Switching to Swiss

Italy - Part 1: When In Rome

2012-06-12T14:36:00.000+02:00

I know this is a highly anticipated post, so of course I'm going to split it into four. And I'll start off the series with the beginning of my trip: Rome.

On Sunday, February 12th at 5am, I woke up to get ready to get to the airport. Lu was gracious enough to drive me at the ungodly hour and I am forever in her debt. I've never been much of a morning person, so despite my excitement to go to Italy, I was feeling mighty tired. Luckily everything went smoothly through the airport and soon I was flying south to start my week long adventure.

A few years ago, I traveled alone to Paris and experienced terrible homesickness. I originally attributed this to my lack of a travel companion, and vowed never to travel alone again. Fast forward to the present, and I was doing it again. My fingers and toes were crossed that I wouldn't regret it.

I arrived in Rome around 10am and headed straight for my hostel. I'm forever my mother's daughter, so of course I had my "folder" with maps to every place imaginable in my hand. This may seem quite ridiculous to the more spontaneous travellers, but that little bit of extra work before your trip can seriously prevent a lot of travel woes. Trust me.

Thanks to my preparedness (shout out to Girl Guides), I easily found my hostel after a slight disagreement with the train manager about the validity of my ticket (oops!), unloaded my stuff and collapsed on the bed. But I had no time to be lazy. I quickly sorted my valuables into a locker, grabbed my camera, my folder, and my bag, and headed out to see the sites.

The subway trains

Upon exiting the subway, I headed up the stairs to the street, I looked up and saw this. I was gobsmacked. Walking out of such a modern mode of transport and seeing the Roman Forum ruins was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The photos truly don't even do it justice. And I don't think I even saw most of it clearly since my eyes were half-blurred with tears since I couldn't believe what I was seeing (and I was extremely exhausted...I think that had something to do with it).

Ruins of Rome - The Roman Forum

Outside the Santa Maria in Aracoeli:

More of the Roman Forum:

Walking towards the Colosseum:

The Colosseum:

The Trevi Fountain:

My pictures of the Spanish Steps have disappeared, as did some of my other pictures from later in the trip. A bit frustrating, to say the least.

After a day full of site seeing, I went back to the hostel where I was surprised and delighted to find that the hostel was hosting a free (free!) dinner for all of the guests. We all sat down to a pasta dinner and I got to know some of the awesome people staying in my hostel. For such a small hostel, there was quite a variety of travellers. I made good friends with K from the US, pictured below. I'm sad that we parted ways in Rome, since we were travelling different directions, but I know we'll see each other again soon. (Coachella maybe?)

After dinner a large group of us headed out to get some gelato (YUM!) and some wine. We then spent the night getting to know each other. We all bonded over a mutual love of Will Ferrell and Talladega Nights. Before bed, we all made plans to site see in the morning, starting with Vatican City.

Now, to anyone planning on visiting Rome, and more specifically, Vatican City, when you hear people tell you there's long lines to get in to the museum...trust them. Seriously.

So after a few hours of waiting in a line that wrapped halfway around the city to get into the museum, we spent a good five hours touring. And of course, stopped for some tiramisu.

K from the USA!

But I will never forget the half hour I spent staring at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Nothing could prepare you for how spectacular it is. I apologize that the photos are not fantastic. There were a ton of guards yelling "SHHH!", and "NO PHOTOS!" the entire time I was there. We obviously had to be super sleuths in an attempt to get photos.

After leaving the Sistine Chapel, we were spent. We snapped a few more photos and then headed off for some dinner nearby.

After dinner, we returned to the (deserted) Vatican City for some pictures outside the Cathedral.

Afterwards, we decided to have a little drink before joining some more people from the hostel on a night out.

Once we met up with all the other hostellers, we headed for the metro.

We got off at the Colosseum (because, why not?), and began our search for somewhere to go out.

We found a Canadian (!) trying to get us to board a bus to a club (at a 20 euro charge...yeah right!), but we entertained his speech for a bit. After that, we continued our search...

