the last few days

I have been so bussy the last few days I have hardly had a minute to think.
On Sunday was the Rotary "Welcome Weekend" in Oltern. This was a weekend where we swapped pins, received information on the "Old Europe tour" and heard all of the Rotary Rules again. My host mum showed me the building that the meeting was in the day before so I caught the train to the meeting at 9 so that I would be there before it started at 10. My train arrived at 9:30 so I had 30 minutes to wait. I walked to the building to wait and on the way lost one of my gloves. I had put my glove polar fleece gloves in my pocket so I could get out my train ticket and had not put them back on. So my glove must have fallen out somewhere. I waited and waited at the building and when no one had arrived at 10 to ten I used my mobile (I am so glad now that I have one) and phoned my host family to see if I had the right time. It turned out that there are 2 congress hotels in Oltern one the "Oltern congress" and the other the "Artz Congress". I was at the "Oltern congress" and was meant to be at the "Artz". My host mum had made a mistake which is very understandable as they both are Congress hotels. So I ran as fast as I could across back to the station so I could cross the tracks and over to the other side. I arrived 10 minutes late but that was OK. I meat all of the other exchange students that I had not met on the plane. We swapped pins and had a lovely time. My blazer is starting to become full as I now have pins from: America, Canada, Brazil,Argentina,South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. We were told at this meeting why the Swiss speak Swiss German. Apparently back when Luther ,I think it was, was translating the bible in to German all of the other countries agreed to go with this "Modern German". However Switzerland at the time had had many fights with Germany so because they didn't like them they decided to speak the old German (Swiss German) and not go with Luther's German. Today the school books and system is all in High German, but the people mostly speak Swiss German.

Monday I had Language school as usual. In the evening I went to my clubs Dinner meeting ,that they have once a month, where the eldest member was doing a presentation on his life and all of his travels around the world. I spoke as much German as I could and talked to so many members and their partners. The presentation was very interesting, as it had lots of videos, even though I could not understand a word of it as it was in Swiss German. The food was so good. we had fish, now for all of you who know me ...I well don't like fish at all! But being an exchange student I could nt be rude so had to eat it. and do you know what it was not the nicest thing in the world but it actually was not to bad! We then had beef, a stuffed onion, and horseradish and potato mash. Desert was my favourite where we had this apple creamy sauce thing. So good. My host mum said she would teach me how to make it! YES, so yummy! I know I always seem to talk about the food I eat and this is because , one it is so different and two it is something that I can understand with our having any language barrier.


We arrived home at about 11 and I had to get up at about 5:30 so I could go on my 1.5 hour train ride to language school. I was so tired today and just wanted to go to sleep. I actually must say that I like the train ride. It is the only time I actually can just sit down and do nothing. This is because every other minute I am out seeing things or doing something. While I love doing things and am so happy to see everything, it is also nice to just sit and think and read a bit of my German books or just look out the window. I also love the train station. My favourite part is that in Basel there is a door in the station to France! It makes Me feel so connected to the rest of the world!



After Language school I met up with my host brother and sister and we went for a look and a window shop around Basel. we went to the big church and it was so lovely. we climbed up to the tallest tower. We climbed and we climbed up all of these narrow staircases. I feel abit like the Hunchback of Notradame. When we go to the top the view was just amazing. It was just so beautiful. We over looked all of Basel and the Rhine.









I have had a wonderful last few days and to top it off my God mother from England just rang ,Elizabeth from England. She is such a lovely lady and I really like her. She is coming to Switzerland on the 10th of February with her family to go skiing. So she will drop by my host house and Say hello! Her children and husband Ted are just wonderful, however I have not seen them for a long time. Elizabeth has also arranged some extra warm clothes for me! How nice is that! I just can't wait to see them. It is like getting a visit from home! From my past!

