Uno…a game for the young…and me…

I Love Uno!!! It is such a fabulous game…frustrating and fun but easy enough to play with kids. The children I au pair for like to play as well. 3 and 6 are interesting ages…especially when you compare how they play the game. The younger girl understands some of the rules but not enough to follow it completely. The older girl understands the rules completely but bends them to her advantage. Hum…I always wondered what age children started doing that sort of thing…so at least I know now that it can happens as early as 6.

In general, I spend more time with the younger of the two girls. She is only in school in the AM 4 days a week so we often have the afternoons together; however, today she was sick and sleeping for most of the afternoon. When the oldest got home we had some one-on-one time together. She wanted to play uno and thus began our marathon uno tournament. I don’t remember who won…it seems like I did but maybe I let her think that overall she won more games…who knows?!?! The point is that it was SOOO MUCH FUN!! I knew she had attitude (and by that I mean that she has tons of personality) but I have never seen her use it while being so playful and competitive. It was really interesting….I feel like I’m really starting to connect with her…a nice feeling!

In other news…as I was driving home from gymnastics tonight it began to snow…rather large flakes…I don’t think the ground is cold enough for accumulation but I guess we’ll see in the morning…

Going for now…Just thought I’d share my day…

LuLu

Georgia Native Named Newest Bond Girl…

Ok…so this is a bit hopeful and well…let’s be honest…would never happen to me! But a girl can still dream right?!?! I am a huge Bond fan…I will admit and most of my friends know that I can watch a 007 movie over and over. This is definitely true of the newest movie, Casino Royale, which I’ve seen in the theatre twice already. I am, however, willing to see it again if anyone is interested in going with me. And…as cheesy as it sounds I’ve included pictures of me taken next to a movie advertisement in Zurich’s Main Train Station. (Please note the use of European fashion with my jeans inside my cool new boots from Bosnia!!)

Who is the best Bond?? This question will forever be up to the individual viewer. Until recently I believed Pierce Brosnan to be the best Bond to date; however, in my opinion, he has been replaced. I absolutely LOVE the new movie...and Daniel Craig as Bond…phenomenal!! Although, I guess he really needs to act in more than one film as Bond for me to make a final decision. So…the jury is still out!!



On a separate note…I had a dinner party on Saturday night with some new friends here in Zurich. It was heaps (Megan) of fun!! Some of the girls stayed over after and it was a blast…

I guess I have nothing else to add right now…I’ll blog again before I fly down to Italy on Saturday…

Love you all and I miss you!!

LuLu

The Silvesterlauf/ a Night in the City with my Girls…

Sunday evening marked the 30th annual Silvesterlauf (which translated means New Year’s eve run) in Zurich. Now…I’m not a runner but Amanda is so Megz and I went into the city to cheer her on and have a look around at the event. The city was all decorated and spectacular that night. Two of the large (and famous) churches in Zurich were decorated using those light projector things and I’ve attached some really, in my opinion, impressive pictures. My favorite is the Fraumunster which is famous for its stained glass windows done by Marc Chagall (who is quickly becoming my favorite artist…I love his work!). All the light projections onto the façade of this church were Chagall art…really cool!!!



In other news I’m headed to Rome in about a week and a half. Christmas with the pope!! I bet it will be one I’ll never forget. After that it’s a week traveling around in Italy with BP and Jase!

The sickness is still floating around in our household but as of now the only thing I have is a sore throat and a small loss of voice.

Sorry to make this one so short but it’s getting later and I need to just lie in bed and watch my Friends DVD (and you thought I’d say I needed to go to bed…hehe). I’m sure I’ll post again soon.

Love you all!!

LuLu

A Week Away and Too Much to Blog About…

Hi everyone,

I realize that today marks two weeks since my last post. The reason for that is difficult for me to say…I’ve just been too lazy to do write a new one. The truth is that the only reason I’m writing right now is because I can’t sleep. I’m not feeling well and I’ve been lying in bed for hours but I’m not in the least bit tired. Actually that’s not true…I’m plenty tired but too achy and that’s making it hard to actually find a good position for sleep. So I’m not sitting here in bed, at 12:30AM, writing this post and watching a movie on TV starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Bruce Willis in German, of course, (actually I’ve seen it before but for whatever reason I can’t remember the name so if anyone knows…help a sister out!). I’m not quite sure what I am sick with exactly but I am positive that my weakened immune system due to all the flying and time changing and whatever the family is sick with have contributed to it all. It’s not a good combination really. Luckily this is happening on a weekend. But that’s enough of that…no more whining…but maybe say a little prayer for me about the situation.



Ok, on to what I wanted to write about. The wedding of CandyCane to Mr. Pig went down very well. Very few “unexpected problems” popped up as they seem to at other weddings and I think everyone kept the cool even when they did arise. I’ve attached some lovely pictures from the wedding and if you are interested in seeing a few more just check out my Yahoo! Photos page. It was soooo good to see CandyCane. I’ve missed her like crazy. I cried quite a bit at the end of the reception, not because I was sad for the occurrence of the wedding, but because I have no idea when I’ll see her again. She wasn’t back from the honeymoon before I left again for Zurich.



Christmas/Thanksgiving lunch went well also. I was able to see a lot of family and I think in the family respect no one was left out from visits. I am, however, very disappointed about not seeing a lot of my friends. With a few there just wasn’t enough time in my week, with others I had my wires crossed and the meetings just didn’t happen, and then there are my church friends…at that point I was unsure about whether I could legally drive my parents car (because I no longer have US insurance) and I had no way to get to church that Sunday. If you are a friend I didn’t get to see I’m soooo sorry. Despite all this though, I’m still glad that I only went home for a week. I know that I could have used more for seeing people but by the time I got on a plane for Zurich I was exhausted both mentally and physically!

So, all that being said I’m now looking forward to my next trip. Exactly two weeks from today I plan to be in Pisa, Italy and heading down to Rome for Christmas with friends. It should be a great week traveling around Italy with my friends that are currently living in Bosnia. We are each others family this year and especially around the holidays. Although, BP and Jase are two people I always consider family, no matter where I’m living or what time of year.

Well, I can’t think anymore tonight so I’m signing off. I miss you all and I’ll make sure to keep you updated on the next time I’ll be home (I guess the end of next summer or possibly for good around September…who knows where this whole experience will take me!

Bye for now…

LuLu

A Conglomeration of Several Things…

To all my reading audience,

I have not much to say on this beautiful Saturday. I’ve had a very enjoyable day and the weather was quite nice in Switzerland today (at least the part where I currently reside). I went into town to the Christmas Market with a friend. You can find just about anything you want at this market…for me…namely…jewelry…silver jewelry! They also had a wide assortment of handmade things, food, toys, etc…

However, this information isn’t enough to fill up a post the way I think it should be. Because of this, I have decided to follow in the footsteps of The Friend Formerly Known As and do one of those celebrity look alike things with a picture of me. I have been curious about these services in the past and tempted to try it on several occasions but every time I think of the possible celebrities out there I might resemble the images Roseanne Barr, Rosie O'Donnell, or possibly a male celebrity pop into my head. So I told myself a few days ago that I would just try it and if it turned out badly I wouldn’t tell anyone. Needless to say I’m quite happy with my results…take a look below…Only one man appeared on the list but I chose to leave him out of the list I post for blog purposes…hehe…Enjoy and I better not hear any laughter because of these results!!!



Alright, I know this has been a random post but I thought I’d just share. Tonight I’m starting to pull out everything I need to pack for my vacation to the States. It seems very weird to call it a vacation…to my home country. Oh well, facts are facts…it’s a vaca… I’m sure to not get a moments rest (due to a wedding, family obligations, church, friends, etc.) while there but I guess I should consider the trip a holiday either way. I will be leaving Zurich early Wednesday morning for a direct flight to the ATL…can’t wait to see everyone…

Going for now…

LuLu

Be Thankful in Everything…

As a follow up to my last post concerning the holidays, I would like to write to you today about my Thanksgiving. Every year Thanksgiving is the day where I eat A LOT and Mom makes macaroni and cheese and Grandmother makes pumpkin pies. Thanksgiving has never been about giving thanks for me. This year started out no different, I will admit. Sure there was no turkey or dressing or pies…there was no huge family gathering to be followed by excessive amounts of sleeping…and that was my problem. I woke up this morning and realized what a lonely day I was about to endure. My usual middle of the week emails would not come because no one was at work to email me. There would be no one on skype or instant messenger; even my friends on the same continent (except The Friend Formerly Known as) were no where to be found. It was a day when you are supposed to be surrounded by all the people you love the most and I had none of them. My attitude became inwardly worse all day until the point where I thought I might explode into a ball of rage (however, I believe my outward attitude and mannerisms showed nothing of the sort).