Moral of the story: we never found said club, or any club for that matter, but it didn't matter. We got to explore the city at night and I got to know some amazing people. I haven't posted any of the museum pictures, but I will in a separate post, or maybe in a link to a photo hosting site (photo uploads take forever on here).

But that was my time in Rome. The next morning, I got up bright and early to hop on a train to Florence. And you'll hear all about it...in my next post. :)

She Has Returned

2012-06-12T14:09:00.000+02:00

Yes, I vanished into thin air, and I apologize for that. But I'm back, and ready to fill you in with all that's been going on.

My hope was to be returning to Switzerland in September, but unfortunately, that will not be happening. Despite exhaustive attempts on the family's part, there is no way to extend my permit for another year. This means, that come mid-July, I will be back in Toronto, officially far away from my surreal life in Geneva.

I can't even describe how devastatingly upset I am to be leaving. I've tried to hide it the best I can, but I know come July 20th, I will be a mess of tears and snot (lovely, eh?) as I say goodbye to the most amazing family and all of my extraordinary friends who have been there for me, through the thick and thin. I do hope that I won't be saying goodbye, but see you soon, and hope that we will run into each other again soon. Especially since I can't even imagine my life back in Toronto without my Lu, Lo, and Cy.

But now, I will spend some time reminiscing about my last four months while I update you all on the events of my life. Enjoy!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Canada!

2012-03-12T11:31:00.003+01:00

Yes, this is a rather delayed post. This snow actually came late January/early February, but on account of travel, computer problems, and sheer laziness, I never got around to actually posting. My apologies! This week will be a week of catch-up posts, ending with Geneva's Auto Show, which I attended yesterday (Sunday). Thank you all for being so patient with me. It's about to be worth your while.

The Soccer Mom Van, aka, the new Beccamobile

The fountain outside the house

The view from the kitchen window

The school parking lot

Koda after her winter wonderland walk

She didn't understand my obsession with drying her off

#Kony2012

2012-03-07T12:48:00.001+01:00

My computer has made a full recovery and so I will be doing some catch up posts. But while you wait, please take the time out of your day to watch this video. And once you have, please share it. You'll understand why.

Apologies

2012-02-20T14:12:00.002+01:00

I know I was terrible this week and didn't post anything on my trip. But let me explain.

While traveling, my beautiful Macbook had an accident and the screen no longer functions. My fingers are crossed that I can get it repaired for less than the price of a new computer. Once I do, I promise to overload you with pictures and stories from my week. Please be patient.

And please pray for my laptop. It's going to be a long week.

A Quick Update

2012-02-10T17:01:00.002+01:00

Got some amazing news this past week! My mum and aunt are coming to visit in April!!! We've already started planning their week here, which will include a trip to Paris and London, as well as some site seeing in and around Geneva. I'm beyond excited!

As well, I'm leaving on Sunday for a week in Italy. I'll be starting in Rome and working my way up to Venice on the train. Unfortunately, it is quite chilly at the moment, but hopefully that means there will be less tourists getting in my way!

While I'm gone, I'll be updating the blog with pictures and stories from my travels, so be sure to check in. I'll also be adding a post about the deep-freeze Geneva (and the rest of Europe) experienced this last week.

Until then, hope you all have a great weekend!

That Time I Went Skiing in the Alps

2012-01-30T19:51:00.003+01:00

What a weekend!

It was great to get out of Geneva for the weekend and head up into the mountains (only an hour away) for a little downhill skiing, and of course, some après-ski. And best of all, I got to make another "tick" on my bucket list!

I teamed up with Cy for the weekend who was a complete beginner. I hadn't gone downhill skiing since middle school, so I figured a refresher would be a good idea. We made it to the lessons to find that we would be learning where all the little kids learn. Oh joy!

Didn't really matter to us though. We were just excited to get out there and learn! So we put our gear on, with the help of the instructor, and made our way to the Disney sponsored "classroom".

