Rachel

Less than 2 weeks....

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:10:03 GMT

Ok so a lot has happened since the last post.

Cristina and I went to Nice, France. While we were there, we met a girl named Megan from Idaho who happens to be studying in Italy. I helped her buy her ticket to Monaco and then we just ended up spending the day together. The next day the three of us went to Cannes together. We had a fantastic weekend, and Megan is supposed to be coming to visit us this weekend in Geneva.

Three weekends ago was BIRTHDAY WEEKEND! Three of my good friends here had birthdays. Thursday=private party at a bar for Fatima's birthday, Friday=party at our apartment, Saturday=BBQ at Alvaro's and VIP at a club, Sunday=sleeping in and dinner for Eric's birthday. I had a lot of sleep to catch up on after that weekend.

Two weekends ago we all went to Italy: me, Cristina, Eric, Carrie, and Ryan. It was the BEST TRIP EVER! We went to Rome and Pompeii, then a quick trip through Florence for a few hours, and then a night and day in Venice. We had the best weather, and I had the best company.

This past weekend Cristina and I decided to make one last chill trip. We went to Lourdes, France to see where St. Bernadette had her visions of the Virgin Mary. We wanted to go to Spain, but it would have been too much traveling. The worker at the ticket counter in Geneva said he could get us as far as Lourdes, so we just decided to stay there since Cristina wanted to see it anyway. We found a really nice and cheap hotel and spent the entire weekend relaxing outdoors. It was the perfect last trip.

This weekend my friend Megan, who I mentioned I met in Nice, is supposed to be coming to visit. I can't wait! Cristina and I have the whole weekend planned out. It's my last weekend :(

Next week is finals and then I fly home on that Friday.....

It's been a minute...or a month

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:22:27 GMT

I've been lazy, or maybe I've just been busy with other things. Either way, here's a quick update.

My family came to visit over spring break. We hung around Geneva for a few days before heading off to Interlaken. It was an easy and quick train ride, and getting ourselves situated in town was a breeze. Interlaken was so cute. It had just enough to keep us entertained for a few days. We took a train to Jungraujoch, the highest point in Europe. We walked through a glacier and almost got blown off the side of the mountain! It was fun. Here is a picture of my brother John and I hanging on for dear life.

After bumming around Interlaken for a few days, we made our way back to Geneva via Montreux. We went to see the Chateau du Chillon, and being the Luecking/Davis family we are, we were thoroughly entertained by latrines. I expected no less from us.

It was nice to get back to Geneva, but that also meant I had to say goodbye to my family. I didn't even have time to chill after they left because our apartment soon became swamped with visitors. Thursday night Cristina's mom and two of my friends who are traveling through Europe stayed with us. Friday night Cristina's mom and boyfriend were here, and from Saturday to Wednesday Cristina's boyfriend and cousin were with us. Not that they weren't pleasant people, but I was relieved to see them go and to get my apartment back.

I spent most of Easter weekend at Alvaro's house. His family was out of town and his mom left enough food to feed Alvaro, me, and Eric since she knew we would be there the whole time. We didn't do ANYTHING, but sometimes that's nice.

This past weekend I spent the day in Lausanne and Montreux with Eric. Most of our friends went to Zurich, but Eric and I decided to save our money for other trips. We hung around the lake, walked up and down the hilly streets, and went to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. After that, we went to Montreux where we saw the statue of Freddy Mercury of Queen. It was funny to see how much the town still loved him. There were flowers and people all around the statue. I could care less about Freddy Mercury.

This weekend I will be going to Nice, France with Cristina. From there we will probably go to Monaco and see the world famous aquarium (Cristina wants to be a marine biologist, so it only makes sense). I've been to Nice and Monaco but only briefly, and I'm glad I get to go back and actually spend some real time there.

I got together with some friends last night and we planned out our Italian trip. We're going in a few weeks and spending some time in Rome with a day trip to Pompeii. We'll also be traveling to Florence and Venice. It should be a lot of fun.

I leave here in 5 weeks and 3 days.....That's too soon! There's still so much I need to see and do!!!

Another end of the week post

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:24:41 GMT

5 days until I get to see my parents!!!!!!!!!

and my brothers, sister-in-law, and aunt and uncle too.

woo pictures!

on the train home after a night out a few weeks ago

Cristina and me!!!

