A Self Guided Walking Tour of Geneva...on a Sunday

I stress that my walking adventure was on a Sunday...therefore everything was closed.  Other than a few cafes, there were no stores open, so I just window shopped (not that my shopping habits would change much once they allow me in the store...it's expensive!).  And to all those wondering if Rolex is any cheaper here, the answer is no.  It is not cheap.  It is ridiculously expensive!

Anyway, back to my story.  So this afternoon, I hopped on the bus and just decided to let my instincts decide where I would go.  The transit system (TPG) here is great.  There's no metro, but the buses and street cars get you everywhere you need to go.  And the best thing: it's very easy to figure out!  I had no trouble transferring from bus to street car to get down to the lake.  And what a lake!  The weather here continues to be scorching, with clear skies and a slight breeze.  Not necessarily the best weather for wandering around the city, but thanks to the many parks, I was able to take breaks to cool down in the shade.

I started at the jet d'eau, then headed over to the jardin anglais to see the Flower Clock.  The pier was full of tourists, so I didn't look too out of place.  I checked out some tourist shops, and had my jaw drop to the floor when I saw the prices.  Hopefully I can find a cheaper option a bit further away from the main tourist traps.  Anyone know anywhere?

From the gardens, I went into the old town and onto the campus of the University of Geneva.  I found a spot in the gardens overlooking the reformation wall and read my book for a while.  It was a very pleasant afternoon, despite the constant pestering from gypsies for money and food.

I look forward to continuing to explore Geneva this week, especially once the stores open again.  I also can't wait to check out the museums, which are free!

Here are some of the pictures I snapped while out on my walk.  I really need to start bringing my "good" camera, so sorry with the poor quality.

Checking In...

I just have to say, I love my job!

I know I've only technically been on the job for 3 days, but they've been great days.  The boy I'm watching, E, is the most mature, intelligent, and friendly 9 year old boy I have ever met.  He's very inquisitive; always ready with a question or observation.   He's become very interested in microchips at the moment, so we've been scouring the house for old electronic games (like ones that come in Happy Meals) for him to open up and remove the chip.  He hasn't yet decided what he'll do with the pile of microchips that has accumulated, but I'm sure he'll have a solution tomorrow.

I honestly need to start carrying my camera everywhere I go.  E and I went on a bike ride today to the soccer field he used to play at (he's made the top team, so he now plays at a different field, much farther away), and just simply gawked the entire bike ride.  I don't think I've ever been to a more picturesque place in my life.  Next week, E is in a camp all week, so I'll take out my good camera and get some shots to try to capture the gawk-worthy scenery.

As part of my job, I have to make lunch for (almost) the entire family, depending on who is home each day.  For those in Switzerland, and most other parts of Europe, you already know that lunch is the biggest meal of the day.  Breakfast is still the most important, but lunch definitely takes the cake for size. This means this poor family has left their life (yes, life) in my hands.  Luckily, I've been practicing (see here, here, here, and here) and I don't think the food's been too bad.  So far, I've made a Mango Chicken (borrowed from a friend, KN - THANKS!) and a vegetable spaghetti.  Tomorrow, along with lunch, I'll be making a Jello dessert for the family.  For those that don't know me, and my family, well, you probably might not be familiar with this REALLY HARD recipe to make.  It has a total of...are you ready for it?...three ingredients (four if you count water), and takes forever to make (less than an hour).  Wanna try it?  Check back tomorrow after I've made it, and if you've been really good, I'll post the recipe (although I might get scolded by my mother for that).

And surprisingly, I still haven't felt homesick.  Yes, I miss everyone, too much to even say, but I don't have any interest in getting a plane and heading home.  It just makes me want to get on a plane and go see more of Europe.  Speaking of which, I have made some travel plans with my friend KW who is studying in Berlin.  In two weeks she'll be in Geneva, so we get to hang out.  Then we plan on going to Interlaken for the weekend (aka the most beautiful place on Earth - I promise to take too many pictures).  Then at the end of September, we plan on meeting in Munich for Oktoberfest.  If you've happened to check out my bucket list, you'll know this is something I really want to do.  Thankfully, so did KW, so I won't have to go solo.

I can't believe my first week is already half over.  Time is just flying by!  Excited to Skype with some of my friends back home and my parents on the weekend.  Miss you all, and chat with you soon!

Until tomorrow, thanks for checking in and have a great day/night!

PS: In amazing news, learned that there's a Bibliobus (Library on wheels) that drives right through the village.  I am obviously more than excited.

A Little Borrowed Reading...

While browsing some blogs, I came upon this prose.  Absolutely loved it, and if you're a reader, you should too.  Enjoy.  And thanks to Meg at The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell.

Date a Girl Who Reads by Rosemarie Urquico 

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas, and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by God, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.