Compliment of the day

M: So did you two spend a nice day out in the sunshine since I saw you this morning? (Cue friendly smile.)

Crazy English lady: Oh, yes dear. We took the boat to Vevey and walking along the water. And oh, it was just so lovely.

M: Mmm, that sounds just wonderful. (Smile again.)

C.E.L.: You know, you just have the kindest smile. And the friendliest face. Such a friendly face. (Turning to her husband) Dear, doesn't she just have the friendliest, nicest face??

Tortured husband: Oh yes, yes. Definitely yes.

Okay, now I'm disregarding the fact that this woman is completely nuts-O, taking her compliment, and placing it in my back pocket--saving her kind words for one of those days when the asshole comes along and tries to ruin my mood. And granted, I know my friendly face can get me into trouble because I apparently smile "too much" and invite unwarranted "hello's" from men I want nothing to do with, but it's a part of who I am that is hard to abandon despite the fact that I clearly stick out as a foreigner every time I make eye contact with a person walking by. It's one of those west coast American qualities I'm just too proud to give up.

So to the crazy woman who made me genuinely happy today, thank you. I may not thoroughly enjoy waiting on you, but you and your husband are entertaining enough to put a smile on my face, which I am grateful for. And since I believe that a simple smile can really make someone's day a little bit better, whether they realize it or not, remember to smile at an unexpecting someone today. If they look at you like you're naked, unhinged, or deranged, well then, their loss I say.

Let's see, what's the french word for "downgrade"?

Hmmm. My dictionary doesn't seem to have it. Perhaps "merde" will just have to do. Okay, I bet you're curious as to what I'm carrying on about. So here's the deal, or the newest development in my Swiss adventure as of this afternoon. Natalie and I were told we had to move. Not in a week, not a day, but as in this very afternoon since they were planning to cut both the water and electricity on the 8th floor. Yeah, kind of essential around here. So I packed my bags and said goodbye to my old room on the infamous "huit-ieme" floor and opened the door to my new home for the next few weeks.

Remember the photos I posted earlier of my apartment? The view of the mountains, the BIG bathroom, bidet, queen bed...? Well, mine (and Natalie's) new room is approximately the size of my old bedroom. (Cue the "Phantom of the Opera" music... Dun dun dunnnnnn.) Downgrade? Uh, yeah. You could say so. But the good news is that the room is clean, very clean, and well, that's the good news. Natalie and I are juggling our possessions and trying to figure out where to put everything since space is so limited, but we're making it work. She told me that the hotel is actually overbooked right now, so they are having some minor problems on figuring out where to put hotel employees. So much for the 7th floor! Maybe in a few weeks when it clears out a bit more. Keep your fingers crossed!

Honestly though, this room isn't so bad. Okay, there is no bathroom attached and no view to speak of beyond the side of a building, but there is a cosiness in the clutter that I didn't have before. The other room or flat, whichever you prefer, was comfortable, yes. But there was almost too much space for me. And since Natalie is leaving in about a week, I could really care less about having to share the space for such a short amount of time. At least this way, monotony can't touch me! And we have bunk beds which are perfectly convenient for any of you that might be planning a visit! (By the way, that's code for: come visit me now!!!)

I'll post photos soon, I promise. I just have to find my camera amidst all the moving ruble.

New developments

1. Construction has begun on the 8th floor. Now I don't wake up to the chainsaws outside my window but instead to the drills and hammers outside my door.

2. I have a roommate! This is only temporary, but because they have started tearing down some of the rooms on the 8th, the girl Natalie that I've mentioned previously (first girl I met when I got here, German, and very nice/helpful) moved into my living room. She speaks nearly perfect English, which I'm extremely thankful for (don't worry--I get enough French at work and around town :), and we've bonded over our mutual love for the OC, asian food, and distaste for a certain co-worker who will remain unnamed. She's only slept here one night, but it was a pleasant change to have the extra activity even if we aren't talking all the time.

3. When I do move out of the 8th floor in about two weeks (Natalie goes back to school then too), I think the 7th floor may be my new residence--at least that's what A said when I asked him in passing last week. But that may still change as well.

4. Amandine. A 17-year-old girl who just started on La Terrace with us. She is from Montreux, and is so so sweet (and I usually hate using this adjective because it reminds me of cheesy yearbook entries, but it is oh-so-appropriate here, so I'm bending my own writing rules). She's doing an apprenticeship at the hotel for two years and just finished working in the Housekeeping department. We help each other with our native languages, and she's already offered to let me borrow her snowboard and take me up to the mountains, and to take me out on her uncle's boat if we both have a day off at the same time (although the latter is highly unlikely due to the whole understaffed problem). I ask her random questions about Montreux everyday and am learning some useful tidbits about the city. Fact #1: there is a movie theatre in Montreux that only shows English movies. Woohoooo!

