Is this real life?

     Fall has fallen officially here in Val-de-Travers. The trees are now an incredible array of red, orange, and brown with a few green stragglers. I'm very fortunate to experience multiple seasons in this beautiful country. Much has happened since my last update but for time's sake I'll cover the biggies.

First things first: OKTOBERFEST IN GERMANY

       

This trip was so surreal for me. I've been telling people here and there the same thing but I still am amazed I had the opportunity to come. Growing up, traveling around the world and seeing these famous festivals was not something I ever thought could become a reality. I only ever wanted to see Paris due to my family's French heritage, but this truly was something I will cherish forever. A long 5 hour drive from Neuchâtel to München, Germany on a Saturday morning and even longer 6.5 hour drive back was completely worth everything I experienced. My companions included teammates Liti, Arriane, and my new friend Guilia. Halfway to our destination, we stopped for a quick breakfast. Liti and Arriane had a typical Swiss meal; coffee and a croissant. Guilia enjoyed some German meat and cheeses and apparently I was incredibly American with my rôti and egg which was basically hash browns from heaven.  

      Once we hit Germany, the driving became a tad bit concerning for me. Not because my driver was bad, but there is no speed limit in the country and people flying by at least going 90mph (kmph?) made me somewhat a nervous nelly. Surprising yes with how I should be used to it since my father drives like a crazy person but still scary nonetheless. (Love you papa). We reached Munich around 2pm and had moderate trouble finding our rented apartment for the one night. Once we settled in, it was a flurry of makeup, costumes and hair being done so we could join the festivities right away. Apparently, the celebrating is done from morning till 11pm then everything closes. Day drinking is more than acceptable here, it's encouraged.  Donning my outfit that of course was shorter than I would have liked due to me being a giantess, I was told many a time how German I looked with my blonde braids and blue eyes. That would be due to my Parker side of the family danke sehr viel. By about 3 we made our way toward the main event which was a bout an eight minute walk, great planning on my friend's part.

       

                                     

       You can tell you're walking in the right direction by the massive flow of people dressed in traditional Bavarian garb heading towards the same area.  After a quick bite, we found the first tent/beer garden and waited in a line for a good hour trying to get in. They don't let people in certain areas until enough people have left so I became a sardine for a quite awhile which led to one of my favorite selfies since I've been in Europe.

                             

 When at Oktoberfest right?

      We made it to the front only to have them shut the doors right before us so I had a lot of free time and no shame.  After much pushing, shoving and awkward smiles with strangers, we all made it in to the tent and were able to find an empty table. At this point I was freezing thinking it was going to be a nice sunny day instead of bitter cold and overcast. My outfit was ill planned at that point, but not for long. Our first round of drinks came and I'm not sure what I was expecting but it definitely wasn't the tankard of beer that the waitress brought.

 Thing was bigger than my frickin head.

     Needless to say, I put on my beer jacket soon after and no longer felt cold for the remainder of the day. While sitting at our table, we quickly met up with our neighbors of all kinds. To my right were a group of friendly Frenchman who soon after our arrival were singing the French national anthem. Very entertaining and I'm happy to say I was able to document it with a video. Soon we all were chatting and speaking a mixture of broken French on my part and English because everyone loves practicing their English with me. Of course the conversation led to how tall I am and I was compared to each individual guy there. Only one was able to claim he was tallest, but that wasn't the most interesting part of the encounter. It soon led to a particular debacle....

                                                                       Being proposed to with 1-liter beers is definitely something I have always dreamed of, but alas I had to decline due to the nature of me having a boyfriend and all. Beers before rings any day.  As the drinks kept going, we managed to snag a couple of giant pretzels because ordering any other type of food would take up to three hours. And trying to use the bathroom is an absolute nightmare. Just outside where we were sitting, there must've been over two hundred people, and only three bathroom stalls for the ladies. Thankfully, drunk girls who have to pee are very friendly and you are able to chat them up without hesitation. My first trip (TMI? Sorry not sorry) I met a woman from Virginia who had the cutest accent and told me how she has traveled just about everywhere for her job and just so happened to make it to the festival. We also struck a conversation with a lady from Singapore and her English accent was delightful.  Accents really are my favorite thing ever.

       Hours passed but the fun was never ending. I was able to meet people from all over; Hungary, France, Sweden, Germany, Brazil, and last but not least AMERICA! Of course when I meet my fellow Americans is when I get into trouble. Sometime after dark, I met two guys who happened to be cousins and each were in the Army and Air Force stationed in other parts of Europe. Because I get really excited finding other English speakers, I stayed to talk with them while my friends went off to be merry elsewhere. One thing led to another and me being the competitive idiot I am, I challenged the shorter man of the two to a contest to try and jump and reach a wreath hanging from the ceiling. We both failed and nothing went wrong...until someone else attempted the feat then slipped and fell prompting our immediate dismissal from the tent. I managed to stay out of trouble all day until that point, typical American shenanigans.

