Lishabeth In the Great Wide Somewhere

Wedding!!!

2011-11-03T12:33:00.001-07:00

Well, the wedding is over and we are back from the honeymoon, and we are just as happy as ever. I don't think I have been through a day yet where I don't stop to think about how wonderful the wedding day was, and nice it was to see such lovely people there. We haven't gotten our official photographer pictures back yet, but with such talented friends and family, it's hard to tell. Here are some beautiful photos people took on October 15th. Thank you so much for sending your love, sharing the day with us, and creating this gorgeous mementos of one of the best days of my life.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

It is such a funny thing, how easy it is to wake up in a good or bad mood. What decides that? I slept well, listened to good sing-along music in the car, and hardly had any traffic to deal with, but still at work, I was so grouchy today! I realized that I was being dramatic, and needed to take five minutes to calm down, so I went on a search to find a quiet place. Unfortunately, those are hard to come by in a lab, so without really considering what I was doing, I found myself literally hiding in the coat closet. It was a peaceful five minutes, standing under the emergency shower and leaning on the wall cushioned by dozens of paper lab coats. At least, it was until I was found by one of the sales reps. I had no reason to offer as to why I was in there, so I just walked passed him and back to my desk, leaving him looking confused in the doorframe. I wonder if someday he will be asked to describe me someday, and say: "That's Elizabeth. She hides in emergency shower/coat closet. We don't talk about it."

The Start of 2011

2011-02-22T10:58:00.001-08:00

I've always been really bad at keeping a diary (and obviously, since my last post was in November, blogs too). But, in school, my academic life depended on a planner. The week I couldn't find my little DayRunner, I missed almost all my readings and was late on a paper. So, I've decided to blend the two. I am now officially recording my dreams, keeping my schedule, collecting quotes, recipes, facts and interesting superstitions. If you have any submissions, they would be very welcome. January and February are going well, and I have little diary entries or at least one thing written on almost every day, which is a huge accomplishment.

In other areas, I am still working at the lab, and I am still job searching for a position in which I have even the slightest bit of interest. I finished reading Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, The Bell Jar, and several books in the Princess Diaries Series. I have just started Animal Farm, which I am enjoying quite a bit, and next up is Gulliver's Travels. My newest goal is to be able to run a 5k this coming April, which is about 3.1 miles. I tried last night, and I ran a mile and a half, so halfway there! Also, I am 24 now, which doesn't feel so very different from 23.

Nettie and Jacob are now far away in San Diego, but their new place is so pretty and suits them perfectly. I am excited to visit! What I learned during the move was that the best moving skill I have is climbing over piles of boxes and furniture in a moving truck. I got to sit on top of the stuff and feel like a dragon sitting on piles of treasure.

Wedding stuff is moving along nicely. Something like 230 days until the wedding, so lots of time to finish planning everything. Next up is finding a photographer and a DJ that the venue approves of. With DJ names like Mixterious Force and Mystical Vibrations, how hard could it be?

The Library

2010-11-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

On an hour lunch break, I decided to go for an adventure and find the Newport Beach Library. I like to think that if my wallet was ever to be stolen, the thief would take the time to at least go through it and notice the different items. If they saw that I had six different library cards, I might be wallet-less and poor, but at least the thief would think me to be well-read.

I drove down Pacific Coast Highway, ready to add a new card to my collection. Although I went directly to the library, and walked out with several books, I forgot to get the card. You see, the bookstore was having a massive sale of antique and used books. The sale officially began at one o'clock, and by 12:45, the bookworms and collectors were in a line that went out the door and around the corner. Even when the books were mostly falling apart and in languages most likely not understood by the people purchasing them, they were perfect. I could almost feel the written words around me and smell the decaying paper. It was divine, and the people around me all understood.

Today a group of oddballs came together, their grocery bags and weathered cardboard boxes in tow, ready to be filled, over-brimming with the works of Hawthorne, Bronte and Huxley. When he noticed me hold a copy of Kipling's Kim, a stranger dropped a copy The Little French Girl into my hands, and started telling me the story of Kipling's imprisonment. An old woman was nearly in tears in the corner, hugging a book she said she hadn't been able to find since she was twelve. Everybody held at least one book, and whether it cost fifty cents or three hundred dollars, we all had our own treasure. There was an instant connect with everybody else in that room, a way we could look at each other and know: we are the literature nerds, the romantics, the bibliophiles.

Lists

2010-11-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to Nettie

The List of My Favorite Things (in no particular order)

Best Movie Outfits
1. Leisle's Edelweiss dress, The Sound of Music
2. Amidala's rainbow gondola dress, Star Wars
3. Cecelia's green dress, Atonement
4. Princess Ann's street clothes, Roman Holiday
5. Susan's warrior outfit, Prince Caspian

Favorite Parts of My New Job
1. Office supplies
2. Free blood tests
3. The Gross Women's Hospital
4. The old couples
5. Driving past the Pacific Ocean at sunrise/sunset

My Current Favorite Candy
1. Milky Way
2. Skittles
3. Milk Duds
4. Swedish Fish
5. Mike'n'Ikes

My Favorite Office Supplies
1. Highlighters
2. Stapler
3. Sharpie Pen
4. Desk Calendar
5. Roatary Pencil Cup

My Favorite Villains
1. The Wormwoods/The Trunchbull, Matilda
2. Malicifant, Sleepign Beauty
3. Dr. Horrible, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
4. Cathy, East of Eden
5. The White Whitch, Chronicals of Narnia

Best Parts of Being Rachel's Roommate
1. Midnight decorating
2. Harry Potter bedtime stories
3. Clothes
4. Party planning
5. The gnomes

Other Things that I Like
1. Being engaged to Chad
2. Photobooths
3. Hot cocoa mixed with coffee
4. Registery guns
5. Perfume bottles with spray bulbs
6. Eye droppers
7. The telephone playing Gershwin music while I'm on hold
8. That kid who thought he missed the school bus
9. Emails with pictures attached
10. My workout playlist & an open raquetball court

Also, the Terminator is no longer our governer, we have a wedding date and venue, and I am working at a medical lab at Hoag Hospital. There are only 22 days until Thanksgiving, and I love my new scalloped black high heels.

