neck speed (I was actually scared I would break my neck) and going really well (no 'little punks' in sight) and going down the hill part and came to the part where you have to walk up. To walk with skis is quite an adventure. People who can actually ski just take really wide steps with the feet going out in opposite directions. But for everyone else (including me) you turn 90 degrees and walk up sideways. Fine. No problem in itself, except for the actual turning part. So. I was going going nicely and came to a graceful stop (hey! You weren't there. Besides, some artistic licence is permitted) and I tried to turn, but nope...fell over. And it was on flat ground so it was so hard to get back up again. In process of attempting to stand, I nearly slide of the side of the mountain, which had an ugly drop I particualarly didn't want to make. But all was ok. I recovered my stance and composure and went down the rest of the way without any problems with, ** Ich habe kein Angst ** repeatedly muttered under my breath. So that was my actual skiing adventure. Now for the rest of it.
On Thursday night we went to an (authentic) Italian resturant. By authentic, I mean the waiters were Italian (or at least, spoke Italian), and had the colour scheme of white, green and red (the flag's colours for all you uncultured bunch!) and had these huuuge, ovenroasted pizzas. I went with the traditional spag-bol, but the noodles were too salty. Bah. On Friday, I can't remember what I ate exactly, though it was good. On Saturday we had a fondue dinner. Now, those of you who don't know, fondue is a traditional Swiss thang where you either roast a huge hunk of Swiss cheese (point 1.) and scrape of the melted parts (I make it sound so appetising!) and eat it was bread/gherkins/corn/onions, OR have a pot of melted cheese on a Bunsen Burner (of sorts) and dip in stuff (eg, breat or meat) with skewers and eat. We did the first one, and it was very cool and yummy. Though my tummy was not used to eating a great big lump of cheese. Oh, and here I can tie in point No 2. about Heidi. The bottled water we bought for (with?) dinner was from the Arosa region which is the place where the Heidi story originated or is based (I can't remember which). So she was on the bottles' labels (the lables of the bottles?). Miss Heidi and her water was also extremely expensive (CHF 6.50, the equivalent of $6.50 AUD), just like EVERYTHING else in Switzerland. This is also my abstract reference to point 4. of Swiss bankaccounts. No, I didn't open one but I believe that to live in Switzerland you need one of a balance of at least one million --and that'S just to live frugally -- so better make it a cool 5 mil. :) Though while in Arosa, I saw something I was (almost) willing to pay the Swiss' exorbatent price for: a watch. No, not the famous Swiss Watch (point 3.) but a FlikFlak watch. Man! I love those! Someday I will buy another one. The first watch I ever had was a FlikFlak and it was the coolest. I loved that watch. It was pink and had these genies with sparkles. It was a sad day when the battery dies and found out that you couldn't replace it. Now somehow I have to include Swissknives (point 5.) Well, I saw some in a shop window and thought, 'well, for knives I guess they're okay', and walked on by. The end.
FOUR IMPORTANT THINGS ON THE 27th MARCH (in no specific order):
1. Happy Easter...mmm chocolate. Oh yeah! Swiss Chocolate! yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumy!!
2. Four months in Germany
3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHANIEL!!!!!!!!!!
4. Summer Time...a rather misleading title, seeing as it's only Spring, but hey. Yes it is now only 8 hours time difference between me and you lot (well, only if you're in QLD). But Josie, I am ALWAYS at school at 8 am (in fact, by 7am!) So, sure, ring me, but you're 8 hours AHEAD.
A good time to call me (and this is for everyone) is:
1. Mon-Fri: after 9pm (in your time to avoid confusion), and
2. Sat/Sun: 6pm or later.
So with this whole 'put the clocks forward 1 hour', the sun sets at about 8pm and that will get progressively later.
Heh. Another thing I have to mention is the AUstralian pubs and resturant I've seen while being here. I'm not sure if I've already told you about my last trip to München (yes Ellen, Munich) when Sig and I went to an Aussie pub --- it had road signs and aboriginal art (a nice juxtaposition) and ... Aussies! Ah, that was good. And the hotel we stayed in at Arosa had an Australian-Mexican Resturant (again, a nice clash of cultures) called the Boomerang. Ha. Another thins is the first time I used the word 'Aussie'. Everyone was very confused and I was like, 'What'S the deal, it makes perfect sense! Look at the country's name and how you say it...' Buuut I didn't know that the way we say 'Aussie' is the sane as the German for 'Ossie' -- a negative name for someone from the east of Germany (Ostdeautschland)
So! There we are. A long blog this time, I know! But wait! There's more! The following is what I have noticed, or remembered while frantically typing:
