I now know how to use my hobbit space more efficiently which means less goose eggs on my head. Unfortunately, I am prone to injury at all times, 24/7, 365 days of the year and managed to roll my ankle at one of my practices this week. Thankfully it is minor, and I could walk just fine the next day, but still ridiculous. It's gotten to the point now where I couldn't even tell you the number times I have done this to myself. It is perhaps only the second time it's happened while playing defense. I digress. With some time off to rest the old kankle, I have caught up on some reading and good old fashioned me time at home. Update: since I've been in Switzerland for about 2.5 weeks, I have read 7 books. The latest one I finished is called "The Sisterhood". AMAZING BOOK. Ladies, please read and feel your inner Beyoncé come through in a story about fearless nuns during the time of the Spanish Inqusition. Girl power!
After a long week of volleyball and ankle excercises, I had been looking forward to going to a sort of party/BBQ with my teammate Liticia (this is how you spell her name correctly) for our other teammate and my soon to be roommate Vannessa. I finally realized once on the road, that we were going to her wedding reception and that it was in the German part of the country two hours away. The town starts with a B but I forgot to write down the name among all the festivities. The drive there is absolutely breathtakingwith the sunshine and rolling green hills. Just like Val-de-travers (Travers Valley) there are farms and cows everywhere. Halfway through the journey, we pased a small village that said "Little Nashville" which I feel compelled to go visit. If I never go to Nashvsille, TN, I have to try at least go to the one in Switzerland. After a nice scenic route past our destination and a long detour, we finally made it to the Castle where the event took place. Liti told me there would thankfully be people who spoke more than just Swiss-German there which would be crucial since that happens to be one of the few languages she doesn't speak.
After a 300m climb UPHILL, we made it to the castle. This was the view.
I haven't even been here a month and I've already been to two castles!!! Upon arrival, I finally met Vannessa, a bubbly Brazillian who welcomed me with a big hug and smile. My kinda lady. Everyone knows I love my hugs. Even Liti doesn't know all the people there, so we briefly meet the other guests, either in English or Portuguese which I cannot understand a lick of, even if they try and speak slowly. I was able to meet a few former volleyball players who played with Vannessa. One from Zurich played for three years at USF in Florida. Another two were from Brazil, and one's husband happened to have family in the states. Thankfully for me, they were kind enough to talk to me in English and I was able to play with all the babies there which of course made me content as can be.
I think the coolest part of this get together, other than two lovely people getting married, were the numerous languages and cultures present. Total, this is what you would hear amongst all the conversations; Swiss-German, Brazillian Portuguese, Portugal Portuguese, French, and English. Many of these people spoke at least two or more of these each and once again I felt inadequate with my 2-3 years of French and Spanish that I mostly forgot a long time ago. I also have a friendly PSA after another conversation with one of my new Brazillian friends. AMERICANS: don't make fun of someone's accent while speaking English if you can't even say hello in their language. It's incredibly rude. I even have been guilty of this a time or two, but the tables definitely turn when the language you speak is the minority.
After pleasant chatter and drinks, food was served which included a very American looking array of BBQ sides and grilled meats including; sausage, chicken and some sort of steak that suspiciously looked like horse meat. (Side note: yes I have tried horse meat. Tastes and looks like beef but I still couldn't help but think of my babies back home. I'm sorry Louis!!!). Fun wedding games were played but I couldn't tell you all that went down because they were all done in Swiss-German. I think at one point, a sort of game that was based on Cinderella was played. While someone reads the story, whenever a character that someone was assigned to is mentioned, they have to stand up and clap. The bride and groom are part of the "carriage" as Cinderella and the prince. Two people on each side of them (two for the groom and the bride) are the wheels, a person in front of them as the coach driver, and two people standing at the front as the horses drawing the carriage. Very entertaining, especially because Liticia was part of the carriage as Vannesa's wheels and didn't know when to stand up and clap because the story was in German.
The evening rolled on, and desert was served with an adorable wedding cake and other delicious desserts brought from other guests.
This picture doesn't do them justice. Tiramisu, chocolate mousse, a sort of lemon cheese cake, a marshmallow cake thing, and the chochoholic wedding cake. Season has to yet to start so I'm in the clear. Once our view was lost in the darkness, big logs that had been almost split all the way down like an X were lit and used as a source of light, heat and I think used for some sort of wedding ritual but I could just be making that last one up. Another game was played which I am a little more familiar with. I have seen it used with shoes, but they used signs with me and him/her. (Ich and du). With each question, they had to answer who best fit the description. Once again, it was done in German but we were able to have a little translation and enjoy some of the fun. Around 9:45, we made our way down the pitch black path with a giant candle away from the castle and the happy newly weds. After a few hours of meeting her, I can tell this year will be a lot of fun living with Vannessa.
bis zum nächsten Mal ("Until next time" in regular German because google translate doesn't have Swiss German)
The blonde haired, blue eyed American who wears Birchenstocks.
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