Thank You, TLC

2010-09-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Today, a light bulb burnt out in my house. I took the light bulb out , and got ready to go to the store where I could buy a new light bulb. Then, I realized, silly me! If I leave now, I'll miss Say Yes to the Dress. I decided to stay home, with the only the light of the television. That is how I know that I've got Wedding Fever.

As of Today....

2010-05-20T16:22:00.001-07:00

I have completed my Bachelor's Degree!!!

Yes, George of the Jungle Did Just Walk By

2010-05-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

Walking to class, I saw a man in a leopard-print loincloth holding a boom box playing Michael Jackson music on his shoulder. As I tried to think of any other places that such an outfit would be accepted and receive the welcome it was given, I realized how much I really am going to miss college.

This is a picture of the stress fracture in my foot:

What a Wonderful Week

2010-04-22T00:31:00.000-07:00

So much has happened this week!

I interviewed for a camp counselor position at Camp Wayne last Wednesday, something that I have thought about doing for four years now. It was conveniently held on my school campus, and four hours later, I was offered a job on the spot. Woohoo! I have postponed homelessness and unemployment for another two months! I watched the instructional video they sent me home with, and now I am super excited because they have a Color War at the end of Camp like in Molly Saves the Day. I will be there with a smile and a can of worms.

Then, I went to the beach on Sunday, excited to wear my sunshine yellow sundress, and found some really cool holey rocks. Jenette said porous, but I did not concur. They were just holey. The boys immediately ran to the water as soon as we got there, and like the littlest bunny in Robin Hood, I yelled, "Hey guys, wait for me!" and ran into the not-so-terribly cold and surprisingly clear Pacific ocean. We eventually made it past the ocean floor pot holes and went out nearly past the surfers. When the other boys wimped out (yeah, you did) only Jacob and I were left.

"Wouldn't it be cool if a whole pod of dolphins came by right now? I asked.

Jacob laughed.

"I've seen it happen before," I insisted. We dove under another wave and kept bobbing along happily for about 45 seconds. Then, a fin came out of the water. A dolphin!

"Hello friend!" I shouted. I began tapping the water to encourage him that I was a friendly human, but then realized that there could be a shark if there was a dolphin and splashing like that was not one of my best ideas. The dolphin did not come closer, but his friend, dolphin Number 2 did! Then there was a wave, and Jacob and I saw the silhouette of an entire other dolphin through the water. Then more came and came until we were in the water with about seven dolphins. Or porpoises. Whichever, they were fantastic and close enough to see their eyeballs. It was one of those perfect moments in life where I just feel so thankful to live in and see the places I have been. All I could manage to say with those happy creatures around me was "Oh! Wonderful!" I kept repeating it, because it didn't need any more words. It just was perfectly wonderful.

Today, or well, yesterday, because I am up late again, I went roller skating. I didn't fall, which should be enough of a triumph, but that wasn't the best part. When I was waiting for more people of our group to arrive, an adorable four or five year old Chinese girl who could hardly reach her arms up to the ticket window translated for her parents so they could all go skating together. She was so excited, her light up tennis shoes were flashing more than a strobe light at a rave as she jumped around. I saw her and her mom and dad later on, each clutching the wall and slowly plodding their way around the rink in a single file line. I smiled at the and cheered the little girl on, who then look at me, smiled and ventured to slide two steps without the wall.

When I stopped to take a break about half an hour later, I found that same little girl flirting with a boy about her about. He tried to escape the girl cooties, but fell right on his bum while making his escape. She tip toed over to him, grabbed his wrist, pulled him up, and didn't let go. I watched as that determined little girl dragged her new boyfriend around the entry area. Eventually he gave up, and the two skated, no stepped on wheels, hand in hand for another ten minutes. She was definitely my character of the day.

Lots of other things have happened this week, like I finished a book called What-the-Dickens, walked in the rain, got an A on my Jazz midterm and certified in CPR, and I had the chance to dance in front of the chair of the CSULB Dance Department, but these three were my favorite.

This week, in preparation for camp, I am having a trial-run of seven days with no candy. Including chocolate. I will let you know if I am still alive at the end.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

It must be Easter, because this morning, right after I finished eating my Honey Nut Cheerios, there was a real, live Easter Bunny outside our front door! We ran out to greet him, nearly tripping over several basket-toting children, and rushed to welcome the six-foot animal. He was very kind and high-fived Rachel and me.

Detail of the Day III

2010-04-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, there was a naked man driving his RV down a residential street in Long Beach. I had hoped that maybe he was just topless, but at a stop sign, he proved his dedication to naked driving. Crazy man, it was cold outside yesterday!!!

Silhouettes and Lines

2010-03-23T00:39:00.000-07:00

These are two things that I always like to take pictures of. (Yes, I know that ends a sentence with a preposition, but I'm not a prescriptive grammarian. I'm about to be a gradumacated linguist- I do what I want.) Today I have some lines for you.

Graduation is Approaching!

2010-03-11T15:07:00.001-08:00

I filed to graduate from CSULB today, which means I have about two months to figure out what to do next. I have been at Long Beach State for five years now, so it will definitely be strange to leave the place that I have been living, go to school and working at the whole time, but I am looking forward to something new. The one thing that I will miss, though, is all the changes. Our school is seriously under construction, with new buildings popping up everywhere. (How they are building things, but can't afford to pay professors to teach enough classes so every student has a desk or chair to sit in, I don't know, but I digress...) I feel like if I leave now and come back to visit in a year, I won't recognize anything but the pyramid.