      With the phrase "you don't have to go home but you can't stay here", we journeyed further into the masses looking for another tent to sit at until everything closed down.  Finding another area to order a beer, I was able to talk about life in Europe with the other Americans. Two from Ohio, one from Michigan, North Carolina (or South? Can't remember quite frankly) and finally Washington D.C.  Leave it up to me to be 5,000 miles away and I find random Americans to hang out with.  We could only be there for so long because it soon was 11 and they were kickin everybody out. Even though our Oktoberfest was over for the night, we decided the night wasn't over and made our way to a local bar for music and fun. Thankfully I was able to meet back up with Liti and Arrianne so all was well by the end of the night. With final goodbyes and reminders to add each other on Facebook, my group made our way back to our place...but not before getting lost first. A good extra hour of walking chilled me back to reality but not all was bad because my company was very entertaining.  We even managed to find another American who was from California looking for a cab. (West coast best coast!) After asking three different cabbies ourselves for directions back to our abode, we were able to collapse around 4am and I have never been more grateful for an air mattress in my life.

    The following morning we decided to brave being tourists while looking very worn and hungover. The actual festival is absolutely humongous. I think there were at least 10 different beer gardens and many many carnival rides and roller coasters. The Germans really do go all out when it comes to day drinking. I tried my first bratwurst and sauerkraut. The dog was good but I'll pass next time on the fermented cabbage. I was able to buy some souvenirs for cheap because it was one of the last days of the festival and everything was on sale. JACKPOT! Due to our resolve not being that strong, we quickly made our way to the local cathedral with a short glance and picture before heading back to the car for our trip home. Due to immense traffic, our drive home was much longer then the day before and I was more than excited to sleep in my own bed after a detour and train ride.  If you ever have the chance to make this trip DO IT. So much fun and thankfully I have many memories to take with me because of it. 

Next: Château de Chillon

      With a couple days to recover I felt refreshed and ready for my next adventure. My teammate Fabi informed me of a castle I could visit a few hours away from Lausanne and that another American would be making the trip. I took the offer and took a day trip to an area called Montreux, which nearby, lies the Château de Chillon. Katy and I took a boat from Laussane to Chillon which took about two hours, the weather was not great but no rain so we were able to enjoy the sights and take as many pictures as possible. During our trip, we met ANOTHER American who was on her way to Israel with their husband. Before departing, she told us to contact her whenever we wanted to visit Lake Tahoe or a part of Italy where she has friends. Talked to her for ten minutes at the most and now I have free lodging for two vacation spots...amazing. Unfortunately for Katy, once we arrived to see the castle, she had to immediately make the walk back to Montreux to catch one of many trains back to the Swiss part of Germany where she was staying. With a couple pictures and a goodbye, she left and I decided to explore the castle by myself.

      This castle was built in the 1500's and was a guard against any forces trying to cross the mountains and lake from the east heading towards the area. I think, I could be making that up but it sounds good right?  Anywho, after I figured out there was an easy format of "follow the numbers", I took hundreds of pictures in dimly lit dungeons, bedrooms, courtyards, and even latrines. Can't miss a moment is my mantra. I never actually use all the pictures but I'm a stickler for not missing a photo op. What I deduced from my time here is that people in the 16th and 17th century were very very short.

 Here are some picutures of what it looked like to live in a real castle...

Secret tunnel that led from a living room to an adjoining bedroom.

This room had murals of all the bailiffs that lived here dating back from the 1500's through the 1700's. Up until the more recent ones, were all originally painted back in the day. The later ones were finished by restoration efforts to help with the asthetics of the room. Along the way, I surprise surprise met more Americans and took a photo with a friendly Spaniard before departing in time to catch my own train back to Lausanne. The walk from the castle back to Montreux takes about 50 minutes and along the way you pass many many mansions. I can't fathom how much money these people have with the some of the homes I saw. I felt very small town after that experience no doubt.  Overall this was a very fun and not too expensive experience and I look forward to visiting more mid-evil structures while I'm here.

  With my continued free time, I have hit rock bottom and actually started running to help pass the time and get some excercise. Really I'm barely going faster than a speed walk but this is a major accomplishment for a volleyball player so I have a lot to be proud of. And thanks to my incredible grandmother, I now have coloring books and delicious brownies to gorge on so thank you again for that. I have started to practice a skill called hand lettering which is a form of typography where you basically create cool pictures using words. Honestly I can't say I just started because all through school I used to do the same sort of thing all over my notes but now I have a fancy term to name the behavior. 

     Finally, what really prompted me to sit and write this particular blog post was a letter I received from a close family friend. My mama Rouleau, who I have known forever and played volleyball with her daughter, my high school baby freshman Sammy. Well this woman is really special to me because throughout high school and college, she has been another mother to me and has always known the perfect moment to send an encouraging text or care package when I really needed it most.  Her most recent news I had already heard about but it had not really sunk until I read her own words. Recently she underwent treatment to fight breast cancer and I am so happy to know she kicked cancers ass! Sue, your positive words and news on your wonderful family really do everything to brighten my day and I couldn't be luckier to have such wonderful people in my life. So on this note, I want to say to all the women in my life currently fighting this disease or who are accomplished warriors with a clean bill of health, I will be wearing pink to my first pro volleyball match tomorrow in honor of your bad ass selves. I especially want to send all my positive thoughts and vibes to another dear volleyball mommy of mine, Melissa Davies.  Lots of love to you, Allison (nugget) and the whole Davies fam. Thank you Mama Sue and know how much I appreciate being your adopted daughter. 