My outlook changed this evening, however, when I was able to fit into my schedule a Thanksgiving service at my church here in Zurich. It was mostly American expats because it is a US holiday. The sermon was titled “Thanksgiving from a Slightly Different Perspective” and it was exactly what I needed to hear. James 1:2-3 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” I’m sure, at this moment, I hear people on the other side of my computer saying…”but you put yourself into this…”. Well, yes I did. And I knew full well that there was no Thanksgiving celebration in Switzerland…but it doesn’t make the disappointment any less. And though today wasn’t an ongoing trial it was a test of my spirit. Rather than giving thanks all day I gave into self pity. I heard an analogy tonight about how God shapes us into a person in His Son’s likeness. A sculptor was asked how he sculpted a man from stone and he replied “I take a rock and chisel away everything that doesn’t look like a man”. The same with God…He takes us…the way we are and slowly chips away at the parts that don’t look like His Son. To the sculptor and to God the process is absolutely beautiful, a work of art; however, to the stone it can be quite painful. Today was painful (at least part of the day) but it was God chipping away to show me that in all situations I should give thanks.

So…I want to leave you with a brief list of all I am thankful for at this moment…in the forefront of my mind at this moment is AMANDA…I’m so thankful for this girl from Wyoming. On a day when I needed a really great friend she was there and we listened to each other. I’m thankful for the fog…on a clear day when the fog lifts you can see the mountains… without the fog there would be less appreciation of those mountains and their beauty. I’m thankful to have been raised and to currently live in a country that allows for basic freedoms…namely the freedom for me to worship as I see fit. I’m thankful for the International Protestant Church of Zurich and the sermon and fellowship we shared tonight. I’m thankful for health and extreme happiness; for good friends and my families (both the one at home and the one I live with here…). I could go on and on but I think you all have the idea by now. And just to step up on the soap box for a moment I’d like to encourage everyone to think more about what they are thankful for today. Take a moment to cherish the people you are spending time with and reflect on the good fortune we all have to be able to put food on our tables and a roof over our heads and in all things be thankful…

Until later…

LuLu

Sights, smells, and sounds of the holidays…

I will admit that I’m not always the biggest fan of the holidays. Since I’ve reached adulthood, and a thought of Christmas doesn’t always mean gifts anymore, it has lost a lot of the appeal to me. When I think of the holidays now I think more of over crowded malls, radio stations that play nonstop Christmas music (few things in life annoy me more than this), and stressing out over what to purchase for a friend or family member, among other things... However, the season has definitely begun here in Switzerland and I find myself missing the traditions back home.

Inside Zurich Hauptbahnhof (train station) booths are being set up for the Christmas market which will begin on Friday. This is the largest covered Christmas Market in Europe. I’m excited to see it all. They have put up a giant (enormous, massive…I can’t even begin to describe how large it is…) Christmas tree in the middle of the market and it’s covered in Swarovski crystal ornaments (I read somewhere that there were over 5,000). It is absolutely beautiful. Someone told me it would be there but I never imagined it would be so gigantic or so lovely. I’ve included a picture which doesn’t do it any justice but it’s the best I can do because of lighting in the place.


Additionally, today we were working in the kitchen and talking about Christmas decorations. The oldest girl and her mom were searching for the perfect plate/tray to put candles on for the season. It reminded me so much of being with my mom. I miss my mom…I miss day after Thanksgiving shopping (which they don’t have here because there is no Thanksgiving); however, I think I’m the only one who still has any interest in being up at 5AM to go to Wal-Mart and storm the store with several hundred other women. I miss decorating for Christmas on Thanksgiving night. It used to really upset my mom if we waited and I really used to hate it but now I find that I want to do the same. She loves Christmas and the décor and the feeling so much that she wanted it up for as long as possible. I miss baking with my mom for the holidays. Much of the time families don’t need presents but goodies are always welcomed. Mom, Jen, and I would spend all of one day making chocolate covered this and white chocolate covered that, cookies, divinity, fudge, you name it…if it was sugary and horrible for your teeth we were making it! I miss that a lot…making a huge mess and being covered in flour and sugar and chocolate but having so much fun!

We are having Christmas and Thanksgiving rolled into one when I get home. It should be strange and I have to say that I wondered why my mom and Jen were even bothering with it just because I wouldn’t be there for the actual days…but…I’m so glad they are at this very moment! Earlier, during the talks of the holidays here, I got really emotional. I started tearing up…who knows why really…and I had to walk into another room because I was so embarrassed that I was affected in that way. Not a really bad emotional experience but for a brief moment I really wished that I was at home talking about those same things with my mom!!

Well, Thanksgiving is Thursday and it’s just another day for me while I’m here. I am hoping to attend the Thanksgiving service at the IPC (International Protestant Church) that night but I am currently unsure if I can put it into the schedule. I will participate in the holiday decorating with my host family and that should be fun (and to see the holiday season through the eyes of two little girls!!). I am lucky to have such a wonderful family to work/live with (and I’m not just saying that because they will read this…) and that they invite me to participate. Several of my au pair friends have not been so fortunate. Additionally, I will be in Rome with several really great friends (BP and Jase) who may as well be my family because I love them so much. I’ll be celebrating in style but missing the hustle and bustle at home that’s for sure! Alright this has gone on long enough…I bid you adieu for the day or until the next post. Miss you guys…

Lots of love,

LuLu

Milano, Italia (or maybe a better title is “Someone pass the Australian dictionary”)…

I have no idea where to start for this blog. Friends, you cannot even begin to imagine the wonderful and crazy time I had in Milan! I went down with four other girls for two days and we had a blast, at least I think we did when it was all said and done…Hum, to sum it all up…didn’t see The Last Supper (although we did get a pic of our last supper there-McDonald’s by the way…), we saw the fashion district, walked through what we are fairly positive was a rally or protest of some sort (still not positive of which so let me know if you’ve heard of anything that fits the bill…), saw the Duomo (cathedral) covered in scaffolding, I had a guy try to con me out of 5Euro just for giving me some bird seed, wonderful Italian dinner on Saturday night followed by dessert (you just can’t have good Tiramisu outside of Italy and no one can convince me otherwise…), stayed out late, the next day we met a pseudo-famous person at breakfast, Amanda was pick pocketed (this one’s for you Lauren-I wanted to say robbed…) on the metro and her wallet was stolen, some of the girls bought fake prada bags on the street (I learned so much about haggling from Megan during this experience), we saw the La Scala Opera house (I’m told it’s the most famous in the world), and then we came home.



Milan was a great city; however, I think it is currently my least favorite of all the Italian cities I’ve seen. Although, I was not able to see a lot of what I went for and because of that I plan to return there at some point during the next few months. The trip had so many high points and so many low points I find it hard to write about all of them. If you want to know more about anything I mentioned above just let me know because I’m happy to go into further detail. One thing that I should tell you is possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. We were walking around outside a castle and there were all these people lined up on the street selling the knockoff bags. One minute they were there and the next they were gone. I’ve never seen anyone run as fast in my life when the police van drove around the corner they all took off! But of course they were right back at it within two seconds of the cops leaving…still…really, really funny!!

One last thing I should share about the experiences this weekend. I’ve discovered that even though English is the national language for both USA and Australia sometimes communication is an issue. (Megan I told you I was going to blog about this…) Apparently Q comes after T in their alphabet (hehe) and it is impossible to give the definition of a word without saying the word in that definition. This makes it very hard to explain, as you can imagine. We had quite a diverse group for this trip: three Americans (Georgia, Wyoming, and Louisiana), a Canadian, and an Australian. So of course we all spoke English but there were moments when we’d have 5 different meanings for the same word…good stuff really!! However, it doesn't matter that much about this small language barrier. I have found a business partner in Megan for a future venture I would like to undertake (girls, I'm sure you are all in agreement that I shouldn't go into detail about that on this blog!!)

This post has already disappointed me greatly because I had a page long list of things I wanted to say and I can’t seem to put any of them into writing. A post that long would really be boring for most of my readers, but I am thinking about writing my own little blurb about it to put in my scrapbook and one day look back and remember this experience. If you would like a copy of the finished product just let me know (and assuming I actually get around to writing it I will be happy to provide one :-) ).

Alright, I’m headed to bed. I have included several really great photos from this weekend and I will be adding all of them to my photo site soon everyone can enjoy. I’m headed to the States in just over a week now so I’m psyched about that. Can’t wait to see everyone (especially my niece!!).

Until next time,

LuLu

O is for Oh Wow!!

Don’t be alarmed and do not panic. You do not need to adjust your computer screen; your eyes are not deceiving you… This is my second post in less than 24 hours. I know I said that I’d post again after Milan but something happened today which deserves a post all unto itself. I have packed for my trip and…get this…I’m only taking one bag. That’s right…you heard correctly…I’ve only packed one bag and a small one at that (my backpack). For most of you this will be no shock. A simple 2 day 1 night trip…one bag is all that’s needed right?! Well, I’m an over packer from way back. I feel that it is very important to have choices on a trip…choices of shirts, shoes, earrings, etc…well, not on this trip. I’m attempting to become a new traveler…a minimalist…BP are you impressed? She used to fuss at me so much for the amount of things I’d pack for a trip. Usually I had my bag popping open because it was stuffed so full and I’d put things in her bag as well.