1. I seemed to have liked listing things. But no problem with that, is there?
2. I've written alot of things in brackets, but again, no problem there.
3. If you write me snail mail -- *ahem* WHEN you send me snail mail -- you NEED to write 'c/o Kleidermann' (that and the address and my name, ofcourse). LOng story short, German post people (got to be politically correct now) get confused about the fact that someone (me) who isn't a Kleidermann gets post at that address. So to make sure little Leeshi gets her mail write:
Alicia Fitzgerald-Hood
c/o Kleidermann
Erlenweg 1
87740 Buxheim
Germany
4.On the subject of mail, Thanks Grac!! I will reply ASAP! And Ellen, your letter is on the way (only about 2 months late!) And Mum, well you know I got the package already, but thanks again.
5. Love you Mum and Dad and Co.
6. While in Arosa I went to my first ice hockey game. * Es war so Spaß!! *
7. Potential travels for me in the future:
a) Hamburg. This is for sure. I go in May for the weekend as an EF Discovery Trip.
b) Tunesia, Africa. For a week next holidays. Fingers crossed, eh? I'll keep you posted.
8. My hair is really long. Not important, or interesting, but true.
9. Hannah leaves for 2 weeks in Spain on Sunday. It's a SCHOOL TRIP!!! (as you do). I got more excited going to BRISBANE for a band trip! But she's already been 5 or times before (bloody Europe and short distances between countries)
10. The end. Yes, finally.
11. Tchüß!
1. Cheese
2. Heidi (you know, the girl on the mountain with the goats or whatever)
3. Watches
4. Bankaccounts (secret ones, optional)
5. Knives
Before I continues, I will remind those of you who didn't know that I went to Switzerland last Thursday to go skiing in a place called Arosa. Grand total travelling time, from Germany, through Austria and Switzerland = 2.5 hours via Autobahn. That's what? To Gladstone? Haahahaha! I went skiing with Peter, Gabbi and Valeska (Hannah didn't want to go) and another family (who are very nice). On Thursday we settled into the high altitudes of about 2300m (?? I'm guessing here) and the hotel (nice, but small). On Friday I signed up for a 3-day skicourse. On Monday (the last day) I went with everyone ... well, they took me: they all ski very good and go down the black pists (the hardest) while I manage to go down the blue (easy) ones without tooooo many accidents. Actually, the last time I went down the mountain (probably my last skiing experience...at least in Germany!) from 2,513m (I'm sure about this one), I only fell over twice! The first time, I think, doesn't count, cos I was zooming down just ine when this little punk ran into me! By 'little', he was about 7 years old or something, and yes HE ran into ME, cos he was coming from behind. And the 2nd time, well. I was skiing down at a break neck speed (I was actually scared I would break my neck) and going really well (no 'little punks' in sight) and going down the hill part and came to the part where you have to walk up. To walk with skis is quite an adventure. People who can actually ski just take really wide steps with the feet going out in opposite directions. But for everyone else (including me) you turn 90 degrees and walk up sideways. Fine. No problem in itself, except for the actual turning part. So. I was going going nicely and came to a graceful stop (hey! You weren't there. Besides, some artistic licence is permitted) and I tried to turn, but nope...fell over. And it was on flat ground so it was so hard to get back up again. In process of attempting to stand, I nearly slide of the side of the mountain, which had an ugly drop I particualarly didn't want to make. But all was ok. I recovered my stance and composure and went down the rest of the way without any problems with, ** Ich habe kein Angst ** repeatedly muttered under my breath. So that was my actual skiing adventure. Now for the rest of it.