Soloturn and Cheese

Today we did the house work....and it was so much easier than at home. all i have to do is clean my bathroom, do my laundry and vacuum my room! It only took me about 1 hour tops! After that i had lunch. It was a bratwurst sausage with tomato's and corn. Really yummy. Olivia's Boyfriend came over for lunch and then after Benjamin Olivia, him and I went to Soloturn. Soloturn is the city where I will go to school and it is really nice. They had this amazing church that was so beautiful and all of the roof was painted with pictures etc. We wanted to go up to the top of the church to look at the view but we couldn't because of the snow. We then went for a walk around the city center. It was just lovely , all of the buildings had these little shutters and when they where all open it looked like a sea of green. We went and had a coffee, or in my case apple punch. Sooooooooooo good! We then had some hot cooked...chestnuts I think. They have a Swiss name but I can't remember it. We then went home and had dinner. This was so good. On the table was a little oven. You got a little tray each and you put cheese in it, then put it in the oven. The cheese that we had was so nice. You then put the melted cheese on top of your potato's, corn etc. I had about 6 pieces of melted cheese, it was the yummiest way to eat cheese.

AUSTRALIA DAY

I woke up and went and said happy Australia day to my family. I talked to my host mum and we decided that I would make Lammigtons and Vegemite sandwiches. I went and got my cake recipe that my siter Olivia (from Aus) had written me. I made the cake....however this was not as easily said as done as they had no self raising flour...but I used baking riser that I found in their cupboard and solved that problem. The next problem was that he cake crumbled when i put it in the icing and coconut. To solve this we melted this Swiss chocolate icing this and dripped it on it. (so if ever in Switzerland, find baking riser and melt-a-icing). I then had language school where we had a Australian day party in our lunch break with the national Anthem, Vegemite,Tim-tams and Australian clothing.

After Language school I cam home and my family told me that they had tried the Lamingtons, the Tim-tams and the Vegemite sandwiches I had set up before language school on the table. And guess what they like it all.....I mean all of it even the Vegemite! How awesome is that!

I then had to get ready to go to a Rotary "dinner at home". What this is is: A Rotarian says I can have 3 couples to my house for dinner. Then the club has a raffle so to speak and they pick out 3 Rotarians to go to the house for dinner. It is a way of the people in my club meeting each other and their partners. My host parents where going and I was asked to come along as well. We arrived at this huge house, we walked inside and I was shocked to see that the huge house was actually massive because it was 3 levels with 1 Underground. We met the other couple (this Rotarian said that he only wanted 2 couples) and we went to have dinner. This house was amazing, It was really big and modern with heaps of artwork on the walls including a 3million year old granite fossil of sea shells.

Our first course was pasta with these funny little mushrooms that looked like prunes but takse just wonderful. Main course was the most wonderful beef, with a zesty source , rice and vegetables. This may sound plain but it looked like food that you receive in a restaurant and tasted even better. With each course we had a glass of "world award winning" wine. Dessert was all of these different icecreams and fruit. Last but not least where the lammintons that I decided that I would bring so that they could have a taste of Australia on Australia Day.

They talked in Swiss German so I had trouble understanding, and every now and again would ask me a few questions in English. It was a wonderful evening and a great way to spend Australia day.

Snow covered day!

Yesterday was a fun day. I caught the train to language school all by myself! I was so proud because to get there I have to catch: a small train, a big train and then a tram! It is very hard to know where to go because the trains are hardly ever on the same track. Once I arrived at language school we learnt heaps of verbs and the w's...like who, what when, where, why etc. (in German of course). We then went over to the big hall for our food break. The two Argentinian boys kept throwing snow at us. They had water proof gloves so there hands did not get wet, where as our knitt ones get so cold and wet if you pick up snow. Once in the food hall... the girls decided to pay them back. We stole their gloves, however the bad bit was they were put in my bag. The boys realized this and so chased me through the school and out to the snow. I nearly got to the villa(our language school building) but I skidded. This was not a good piece of luck as i was then covered in so much snow and it went all down my top, and back and all in my hair. Eventually we gave their gloves back after they covered us in heaps and heaps of snow. Once again we paid them back by locking them outside. So basically because we are exchange students we are allowed to act like little kids and get away with it! and boy is it fun!

Snow photos

My Village int he snow!



My House in the snow!



Me!..in My sleeping bag coat in the snow!





YAY SNOW!!!