I had a wonderful birthday last month, and for the first time, I was able to visit Hearst Castle. Well, 2nd time, I think I remember Mom saying that I went there as a baby, but that doesn't really count. I love exploring the place, but even though the tour Chad and Kelly chose for me was through the library and the study, I was not as impressed with those rooms as expected to be. The Beast's Library sets an unrealistically high bar, but I can dream that I will find it one day. The rooms I really enjoyed at the castle were the guest rooms, especially this one called the jewelry box room. It was an up in the attic room, but with every wall made of colored glass windows half-way covered by curtains that absorbed the sun and colors and made everything look like it was made for Jeannie the genie or Princess Lollipop.

Also for my birthday, my family came over, and my mom, who is always up for a challenge, made a delicious purple cake. We redecorated my bedroom, played taboo and ate. A lot. Great birthday by my standards!

Now... here is my list of jobs that I will be looking into, in no order whatsoever. Please give your suggestions, advise and opinions, because right now I feel like I am playing a game to which I don't know the rules!

1. Dolphin Trainer (probably not gonna happen)
2. Librarian
3. Flight Attendant
4. English Teacher (more school!!!)
5. English Teacher in a Foreign Country
6. Disneyland Performer
7. Camp Counselor
8. Novelist
9. Work for American Girl Magazine
10. Chocolatier

A School Under Construction

2010-02-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010!

2010-01-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

The new year is here, and so far it looks like it is going to be a good one! I only have one more semester left as CSULB, so I am taking suggestions for what I should do with my life. Right now, I am thinking that I would like to travel again, so I am enjoying California as much as I can. Chad and I have been trying to explore cool nature-y places on my off weekends, which I've really enjoyed.

We played in the snow at Big Bear and found a small used book store by the lake. There were only two and a half rooms, but the walls were filled ceiling to floor with rows of books. Mostly it was a bunch of discarded Danielle Steele sap or the Left Behind series, but I found a small treasure: Eugene Field's Little Book of Profitable Tales (1896). It is now the latest in my small but lovely collection of antique books. The lake itself was outlined in a ring of ice, which I was more than happy to help destroy. Rocks (small boulders) thrown at the frozen lake fall with a surprising puff-like sound, like punching a pillow.

This past weekend, we hiked the El Moro Trail at Crystal Cove in Laguna Beach. I made friends with a squirrel, two blackbirds, four bunnies and a giant mushroom. Chad, proving that he did earn a degree in archaeology, found a bone in the ground. He says that it is a deer vertebrae. I like the idea of the adventure that might begin if we found the first clue in solving a mystery, but I hope he is right and that I don't have a human back bone sitting on my bookshelf. Because that's slightly more than creepy, it's how most Stephen King novels begin.

This year I have also visited a glass church on a cliff, met John Pinette, and had a tea party with dear old friends. I will try to write more often (ha ha...), and I will certainly let you know when I've decided what comes next. Hope that your 2010 (officially pronounced twenty-ten) is starting off as well as mine!

Jaywalkers Are Not My Friends

2009-11-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

I enjoy living in my new place, but there a few inconveniences that arise when living on-campus, off-site. While it helping me to remember to write lists of everything I need, so I don't forget my homework at home, and think that it fantastic to actually live on Pacific Coast Highway, it is getting to campus that's the trouble.

1. The Shuttle, which I understand is working out it's kinks, is often late, and which makes me either very early or slightly late to my first class.

2. Biking. Fantastic during the day, not so premium for my sight in the nighttime.

3. Walking. Fantastic during the day, not so premium for my general safety and well being in Long Beach in the nighttime.

4. Driving

A. Driving. People are crazy drivers here. No one signals. I don't understand that. I appreciate the pleasant and familiar tock-tock of my blinker. Plus, it's one more button to push. Fun! And, to all of you tail-gaters, you make me drive slower, not faster, so there.

B. Driving Part 2: Jaywalkers like to frequent Atherton, just past the grocery store. I don't know why they congregate right on that quarter-mile stretch of road, but it's not ok. You stress me out. You too, bicyclists. You know what? I waited to get my driver's license, and that gave plenty of time to study. I know the rules of the road. I knew them when I was a pedestrian, AND I followed them. They aren't difficult. The general idea is to know when you have the right of way, and if you don't have the right of way, don't step in front of a very quickly moving vehicle that is at least 5 times your size. Thank you, pedestrians and bicyclists that stop at red lights, I value your patience.

C. Parking. Parking lots are not pretty, and parking structures are way sketchy. But, I need to get to class, and it's not fun to have to drive to class just to find out that I have to walk from Lower Campus to the South Turnaround, which takes almost as much time as walking from my apartment, so more parking options might be better. Shows me for smogging up the air to drive to school.

D. Hit & Runn-ers. They are bullies and though I know that accidents happen, I do not appreciate their antics. Oliver is still embarrassed about the dent and hole you left in his bumper. A band-aid will not fix this booboo.

Detail of the Day II

2009-09-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

I was sitting on a concrete bench outside one of my classrooms, reading and studying, when the song "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast came on my i-pod. As the song went on, I began assigning the different lines and townspeople characters to the passersby. It was frighteningly easy to find people to play the Bimbettes, and the different townspeople like the baker or barber. I even found a Gaston and Lefou crossing the lawn by the Outpost. I was thrilled that without even trying, I was the one sitting in the middle of the crowd reading, because, guess who that makes me!

"Look there she goes that girl is strange no question. Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?"

And I Shall Call Him Lumpy, The Wall Licker

2009-09-30T04:03:00.000-07:00

Detail of the Day

2009-09-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

Today, while driving past a Home for the Elderly, I saw two women crawling through a chain link fence. The fence guards an open sewer that divides a pretty busy road from this Elderly Apartment Complex. One, who looked to be in her early twenties, was wearing a baseball cap and carrying an umbrella, even though it was reported to be 105 degrees today. The other woman, who was probably in her fifties, was wearing an Amish dress and cap.

What do you suppose they were doing?

