Halloween in Switzerland

I know it has been a long time since I have posted.

This is mostly due to the fact that life has become too busy for me to be going on many out of town adventures. However, a recent holiday not only afforded an adventure outside the town of Kandern, but it was followed by a day off from school. This “holiday” was Halloween. Yet, the real honored holiday was All Saints Day. This served as a nice day of rest after a late night celebration.

It has been BFA’s tradition for students and staff to pack into rented buses Halloween afternoon to head to Basel, Switzerland. Every year, on Halloween, Basel hosts a large festival known as Herbstmesse. This event reminded me of South Carolina’s state fair, yet it was completely different.

The fair is setup all over the large city of Basel. There are at least 5 major locations filled with monstrous rides and several food booths. Willing participants are thrown to and fro on these huge rides in between skyscrapers. The cost of such rides is not cheap, but it’s free to watch, which is entertaining enough.

I spent the night with new friends that I have grown quite fond of.  Each of us got ourselves something tasty to eat and enjoyed one another’s company while hiking through the city to watch students enjoy the thrills of the fair rides.

Early in the evening we realized we would need some help keeping up with students. So, we headed down to Starbucks. I kept my fingers crossed for a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but I settled for a Caramel Macchiato when they didn’t have it. It didn’t matter. It was a good chance to be with friends and to visit with other staff.

With coffee in hand, we marched across the large bridge that divides the city. The lights of the rides could be seen in the sky. Yet, above it all, the Ferris Wheel stood tall. The site was truly magical. The ferris wheel ride, itself, was no disappointment. Six of us piled into an enclosed cart and went on a relaxing ride that enabled us to see all of Basel. It was breathtaking.

In a near proximity to the ferris wheel was a beloved activity, the bumper cars! I have heard tail of how the BFA students usually took over this arena. This year was no different from the rest. Almost every car was taken by BFA staff and students, for hours.  We all enjoyed ourselves very much.  However, most of us woke up with substantial bruises on our knees the next day. It was worth it.

            For the group of friends that I was with, the evening ended with a good time of conversation by the Rhine.  What could be better?

Jesus Wept

“When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and He was deeply troubled…. Then Jesus wept” (John 11:33, 35).

Most people think that Jesus was weeping because he had sympathy for Mary and Martha. I, however, agree with the theologians who believe that there was a lot more to Jesus’ display of emotion. I believe Jesus was deeply upset by sin and death. Watching man go through the pain of death and loss because of sin must have troubled Him. It’s not that I believe Jesus was a man without emotion, but it doesn’t make sense for His feelings to have been that simple. He knew that He had the power to raise Lazarus. So, why would He have shown that emotion, at that time, if there wasn’t more to it? Jesus wasn’t just upset, He was angry.

I get that.

I felt that.

Yesterday I couldn’t get “Jesus wept” out of my mind when I walked through the ruins of the most abhorrent event of history. On the outside I was collected, but on the inside I was boiling with anger. Yet, I couldn’t fully absorb the stories that I was hearing, because I had the responsibility of guiding 16 teenagers. If I had fully processed what had gone on where I was standing, years prior, I would probably started tossing tables or fallen over with grief.

I was at a concentration camp on a mountainside in France.

The Nazi’s took one of the most beautiful places in the world and destroyed it! They corrupted that beautiful site with the history of the most evil display of hate ever known to man. I have no comprehension of what it must have been like to be tortured in such a beautiful place. What a contrast!

I have had this strange mix of emotions once before though… When I visited Dachau.

Dachau was the first concentration camp in Germany.

Again, Dachau was in a beautiful location and we had beautiful weather the day that we visited. It’s so unreal to think that something so horrific existed in these two beautiful places.

However, reality began to set in more quickly after seeing the gas chambers and ovens at Dachau and the experimentation ward at Struthof. These pieces and places were more frightful and eerie than any horror movie I have ever seen advertised. To think that anybody could be inhumane enough to torture other humans, and find pleasure in it, is beyond my comprehension.

I can’t even imagine doing those kind of brutal experiments on an animal.

Not even an animal that I hate!

Castle Camping

The best adventures include turmoil, challenge, and characters who overcome it. In this story the turmoil was in my stomach and the (obvious) challenge was the weather. Yet, like many stories, our adventure was great because of the characters who overcame these events.

Before setting off on our fantastic hiking adventure to the castle ruins of Sausenburg, I had the wonderful privilege of hosting a portion of a progressive dinner. The dinner was for the birthday of a friend. So, in celebration of such a special event, I broke out my new fondue set*. I figured that the fondue appetizer would be heavy enough to sustain me on the hike, but not has heavy as a meal. I failed to consider, however, the affect of hot cheese on my stomach.