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:23:53 GMT

I had a completely full weekend. After Thursday night's incident, Cristina and I went into town on Friday afternoon to file a police report. We were at the station for 45 minutes before they told us we had to go somewhere else. It took a while to find our way there, but we finally figured out the weird map the officer had drawn for us. We went in and I asked the receptionist if she spoke English. She didn't, but she spoke some Spanish, so we were pretty much able to communicate what had happened. They gave Cristina a form to fill out and told her to mail it in. That's all she has to do. I can't believe they couldn't just give us the form at the first place!!

We went straight from the second police station to Alvaro's house to eat some pizza, and then we headed home to get ready for a night out. The school sponsored an event called CARNAVAL! There was a DJ, then a samba band, and lots of Brazilian style food and drinks. It was a lot of fun. I stayed up all night with a few people and took the bus home at 8:30am. I slept for about 3 hours before getting up and going to get some food with some friends. That night a bunch of us made our way to May Lu's house for a party. May Lu's dad is some big executive for the Trolli Candy company, so her basement was FULL of deliciousness. It was crazy! Oh, we also found some old clothes and dressed up.

And a picture from Friday night's Carnaval party

Ricardo, Kael, Diego, me (w/ straight hair thanks to Sidrah!), Alvaro, and Luiza

That's about it....I'm going to be super busy this week working on a term paper and studying for finals. gross.

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:55:27 GMT

The Amsterdam update I promised isn't going to happen. Something more urgent came up.

Tonight around 12:40am, as my roommate was walking home from the train station, she was mugged. Four men came up behind her, one of them put his hand over her mouth, and held a knife out. They took her purse and left. She ran the rest of the way home. They took everything but her cell phone, which she had in her pocket. She has no money, but she's ok and that's what matters.

We have both walked home from the train station alone at night before. I've done it more times than I can remember. Not once have I felt vulnerable. Versoix has always been safe to us. I wouldn't be as surprised if this had happened in Paquis, the somewhat sketch area downtown. But Versoix, really? Now we won't walk home by ourselves if it's late. I had to promise her mom that when I told her what had happened. (Cristina was too shaken up to speak on the phone at first.)

The situation is full of if only's. If only Cristina had left the bar we were at downtown with me and had taken the bus. If only I had stayed later and left with her. If only, if only. If I had left with her, maybe no one would have been mugged but then again maybe both of us would have been mugged. Four grown men against two 20-year-old girls is an unfair match. If only everybody respected everybody else...

I know this post will worry my mother. I know she will want to fly here the very minute she reads this and make sure everyone is ok. We are ok. Cristina will be fine. She's more than capable of taking care of herself. We'll take every step possible to make sure something like this never happens again. Tomorrow we're going to file the police report and talk to the school about anything else we may need to do.

If you believe in God or some other being, please thank him/her for protecting my roommate, my best friend here. I can't imagine what I would have done in that situation. I can't imagine what I would do if Cristina wasn't now safely in her bed.

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:20:52 GMT

Here's a really quick post to satisfy your needs before I get some work done.

I went to Amsterdam this past weekend. It was beautiful, exciting, crazy, freezing, fun, interesting, etc. I loved visiting it, but I'm glad I didn't decide to study at the Leiden campus.

Here is a picture (of me)!

Ok, that's enough for now. I'll add the details later.

Cactus Club

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:21:11 GMT

Here is a picture of some of the people I hang out with on a regular basis....

Ricardo, Kat, Roxanna, Suleman (the manager), Cristina, me, Alvaro, Yuri, and Eric
and the countries represented here...
Mexico, South Africa, Pakistan, USA, Peru, and Russia

Today I went trekking through the woods along the Rhone with Alvaro. He just landed a job as a dog walker for an incredibly hyper dog. I got a little muddy and wet (mostly due to the dog) but it was good fun. I'm sure he'll try to get me to come along with him every time. If that's the case, I should take a cut from his pay. ohh and I also got to eat an awesome lunch with the Chocano family (minus Alvaro's brother). His mom feels bad because I don't get homemade meals, so she told me to come over ANYTIME I want. She's so nice.

I'm off to The Netherlands on Thursday. I'll be there until Monday evening. Fun stuff.

Let's do this photo style!

