Il. Fait. Froid.

Hello Americans! For those of you who are not attempting to speak fleuent French, this means, it is cold. Which, let me tell ya, it is! It actually probably isn't that cold, but when you come from the 100 degrees Kansas heat, to Switzerland where it suddenly drops to a high of 18 degrees Celsuis (64 degrees Fahrenheit), it is exteme cold. Lol. I can only imagine what the winter is going to be like if I'm cold already. So. Yesterday I went to language camp, came home, had dinner with my host sister, Magali, and after, she taught me how to feed the kitten. Which is actually kinda hard. At dinner, it was quite funny because I'm trying to learn French and she's trying to learn English, so we made a deal where I speak to her in French, and she speaks to me in English, and we correct each other when the other is wrong. So far, so good:) the French-English dictionary is our new friend now too:) Sorry congugation book. Don't worry though, you're still near the top of my list:) Anyway. Back on track. . . Oh. Yeah. The cold. So this morning I got up at 5:50 (I was a walking zombie) so i would have time to feed the kitten, eat breakfast, take a shower, get ready, and be out the door by seven. So as I'm leaving the house, I realize how cold it is. So I ran back in and grabbed my light coat and my gloves. Thinking it would be warm enough. The gloves were good, but I needed a warmer coat and some ear muffs. Lol. On August 31st! This is insanity people! So, after my 17 minute walk to the train station, I got on and rode about 3 mintues to Puidoux-Chexbres. Then I got off, and waited 20 minutes for my train to Palezuix. While I'm shivering in the cold, this guy walks up right next to me wearing Hawaiian shorts that looked like swimming trunks and a lime green t-shirt. And he didn't have goosebumps or anything! I really wanted a picture with him because I think it would of been funny how I'm bundled up (Oh, did I say I also had on a scarf!) and he looks ready to hit the beach. But he probably been like why are you wanting a picture? Weirdo. So I decided against it. Lol. So, eventually the train came, and I rode about 10 minutes to Palezuix. Once I got off, Zion and I meet up. She is from Vermont. And we waited 20 minutes. Then the train came, and 33 mintues later, we were in Fribourg. Sounds like a fun thing to do every morning right?! So. Once in Fribourg, we had like 20 minutes before class, so we hit up a little store and since we had been craving jelly candy (all i've had is chocolate. all the time), I got some:) I was really excited! Chocolate is gettign old. Then we ventured to class. After class, we went to a falafel place and we got some falafels. But we had to wait forever to get them. So once we did, zion and I had to leave Becky alone so we could catch our train back to Palezuix. So we are walking into the station and have 2 minutes before the train is suppossed to arrive. So we get up to the voie and sorry, platform, and hey I just did French unconciously! Improvement! Okay. So we get up there and the train is there. And there are still people getting off at the other doors, but the one closest had just shut. So we go to hit the button to open it and the conductor is standing right on the inside, and he simply shrugs his shoulders and doesnt open the door. For like 30 seconds. Plenty of time to get on. So after 30 seconds, the train takes off. I looked at the clock on the platform, and it still said 1:26, the time it was suppossed to arrive. So we didn't get on. Then it was crazy because all of the students phones here are tempermental, including mine, and so Zion, who had to be back at a certain time, couldn't get ahold of anyone and it was crazy. So, in the end, we ended up waiting an hour for the next train. Then, while we're on the train and trying to laugh so we don't break down since we are emotionally unstable, the train stops. now, the train from Frioboug to Palezuix has one stop befefore our stop. And when it stopped, it was in some podunk little place. So we are all confused and after a few minutes, a guy comes on the speaker saying something. We couldn't understand. Then, a little after that, the train leaves. It was a little bit bumpy after that, so we were a little afraid as the train was swaying a bit. Eventually, i made it back home. Quite an experience. Tommorrow. Can you guess what I'm doing? . . . . . . . . . Language school! lol. Then Thurday, I'm staying the night in Fribourg. Then the weekend will be busy as I'm heading to Zurich to sing in Swiss-German. I'll explain later. Here are some pictures from the past few days. . . . .

Here is Zion (from Vermont) and I while waiting at the train station. She is taller than me and I just love it! She also has the most amazing hair. I'm so jealous.