Very excited for my lesson...so much so that I couldn't make a normal face.

After re-learning all the ski techniques, but in French this time, the instructor dared taking us on the bunny slopes. When we made it to the top, I had her take a picture, just in case we didn't make it down alive and my mum was begging for a picture of me attached to skis.

See Mum? Proof!

But we did make it down in one piece. Many times! It's amazing how fast a skill comes back to you. Just like riding a bike, but not.

However, the instructor did have a problem with my lack of coordination. It wasn't that I couldn't turn properly or stop, the problem she had with me was what I was doing with my arms. I wanted to just keep them beside me. She wasn't having any of that. Instead, she spent half the lesson yelling up to me to put my arms out (like a starfish) and to raise one each time I turned. It was then I decided to not understand French. There was no way I was doing that. I know, I'm a terrible student. But once the lesson was over, I had no trouble going down the slopes. I guess that's a pretty terrible moral of the story though. So to all the youth out there reading this: listen to your teacher! They know what they're doing!

We eventually made it to some bigger hills and got to enjoy a spectacular view. Unfortunately the weekend was quite foggy, but that didn't get us down. I mean, look at that view!

And after a few hours of falling off the lifts, crashing for no reason, and accidentally going down the hill backwards, Cy and I just needed to sit down. So that's just what we did.

But a big thanks to Ecole du Ski Français for making sure we didn't kill ourselves, and all the small children on the hills. If you're in Chamonix and have no idea how to even put on your skis, check them out.

And now for some shots in and around the ski school. How lucky am I?

Some Updates on My Life as Une Jeune Fille Au Pair

2012-01-26T17:15:00.001+01:00

It's hard to believe that I've been back for almost a month already. To be honest, most of the time it feels like I never left. And I don't consider that a bad thing, either. I don't want my time here to end. If I'm ever having an off day, I can always count on my host family to bring me out of my slump. In all honesty, they make it pretty hard to be in a slump in the first place.

First I'd like to wish a (belated) birthday to N, my host mum. She unfortunately wasn't home with us since she's in Davos for the week, yet that didn't stop us from celebrating. I baked her a birthday cake for everyone but her to eat. Then we gave her a call on Skype to sing her happy birthday, blow out her candles and eat the cake in front of her. Aren't we kind?

Now a side note on the cake. Since P (host father) can't eat gluten, I figured the cake we all ate in front of N had to be gluten free. Baking without gluten isn't always the easiest thing to do. Luckily enough, I found a recipe for an easy flour-free chocolate cake! I was a bit disappointed there was no picture on the recipe page, but I figured I'd take a picture of my finished product and post it. Then I realized why there was no picture. The cake doesn't exactly look very...edible...straight out of the oven. The "crust" turned out rock hard and looked like it has been shaken with earthquakes from the cake falling so much. Oh, that's why gluten is so important...

In the end, all I needed was some Pillsbury icing (yes, gluten free!) to cover up the mess, and everyone was happy. E even requested I make it again. But not before asking if I screwed it up (he knows about my past baking experiences). I of course answered, yes, I screwed it up. He then said, "Ok, just make sure you screw it up again." Gosh, I love that kid.

E has accomplished quite a lot this past week. He won a tongue twister challenge at school, competed in a ping pong tournament with his best friend (and wasn't too bummed out when they didn't qualify), and has gone on a run every day (ya, a 9 year old that goes running. You'd think I'd be inspired...). To think that he's only 9, is so talented and smart, yet so polite and genuine, restores my faith in the future generation. Maybe we won't all turn out to be useless couch potatoes.

Now as my week comes to an end, I'm very excited to pack my bags, and a borrowed set of skis, because I am off to Chamonix for the weekend to ski with three of my best friends! We're loading up the "Soccer Mom Van" and heading out Friday night. And luckily Groupon had a deal on ski passes, so along with our cheap hostel, it looks like it will be a fairly inexpensive weekend.