2 months down, six more to go!

The very German looking American

    

 

Bears, beers, battle star galactica

    September 30th, it's almost October. That's absolutely crazy. What have I been doing since my last update? More of the usual. Wake up, Skype Hardy, eat, take the train,go to practice, walk back to the train, read, eat, sleep, repeat. Some days I pepper in laundry and cleaning my house. Listen to a french podcast. I can now sing a Christmas song that goes by the tune of "Jingle Bells". 

   Vive le ven, 

   vive le ven, 

   vive le ven d'hiver! 

I listen to Coffee Break French/Spanish which are great to brush up on your second language. Helps if you have already a little background but they say it's for all levels. Anywho, even though my daily routine is somewhat like "Groundhog Day", I have been fortunate enough to explore Switzerland a bit more and take in some local festivities. 

         Two weeks ago, I rode to Bern with a few of my teammates (Arrianne, Liticia, Magali, and Aurelia who we met there because she lives in Bern.) It was another beautiful day in what they call and Indian Summer or a the beginning of fall that feels like summer. During our 1.5 hour drive, we make a pit stop for a bakery that sells the infamous gâteau au creme. I don't think the freshman 15 is anything compared to the post-graduate 50 I'm about to acquire. The landscape is much of the same, passing farm after farm, cow after cow. Conversations in the car lead to correct pronunciation of English words because so often I cannot understand if Liti is talking about ships or sheep. It is also funny to explain how when some people try and say "oh shit" it sounds more like "oh sheet". Silly bedding materials.

         Our arrival comes around noon so our lunch just happens to be some of that pie from earlier. Life could be worse. You think I would take in the sights a bit more as we approach the downtown area, but the first thing I saw almost brought me to happy tears. My Seattlite senses were haywire as I gazed upon the most beautiful thing I had seen since I arrived in Europe....STARBUCKS. I'm pretty sure I made everyone jump as I cried out at this rare sighting of the green mermaid. Now, I know this goes along with all those stupid internet memes about white girls and their Starbucks but I couldn't help myself after living in the original birth place of this global chain for four years then being deprived of it for 2 months. Don't judge me. 

         Resisting my urges, we kept moving and explored the capital of Switzerland. I had know idea this was the case thinking Zurich would be capital. Really that was only city I knew of before I decided to move here. Kind of like how people who know nothing about Oregon think Portland must be the capital while Salem just sounds like something about burning witches at the stake.  Oh and another thing, NO ONE in Switzerland knows what Oregon is. Typical conversation when I meet someone

    Them: "Tu vien du?" (Where are you from?)

    Me: "Je vien du Oregon" ( I have no idea how to say Oregon with a french accent so I sound incredibly American to them when I saw this.)

    Them: *blank stare* "Ory-gone?"

    Me: (my go-to explanation) "Above California"

    Them: "ohhhh yes Cally-fornya!"

Honestly though if it were the other way around, I would have no idea what Neuchâtel is, let alone Couvet. I digress.

      I was able to see the Switzerland equivalent of the White House which has an incredibly view of the city behind it. You can see part of the river that is one of the well known fixtures here in the capital.

Walking more throughout the streets, there were quotes printed in each of the languages that are spoken in Switzerland: French, Swiss-German, Italian, and Romanche which apparently is a mix of all three used in a small area of the country. How cool is that?!  After a few more blocks, we made it to the main shopping area that is lined cafés and stores with doors that look to lead to cellars. Like so;

These are entrances to stores that are underground which completely blew my mind. They weren't open that day probably because nothing is open here on a Sunday but if I ever go back I would like to see more how these shops look.

    Meeting up with Aurelia for some food and a beer, we rested our legs for a bit before conducting the rest of our touristy day. What I noticed as I had been walking and observing is the theme of bears in Bern. Finally I asked the Bern expert what the significance was. Aurelia let me know that it is the state animal and if I wanted we could go see the real bears. To this I smirked because I figured "haha yea we're gonna go see some 'real Bears', more like statues." Imagine the look on my face when we crossed a bridge and on the other side were just a couple in the flesh, living, breathing bears chilllin in an enclosure right by the river. 

Apparently they use to live in a little hole called "the graben" which was a pathetic excuse of an enclosure. PETA would have a bitch fit seeing the bears like this in their new habitat which is only 3 years old but it's definitely better than the one that was made in the 1800's. Yea they have had bears living just outside of downtown Bern for a couple hundred years. Another side note: Bears and beers is another difficult word to pronounce for many people here which makes for a funny conversation when some asks "want to go get a couple of bears?" After some more exploring, we hiked up another stupid hill to an area that many other tourists were frequenting next to a garden. The view here was pretty spectacular,

But in true Swiss fashion, it began to rain, then it began to pour, and about two seconds after I saw lightning I heard thunder so we hurried to catch a bus back to where we started our day. Before leaving we decided to visit and have a drink and I was able to choose the location. 