These are the three American musketters. Since none of us have any Swiss friends yet since we haven't started school, we ban together! This was Monday, when all I had was a sweater and a fleece! I was so cold! And Zion thought it was nice out, so she wore a light shirt and shorts only to leave her house and realize how cold it was and not have time to change!

This was toady. Do I look cold? Because I was! I am posing with my gummies! Yay for gummies!

This is at the falafel place we ate at. Becky and Zion, with me creeping in on the picture:)

And at last, me with my falafel:) It was totally worth the ridiculous wait!

The end:)

So. This is gonna be a long one. . . . .

Well. I hope you all like pictures, beacuse there are beaucoup in this post! In the past two days, I've done so much, and I took so many pictures, and I just had to include most of them:) They were all my favorite. Lol. So. Here we go. We'll start from Friday. Friday, after language camp concluded for the week, I hopped on a train back to Chexbres. Oh. But first Becky and I went out to lunch. ...Ah. The joys of pubic transportation. This is me on one of the many trains I have rode on since being here. Becky and I at a "tea room". Everywhere they have them. If you looked in the phone book, there would probably be a good couple hundred or so. We had some soup, which was water and spices, lol, and a crouque monsieur (grilled cheese). The waitress thought we spoke German, so it was a little iffy at first, but we got it all figured out:)
Once I got back to Chexbres and walked home from the train station, I learned that we had gotten a new little, 2 week old kitten! He is SOOOO cute! And he is soo tiny. Pause for the Awwwwww's!
Since he's so little, we have to feed him through a teeny-tiny bottle:) So cute. And you can't really tell, but she's wearing a USA shirt:)

When I got home, there was also a letter from my best friend Abby (i loved it Ab! It was so heartfelt! I'm mailing yours tomorrow:) and a package from mom. In it, one of my good friends, Tasha, made me a calender with the pictues from when I left. It was so cute and i loved it! Thanks Tasha!!!
I felt the need to include this. So. If you weren't aware. Becca, my sister, is in LOVE with Justin Bieber. And a few weeks before I left, I took her to his concert. Well, I'm not a big fan and I quite despised him. That is until I came here and have been deprived of American music. Something must of like taken over my brain, because I got on my computer, went to YouTube, and listened to like 5 of his songs in a row. And now I kinda like him. It's horrible. I need an intervention.

So. Saturday now. Saturday for lunch, we went to a BBQ. But definelty not like our Kansas ones. It was at a fancy resturaunt. We were drinking wine. At our BBQ. We had a appetizer of eggplant and other veggies, then they came around with a tray of chicken and sausage, and fries. And for dessert, fruit. It was good, but not the BBQ's I'm used to. I miss Zarda. Its making my mouth water just thinking about it:( So after that, we headed to the train station in my town, because Becky was coming to stay the night. So we picked her up, and then we decided to go to Lausanne. So we hopped on the next train and ventured to Lausanne. She was excited:)

When we got out of the train station, we found this statue and I just had to have a picture:)

Then we wandered by this church, and as we walked by, the doors opened, like God was opening them, so we went in. It was pretty intense. Once we got in them, they shut. So we them proceeded to take a picture.

This is a picture of Lausanne from this hill we were on. It's a pretty big city here.

Then we wandered through the old city, and we found this great big church!

We went inside this one too:) But the God didn't open the door this time:( Reading the sign that was in the back, it says construction on the church started back in the 1100's!

This was a HUGE organ. Thought I would snap a picture. . . .

Then we got on a bus and headed to the Lake. We both said that we were craving a pizza, so we got a Hawiian pizza. It was SOOOO GOOD! I loved every bite. Lol.

Then we decided we were going to ger pastries. Now. It's August. Normally its super hot right now in Kansas. We were wearing sweaters, and we were SOOO cold! And we couldn't find any open patersirries (I totally spelled that wrong:O), but we eventually did and it was so worth all the walking!

Then we headed back to the Lake, and there was an Irish festival going on. But they were wearing Scottish kilts, and singing in French. It was quite amusing to just watch.

