That Time I Went Skiing in the Alps

What a weekend!

It was great to get out of Geneva for the weekend and head up into the mountains (only an hour away) for a little downhill skiing, and of course, some après-ski.  And best of all, I got to make another "tick" on my bucket list!

I teamed up with Cy for the weekend who was a complete beginner.  I hadn't gone downhill skiing since middle school, so I figured a refresher would be a good idea.  We made it to the lessons to find that we would be learning where all the little kids learn.  Oh joy!

Didn't really matter to us though.  We were just excited to get out there and learn!  So we put our gear on, with the help of the instructor, and made our way to the Disney sponsored "classroom".

Very excited for my lesson...so much so that I couldn't make a normal face.  

 After re-learning all the ski techniques, but in French this time, the instructor dared taking us on the bunny slopes.  When we made it to the top, I had her take a picture, just in case we didn't make it down alive and my mum was begging for a picture of me attached to skis.

See Mum?  Proof!

But we did make it down in one piece.  Many times!  It's amazing how fast a skill comes back to you.  Just like riding a bike, but not.

However, the instructor did have a problem with my lack of coordination.  It wasn't that I couldn't turn properly or stop, the problem she had with me was what I was doing with my arms.  I wanted to just keep them beside me.  She wasn't having any of that.  Instead, she spent half the lesson yelling up to me to put my arms out (like a starfish) and to raise one each time I turned.  It was then I decided to not understand French.  There was no way I was doing that.  I know, I'm a terrible student.  But once the lesson was over, I had no trouble going down the slopes.  I guess that's a pretty terrible moral of the story though.  So to all the youth out there reading this: listen to your teacher!  They know what they're doing!

We eventually made it to some bigger hills and got to enjoy a spectacular view.  Unfortunately the weekend was quite foggy, but that didn't get us down.  I mean, look at that view!

And after a few hours of falling off the lifts, crashing for no reason, and accidentally going down the hill backwards, Cy and I just needed to sit down.  So that's just what we did.

But a big thanks to Ecole du Ski Français for making sure we didn't kill ourselves, and all the small children on the hills.   If you're in Chamonix and have no idea how to even put on your skis, check them out.

And now for some shots in and around the ski school.  How lucky am I?

A New Year, but the Same Old Goal

Now that I am back safely in Geneva, I have started to think about my resolutions.  I tend not to make any, since I know I won't follow them, but this year, I knew there was one I just had to do...

Travel more!

So on my first night back in Geneva, my friend Lu and I sat down at her laptop and went nuts on Easy Jet's seat sale.  It was quite a sale, and there were many places we wanted to go.  Now we have a trip each month, with plans to add some more as the dates come closer.

Here's what we have so far:

January 27-29th - Chamonix Ski Trip!  Since Chamonix is only a short drive from Geneva, and Geneva's airport is actually the airport you fly into to get to Chamonix, we obviously are not flying.  But after Lu came back this weekend raving about it, we booked our trip last night.  Can't wait!

February 12-19 - ITALY!!!  I am lucky enough to have enough time off to do Italy justice.  I'm starting in Rome alone and working my way up to Venice where my friend Cy will be meeting be to celebrate Carnaval!  If you have any suggestions of things to see and do in Rome, Florence, Pisa, Milan, and Venice, please leave a comment!

February 24-26 - Into the German part of Switzerland to continue my Carnaval celebration.  Why stop in Italy?

March 16-18 - Manchester!  It's Lu's birthday, and so we're traveling to her hometown.  With lots of people to visit and lots to see, it's gonna be a whirlwind weekend.

April 6-8 - Now I've always said I'd love to see a concert in Europe, and Drake happens to be touring.  So a couple of my friends and I have bought tickets and booked a trip to Brussels to go see him.  Very excited!

April 9-15 - I also have all of this time off, which I think I will be using to go visit my friend EM in Malta.  Woe is me, eh?

May 18-21 - Being my birthday weekend, I knew I had to go away and do something.  So where will I be?  Amsterdam!!!  Because who doesn't want to visit the Anne Frank museum on their birthday?

June 1-3 - For yet another friend's birthday, Lu and I are traveling up to Newcastle to experience yet another English celebration.  Can't wait!

So far that's all I have planned.  I still have a list of places to go, but just need to pick a weekend to do it.  If you have any suggestions of places to go, specific times to go, and things to see, please leave a comment.  I'm always looking for suggestions!

Hope everyone's have a great new year!

Costuming - The Final Product!