We had not been on the hike 15 minutes when my stomach began to demand my attention. I felt sick and dizzy all at the same time. I couldn’t believe that we had not even topped our first hill before I needed the group to stop for me. Luckily my friend Kristi noticed my anguish and stopped with me for a while and allowed the rest of the group to move on. I couldn’t believe how bad I felt and that I had become the needy one in the group. I typically can’t stand when people are dramatic and feel the need to draw attention to themselves. Here I was, in need of help and complaining about my stomach. Thankfully Kristi was kind enough to share my load and patient enough to hike at a slower pace with me. Later Emily slowed her pace and joined me as my challenge became more about overcoming my being out of shape, rather than my illness. I thought my legs were going to give out on some of those steep hills! Yet, these friends were gracious enough to help me face these challenges. The sickness seemed to fade as I turned my attention toward the physical challenge of making it up the hills.

Less than 2 hours later, we reached the castle! Unfortunately, our light was fading and rain clouds covered the sky. Each of us scattered to different ends of the castle, exploring the ruins before it became too dark. Eventually most of us ended up on the top of the tower, where you could see as far as Switzerland in one direction and France in the other direction. Following Emily’s example, we took a seat on the railing and turned our attention toward Switzerland. The clouds were being lit with lightning above Switzerland, providing us with entertainment. I could have sat there for hours, absorbing the fantastic view, if it were not for the rain that finally caught up with us.

The six of us (Emily Kelly, Jill, Marit, Kristi, Emily Kremer, and I) grabbed all of our belongings and headed for shelter. We found a dry place to hang out in the corner of the main castle walls. It was a cave, so to speak. We piled our things in the corner, took a seat against the wall (forming a semi-circle), threw our food together in a community pile, and sat our head lamps on various stones in the wall (providing mood lighting). It was at that time that I shared my surprise with the group. I pulled my ipod and my portable speakers out of my bag. So, we told stories and laughed with one another for hours with the soundtrack of jazz, big band music, and Jack Johnson. I couldn’t have asked for a more chill atmosphere. There we were, snuggled up in a cave, with rain at our doorstep. It didn’t bother us a bit. We were content to relax and get to know one another better.

That night, our sleeping arrangements were interesting. Kremer and Marit took the two-man tent, Kristi and Kelly found a place in the castle tower, and Jill and I remained in the cave. I slept decently, but I was most disappointed that I was unable to use my ENO. I had set it up as soon as we reached the castle, but had taken it down because of how it blocked the entryway. When I returned to it in the rain, I found it resting in a puddle of mud. Otherwise, I would have slept in the rain.

The next morning we awoke fairly early, packed our things, and headed back to town. It was Sunday morning, so most of us needed enough time to shower and get ready for church. Yet, we had allowed enough time to enjoy breakfast with one another. So, we returned to Kristi and Emily Kremer’s apartment where Kristi prepared a wonderful meal of crêpes with various toppings, including: Nutella, jam, apple strudel, bananas, and syrup. Emily Kelly also contributed to the meal with her tasty coffee. Enjoying this delicious meal with one another was the best way to end our trip!           

Even with the challenge of my hard climb up to the castle and the rain that never let up, castle camping was one of the most memorable camping trips I’ve had thus far.

*A few weekends ago, a very kind family took me to a wonderful flea market in Lorrach. While I was there, I was able to pick up some essential and some not so essential items for my kitchen. My most prized find was a complete Fondue set. I have never seen anything like it. The set has sat in a place of honor in my kitchen for about 3 weeks now, untouched.  So it was with great pleasure that I took the opportunity to use and show off my grand fondue set.

I Can't Afford Leftovers!!

These past two weeks I have tried my hardest to fit into this German community. I've filled out paperwork, become insured, applied for my Visa, tried to use the German I have learned, and sorted all of my trash into recycling categories. There is still so much more to get used to. For instance, all of the shops in town are closed from 12:30pm till 2:30pm most days and closed after 12:30pm on Wednesdays. Water and electricity are very expensive. Every citizen must pay a television tax, monthly. Yet, the hardest difference of all is that throwing away trash is expensive!
I got a trash can when I registered in Kandern and committed to paying a set fee for 6 trash pickups in a year. Every other trash pickup costs me extra euro.
So, some BFA staff members are trying to keep their trash for two months. Did I mention that all of your trash has to fit in a trash can half of the size of an American trash can? Imagine what it would mean for your family to throw away trash every other week instead of once a week. Now consider taking out the trash every other month! So," what is the solution?" you may ask. Here it is...... Stop wasting.