Now, I normally don't eat at McDonald's. Gross. But after being in the cold for sooo long, our hands were frozen and we needed something warm. Pronto. So we stopped at a McDonald's and got a really good hot chocolate. They gave you like warm milk, and then you added in the mix. And you know you're in Switerland when they give you a piece of chocolate at Mcdonald's for free:) After this, we headed back to Chexbres, and stayed up till like 2. Then we hit the hay.

Sunday. We got up at 8 and decided to take the boats on Lake Leman (Geneva). So we got ready and headed back to Lausanne via trains to get on the ferry. Once on, we could see what the Swiss side looked like! This is Switerland from the boat:)

Then this guy offered to take our picture, so we did. In front of the Swiss flag:) It was so beautiful!

Here is me, with France in the background.

Becky is so funny. She has this giant camera and is always snapping pictures.

This would be a great picture if it weren't so windy! This was the great sailer man we met and talked to. We got on the boat right when it was leaving, not even knowing where it was going. Lol. Then we had to get our tickets. So we are the last ones in line, and we get up there and he asks what type of ticket and to where, and I was like, where exactly is this going? So, we stuck up a conversation. So after purchasing my ticket, he came out of his booth and talked to us. After 5 or so minutes, we said bye and headed out back. Well, twenty minutes into the ride, he comes back and is like, I have an extra ticket, did you forget yours. so I'm trying to act all cool and turns out, it was mine. So we started talking to him again, and then I got a picture. Lol. So touristy. Becky even gave him her card:) I wouls of, but I left them at home. It was quite fun. These are the famous Lauvaux vineyards! You can see how some of them have like a green or blue net over them. That's so the birds will see them and not dive down to peck the grapes. That's you cool fact of the day:) We rode the boat for about an hour to Montreux. Once there, we went to a grocery store and got some bread, turkey, cheese, tea, and chocolate. Then we had an hour till the next boat so we decided to go to the Chateau de Chillon. We took the bus, since it was only a 10 minute ride. Since they gave us an English brochure on the castle, I'll write some if it. . . "the small rocky island on which the castle is built acted both as a natural protection and a strategic location to control movement between the north and south of Europe. The castle's history was marked by three important periods:

The Savoy era (12th century to 1536)

the Bernese era (1539 to 1798)

The Vaudois era (1798 until today)

The oldest written mention of the castle dates from 1150 and establishes that the Savoy family already controlled the fortess and hence the path along the shore. The Swiss, more specifically the Bernese, conqureded Vaud (which is the canton I live in) region and occupied Chillon in 1536. For more than 260 years, the castle was used as a fortess, arsenal, and prison. The Bernese left Chillon at the time of the Vaud revolution in 1798. The state of Vaud became it's owner when the canton was created in 1803. Restoration of the monument began at the end of the 19th century, and continues today".
This was this cool little passage way that went from the hallway to the Bernese bedrooms, which were used in the Middle Ages. The chamber (secret hallway) was probably occupied by servants and staff.
This was the Bernese bedroom.
We climbed up ALL these tiny, little, steep steps and when we got to the top, we realized we were at the top of the castle. It was so pretty!
After the castle, we headed back to the bus station. The bus came, but when we stopped at one of the stops, some Americans (we guesses New York) got on and had to ask a million questions. Then they didnt have money for the ticket so the driver had to get off and help them. We had just the exact amount of time to get back to the boat, so we were a little mad. But we ended up making back just in time, right before the boat took off:) Then we ate our little picnic lunch on our way back to Lausanne. All in all, it was a really fun weekend:) Tommorrow, I head back to Fribourg for language school, but I'll be commuting back and forth everyday instead of staying in Fribourg. Hope all is well and talk to you soon!

It think it might possibly be someone's birthday. . . .

For those of you that have e-mailed me, thanks! I love getting emails! But unfortunetly, my email won't send messages right now. So that's why I haven't emailed you back. Sorry:( But i do get them and love them! So you are probably wondering why I am posting this ramdom thing. I am posting this because it is AUNTY PAM'S BIRTHDAY!!!!! (well, it's actually tommottow, but I won't ba able to get on the internet, so let's pretend it's the 27th:) And since I can't email her, and I can't send her a message on Facebook because she doesn't have one, I have to resort to this public announcement. So.