A Pleasant Summer

2009-07-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

A month ago, I moved to a new on-campus complex called Parkside. It is a fun studio apartment that is literally split into two halves, one on each side of the hall. While the kitchen is huge and the location is perfect, I have not even started to really unpack. This is because I thought that I was moving again at the start of August to another new apartment. However, this second move has been postponed a few weeks, and now I am really feeling the nomadic life.

This summer, I have been enjoying the freedom that a car of my very own provides. Before, I never would take the bus by myself past sunset. That just seemed to be asking for trouble, however short the ride would have been. When the sun would start to set, I would, as if I lived in a world where vampires and other things that go bump in the night really existed, ride my bike home as fast as my legs could pedal. Now, if I need to run a small errand, I can go to the grocery store, or wherever. Amazing! I do still love to ride my bike, and I have found that going to the library or buying flowers isn't as satisfying when I drive there. There is something so pleasantly antiquated about that combination, that I don't think that I will ever become a content driver. Plus, I still hate changing lanes.

To continue with the old fashioned summer theme, I went to the Orange County Fair, enjoying the small but terrifyingly rickety roller coasters and the simplicity of a photo booth. Mama received an honorable mention in the professional photography contest, so we were all very proud! My family and I went to the circus, where two women where simultaneously shot out of side-by-side canons and tigers jumped through hula hoops of fire.

Unfortunately, though, it was tainted with modernity for which I was most definitely not prepared. The circus was not in a tent, but a huge indoor concert arena, and the vendors outside used obnoxiously loud microphones and speakers trying to sell their programs, popcorn and cotton candy. I can accept that being yelled at by the calling salesmen is part of the experience, but at least before the technology invasion, there was a technique and a near musicality to the way they threw their voices. Maybe not. I wasn't there in that time period, so I can't say for sure if that's how it was, but my imagined version of a three-ring circus in a tent with fire-breathers and clowns in striped pants seems much more appealing. It is just so less intimate with laser shows and overwhelming crowds and overly rehearsed lines. I guess my imagined circus, my imagined anything, really, will always be my ideal, so how can I fairly compare the two?

Auntie Colleen posted something that asked which fifteen books will always stick with her. (I know I cheated and put 17, but she listed 24!) Here is my list:

1. The Giver
2. A Separate Peace
3. Dove Isabeau
4. Daughter of the Forest
5. Flowers for Algernon
6. The Things They Carried
7. Tuck Everlasting
8. Bridge to Terabithia
9. Fahrenheit 451
10. The Harry Potter Series
11. In My Hands/The Hiding Place
12. Pygmalion
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. The Picture of Dorian Gray
15. Ella Enchanted
16. Beloved
17. Romeo and Juliet

Started May 17, Published June 11. How Time Flies.

2009-05-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

After four years at CSULB, I was able to see my classmates take part in their respective Graduation ceremonies. (Congratulations all of you!) However, I am not among those dedicated and accomplished students. Having committed to my position as a Residence Hall Coordinator, I will be here for one more year. Linguistics, Creative Writing and French will have to keep me busy as usual.

Although the semester seemed to fly by, week by week, each homework assignment to the next, it dragged. I am sure there were times when I could have committed more of myself, but I'm always wiser with retrospect. Looking back, I can't remember a time when I wasn't completely booked with meeting with usually crazy and occasionally frustrating, but always interesting and entertaining residents. RA's always had projects going on, all of which were impressive, as usual. We danced in the Japanese Garden, listened to Mariachi music, watched plays, and a million other things. I attempted to attend all of my club meetings on campus. I even started writing my first novel. (Someday, sure, but no, you can't read it yet.) Day by day, I tended to feel more and more guilty sleeping when there was still so much to do.

All the same, life continues. I had a roommate for a while, Paula, who came from Holland and experienced her first earthquake here! We've had a couple recently, actually. I think I might be developing a psychic ability for predicting them, but Jenette used to think she could hear earthquakes coming by listening to the floor of Auntie Freda's pool. Who knows. I still go to physical therapy, which I love. I'd heard from other people that it's horrible and painful, but I look forward each week to the exercise. I danced again for the first time last week, and while my legs were stiff and heavy, they welcomed the movement. My knee hardly ever gives me trouble, and my goal is to get into shape well enough to dance a championship hornpipe and reel without feeling like I'm going to collapse. I think I'll manage... in a few months... Baby steps.

I've taken a pretty huge step this week, though. I bought my very own first car! It is green and small. It has a tiny black steering wheel, and the dashboard lights are green and red like Christmastime. The blinker tocks more than it ticks, and it still doesn't have a name. I'm thinking something insect-y. Whatever I call it, after three days, I am already fiercely protective and completely committed. I woke myself up in the middle of the night last night, just to look out my window and make sure it was still waiting for me in Lot 20.

This summer has had a serious case of June gloom, and I am ready for some sun! I am moving this August to help CSULB start up a new Residence Complex about a mile off campus, and right off PCH. It's all very exciting and I can't wait to get everything started, but my new apartment won't have a backyard, so I am hoping the sun will come out to visit soon! Either inside or out, I still plan to read a lot of books and finish lots of projects. So far, I've read Flowers for Algernon, Where the Red Fern Grows and World War Z. Next up is Persuasion, The Sun Also Rises, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Any other recommendations, or invitations to book clubs, please send them my way!

After a short conversation with Chad, this entry's lesson is the following. According to The Phrase Finder, "to "play it by ear" initially referred to the playing of music without reference to printed notation. More recently, it is also used figuratively to mean 'handle a situation in an impromptu manner'" Now you know.

If A Girl Wants To Dance....

2009-02-21T00:16:00.000-08:00

I had a conversation the other day with a friend about how strongly we thought that the idea that we all want what we can't have applies to us. At the end of this short but interesting chat, we agreed that it's most likely that everybody is intrigued by the experiences they don't know. I couldn't help thinking about it all that night, and then I realized that recently I've been wanting one something in particular.