Luckily many things can be recycled here that most Americans aren't used to. However, I have to think carefully every time I want to use a paper towel and prepare a meal. Whatever I don't eat may have to live in my kitchen for a month or so!

Just last night I remembered some veggies I had cooked in the microwave the night before. I left them because I was too full to eat them. I knew they would be soggy, but what could I do? I had to eat them! They tasted sour and I'm hoping that I do not become sick later. What else could do?
Leftovers are expensive!

Weekend Fun

I realize that this blog looks monstrous! So, I have divided it into sections.
Think of it as TWO blog entries.


IKEA Trip
I was determined not to sit at home alone this past weekend.
So, I did everything I could to make plans.
Luckily I found a group going to Ikea (pronounced ee-kay-a here).
I had been looking forward to the trip since I got here, because my family gave me gift cards for my birthday.
This, however, was also the cause of some anxiety for me.
I was assured by an Ikea representative, on the phone, that I could use my US giftcards internationally.
Yet, I did not quite believe her. No lie, I made the woman swear to me!
When we got to Ikea I checked with a customer service rep. I don't think he understood me, because he gave me my card balances, instead of letting me know if I could use them.
So, I sweat the whole trip through the store. It is hard enough to check out with a bunch of items when nobody is bagging your things, etc. It's even harder when you don't speak German. It's even MORE anxiety producing when you don't know if your form of payment will work.
It didn't help that the store was packed and that I felt claustrophobic in the small isle ways.
Finally, I reached the checkout (alone) with a full cart of goodies.
The checkouts were, of course, also packed.
So, I parked my cart and grabbed one of my items. I took the trash can to a self checkout and tried out my giftcard. SUCCESS! The card worked!! I was so excited, that I could have hugged the stranger standing behind me! I grabbed my cart and proceeded to run all of my items through.
Once again, I was filled with panic. I realized that I would have a balance to pay and could not use cash in that line. I thought to myself, "there is no way that I can undo this transaction. I will lose my giftcards for sure!" I decided that I would eat whatever international charge Wachovia would hit me with and went for the card reader with my Visa, only to be stopped by an attendant. If my heart wasn't racing before, it was racing now!! The attendant informed me that Visa was NOT acceptable. She asked if I had another card. I tried to remain calm when I replied, "no." She checked with her supervisor and said I could try the card. Even though the transaction took a matter of seconds, I felt as if time slowed down.
SUCCESS! Again, my card worked. I booked it out of there!
I didn't want any person or machine to change their mind about my transaction.
When I met our group outside, they were shocked that I was able to use my Visa.
Apparently, in my hurry, I missed the BIG signs with a red slash through a picture of a Visa card before the registers. These girls had also gone through a self checkout without the appropriate card. So, they had to have all of their items canceled and they had to go wait in another line.

This may seem like a long, dramatic, drawn out story. However, remember that my emotions are heightened right now as I go through all of my transition. Discomfort is also continuous, since I am not German and do not speak German.

Let's just say that I was praising God for his goodness to me and I still am!
It's obvious that He was looking out for me.
I continue to hear stories from others about not being able to used their Visa card.

Switzerland
In German class, last week, I learned that Swiss museums gave free admission to all of their museums on the first sunday of every month. So, that was this past sunday. It was kind of soon to be making plans to go to another country. However, I counted on the fact that somebody else would want to go. If I could just find a new friend to travel with me, I could overcome my fear of the bus system.
(No, the buses did not scare me themselves. I was just afraid of becoming that girl who got stuck in another country and had to call the school to have somebody pick them up)
It just so happened that the school counselor was entertaining a college student this past weekend and was happy to connect me with her, so that she would have fun plans and I would have somebody to travel with. I bet she expected somebody who knew what they were doing. BIG SURPRISE FOR HER! haha. With our minimal German, we were able to get our bus tickets and get off at the right stop.
Thanks to google maps on my Ipod, we were able to find the main museum easily.
What a great place! I was overwhelmed by how many well known artists were represented in the museum. To name a few, I saw works by: Rodin, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Paul Cezzane, Pissarro, Auguste Renoir, Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, Robert Zund, Albrecht Durer, Andy Warhol (I know, random!), Matisse, Picasso, Kandenski, and Salvador Dali.
I know that's more than a few, but there really were many more. Those are just the artists who interested me the most.

