The Legend of the Edelweiss

During my absense lately, I have been to Munchen (Munich, Germany) for Oktoberfest and Virginia, U.S.A to see family and friends. I had a lovely time and will describe more in detail later. First, I want to share about the edelweiss flowers. I was looking up various stuff one day and came across this legend and rewriting it a bit I decided to post it here. :-)

Edelweiss in German meaning “noble” and “white” is a small white star shaped flower that grows high in the Alps sometimes at 2000-2900m in altitude. Blooming between July and September, it was used for homeopathic remedies to treat abdominal and respiratory problems. However, now being protected by law it is forbidden to pick the edelweiss.

According to legend, ages and ages hence atop the highest, most dangerous of the Alps there lived in this treacherous abode the fairest and prettiest of women. Referred to as the “Ice Queen” her one flaw lay in the fact that her heart was as cold and hard as the ice and snow surrounding her dwelling. She lived alone except for gnomes who loyally served her every desire.

In addition to her exquisite beauty she possessed a voice none could equal. Shepherds in the valley below would hear the faint melody of her beautiful songs, and consumed with a desire to find the source of such haunting music climbed the perilous mountains. These shepherds fell in love with the “Ice Queen of the Alps,” who being intrigued and flattered by the attentions of the shepherds, indulged them. However, once bored with their infatuations, her faithful gnomes would toss the poor shepherds down the mountain where upon meeting the ground their hearts ruptured.

Incapable to feel love the long years passed while the mountains echoed of yearning. One day however another shepherd decided to risk the treacherous journey in order to gaze upon the beauty of the “Ice Queen.” Despite this man being an ordinary shepherd, while he sat listening and gazing intently on her beauty, she discovered her frozen heart was melting. As the days passed she grew to love this humble shepherd.

The gnomes, noticing the change, grew jealous of her devotion and plotted to throw the man over the mountain where he plummeted to his gruesome death below. Upon hearing the screams of her lover, her heart bled inwardly. One solitary tear slid down her cold face and as it slipped off her cheek landing in the snow, a small white flower bloomed. This small flower became known as the edelweiss, a symbol of love, purity, bravery, strength, and dedication.

Sunday's Roman Ruins excursion

The Roman Ruins were awesome! So cool to see (or play on :) ) something so incredible OLD! These girls were precious and were playing house with their babies. Can you imagine your playground as being ROMAN RUINS!?! Whoa!!!
Haha, I have a mad infatation with gnomes . . .
"A shortcut to MUSHROOMS!!!"

There was a building over the best part of the ruins in order to prserve it more. All those little squares were heating tiles underneath the flooring.
Flooring with intricate tile work.

Lol, delightful "Millie" and I had a blast embarrassing Lacey. If I was bold enough I would have waved at the bus driver, but people were already staring as it was, hehe . . .

Ha! I forget now what Lacy called these, but it is basically streams of manure and the farmers plant the seeds into these streams. :-P

Lacey's mess to be packed. She'll be traveling eastern Europe for 2 months!!!
Millie and me! :-)
Lacey and me at the Reganbowen bar for her and Megan's going away party
Silly Steph! Hehe, the fantastic Chinese Restaurant in ZURICH!!! Yum!
Mwahaha . . . I can't take them out ANYWHERE!?!
Hehe . . . their cashew chicken and that duck dish are amazing!!! My chopsticks were most definitely deformed. ;-) I gave up and converted to the fork five minutes afterwards. *sigh*

Bratkugeli and Johannes Berren are so delightful! How I shall miss thee!

Wednesday Starbucks aupair meetings in Zurich!
Fascinating wee news article. :-D
http://news.yahoo.com/s//afp/20080908/sc_afp/switzerlandarchaeologyclimatewarming

Ack! I am sick . . . Ich bin Krank . . . :-'( I have a sore throat, but other than that all is well. :-) Yesterday was the last class for A1!!! How sad. Now I can move onto A2 when I return from my trip the 18th of October. Guess where I shall be!?! "I's say's i's g'winne tuh Adlanna, an' g'winne I is!(Mammy-Gone With The Wind)" (Edit note: this section has been removed for the time being and will be added again soon. ;-) )

I loved taking the intensive A1 course in Wetzikon and hopefully will be able to continue taking classes there as it fits into the schedule so much better. The last few days of our class we learned a bit of Schwyzerdeutsch (Swiss German) and it was soooo confusing. We listened on the CD of all the different dialects throughout the German region of Switzerland and it was insane! Haha, although I guess it is like low country southern (we'uns and y'uns) vs. that horrid yankee accent! haha! Following are some delightful examples of Swiss German our teacher taught.