I'll be sure to fill you all in on Monday with pictures and stories while I'm lying covered in heat packs and complaining about how sore I am.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Night We Decided to Be Film Makers

2012-01-21T00:36:00.003+01:00

Tonight has been quite a funny night. My friend Lu has been dying to make a video cover of Lana del Rey's Blue Jeans, so we decided to give it a shot. The "film" is still in production, but we had quite an outtake only a few shots in. You can find the video below.

And check out Lu's cover of Blue Jeans.

My Time in Toronto

2012-01-17T18:30:00.000+01:00

Here's a summary of my trip home through pictures!

My two best friends, K (left) and M (right) ~~scared~~ surprised me at the airport with their lovely costumes. It was such a great treat! Hence why I am all teary-eyed in this picture.

Despite his claims that he didn't miss me, my brother was quick to pull out some beer cups ("Red cups" as Lu endearingly refers to them) and make a toast. I know you missed me, A!

I've sadly come to the realization that my Beccamobile needs to go. The weather provided some pathetic fallacy as I snapped a picture. If you're interested, and live in the GTA (you probably don't if you don't know what that stands for...), then check out the link: buy me!

But things soon got better at New Years! We decided to have a pot luck and K made some Moet shaped bread. So creative!

It was great to be reunited with my girls! You can't tell in the picture, but we all dressed in sequins. Yes, on purpose.

Then we pulled out the real Moet. Just for a sip.

Not on the same night, but a few days later, I finally got to see my cousin's new baby. So adorable! Sadly, the next time I see her, she'll be twice the size and running circles around me.

And finally, it was time to go home. But not without a stop at my favourite restaurant, Lone Star, and an entourage escort to the airport. Thanks guys!

It was a fantastic trip home, but went by way too fast. So fast, I didn't have time to see everyone. I'm sorry if I missed you, but I'll be back in July! Start booking your time slot now!

A New Year, but the Same Old Goal

2012-01-17T17:30:00.000+01:00

Now that I am back safely in Geneva, I have started to think about my resolutions. I tend not to make any, since I know I won't follow them, but this year, I knew there was one I just had to do...

Travel more!

So on my first night back in Geneva, my friend Lu and I sat down at her laptop and went nuts on Easy Jet's seat sale. It was quite a sale, and there were many places we wanted to go. Now we have a trip each month, with plans to add some more as the dates come closer.

Here's what we have so far:

January 27-29th - Chamonix Ski Trip! Since Chamonix is only a short drive from Geneva, and Geneva's airport is actually the airport you fly into to get to Chamonix, we obviously are not flying. But after Lu came back this weekend raving about it, we booked our trip last night. Can't wait!

February 12-19 - ITALY!!! I am lucky enough to have enough time off to do Italy justice. I'm starting in Rome alone and working my way up to Venice where my friend Cy will be meeting be to celebrate Carnaval! If you have any suggestions of things to see and do in Rome, Florence, Pisa, Milan, and Venice, please leave a comment!

February 24-26 - Into the German part of Switzerland to continue my Carnaval celebration. Why stop in Italy?

March 16-18 - Manchester! It's Lu's birthday, and so we're traveling to her hometown. With lots of people to visit and lots to see, it's gonna be a whirlwind weekend.

April 6-8 - Now I've always said I'd love to see a concert in Europe, and Drake happens to be touring. So a couple of my friends and I have bought tickets and booked a trip to Brussels to go see him. Very excited!

April 9-15 - I also have all of this time off, which I think I will be using to go visit my friend EM in Malta. Woe is me, eh?

May 18-21 - Being my birthday weekend, I knew I had to go away and do something. So where will I be? Amsterdam!!! Because who doesn't want to visit the Anne Frank museum on their birthday?

June 1-3 - For yet another friend's birthday, Lu and I are traveling up to Newcastle to experience yet another English celebration. Can't wait!

So far that's all I have planned. I still have a list of places to go, but just need to pick a weekend to do it. If you have any suggestions of places to go, specific times to go, and things to see, please leave a comment. I'm always looking for suggestions!