My Language school class

My Snow day

The snow was just wonderful. I ran outside and jumped and played in the snow like a little child. I tried to make a snowman but he snow was just to powdery and it kept crumbling. I could have stayed in the snow all day but had to do my german homework and go to language school.
I rang my family (from Aus) and it was just so nice to hear there voices.
My German is improving and I can say a few sentences and understand little bits of a conversation. I have language school for 3 weeks and I think that this will help.
My biggest problem is pronunciation...they say letters so odd (e's are i's, w's are v', v's are f's ect.)so it is hard to read and know how to sound the letters.

When my hopst Mum and I were coming home from language school we hopped on the train...then it said "the next stop is Zurich". My Host mum and I went "oh no we are on the wrong train". We sprinted off the train so fast and were just in time to hop on our proper train. Zurich is nice but I don't really want to be stuck there at night in the snow!
When we came home we had Fondue...it was so warm, cheesy and nice. My host dad made it and I wrote down the recipe!My host sister and brother don't really like cheese. This was fine with me as I could then eat more of it!

Oh my host brother also got me a Mobile phone for 38 Australian dollars.It then had about 15 dollars credit! It is a good one too! How cheap! This is so I can contact my host family if I miss the train or get lost etc.

SNOW!!!!!

It is snowing! It is snowing! Yay!
I looked out of my bedroom window to a carpet of snow!
It is so exciting! I have languge school today but this time in the afternoon.
I have rather alot of homework that I have to do!
It is snowing! Oh I am so excited!

Photos of my day in Basel

A Building with a tram in front (I thought it was exciting seeing trams in such an old looking town)




A House from the 1400's







An Awsome looking Statue



The Rhine River! How nice are the Swiss houses in the back!



My host mother in front of a really old Church!



The Townhall, how lovely is it! The art work on it is even better in real life!

First day of Language school

Today I awoke at 5, like I seem to be doing every morning as the jet lag has not quite worn off yet. I then had breakfast and got ready for the 7oclock train. At 6:45 my host mum and I went off to the local train. We arrived at the station and it was still dark and totally freezing. We went to wait for the train and I saw this glass box on the side of the track. I looked at it and had no idea what it was for. When we went closer I realized that it was like a bus shelter... but to keep you warm when you waited for a train. How awesome is that. At 7 we hopped on our train. Now I know it was 7 because my host mother told me that Swiss trains are never late! The thing that I found odd about the trains was that you just hopped on the train and no one checked your ticket. I asked my host mum why this was the case and she said that they hardly ever check tickets on small trains..however when they do they lock the train so people can't run away and if you have no ticket you are finned and it is such an embarrassment that people always have tickets.

We then rode that train to Oltern (I think that is how you spell it) then changed trains and went to Basel where my language School is. Changing trains is easier said that done at peak hour in the morning, this is because there are so many people bustling around you could get lifted up by the crowed and take away. Once we finally got on this train I sat back and looked out the window. I could not see much apart from heaps and heaps of graffiti. Now this may sound horrid, however I thought that it looked amazing, so colourful and the artwork (if you can call it art) was just fabulous, the pictures and words look awesome.

We then arrived at the Train Station in Basel and had to go and hop on a tram to get to my language school. Finally after 2 trains and a tram I arrived at School and went and met all of my new Australian friends and the two boys from Argentina. We then went to the "Vila" where our class room was. Our teacher was really nice and she could only speak a limited amount of English and for the Argentinian boys sake had to speak the whole time in German. I actually liked this as it meant that we really had to listen and help each other understand what was going on. We learnt the Alphabet and all of the stationary. We also had a test on the German book that they had given us to learn before we came to Switzerland. I think I did fine and she said that we would not be sent home if we fail this test....it is the one at the end of the 3 weeks that is important. So that was in a way a relief.