"Ich gehe ihn." This is high German (hochdeutsch) and I guess means, "I go to him." In Swiss German our teacher said this would look something like this, "Ich gang en grad go hole." wow . . . Or like, I go to buy something (Ich gehe einkaufen), would become, ich gang go poschte . . . yeah . . . So, no wonder my ear is not attuned to Hochdeutsch yet. I think I need to live in Germany for awhile.

One morning on my way to class, I hopped onto my bus as usual and as I was making my way to a seat, heard the faint music of a glorious song I was raised listening too. Thouroughly made my morning. T'was the song "Cotton Fields" and I thought of my old man back home. ;-D Good o'le Creedence Clearwater Revival! Surprised me immensely to hear a Swiss listening to that song, though. :-)

When I was a little bitty baby my mama would rock me in the cradle, In them old cotton fields back home; It was down in Louisiana, just about a mile from Texarkana, in them old cotton fields back home. Oh, when them cotton bolls get rotten you cant pick very much cotton, in them old cotton fields back home . . .

I am having mixed emotions about the aupair meetings now. It is so wierd to come and not know anyone as everyone is new! I miss all the old aupairs, but I know I will enjoy wonderful times in the future with these new girls and it is just the ever routating cycle that has to be endured. Very rarely do I buy anything at Starbucks, since it costs so much. I think I've only bought two drinks the whole time I've been attending these meetings. How bad is that? However, soon I shall the able to buy the yummy hot peppermint mochas! ahhh! One good thing about winter . . . peppermint mochas.

Last week, while taking down the laundry from the line, a neighbor came into the laundry area to wash his clothes. Come to discover, he spoke English with an aussie accent and we chatted for a bit while I folded laundry, but may I ask . . . um, what is hormonal yoga!?! O-O

I do believe I shall scurry away now and go through some stuff to take home and work on some more laundry. :-) Au reviou!

The Rhine Falls and weekend pictures

Chickens!!! lol . . . near Lacey's dwelling

I love these clocks!!! I want to own one one day, they do cost a small fortune though . . .
IKEA!!! I want this mug, tis huge!!!!
Pizza flambee! How sophisticated!
Girls night out. ;-)
The FALLS!!! Und reganbowen (rainbow)

Lacey snapped this one and it looks like I am standing in the middle, love it!!!
WOW!!!
Alter des falls, they are 14,ooo -17,000 years old!!!

Where the little Swiss flag is in the middle? Yep, that's where we were standing . . . "it rocked my world" ;-)

Deutsch Learnen!!!

The Rhine Falls the largest waterfall in Europe I believe. Doesn't look all that fascinating from this distance, but we took the ferry out to the middle of the falls and climbed up and it was AMAZING!!!! The water is so clear too . . .
In the middle of the falls

Meinem Deutschkurs und das woche!

German classes this week started off rather well, despite my nerves getting the better of me. I did not feel prepared walking into class on Monday, but everything went smoothly, so left feeling alright. ;-) One day we even lit candles holding them to our mouths to pratice our "p's and q's" literally. At which time I dutifully pulled out the ever famous "My Fair Lady" and recited, "In HARTFORD, HEREFORD, and HAMPSHIRE, HURRICANES HARDLY ever HAPPEN!" Frau Tscherrig actually laughed, hehehe. I do believe Higgins was proud. ;-)

For one of the homework bits we had to write a letter in response to another letter we had read together in class. Following is mine first in German, than in English. :-)

Liebe Carla,
Hallo, wie geht es ihnen? Ich bin super das monat mit meinem ferien von universitat. Danke fur irhem lang brief! Jedoch, ich habe keine zeit zuschreiben langsam brief, aber bald ich schreibe mehr. Tut mir Leid! Ich leibe dein bild, dass du mir geschickt. Deine familie ist ganz schon und ihrem hund Jacques ist uber niedlich. Wie alt ist Jacques und was Art ist eure hund?
Ich auch liebe Tanzen! Ist eure tanzpartner ganz gut tanzer aber mehr wichtig ist er gut ausseherd? ;-)
Ich mochte zuschreiben mehr, aber ich muss gehen arbeitet. :-( Ich schreibe mir bald, aber bis bald, du habst gut wochenende und habst gut zeit mir eure tanzpartner. :-D
Deine Freundin,
. . . This is not correct I know, but I am so pleased. :-D