Alright... So it’s not that impressive but I have a feeling it will warm a few people’s hearts to read this blog…CandyCane, BP, DAD…this one’s for you!

LuLu

I hate alarm clocks…

Ok, I have several reasons for this statement…the first is by far the most obvious…they usually manage to wake me up a lot earlier than I care to be up and around and part of civilization. Reason #2…the snooze button is almost completely useless and tends to tick me off more than it actually allows me to enjoy those last few minutes of sleep. And finally #3 and the reason I decided to blog about this today…they sometimes fail to wake me up when it’s most important!

I have been in the habit of setting at least 2, sometimes 3, different alarm clocks (all around my bedroom-it helps wake me up if I have to get out of the bed to turn it off) for the past few years now. The number always varies depending on the importance for which I’m rising so early. However, there always comes that morning when I frantically bolt out of bed only to find that it is hours past the time I wished to wake up in the first place. That being said, it must be the clocks fault(s) right?! I refuse to believe that I might turn these things off (potentially in my sleep) and forget about them until I nod off again and thus make myself late.

Today I woke to the sound of small fingers tapping on my door. Usually the girls don’t come down in the morning unless I’m already up and around and they’ve seen me so I knew immediately this couldn’t be a good thing. I managed to find my glasses and see the clock beside my bed which read 10 minutes to 8AM. Ok, so this is not usually a bad thing because most mornings I don’t have to be up early but it just so happened that today we were going to Germany shopping. We planned to drop the girls at school and leave straight from there to drive over. This meant that I needed to be ready to walk out the door by approximately 8:05AM. You can imagine my panic and embarrassment at the whole situation. Well, all that has past and we did manage to leave on time; everything was fine…however, it doesn’t negate the fact that it happened in the first place.

Alright…I’ve said entirely too much about clocks at this point and probably everyone has just stopped reading because it is a rather boring subject! In other news, I leave Saturday morning uber early (hope my alarm wakes me this time-it will be a 3 alarm morning) to catch the train to Milan. I am bummed out beyond belief at the fact we can’t get in to see Leonardo da Vinci's fresco of The Last Supper. Apparently, despite extensive attempts at restoration this fresco is fading off the wall so they try really hard to regulate the temperature in the room. Because of this they only allow 25 people in at a time and we didn’t know this until it was too late so now we can’t get reservations. I plan to go over and see if I might be able to get in anyway (I’ve heard it’s rare but does occasionally happen…).

I guess that’s about it for now. I’ll post again when I get back from Italy and hopefully I’ll have some interesting photos to share as well.

I love you all!!

LuLu

A post because it’s needed…

The only reason for this post is because I feel that I must post at least twice a week and I haven’t since last Thursday. I have nothing to say really. I miss home today. I miss my family, my friends, understanding what people say in public, I miss my car (which isn’t mine anymore), my cats, my apartment (also not mine anymore), my life…

This is a passing feeling that I get every so often but it was very much overwhelming today.

I’m going to Milan this weekend. I plan to see lots of wonderful things but I’ll have to write more about it when I’m in the mood.

I’m going to the States two weeks from tomorrow and I’ll be there a week (included in the weeks activities are the nuptials of Mr. Pig and CandyCane as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one with my family). However, I’ve already booked my ticket back to Zurich, so people at home…sorry I got your hopes up…but I’m coming back.

I may miss home occasionally but there isn’t a single day which goes by where I’m sorry for my decision to come here.

Ok…going to bed now…

LuLu

My boys back home…

Hi All…

I’ve been thinking more lately about the things I miss from home. Tonight as I walked home from the bus stop a cat came running at me so, of course, I took a few minutes to pet and love on him/her. Then the cat proceeded to follow me nearly home. It was so sweet and the more I walked the more I thought about how I miss my boys…my cats…my Moscow and my Smokey! (see picture…I bet you can’t guess which one is which can you?!?!) They have been my live-in family for the last two years and I miss them desperately! I bet they don’t miss me even a little…as long as they are fed they are happy but what I wouldn’t give to have them here with me…



On top of this I’m having a hard time with the German classes lately. I’m just not grasping everything like I feel I should. Sometimes I don’t even understand the instructor when he talks. It makes me feel really bad when I have to look at my neighbors and ask what he’s saying or when they whisper the answer to me because I can’t think of it fast enough…hum…I’m sure if I’d study more I’d get more out of it. I do study but I’m sure more would help. I’ve never been good at learning languages in the past but I don’t want to let that get me down…and I don’t want to use it as an excuse for why I’m not learning this properly. Just bummed out…that’s all…as my mom always says, “this too shall pass…”. At the moment I just feel like I’ve given all I can…

I had been working with a few girls lately on a trip we planned for Florence but the plans have fallen through as of this afternoon/evening. I’m looking for something else to do next weekend as a result. If anyone has suggestions for the girls on a budget we would welcome it!

One last thing and this is a good one…I always like to end on a good note if possible! I officially, for the first time, tried the very European style of putting my boots over the outside of my jeans today! I’m not sure it looked exactly right (or could it be that I was just self-conscious?), but I gave it a try. Perhaps I need to buy some of those straight legged jeans which I loath. Once upon a time I swore I’d never buy another pair. I guess it doesn’t matter that much what the leg is like if they are tucked into the boots. They can be my boot jeans and I never have to wear them with any other shoes so as not to admit that I ever bought straight-legged jeans…I just think the tapered leg are so unflattering on most people (well, mainly on me…) and I hate how awkwardly they lay over your shoes…

Alright, this post has become much longer than I intended for the stuff I had to say. Again, I’m sorry to all my readers as this post is just my ramblings about life in general with no really good information found therein.

That being said…Guten Nacht!

LuLu

What are we complaining about???

Hi all!!

Ok, I haven’t done that much in the last two days…unless you want to hear about the ins and outs of ironing (which I actually like to do by the way…). Today’s post is an informative one really. I often get asked the question, “so how much is gas over there?” to which I generally have no answer. I don’t buy gas (or petrol as we say here..) so I don’t really pay attention. However, today I was with my host mum when she purchased and I thought I’d throw some numbers out for all my American readers.

Petrol is sold by the liter here instead of by the gallon. I noticed while driving around today that the average price seems to be about 1.59CHF (Swiss Francs) per liter. Now, a gallon is roughly 3.79 liters. So…that would be about 6.03CHF per gallon. Now… before you get too worried that is still not converted to USD so let me do that as well. Currently 1 USD is worth about 1.25 CHF. So, that would mean that the average price of petrol in USD here in Switzerland is $4.83. That being said…when I left the States two months ago the gas prices around Atlanta seemed to be between $2.30 and $2.40 per gallon and based on a website for local gas prices they are currently around $2.00 per gallon. Prices here are more than double!

I wonder if the streets and pumps there still echo the same resounding complaint they have had for the past few years? “What’s up with these gas prices?” Complaints on how much we pay as Americans…so on a so forth. Hum, looking at the number here makes me feel bad I ever complained in the first place. Ok, I’m not getting on the soap box tonight I promise. I just wanted to let everyone know so I don’t look quite as dumb because I’m not informed.

*I apologize if any information in this post is incorrect in any way…being as I’m not in Atlanta myself I can only rely on the information I find on the local ATL sites for gas prices….

Ok, I’m turning in early again tonight. I’d be interested to know the stats on other places…BP and Jase, what’s the scene in Bosnia?...Friend formerly known as, what about London?...anyone anywhere else, what’s your situation???

Ok…guten nacht to all my readers!

LuLu

Let’s meet at the Big Clock…

Hi all!!

Wow, have I got a post for you today. This post has effectively become a platform for my rantings about life in general…

Ok, so if you’ve ever lived in or around Zurich you are probably aware the most popular place for meeting up with friends seems to be the Big Clock at Zurich HB (main train station). Now, this is a ridiculous idea and only makes for complete chaos in the end because half of Zurich is always standing there waiting for the other half to arrive! However, despite this fact, people still use this as their meeting point just as we have done several times this weekend and on various other occasions since my arrival here in Zurich. I have a few theories on why this is the chosen spot for gathering. Number 1…the Big Clock is a very large fixture at HB and therefore easy to spot if you are new in town. Number 2…this clock was placed conveniently close to most of the main platforms and the huge board which shows all departures and therefore easy to get to if you are arriving by train. And…Number 3…by far my favorite…people prefer to use this marker for assembling because they can keep an eye on the time and it makes pointing out how late the other party is a very easy thing to do!