Somehow I've hurt my knee, and although I'm not quite sure what the problem is yet, I know that dancing is out of the question. And knowing that makes me want it so much more. I have been watching Riverdance, hand-dancing, and even listening to accordion music for fun, for goodness sake! Before my knee buckled, I hadn't danced in three weeks. It makes me so sad that I wasn't taking advantage of the free time I had and a healthy body. Watching my dance friends is definitely bringing out a nostalgic and pretty competitive side of me, so now, with a new appreciation, I wait for either bad news, or (hopefully) an all-clear from the doctor, to dance a happy little jig.

"I rather feel like expressing myself now. And I could certainly use the release. If a girl wants to dance, a girl wants to dance. It's a form of expression." ~Funny Face

The Story of the Missing Elephant

2009-01-29T00:09:00.000-08:00

The new semester has begun at CSULB, and while classes weren't welcomed with the ninety degree weather we had at the beginning of the month, it has been a rather sunny and cheerful start. Going to class is a welcome change after winter break, and I think that I am going to be considerably more interested in more of my classes this semester than last. I did have Folklore & Mythology last semester, but this Spring, I will have a novel-writing class and other subjects with titles like "Discourse Analysis" that makes me feel smart and a bit snobbish.

I have particularly enjoyed the nice weather because I walk almost everywhere I go, which becomes a pretty miserable practice while carrying grocery bags nearly a mile in the rain. Now, when I have time off from work and school, and my silly knee isn't hurting, I can go for walks, just like summer!

However, I was truly disheartened when I came across a serious case of elephant-napping. For four years, I have walked to the Los Altos Library and Shopping Center by walking down Chatwin. There is one home in particular on this residential road that decorates their lawn with empty bird cages, wagons, statues and whatever other interesting objects (I can only imagine) that they come across. My favorite piece of this landscaping achievement is a small wooden elephant that stands in a painted flower pot right by the driveway. I walked to the library a couple weeks ago, passing that lawn and looking for my elephant friend, but he was nowhere to be found! I do hope that he has gone one some grand adventure or found another driveway to look after, with some other stranger to say hello to every week, but I can't help worrying about this awkward little animal. I am mostly disappointed, though, because since I first saw him, I have wanted to write a letter to the home owners, thanking them for the simple little joy of his friendship while I lived in Long Beach. Now, I am afraid to send them that letter next year, not wanting to bring up any sad memories of the abducted wooden pachyderm. So, Mr. Elephant, thank you for your company. I hope that you have a proper place to oversee, wherever in the world you are.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

I’ve never really been any good at making (or keeping) resolutions. But, I do realize that 2008 was a pretty eventful year for me, so I feel that it is necessary for me to make a little review of the year.

In 2008, I learned that Disneyland has a maximum capacity at which it closes its doors, and that contact lenses can be too small for an eyeball. I learned the meaning of the French word “truc” and the way to swirl frozen yogurt. I have definitely learned to be more confident in my decisions and I’m becoming better at speaking up for myself.

I didn’t sneeze during Nettie and Jacob’s wedding, which was a huge fear of mine. I love the way that my family has grown this- as I have a new brother, and I was able to meet some family members in Holland. I am blessed in the way that others have put their faith in me over the past year, and I am happy to say that my faith has been restored in many ways. Managing my time has become a larger challenge for me than ever before in my life, but I’ve always enjoyed being busy.

I did a happy dance at five in the morning alone in my apartment after I found out that I got the coordinator position. I came back to Long Beach refreshed and ready to be back at CSULB. While I am anxious to see my life develop outside of the school setting, especially after I had the chance to travel, I am proud to be where I am in my university. My hope is that next semester, I will be able to spread my time out more evenly between all the different groups with which I’m involved.

I cried a lot when a professor promised a recommendation that never came, keeping me from an opportunity to become a better writer. It showed me though, that I know what I really want to do. I also think that because of this, I can better appreciate the measures others haven taken to follow through with even the smallest of projects. I am truly thankful for the effort I have seen the people around me put in for our common goals.

I just wanted to thank everybody in my life for all the wonderful things you do, like writing me letters and calling me on skype when I am halfway across the globe, or coming to visit me when I am on call and not able to leave campus. Thanks for listening to my silly stories, because I am sure that 2009 will give me plenty more to tell you.

October?

2008-10-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'd like to think that California is now in the autumn season like the rest of the country, but it is just so hard to tell! I am pretty sure that we had a day of fall about a week ago, but then we went straight into winter the next day, skipped spring, and were back into summer by the weekend. Yesterday had some nice gray clouds, but the google weather forecast says that we will be back in the 80's by Wednesday. (So I waited until Friday to finish this blog, and yesterday it got up to almost 90. Rediculous.) I've given up, and decided to be thankful that I don't have to plan a Halloween costume that would allow a snowsuit underneath.

The other signs of fall in Long Beach are Midterms, talks of flushots, and of course, a pumpkin patch. Without these things, I might think that we are still in August. I, the lucky girl I am, got to go to Pa's Pumpkin Patch just off PCH last week. Chad and I went, saw the goats, sheep and alpacas, found the biggest and misshapen pumpkins that Pa had, and then Chad bought me a gourd. It is green and yellow and warty and the perfect companion to my mini pumpkin I got in September. (I was impatient.)

I went to Hollywood on Wednesday and saw Jon Lovitz perform his stand-up comedy. He was very funny, but the most exciting part was driving to Hollywood. I tend to forget that it is so close, that all these famous California locations are less than an hour away. The city is dusty, the cement sidewalks are cracked everywhere from tree roots and probably an earthquake or two, and a lot of time it feels like there are more cars than people. But the Los Angeles gives off this intense feeling of life and ghosts at the same time, so you are completely surrounded by lights and other people and, well, cars. You are so enveloped in these other forces that there isn't a moment where you can look around and not feel intrigued by something you see. Plus, I think the guy that sat in front of me (who just happened to be the tallest guy in the room) was famous in some way. He looked familiar, so two points for Hollywood in really having celebrities.