That pumpkin spice latte was the best thing I had ever tasted in my life.

      The following Friday, I had been invited by Liticia to go to her work and enjoy a picnic with her and her students. She's a middle school teacher and teaches French, geography, and history. I was excited to see what might be different and similar between US and Swiss schools. Arriving a l'ecole, I met a few of the teachers and all the students were outside waiting for the day to begin. But before that could happen, all the kids must first shake hands with their teacher before the day is to begin. I thought that was kind of cool to start each day with initiating some sort of greeting with each student. I had seen this previously with a P.E teacher before one of my practices but I thought it was just his style. I guess they do that everywhere. When I'm a teachers, instead of handshakes, I'll just chest bump my first graders. Much more my style. 

     After introductions, we began our walk to the destination. Now picture my outfit for the day: nice jeans, converse, a flowy tank top, scarf and wrap sweater. Casual school attire right? Yea well I looked around and saw all the adults wearing hiking boots and fitness wear. Began to have same the feeling  you get when you arrive to school thinking it's pajama day but everyone is wearing normal clothes.  What I soon learned was our walk to the picnic included a 3 HOUR HIKE UPHILL AND THROUGH MUDDY FARMLAND. It's a good thing Liticia is cute because I almost strangled her for failing to mention the true nature of the day.  Happy I did not bother wear my nice leather boats, I chatted with many of the students and teachers through broken French on my part, the kids' English they wanted to practice with me and many gestures. After many rest stops and a jaunt through a cow pasture, we made it to Bas des loges where the teacher instructed students to bring firewood to an area where he would make a campfire to cook sausages and other treats. After this they were free to eat and roam where they pleased in the nature.

       Now this is when the cultural differences began to emerge. First, as the kids spread out, I was offered a shot of wine. Wait wait wait hold up. You can drink in front of students?! I'm from the wrong country. Not that they were getting wasted, but I had at least a full glass worth of wine during our lunch. Second, there was no supervision of the kids who traveled far away from the fire pit. I'm pretty sure I was on high alert for something to go wrong because I know they didn't trust my middle school classmates that much. Maybe I'm exaggerating but I didn't see some of those kids for the two and a half hours we ate and visited. Third, I saw at least three knives brought by the students. And only one of them looked like a pocket knife. One I swear looked more like a hunting knife than something used to whittle some wooden sticks. But no biggie, because we were exploring the great outdoors. My anxiety was quickly rising thinking of all the lawsuits that would ensue if we were in America right then. Fourth, my sense of time is at a much faster pace than everyone here. I became pretty restless as we came to the end of our time here while the other teachers seemed so at ease to spend the entire day here

      More things I learned and ate:

-Saucisson de torrée is sausage wrapped in cabbage, then wrapped again in either tinfoil or damp newspaper. After wrapped and tied with string, it is placed under the fire and buried for 15 minutes. The result was incredibly delicious.

-this method is a traditional dish of the region area for the bucheron or lumberjacks back in the day.

-pain de bucheron is roasting pie dough on a stick then adding some sort of spread. Nutella FTW.

-it only took 45 min to walk back down but that was a sketchy adventure in itself.

     Finally, the event I have been hearing about since I arrived here is the biggest party of the year in Neuchâtel; la fête des vedanges. This is supposedly a wine festival but there is a whole lot more going on than casual fermented grape juice. The streets of downtown are closed down for the weekend as stands, food, attractions, games and dancing fill the streets from Friday morning till Sunday evening.  The ground is covered in confetti which I am told you find for weeks after the celebration ends. Kids run around screaming and laughing while spraying people with silly string and shaving cream. There are carnival rides avaialble, and the fair food includes crepes, ice cream and cuisine from all over the world. It is very jostling to see so many people in one area with drinks in hand because I'm so used to the "no open container rule" back in the states. Also, I am still not used to seeing a 16 year old drink a beer openly in public, let alone drunk as a skunk. I swear not all I do is drink alcohol here but I feel like it is very casual when you hang out with people to drink regardless if it's noon or midnight.  All I know is I made it through Friday and Saturday but grandma Parker couldn't make it to Sunday. Sleeping on my teammates couch three days in a row just didn't seem as attractive by then. What I enjoyed most though was how friendly all the people are. Drinking or not, everyone is there to have a good time and I had blast meeting new people and trying to practice my limited French over loud music.

   Until next time, here's a picture of the amazing view of the Creux du van just outside of Couvet.

Sincerely,

The no longer hungover American

P.S:I now have read at least 25 books. Wish I was this productive with my college readings.