After Language school my host mother and I went around Basel. This town is just so nice! It is really Old and set out a bit like the city center in Hobart (or any big town really) except with a hundreds of years old buildings. First we had lunch in a Swiss restaurant. I had Rosti (grated potato and meat). It was so good and my host Mum said she would teach me how to make it. We came to this conclusion by speaking all German. This is because I want to have no more English from today on. However when there where important things she need to tell me, such as what I have to do when catching a train etc she reverted back to English. This was really helpful and hopefully soon I will understand enough German so that she dose not have to utter a word of English for a week.. or even a month.
After lunch we went shopping as there were the January sales on. I bought a coat for $20... How good is that! I also bought a warm zip up black jumper to wear in winter under a coat and in Au tum and spring on it's own. We then just walked around the town and I looked at the Rhine river! How cool is that! We just pottered around Basel and went to see a building that was built in the 14'00's, a house that was the home to one of the first women to marry a priest, the Ratthaus (Town hall) and a old Church.

We then went back on the trains and trams and came home. When we got home there were 3 bags of clothes from a lady, at my host Mum's Gym ,that used to belong to her daughter and she thought that I might need them in the cold. Out of the bag I now have about 3 pairs of pants (including new jeans)... and they fit really well, a thin knit pull over jumper, and a coat that looks like a sleeping bag (everyone in Switzerland has one these coats...they look like a sleeping bag does when you put it over your head and unzip the bottom..... and boy are they warm). So I had a wonderful day today, and I hope that it is just as good tomorrow

The end of day 3

My host father drove me into Basel to get my bank account sorted. I have a bank account that is used by all of the exchange students from my club and is passed down the line, so to speak. I changed the pin number and was told that I can only take out a limit of 200CH (Swiss franks) a month. Once this was done we drove about 200m up the road to Rotary. My Rotary club has it's meetings in a hotel. This hotel is rather old and looks abit like one of the buildings in salamanca. We went inside to the club room. The room was set out almost exactly like my club at home with 3 rows of tables. The only difference was that they did not have the presidents table out the front. This club was also a little more like a gathering of old men. Well actually it was not like a gathering of old men it was a gathering of old men. My host Dad who is 50 was most definitely the youngest member. The club had a very friendly feel and everyone joked and talked just like at home. The difference with the feeling of the club however was that most of the members smoked while they ate or talked. This was not that pleasant but I am actually getting used to the smell now.
We had two servings of lunch and I was so full by the end I could not finish it all. We first had either pasta or soup (I chose pasta). Then we had potato's and meat and vegetables. Mum you should be proud because the vegetables where the first thing that I ate! I talked to the president and other members and have been offered to one day go horse riding with one of the members.
After lunch we went back home and I went for a run\walk to take photos to send to you. When I was doing this one of the neighbours started yelling at me and I did not understand what was going on. Then I realised that they thought I was a robber. This is because the area has recently had a huge stint of robbers and they are very wary of strangers. I kindly said that I was staying with Romeo and Michele and they seemed happy with that!. We then went off to the school again this time for Ben's talk. Bens talk was on guns and how running improves your aim as it lowers your nerves..or something like that. Once his talk was over we took the air gun back to the shooting range. It was very interesting, Ben then told me that he is the 7th best in all of Switzerland at this sport. When we came home I sat with my host mum and went over my German Beginners book and learnt new words. We then had dinner of meat stuffed tomato's and rice. That brings us to now. I am getting really sleepy and have to be up at 6 so I can catch the 7oclock train to language school. So good night

Photos!

On flight map of the plane arriving in Zurich


My Village Neiderbipp


My Street



My house



My room

Neiderbipp

I have just been to my host sisters talk. We drove to her school. The town her school is in is a bit like Hobart. More brick buildings and this town actually has clothes shops etc. The school was really very big and looked a bit like a university. I sat and listed to her talk even though i did not understand a word. When we left the school i noticed a huge area of bikes, 200 hundred bikes where all lined up. I have never see so many bike in my life. We then went to get my train pass. when we arrived they said that i had to get my visa cerified first. so we drove back to my Town go it certified and then went to the train station again. Once there we realised i did not have a photo of my self to put on the pass. This was OK as they had a photo booth down stairs. My host mother and I went down stairs and heaps of fun trying to work the machine and get a photo. Heaps of laughs later a photo was taken and I had a train pass. We then went and had a coffee. We walked into the coffee shop and i suddenly felt my chest go tight as my lungs were filled with heaps of smoke. I never realised how lucky we are in Australia to have no smoking in public places. After the coffee and croissant we went back to the car, This was when I realized another difference. I kept looking to the left then the right for cars, but realized that here you have to look at the right then the left or you will be run over!