Another great California city is San Diego, where I got to go see my favorite band, Gaelic Storm in concert. I wasn't completely convinced, even at the end of the show, that despite how absolutely gorgeous the early 1900's theater was, that it the appropriate setting. I couldn't dance at all, and it is really, really hard to listen to Irish music and not dance. My consolation, however, was that after the show, two of my friends and I got to go visit with the band for a little while. I like to say we all went to get dinner, but really it was just Genevieve who got dinner, and everyone else just ate her French fries. Band tax, I guess.

Dictionary.com lists limn as it's word of the day, but I would like to propose one of my new favorites: Honorificabilitudinitatibus- the state of being able to achieve honors, and the longest word in all of Shakespeare's works. And, since we are on the literature subject, if anyone would liek to read along with the book club I am in, we just finished Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, and you still have time to Read Dahl's The Witches.

Happy Halloween!

Autumn in Long Beach

2008-09-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

I guess it's safe to say that I have let myself disappear from the world for the most part. Well, I am back, and I will be trying my hardest to keep the world informed of my activities. The summer ended beautifully. Rachie turned 17, the prettiest age of them all, and Nettie married Jacob, which means I've got myself an actual brother!! She was a pretty bride, and it was one of the greatest dance parties in history. Dad even catwalked to Right Said Fred! Rachel is a senior in high school now, and a five-star frozen yogurt swirler, which makes her the rock star of the family.

Fall semester of 2008 began a month ago, reminding me how huge the CSULB campus is, and how lovely it is to not have to worry about understanding the language of instruction. California seems to be in denial that it's no longer summer, but I am more than ok with that! The first half of my two year long senior year has been passing calmly. All of classes seem to relate to each other, which a nice confirmation that upper division classes are a billion times better than GEs. I have also declared a second major, which officially makes me a double major in Linguistics and English (emphasis in Creative Writing) with a minor in French. It keeps me busy.

I'm still coordinatoring, which keeps me even more busy. I love working with all the RA's though, especially with their event projects. They get to plan fun social events for residents, and my staff is really prepared and creative, which makes my job so much easier! I also supervise a community service committee, so that's even more good stuff for me to get involved in. Then, I am involved with two clubs on campus (Christian Youth Group one and a Study Abroad one), so free time is a rare a special thing for me. Chad does a good job of keeping me mostly un-crazy and helps me focus on important stuff like homework and getting off campus to the outside world!

I've been spending most of my free time doing four things. Mostly, I'm in my kitchen, actually, practicing my baking and chocolate-working skills. I figure that if this whole college/writing thing doesn't work out, I can always start a chocolaterie. I also watch reruns of The Office and old black and white movies, which I realize are almost opposite genres that don't really mix very well, but I can't help what I like. I've started up a book club in the Residence Halls! Our first book is A Handmaid's Tale, but I haven't started it quite yet. (The Picture of Dorian Gray was amazing- I couldn't put it down!) All this reading has got me to start writing more, which is great for my creative nonfiction class. I think my work is okay, but I haven't been critiqued yet. I would just like to thank my friends and family for being such fun characters to write about- you guys make me sound pretty darn cool in class!

Question for the week: How many morphemes would be in eggplant? Yes, it is a compound noun, but does it's etymology really require it to be separated? I say no, but this has become quite the controversy in my semantics class.

California, Right Back Where I Started From

2008-06-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have been home for almost a month now, and it feels like I've been home a lot longer. In fact, after being home about three days, it felt like I had been home for a lot longer than a month. Before I left for Switzerland, my study abroad department gave an informational meeting about stuff we should know while in our respective foreign countries. One topic was reverse culture shock- where we might have trouble readjusting back into California life. Nope. Not such a huge problem. My beach is right where I left it, my sisters are still silly and the weather is, at 90+ degrees Fahrenheit, where it should be for summer.

The flight from Geneva to London was easy- I slept the whole way. Then, I got to Heathrow. First off, the new terminal 5 is amazingly huge and looks like an extended set for Doctor Who or some other future-y show. But, as I should have guessed, security is high, and they didn't like my 25 pound carry-on bag filled with books. So I had to unpack my bag and flip through every page of every book to prove I was hiding pieces of bombs between my copies of Italian Edgar Allen Poe and my German-English dictionary, then repack and run to catch my flight. Good news is, it turns out I'm not a terrorist. I did break the plane though, on the way to LAX. During take-off, there was a bang above my head and then the oxygen masks came tumbling down. Not everywhere- just my row. I thought it was exciting, but my terrified Scottish seat-mate did not agree. She was pacified, however, when we were escorted to the first class "World Traveler" section.

After a couple naps, Harry Potter 4 and Sense and Sensibility, I was home! I don't mean to brag, but I think Chad and my mom were impressed to see me wheeling two oversized suitcases by myself with that only-slightly-ridiculous carry-on slung over my shoulder through LAX customs. I spent a few days at home, visiting with my family, handing out chocolate and telling stories to anyone that would listen. I think the most well-received story is the time when the Swiss Ninjas raided the building next door to mine. Good times. Ask me in person if I haven't told you- it's more fun when I can see your reaction. Anyways, I tried on my bridesmaid's dress, danced crazy with my sisters and future-brother, and inherited Jenette's old apartment stuff. Hand-me-downs are like Christmas without the actual holiday, just the presents.

Then, too quickly, I moved into my new apartment in Long Beach. I love it- it's big and it's mine! I keep my fish in the living room; my kitchen is slowly gaining cooking food (like Kool-aid and Bisquick!); and I have a queen-sized bed! I still don't have queen-sized blankets yet, but it's summer- so two twin blankets are perfect, even if it looks kinda funny. Thank you, by the way, Auntie Colleen for the afghan and Kelly for the quilt! But, although I love my apartment, I work a lot, so for the first week or so, I didn't see too much of it. Plus, it's weird coming home to an empty place. Heidi, where have you gone? So my family came up and made me dinner to help break my kitchen in. All friends are welcome to to keep me company!