Hope everyone's have a great new year!

That Went Fast...

2012-01-07T22:43:00.000+01:00

I know I have been lacking on blog posts, but I literally have spent every second of my time home seeing all the friends and family I won't see again until the summer. I couldn't believe how many people that included.

But sadly, my time in Canada has come to an end. I'm currently sitting at Pearson International waiting for my flight. I won't be back in Geneva for another 12 hours or so, but the anticipation is killing me. I love Canada and it will always be my home, my motherland; but Geneva has quickly become referred to as "home" in conversation. The look on my parents' faces when I accidentally let that slip was priceless. I don't think they've quite gotten used to the fact that I'm not living in Toronto. I think we're all in a dream world. And to be honest, I'm quite alright with that. I think if I really sat down and thought about it, I wouldn't be as comfortable with it as I am. So I'm gonna play the ignorant card for a bit longer.

But back to my time home in Toronto. I arrived early afternoon on the 24th and was greeted by my two best friends dressed as Santa and Mrs Claus, and my mum. The waterworks obviously started. I honestly have the best friends ever!

After my pickup, I attempted to go to a Canadian landmark, Tim Hortons, for a catch-up with my friends. Unfortunately, it was closed, since it was Christmas Eve and all. How Swiss of them...

I ended up spending a few hours chilling out and catching up and it felt like I had never left (thus fuelling my dream hypothesis). Frankly, most of the time I was home felt like I had never left. Apparently, Toronto doesn't change in four months. Good to know.

What did change was how I felt being back in my house. Despite it looking like home, I felt like I was a guest. I didn't even know where to find a towel when I wanted to have a shower! All this after only four months?

But now it's time to head back to Europe and relish in another seven months living the life. I can thankfully say that life has been mostly ups, with only a few downs. Can it get any better?

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and are ready to stick to their new year's resolutions. What are mine? Continue to make some "ticks" on my bucket list. I can't wait!

A Quick Update

2011-12-23T17:04:00.002+01:00

Tomorrow morning (6:50 am to be exact) I will be leaving Geneva for Toronto. Once I'm home, I'll be sure to do a bunch of posts to catch up on what's been going on in Switzerland.

Can't wait to see all my family and friends!!! I've missed you all so much!!

Toronto, here I come! Geneva, you know I'll miss you...but I'll be back!

Return to Paris

2011-12-09T18:00:00.000+01:00

That's right! On the last weekend of November I made my way back to where my European obsession began: Paris, France. My friend Lu was in tow as we visited my friend A (a Canadian who I met three and a half years ago in Paris). Despite both Lu and I being deathly ill this week (Lu was still sick Friday, but managed to suck it up and bear the three hour train ride. I was very impressed), we refused to spend the weekend in bed. My horseshoe from September showed itself again and got us first class seats for cheaper than second class (I'm still confused how that worked). Therefore, despite Lu's crippling pain, the train ride was most pleasant. I think I enjoyed it more than she did though.

We arrived in Paris just after 11pm and made our way over to A's. Everyone had had a long week and combined with Lu still being under the weather, we decided to have an early night. And what a great idea it was. I think I fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

We started off Saturday with the trek to the Eiffel Tower. Now to those who have never been to Paris, you should be warned. Despite being able to see the Tower from pretty much anywhere in the city, do not be fooled: it is no where near you. I made that mistake three and a half years ago when I spotted it from the Louvre. I stupidly thought to myself, why not go over to the Eiffel with my friends for a bottle of wine and watch the light show before heading home. It's not far at all! Moral of the story: I was wrong. Get on the métro, that's what it's there for. As long as you don't mind the smell of stale urine among other delightful aromas.

Back to my story: so Lu and I hopped on the métro and made our way to the Eiffel Tower. Despite seeing the tower every day for almost a month, it still gobsmacked me a bit when I saw it again. There really isn't anything like it. So we posed for some pictures, since that's what you do!