On Thursday night we went to an (authentic) Italian resturant. By authentic, I mean the waiters were Italian (or at least, spoke Italian), and had the colour scheme of white, green and red (the flag's colours for all you uncultured bunch!) and had these huuuge, ovenroasted pizzas. I went with the traditional spag-bol, but the noodles were too salty. Bah. On Friday, I can't remember what I ate exactly, though it was good. On Saturday we had a fondue dinner. Now, those of you who don't know, fondue is a traditional Swiss thang where you either roast a huge hunk of Swiss cheese (point 1.) and scrape of the melted parts (I make it sound so appetising!) and eat it was bread/gherkins/corn/onions, OR have a pot of melted cheese on a Bunsen Burner (of sorts) and dip in stuff (eg, breat or meat) with skewers and eat. We did the first one, and it was very cool and yummy. Though my tummy was not used to eating a great big lump of cheese. Oh, and here I can tie in point No 2. about Heidi. The bottled water we bought for (with?) dinner was from the Arosa region which is the place where the Heidi story originated or is based (I can't remember which). So she was on the bottles' labels (the lables of the bottles?). Miss Heidi and her water was also extremely expensive (CHF 6.50, the equivalent of $6.50 AUD), just like EVERYTHING else in Switzerland. This is also my abstract reference to point 4. of Swiss bankaccounts. No, I didn't open one but I believe that to live in Switzerland you need one of a balance of at least one million --and that'S just to live frugally -- so better make it a cool 5 mil. :) Though while in Arosa, I saw something I was (almost) willing to pay the Swiss' exorbatent price for: a watch. No, not the famous Swiss Watch (point 3.) but a FlikFlak watch. Man! I love those! Someday I will buy another one. The first watch I ever had was a FlikFlak and it was the coolest. I loved that watch. It was pink and had these genies with sparkles. It was a sad day when the battery dies and found out that you couldn't replace it. Now somehow I have to include Swissknives (point 5.) Well, I saw some in a shop window and thought, 'well, for knives I guess they're okay', and walked on by. The end.
FOUR IMPORTANT THINGS ON THE 27th MARCH (in no specific order):
1. Happy Easter...mmm chocolate. Oh yeah! Swiss Chocolate! yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumy!!
2. Four months in Germany
3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHANIEL!!!!!!!!!!
4. Summer Time...a rather misleading title, seeing as it's only Spring, but hey. Yes it is now only 8 hours time difference between me and you lot (well, only if you're in QLD). But Josie, I am ALWAYS at school at 8 am (in fact, by 7am!) So, sure, ring me, but you're 8 hours AHEAD.
A good time to call me (and this is for everyone) is:
1. Mon-Fri: after 9pm (in your time to avoid confusion), and
2. Sat/Sun: 6pm or later.
So with this whole 'put the clocks forward 1 hour', the sun sets at about 8pm and that will get progressively later.
Heh. Another thing I have to mention is the AUstralian pubs and resturant I've seen while being here. I'm not sure if I've already told you about my last trip to München (yes Ellen, Munich) when Sig and I went to an Aussie pub --- it had road signs and aboriginal art (a nice juxtaposition) and ... Aussies! Ah, that was good. And the hotel we stayed in at Arosa had an Australian-Mexican Resturant (again, a nice clash of cultures) called the Boomerang. Ha. Another thins is the first time I used the word 'Aussie'. Everyone was very confused and I was like, 'What'S the deal, it makes perfect sense! Look at the country's name and how you say it...' Buuut I didn't know that the way we say 'Aussie' is the sane as the German for 'Ossie' -- a negative name for someone from the east of Germany (Ostdeautschland)
So! There we are. A long blog this time, I know! But wait! There's more! The following is what I have noticed, or remembered while frantically typing:
1. I seemed to have liked listing things. But no problem with that, is there?
2. I've written alot of things in brackets, but again, no problem there.
3. If you write me snail mail -- *ahem* WHEN you send me snail mail -- you NEED to write 'c/o Kleidermann' (that and the address and my name, ofcourse). LOng story short, German post people (got to be politically correct now) get confused about the fact that someone (me) who isn't a Kleidermann gets post at that address. So to make sure little Leeshi gets her mail write:
Alicia Fitzgerald-Hood
c/o Kleidermann
Erlenweg 1
87740 Buxheim
Germany
4.On the subject of mail, Thanks Grac!! I will reply ASAP! And Ellen, your letter is on the way (only about 2 months late!) And Mum, well you know I got the package already, but thanks again.
5. Love you Mum and Dad and Co.
6. While in Arosa I went to my first ice hockey game. * Es war so Spaß!! *
7. Potential travels for me in the future:
a) Hamburg. This is for sure. I go in May for the weekend as an EF Discovery Trip.
b) Tunesia, Africa. For a week next holidays. Fingers crossed, eh? I'll keep you posted.
8. My hair is really long. Not important, or interesting, but true.
9. Hannah leaves for 2 weeks in Spain on Sunday. It's a SCHOOL TRIP!!! (as you do). I got more excited going to BRISBANE for a band trip! But she's already been 5 or times before (bloody Europe and short distances between countries)
10. The end. Yes, finally.
11. Tchüß!
posted by Alicia @ 5:01 AM
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