Dear Carla,
Hello, how are you? I am super this month with my holidays from university. Thank you for your long letter! However, I don't have time to write a long letter, but soon I will write more. Sorry! I love the picture you sent to me. Your family is lovely and your dog is so cute. How old is Jacques and what type of dog is he? I also love dancing! Is your dance partner a good dancer, but more importantly (the teacher chuckled at this part) is he handsome? ;-)
I want to write more, but I must get to work. :-( I shall write soon, but till then, have a good weekend and have a good time with your dance partner. :-D
Your friend . . .

I love German . . . truly tis a gorgeous language!!! However, Italian has to be the sexiest . . .

This weekend nothing much has occured, however it was fun and enjoyably relaxing. Saturday, Lacey and I had intended to tour some Roman ruins near her house however we both slept in rather late and instead went to Media Mart and IKEA in Dietlikon to look at cameras and movies and furniture. ;-) I love IKEA!!! Then we ate Bratwurt and jumped on a few trains and came back to eat the frozen pizza we bought at the Coop and hang out. After a lovely girl's night we walked to the train station and slept fabulously.

Sunday was church and I must say that I am always encouraged for the next week after listening to the readings and the sermons. Never is one sermon the same as another and somehow each time I actually make it to church, I am amazed at how relevant what the Pastor says is towards my own previous week. After church we walked to Stadelhofen Bahnhof while I talked to a fellow homeschooler who was visiting his friend who is a new aupair. After the others joined us the witty remarks flew about between the two guys and twas vastly amusing. Apparently do not try a mocking Hitler sallute in relation to Monty Python while on a SBB train . . . even if you are British, and apparently one's language deterorates upon learning a new language . . . I wonder. We were laughing so hard over so any silly things and then as a lady stepped off the escalator with her dog (we were talking in a circle) the dog, who was attached to a leash runs around us trying to eat pigeons. Lol, we were carrying on so, everyone was watching with their straight faces.

After looking at 115CHF shoes we walked to an Italian resterant and had fabulous food, then parted ways and now I must study, get ready for tomorrow, call the family, and curl up with a good book!!! The weeks are starting to get colder, which in and of itself would be fine, however soon I shall need warmer clothing, which I do not possess at the moment, and apparently the sun disapears entirely here for months . . . :-'( I've been told to visit tanning beds in order to prevent "no sun depression". *rolls eyes*

"God uses our difficult past to prepare us for His bright future"

Today's NT and OT readings= Ro. 8:18-39 and Gen. 46:28-47:12

Have I said yet how much I love IPC Fellowship!?! It is such a small, lovely traditional church, which I have just found out, has once a month fellowship meals. :-D Today was communion and the Apostles Creed as well as a church picnic afterwards, which I dutifully gave up in order to study my German. ;-) Every service is the Doxology and Gloria Patri and lovely Hymns, which I hardly ever know . . . lol.

Walking home Friday night after a lovely Chinese meal in the city with a huge bag that Jessica gave me full of brown sugar (apparently an exclusive American item), vanilla, hair straightener, and other items I had to pass a group of kids smoking and whatever else in the dark. I started to walk a little faster as I passed them and as I did so they yelled, "Gruezi" and "Hoi, schatz!" Hmm, after talking to Lacey at the Rhine Falls the next day I discovered schatz is an endearing term, like sweetheart, darling, perhaps honeychile'? Oh my . . .

Saturday, I met Lacey and we went to the Rhine Falls in Schlosshausen!!! I was so thrilled! And they were absolutely terrifying!!! People could have DIED there!!!! Seriously! The day was perfect and my pictures were fabulous, which I shall add soon!

Trying to figure out "am, auf, im, in, ins, ab, bis" and so forth and looking it up in an English/German online dictionary for "im" discovered, "Nie im Leben" means, "Not on your Nelly". Um, what!?! Apparently I am not only learning German, but British English slang. . .