The lines to go up the Tower were about 2-3 hours long, so Lu and I decided that we could save the standing around for Sunday (especially since a girl who feels nauseous probably isn't the best one to be climbing the stairs with).

Since we were now ahead of schedule, we hopped back on the métro and headed over to Notre Dame. Not as busy as I remembered it, although the last time I came was during tourist high season. Or they were all standing in line for the Eiffel Tower. Either way, it was fun to revisit. So we took some more pictures:

From Notre Dame we walked along the Seine towards the Louvre. We stopped every once in a while at the stalls along the river bank, and got some good deals on posters and postcards. Then we found the Louvre.

Last time I visited the Louvre, it was free for anyone under 27 on Fridays from 6-9pm. They have since changed it, and if I remember correctly, increased the entrance price. And they don't have student rates, boo. But it's still worth the price. It's the Louvre!

By the time we finished seeing the "must-sees" of the Louvre, the sun was setting and we needed to meet A at the Christmas Markets. So we made our was through Tuilleries towards Concorde.

We had decided earlier in the day that we would just find each other at the markets. How crazy were we? Really crazy.

So in order to find A, we got some hot wine, and continued to shop. We're not very smart, okay?

But we were smart enough to have one person on "look-out" while the other browsed the stalls. It ended up being a good solution since I easily spotted A (still don't know how. Maybe the horseshoe again?) and we were all together again. From there we headed down to the lights display at the end of the markets.

Me and Lu

Me and A

Champs-Élysées

We then headed back through the markets and found the most amazing stall ever! I came back the next day to try some of the wonderful food. It was okay, not as good as the giant frying pan makes it look.

From the markets we headed over to Chartier for some traditional Parisian cuisine. By this, I mean rude waiters, cramped tables and delicious escargot. What else would you expect in Paris?

On Sunday we went back to the Eiffel Tower and went all the way up to the top for the best view of Paris. Too bad it wasn't sunny anymore.

Then we made our way back to Geneva. We were sad to leave Paris, but since we know we'll go back soon, we were excited to go home.

Thanks for a great trip A! And thanks for being my travel buddy, Lu! Can't wait to do it again!

Costuming - The Final Product!

2011-12-09T13:52:00.001+01:00

It's done! And it is currently being judged by all of E's classmates. After lunch today, I covered E in silver face paint and silver hairspray, then helped him into his costume. Of course one of the buttons fell off once we got to school (and the glue was at home), but no one seemed to notice. I'll reattach it after school, since the all important contest isn't until this afternoon. So here's the final product!

Even Koda approves. She's tired after all her hard work.

Costuming - Part III

2011-12-09T10:25:00.001+01:00

The costume is done! Finished it yesterday evening. The big reveal will be shortly after 1pm Swiss time.

Stay tuned!

People Actually Read This?!

2011-12-07T19:34:00.001+01:00

Apparently my readership is not just my family and friends from home. Thanks to all who have been checking in on my life abroad! I know I've not always been consistent with my posting, but my New Year's Resolution is to put myself on a posting schedule.

I'd also like to thank Tina over at City Urbanista for featuring my blog on her site! I'm feeling the Canadian love! Make sure you all check out her site for a look at life as a Torontonian (kinda miss it sometimes). And check out her feature on me here: check it out!

Course de L'Escalade

2011-12-04T22:33:00.001+01:00

After finishing a 5K back in May, I've been itching to do another one. Last month, P signed me up for the Course de l'Escalade. Once I had the proof of registration in my hands, I knew it would be a bad idea. But I had to suck it up and do it, and now that it's over, I'm so happy I did.

As much as I 'd like to say that I trained for the event, my "training"really only involved me running with a dog that likes to stop every two minutes to smell something. Not really that effective.

The course. I ran the dark blue one, which is twice around.

If I'm lucky enough to still be in Geneva next year, I will definitely do the run again. And hopefully I'll get to run it with some of my friends!

Me after my run with my goodie bag!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

2011-12-01T22:11:00.001+01:00

ADVENT CALENDAR!!