At any point during the day there are a good many people standing around the clock. The day crowd is a bit strange. Sometimes the girls need more clothing or perhaps the people need to just go back home and take a good look in the mirror to rethink the outfit chosen for that day. Occasionally you’ll see a hair color not found in nature and therefore should never be put on your head. Everyone has the funniest looks on their faces as they glance all around looking for the people they are there to meet…However, in my experience, the night crowd is by far the most interesting! I thought in all my travels that I’d seen some truly strange people before. But, it must be said that Zurich seems to have the biggest crowd of strange people, most of them gothic, I’ve ever encountered. It may come as a shock to most of you, but I have a very strong fascination with these goth people. I always wanted to dress in all black and dye my hair and have all sorts of piercings, but I never had the guts to do this and most likely never will. Despite the fact that I have dyed my hair black since moving to Switzerland (it looks completely natural by the way…), I do not intend to turn goth at any time in the near future. However, watching them all around the Big Clock is truly an interesting experience! Just last night I saw the scariest/most interesting boy, although I guess he was really a man, I’ve ever come across. He was wearing heavy eye makeup (yes…a dude with heavy makeup!) and lots of strange jewelry. Dressed in all black with a long, floor length leather coat and what appeared to be a floor length dress or skirt underneath. His head was shaved down the side and his hair was dyed black with streaks of dark purple. It was long and pulled into the greasiest pony tail I’ve ever seen, although I think if it hadn't been pulled back it could probably be likened to a gothic mullet...not a great look!…ok, so he’s just one of many and maybe you can’t truly get the visual from this but he was so interesting looking that I couldn’t help but stare and I definitely think he noticed…hum…I had to walk off for a moment and while I was gone he left as well. Bummer…I was really interested to see who he was meeting. Maybe it was an equally scary dressed female meeting up for a date…or perhaps it was his mom or grandmother dressed more traditionally (that might just be the funniest meeting I’ve seen yet). Ok, enough about this but I think you get my point…lots of goths and lots of what we call skinheads back home.

One other subject I should address before signing off for the evening is PDA (Public Displays of Affection for all you aren’t familiar…). Ok, so, I have no issues with showing affection with your significant other but truly some of these people need to get a room! I find it to be a violation of my personal rights to have to witness such disgusting behaviors in public! Actually, I am down right embarrassed for the people involved when I am forced to become an innocent onlooker to these repulsive acts. Again, I want to stress that I am in no way a prude and I have no problem with normal displays of affection such as a sweet kiss or holding hands but I don’t want to witness anything beyond that!

Ok, stepping down from my soap box I’m turning in for the night! So, in conclusion... the strangest of people hang out at the Big Clock after dark and sometimes they need to get a room (although this applies for places all over the city and everywhere else I’ve been, not just the clock…).

One last thing…I finally found MY church here in Zurich. I attended the IPC (International Protestant Church) and found my home. They are a very traditional, English speaking church which means I fit in just fine. Give me those old hymns anytime!

Ok, truly I’m going for now!

I’ll post again soon!!

LuLu

A night of fun with my girls!!!

Hello all!



As promised I am posting about my adventures yesterday at the wine expo. This event was a blast. I went with 4 close friends here in Zurich and we had a great time! The ships were pulled into the dock at the lake and you are able to board and move between the ships for many, many wine tastings. I tried quite a few and found most of them to be extremely enjoyable. The girls that went with me are sweet white wine people whereas I prefer the dry reds. There was something for everyone. We went after our German class and were only able to spend about 1 hour 45 min at the event but maybe we’ll go back again before it’s over!



After this we proceeded to go to McDonalds for the classiest of meals…cheeseburger and fries…seriously though…we did eat there…it was the only close place which was open with a semi clean restroom. I had two girls coming home with me and this is where the drama begins (you should know by now that the drama follows me around…). My last bus is at 11:32PM. Well, by the time we got to Hauptbahnhof (main train station) there were no other trains going to the stop I needed before the bus left. Bummer right…so we have this bright idea to get on a train to another city and take another bus that will again stop at my bus stop. In all our hurrying we managed to get off at the wrong train station thereby missing that bus as well. So at this point we have 4 options really…1) we can walk from this stop to my house…which is about a 2 hour walk in freezing temps! 2) we can call a taxi…which we did and they said it would be around 60 CHF (Swiss Francs) to bring us to my house. 3) we can call my host mom…which I was not going to do at midnight! Or 4) and the option that we chose in the end…we could go back into Zurich and wait around for the night bus at 2 AM! We finally walked in the door to my house around 3AM. You’d think I would learn but I’m going out again tonight. Wow…I was sooo cranky by the end of the whole ordeal…it’s a wonder these girls are even still talking to me today! LOVE YOU GUYS!!

So these are the stories I have from yesterday. Oh, one last thing…It did snow but only small flakes and nothing stayed on the ground. One day soon hopefully!!! The sunset is beautiful tonight and the alps are out so I sit here and write by the window where I have the full view…wish all of you were here with me at this moment! I’ve included pics taken by one of my friends from last night as well (remember...I told you it was freezing cold)! Enjoy everyone!

LuLu

A baby doll named Baby…

To make reference to my last post…nothing brings up memories of my childhood like my old baby doll named Baby. It turns out that the youngest girl I au pair for here in Switzerland also has a baby named Baby. She is so sweet with this doll. Today we played house and made our whole house in the floor of my bedroom. Throughout this whole process many things were brought down from her room to mine. Four baby dolls to be exact and also some books, blankets, and other assorted things. So tonight when she was getting ready for bed she came down and got Baby to sleep with her but told me the others could sleep with me tonight in my room. Immediately I was her age again and holding tight to my baby named Baby. I can remember not wanting to go anywhere without her. Even when it became uncool for an older girl to have a baby doll I still slept with her and I was always so sad to leave her at home if I had a sleep over at a friend’s house. I’ve included a picture we took today during a “photo shoot” with all her babies (Baby is in the middle). Isn’t she a little doll herself?!



In other news we had exactly no snow last night. Man, I was really hoping for something. I have bought, for the first time in my life, some new shoes that I am told will suffice for snow…so I’m calling them my snow shoes!! I am prepared to bundle up and look the part of a true Swiss person walking to and from the bus stop in my ski jacket and snow shoes. Ok, so really I just like any reason to buy new shoes (I’ve bought 3 new pair this week-but they are all sort of practical…snow, warmth, something new to cover the bottoms of your feet…) but you can hardly blame a girl for that!

One last comment….I’m completely stoked about the tickets I have for upcoming events in Zurich. First the wine expo is in town and it is supposed to be a spectacular event. My host dad was gracious enough to give me two tickets into the event. I’m going with a group of friends tomorrow night after our German class. I’m so excited about all the fun to be had and learning about new wines. Second I have tickets into the Marc Chagall exhibition at the Zurich Airport. He is one of my favorite artists and I’m excited to go and see a lot of his work! Still trying to decide who to take with me…I’m noticing a lot of people don’t even know his work or even who he is so those people are definitely out of the running for the ticket.

That’s about it for now…can’t think of anything else to add. Maybe I’ll post Saturday and let everyone know how the wine expo went. Soooo excited!!

Ciao!!

LuLu

Memories of my childhood…

One thing I never expected from this whole au pair thing is the memories of my own childhood that would pop into my head during the average day. Things I haven’t thought about in ages. Today we were sitting at lunch talking about snow (because it might possibly snow here later in the week…). There is a very steep field/hill beside the house where I live. The girls were very excited about telling me how they sled down the hill and how fast you can go. For whatever reason my mind wandered back to when I was a child. I had this vision of my sister and I on these bright orange, round sled things (I’m not sure they were actually sleds at all…). I can remember us clinging to one another as we slid on the ice (not much good snow falls in NE Georgia) down, what seemed to be at that time, the biggest/steepest hill in the entire world. We’d slide down the hill and fly off of the rock wall and sometimes almost crash into a large oak tree. It was so much fun! I remember that we didn’t have snow shoes or water proof shoes so mom would tie plastic grocery bags around our feet so they wouldn’t get wet.



Later this afternoon I had to get ready to go to my German class. This includes changing clothes and putting on make up. Make up time is always fun around here. The girls like to take my eye shadow and draw things all around their faces. Again, in my mind, I was a child again…Jen and I had two friends that were also sisters (I’m sure they don’t read this blog but our mothers will never forget that when one yelled “Let’s go girls” all four of us would pile into the car together…) and we would often spend the night together. I don’t ever recall playing with my mom’s makeup but I know for sure that we got into Mrs. B’s on several occasions…often having dress up sessions and even making music videos wearing the ridiculous clothing and overly gaudy makeup.

Memories are such nice things even when they aren’t very nice at all…Mom spraying us all with mace accidentally, opening Christmas presents before the parents got up (we were in such trouble for that one…), huddling together under the covers, unable to sleep, during the summer mid-night thunderstorms (imagine lots of lightening and loud thunder…totally scary for two young girls), etc... I guess I never expected this job would bring up all the old memories which otherwise might have laid dormant in my mind. When I think back all the best memories or maybe all the memories I have are with my sister…I miss ya Jen…This post is for you!

Enjoy!!!

LuLu

All the joys of Sarajevo, Bosnia…

Hello All!!