It's done!  And it is currently being judged by all of E's classmates.  After lunch today, I covered E in silver face paint and silver hairspray, then helped him into his costume.  Of course one of the buttons fell off once we got to school (and the glue was at home), but no one seemed to notice.  I'll reattach it after school, since the all important contest isn't until this afternoon.  So here's the final product!

Even Koda approves.  She's tired after all her hard work.

Costuming - Part III

The costume is done!  Finished it yesterday evening.  The big reveal will be shortly after 1pm Swiss time.

Stay tuned!

People Actually Read This?!

Apparently my readership is not just my family and friends from home.  Thanks to all who have been checking in on my life abroad!  I know I've not always been consistent with my posting, but my New Year's Resolution is to put myself on a posting schedule.

I'd also like to thank Tina over at City Urbanista for featuring my blog on her site!  I'm feeling the Canadian love!  Make sure you all check out her site for a look at life as a Torontonian (kinda miss it sometimes).  And check out her feature on me here: check it out!

Course de L'Escalade

After finishing a 5K back in May, I've been itching to do another one.  Last month, P signed me up for the Course de l'Escalade.  Once I had the proof of registration in my hands, I knew it would be a bad idea.  But I had to suck it up and do it, and now that it's over, I'm so happy I did.

As much as I 'd like to say that I trained for the event, my "training"really only involved me running with a dog that likes to stop every two minutes to smell something.  Not really that effective.

The course.  I ran the dark blue one, which is twice around.

If I'm lucky enough to still be in Geneva next year, I will definitely do the run again.  And hopefully I'll get to run it with some of my friends!

Me after my run with my goodie bag!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

ADVENT CALENDAR!!

Thanks to Santa M!

Costuming Part II

L'Escalade it just around the corner, and E needs his costume ready to go for next Friday afternoon.  I dedicated some time this afternoon to getting some work done on it.  Check out what I accomplished!

First I made the slink-like coils to hold the candy.

I then planned to stick the coils into a silver-covered sheet of styrofoam.  So I cut the two pieces...

Lined them up...

Applied some glue...

And waited for it to set.

I then moved on to starting the side panel of the vending machine.

Last week I spray painted the bases of the costume.

They look more like a vending machine now, eh?

I then applied the grey swatch to the vending machine.

In the meantime, I went to check my styrofoam.  And I found this.  

The glue ate the styrofoam.  Scrap that idea.

Instead of putting the coils in the styrofoam, I opted to just stick it in the back of the base.

So the end of the coil pokes out the back, a little dangerous.

So I decided to use my favourite thing: Duct tape!

No poking now!

All attached now!

And all safe on the back.

Now to add the goodies!

"They won't notice if I take one, right?"

All added.

Starting to look like a vending machine now.

Now I added a plastic sheet to act as the glass pane stopping greedy hands from swiping the candy.

Can't get it now!

And of course, the all important price tags.

I'll let you guess what these are for.  Or just wait to see the final product.

And that's what Koda did the entire time I was working.  It's her favourite position.  She's a bit crazy, but that's why I love her.

So until next time!  The costume's almost done!  Can you believe it almost looks like a vending machine?

Look What I Got!

Each year, my Aunt puts together a Christmas mix and gives it out at their annual Christmas party.  I always look forward to it, because it quickly becomes the ONLY CD in my car for the holiday season.  So when it arrived in just two days after my aunt sent it from Canada, I got REALLY excited!  Thanks so much for sending it!!!!  Everyone here loves it!

This year, my aunt and I found a song that relates perfectly to my time away in Switzerland: White Christmas by Michael Bublé ft. Shania Twain.  Now why is this song so perfect?  Michael recorded his part in Canada while he Skyped with Shania who was recording her part in Switzerland!  Amazing, eh?

Here's a clip for your listening pleasure.

Hope everyone's getting into the Christmas spirit now that December is here (already!).  I'm starting to stress over my Christmas shopping, which I usually finish by the end of November.  Geneva is really getting into the Christmas spirit.  Tonight is the tree lighting ceremony at the local Mayor's office.  Then I have the cours d'Escalade on Saturday, helping out with a local theatre's Christmas production on Sunday, followed by L'Escalade the following weekend.  Lots to do, and lots of Christmas shopping to be done.  Crossing my fingers that I fit it all in!

Someone Listened!

Remember my blog post a while back where I compared the TTC with the TPG? Well I'm assuming someone in Toronto read it and passed it along to the TTC because viola!  Toronto plans on updating the streetcars!  Check out the article on BlogTo.