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:14:48 GMT

Saturday night I took the train here (Nyon)

to go to his (Alex)

birthday party. I left 10 minutes after arriving because he (Alvaro)

started feeling sick. Cristina and I took him back home because we're nice like that. After making sure he would get home, Cristina and I bought a bunch of junk food and finished watching season 3 of this show.

We are ridiculously obsessed with it.
Sunday night I went here (the Living and Learning Center on Webster's campus)

to watch movies with these two guys (Alvaro & Eric).

I went to class on Monday morning and then hung around and did homework and such.
Tuesday I had French class and then went with these three (Alvaro, Cristina, and Eric)

to eat at one of our favorite places.

Eric left after dinner, so the three of us (me, Alvaro, and Cristina)

went to a lounge/bar type place to kill a few hours before going home. Cristina and I were the only two girls there. It was a little weird, but Alvaro probably looked really cool to all of the other guys, which is funny because he's not even 18 yet. Like he keeps reminding me, "You only have two more months to buy my birthday present!"

Yea that's about it. I hope everyone had a happy Super Tuesday and Mardi Gras!

TPG failed me!

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:48:12 GMT

It's Saturday?? Not having class on Friday and going out with everyone each Thursday night throws me off.

Cristina and I made cookies on Tuesday night and invited Alvaro, Eric, and Kat over. oh wait, I went shopping before that with Cristina and we each bought a top, sunglasses, and a necklace. THEN we had the guys over for cookies.

On Wednesday night we had Alvaro and Eric over for dinner. It was delicious. I hope they're not just friends with us because we cook for them.

Thursday was another French class. blah blah blah learned more new words blah blah blah. Around 8:00 we all headed downtown to meet up with the usual Thursday crowd at 7Arts. It was good fun. We caught the 12:03 train home like we always do.

Cristina and I both slept in on Friday and then met up with Eric at our favorite cheap restaurant downtown. We met up with Alvaro at the gare (train station) and went back to the dorms to hang for a few hours. Alvaro bitched out and went back home for dinner, and Eric came home with us. Cristina and I made some delicious vegetable/chicken/pasta thing. It was good, but we didn't have a lot of time to savor it because Alvaro called and invited us over to his house (big shock there!). We hurried to take the next train, and then began a night much like the many I've had at home.

So what should we do? Rent a movie? Go to a movie? We decided to rent one. We got to the video store and then changed our minds. We took a train downtown and got to the theater at 10:01. It had just closed. Seriously, how do they expect to make money when the latest movie they show on a Friday night is at 9:45? So we took a tram back to Alvaro's house. We hung out there, had hot chocolate, watched bad television, and then Cristina, Eric, and I left at 11:30. We got to the tram stop about a minute after the tram we needed had left. DAMN. The next tram wasn't for another 10 minutes. We needed to take the tram two stops and then walk to the train station. The last train was at 11:56. We caught the tram, ran, and made it just in time to see the train fading into the distance. DAMN. I called Alvaro to bitch a little about the lack of public transportation on nights and weekends and to yell at him for not just letting us stay the night. We waited around for another 20 minutes and caught the noctambus at 12:21. We made it to the gare and looked for a train that would take us home. The next train was at 1:18. It stopped in Versoix, but not at Genthod-Bellevue, which was where Eric needed to go. After realizing we didn't have a ridiculous amount of money to blow on a cab, we decided to take the 1:18 and just let Eric crash on our couch. That was the first time I had been in the gare after 12:03am. Weird people come out at night.....weird people. It was a ridiculous night that could have been prevented if we knew how to make plans and stick to them. I spent half the night on buses, trams, and trains. Stupid.

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:17:02 GMT

We did the usual Cactus run on Sunday, but Cristina and I left early because she was tired and I had class the next morning.

I went to Old Town with Alvaro and Eric on Monday for dinner. We went to the same place that Alvaro and I had gone the week before, Chez Ma Cousine. Good food and good company.

I had French class on Tuesday. I know how to order food at restaurants now. You know, not like I've been doing that for the past 3 weeks. At least I can do so formally now instead of asking for something in my horrible French or making Alvaro order it for me. One of these days, he's going to decide to be funny and order me the wrong thing.

Je voudrais le poulet avec les pommes frites et une salade s'il vous plait. (I would like the chicken with fries and a salad.)
Combien ca coute? (How much does it cost?)