5. Anique. (No idea how you spell her name.) She also just started and works at the Reception desk. She's from the German part of Switzerland and speaks some English and some French, but is here largely to learn both. We chatted yesterday and today during lunch, and I found out that she will also be here for one year. When she was telling me about her and her roommate and their flat, she asked if I wanted to maybe go out to a bar with them on Friday. (OMG. I was dying inside. Yes! Yes! YES! Pick me!!!) Hopefully I won't be too exhausted by the time Friday roles around (as I am working EIGHT straight days this week), and I can finally go out and party a bit. I'll keep you updated.

6. I have a fridge!!! And yes, this clearly calls for a celebration that I will cheers to on Friday. There may have been some hairs stuck in it when I stole it from Steve's old room (I asked if he wanted it and he said no, so I conveniently found a spot for it in my room), and it may be slightly 60's, but it keeps things cold and it was FREE so I could care less about the rest. I have included some photos of my nearest and dearest. He may just be my new best friend.

The sexy beast.

7. And finally, no visa news. Zippo. Nada. Rien. And I thought the Swiss would be timely. More like on their time I guess. Eh, keeps life interesting!

Hello Fall

Fall is here. I smelled it while I was hiking yesterday, felt it early this morning when I woke up to the crisp air coming through my window, saw it on the little kids walking to school the other day, their jackets and scarves secured tightly to keep in the warmth of home. There is something special and yet bittersweet about feeling the seasons change, knowing that the carefree sunniness of summer will soon be gone, replaced by grey and ambiguity and the unknown. But there's a comfort in all of that, in the face of pending change. You realize that you yourself can be the object of stability and clarity and warmth.

At the very end of my descent down the mountain yesterday afternoon, this leaf gracefully fluttered to the ground, its yellow color catching my eye and reminding me again of how much I love this season and the delicate details it brings to our attention. Ah, fall. It makes me want to curl up next to a warm, crackling fire with a big blanket, extra thick socks, and a homemade soy hot cocoa. Since such things are not readily available, I suppose my candle, comforter, tea, and single piece of dark chocolate will have to do. And honestly? I wouldn't ask for anything else. Okay, except for one of you to be here with me. In time... in time...

P.S.

Yes, I got my laundry out, no I did not damage the machine (whew!), and no I am not retarded. Ali showed me the trick. You have to knock three times, wait five seconds, and twirl around in a circle. Then it opens. Ha, I kid I kid. At least I have clean clothes now!

Laundry

Since I forgot to buy detergent at the store yesterday, I had to settle for doing laundry this evening in between blogging, calling people, and enjoying the end of my weekend. And you know what I discovered? Doing laundry sucks. As I write this, my clothes are sitting wet (and presumably clean) in the laundry machine that I cannot figure out how to open. And trust me, it was hard enough to get the thing to work in the first place. I pulled and tugged away at the little black handle that holds the door in place and nope. I tried every other button, notch, lever, dial, anything that could be moved. Nothing. Won't budge. Frustrated and tired from a long day, I stare at my soggy clothes so close by oh-so-far away. I wish a silent, sleek, eco-friendly whirlpool would just magically appear in my room (not that that would solve the problem of my clothes still being stuck in the machine downstairs). I'll just have to wait for Ali to get off work and hope he has the magic touch. Humph.

Gorges du Chauleron

Despite the rain yesterday, I was able to go hiking and discovered an entirely new place available to me. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and I only made two wrong turns the entire time! Impressive, I know. A river ran next to the trail nearly the entire time, complete with waterfalls and walls of rock that rose over one hundred (and possibly more) feet above me, the ivy handing down the face of the stone as if hiding secret passageways or treasures. And everything was so green, almost rainforest-like. Think FernGully and you'll get the picture. Conveniently, a brilliant green canopy of branches and leaves hung above my head, covering the trail and doing me the favor of catching most of the raindrops before they could drench me completely. And the smells! Oh Dad, you would have died. That sweet piney scent surrounded by moss and mud and rain. An air of smokiness eventually crept into the melody, perhaps fireplaces being lit for the first time this season. It was a perfect afternoon spent in the swiss mountains.

What I eventually figured out is that the Gorges du Chauleron hike is essentially the trailhead to about 20 other major hikes in the region--and I'm talking some serious uphill climbing. I bet you've heard of something like the Swiss Alps... ? Yeah, they can get gnarly. The good news is that the trails are incredibly well marked and not at all crowded. I only passed three people during the entire four hours I was in the mountains (okay, granted some people make better choices and don't decide to go hiking in the rain). But I lucked out (at least for the first half of the hike) and it didn't rain too hard. Then, as soon as I reached the little village of Les Avants, it started pouring. I had about ten minutes to explore the town, smell the cows and hear their bells a'ringing from the mountain fields before I had to turned around and literally run back to the trail for cover.

Next week, perhaps I'll take on a new hike. This time, when the sun is shining. For now, here are some photos that do this place no justice at all.

My rain cover for a few minutes while I ate lunch.

Check out the secret door on the bottom right. I could totally picture a Harry Potter scene right here... maybe the door leads to some awesome cave with torches and goblins and such.

Les Avants: your quintessential Swiss mountain village.