Thanks to Santa M!

Costuming Part II

2011-12-01T16:49:00.001+01:00

L'Escalade it just around the corner, and E needs his costume ready to go for next Friday afternoon. I dedicated some time this afternoon to getting some work done on it. Check out what I accomplished!

First I made the slink-like coils to hold the candy.

I then planned to stick the coils into a silver-covered sheet of styrofoam. So I cut the two pieces...

Lined them up...

Applied some glue...

And waited for it to set.

I then moved on to starting the side panel of the vending machine.

Last week I spray painted the bases of the costume.

They look more like a vending machine now, eh?

I then applied the grey swatch to the vending machine.

In the meantime, I went to check my styrofoam. And I found this.

The glue ate the styrofoam. Scrap that idea.

Instead of putting the coils in the styrofoam, I opted to just stick it in the back of the base.

So the end of the coil pokes out the back, a little dangerous.

So I decided to use my favourite thing: Duct tape!

No poking now!

All attached now!

And all safe on the back.

Now to add the goodies!

"They won't notice if I take one, right?"

All added.

Starting to look like a vending machine now.

Now I added a plastic sheet to act as the glass pane stopping greedy hands from swiping the candy.

Can't get it now!

And of course, the all important price tags.

I'll let you guess what these are for. Or just wait to see the final product.

And that's what Koda did the entire time I was working. It's her favourite position. She's a bit crazy, but that's why I love her.

So until next time! The costume's almost done! Can you believe it almost looks like a vending machine?

Look What I Got!

2011-12-01T16:15:00.000+01:00

Each year, my Aunt puts together a Christmas mix and gives it out at their annual Christmas party. I always look forward to it, because it quickly becomes the ONLY CD in my car for the holiday season. So when it arrived in just two days after my aunt sent it from Canada, I got REALLY excited! Thanks so much for sending it!!!! Everyone here loves it!

This year, my aunt and I found a song that relates perfectly to my time away in Switzerland: White Christmas by Michael Bublé ft. Shania Twain. Now why is this song so perfect? Michael recorded his part in Canada while he Skyped with Shania who was recording her part in Switzerland! Amazing, eh?

Here's a clip for your listening pleasure.

Hope everyone's getting into the Christmas spirit now that December is here (already!). I'm starting to stress over my Christmas shopping, which I usually finish by the end of November. Geneva is really getting into the Christmas spirit. Tonight is the tree lighting ceremony at the local Mayor's office. Then I have the cours d'Escalade on Saturday, helping out with a local theatre's Christmas production on Sunday, followed by L'Escalade the following weekend. Lots to do, and lots of Christmas shopping to be done. Crossing my fingers that I fit it all in!

Protest in Geneva

2011-12-01T16:00:00.000+01:00

On a quiet Saturday at the markets, I stumbled upon a protest. As you can see, a lot of the protestors are in lab coats. That's because most of the protestors are nurses, lab techs and other hospital employees protesting for better wages and hours.

I was surprised that this was the first protest I've seen in Geneva (other than the Occupy Geneva). I guess I was under the impression that the Swiss strike just as much as the French.

More Autumn in Geneva

2011-11-11T11:44:00.001+01:00

Koda made a friend

Someone Listened!

2011-11-11T10:43:00.001+01:00

Remember my blog post a while back where I compared the TTC with the TPG? Well I'm assuming someone in Toronto read it and passed it along to the TTC because viola! Toronto plans on updating the streetcars! Check out the article on BlogTo.

And on a side note, thank you Linda for the card! It came in the mail today and put a smile on my face!

What I Miss About Canada

2011-11-10T15:34:00.000+01:00

It's wild to think that in less than two months I will be back on Canadian soil. What's even wilder is that when I start to think about it, I begin to miss Switzerland. Something must be wrong with me, right?

Well, despite my Swiss addiction, there are many aspects of my Canadian life that I miss here. I've made do without them, but I do wish they were here.

