Sick

Hello everyone

Blargh, sadly I've been feeling sick since last Tuesday, so that really put a damper on my week (erm.. hopefully that's the right expression.) At first I had a bad cough, and that sort of turned into a sore throat and stuffy nose. I've been really tired, though when I go to bed I have a lot of trouble sleeping. Hopefully this will pass soon (I'm already feeling a little better) and I will be feeling 100% by the end of this week.

So, without further ado, the usual recap of my week...

Monday was average though the weather was pretty nice.. I was able to go to school with just a sweatshirt in the afternoon. Almost all of the snow has melted here (the week before there was a 5 foot pile obstructing our mailbox, and now it's gone) and things aren't completely brown.. more like olive drab but whatever, that will change soon enough.

Tuesday was a really, really lovely day. Probably like 60°F I would say, and sunny. For gym class we went outside and played volleyball and football, and a very Swiss thing happened. In the middle of playing I heard some really loud noise, then when I looked up on the street I saw tens of tanks rolling past. Gigantic, armed tanks with soldiers in them.. it was strange. After school when we got off the bus in our village, I noticed that there were tanks parked all over the place.. in people's driveways, in the parking area next to the local football field, etc. There were soldiers sitting around on camp chairs, playing cards, smoking, and eating chips. I really can't stress enough how strange this was for me, though it wasn't uncomfortable or anything. For some reason, the Swiss military doesn't seem threatening, even when they are in your village.. this might have something to do with people's attitudes toward it (no one was surprised) and also because their military takes a completely defensive and peace-keeping role. Anyway, I went for a bike ride which gave me the weird feeling that I was pedaling through the French countryside during WWII or something.

At dinnertime my host mom asked "Did you see the tanks? Were you surprised?" and those sorts of questions, and my host sister was like "Mom, of course she's seen tanks before" to which I had to say, "Erm, no actually I haven't!" She was surprised. They explained that they were probably doing some sort of night practice operation (they rolled out of town at sunset).. "preparing for a war that will never come", they said. Just the way the military is here is so different for me.. every man is obliged to do service, so it's part of everyone's life. They don't hide the military, as they sort of do it the US (of course, in the US they might do their maneuvers in the countryside, as they do here.. it just happens that Swiss countryside is way more populated than that of the US.) And also, the Swiss army doesn't seem like a threat, like something to fear.. it seems almost wholesome even (as I said, with Switzerland being completely neutral, the only reason for the giant military is to ensure that no one bugs them about being neutral. They never actually do anything...)

Yeah, so that was my strange, cultural Tuesday experience.

Wednesday we started a new art project. Des poissons d'avril! (April Fools fish.) In French, April Fools is called April Fish, and it's celebrated by the kids with the prank of all pranks, the ultimate.. sticking a paper fish on someone's back! Yes, I agree, it's pretty harmless. But it's the tradition, and what the kiddies do, and probably where we got the tradition of playing pranks on people. Anyway, we are making cartoonish paper fish in art now, and then painting them, to put up in our house on April first. I probably won't be done by then, since I didn't really get started, but that's okay.

Thursday was quite normal, school-wise, though the weather took a cold turn and la bise came (it's the name they have for a cold wind.) I was feeling rather crappy with my cough and all.

Friday I had a math test in school about vectors and I think I did alright. It was confusing though. I went to the local (tiny) shopping center after school to get a MUCH NEEDED haircut. I went four months without, yuck (you know, with short hair, that's not such a great thing.) I didn't have an appointment so I had to wait a bit but I got home in time for dinner, after taking the bus. The only bad thing about the haircut is that before, I had some hair covering my ears, so they didn't get cold as fast.. quelle dommage.

Saturday I very much wanted to sleeeeep innnnn, and I had the time too, and I'm sick so you think my mind would shut up a bit and let my body rest, but it was not so. I woke up at like eight, I think (it's ironic because when I feel great I can sleep until eleven) and then ate a little breakfast. Andréanne, Nicolas, and Béatrice went shopping but I stayed home because there was nothing I needed to buy. I just hung out, then in the evening I skyped with my mom.

Today I again woke up earlier than usual. For lunch we had a nice cheese fondue... did I mention fondue is good? No? It's good. Now I'm just whiling away my Sunday afternoon.. I don't know yet if I'll go to school tomorrow, it depends on how I feel in the morning and if I can actually sleep tonight. Luckily if I don't go, I won't miss a lot... Mondays are boring!