That makes me fluent, right?

Cristina and I stopped by Kerry's office after class on Tuesday to talk about reserving a plane ticket to The Netherlands. It was a mess because he had already ordered hers, not realizing that she wasn't going with the rest of the soccer team on Saturday or staying in a hotel with them. We're going to stay for free for a few nights with my friend Spencer who's studying at the Leiden campus. We leave on February 14. That reminds me, I need to buy my ticket!

I think I'm going here on Friday.

It's not something I would normally attend, but Luiza wants Cristina and me to go. She's not going to be living in Geneva for much longer because she transfered to some fancy French school in Fribourg. If I typed emoticons, you bet there would be a sad face inserted right here.

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:37:40 GMT

I went to France on Wednesday. It was nothing spectacular. Eric, Alvaro, Ricardo, and I had decided to take a bus there for the afternoon because we really had nothing better to do. While we were hanging around the gare waiting for Alvaro's tram, we saw these crazy soccer hooligans surrounding by police. I don't really understand French, but I understand crazy soccer fans and rude gestures enough to know that the two opposing teams' fans were shouting really horrible things at each other. It was on the front page of the paper the next day. Good stuff. That night we went out with some other friends to Little India for some food. I ordered the Chicken Madras, and the waiter made me a little nervous with his expression. I thought that meant it would be too intense for me, but it wasn't at all. After dinner he asked if I thought it was spicy. I said it was GOOD!

Cristina and I made dinner for Alvaro and Eric on Thursday and then the four of us went to meet up with everyone and their mothers at Pickwick's. It was a very enjoyable night.

I went with Cristina to her soccer practice on Friday. All the guys on the team have ridiculous egos, and it was obvious they didn't think much of a girl playing with them. She's just going to have to prove them wrong. Friday night we hung out at the dorms in Eric and Ricardo's room. Ate pizza, listened to music, made stupid jokes, the usual.

On Saturday, Cristina and I met up downtown with Eric, Kat, Roxanna, and Alvaro. We just spent the afternoon walking around and making more stupid jokes. We came home around 4:00, and got ready to go out again. Cristina went to church, and I went to campus. I met up with Roxanna, Alvaro, Luiza, and Kael, and we all made our way to L'Ethno to meet some people from school. L'Ethno is a complete hipster bar. It wasn't bad, but it was way too crowded. I caught the last train with Luiza, and we met up with Eric after his HOT DATE!!! (Go Eric) On the train home, an announcement came over the intercom that said there would be about a 5 minute delay due to an accident on the tracks. Well....the train went sloooowwwlllyy by the accident, and I had myself a nice view of what was once a human being now split into two because he/she had decided to put an end to his/her life. Not the best way to end the night.

Happy Birthday to my Grandma Rita!!!

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:11:48 GMT

A pretty lazy weekend if I do say so myself. Cristina left for Lyon on Saturday morning. I stayed in, did laundry, cleaned, and did homework. I went out Sunday evening to keep Emma company at Cactus for an hour. Alvaro came to pick me up for dinner. We went to Old Town and ate at this fantastic little family place called Chez Ma Cousine (or something like that). It was delicious and not too pricey. Afterwards, we went back to Cactus, where we met an American woman named Stephanie who works for the World Health Organization. She was so much fun and kept trying to buy everyone drinks. I left before her bar tab came, but I'm pretty sure it was well over 100 CHF. Cristina was back at the apartment by the time I went home at 10:30.

I had class this morning. It was boring as usual. The teacher is pushing 80, and it takes him two hours to lecture on an hour's worth of material. I can't hate him because he's old...and really nice. After class, Cristina and I went to the American Market. We really just wanted to see what foods they carried. I thought it would be a large store, but it was a tiny hole in the wall place with ridiculous prices. They were charging 9 CHF for a small box of Cheerios. WTF? Then we met up with Alvaro and Eric and went to Pickwick's for lunch. Pickwick's is a nice English pub with great food. Cristina had to leave to go to class, but the rest of us went down by the United Nations to go to a duty and tax free store for diplomats. We have an in with Alvaro because his dad is a diplomat. The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon wandering into various stores and having a good time.

Now I'm just waiting for Cristina to get back from class, so we can figure out what to make for dinner.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!!!!

WEON!