I have been back one day now from my trip to Sarajevo. The city is truly heartbreaking. To me, it’s the kind of place you go to and have to ask…what happened here?!?! Only the thing is we know what happened there…a war happened. I found the architecture to be very interesting, the history to be disturbing (and heartbreaking), and the people of Sarajevo were completely delightful. From the moment I stepped off the plane I could feel the warmth of the people in this city.



I did not see all that many touristy things but I spent some much needed quality time with my friends BP and Jase. At one point I heard BP says, “this is it…I’m being fed…” That’s what I felt as well. I really just needed to see them. I was being fed…my heart and my spirit!



Jase, acting like a crazy person no doubt, got his leg stuck in the door of the tram as we made our way across town one day. You can see that BP wasn’t at all impressed with his antics. I was quite amused by the whole thing actually!

Sarajevo is a very interesting place. I’ve never visited a predominately Muslim city. I’ve never heard the call to prayer or seen a mosque on every street corner. This city is in great need of something. You can see it in their faces as they walk down the street. These people are searching for something.

The group from my church in Gainesville arrived the day after I did. I had a marvelous time with all of them and it was an added bonus that I got to see that many more friends during this journey. Please keep them in your prayers that they will leave feeling they have accomplished the task they set out to do…bringing the lost of Sarajevo to the light and saving knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amazing things were already happening for them and the team in Sarajevo in the short amount of time I spent there. My heart goes out to the people there and I hope to visit again soon.

I’ve attached several pictures for your viewing enjoyment. Specifically click on the pic of BP and myself to see our new looks.

Much love to you all!!

LuLu

The Smart Girl with a Swiss Account!!!

That’s right…that’s me!! I hit two milestones today as I move along through my adventures here in Switzerland.

1) I had my first experience with driving a Smart Car today. Fun! Fun!! I have been fascinated with these cars since the first time I visited Europe back in 2004. They are tiny little things. Click here for a picture…maybe I’ll eventually put up a picture of myself driving the one my family has. I drove up and down the street a few times and I had the hang of it so I was allowed to go to the shops by myself! At this point the story gets really boring because I proceeded to purchase a vest (a very pretty white vest) for double what I wanted to pay simply because I was so high on life from the whole car experience!

2) My second milestone for the day is that I now have a Swiss bank account….that’s right….no one tell my brother-in-law…I know how much he wants one!  Now, I know that this is a big deal to anyone living in the States…but truly it was fairly easy. And at least now I can say that I have one. It could be a great conversation starter….by the way; I have a Swiss account…hehe!!

OK, that’s it for today…still going to Sarajevo on Friday. I’ll post again soon!!

Much Love,

LuLu

It’s official…I’m official!!

Hello All!!!

I received my official work permit, good for one year, today from the village government. This makes me feel tons better. Now I can do all that stuff like opening a bank account and I won’t have to carry my passport around with me everywhere I go…I’ve been so afraid that I would lose it. I’m now one of those ubber paranoid people that checks their bag 6-8 times a day just to make sure it’s still in there…

Well, other than that I really have nothing to tell. I am preparing for my trip to Sarajevo, Bosnia. I leave on Friday and will be there for 4 days visiting BP and Jase. Can’t wait guys!!! See you soon!!!

Maybe I’ll post again before I leave or maybe I’ll just wait and do a big one when I get back…who knows!!

Peace out people…

LuLu

Let's see a show of hands...

Hum, it seems to me that I had a once in a lifetime experience today. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement but I’m still going to make it! Today I went to Liechtenstein, a small country between Switzerland and Austria, with a few friends. We only visited the capital city, Vaduz, but it was very cool! So, basically this country is so small you can blink and miss it. We had to pay 2CHF (Swiss Francs) to get our passports stamped. Man, I wanted that stamp though…anything to say I’ve been there!

Liechtenstein still has a royal family. They live in a castle overlooking Vaduz. This castle was honestly nothing spectacular compared to some I’ve seen. It’s also off limits to visitors. So, with that in mind, my friends and I climbed the hill to have a better look at the royal home! We walked around the outside and took some pictures. I think if I remember correctly, the building was originally built in the very late 13th century. However, additions and fires and such have given us the building which we saw today. Currently there are almost two rulers. The prince who is the Head of State and his son who was handed the day to day decisions back in 2004. Click here if you are even remotely interested in seeing a picture. As we were walking around this castle we see them walking together out in the garden…VERY COOL!!! You may be asking how we knew them…we had just been to the History Museum and looked at their pictures…very distinguished looking characters! Now, I will tell you I did respect their privacy and I didn’t take a picture (I mean, they wouldn’t come to my house and take my picture…) but it was a very interesting and surreal moment. I’m told that the Swiss (and the Liechtensteinians…hum, is that right?) are just not interested in the rich and famous as much as we are in the States (another little fact I’ve learned in the last week…Tina Turner lives somewhere in Zurich and she is often seen out and about using the public transportation). So, I’m sure these royals are out and about amongst the people more just because of this. However, it was HUGE deal to me…so I have to ask for a show of hands of anyone who also saw royalty today…hehe!!!



Overall we had a really great day and I got a new stamp in the old passport! I’ve included a picture from today’s journey so you can all feel like you were along as well. What you see in the picture is basically what the whole of Liechtenstein looks like. And, I'm fairly positive that just over the moutains behind me is Switzerland....again...tiny little place!!

Miss you all and I love you!!!

LuLu

The adventure that was Salzburg….

Hello all!!



So I had a fabulous trip to Salzburg, Austria for the last 4 days. I went with the friend formerly known as (ok, so he’s formerly known as El Guapo…he’s officially been stripped of his title!!!) and one of my new friends here in Zurich who wishes to be called Charlotte. It was such a peaceful trip. We visited a castle, lots of really old fountains, cathedrals, abbeys and even some graveyards! And...(drumroll please…) WE WENT ON THE SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR!!! It was completely fabulous. Imagine if you will riding around for roughly three hours on a tour bus listening nonstop to the sound of music soundtrack. It was everything I had imagined and more!! We were able to go to the church where they got married in the movie (and separately the friend formerly known as and I went to the actually church were the real Maria von Trapp married the real life Baron von Trapp!)… fascinating stuff really. There was more but I won’t bore you with the details… for all your SOM buffs you can email me later and I’ll give you the full version!



Salzburg was a very magical city for me. Filled with music (home of Mozart), art, architecture and tons of history. I’ve included pictures for your viewing pleasure (oh…and by the way…we did climb the hill to go to that castle…we didn’t take the weeny way out with the cable car-although that was my vote the whole way through)! I wish we had a few more days to explore the area outside the city but I guess that can be saved for another trip.

Well, I’m off to bed…I’ve got to be up really early in the AM with the girls. I have to admit that I missed them a lot while I was gone these last few days.

Ok… you all!!

LuLu

Luzern

Hello All!!!

Yesterday I had a completely amazing day in Lucerne (or Luzern as they say in German) with 4 really great girls that I’ve made my newest (and at the moment) closest friends, proximity wise at least…



Luzern was absolutely amazing…we walked around the old town and through the carnival. We went in the fantastic old church and saw the famous carving of a lion in natural stone. This was done in the early 1800’s to honor the Swiss soldiers who lost their lives in the French Revolution. Other than seeing the sights the cafes were wonderful and the atmosphere made it a perfect day trip from Zurich (45 minutes away).

On another front…I feel like I am understanding German much better this week. I don’t know why but it feels like some things have clicked into place for me to have a better understanding of the language and how to read it and follow it when I hear it spoken around me.

Ok, other than that nothing else new….the girls are on holiday from school for two weeks and I have some down time. I am going to Bern on Thursday to meet another au pair from The States (Louisana to be exact) who just arrived a few weeks ago. I may take another day trip with the girls, and I’m going to Salzburg with el quapo (aka the friend in London) on Saturday…Yay….SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR HERE I COME…..

Ok, I’ll post again soon!

Love to my peeps….

LuLu

Magnificent Eyes….

Well, I can tell you first hand, someone saying you have magnificent eyes is never a hard compliment to take! That’s right…this is the flattering remark I received from a French guy in my German class last night. Hum… sorry Dad, I did find it a rather nice thing to hear! This guy has taken up with our small group of girls and he walked us out of class last night where we had a lovely conversation about Paris on the street corner. Yay!!!

In other news, those very same girls came over last night to watch movies and just do general girl stuff…you know…talk about boys and practice our German (this of course is a very girl thing to do…hehe). Other than that I have no news. I am possibly going to Lucerne tomorrow with some friends but that is just a day trip and I’d be back in the evening. Oh, I also took some very beautiful pictures yesterday from my bedroom window. It was sooo clear and the alps were beautiful and some were even snow covered.

Ok, must run for now…

Love you all!!!

LuLu

Rather uneventful...

Ok people, the last few days have been relatively uneventful! I could write about my bad day yesterday but I really don’t think anyone wants to hear about it. It was just bad and didn’t get any better as the day went on!

In other news, I’ve picked up my tickets for Sarajevo and I’ve also got plans for Salzburg, Austria next weekend with my friend in London (can’t think of a good name for him right now…maybe his name will forever be my friend in London...so really, he can never move!!) I am so excited about going on the Sound of Music tour!! Wow…I do love that movie.