The two of us promptly left the museum before closing, so that we could make the 5:15pm bus.
As we approached the bus stop, I noticed several stores down the road. My need for a cell phone (a handy, as it's called here) suddenly struck me. I knew that another bus was coming at 7:15pm. Brittany said she was ok with staying longer. So, we headed down the street to see if I could obtain a cheap phone. I had looked in all of the stores in Kandern and was not able to find a phone. So, I felt the need to take the opportunity when it presented itself. We headed down the street only to find that EVERY store was closed. I felt like slapping myself in that moment. It was 5pm on Sunday. Of course everything was closed! In Germany, stores close from 12:30 till 2:30pm every afternoon. On Wednesdays they don't open after 12:30. They most certainly are NOT open on Sunday, unless it's a grocery store.
So, we walked down to the Rhine and people watched for a little while.
Luckily Starbucks is near the bus stop. I purchased the most expensive cup of cappuccino I have ever paid for in my life there! (6 CHF, which equals 8.40 USD). It was worth it for the comfort of being in a familiar place for an hour while we waited.
I've learned my lesson. That's for sure!

All and all, it was a great adventure.

German Pickers

Yesterday was a very special day in Kandern, Germany! They call it Sperrmüll! I would like to officially offer my definition of this holiday. I would like to refer to this holiday has Christmas for poor people. On Sperrmüll people all over the town put out belongings that they no longer wish to keep, or to use. This could be furniture, clothes, or even electronics. I could be anything! They put it by the roadside and everybody is free to pick up and keep what they want. Today was the official pick up day. Anything remaining by the road would be collected for recycling and the dump. Why do we not do this in the US?! Of course we have garage sales and people generally put things they don't want by the road for trash day, but this is totally different. It's like everybody has the chance to go shopping outside! Trust me.... I am not too proud to pick! (feel free to market t-shirts and bumper stickers with this awesome phrase).
So, after a few hikes all over the place last night, I obtained: two rugs, a hair dryer, a board game, 2 German books, some measuring cups, 2 buckets (for cleaning), 2 brooms, 2 scrub brushes, a leather satchel, and a pair of Head (brand name) skis!
I'm thinking the History channel needs to tap into some of this German picking action.
As you can imagine, there are people who jump from town to town when Sperrmüll comes, collecting what they can for second hand shops, etc.
I happened to have a confrontation with some of these collectors.
While I had my hands full with a rug and a bag of other collected items, a truck with two men pulled up and tried to ask me in German where I got my stuff. I told them I only spoke English and after trying again to get info from me, they left me alone.
Later last night I was in a different neighborhood looking through the piles when I noticed the same truck approaching. I just happened to have another nice rug in my arms and I didn't want to deal with the confrontation. However, I was not on a street that connected with any other part of the neighborhood. The other end of the street dead ended into the woods. In an attempt to avoid these men, I headed into the woods and ended up finding a trail I had just been shown that day. I'm so glad everything happened that way, because that led me to the neighborhood where I found my skis!

First Week Funnies

I purchased a used tv from some local missionaries my first night here.

I double-checked everything with them about how to safely hook up my Wii.

I went home and plugged my Wii in (properly) and knocked out my power, twice! Remember that this was my first night. I had fun finding the fuse box.

Did I mention that I live in an old building?

The second or third day I was here I decided to walk to the school. I could see it from one of my windows, so I figured it was time to make the journey.

I turned on the wrong street and ended up far away from the school.

I found somebody who could speak some English. She didn’t know how to tell me how to get to BFA, so she asked if she could take me there. So, I totally got in a strangers car, haha. I probably wouldn’t have ever done that in the states.

Her name was Iris.

Yesterday I was determined to find a place to hang my ENO hammock. I hiked all over the place and never found 2 good trees to do the job.

I came back to my apartment and hung it between two posts in the front yard. It turns out that my landlord was downstairs reading the paper and seemed worried as he watched me climb into the hammock. His expression didn’t change much as the wood began to creek. It was awkward.

Today I ran down stairs to get something. When I came back upstairs, to my apartment, my key wouldn’t turn in the lock. No matter what I did, the key wouldn’t budge. There I was, in my socks, standing outside my locked door.

It was about 9pm. My landlord does not speak very much English and I didn’t even know if he was home. I was trying to decide if it would be totally weird to walk to the school barefoot. It’s at least half a mile. Even if I were to get there barefooted without any problems, I had no guarantee that there would be somebody there to help me. So, I thought about going to a nearby missionary’s house. Once again, she was at least half a mile away.

Luckily my landlord was home. Unluckily, his key didn’t work either. He laughed and tried to tell me in the little bit of English he spoke that he would get Mr. Schmidt from downstairs. Mr. Schmidt came up and HE couldn’t get the key to work. The landlord nervously laughed some more. Eventually they had to take the door knob off. Once they manually opened the door, the key worked fine. Nobody seemed to know why it happened. I guess it was just the chance to have another funny story.  The funny part to me is that the locked door was not the annoyance. It was the two German men standing in my doorway talking about possible causes, in German, for 20 minutes. I just stood there.

Once again, it was awkward.