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Health & Fitness

10 August 2013 Zurich

"You don't have to tell me twice!" is how Hannah responded to Melanie when Melanie said the weather was hot.  Melanie looked so surprised and asked Hannah if she had already said that before.  I had to explain through my fit of laughter what that expression means.  I'm having great fun teaching them Americanisms like, "Dead serious!" and "What the heck?" They're teaching me expression and sayings too which is especially hilarious because I can't even remember sayings in my own language.  Roschti est ta groschti = potatoes are the best.  That's the only one I can remember, and that's because it rhymes.  That's not how it's spelled by the way, but I wanted all of you to be able to say it, so you can enjoy it as much as me!

The bed and breakfast we're staying at is really nice.  Like typical Swiss  we don't see the owners often.  The Swiss are much more private than any American I've ever met.  If you smile at someone on the train or bus they will smile back, but only after a second or two, as if they just remembered that's what you're supposed to do when someone smiles at you.  

Everyone seems to know I speak English.  When I go somewhere I try my hardest to speak in Swiss German, but everyone responds in English to me. I ask Simone, or someone in her family, how to say something.  Sometimes I say hello (Grottsi) instead of thank you (Danke) accidentally.  I'm sure I will not leave Switzerland in the state I found it in.

We went to a farm just a mile or two up the hill.  A dear friend of Simone's, Claudia, has a farm and a calf had been born just hours earlier.  We learned that they name the baby a name that starts with the first letter as the mother's name.  The mother's name is Arizona.  I cannot tell you how hard I laughed when they told me that.  First I suggested Arkansas, then Alabama, then aardvark. They really really didn't like aardvark, which I think sounds really German (say it aloud.  Now say it again, but this time as if you are angry... see, doesn't it sound German?)  Then I suggested Ariel (which is my daughter's name), and Claudia said, "Oooh".  (Ariel, don't be offended that there is a cow in Switzerland named after you.  I'm sure somewhere in the world that is a great honor.)  "Steak" is a universal term, by the way.

Yesterday I went into Zurich alone.  I felt like a little kid, whose parents finally trust them to venture into the wide world.  Simone wrote for me, what to say to the bus driver and I was on my way.  I walked around a little bit, bought some postcards, then made it to the central train station for the 1:00 walking tour of the Old City.  Hannah and the girls met me there, and Hannah and I took the tour.

Zurich has something I think is fabulous: fountains.  They have over 1200 fountains around the city, and they are safe for drinking, all of them.  The children play in the fountain itself, adults use the cold water to refresh themselves on hot days, and the water that flows freely from the tap is super clean and safe for drinking.   Each one looks different.

Last night we went to Rapperswil, which is the southern point of Lake Zurich.  They had a huge festival, or night party, that promised Groschti lasershow en Schwiez,  the greatest laser show in Switzerland.  They also had a fireworks show at the same time.  Now I have to tell you, I was a bit prejudiced going in, because I thought, how can anyone do fireworks better than Americans?  After all we get to practice it every single year.  But I realized that since the Swiss don't spend so much money and effort on defense, they get to spend it on firework displays.  This was  die groschti fireworks I've ever seen.  It was at least a half hour long, and was choreographed to music.  At the very same time was a laser show across the lake.  They had pumped fog across the lake so it could be seen really well, and was wonderful.

While watching the show, Hannah accidentally sat in a puddle, so we needed to get something for her to change in to.  There were no stores open, but there were vendors up and down the lake side, and one was selling women's shirts.  I got one for Hannah, and she wore it like a dress. It was cold enough for us to wear leggings last night, so she just slipped her skirt off, and the woman's shirt on over her shirt, and voila! she was dressed in dry clothes again. 

Then we went into a bakery and got something warm to drink.  After sitting there for a little while the place filled with firemen.  There must have been about twenty, and Hannah fell asleep.  I suggested to Simone that we tell the firemen we need someone strong to carry Hannah to the train station, but she wouldn't translate that for me.  We didn't get home until almost 1:00 this morning.  We fell into bed and slept late. 

Today there is a huge parade in Zurich, but neither Hannah nor Simone want to go.  I couldn't care either way, but I promised to take Hannah to a playground around the corner.

Yesterday I downloaded an app onto my phone that would translate English and Swiss German.  It is worthless.  It does not have "help", but it has "Santa Clause's helper" "Schmutzli" and "to slap somebody in the face" "ohrfiege e Flattere ga"  I'm sure I'll have lots and lots of opportunities to say those while I'm here.

Oh my gosh, I almost forgot.  I told you we're staying at a bed and breakfast.  Our hosts are Maja (Maya) and Stephan.  When we first got here they showed me around, and they have a Nespresso machine.  It has little pods of coffee that look ALOT like something I've had sitting in my bathroom for nearly a year because I think it is so funny.  I started to laugh when I saw the coffee pods and realized they were coffee, and not what I shockingly thought they were initially.  I explained through my laughter what I thought they were, but they didn't understand the word.  Andi translated for me, and then we all laughed while Stephan explained that they don't rent by the hour.  You decide, look at the pictures and decide which is coffee, which is a condom?

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