We are now back at my house. My organizing diary is getting filled as I put in as many Swiss words as I can so that I am prepared for tomorrow when there is not English in side the house. I have my Rotary lunch soon and that is really exciting.

My second Day in Neiderbipp

After I woke up at 6am after my sleep I went and had breakfast. I had Cereal
and a Swiss home made bread or Brot as it is in German. This was really a very
odd tasting bread as it was almost like a croissant and a bagel mixed together.
After breakfast I went and read all of my emails from my family and cryed again. I
then asked my host brother to help me with the computer because my web page
site was all in German and I could not understand it. So he helped me change it
all to English , he also changed the key board so that I could type normally with
out having to worry about some of the letters being different. The good thing
was this oly effects my account so the rest of my family still has everything in
German. While I was emailing Olivia's boyfriend came over and then stayed for the rest of the day. He seemed really nice and friendly. So after my emails I went down stairs and gave out my gifts. My family seemed to like them. I gave them a boomerang,Roo pooh (chocolate coated peanuts),a animal bath glove, a fly swatter gun, a book on Tasmania and a blackwood pen.
We then went for a drive around my village and the surrounding area. This was
really nice. It is so very different to Australia. The villages are so close
and very odd. My village has 3 banks, but not other shops apart from a
supermarket. The next village has no clothes shops but a car shop. On our
drive we went through a forest. It was just like the forest in Hansel and Gretel, so verry beautiful!
We then came home and my host counselor and her partner arrived. we all sat
around the table and talked. It was wonderful to hear the German. However I have a
problem because most Swiss speak Swiss German, and it is rather diffent to normal German. So i have to in a way learn 2 languages German and Swiss German. Anyway I had a nice time with my counselor and I think she will be a great counselor to have. After the counselor left we had dinner. It was chicken covered in vegetables, a huge salad (mum would be proud) and 1|2potato's covered in nuts. It was really yummy. After dinner I was told all of the house rules. I have to vacuum my room once a week, clean my bathroom (yes I have my own Bathroom) and do my own laundry. I am allowed to go out by myself on weekends but I have to let my family know. I have a train pass (a full public transport pass paid for by my club) so I can go to school and visit the big cities. I start language school tomorrow in the morning until 12. then the rest
of the week is 2 till 5ish. Well I am no off to see my Host brother and Sisters
verbal exams. They have to talk for 15minutes on a topic. I then Have my rotary
lunch today and will get my train pass.

Mt first Day

I met my family at the airport and the first thing I saw of them was a huge sigh with "Angela Cameron-Tucker" on it. I then gave everyone a hug. My host father Romeo, my host mother Michele, the twins who are 17 (olivia and Benjamin). We then headed off to the carpark. We hopped into a lift and I was just so shocked to see that there was level for the carpark but 7! We hopped into the car and I had forgotten that the steering wheel is on the other side and it just looked so strange. We started to drive and music came on the radio.The song started and I was totally shocked to hear that the song was in English and not German. We started to drive and we went through a huge tunnel for about 1km. My family must thought I was mad as I was so excited to be going through a tunnel this long. We suddenly left the tunnel and where in what looked like country side. The houses where just so amazing and diff rent. They looked like story book houses or the country houses off "midsummer murders". Just as suddenly as we had entered the country we Left in and there where huge buildings again. Then the next minute country. The houses seemed all jumbled together and i could not work out what was missing. Then suddenly i realized.... they had no fences. I kept seeing like mini little ovals and could not work out what they were as they were just jumbled in with the houses. I asked my family and they said that it was crops. It seemed so odd to just have a crop field in the middle of a town. we kept driving throughout his change of sudden city to country for 1 hour. To me it seemed like there was an hours change in scenery every minute. It was like the scenery was on fast forward. I then arrived in my town. It is so very Swiss there is a huge hill up the back, the alps off in the distance and a jumble of houses every where. There is the odd oval sized crop, or a swimming pool sized fish farm. The houses are all int he Swiss style, yet some are about 5oo years old and then next to it is one that is brand new. There are cows and horses, and all the children seem to be riding bikes.