Tomorrow morning my German classes begin again and by 19 of September I shall have finished A1 and will hopefully start A2 before Herbstferien (fallholidays) because I still have levels B and C to do. 0_0 I am actually rather nervous, but excited as well to finally get back to classes again, hopefully I will not look like an idiot . . .

The last week or so . . .

The gypsies came to town . . . stayed only a few days . . .
During Kathlyn and Marcel's going away party, we saw some guys jumping off the bridge into the wter below. This was right before they jumped in . . . nude . . .
At the cinema to see "The Dark Knight"!!! The Theatres here are amazing!!! They even have bars inside!?! O-O
Jessica drying her hands in the awesome dryer! These things are amazing! They dry almost immediately therefore conserving energy.

The kiddos are back in school with less time off and more evening activities, which gives me more time to get other stuff done, so I think it will be much easier in this respect. We are also getting to know each other better so we are enjoying the time we have together more. I shall continue to help them get ready (7am-8am) on Mon., Tues., and Thurs. mornings for school and then will be back to make them lunch at noon and will be there until Mr or Mrs X arrive home, anywhere between 7-9pm. Wednesday and Fridays I pick them up from "Hort" at 5:30, therefore giving me all day on Wednesday free and Friday afternoon free, which is fantastic. Then Friday or Saturday evenings I babysit, depending which one works out best, and Sundays are always free, which lately have consited of sleeping in, church in the morning, bying bread and cheese or a salad at the Stadelhofen bahnhof Coop for lunch and eating and relaxing by the Zurichsee lake during the afternoon with whoever is available. Sometimes day trips are taken to places in Switzrland that can be reached by train within 4 hours or so and then everything starts all over again on Monday. :-)

Starting next monday I get back to my German classes which will be lovely. Honestly, I haven't been studying as much as I ought to have studied during the sportsferien so this week I am cramming. Does watching movies in German count!?! Classes will be Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri. from 8:30-11:20am.

During the past few weeks many aupairs are leaving or getting ready to leave. :-( Some are gearing up for huge month long trips as soon as their contracts end and then coming back for a quich goodbye. Eveyone has been having goodbye parties and farewells of one sort or another and that feel of summer freedom is coming to a close.

However, new aupairs are coming and it is exciting to be able to get to know more new people, as well as look forward to potential trips together. By Christmas almost all the girls I have made friends with will have left and I shall be making new friends. Even though I have become homesick at times, I am already wondering how will I ever leave. I've become situated and feel more at home here as time goes by and hope that within the next year I will be able to communicate in German decently and not so haltingly. Having said that, I know I can not be an aupair forever (thank goodnes ;-) ) and will just enjoy what time I have left!

Anybody want to travel to New York with me next year? ;-)

My weekend adventures!

On Friday of last week or so, lol, I met Lacey at the airport (Flughafen) and we did some shopping for her BBQ she was hosting while her host fam was away. :-) I helped her get the place ready a bit and entertained guests as they trickled in while she kept going down to the bus stop to pick up people and show them the way to the house. When everyone showed up we had a merry time, great food, and lively discussions. :-D We also celebrated Sally's b-day with a special aussie dessert!

Ethan snapping photos!
Jessica, Heinrick, and Bernd

Megs! She is so cute and made two wonderful salads! Yum! Aupairs in the kitchen!!!Street Parade in Zurich was interesting . . . people came out . . . where had they been hiding all these months?!?
This made me so mad . . . definitely NOT a family affair . . .

What must be going through their heads at this moment . . . lol . . .
And People were INSANE!

ICK!!! All the trash was horrible. Not smart wearing flip flops, amashing my feet didn't get cut up with all the broken glass . . .
It was SSSSOOOOO Packed!!!! Millions of people . . .
After spending the night with Lacey, I just camped out there the whole weekend, we went to Church, met Chrissy and then walked along the lake. Zurich was clean again!!!

This was great! We stopped walking along the lake to watch this guy and for once in my life my smile got me in trouble, because he saw it and called me over and said that I had "gross" smile, haha, meaning BIG smile and said I deserved two ballons for my smile and then said I was going to be married with a smile like that, I was so embarassed . . . so he made me a heart ballon with a white bear on the side. :-P

Riding the train to Lacey's for supper

Raclette!!! The absolute best supper of my life, so much cheese! Traditionally they also eat pickles, lots of wine, too help in the digestion of all that cheese. Oh, the Swiss are amazing and the Germans, with their hearty meals, yum!!!