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:26:32 GMT

ok ok ok. My friend Alvaro says ok three times at the end of every phone call we have....

Thursday night was quite the party. I went out with a few people to visit Emma at Cactus before heading over to Britannia Pub. We showed up about two hours into Thirsty Thursday, and it was CRAZY when we arrived! Webster students had taken over half of the pub. There had to at least be 40 of us there. Mind you, Webster Geneva only has around 400-450 students, so a 10% representation isn't too bad. I'm sure Britannia made a ridiculous amount of money.

Today felt like Saturday because of last night's festivities. Cristina and I woke up late and then ate lunch at a cafe in Versoix. Some jackass at the table next to ours laughed at our limited French. Whatever, we were able to order our food. Later, Luiza took Cristina, Eric, Ricardo, and me to a popular shopping area for a few hours before going to Webster for a dinner hosted by student activities. The food was decent, but we were all very bored. The five of us came back to our apartment, and we made cookies and discussed the the World Cup that is going to be in Brazil in like 6 years. Luiza made us promise that we will all visit her in Rio and go to a game with her. I laughed because I don't know where I'll be a year and a half from now, much less 6 years. I promised anyway because it's nice to think that it could happen.

Representing Peru, USA, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey!!!!

Hurrying to catch the 12:03am train home.

ok ok ok

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:08:50 GMT

So I got into French class!!! I doubt I'll learn much in the next semester, but maybe I'll at least be able to read the signs posted around the train station. I love my French class. The people in it are so funny, and I know (well, hope) it's going to be very enjoyable. Everyone seems very nice except one girl who decided to sit next to me. I can't stand the condescending tone she takes with the professor. Clearly you don't know everything, including French or you wouldn't be taking it, so shut up or I will punch you in the face. That's what I want to say to her at least...

Last night was great. I went with Cristina downtown to meet up with Emma, Eric, and Alvaro at Cactus (of course!). We had very good conversations, and it seems like everyone is fitting in very well at Webster, which is great.

Today was fantastic except that I was completely zoned out in my class this morning. I took a lot of notes, but I really don't remember writing that much. While in my first class, I decided to drop my afternoon class because I found out that I was supposed to have taken like 2 or 3 other economics courses before this one. I haven't and somehow I'm still signed up for this course. I guess that explains why I was so lost on Monday. So instead of going to class, I went out with Emma and Alex to meet some people downtown. We grabbed lunch at a very good but expensive (EVERYTHING is expensive here!) Mexican restaurant, went to a shisha bar, and then to Le Scandale. I caught the 5:33 train home just before it left. Lucky me.

Tomorrow night is Thirsty Thirstday at Britannia Pub. Everyone here thinks that it's Webster Geneva specific. Cristina and I blew their minds when we said it's a big US thing that almost every college students has done. No worries mom and dad. I don't drink beer, so I'll just be saving my precious money and laughing at all the drunk people. Oh, and WU students have a deal with the owner where we can get pitchers for CHF 13.50 ($13). Yea, everyone thinks that's really cheap here. That's sad because it's true for Geneva. ridiculous.

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:11:40 GMT

Let's see....

On Saturday I went with about 20 other Webster students to La Givrine in the Jura moutains to drink hot chocolate and sled. The snow was almost up to me knees! It was so cold but so much fun. After we warmed up a little, we went to St. Cergue to have cheese fondue. It was delicious, and I was thoroughly entertained by my Croatian friend Marko's impersonations of Americans.

Saturday night we met up at what is probably to become a usual hang out, Cactus. My friend Emma bartends there and it's English speaking so all of us can order without messing up! Afterwards, Waffles drove a few of us over to Wall Street Cafe and then he was kind enough to drive us home, so we wouldn't have to catch the train.

Sunday I slept in and then went with Cristina and Luiza to an English pub called Mr. Pickwick's to meet some of her Brazilian friend and to watch the new Brazilian soccer prodigy, Pato, who plays for Milan. We only stayed for the first half, and he didn't score.

Monday was my first day of class!!! gross. I have class 9:50-11:50 and 12:15-2:15. The professors seem ok, but one scares me and makes me laugh at the same time. I have to write nice long term papers for both courses.

Today I have to meet with my adviser to try and add French to my schedule. Maybe I'll go out tonight. That's about it.

oh, pictures courtesy of my dad's flickr site can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/davisdan/sets/72157603688912896/

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:55:29 GMT

Thursday...yesterday....let's see. Thinking about it makes it seem so long.