We drove up to my house that was very Swiss looking and then went inside. My room is on the bottom floor and there was a sign that said "Welcome Angela" on the door.
I went into my bedroom and it was just lovely. It is a big room with a bed a desk a piano and cupboards. I then had a tour of the house and it is really rather modern inside. They have amazing art work everywhere. Olivia has drawn some pictures that are just the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. My family have said that they will talk to me in English for the first 2 days and as of Monday it is all German. Having some english was comforting as it made understanding the house rules and where things go so much easier.

We then had lunch, went for a walk around the town. I was shown were the shop is, the train station and the post office.

Once home again I decided that I would go and get out the gifts I had brought for my family. I went to my room and the burst into tears. It was so sudden and at at moment all I wanted to do was go home. I felt as if I could never live here for a year and that I would never be able to learn German. I missed my family and friends so much and just wanted to go back and be with them. I hoped onto my bed with chippy(my teddy) and had a cry. Suddenly I woke up and realized that i had fallen asleep. I looked at thh time and it was 6:30 in the morning. I had been asleep since 2pm.

Today I have had breakfast. We had this amazing homemade bread. I sat at breakfast eating this bread and writing down all of the new German words I learnt yesterday and was learning today. I am feeling much better today and a lot less homesick. I still miss my family heaps but I think this year will be awsome.

The trip to Switzerland

My family, my best friend Claire and I all drove out to the Tasmania airport at about 12:30pm. I was excited and nervous all at once. I had many a hug and photo with my family until my flight was called. I swiped my ticket and walked out on the tarmac. Yet it still did not feel real, I did not feel like I was going for a whole year.

I hopped onto the plane and opened my carry on bag and there where 3 cards from my family. This was probably the first momentI really felt like I am going for a year.

When our plane landed in Melbourne I was met by a guide and one of the other Tasmanian exchange students Chriss. We collected our bags and went to check in to international.

After an 1/2 and hour wait in line and a bit of rearranging of my bags I was finally checked
through. I then made my way to the international airport and customs and was totally swept up in a crowd of about 100 green Rotary blazers. Who ever had told us that you will stand out in a crowed if you where your blazer was totally wrong.

In Melbourne you would have stood out if you were not in a blazer. As I watched everyone say farewell to their family a lady turned around and noticed my Tasmanian badge on my arm and said..."oh you must have said all of your farewells in Tasmanina". I said "yes I said goodbye in Tasmania". She then gave me a huge hug and said "now sweety you can say that you where farewelled in Melbourne too."

The rest of the trip was just crazy I felt as if I was on Auto pilot and was just going with out even knowing what I was doing. I found my self checking trough customs, finding some other exchange students from Melbourne and making friends with them. Hopping on a plane and taking off. The plane was so exciting as we had little TV screens each and all of the flight attendants where dressed up in their silk dresses with their faces painted like porcelain
dolls.

I sat next to a girl called Lauren who was also going to Switzerland. I must say it is amazing how a 8 hour flight makes you close to someone. After 2 movies and alot of talking we arrived in Thailand. Their airport was huge. It was also so clean and new. There where what looked like streets of shops with a Temple and statue every now and again.

Once again auto pilot kicked in and I found myself on another plane, this one heading to Zurich. I was now next to Jo and a random Thai man. This flight I tried to sleep a bit but it was not as easily said so done. So after a little nap I gave up and watch the whole first season
of "Gray's Anatomy". We then landed in Zurich.

We all bounded off the plane all 25 Australian
exchange students and tried to find out where to go. We ended up following everyone else through customs and followed all of the signs that had bags on them. We then ended up at a dead end with two trains either side of us.

After alot of deliberating we just jumped on one of the trains. Zoom off we went.
We did the right thing as we arrived at our bag collection area. It was extremely exciting we were finally here and we had caught a train. I collected my baggage and went off to find my host family

Meet my first Host family!

This is my Host sister Olivia. She is 17!



This is my Host bother Benjamin. He is also 17! (They are twins!)




(click on the photos if you would like to see a bigger version)