I started work right away- my first morning, before I even had my key card encoded, the fire alarm went off in my old building, and we had a visit from the Long Beach Fire Department. Welcome back to RA life! Then we had the hubs check in. Our residence halls become a sort-of dorm-hotel during the summer, and most groups having any sort of conference on our campus stay in the halls. The hubs, a group of warm-hearted, good-doing, volunteering, new-age humanity-business people (they were that complicated) came. I had to learn new stuff in the office and figure out a organization system really quickly, because as kind as they were, they needed our office's help in organizing themselves more than I thought anyone would. I think that they were a good group to learn on, because that answered any and probably all "But what about this unlikely scenario" questions.

Life continues on like normal .I got a new public library card from Long Beach City, so I just finished Fahrenheit 451, which I loved and already want to read again. Now for The Picture of Dorian Gray. (or is it Grey?) Three chapters in, and I'm already in love with it. I went to Huntington Beach and got milkshakes with Genevieve and Kelly at the Ruby's on the Pier, and I am catching up on the movies I've missed. Definitely see Chronicles of Narnia and Wall-E, but skip The Happening. I'm still way behind on pop-culture in general, especially music, but I'm not disappointed in the least about that. I like my Irish music and Hollywood jazz and Big Bill Broonzy better than popular music anyways.

I am settled, and happy and finally warm!

The Last Few Days

2008-05-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

To send me off properly, Switzerland has decided to rain all week before I go home. I like rainy days and thunderstorms alright, but I was hoping to have at least one day of sun to take pictures of. Denied. I don't mind too terribly, though, because it does make for nice weather for tea and fondue and looking forward to California sun.

Finals are over, my papers are finished and classes aren't meeting anymore. I am on my last few days in Switzerland, and everything seems to be going a little too easily. I had no problem packing my bags and fitting everything and being under the weight limit, everything that had gone missing during the semester resurfaced, I checked out of my room (and moved in with Heidi) with no problems, and I am going to have exactly the right amount of chicken breasts to last until my last dinner. I feel like I should just be thankful and keep going, but it makes me nervous that something hasn't gone terribly wrong yet.

Last week, some of the local kids were playing baseball in the park that my window overlooks. It was amazing to see them playing something over than Europe's beloved football, and especially amazing to see baseball of all the other sports in the world. I watched them play for a good half hour and got probably a little too invested in their game, but it was brilliant. Just after a boy in a red cap hit the first home run, though, the game was called on account of rain. It continued to rain through the evening and when I walked back from my classes, I had a magnificent view of a thunder and lightning storm.

The cows have disappeared from outside my apartment building. As mysteriously as they showed up two months ago, grazing on the grass and watching the metro pass every ten minutes, they have gone. I got quite attached to them and their noisy cowbells, so I hope their are as happy as California cows wherever they are, because, as everyone knows, happy cows come from California. The Unil has moved the sheep and donkeys closer to my metro stop though, so instead of my daily "How now, brown cow?" I get to say a quick salut to the other animals.

I, however, apparently do not. In two of my classes, while discussing my plans to return home, it turns out that my classmates were very surprised to find that I am an American. They all could tell that I had an accent and spoke English, but both classes thought that I was Irish. Then me trying to explain that while my family is partly of Irish descent, I, nor my parents, ever lived in Ireland. Then to make it worse, Irish dancing (as many thought) is strictly reserved for only Irish people, so how could I possibly be of a different nationality? All those times I tried so hard to be on time and speak well and be polite to represent America just gave cool points to Ireland. Erin go bragh, I guess.

So now I would like to thank all of you dear readers for hearing about my silly little life in Switzerland. I have enjoyed this blogging thing, so I think that I shall continue for a while longer. Hopefully I will still be interesting in Long Beach! Ciaociao Lausanne!

Finals Week(s)

2008-05-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

With two weeks to go before I come home, I am trying to take in as much as I can of my life here. As much as I would like to spend the next 14 days traveling the country (I still have not seen the Matterhorn!), that's more easily said than done in the midst of finals week. It's amazing what procrastination can accomplish, however. In avoiding my finals, I have cleaned my room, vacuumed the apartment, done two loads of dishes, and found both my missing journal and gloves all in one day! I am not looking forward to leaving my adventures here behind, but I must admit that I will be happy to go home for, if nothing else, the cereal.

This was in Utrecht, (Netherlands) where I was taunted by a heavenly box of Apple Jacks being held hostage behind those horrible bars. I almost cried when I couldn't rescue them. This store also had Betty Crocker frosting and blueberry muffin mix in the window, which inspired me to find a world market in Lausanne. So I did. It's inexplicably bizarre to go to the world market and find overpriced bottles of BBQ sauce and bags of marshmallows sitting on the shelves next to all the other "real" foreign foods. Just another reminder that here, an American s'more is just as exotic as some Anthony Bourdain-esque meal.

The Past Month

2008-05-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

I probably should have seen it coming, but I never would have guessed he would have been so sneaky. My bird friend, who has spent so much time keeping me company, eventually flew in the the open window. But, to my surprise, he entered through the kitchen window, not my bedroom's. He claimed the kitchen table as his own new land, making just enough rustling and tip-toeing sounds to make me suspect a home intrusion. Sneaky, sneaky little oiseau. He left as quickly and quietly as I chased him (quickly, but not so quietly) back out. In California, I've notice that there are more ant attacks in the fall, before it gets colder for winter. I suppose I could decide that my feathered visitor's home invasion was meant to signify the start of a new season, too.

Spring has finally arrived, and it could not have come at a better time! The ugly knobbly trees finally have leaves, the insect population has grown both indoors and out, and, just like all those illustrated kids books always claimed, calfs and lambs have shown up next to their mama animals. I cannot stress, however, how much of an impact seeing the sun has had on me. My excitement at it not raining for a week has hindered my common sense though, and as a result of my reveling in the glorious sun, I've already had two sunburns. Although both were completely worth it.