Little things

      Bonjour! Since my last update, my schedule has stayed consistent with few events that have thrown me for a loop. To start off on a more somber note, I am still trying to comprehend the passing of my great-grandma Simone. I had been told for some time now that she wouldn't have much time left but there was a part of me that desperately hoped she could hold off until the spring so I could visit her one last time. Unfortunately, life and death have their own calendar and I was subject to learning what happened over family posts on Facebook. I received a text from my mom around 1 in the morning here and thought it strange she would text me so late knowing our time difference. Had I remembered to reply before scrolling through my feed, I would have had the news sooner.  The reason I bring this up is because I realize that every choice can lead to un intended consequences. I made the desicion to fly 5,000 miles away for 8 months to try something new and different. What keeps gnawing at my heart is the reality I had a chance to visit this beloved woman while I was in Oregon over the summer. After coaching a team volleyball camp in Bend, I had the choice to either make the extra hour drive to La Pine or head straight to Eugene and soon after Seattle. Fueling my guilt is the fact I chose the latter due to my own exhaustion and excuse that she would probably be too tired to visit with me while I was there. Not that it would have changed the inevitable, but the fact I am here away from my family during this time is tough to swallow. 

    Something like this is exactly a type of fear I had before leaving for Switzerland. I knew I would have to sacrifice certain events and time with people I love to have this experience. It's not that I didn't have similar sacrifices in college.  I haven't been able to spend a birthday with my little brother for four straight years and after this spring, he'll be in high school!  But of course Seattle is a measly 5 hour drive back to Eugene.  I don't have the time or money to fly back for the memorial service which sucks because my grandmother meant a lot to me.  I know if I begged enough, I could get the time and find the money but I don't think she would want me blubbering in a small church about her. She was someone who wanted the best for her family. When I saw her last, I was extremely excited to tell her my plans to come to Europe and hopefully meet the family she had to leave behind in France. We talked volleyball and boys and she was so happy for me to learn my guy is much taller than myself. Her little mischievous smile made it seem like she wasn't sick at all. The only thing different since the last time I had seen her after I graduated high school was her white hair. She still had the cute thick French accent that could curse like a sailor. I wish I had asked her more about her life. I once interviewed her in middle school for an Ellis Island project on family heritage. I feel like I should have tried again to learn as much about her past and all of her favorite stories. I still remember listening to her sing a little French song that she would sing to all of us grand kids when we were young. I wish I had it memorized. 

    But at the same time I know she doesn't want me or my family to wallow in sadness. So instead I think of my favorite memories of her. Going to her little log cabin to visit her and grandpa Charlie. I think I watched the movie Milo and Otis every single time I was there. Cousin camp with the entire Campbell clan, up to three generations of extended family. This lady had 11 children, my grandmother being the oldest. When we get together as a big group, it's a party. The year I decided to take French in 7th grade and was so excited to have her help me learn my numbers up to twenty. (Un, deux, trois....vingt!)   I was very fortunate to have met her because I realize now how rare it is to have known and grown up with the parents of your own grandparents. (I guess having children before the age of 25 also helps but I plan on starting a new tradition myself...you're welcome mom and dad) 

   So knowing that her 5 foot nothing frame would kick my ass for moping, I am going to instead end this on a happier note. It has officially been one month since I landed in Europe. In one month a few days, we will have our first match of the season to go after the Swiss cup. I am really looking forward to playing in matches and seeing more of this country. Tomorrow, we are playing in a friendly scrimmage against a French team in Neuchâtel. I hope there is room enough for me to jump serve because I am itching to rack up some aces for the hell of it. Soon my roommate Vannessa will be joining me in the Shire during the days we have practice. I am pretty sure she is the Brazillian equivalent of me with her bubbly personality and wide smile. I am now in heaven because my dad and Shelley have sent me peanut butter and that's all I want to eat now. It's amazing the little things that matter. ("When I realize the importance of little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things"....not sure if that was the correct quote but it always pops in my head thank you UW volleyball.) the weather here has been quite temperamental going from sunny and 70 to loud thunderstorms with rain that pelts my roof relentlessly. Quite cozy weather when I all do in my free time is read. And just like that I only have 7 months and change left here. I can already tell once match play begins, I'll be back on a plane before I can blink. Living it up while I can. I wouldn't be here if wasn't for my family and friends.  Especially this  special lady who started it all with a trip across the ocean that would change her life and pave the way for mine.

A bientôt, Gabrielle Simone Parker 

P.S: Yesterday in remembrance of 9/11, I want to say thank you to all the; troops, police officers firefighters, and especially my family who serves for everything you do. I saw this quote in a tweet yesterday and felt it strongly appropriate for my mood this past week "On days like today, hug people a little tighter. Say thank you a little more. Repeat every day after"

Fat ankles and Swiss castles

     Another week in the books. I have officially been in my new place for a week and it is wonderful. 

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.

Welcome to Middle-Earth

        

    Even on a cloudy day, my new view is beautiful. My panorama picture skills suck pretty bad. I took this picture at least 6 times and couldn't keep the camera level.  Welcome to Travers! Another small village similar to Couvet that is about a 5 minute drive from my previous location.  Don't worry, I still live on a hill and therefore have the pleasure of getting a workout to and from my home everyday. Less stairs and incline though so that is actually something to be excited about. My new flat is a side addition to a family home that regularly rents out the space to previous foreigners that have played for my club. The landscape is beautiful and surrounded by rolling hills and farmland.  There are cows everywhere. (Il y a des vaches partout.) I'm still practicing my French and I only had to use google for half of that sentence. Everything here is really great, except the flies that seem to want to be my roommates. I had one flying above my head all night my first night here. Going to invest in some sort of swatter in the near future. (Les mouches sont stupides) Enough of that though, guess I should give a quick tour of the new place.