1. 24 hour supermarkets: In Geneva, businesses don't believe in being open past 7pm and it's a sacrilege to work on a Sunday. I really do miss the capitalist mindset of Canadians when my friends and I wake up on a Sunday to realize there is nothing to eat for breakfast. Now there's always gas stations and tabacs, but the prices are inflated (even more than normal) and there's rarely a good selection. So let's be honest. What I really miss is:

2. Shopper's Drug Mart: For all my Canadian readers, you understand my love for all things Shopper's.

3. The Canadian Dollar: I do like Swiss Francs. They're even more colourful than Canadian dollars, and even better, they're worth more. So why do I miss the Canadian currency? Canadian prices. For example, I was reading this article on BlogTo.com about street meat prices. Vendors in Toronto are taking advantage of the "gourmet" market and there is now a deluxe hot dog being sold in the club district for $9. Before you start shouting, "Switzerland has affected your brain! That's too expensive for a hot dog!", let me put this in context. Normally, in Toronto, street meat would cost you between $2-3, plus another dollar for a drink. In Swiss Francs, that would be roughly 1,80-2,60chf. The gourmet version would run you roughly 8chf. Now for those who know the city, where in Geneva could you find a place that's open in the middle of the night with prices like that? McDo's couldn't even compete.

4. Yoga Pants: Everyone here wears suits. If it's not a suit, it's some other incredibly stylish, makes you look like a model, pulled off a manikin, expensive outfit. Now I know that yoga pants are the easiest way out of choosing what to wear, but now I wouldn't be caught dead leaving the house in them. Plus they instantly get covered in dog hair the second I finish washing them. Not a good look.

5. Shopping Trips into the States: Now I know I have my own "US" in France, and I do take advantage of it, but as all my Torontonians and fellow Southern Ontarians know, there's nothing like Buffalo, NY.

6. Tim Hortons: I know you're surprised this wasn't my first item on the list. Starbucks just isn't cutting it. The cheapest option will run you about 8chf. I could get a gourmet hot dog for that! Plus like every other self-respecting Canadian, I use Tim's as a place to meet my friends and catch up over a coffee while nibbling on some Timbits.

7. Winner's, Marshall's, etc: Or quite simply: cheap, fairly good quality clothing. What's with the Swiss and charging 50chf for a simple cotton shirt that will either tear, shrink, or loose it's shape?

Now there were some things I thought I would be missing terribly while abroad, but I've surprised myself. Here are some of those not so necessary necessities:

1. My Car: sometimes I wish I had an automatic car, like when I'm in stop-and-go traffic on a hill, but to be honest, the transit system here is great, and manual is not so bad. I've been spoiled this week with an automatic car. I made myself laugh when I went to depress the clutch to start the car. Duh! But other than driving E around or to get groceries, it's too much of a hassle to drive. Good luck finding parking for a van that isn't parallel and is inexpensive. I'll stick to the tram, thank you very much!

2. English: I was under the assumption that the second I got off the plane I was bidding adieu to my native language. How wrong I was! English might as well be one of the official languages. Everywhere I go I hear conversations in English. I'm attributing this to the fact that Geneva is a very multicultural city, and English is, safe to say, the universal language. But E made a great point the other day: English is too prominent in French culture. In particular, in advertising. I still giggle every time I hear "La radio Plus! Hit music station", with a thick French accent and everything. Why does that need to be in English in a French speaking country? E absolutely despises it and comments on it every time. I couldn't agree with him more.

And now as I try to continue this list, I actually can't think of another thing I thought that I'd miss. I know I had a list a mile long before I left, but that's all gone now. Amazing how fast that happens, eh?

Now I did not include all the people in Canada that I miss. I figure it's fairly obvious that I miss them terribly. After a few days of no internet, I realized how much I rely on Skype, Blogger, and Facebook to keep in touch with everyone. I couldn't imagine being here without it. Thanks to everyone who sends me messages to check in, or Skype every once in a while. I appreciate it, I miss you, and can't wait to see you all at Christmas!