Zurich Adventures

Train Station

Some clowns from a flower shop gave us roses...yes, clowns.
Climbing to the top of a sweet church...
To check out this view
They had these s.w.e.e.t. pots for the trees along the road that was some sort of art project that I of course, was obsessed with.
Walking around Zurich
Things that I sadly did not get a picture of:
-The Gay Pride festivities that were going on
-The inside of the churches and the amazing stained glass windows (cameras not allowed)
-The inside of the art museum because a lewd, crude and decidedly RUDE dude came up to me (after passing about five other museum workers) and told me that my bag was too big. The best way I can describe it was that this grown man was about to throw a hissy fit, yes, that's what I said. So I had to check it in, because I don't know, I could be hiding a bomb in there, or make off with a sculpture or something?
All in all, a great day.

(r)(a)(i)(n)

The reason for the green finally came, on my eleventh day here. And when it rains it POURS! I arrived at the grocery store about 2 seconds before the downpour started...

Angry skies

I knew it was bad when all the Swiss people who supposedly experience this all the time were staring, open mouthed at the sky...
Waiting for the bus...slightly wet.
Finally home! (With my celery)
I survived my first doozy of a rainstorm here...
and let me tell you it smells
l.u.s.c.i.o.u.s.

So at church on Sunday,

The girl missionaries come up to me. I think they like me because I speak English.
One says, "Do you like to sing?" I say,
"No."
(This is true.)
"You should totally come and sing with us! We're singing at a fireside in a few weeks, we're practicing this week, and its in English!"
I am appreciating the fact that they are trying to include me, really, I am.
But then...

"Come on, there will be some really cute guy missionaries there!"

SERIOUSLY?
Hahahahahahaha.

AcCompLishMentS.

These past two days I have done quite a lot to be proud of. Seriously.

I successfully purchased my own lunch, treat and toilet paper (that was for the office).
I successfully purchased my P.O.O.L..P.A.S.S. which is positively thrilling.
I successfully have been to the pool twice which is even more thrilling.
I successfully walked home and didn't get lost.
I successfully kept all my phalangees when Moose came to greet me today.
I successfully ate a great "fitness plate", a salad with bunches of veggies and meat surrounding it (apparently they are all the rage in Switzerland).
I successfully ate this on a mountain restaurant with a fantastic view.
I successfully have thoroughly enjoyed these past two days.

I'm so successful.

The Swiss version of a Diet Coke and Caramellow



Walking

I cannot figure out

Swiss food. Do not get me wrong! They have amazing chocolate, ice cream, pastries and all other horribly delicious treats. And the produce is fantastic, on its own.
BUT.
They are big on sourness, of the vinegar variety.

I am pretty sure their goal is to make food taste as non-fresh as possible.
They like their lettuce wilted, their bread crusty, and apparently their cheese is primed and ready to eat when its like you left your sandwich out too long on a picnic and it gets kind of...
bendy?
Oh and cold drinks? Not gonna happen. If you get ice in your drink it is nothing short of a miracle.

odd.

So today I went to church

And understood absolutely nothing. And when I say nothing, I mean nothing.

It was absolutely wonderful.

The greatest thing in the world is the fact that I can go to church, not understand a single thing, and still comprehend so much.
I sang hymns (in German).
I took the sacrament (the bread was the kind you only get from a bakery, on special days in the U.S.).
I heard people's messages.
Different language, same feeling.
Fantastic!

Today we went for an uber long walk, and this is what we saw:

Fields of flowers
And future wishes.
Looking for mice,
A "privat" castle,
And the simple
beauties
of life.

I LoVe airports!

No one else I've talked to has really agreed with me. Yes, I'm aware that they are impersonal, stressful, not to mention you feel totally violated ("no I will not take off my shoes, belt and jacket for you..."), yada yada yada. Seriously though. I love them.

They are just so interesting.

Everytime I have been to the airport it is to go somewhere cool...so maybe I'm biased. There are millions of people to watch. Families going on vacation, with little kids wide-eyed and excited (that's still me), and business people with their blackberrys, laptops, etc. looking like they couldn't care less that they were flying somewhere new or interesting. There are people from the military, people meeting their families, friends, loved ones. Tired, happy, frustrated, sick, relieved, stressed, grateful, frowning, smiling PEOPLE! And then there is always that poor guy on stand by that's been sleeping in the corner for the past 20 hours...
Airports are sort of magical to me, they always give me that same adventuresome feeling in my stomach that is just d.e.l.i.g.h.t.f.u.l.
I love traveling.

A glamorous traveler...I am not.

I got to watch the sun set

And the sun rise

All within the space of about seven hours...the one and probably only perk to time differences!
Also, in case you were wondering...
Its about 50 times greener in real life.
I'm finally here in my cute little room with a huge window feeling pretty out of it but here is one more picture.

My new friend Moose.
Yes, he takes up the whole bed.