Pam,

I hope you are having a wonderful school year with all those physicals to get in order! I hope you have fun tonight at the Cheifs game with my 'rents and Camille. I hope you have a wonderful __________ year of life and that you make the most of it because you never know what tommorrow brings. I hope you have fun going to all the Blayer games and watching us take state! You are such an amazing person and I'm pretty sure life, and definelty high school, would suck without you. I miss you soooooo much and I love you. So. Basically, what I'm saying is. . . . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Love Always,

Laura

P.S. Your birthday present was me not putting what year this is for you on the internet:)

''God gave a gift to the world when you were born-

a person who loves, who cares,

who sees a person's need and fills it,

who encorages and lifts people up,

who spends energy on others

rather than herself,

someone who touches each life she enters,

and makes a difference in the world,

beacuse ripples of kindness flow outwards

as each person you have touched, touches others.

Your birthday deserves to be a national holiday,

because you are a special treasure

for all that you've done.

May the love that you have shown to others

return to you, multiplied.

Iwish you the happiest of birthdays,

and many, many more,

so that others have time to apprecitate you,

as much as I do.''

We might as well walk around with a post-it note that says we're American!

Hey everyone!!!!!!

I hope everyone is doing well! Even with the tragic event that happened earlier in the week. I can't believe that happened. I knew Andrew and he was so so kind and sweet to everyone, no matter who you were. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that he was only 16. It just shows you how short life is and how you really do have to live each day like it's your last. It makes me grateful that I took this amaying opportunity to come and live here. Sorry if there are random weird symbols and spellings in this post. I am using a different computer and the keyboard is different and there are strange symbols everywhere! Lol. Im trying my best. So. This week I've been living in Fribourg,which is north of my town. It is half French, half German speaking. The language camp has been plugging along. It is kind of like a review, but I think I'm learning new things:) The camp is from 9 until 12:40, so after all us kids go around town. There are actually only ten of us in the whole French part compared to the 70 in the German part. And we are all American girls except for Andrew from Vermont, and Bjorn from Sweden. So, we all have a pretty good time together! I haven't taken that many pictures because I have been busy having a good time! But I managed to snap a few. . . . .

This book = my new best friend. Sorry Ab. Lol. I love it so much! Becky and I saw this one girl have one and decided we must to and 8 Francs later, we did! It is a book that conjugates all the French verbs. In the present, future, and past tense along with the infinitaves and a lot of other jayy. It's amaying and I love it!

This is a horrible picture of me, but i guess I'll post it. Lol. This is me and Becky. She is from Oaklahoma and we have been chilling and she is going to hopefully come visit my house and town this weekend with me:) I have also taken a liking to Zion, from Vermont, although she is the one who took the picture, so I don't have one of her. The three of us are all trying to figure out this crazy town and language!

This is something I found to be hilarious, so I took a picture. Lol. The lady I am staying (Tiziana) with here in Fribourg does tai-chi. She has also hosted exchange students before. So last night, she had lady and her daughter over for some tai-chi. During that time, Jess, who is an exchange student from Australlia and has been here since January (she showed me around on Monday when I got here and is really fun:), was over talking to me while waiting to speak to Tiziana, her counselor. So we were just chilling and talking, and the one girl comes upstairs looking for the cat. Now, normally the cat is like all over me, but he wasn't near, so I told her and she went looking for him. Like 5 mintues later, she comes up asking for a box. I guess the cat had a live mouse and was in the bathroom on the middle floor. It was so funny! You had to be there. So we find a box, all while Chinese music is softly playing in the background, and she goes and captures the mouse. It was sooooo gross! then we had to figure out how to get it down the stairs, so we grab a newspaper, stick it under, and correction, they grabbed the paper, I had nothing to do with that nasty thing, and they carried it outside and let it go. I was cracking up it was just so funny. It may not sound that way, but it was. I feel like I just told one of my famous stories that people look at me like is it over!? Lol. Yes. Now it is. Moving on....
This was my new kitty cat this week:) I was quite excited! I can't pronounce his name, so I call him kitty. Lol. He may not look that happy in this picture, but whenever I sit somewhere, he is like BAM on my lap. And he follows me around. It's great. Just like my Cocoabear back in Kansas:) So. Yes. That has been my week sô far. Tommorrow, I head back to Chexbres on the train. Talk to you soon!