                                    

      First thing through the door you see the closet, et le salon ( living room/area I think).  To the right, my "bedroom", my roommates "bedroom", and our "dining room". I can't really say "room" but a sleeping, eating, and leisure area. I share this studio/flat with the other foreigner who is from Brazil. I will be here full time while she goes to and from her other more permant residence elsewhere in the country. Not enough giraffe decor but I was able to bring at least one item from home. Now you can't read on until you find him.........got it? Good, moving on.  On the other side of my dining area, we have the office space where many important documents and work can be done. Buuuuuut, I'm not a student anymore so that will be just for decoration. WOOHOO!  Next is where all the magic happens, la   cuisine!

        Ici (here) is my kitchen.  It has a really cute countryside feel to it.  There is a window I can open in the RARE case that I burn something while cooking.  

     The best part of this room is the stove.

                                                                           

I get to either cook like this or hunch over. "It's a kitchen for ants!" Brownie points for the premier (first) person who comments with the correct guess of that movie reference. I just read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in a week (I tend to read like a mad woman when the book is good) so I feel like Gandalf in the the Baggins' residence.  It's funny because the sink area is actually just right but due to the architecture of the slanted ceiling, it is much lower here.  It has character therefore I am entertained by the situation....for now. 

     Now for the best part, what you all have been waiting for! The bathroom. But first, I need to walk inside...

                                      

Yes it's true, I actually moved to the Shire and live amongst hobbits.  And yes I have already hit my head.  All jokes aside, this place is really nice and the family next door are incredibly helpful in making me feel at home.  Even as I'm writing this, I can see the sun trying to burn through the clouds via my window that serves as a sky light.  I receive a meal once a day that is delivered to my mail box.  I would talk more about that, but I plan on a full post for that subject another day. This is the Parker home until April rolls around. I really hope it snows a bit here because I can only imagine how beautiful the view will be. You'd think that would be guaranteed here but apparently last year they barely had a day or two of white fluffy stuff. 

    Until next time, if you haven't read the books and only seen the movies, I recommend starting the LOTR trilogy.   Goodbye precious!

Gabbi the Grey

P.S. This picture made me incredibly happy to see because my mom has it as well.  It just so happens to hang next to my bed. It's one of my favorites of all time.  Feels like home.

Volleyball, volleyball, and moooore volleyball

     With more of a routine in place, I find less need to update you on every single detail of my days here. It seems that this cloudy Saturday morning is reminding me that I should try and write some more.  This week has been filled with more volleyball which sped up the weekend faster than I expected.  Even though I am dedicated solely to my volleyball club, I also have been given the chance to practice with another team nearby in Neuchâtel. The difference between the two are the divisions we are placed in. In Switzerland, there are two divisions. I myself am playing in the second division, but this new team plays in the first. Because I know more touches for me means better volleyball played, I took the train 🚞 to the "big city" to train 💪 more. My first day with them was on Tuesday. 'Twas also the first day I rode the train all by myself. Big girl now. With directions from my coach, I warily made my out of the station and had no idea what to do next, only to be saved by another player I saw on my trip who helped direct me to our ride to the gym.  

     After a few "one way only" streets later, we made it to the facility and I was greeted by all the girls and coaches. Already I noticed a difference between this group from my own small town team. The average height was raised by about 2-3 inches (still not sure how to say how tall I am in the metric system yet). I also noticed one of the girls was wearing a UCONN basketball shirt and USA vollleyball sweats and at first, I thought she must be the American that plays on this team. That was until I heard her speak. She either was incredibly fluent in French or had acquired some sweet gear from American teams. The latter proved to be true. Most of the girls here speak English and I am able to briefly introduce myself before the practice begins.  We start out with a quick warmup and the fun then begins.  It seems to be common practice to use a sort of bench that can stack upon each other to as low or as high as needed. Though only wide as a bench press bench, we stand precariously on them to hit balls across the net to work on defense. I was glad to not be the only person apprehensive to stand 4 feet off the ground. (2 meters? I have no idea) With a couple close calls, I'm happy to report I have yet to fall off one of these stands this week. (Please knock on wood for my sake. Do it now). Once I had the chance to go through the defense a couple times, I figured we would switch drills. Haha silly American. Apparently in Europe, or maybe just Switzerland, they do not jump at all in the morning or midday practices.  (Apparently America and Brazil does, food for thought.) We did this for a solid hour and a half with a little passing at the end of practice. Not that I was upset or mad, but I honestly can't remember a practice in all my 12+ years of volleyball where I solely played defense all practice. It was really fun, but very different from how I received defensive reps at UW. In high school we did something similar, but that was generally during camp time as well. 