I am having some girlfriends over tomorrow night for a sleep over. My first official guests here and they didn’t come very far…all of these girls are also au pairs and they all live in and around Zurich. Two Australians and one other American…Yay!!

That’s about it for now…

Love you all!!

LuLu

What can I say????

Well all, I’m completely wiped out and I can’t think of what to write about my trip to Heraklion….So instead of writing an original post I decided to let you all in on my private journal entries for the last two evenings…this should just about say it all!!

9-30-06

So, I’m in Greece…not exactly what I imagined it would be, but I’m not in the touristy places like Athens or Santorini…(where I hope to be for my birthday this year…BP…). Well, I wonder how I can classify my day…Is it ok to say that I had a really good time but I’m lonely? Out of three meals today I had two alone. The only real interaction I had was with two other American girls at breakfast. They are staying the in room next to mine….Ok, I’d better start from the beginning….

I arrived in Greece at 1:30AM this morning. I already had a reservation so I got a taxi from the airport to the Hotel Rea. Now, I was very nervous about this taxi ride. You see…I’d told my mom I’d be fine & I thought for sure that I would be…but somewhere between getting in the car (a Mercedes by the way…most all the taxies here are luxury cars) and backing down a dark alley for what seemed like 15 minutes, but was actually more like 2, I thought I might be in trouble….However, the driver was completely nice and he even broke a 50 for me which I’ve heard they are not likely to do. The guy at the reception desk (which I can only describe as the most attractive male I’ve ever seen) helped me to my room I was in for the night. The place is less than adequate I’d say, most people I know wouldn’t stay here! However, I didn’t find it dirty but just old and foreign. Whatever…I’d make do. I was so tired by that point that I could have slept in the street!

Well, I woke up the next morning and gave myself an Italian shower…but I manage to wash my hair & headed downstairs for some breakfast. That is when I met Sarie and Sara. They are studying in Athens and told me about some cool signs here in Heraklion.

I headed first to the water and I’ve since discovered that I am not actually on the Mediterranean but rather on the Sea of Crete. Still it is sparkling and the most beautiful water this girl has ever seen!



Ok…I should stop here…because, I need to preface the rest of this entry with something I’ve long known about myself….I’M A REALLY BIG NERD….most people come to Crete for a piece of the good life…party in the fast lane, but that is something I rarely do w/ friends and I’m certainly not going to a club (or disco as they are called here) by myself. Instead I came to see all the historical stuff and the beauty. I saw the Venetian fortress…(see attached pic)



and the 4 lion fountain. In there somewhere I did some shopping of course, and they headed to the archeological museum. This holds mostly artifacts from the Minoan civilization. Apparently the Minoans had they societies leveled three times (here’s where your history lesson comes in…keep reading…) by an earthquake, a tidal wave formed by the eruption of ancient Santorini, & and invasion. Each time they rebuilt…The Palace at Knossos show layers of all these rebuilds. Most of this now resides in the archeological museum. However, what I found the most interesting about the Minoans was also what saddened me the most…It is interesting to see their way of life and everything but most of what has survived are their idols and pieces used in the worship of those idols. These Minoans lived even thousands of years before Christ. After seeing all today it isn’t any wonder that God chose to send His Son to this earth. And it also made me wonder what part of my life will be seen after I’m gone which shows the worship of modern day idols (money, possessions, etc.) over the Living God!

Ok, so maybe alone isn’t always such a bad thing. Sometimes it’s needed for quiet reflection. As I sat alone at dinner tonight I thought about the beauty of today and I believe that God sent me here this weekend to reflect on what He means in my life and how I can show that to others.

10-01-06

Well, my day is nearly over & I’m on the way home from Greece. I guess it’s a sign that I’ve made Switzerland my home, at least for now, because I found myself longing to hear German instead of Greek. Does this mean I’ve finally given in and decided I’m in this for the long haul?!
Today was interesting! I woke up early to pack, eat breakfast, and check out of the hotel. Things were going rather smoothly, I must admit, to have been on this vacation by myself. While at breakfast I heard the other American girls upstairs checking out as well. I also overhear that they hotel has lost one of their passports. For an American this is a HUGE PROBLEM. I sit there very thankful that it wasn’t me…I finished my meal & went upstairs fro my final look around & to grab my packed bags. I opened my wallet with the information and for some unknown reason I flipped open my passport to find that I had Sarie’s and not my own! At this point I’m in a bit of a panic. I hurried downstairs to the office and explained what happened. Thankfully, they did still have mine at the desk. As BP will attest I’m completely nuts about my passport. If I ever lost it I’d be hysterical. It turns out that she and I were wearing very similar things in the photos, and our hair looked the same…In fact it was very hard to tell the photos apart altogether!

The rest of my day was rather uneventful compared to that excitement. Once again I played the nerd card and visited something old! This time I went to the ruins of the Minoan Palace of Knossos. Completely fascinating! There are no other words. These people lived thousands of years ago but they had invented air conditioning of sorts and even had indoor plumbing, which worked much like today’s systems. We were able to see the remains of some of the old palace (burnt as a result of the earthquake) & even the destruction by the English archeologist about 100 years ago. He had it in his mind to reconstruct using concrete and the delicate, original stone is crushed underneath taking with it pieces of history that can now never be discovered!

On a separate note, I wonder why I never had this passion for knowledge before…could have been useful in high school or college!

So the structure was beautiful, the frescos (even though they are recreations) were beautiful and the island as a whole was beautiful!! The people were extremely accommodating; however, they were also very reserved. They city of Heraklion was not at all what I expected Greece to be. It was dusty and the streets were very dirty. It reminded me of what I picture the Middle East to look like. Perhaps I’ve gotten the wrong impression. Perhaps the place is quite lovely and I just need someone to explore it with me…all I know Is that I think 2 days is enough, I know my next trip to Greece will not be to Crete, & I am ready to be home in Zurich!!



Ok all…that’s what I have for this post…hope you enjoy my randomness and the pictures.

Love and blessings…

LuLu

Nothing quite like an E.L. Fudge cookie….

Ok people, I really haven’t missed much stuff (people yes, stuff no) from home yet; however, I do miss the cookies….E.L. Fudge to be exact. As it happens the Robinson’s have a friend that also is a pilot….Oh, what the hey…I’ll even tell you his name (because I haven’t the energy to think up a good fake name for him)…Andi…Ok, Andi had a flight this past weekend to LA so he asked me what one thing I really wanted brought over from the States….I asked for my Mom and also CandyCane but he said no to both of those rather quickly…anywho, I did tell him that I really wanted some E.L. Fudge cookies. And, as you can imagine, today I am sitting here typing away next to my recently opened package of E.L. Fudge cookies from LA!! Yay…a small piece of home.

Ok, other than that I was not planning to post today so I still have nothing to report. My flight leaves at 9:45 tonight for Heraklion and I have a hotel all set up upon arrival….I’M GOING TO GREECE…I’ll post again when I return!

Love to you all…

LuLu

Change of plans....

Ok folks, I have a slight change of plans for this weekends travel plans. As you might have noticed from my last post I was planning to go to Liechtenstein for the weekend but things have changed. I was offered a very attractive deal for flying to Heraklion, Greece on the island of Crete and I took it. Wow…I’m going to Greece!!! Dad Robinson is a pilot and I am flying his airline to and from for only the cost of the taxes. In fact, he is pilot on the plane I’m coming back on….yay!!

Ok, other than that I have no news. I had the day off and things went smoothly…I was very lazy. I’ve researched a lot on Crete and things to see today and of course I didn’t get any of my German homework done. So tomorrow, before class I have to get it all done. I think that the German is coming along very well and I’m picking up a lot of the words and phrases….

Well, after class tomorrow night I’m off to Greece…I’ll post again on Monday if possible. Post a comment on things I should see in Crete if you have any good suggestions.

Many blessings….

LuLu

Not much to report….

Well gang… not much to report from the Swiss front as of now. Things have been slow for the first few days this week. We are crossing over to Germany tomorrow for some grocery shopping and that should be fun…my first trip to Germany is to get groceries…hehe!!!

I have my third German class tomorrow as well and I feel like I’m really starting to catch on. I think I’m doing fairly well and I understand most of the stuff I’m learning…now if I can just get those people on the street to speak more slowly I won’t need my blank stare anymore….

I have plans to go this weekend to Liechtenstein, a small country between Switzerland and Austria. As of yet I have no one to go with so I’ll be making this journey on my own…what’s new right?! I’ve done everything on my own so far. I understand that Liechtenstein is a beautiful place with a castle(s) and it’s high in the Alps…looking forward to it. I will be sure to post pics if I can get any really good ones.

Alright…I’m off to bed for now because it’s been a very long day and tomorrow promises to be even longer!

Miss you all so much!!

LuLu

Who says I’m not an outdoor person?!