P.S. I suppose I will comment on the title. Lol. So, in becky, Zion, and I's attempt to blend in with the Swiss, we decided we would talk in just French when we went into this cafe to get some lunch. So we say ''Je voudrais une bagette avec jambon et fromage. Et a Fanta, si' vous plait''. But no. The lady starts talking to us in English really slowly, like we are stupid or something. Everywhere we go, no matter how hard we try, people just like know we are Americans. It kinda sucks. So we decided to walk around from now on announcing it. Lol. Jk. We aren't going to do that, but I will be blending in soon enough! just you wait Switerland! :)

A good day gone bad. Then kinda good again.

Hello everyone:) What is today? Sunday night? Yeah. sunday night. I keep losing track of what day it is! I haven't blogged since Thursday so I will start from then. Friday I went to my school. I got up, made pancakes, said goodbye to Laetitia, and off to the train station i went. When i got to the school. they didn't have my name down for any of the groups, so there was a little confusion, but it all ended good. My school is HUGE. It like a college campus. With a bunch of different buildings, 4 levels in each one, it's crazy. And there are these ramdom, really comfy chairs everywhere you can just sit in, and there are a million places to buy lunch and eat it. You can also heat your lunch up in one of the many microwaves located around the buildings:) Haha. I love it. And the school has wireless internet so when i met with the director, he said i can bring my laptop to school and use the internet while I'm skipping german class:) I seriously get to skip german class! The director told me i can just chill during that hour each day:) I'm excited. Lol. So, after the grand two hour tour, the time came for lunch. And all the incoming students (our equivelant to a freshman) were there, so I had to akwardly ask to sit with a group. No one wants to have to do that. But I scoped out the room and found who I thought would be cool people, and thank God they said i could sit there:) So I did and they were really nice:) So i made new friends. Yay! Lol. Okay. Moving on to Saturday. So. yesterday we decided we would go to the mountains. So we loaded up the car, Lema (our dog) and all and headed out. We ended up about an hour away. When we got there, we parked and started the trek up. Let me tell you, man, was my heary pupming five minutes into that hike. Lol. It was intense. But eventually I caught on and my heart chilled out a bit. We were almost to the lake that was up probably about half way when we stopped for lunch. We ate and than began the home stretch! Here is where the day went bad. Our dog, Lema, loves the mountains and being outside. We have taken her with us before since I've been here and she is such a good dog. She wandered up this hill, right off the path, and was running back down to meet us when she didn't see a rock and tumbled over it. It was so horrible. She couldn't move her back two legs. I hate seeing animals in pain. So my host dad ran down the mountain to get the car, since there was just enough space to fit the car up the path. He got it up there in record time and we headed down and back home so we could get her to the vet. When we got the vet, he did and x-ray and we found out that her spine had broke and we would have to put her to sleep. She was seven and they had gotten her when she was a puppy. It was so sad, and then it made me think of the boys, Cocoa, Mitten, and Marshmellow back home and how I miss my cats:( Yes, I'm crazy for my cats. Lol. So it was pretty depressing. After everything was done there, we had plans to have dinner at our neighbors house, and we decided to still go. It was a wonderful meal with a really nice family:) So, the day got better then. Today, I headed to Olten for my Swiss Rotary orientation. It was a lot of fun and i met a bunch of people! The orientation was different than the ones in the States, but it was a good different:) I even attempted to sing a song in French. It was quite interesting. Lol. Most of the exchange kids ( there are 82 total this year) here in Switzerland are in the German part, and there are probably only ten in the French. part. So they had us ten get up on the stage, they gave us lyrics, started the music, and wanted us to sing along. Like i said, interesting. But i did start my pin collection on my blazer:) And i got a bunch of email addresses! One of the girls i met and i are even going to see a movie tommorow with her host sisters:) Tommorrow, I go to Fribourg to start the language camp. I'll be staying with the teacher for this first week, and then commute back and forth the second. I'm excited! Here are some pictures from the moutains. . .

Oh. This one is actually a picture of Swiss cows!

Here is us right before we headed to the moutains:)

In the background, you can see the hike we were embarking on. It doesn't look that big in the picture, but it was!

