My big weekend

On Saturday I was at yet another horse event, and as i have come to expect it is nothing like the last. Each horse event has something different about it and there is always something new going on.

At this horse event there was the parade of the new ponies. The ponies are paraded around a ring with their mother and are judged....almost like a beauty contest, they are judged on how they look, walk, as well as their personality. The horses are then given points and these points are extremely important when one wishes to sell their horse.(the better the points you have the higher the price for your horse.)


After the horse selling and point giving day I went home and got ready to got o a fest (party) for a girl in my class who is off to England for 3 months to better her English.

I met one of the girls from my class next to the school,(Julia and her brother Mateusz ) so that we could walk together to the fest as I didn’t know the way.


This party was great fun. I really enjoyed my self. I took a group table photo when I arrived and then the photo tradition continued.



I have silly lip photos and more with all of my class (the ones who were there) and this was extremely funny.
Julia Me and Michele Me and Melanie Me and Sira Me, Julia and Serena Sexy Serena Me and Anika Me and Joel
Me and Hanna

Me and Irene

Julia, Serena and Melanie

Then as the time went on we took a lot of photos....and when I say a lot I mean an enormous amount.

Here are some of my favourites.

Pole dancing Michele Ladder ladies



A Circle of friends








Hands of friendship

After photos we had some brownies for dessert, played some volley ball (with my ball skills this game didn’t last to long) so I soon retired into the house, and left those competent to play to continue playing.

Once inside I talked with my class and then I saw the cutest house pets I have ever seen




YES TURTLES


It was just magical to hold one of these little critters. It was so sweet. I could hardly believe that it was alive as it felt so unreal.

As time ticked on at it was 10.30pm and I had to run to my train (a 20 minute walk) as my last bus leaves from another station at 11pm and I have to catch another train before the bus.


it was a shame I had to leave so early as other guest who had been at a concert had just arrived.


Julia was once again so lovely and power walked me to near the school so I could find my way to the station.



On the Sunday it was yet another fest . Yet this one was up on a hill in front of my village and was for my host father’s brother’s birthday.

My host sister, my host dad and I rode our bikes up the kill to the fest while my host brother rode his motor bike and my host mum walked.

As I was going up the hill my gears kept making a huge big clicking noise and jolting the bike. So I had to stop to try and fix them. Of course as I was doing so other relatives were driving up the hill. They tooted their horns and continued on.

When I arrived at the fest they all decided it was extremely funny how an Australian couldn’t ride up a hill. Not know how to explain about my gears and also jut deciding it was better to just laugh it off, I let it ride and laughed along with them.

After lunch the parents played a special card game that is only played in Switzerland. I asked if I could learn but they had already started and were all revved up for a big game that they decided it was better if I played poker with the boys instead.

This was good fun. I am not too good at poker but did win a few hands none the less (you would be proud Dad). However after a run of bad luck, and not the best bluffing on my account I was beaten by two of the cousins, though am proud to say I was not the first to be knocked out, just the second.



After the eldest host cousin was trying to learn to drive and all of the cousins were chasing him with their motor bikes trying to spook him out.....it was time for the party to end.


We hopped back on our bikes and started to go home. Here I was now determined I would show the world Australian’s can ride a bike and have been doing so for along time. so I comfortably was riding down the hill........when suddenly fate hit me and I was going to fast.......and as any bike rider would do I put on the back breaks ...well it turns out I put on what I thought were the back breaks but it turns out the Swiss don’t only drive on the other side of the road they also have their brakes around the other way.....and as any bike rider would know when you travel at a fast speed and put on your front breaks you are bound to go flying...and that is exactly what I did.

So I am sorry Australia as far as the Swiss in Laupersdorf are concerned Australians really can’t ride bikes.


So I went flying……except I can’t remember flying or smashing my body on the ground. The last thing I remember is thinking. I am going to fast I must slow down....and then I was suddenly in my bed room standing there with my host sister saying 'if you need me at all just ask, I hope you are ok'.

I was then left standing there trying to work out what on earth had happened. I saw my hand and it was bleeding, though not badly, and my clothes had grass stains and twigs etc all over them.

I then remembered the fest form Serena...and a hill and my bike. But I couldn’t remember what was real or a dream and my whole head was muddled.

I then lay down on my bed and woke up 2 hours later with a clear idea of what had happened. However I looked in my camera for confirmation ..and the fest for Serena was real so I decided the rest must be as well.

My host mum came in to check on me and we went down to dinner. My host dad thought it was rather spectacular to see his exchange student fly over her handle bars with the bike in tow, doing a Summer-Sault.

That night I had the worst head ache I have ever had. After no sleep, that morning I knocked on my host parents door and received a Panadol. I then went back to bed and we decided I would have the day off school.