It was the second day of orientation. I hung out with Kerry instead of going to some of the academic sessions since he says, "I'm a pro at this stuff." I found out I have to fill out endless paper work to obtain a residency permit. And I STILL don't have my visa yet. So far I like Geneva, but damn all the hoops Switzerland makes you jump through just to be a student here for one semester. Ridiculous.

My roommate Cristina finally arrived around 6:00. She's very nice. I was able to convince her to come out with us even though she was exhausted. We met up with about 20 or so students from Webster and went bowling at La Praille (their shopping mall type place). It was fun. I won! Afterwards, Cristina, Alvaro, and I managed to make our way to Cactus (a bar our friend Emma bartends at) even though Alvaro, who was supposed to lead us, was talking so much that he forgot to pay attention to the direction we were walking and almost got us lost. Those crazy Peruvians! We were lucky that Kerry drove by and offered us a ride. We hung out there with some other friends, while Alonso and Alvaro told me why they (Peruvians) hate Chileans. At the end of the night, Cristina and I managed to catch the last train home.

I don't know why I'm awake now. I woke up early and can't seem to fall back to sleep!!!

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:23:58 GMT

Let's see. After posting yesterday, I went and bought some groceries. I've been living on fruit, bread, and peanut butter. That covers 3 major food groups. I need to go again, but I'm waiting for my roommate to arrive tomorrow because I'm guessing I'll need to show her around. Lucky her!

Today was the first day or orientation. It was a very small group, nothing like the 600 students I'm used to working with at STL's orientation. I met some pretty cool people from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Peru, Russia, Norway, Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, UK, and I want to say that covers all the nationalities in our group but I'm not sure. Most of them are freshman or transfer students, which means they are completely new to the Webster system. Most of them have traveled extensively and have lived in many countries. It is likely that their parents are diplomats, but maybe they just liked to move their families every 2-3 years. I didn't ask.

Most of the orientation was what I expected it to be: campus tours (there are only 5 buildings), policies, group discussions, etc. After hearing what I do at the St. Louis campus, Kerry from student services, who considers me his mini me, asked what it would take to get me to stay the rest of the year because he wants me to be an orientation leader and RA in Geneva. I said about $10,000 and my mother's blessing. I don't think either of those would come easily. Plus, I have it too good in St. Louis.

I skipped out on the session about using Webster's email and online bulletin service (I learned this stuff 2 1/2 years ago!), and played foosball with Jon, Niraj, and Waffles (orientation leaders) and one of their friends. I discovered I suck at foosball. Oh, and yes, there is a student here that we call Waffles. I don't remember his real name because it probably doesn't exist.

After orientation, Jon took me and Eric (a STL student who just arrived this morning) downtown to get our monthly train/bus pass and a cell phone for me. We stopped by Jon's favorite department store where he bought us some delicious pastries. And now I'm at home, thinking about making the apartment more presentable for my roommate's arrival tomorrow.

I need to take French. It would help.

***Added Later

Fun Fact: In Switzerland it's illegal to make excessive noise after 10:00pm. This includes flushing the toilet. Well, tonight I broke the law. I took a shower and flushed the toilet after 10:00pm. Take that neighbors with the tiny dog that was barking this morning at 6am!!!!

I MADE IT!

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:58:53 GMT

Hello All,

I made it to Geneva safe and sound after almost 20 hours of traveling. Flight delays and 6 hour layovers are no fun.

Upon my arrival Caroline, a woman who works for study abroad, picked me up from the airport. We drove by the school, and she showed me her office and introduce me to some of her co-workers. I made plans with another student named Paulina to meet the next day. (I met Paulina last summer when she came to St. Louis to observe our Resident Assistant and Orientation Leader training.) Unfortunately, I didn't meet with her today because I slept in. I mean SLEPT IN! It was wonderful.

After getting a brief glance at the school, Caroline brought me to my apartment. The first thing I saw was a loose door leaning against the cabinets in the kitchen. It turns out someone had recently painted the apartment and had forgotten to hang the door back up when finished. So now there's a door in my kitchen. I hope it's fixed by the time my roommate arrives on Thursday. From what I understand, Cristina (my roommate from Oklahoma) and I are the only students in this apartment complex. The walls are fairly thin and I hear a lot of French.

