Settling In..

Hello everyone. Comme d'habitude, here's what's been happening since the last time I wrote...

Last weekend I was stuck staying with PA and Jess. Saturday there was a celebration for Jess's birthday, which had been the weekend before. During the early afternoon I helped them set up tables and get everything ready at this cabin up in the hills. I guess it's common here in Switzerland to have cabins in the woods with a big room and a kitchen to use for parties. It seemed kind of strange to me (who owns it, anyway? and who paid to build it?) but I guess it's practical because there is not enough space at most people's houses to have big gatherings, but they still want to have them.

Around four people started arriving.. it was mostly family and close friends, at a ton of kids (around 35 people in total.) We ate raclette, which was pretty hilarious. To make enough for 35 people they bought two whole wheels of cheese, which were then cut in half.. after, one half was placed in this sort of appliance that has a grip below and a heating element above to melt a layer of cheese. It is hard to explain, and you probably can't buy an appliance like that in many other country in the world, but the raclette was good. For dessert, among other things, there was mille feuille, which is a really good cake (not lakeweed!) Around ten I went home with Jess's dad and his wife who live upstairs because the party was still going and I was very tired.

Sunday, nothing of importance happened. I did my homework for the next day which was the first day back from vacations.

Monday I went to school of course.. It was pretty hard to go back after two weeks off, but that's normal. I talked to Andréanne to see if I could make the family change the next night. After lunch when I saw her again at school she told me that AFS had called her mom that morning and all was approved, so we agreed that I would change Tuesday at 6:30 in the evening.

Tuesday was the longest, most horrid day of school. I had slept terribly the two previous nights so I was dead tired. In French I had to read something (in French!) that I had written in front of the class and that was daunting.. but probably good for me.. The next two hours were chemistry and math, yuck, and then a biology test that I failed miserably. Then it was swimming 800m in gym class, and though it was easier the second time because I already knew I could do it just fine, I still dreaded it. Then informatique, where we took a typing test, and économie, where the middle-aged professeur talks to me sometimes in English to show off to the class (I'm not kidding, everyone talks about it) and asks me questions about sports and corporation in the US that I don't know the answer to. Blargh.

Luckily the horridness of my Tuesday in school was made up for by the facts that: 1. It was finally election day in the US, and 2. I would be changing host families that evening. After returning from school I finished packing the bags I'd started filling on Monday. Jess and PA came home from work for maybe 45 minutes during which we covered the formalities (I returned their house and bike keys, they made a list of places I needed to inform of my address change, etc.) and said goodbye, then they went to a dinner they'd already committed to. After, Beatrice and Andréanne came to get me around 6:30 and I finally, offically, changed host families. I unpacked everything that night as well as went over an AFS 'first night questions' paper with Beatrice just to make sure everything was covered (chores, bathroom schedules, family rules regarding alcohol, and other pratical subjects to ease the transition into a new family.)

Wednesday I woke up in the morning and when I walked into the kitchen Beatrice said, 'Well, you are going to have a new president! Obama!' and that was awesome. Here it was around 7 in the morning, or around midnight in Minneapolis, so probably just after it was called (?) When I got to school everyone was talking about it and asked me if I was happy with the results, it was cool.

Aside from the election, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were the same as always, except that I had sinus headaches, fatigue, a runny nose, and sore throat (though not bad enough to stay home from school.) The biggest change was starting to adjust to my new host family. At lunchtime Andréanne and I return to the house everyday and eat dîner with Bernard and Beatrice. Nicolas goes to school in Fribourg so he can't come home for lunch. It is really different for me that here we have a whole hour in the house for lunch and there is usually a full meal, what I would consider supper in the US: salad, meat, vegetables, bread, potatoes/pasta/rice, etc. It is really a nice thing that the family can be together for 2 or 3 meals every day. I appreciate this but it also means that school goes an hour later. It's a trade-off.. I like the style here and in the US both for different reasons.

With my new host family I feel very at ease and welcomed, not afraid to ask questions, etc. Since I got here Tuesday I haven't been alone in the house once, which just goes to show how much they are around. I am no longer alone all the time but if I want to be alone that's not a problem because I can read/write/do homework in my room. I feel so much happier here already, and though I still miss home it's a lot better so far. I love how Beatrice, Bernard, Andréanne, and to some extent Nico (though he is pretty quiet and really busy, so not as much) ask me questions and talk to me a lot. It's very comfortable.. and just a family, and that is what makes it so much better.

Yesterday, in the morning I went shopping with Beatrice, Nico, and Andréanne to look for a winter jacket for Nicolas and also to buy groceries. In the afternoon I made cookies (and they turned out perfectly authentic, woot) and they've already been consumed. Then in the evening I went with Andréanne to the village Salle de Gym where there was some sort of society meeting for 80 people and we helped with the dishes. It wasn't too bad and I got to meet two of Andréanne's good friends as well as eat meringue with double crème at the end.. it was good. Tuesday evening I will go again to the Salle de Gym for fitness or sports or something.. I'm not really sure what it is but Andréanne goes every week and I am going to go see if I like it.

Today I woke up and the family ate a light breakfast together. Then for lunch we had mini crepes that you make at the table and put ham, cheese, onions, etc on. For dessert there were crêpes sucrée (sweet) with maple syrup or caramel or sugar with lemon. In ten minutes I am going with Beatrice and Bernard to some art exhibition so I have to go get ready.. and then after that more school school school.

But things are better. Lots better.