Conge!

I love this word. It translates to "time off," but it sounds more like a party with right accent. Make sure you stress the 'e.' Conge! Ah, wonderful.

Woke up this morning. Yoga at nine. Coffee and reading at the Cafe. Lunch in the cafeteria: mystery meat and leftovers. When I picked up my knife and fork to start eating, an unnamed co-worker stopped me for a second. "I don't think the meat is so good," she warned. "Yeah, you have to be pretty brave to eat here." We both laughed.

With a free hour I had before I planned to catch the boat from Montreux, I thought I'd attempt to buy a new SIM card and get my phone set up (I brought an old one I had used while studying abroad). Notice, keyword: attempted. I showed the nice man my phone, he got me the card, inserted it, pushed a bunch of buttons and looked at me unhappily when my phone rejected it. My phone was locked, dammit. Great. So much for that. In the mean time, I asked Andy to see if he has an old phone I could borrow. We'll see.

Then, armed with my umbrella, book, camera, iPod, and snacks, I boarded the boat leaving Montreux with about 20 other people all over the age of 60. They were a pretty lively crowd, but I blended in just perfectly. After all, I've dabbled in retirement myself. I flashed my old student ID to buy my ticket (I went for the cheap one instead of first class), and the guy helping me gave me a big smile and half off the regular price. Score!

I sat down at the front of the boat to take photos and bathe in the intermittent sun. Within about five minutes, the man who sold me the ticket approached me and with the same warm smile asked, "Miss, would you like to go to first class?" I looked at him, delighted but confused.

"Umm... I only have a second class ticket." And his response?

"Don't worry about it. It's my gift to you!"

So that's how I found myself on not the first but second floor of the boat. What's the difference between first and second class? you ask. Well, being on the second floor, the view is slightly less obstructed and the chairs are nicer. And you get to say that you're in first class. Yup, that's about it. But hey, it was a beautiful boat ride and because less people splurge on first class, the front of the boat was totally mine. Oh, the fabulous life of the over-privileged!

Dining room

My spot

Retreating from the rain

Montreux

Rain rain, go away!

Just as I’m about to walk out the door to go on my first hiking adventure, I see one two, three, four unwelcomed droplets spattering the window in my living room, accompanied by many more that begin to form a slow moving waterfall down the tilted glass. Booooo. I often talk about how much I love the rain, but right now it is seriously hindering my plans for the day.

Since there are no yoga classes today, I thought, why not go hiking? Once I was awake enough to venture out of the hotel, I stopped at the Montreux tourism office to see what information they could give me. The nice lady handed me a broshure with a great list of hikes in the area, the amount of time each takes, and their levels of difficulty. Excellent! There are a few that start from Montreux and many others that you can train to in under an hour. And because it looked relatively grey outside, I figured I would try one of the hikes that doesn’t require a train ride just in case I wanted to come back sooner. The name of the hike? Gorges du Chauleron. So, I packed a lunch, the hiking info, some water and my camera in my awesomely nerdy fanny pack camera bag and what do you know, it’s starts raining just as I am about to walk out the door... Which brings me to this post. I repeatedly look at the window to see if the clouds have graciously moved on yet. So far... no luck. I wonder, is there such a thing as an anti-rain dance? Maybe I’ll google it or just give it a try... Wish me luck!

02.09.09

Task for the day: take on the grand marche that I just found out about from a co-worker, Natalie. I don’t know how I hadn’t discovered it earlier, but apparently Migros is the place to be. Or at least they have the widest selection of food and miscellaneous items and within the first week, I had already maxed out all possibilities at small markets around the hotel. So Ali and I, armed with grocery bags and a very serious list of items, headed off to the big shopping center, skipping and laughing and frolicking hand in hand along the lakeside (okay, totally kidding, but funny image isn’t it?).

My shopping list:

1. Plate + bowl (I can finally discard the towel that has served as my ‘placemat’ for a week. Eww.)

2. Silverware (No, fingers do not count.)

3. Hot water heater (One of those really handy little kettles you can just plug in and watch the magic happen.)

4. Prunes (Shan, I know you feel my pain ;)

5. Peanut butter (YEAH! I found some!)

6. Oatmeal (Help! I need fiber!)

7. One porcelain mug (You know how I am with my mugs. Color and shape are both very important. Paper does NOT cut it.)

8. Laundry detergent (Hand washing clothes in the sink is getting kind of old.)

9. A notebook to keep track of my finances, now that I’m earning the big bucks (Okay, not quite, but money is money!)

10. Anything else that seemed imperative to my health and happiness... chocolate perhaps?

And the results... Success! I found everything that I needed plus a few extra items. So, Migros is no Henry's or TJ's, but it had a little bit of everything and it is a prime spot for people watching, which served my afternoon need for out-of-hotel entertainment. Most importantly, I found an excellent little water heater that has become my new favorite toy. Maybe I’ll have a tea party for all my co-workers. Hmmm... I wonder if clotted cream would go well with Peach Detox tea...?