Magali (sister, Marielle (mom), and Lema starting the trek. The first part was paved till we hit the acutal trail. Then it was a bit rocky. Lol.

This was like fifty minutes in i think. You can see where we started, down by that tree line.

This is right before the incident happened. It was so pretty up there!
This is a picture of Lema I snapped earlier that morning. She was so excited to go! Her tail was a waggin'!
And then this is my blazer:) As you can see I added some pins! For those of you who aren't familiar with Rotary, each exchange student gets a blazer. Each student also brings pins that represent something of their home country that you trade with other exchange students througout the year. So I offically beagn my trading:) i got some from Canada, Taiwan, Alaska, Brazil, Ecuador, and i can't remember where else:) But it was a lot of fun!

The past two days.....

Well. The past two days haven't been all that exciting. We have been getting Laetitia, my older host sister, all packed and ready to leave for Canada tommorrow. On Tuesday, she had a bunch of her friends over for a little going away party. I think they were worse than American teenage girls. Lol. They were just laughing and running all over the house. It was crazy. Lol. Then, yesterday, I first went to Vevey to get my train ticket for the languge school next week. I'll be going to Fribourg, which is a total of about a two hour trip each way for the next two weeks for an "intensive language course". Sounds scary. Lol.. But I'm excited for it:) The first week I will stay in Friboug with a family, and the second week I will communte back and forth each day. At the train station, i had to get a photo taken for the card that they give you, like your pass. So we went to this photo booth in the station and it was the most demanding booth ever. Your face has to be presise in the oval on the screen. Your eyes must be lined up on the line. No smiling and your face has to be symetric. Now. My face was too big to fit in the little oval, so it kept denying the picture. Lol. It was quite ridiculous! Then we headed back home, I ate a quick lunch, and the my counselor came and picked me up. We went to the bank and then he was going to take me back home but asked if I wanted to go and make some visits with him. Of course I went with him, since the other would be sitting at home by myself, since everyone else was gone. We first went to his house (Beautiful!) and I met his wife and his nephew and his nephews friends. Then we went to Vevey and he showed me how to take the train, since on Friday I have to take the train by myself to school for an orientaion. I'm kinda dreading going. Then we went and he showed me the school and the train station there and then he quickly visited one of his patients (he is an eye doctor). Then we headed to the country and he showed me a bunch of different places. Then we headed home, my family came home, we had dinner, and off to bed I went. Today, I think we are just chilling out since Laetitia is packing the rest of her things. Here are some pictures from the last few days...

This is the sign that everytown in the Lavaux region has as you enter the town. I tried to get a picture as we were driving into town. You can kinda see Chexbres!

This is from yesterday when we stopped on the way to the bank to snap a few photos. I just still can't get over how beautiful everything is!
This is a picture I think of the town Cully, where the Rotary club meets and my bank is. But I'm not for sure. . . .

This is the little, itty-bitty country town we visited yesterday. My counselor had to visit one of his patients for a few minutes, so I walked around the town. It took me a total of ten minutes to walk up and down each street in the town. Super small.

This was the church in the town. The sign said it was built in the 1600's.
I went up and tried to door to the church, and it was open:) So I ventured inside. It was so cute!

This house was so pretty I thought, so I snapped a picture. I just love the houses here!
This was one of the few streets the town had.

This was the little veggie shop we went to on Tuesday. It was in the middle of nowhere. And it was self-service! You went in, picked out what you wanted, weighed it on the scale and added up the prices, took and envelope and wrote down what to took and then put your money inside. I found it quite interesting. My host mom said that they don't have these places in Belgium or France because people there can't be trusted. Here, people trust one another to be honest.
This was inside the store. There were a ton of veggies to chose from!
Here is the scale where you weigh what you have and then pay.
Marielle has been making this weird fruit that I didn't know what it was. She told me that when we went to the store, she would show me it. I have never seen these I think. They are really good though! She was laughing because I keep taking pictures of everything, so when she held it up to show me, she was like you can take a picture and I was like "Okay!", so she thought it was funny that I really did want a picture.
This was another strange veggie I found. I thought it looked kind of like a musical instrument. I can't remember the name. I think it started with a p........ Well. That's all for now!