After a long days rest my head slowly started to recover. though I still have the lost memory from the accident until home. Yet, I have decided if that is all I have lost or damaged I am extremely lucky.

I also phoned Mum and Dad at home in Australia to let them know what had happened and that I was ok. I thought it was best for them to know in person and ask questions rather than to read that I had flown over my bike handles and had smashed myself on the ground.


The Monday night I was off to a rotary meeting. I attended this and enjoyed myself as usual despite the head ache. . The meeting was a partners meeting (so bring your wife…. and a dinner not the usual lunch) and as such a game of badminton or tennis was on offer.

With a sore head I opted not to play tennis or badminton and instead I joined the less sporty or less fit and able members of the club and watched them play cards. Here I finally learnt some of the rules of the confusing Swiss card game.

We then had dinner. I talked with a lot of people, including the Oldest member of my club, my next host dad, my next host grandfather (who is also a member of the club), as well as the President and many more a friendly Rotarian and spouse. The wife evening s are my favourite as people are more relaxed and the main purpose of the evening is mixing and getting to know one another.

So after a long weekend and Monday I was well and truly tired and ready to fall fast asleep……….. Only to wake up at 5.20am the next day for my nice and early school start.

life zooms on.

I have now been back at school for 2 weeks but life has not slowed down. New things seem to be popping up every moment and to get a second to take them in is impossible as the next second I am doing something new. As of last week every Friday night I am off to the local Yodelling club. I get picked up at 7.15 and am driven there by a member of the club. She is a lovely lady and I get along with her well.

I always thought yodelling would be easy…..but let me tell you it is not. It is hard slog. I still cant get he sound and I have bee practicing for 2 weeks. Apparently depending on the person some people never get it, and for others it can take years, but the lucky few get it in a few weeks (so I am hoping I am one of the lucky few).

With yodelling it is all about slamming your vocal cords and singing on your throat and then suddenly in your head. It is hard to explain and even harder to do. But I am determined that by the end of the year I will make some sort of sound that slightly resembles yodelling, And then I will yodel for both my rotary clubs her and at home..


So when I am not at my yodelling club of about 20 people ( 3 women the rest men) I am off at school trying to understand all the school work and what the teachers are saying.

And now thank you to rotary every Thursday after noon until November this struggle with German will be made easier as I have a German Course in Zurich. This course is just for exchange student and at the end we will all sit tests at different levels (depending on how good we are) and we will all receive an international recognised certificate …saying that we have a certain level in German. I am hopping to do the B1 certificate, which is a business level German certificate. However seeing as this is the hardest we have on offer I may end up having to do the one below which would be just as good an achievement.


So life is busy, from yodelling to German courses to just being at school and trying to understand the work and home work. However I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am loving this year. There are ups and downs…as there is in anything you do….but I think I have an opportunity that I will look back on and be amazed at just how lucky I was.

On Sunday the 19th there was a horse festival in my village organized by my host father.
What this was ,was a horse jumping competition with a few display events, food and activities.
I came at midday on the Sunday to this festival as I had been at Rachel’s and Para gliding the day before. The event had been going since the Friday, however Sunday was the main day.

I arrived at then event and had a lovely lunch in the members’ area of the riding hall. The view from here was great as you could see you over the riding ring and had a good view of the day with out pushing through the crowds of people.


After lunch I decided to brave the crowds and get some good horse jumping snaps. These photos took a while to take as it is hard to get perfect timing with the horses jumping over the hurdles. These photos are also of the professional riders hence the huge height of the hurdles.









Snapping away as each rider jumped passed I accidentally caught a photo of one of the jockeys about the fly over the top of her horse’s neck and crash into all the hurdles making a huge enormous bang. Luckily she was ok..i think a bit shocked, bruised and embarrassed but thankfully nothing seemed to be broken.






Seeing this reminded me how dangerous this sport really is As I was watching the riders before the lady that feel I was thinking. Oh that looks easy, rather fun.
But then you realise the reason why these people are professionals, and that is because they are good at what they do and make it look easy, however this is far form the case.

so after having a big in-depth thought process over horse riding I went and met m last host parents at the entrance…...they had been invited by the Meire’s to join them in the members box for lunch.

This was nice to see the Ruttis again. I really enjoyed talking to them again and really did just have a good time enjoying their company.

The news on the Rutti front is Benjamin and Olivia are now both on exchange. Olivia is in Australia and Benjamin Tai-wan, both of them are enjoying their different exchanges very much. And I think that while the house is empty and they miss their children Michele and Romeo enjoy the freedom of once again being childless…..so they are off travelling in England for a few weeks and later in the year will come down to Australian, and they will even stop by in Tasmania....how exciting is that. I am looking forward to them meeting my family.

After lunch and talking to the Ruttis I went and helped my host dad (Robi) with a few things. We officiated the drawing of a raffle where first prize believe it or not was a real live pony.