Today was very eventful! We left the house mid-morning for a hike along the ridge of the Uetliberg, refer to picture in previous post. You should know to start off that this is not a mountain. It’s just a hill which is considered somewhat mountain like here in Zurich. At the top there is a hotel (which I think is called The Top of Zurich, but I’m not positive about this but it’s not important anyway…). We didn’t know this before hand but found a marker saying the hotel is situated now on an area that used to be home to a castle called Uetliberg. Of course this castle is no longer there but an area of stones where the marker is located is said to be part of the original wall and moat area around the castle. Historians believe that this castle existed at least 1000 before Christ but also estimate it could be as old as 3000BC. I found this really awesome!! Ok, moving on….I stated in the previous post that I would see Lucerne from the top but this is a false statement. Apparently you can see the valley leading to Lucerne but not the city itself! On clear days the views of the Alps are supposed to be spectacular but today the weather wasn’t the most accommodating and the fog hung around longer than I would have liked. See the picture attached and you can see the Alps quite nicely over the fog but I think the picture would be 100 times better if the fog wasn’t there. Well, so, we walked and saw the sights and had a very nice picnic at the top…blah, blah, blah….

By the way, if anyone is interested in seeing all my pics just shoot me an email and I’ll be happy to send the link of my Yahoo! Photos link to my Zurich pics.

I also had my second German lesson tonight and I’m not sure it went any better than the first. I know this is going to take some time but wow….I just want to know this stuff already. After class I went out with 3 other girls from my class, all au pairs like me, and they seem great. I can’t wait to get to know them better and hopefully it will work out for us to travel together…at least that’s the plans we were making tonight.

Ok, it’s late and I do need to get up with the kiddies tomorrow so I’ll go for now but post again soon!

Love you all!!

LuLu

The Alps were out today….

I tried to explain this concept to a friend of mine today and I realized that I’ve used it to several people that probably have no idea what I’m talking about. On a clear day you can see the Alps from here. On those days when we can see these sights it is said that “the Alps are out…”. It took me a few days but this phrase has caught on with me as well. So, you’ll probably hear it again if you are a faithful reader of my posts. Tonight the Alps were out around sunset time. So, for all you readers at home I’ve attached a picture. Please disregard the crane in the forefront of the picture. They are building some new flats just down the hill from our house. I wonder who I need to talk to about having that thing removed…honestly, don’t they know they are messing up every beautiful photo I could take! Ok…I digress…Look at the picture (you may need to click on it to bring it up in a larger form) and you will see a lot of hills but in the very back ( a little faint) are the Alps. I am told that when the snow season begins I will be able to get far better shots but this one will have to do for now!

Ok, moving on…the weather is so strange here (at least to me…) It is really cold in the morning and sometimes in the evenings but during the day it is quite warm. In addition, there is a fog that has been looming around for the last 3-4 days now and it can be quite depressing. I’ve also attached a picture of this. I’ve taken this one from the garden in the front of the house. As you can see the garden is all you can see…the fog is very heavy and it crept it’s way up to the house until eventually I felt like we were possibly the only people left on earth, and then over time it went down again to reveal a quite beautiful day!

Aside from the fog and the Alps today has been rather uneventful. I did go to the market by myself today for some groceries and it went ok. All the packaging in Switzerland is in 3 of the 4 national languages: German, French, and Italian. Well...let me see... I’m learning German, French in school, and Italian in college. Between the three languages I can usually figure out what I’m picking up but I have been tricked a few times. For instance, the meats in the freezer section are packaged with a picture of the animal on them…ok…so, cow, chicken, turkey, rabbit, and yes, even horse…ok, so then I happen upon a package with a dog on it….THAT’S RIGHT…I SAID A DOG…at this point I was beside myself until Mom Robinson informed me that this was not, in fact, dog meat but rather dog food…. Wow….that was a close one….

Well, I have to run for now….We are getting up early in the AM to take a hike up the hill/mountain that is most defined in the sunset picture attached. I am told from there I will be able to get some fantastic shots of Zurich Lake, the Alps, and possibly even Lucerne. So excited….I’ll post some if they’re good….

I’ll post again soon…Peace out….

LuLu

Busy, busy day!!!

Wow, so much has changed in twenty four hours…I have now met many, many au pairs at Starbucks this morning and also started my German courses this evening. I was introduced to the au pair group through a Swedish au pair I met last week. This group seems fantastic. I met a few other Americans and some Canadians as well. Aside from that there were a few Scandinavian girls…and maybe some others mixed in there as well… They organize group trips and have invited me to go to Oktoberfest this weekend in Munich but I had to decline that already because of work. Oh well…I’m holding out to see Germany in Christmas time with all the markets and street decorations….

On a different note, I did start my German courses tonight and that is going to be interesting I think. The instructor only speaks in German during the class, I guess that’s the way it has to be b/c there are 3 Americans, some Canadians, an Aussie, a guy from Italy, one from Poland, one from France, and I also understand there are 2 Turkish people in the class as well. So you can imagine that almost none of us have a common language to start from. Signing up for the class was interesting. You only had to call up and register for most all classes in this area; however, for this class, in Oerlikon, you have to go into the office at the school and take a test….Well, of course I am a beginner and I felt like saying to the woman….I COULD HAVE SAVED YOU THESE 15-20 MINUTES AND TOLD YOU THIS OVER THE PHONE!!! I mean, honestly….is it necessary for me to take a bus to the airport (10 min), and a train to Oerlikon (8 min) not to mention all the time in between waiting on the buses and trains and walking….just for 5 minutes in a room with a woman who asks me to read a sentence in German and then send me on my way with a slip of paper that reads “Beginner A1”? Doesn’t seem like the best system to me…but I don’t make the rules around here, now do I??

Ok, must go to bed….it was a big day for me but I start again early tomorrow!!

Love you all!!

LuLu

A glass of wine, water with a party straw, and a trip to gymnastics!!

Wrote this yesterday but I'm just now getting around to posting it....

Well, today was rather eventful. I’ve driven for the first time in the Swiss country and also driven for the first time by myself here on the same day. Using the car isn’t a problem because it is set up the same way our US cars are and they drive on the same side of the road as well. There are some traffic rules to get used to and minding the speed limits, but other than that I don’t anticipate any problems in that department.

I felt like I moved forward and backward in the same day with the girls. I did receive an invite to gymnastics (and I very gladly went…) but no cheers at dinner from the younger. Apparently the Swiss have a tradition when drinking wine that no one drinks until cheers and touching of glasses. This is something I try to remember at every meal but it doesn’t always happen! Anyway, tonight we were having a glass with dinner and the younger daughter decided she wanted to cheers with her water (party straw included) as well. She turns to Mom and Dad Robinson and proceeds to cheers and then it is suggested that she cheers with me…this of course did not happen as you already know. Just another sign I cannot be overconfident with my progress. She will come around, I do believe that…

On a separate note…Mom Robinson was kind enough to move the wireless router so I now pic up the internet in my room. This is a fabulous thing because now I can chat and blog after they go to bed….

Ok, I should run now and go to bed….I’ll blog again later!


Much Love,

LuLu

Taking small steps...

Today was very interesting. The Robinson’s left town for a party in another city. I’m alone in Switzerland for the first time!! I decided to make the most of this and made my way into Zurich to have a look around.

While out and about I had the opportunity to use what little German I do know; however, it became apparent that I need to spend some time learning to say “I don’t speak German” in German because people don’t seem to know what to do with my blank stares. Aside from that the day was beautiful…see attached pic...what I saw was not even a drop in the Zurich bucket. I cannot wait to explore this city and make it my home!

To tell the truth, this traveling on my own thing will have to be taken in small steps. I’m not really a loner in the first place, but walking around alone when I don’t know the language makes it even worse! If I didn’t push myself I’m sure I would just sit at home and never go unless I had a traveling buddy. But today I did it and I’m so happy I did. I seemed to manage the trains, buses, trams, and all the ticketing fairly well (thanks so much for all the experience…BP!!!)

Well, I have to go….I am looking up info for my trip to Sarajevo, Bosnia next month (coming to see you BP). I’ll post again soon!

Peace out!!

LuLu

Making some progress…..

I’m happy to report I seem to be making some sort of progress with the girls!!!! YAY!!! (I could very well throw a party for myself because of this….). I’ve been asked to participate in play time….wow, I can honestly say I never thought I’d consider this a great honor….but I do.

On a different note, I’m planning an excursion into Zurich to explore the city. I’ve been reading up on English churches in the region and I hope to try one out on Sunday. Also, I understand there is a fabulous art museum that I need to see as well! So I’m going to make a day of it I think….

I don’t have much else to report at this time but I’ll post again soon….

Love to you all!!!

LuLu

ok...so i guess these things do happen sometimes....

So, maybe some of you know by now...my computer isn't working. Therefore, I am borrowing one from the family at the moment! Until we figure out what is wrong with mine I've been reduced to only emails and the occasional blog.