Last night I planned on showering, unpacking, and going to bed. I showered, unpacked only the items I would need to shower, and began watching a movie on my computer. I was starting to fall asleep when my friend Jon called. (I met Jon last fall when he studied at the St. Louis campus for the semester.) He wanted me to go see a movie with him and a friend. I had no idea where the nearest train stop was or even how to use the train. (Caroline had previously pointed in the general direction of the train and said to look for signs.) Having about 20 minutes to change my clothes and look halfway decent and make it to the train station in time to purchase a ticket, I set off into the night. Versoix (the town I live in) seems safe, at least at 8:30pm. Who knows, maybe it gets sketchy later. I found the train stop (silent hooray), and began trying to figure out which ticket I needed. The machine I understood only took exact change. It required 3 francs. The smallest bill I had was 10 francs. There was a machine that accepted bills, but I didn't understand how to use it. I asked an older man next to me if he spoke English. He did and helped me purchase my ticket. We continued to talk while waiting for the train and while on the train. His name is Paul and he is from Denmark, but has lived in Switzerland for a while. We spoke of the upcoming US election. He knows so much about US politics that I felt bad knowing almost nothing about Denmark. I think I will have to educate myself in case I run into him again. He was exiting at the same stop (Cornavin, the main train station in Geneva). He waited until he found Jon before he left. I think he wanted to make sure I was safe since he knew it was my first night in Geneva. He actually asked Jon what we were doing tonight and if he knew where he was going. Jon assured him that I was ok because he has lived in Geneva for 17 years. I think Paul accepted this answer because he left us at this point. Jon and I waited for a few minutes until his friend Simon arrived. We walked around a bit, went to "The Island" (I don't remember the name, but it's where college kids go sometimes), and ended up being late for whatever movie we were going to see. Instead we went to Simon's apartment, ate some food, watched Monty Python, and played with his two ferocious kittens. Jon showed my back to my train station and left to go catch his bus. The train came at midnight and took at most 15 minutes to get to Versoix.

Here's where the night became interesting. I exited the train realizing I don't remember exactly where my apartment is. The shops along the way aren't lit up like they were when I left, so everything looks different to me. I began walking in the general direction of my apartment. The problem is, an unfamiliar man who exited the train at the same time is walking near me. I crossed the street just to be safe. After a few moments he followed. Now I start to get a little nervous. He caught up to me and began talking. I kept a safe distance and said that I do not speak French. He does not speak English, but said he is from Angola so he speaks Portuguese. Well, I know some Spanish so we're able to carried on a broken conversation. I don't remember his name, but he offers to walk me the rest of the way home. I pretended I had to go a different direction than the way he was going because I did't want this guy knowing where I live. He then asked for my phone number and I pretended I didn't understand him. He said something that I didn't understand, but I heard him say "bonita" (that means pretty to all who don't know). He asked for my phone number again, and I told him the truth, mostly. I said I'm fairly new to Geneva (I didn't tell him how new) and that I do not have one yet. (I actually have one, I just don't remember it by heart because I plan on getting a cell phone for local calls. He said he will give me his, but I didn't have a pen and neither does he. He then asked if I'm married. I laughed but lied and said I have a boyfriend in the US. He said something like "that's a shame" and that he hopes to meet again. I said goodbye and headed off in a different direction. That was a big mistake.

Because I ditched the guy and have set off in a different direction, I had no idea where I'm going. I just began walking, thinking I will find something that looks familiar soon. Ha, that was the wrong thinking. Keep in mind I'm incredibly tired at this point and have only seen the area surrounding my apartment once. After walking a while, I realized I'm not going towards my apartment. I decided not to turn around because I don't completely remember the way I came. I just decided to go towards what looks like a well lit intersection and wait for a cab. After a few minutes I spotted one. As soon as I got in, I told the friendly looking man in French that I do not speak French. He laughed and said what I thought was "that's ok." I told him my address, but I think my horrible French accent threw him off, or he just didn't recognize the place because it's not really a street. It's more like a parking lot for three apartment buildings. In order to make things easier, we began speaking in Spanish. So this is the second time in one night that Spanish has paid off. (Ha, I'm laughing at everyone that said I wouldn't 'be able to use my Spanish in Geneva!) I just told him to go to the school and that I know my way from there. From there we try to have a conversation with my horrible Spanish and what he claims is Spanish, but what sounds to me like Sprench or Franish (that's what I will call the Spanish/French mix). He basically asked why I'm here, how long I'll be going to school, if I had already started school, etc. On the way to school, I spotted my apartment (another silent hooray!). The cab cost 14.20 francs (that's about $14) I don't take cabs in the US, there's no need for me. My only other comparison is in Mexico (I don't remember what they cost) or in Mendoza. In Mendoza I was used to taking a cab for a slightly longer distance from downtown to my house. It would only cost about 6 pesos, which is about $3. No more cabs for me if I can help it! I don't think I'll get lost on my way home from the train again. I learned my lesson.