I was so amazed. I have seen raffles with hampers, chocolate and lollies but never with live stock and most defiantly never a raffle with a pony.

After the raffle I walked the hours walk home...and this was lovely as it was nice to just walk and think for a little. On exchange the world goes so fat and so much is happening ...and sometimes just walking for an hour is a nice peaceful break. A way of gathering your thoughts and slowing the pace down a bit..

A day to remember

Rachel and I (another Australian exchange student) have a Swiss Army blanket that we have aquired and we have decided that we will turn it into two bags. So we organized to get together and buy things for our bag; zips etc. So with Rachel’s host sister , and 2 other exchange students Ellie and Kyle we met ant the train station and all went to Interlaken.

We walked around the tourist shops (Interlaken is tourist central, as it is on the way to the Jungfrau jock (The highest peak in Europe). I have never seen so many tourist shops in one place in my life, just amazing.

We found the mother of all tourist shops and went looking through the contents of this tourist paradise. I found a cheap wooden carved looking plate....It is sort of a granny thing to get, a plate...but i think it is awesome, as it sums up Switzerland perfectly with bergs, a house and animals...even the Swiss flag is included along with edelweiss.

After buying our finds we were leaving the shop when we saw the funniest hats I have ever seen.


I think the photo is rather self explanatory....but for those of you who are not sure …..We are wearing Swiss cow udder hats. We had to take a photo, much to the amusement of all the people walking along the street.




Then one thing led to another and suddenly we had all had our our money ready (all excerpt Rachel’s host sister she would take photos) .....and were booked into going paragliding. ..............yes you read it right. I WENT PARA-GLIDING IN SWITZERLAND WITH THE JUNGFRAU JOCK AS MY BACK DROP, HOW AMAZING IS THAT


We were so excited.....me especially....I could not stop smiling and I was so full of energy that if I had anymore energy inside me I would have exploded.

.It was the most exciting thing I have ever done. We had to get a photo of our group of Australian dare devils.
(From left. Kyle, rachel's host sister, Ellie, Rachel and me)



We caught the company’s bus and went to the main company facilities. Here we paid our cash ….it was now official we were going....Ellie and I were rather shocked at this idea...as it seemed so unreal...and so exciting...if not the slightest bit scary.



We then put on out special shoes



we said good bye to Rachel’s host sister who would wait for us at the landing field...... and hopped on a bus and went up a mountain.

On the bus we were briefed, given a experienced expert whom would be our guide, and pilot throughout the whole experience (This idea was a good one because if I was left to steer the glider I know I would not have come back in one piece and would be scatted across the side of a mountain).


My pilot was called Thomi. We arrived at the top of the mountain and put on some supplied jackets and helmets and prepared to jump.



The view in itself from the mountain was spectacular so I was really looking forward to see the view form the sky.



i was last to jump of the hill....so I stood and watched the others get ready to jump.




Rachel and I had a last Ginger Ninger photo (referring to our red hair)....we were secretly hoping that this would not be our last photo ever.


Then they all started to run off the hill...the thought of this reminded me of lemmings all following each other off a cliff to their doom.....I was hopping that our fait would be a good deal more pleasant.




I watched the others float off in the air and was suddenly not the slightest bit nervous...but actually extremely excited.


At the count of three (after being attached to my glider and my pilot safely strapped in behind me) we ran off the hill...and up up up inot the sky.

IT WAS TOTALLY UNBELIVABLE.... A DREAM... JUST SO TOTALLY AWESOME.


I WAS FLYING.



The view was also so amazing...and pictures speak a thousand words, so here you go

Jungfrau jock.



My feet and Interlaken




A side of a mountain with gliders in the air




more views


Myself and my pilot..




(silly faces)



And my favorite the Jungfrau jock and gliders.



After spinning and doing a tricks...floating and having fun it was to my disappointment time to land. After spinning and spiraling our way to the ground we landed and my journey was over...but the memories would last a life time.

We were all on a total high....adrenalin was rushing though all our limbs...


Me and my pilot




myself and the others




we then walked back in the sun to return our boots and collect our things.


That evening I went back on the train with Rachel and her host sister as I was staying the night at her house. He host family were so nice. Rachel has a 11 year old host sister and a 7 year old host brother...they were great fun. Her host dad has the perfect Swiss profession...he owns a chocolate factory...and as such I have a block of his chocolate wich I am savoring every bite as it is so good.

After a fun dinner Rachel and I went to her room to work on our bag. We cut out our patter ( this was a fun event as we had designed our own pattern and were sort of winging it as we went along) however the result after pinning looked exceptionally promising ..I really think it will look great. we were a great team, Rachel had sewing abilities ( any one how knows me will know I lack theses) and I could see all of the design in my head....so together we have almost created a bag. After another sleep-over I assure our efforts will pay off.