And on a side note, thank you Linda for the card!  It came in the mail today and put a smile on my face!

What I Miss About Canada

It's wild to think that in less than two months I will be back on Canadian soil.  What's even wilder is that when I start to think about it, I begin to miss Switzerland.  Something must be wrong with me, right?

Well, despite my Swiss addiction, there are many aspects of my Canadian life that I miss here.  I've made do without them, but I do wish they were here.

1.  24 hour supermarkets: In Geneva, businesses don't believe in being open past 7pm and it's a sacrilege to work on a Sunday.  I really do miss the capitalist mindset of Canadians when my friends and I wake up on a Sunday to realize there is nothing to eat for breakfast.  Now there's always gas stations and tabacs, but the prices are inflated (even more than normal) and there's rarely a good selection.  So let's be honest.  What I really miss is:

2.  Shopper's Drug Mart: For all my Canadian readers, you understand my love for all things Shopper's.

3.  The Canadian Dollar: I do like Swiss Francs.  They're even more colourful than Canadian dollars, and even better, they're worth more.  So why do I miss the Canadian currency?  Canadian prices.  For example, I was reading this article on BlogTo.com about street meat prices.  Vendors in Toronto are taking advantage of the "gourmet" market and there is now a deluxe hot dog being sold in the club district for $9.  Before you start shouting, "Switzerland has affected your brain!  That's too expensive for a hot dog!", let me put this in context.  Normally, in Toronto, street meat would cost you between $2-3, plus another dollar for a drink.  In Swiss Francs, that would be roughly 1,80-2,60chf.  The gourmet version would run you roughly 8chf.  Now for those who know the city, where in Geneva could you find a place that's open in the middle of the night with prices like that?  McDo's couldn't even compete.

4.  Yoga Pants: Everyone here wears suits.  If it's not a suit, it's some other incredibly stylish, makes you look like a model, pulled off a manikin, expensive outfit.  Now I know that yoga pants are the easiest way out of choosing what to wear, but now I wouldn't be caught dead leaving the house in them.  Plus they instantly get covered in dog hair the second I finish washing them.  Not a good look.

5.  Shopping Trips into the States: Now I know I have my own "US" in France, and I do take advantage of it, but as all my Torontonians and fellow Southern Ontarians know, there's nothing like Buffalo, NY.

6.  Tim Hortons: I know you're surprised this wasn't my first item on the list.  Starbucks just isn't cutting it.  The cheapest option will run you about 8chf.  I could get a gourmet hot dog for that!  Plus like every other self-respecting Canadian, I use Tim's as a place to meet my friends and catch up over a coffee while nibbling on some Timbits.

7.  Winner's, Marshall's, etc: Or quite simply: cheap, fairly good quality clothing.  What's with the Swiss and charging 50chf for a simple cotton shirt that will either tear, shrink, or loose it's shape?

Now there were some things I thought I would be missing terribly while abroad, but I've surprised myself.  Here are some of those not so necessary necessities:

1. My Car: sometimes I wish I had an automatic car, like when I'm in stop-and-go traffic on a hill, but to be honest, the transit system here is great, and manual is not so bad.  I've been spoiled this week with an automatic car.  I made myself laugh when I went to depress the clutch to start the car.  Duh!  But other than driving E around or to get groceries, it's too much of a hassle to drive.  Good luck finding parking for a van that isn't parallel and is inexpensive.  I'll stick to the tram, thank you very much!

2.  English:  I was under the assumption that the second I got off the plane I was bidding adieu to my native language.  How wrong I was!  English might as well be one of the official languages.  Everywhere I go I hear conversations in English.  I'm attributing this to the fact that Geneva is a very multicultural city, and English is, safe to say, the universal language.  But E made a great point the other day: English is too prominent in French culture.  In particular, in advertising.  I still giggle every time I hear "La radio Plus! Hit music station", with a thick French accent and everything.  Why does that need to be in English in a French speaking country? E absolutely despises it and comments on it every time.  I couldn't agree with him more.

And now as I try to continue this list, I actually can't think of another thing I thought that I'd miss.  I know I had a list a mile long before I left, but that's all gone now.  Amazing how fast that happens, eh?

Now I did not include all the people in Canada that I miss.  I figure it's fairly obvious that I miss them terribly.  After a few days of no internet, I realized how much I rely on Skype, Blogger, and Facebook to keep in touch with everyone.  I couldn't imagine being here without it.  Thanks to everyone who sends me messages to check in, or Skype every once in a while.  I appreciate it, I miss you, and can't wait to see you all at Christmas!