     Once I learned the cultural fact of no plyometrics, I realized each noon practice I plan to attend with this team, will more or less be the same thing. I am surprised I have yet to be six packed yet but once again, please knock on wood for I'm sure I just jinxed myself.  On Friday, Since my team does not practice at all, I trained with the NUC team both at noon and in the evening.  The later practice would promise to have more than just defense and passing.  I was able to meet more of the girls, for during they day, some cannot make the noon practice with school or work.  Like I said, the level is higher here, and by the end of practice we are playing a sort of 5 on 5 game with down balls as the start of each rally.  Not to sound vain, but I think of myself as a powerful hitter, only I may have met my match this practice. One of the women on this team, (and I say woman not girl) for she can rip the absolute snot out of the ball. It was fun playing with all of these great players, but I especially like the challenge to see if I can dig the likes of her.  My turn being at the net as a front row hitter, reminded me once again I forgot my puffer back in the states and that I need to get my ass into better shape. Overall, it was great way to end the week, and I felt content and satisfied with my performance over all. 

        The practices with my own team have steadily become more intense with more game like situations being put in place. I really enjoy playing with these girls, even if the speed of the game is not as fast as it is at UW. I find myself being more comfortable around them, and becoming more my loud bubbling self.  You can really feel the family like atmosphere on this team which I can relate to in my experience at UW. At the end of the day, that's what I enjoy most about being on a team like this.  You can have a winning record and a PAC 12 title (hey yo, go dawgs 💜💛🐶) but what I think is most important are the relationships built with the people you interact with.  Already I can tell, by the end of these next 8 months, It will be hard to leave all these great people.  But thinking ahead takes me away from the present which I try to live in every moment while I am here.  Today, I am excited to go to my first European futbol game with some of the NUC players. Tomorrow, I get to see my new and more permanent home for the rest of my time here. Everyday here still feels like a gift and I love every second of it. I miss everyone back home, but I am still grateful for this experience and look forward to sharing more adventures with you all. 

Good luck to all the teams back home starting their seasons. Go Irish 🍀 and Go Huskies!!

Till next time,

A sore American

PS this is my view from the train everyday to and from Neuchâtel 

Premier weekend!!

        As promised, I have much to share on my first fun filled weekend here in Switzerland. With another practice under my belt last Friday, I still am excited to see what this season lies ahead for me. But enough about volleyball for soon that will be the only thing to talk about once we really get into it. Saturday was dedicated solely to being a tourist I think I played that role quite suffiently with the 188 pictures I took.

    SATURDAY 

        My host for the day would be Magali who also lives in Neuchâtel. We start the drive from Couvet around noon and right away I'm already snapping pictures of the beautiful countryside. It was a sunny drive but the weather would not be stable for long. Halfway through, we could already see the lake that is one of the selling points for this small city.  Thirty minutes later, we arrive and are soon off to find some food.  My guide asks me what I want and I honestly have no idea, because I do not know what is typical to eat here. All I ever think of is chocolate which wouldn't be a bad life if I could just live off of that. I have always wanted to eat an authentic crêpe so we head to a nearby cafe that Magali frequented while a student there in the city. It is crowded but looks like a typical college cafe would. For my Eugenians, think Glenwood with one floor and fewer space to walk between tables and people. Magali tells me everything there is good, which doesn't help me decide because there's 1827483929392 things on the menu to choose from. If Hardy and I went to eat here, we would never be able to order. I finally decide on a crêpe with saucisson et fromage (sausage and cheese). I almost thought about ordering the special (chicken, onions, red peppers, and a sort of sweet and sour sauce) but I wasn't sure if I would handle anything too different. Turns out, that one turned out waaaay better than mine. I only got to try it because Magali ordered the special. Teaches me not to be so safe I guess. Still, what I had was good and like any true tourist young person with a smart phone, I took a picture of it. I also ordered a café bach which is a coffee that comes with cream, sugar, and a little chocolate dish filled with whipped cream to put in the coffee. Costs extra but you know, "when in Europe". I definitely plan on coming back soon to hopefully get the special and a sweet chocolate crêpe. C'est délicieux!

       With lunch covered, we began our long day of walking towards the main part of town.  The first sight to see is the garden and flea market right outside where we ate.  The plants and presentation of everything is gorgeous and has me reminiscing about Seattle and all the parks I enjoy to walk through. Though I have yet to see anything like this 

There was also a hippo and frog, but alas no giraffe.  A quick pit-stop to Magali's flat, we make our way to the la grand rue or the Main Street.  The area is particularly busy due to a world music festival. Bands that come from all over perform in various parts of the city for passerbys to enjoy. I heard everything from Spanish, Greek, to a Swiss-German orchestra that rapped and sang a German version of Kanye West's "Stronger". Only seven people were in this group but they were highly entertaining with good music and showmanship. At the end of the day we saw them again and they played Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" and "Crazy In Love" by everyone's queen.....Beyoncé. You know I sang every word to both of those songs and even got a 👍 thumbs up from the trumpet player when he saw my skills. (Pullup Orchestra if you feel inclined to google them) In between the music, we met up with another teammate who is one of my faithful translators on the team. Fabienne probaly has the best English accent so far so I sometimes forget she can speak French and Swiss-German (Fun Fact: Swiss-German is very different then Germany German but Swiss-French is the same as France French. Just a different accent between the latter two.)