Things could be worse I'd imagine! I'm very lucky to at least live with people so nice they would allow me to use one of their computers. So, as a follow up on my last blog post...I've unpacked and settled in as much as I can for only being here 3 days. Things are going slowly with the children. I think they are interested in me being here but not yet ready to give in and let me be someone in their lives. That's alright I think. We've got plenty of time and I know that with kids they just need to be ready in their own time. Still it is a bit discouraging when you attempt to help or ask a question and get no answer. They even talk to me through their mom and dad (you know...ask her to do this or can she do that...) and no amount of coaxing seems to make them want to just engage me in conversation rather than this third party bit...

Whatever...for the moment I'm just a bistander in their lives and I'm truly ok with that. I am soaking up everything around me and enjoying the culture, food, language (what little I can understand without feeling foolish in that I can't speak a sentence to anyone yet...). Mom and Dad Robinson are helping me quite a bit to understand the base of words and how to translate it to english for my own understanding.

Ok, one last bit before I sign off....they live very near the airport as I'm sure I've already mentioned.... (or maybe not). Anyway, at this moment I'm sitting out in the garden typing this post and watching the planes take off at the airport because their house looks down on one (possibly two) of the runways for Zurich's international airport. Planes flying out the Japan, Dubai (sp?), really anywhere you want to go....I just keep looking at that and thinking how blessed I am to have this opportunity and how I have the option to see so many fascinating things while I'm here....and also one last thought....maybe I didn't thank the people enough who helped me along the way to get here! So, I guess, in keeping with all the blogging rules I've imposed upon mysef, I won't name any names but you know who you are and....you all mean the world to me. I'll never be able to repay you for all the support, skymile donations, prayer, and love I've had/felt/received over the last few months.

Ok, that's enough for me tonight as I start to get a bit teary-eyed!!

Lots of love to you all!!!

LuLu

Have you ever seen a more beautiful sight?!?!?!

ok, so I guess from the title of the post you'd be thinking about Switzerland itself...the land, the people, the sights....you'd be wrong...I'm talking about my luggage...I finally received the luggage and I'm here and things are great! The Robinson's are great, the girls are great, the country is great!! I LOVE IT HERE!!! I'll post picture soon. Apparently when the weather is right you can see the Alps from here! THE ACTUAL SWISS ALPS!!! I have to run and go unpack but i'll post again soon!!!

I love you all!!

LuLu

Last post before the adventure begins??

Hi guys!!

I guess this is the last post I'll have opportunity to write before I depart for Switzerland. I think I have everything in order to go and do this thing. I have my visa and my bags are mostly packed. I've visited and said goodbye to as many people as possible. I want to thank everyone for their support and just say that you'll never know how much it means to me. I have to make this short because I'm only on a short break from my last day here at work. I guess my next post will be from Switzerland (who knows...maybe I'll write it in German....yeah right!!).

Love to you all!!

LuLu

This just in

This just in....we have received word that LuLu has received a visa for entry into the Swiss country....hehe, yes I did get my visa this morning; however, this is just a temporary visa for me to enter the country. After I get there I must register with the regional police within 8 days to receive my paperwork for the full year. Well, that's about all the updates I have at the moment. I'm getting very, very excited. This time two weeks from now I will be in Zurich!!!

Love you all!!

LuLu

Breaking news about the visa situation....

Hello all!!

I have updated news....finally....about my visa situation. It looks as though I will be traveling down to Atlanta tomorrow morning to get my visa. When I leave there I should have visa in hand....although I'm not going to hold my breath! I finally had to call the Swiss consulate office here in Atlanta to get the information I needed. I'll post again later in the week and let everyone know if it does, in fact, happen the way it should!

On other fronts....I've moved out completely from my apartment. I have to go back one more time to clean and turn in my keys but other than that I'm free from that burden. That being said...I really have no place to live. I'm staying on people's couches and sleeping in my car most of the time....(ok, I just wanted to see if you were really paying attention...), but seriously, I am sleeping on CandyCane's couch and the occasional night at my parentals house.

That's about all I have at the moment. I'm sure I'll have updates again soon!

Peace out,

LuLu

This makes it almost official...

Ok guys, I finally purchased my tickets for Switzerland!! YAY!!! I guess it makes this almost official (although I'm still waiting on my visa...). I fly out on the 11th of September and back in on November 29th for the wedding of CandyCane (soon to be Mrs.) and Mr. Pig. So, needless to say a huge burden has been lifted by getting my tickets. I feel like this dream of mine is finally becoming a reality.

On other fronts....CandyCane, myself, and another bridesmaid (we'll call her Jane of the Jungle...) went wedding gown shopping on Saturday and we did find one that she loved so it was purchased. We also found our bridesmaid dresses (which are great by the way...not at all ugly like you would think...). I am very excited to be getting all this squared away before my journey to the unknown.

I guess that's just about all the updates I have so far. Oh, except I do have a goal to be mostly out of my apartment by this weekend. So, that will be a change and I will then become a semi-permanent fixture on CandyCane's couch for the next few weeks!! Oh well, I guess it could be worse....

Must go for now....

Peace out....

LuLu

Wow....am I good or what?!?!

Ok, I know...just a bit conceited. And, well, normally I don't like to toot my own horn, but....TOOT TOOT!!!! One of my best friends is getting married!! YAY!! So Mr. Pig (that's the guy) proposed this weekend to my long time friend CandyCane!! I couldn't be more proud for two reasons really....1) They are both great friends of mine and I'm glad to see them so happy, and 2) (and by far the most important...)I SET THEM UP!! So you see, it's my first set up to come to fruition! They were my guinea pig relationship and since it worked I think my newest goal in life will be to have a private dating service. I have one success story under my belt and I think from there I can set the world ablaze!! MAN I'M GOOD!!!

Moving on....In other parts of my life they are completely frantic. At this point I have alot to do and not alot of time to do it in!! I still haven't received news on my visa, I don't have a plane ticket, I haven't moved out of my apt yet or sold my car, and on top of all that I am now a major assist in planning the aforementioned wedding. Wow, I'm a busy girl (and all this has to happen in 5 weeks basically...). For right now I'm just saying tiny prayers every time I get a chance and going on about my everyday life. It seems to be working out well for me so far!

Ok, well I'd better run and get some work done!! I'll post again soon!

Love to you all!

LuLu (but you can call me CUPID...)

The death of me...

AAAAHHHHH!!!

So, I know my last post was just yesterday but I feel the need to post again today! It has already been the longest day....and it's not nearly over for me yet. So you might ask from my subject line-what will be the death of me?? Three words...HILLCREST SHOPPING CENTER. So, as most of you know, I work in commercial real estate and I work specifically with management of shopping centers. Today I'm having a nervous breakdown about one center, Hillcrest! I have a big project I'm working on and the center that is giving me all the problems...you guess it....HILLCREST....wow, I truly don't like that place. I told one of my contractors today that I was leaving the company and he asked me if it was because of Hillcrest....

Well, enough of that rant...just to keep you all up to speed...yet again last night I did not pack any stuff. Well, I know now that I really need to get something finished tonight because I need to take some of it to the storage unit tomorrow! And...sad times....my boys are moving out tomorrow....and by my boys I mean my cats (Smokey and Moscow). They are going to live with my mom and dad who have gratiously agreed to keep them until I return from the Swiss country...So, I guess tonight is our last night together in our apartment.

Got to go for now!

LuLu

Blah, blah, blah...

Wow, so things have just been crazy lately. Of course my apt doesn't look the same and never will. I have a wall of boxes, a wall of trash, and a wall of misc stuff to go into storage. I've decided that moving into a new place and moving into a storage unit are quite different. I guess I just didn't realize how much I would just shove into boxes long enough to get them to the new place and then just unpack it there to put it away. I'm having to really take my time and make sure that I get it all in the appropriate box(es). That being said, all I really want to do is go home and sit on my rear. I've slowly been trying to psych myself into the idea of packing after work today because I realize that it just has to happen sooner or later!!!

This post is definitely just a bunch of stuff thrown together because I don't have much to update people about in the last two days. I am just having a blah day (although it's much better than the first two of this week). OH....I guess I could tell you that I'm learning German. For those of you who know me well you will realize that I don't learn languages well. I mean...several, several years of Spanish and all I can do is say hello in a very Southern accent....hooolaaa...hehe. I did take Italian for one semester in college and basically all I got out of that class was how to say I want a larger portion of pasta when I go to a restaurant :) ....However, it seems that the German is going well. I can say quite a few phrases and understand a good bit more than that. Hopefully when I get over to Switzerland the immersion in the language will speed up this process...I mean...how hard can it be really?!?!

Well, I'd better run and get some work finished here, but before I go it has been brought to my attention (BP) that I say the phrase"get it?!?!" a little two much in my posts...hehe....now, i'm not promising anything but I'll try to stop. The problem is that I find myself a little more amusing than others around me...and I just want everyone else to understand. So, maybe I'll stop saying it or maybe I will make it a trademark of my blog...guess you'll have to tune into future posts to see....

Much love to you all!!

LuLu