All is well, I need to venture out and go to the grocery store that I spotted across the street from the train station. The sun is going down, so I should probably do that soon! Time to put on some clothes and go.

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 04:25:31 GMT

My page says it has been 16 weeks since my last update, so I guess it's about time.

Starting this week I will have absolutely no life. My time will be split among school, work at the University Center, work at the Rep Theatre, internship at Habitat for Humanity, and volunteer work at the International Institute. I guess I'm trying to fit it all in before I study in Geneva next semester. I should probably be spending more time working and less time "giving", but I like my internship and my volunteer work. I am going to be flat broke when I come back to the states in May.

The exciting part about coming home in May is I'm moving into a house with Jen and Heather. The three of us always have a good time together, and I know our house is going to be so much fun. A few of the houses we've looked at have finished basements with wet bars. That is perhaps the best and worst idea ever.

This weekend I actually have off...

Maybe I'll try to keep this thing updated. maybe.

I feel like cleaning, and the kitchen needs it, so that's where I'm going next.

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:07:10 GMT

Ellen came back for a much too short visit. For the first time in two months I spent a wonderful day with my favorite friends. It was bittersweet, knowing that it will probably be the last time that evers happens...

Ellen, Naomi, and Rease....beautiful!

Erica, Ellen, me, and Jen on top

Erica, Ellen, and me

I LOVE THEM

The 2-0

Tue, 22 May 2007 05:54:38 GMT

Today is my birthday. I've been spending the first hour of it star gazing and listening to Patrick and Sheri discuss art over his endless collection of New Wave music. I've lived about 1/4 of my life expectancy as of today. Damn, I don't plan on being around and senile for that long. To quote The Who, "I hope I die before I get old."

My birthday party on Friday surpassed my expectations. My friends pretty much kick ass.

The cake after Jen tried to shove my face in it. Yep, that's attractive.
p.s. The cake said "Happy Birthday Rachel, You Dirty Whore"

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:40:19 GMT

I'm considering taking Japanese classes now. Tonight I went to my roommate Akiko's birthday party. The only other native english speaker was one of my other roommates, Laila. I was pretty much confused the whole night, but I got my friend Kensuke to teach me a few Japanese words so I could dazzle all the Japanese students with my knowledge of their language. It didn't work too well. They just thought I was funny. oh well. I don't like not being able to communicate well with others. That was my whole purpose in taking Spanish, even though I still have a lot of work to do in that area.

and you don't stop

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 05:17:47 GMT

To answer a previous comment, New Orleans was great. I made a bunch of new friends, caught up with an old friend who is currently living there, explored the French Quarters, and gutted houses. It was a great fall break. I only wish I had some place to go over winter break. Four weeks is a lot of time to have some fun, but I don't think that will be happening much. I think I will stay at school most of the time and work. During spring break I'm going up to Buffalo, NY with two friends of mine (one of them lives there). We plan on crossing into Canada and then exploring NYC for a few days. All of my relatives are giving me crap about going to a colder place for spring break, but I'm not one for drunken beach parties. Nothing good can come from drunk frat boys, skimpy bikinis, and sand. I'll pass. So it's Canada then, eh?

Welcome to week 6 of the 8 week term. It has gone by crazy fast. Now off to do my Christmas shopping...online of course since the lack of an automobile prevents the uncomfortable browsing through crowded stores.

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 21:05:13 GMT

New Orleans here I come!!!
In one week...

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:43:12 GMT

I bought a new fish today. Patrick named it Falcon Master Lord of Destruction, so that's what I will call it.