          We make our up more hills and stairs which I failed to mention.  EVERYWHERE I GO IN COUVET HAS STAIRS AND HILLS. I'm constantly sweating going to and from the gym and market. No bueno, c'est horrible.  Anywho, we walk up a steep hill and a billion stairs to see the local castle. Though it was really cool to see a castle up close, it's nothing like you see in fairy tales. It looks like an old stone building from the outside but really cool within the courtyard.

Entering the courtyard, I used my deductive Sherlock Holmes skills to see that people were really, really, really.....

SHORT, back in the Middle Ages. The church next to the castle is very beautiful as well and the view from atop those monumental stairs is incredible.  

When we arrived, my guides asked me if I had ever heard of pétanque? If I were any other American, I probably would have said pe-what? But thanks to my highly cultural time spent at Henry D. Sheldon High school I knew exactly what they were talking about. Unfortunately, I still somehow managed to walk right through someone's game and looked yet again like another oblivious tourist.

          After the castle, Fabbiene bid us adieu (look at all the languages I can speak), and we made our way to le lac du Neuchâtel. We were fortunate to have a rare moment of sun during this portion of the day and the water was incredibly clear and blue. Still too cloudy to see the Alps, but hopefully one of these days I'll get lucky.  Many pictures later, we strolled to what is called "Place Pury". In many towns the "place" is a center where you go to meet someone. We happened to be meeting a friend of the volleyball team and her daughter. Two years old and cute as a button, Sara speaks Spain Spanish because of her mother, understands Arabic because of her father, and French I think due to her daycare of some kind.  I swear, I feel so inadequate because I am not fluent in a second language. Americans really are missing out being monolingual and all.  Another fast round of rain showers sends us to a cafe to stay dry and meet my Portugese teammate Leticia. Already I am in need of a nap, but we carry on to see more music and I can't stand how cute it is to watch a two year old dance and clap to all the music. She especially liked the Greek group. 

     Towards the end of our day, we headed to eat a classic Swiss meal, cheese fondue. This is something I have been dying to try for years.  We take more stairs, but thankfully down, to where we were to seated.  If I'm being honest, it didn't smell great.  Think very strong cheese mixed with dog.  It's great you want to bring your pooch and all, but it doesn't make for a very romantic ambience.  With one waitress on staff on a busy night, we were there for quite some time but it was worth the wait. With some white wine to go with, I ate bread dipped in hot cheese till it came out of my ears. Very strong in flavor which had me eating smaller amounts then my companions but who can complain. When you get to just eat bread and cheese all the time, life is good.  Fair warning; I was told not to drink anything cold during or after having fondue. The cold will harden the cheese while in your stomach and make for some uncomfortable digesting for the rest of your evening. Wine is fine (haha rhymes) due to the alcohol being able to help the digestion of the cheese. Like I needed another excuse to drink more wine.  Hot tea is also common if you're not into delicious smushed, fermented, grape juice. By 9:30, we finally pay l'addition and begin to say our goodbyes. More goodbye kisses to the cheek, (3 total not 2) Magali and I make our way back to Couvet.  The clear sky and billions of stars is a good omen to the BBQ we are supposed to have with her family the next day.

SUNDAY

       I admit, this morning was quite difficult to wake up from. From walking all day, lots of food, and always focusing on trying to understand the different languages around me, I was quite exhausted.  Can't complain though because it all has been a blast so far. Alex and I walked down our steep hill to Magali's family house which currently includes Joelle and her family as well as their parents. I walk into a beautiful jardin (garden) to see their father cooking on what they consider their grill. It's more of an old stone structure with a rotisserie pit.  He is incredibly nice and welcoming to their home which is now to be expected with this great group of people.  The young girls of Joelle are excited but shy to see the new Ameican player and take a little while to warm up to me. But they don't call me the child whisperer for nothing. Even in broken French I can charm any kid I come across. There are once again numerous cheeses and some meats for appetizers and a large shot glass of what?  If you said wine you'd be correct.  So what do you eat at a Swiss BBQ? Pork that has been roasted on a stick for hours and gratin.  By far, the gratin has been my favorite thing I have eaten while here.  Their mother made it and I was shameless as I took a much larger second helping of it.  This dish includes risotto on the bottom and vegetables laid on top then baked till perfection. Heaven in a pan I swear.  With more wine from one of the sponsors who also owns a winery, we ate till we were full but hungry enough to eat multiple desserts. Glace, chocolat, et gâteau à la crème (ice cream, chocolate, and cream cake basically) were on the menu and I ate all of it.  The last one is a typical Swiss dish that looks like a cream-custard pie that tastes like apple pie. I can't help but compare everything I see, eat, hear etc to what I know back home. During the dessert, I had a very hard time keeping my eyes open. After numerous large yawns, it was time for another coffee. I love how normal it is to drink a coffee at 3 in the afternoon here. After food, we lounged inside le salon (living room) until it was time to go. Not before of course the oldest girl had me attempt to read her French books to her. I was very grateful on how patient and polite she was as I most likely mangled and butchered her beautiful language.  She would me pronounce anything I looked to her in desperation trying to say.  After a weekend like this, I am quite tired but really happy to have all these people making my experience so much fun.

Santé! (Cheers!)

The pooped American