The first I received while on what had started as a pleasant walk around Lac Léman. This walk eventually turned into an epic journey as my friend and I set the nearby city of Montreux as our goal. We reached our destination 21 lizards, 16 car honks, 7 hours, 5 speedo-or-less old men, and 20 miles later. The second was not as much of a sunburn as a light-pink tan while spending the day with my family in The Netherlands.

The Netherlands was amazing. As much as I didn't want to leave Rome when I visited Italy, I could have moved into a cardboard box just outside the residential area of Amsterdam. I keep trying to describe how beautiful the buildings were, how kind the people were, how happy I was there, but these words just aren't working the way they should. I will say that Dutch food is amazing, filled with tasty bread and chocolate and butter, Dutch people every ounce as friendly as they are tall, and cities built on top of canals is pretty much the way I would design my town if I had one of my own. (I would also have bubbles come from all public building windows, more bicycles than cars, and have a waterfall in the town center, just in case you were wondering.)

Life as Usual

2008-04-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

The French verb naître means "to be born," and naissance means "birth."

So why, oh why, would I not realize that re-naissance on my quiz last week meant "re-birth," and not the period that followed the middle ages if the entire quiz focused on religion and not historical eras?

Life has been stiflingly slow as I am suffering one of my worst bouts of homework-writer's block. While I am still interested in all my subjects, and have faithfully been following my coursework, my motivation to not procrastinate and to finish all my work has almost completely disappeared. So, I remain locked in my room until my homework muse shows up.

Saturday night, while waiting for my muse, I faintly heard fireworks crackling outside. So I ran up to the roof to search the skyline. Unfortunately, there was a building perfectly blocking my view, so I watched the second half and finale of the show through the reflection of several windows of the apartment building across from mine. Not the most spectacular view, but still, it was a unique way of enjoying the fireworks.

For the past week, a brown finch-like little bird has been landing on my window sill and keeping me company. Sometimes he helps me to wake me up in the mornings. Other times, he just sits and primps himself while I read. Heidi says that it's like I am Cinderella, but as of yet, I have not seen any singing mice, and do not feel particularly inclined to make tiny hats and shirts for my new friend. I am very glad that he is so small and sweet, because my window has no screen, and he isn't afraid to sit right on the open frame. I don't want imagine my reaction if I were to wake up and see one of those evil-looking pigeons from Rome chilling just a few feet away.

Rain, Rain!

2008-04-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

Monday was a beautiful sunny day. I didn't even have to wear a scarf to walk to class! Tuesday was just as beautiful, but it snowed the whole day. From Wednesday until the end of the week, it rained. The rain came pouring down as if it were Winnie the Pooh's blustery day. As I sat at my window, watching the little creek's water level rise, I wished that the storm would wash away the assignments written on my class syllabus the way it washed away the letters in his book. But, I was not so lucky as Pooh Bear, and I still had three papers to write.

Mid midterms season, most of my time is spent locked away in my room, writing and reading. Although I love both of those things, I don't think my head's come back right after my Italy trip. Bitten by the travel bug, school works is becoming increasingly more and more difficult to focus on. At least the two papers I have left to write are on my own topic choices, so it is definitely more motivating when I'm interested. Still, I am tired of my corner. See, my wireless card is only able to receive internet at the far corner of my room (luckily by the bed) and facing a certain angle at the kitchen table. The kitchen provides too many distractions, and I end up eating more than studying. So, I've barricaded myself in my cozy little corner, unable to move without losing all internet connection, typing away about the strange cases of both Jekyll and Hyde and The Yellow Wallpaper.

This evening, I went to Circus Nock, a charming 1-ring circus under a great big red and white striped tent. There were tigers, zebras, horses and llamas all ready to perform for Heidi's first circus. Like every good circus, there were too many jugglers, cotton candy by the pound, and the acrobats fell just enough to give you a scare. My favorite act was, as always, the tightrope walker, who could unicycle and toe-shoe across the highwire. Although the show was aimed for kids and there wasn't anything earth-shatteringly original, it was an enchanting distraction from homework for just a few hours, and was able to rival Wednesday's sunset thunder and lightning storm for the best part of my week.

I've Really Been There!

2008-04-05T06:55:00.001-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that because most of my blog pictures are not of anybody, one could doubt that I actually visited any of these places I've been talking about. I don't deny that I would make up stories to tell you all, but in this case, everything so far has been true, and I have the proof! Enjoy this vain display of my travels!

At the Foro Romano

In windy Lyon

After climbing Giotto's Tower in Florence

Riding a giant seahorse in Vevey

The Traveling Gnomes at St. Peter's Square

Italian Holiday

2008-04-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

It's funny the way things are never exactly the picture you paint in your imagination. I think a lot of people view seeing the differences between their imagined version and the real thing as disappointment, but I love it. I love making those comparisons and learning about what the world is really like. Sometimes I maintain that my imagined version is better than the real thing, but this was most definitely not the case with Rome. Granted, I had it in my mind that there would be less people in Italy, but I guess traveling during Spring Break isn't the most original idea. Still, it was amazing to be there in Florence and Rome, actually using the Italian I've learned, eating pizza, and browsing street vendor shops.

My favorite place in Rome was definitely Trevi Fountain, although the Spanish steps were magnificent at night! I loved the way you had to search for the fountain, as it was hidden down these little streets filled with tourist shops and gelaterias, then boum! The whole fountain is just spread out between the buildings with all of its waterfalls and lights and pure white statues. Although it was overcrowded with tourists,the fountain was beautiful enough to actually help me block out the other people. The Spanish steps were even harder to find, but we could see a beautiful night skyline of Rome from the top, and were entertained by a group of Italian high-school age kids with two guitars, stumbling their way through Red Hot Chile Peppers songs. The way the city has so much history woven through it, thousand-year old pillars just chillin' next to the metro line fascinated me. Plus, Heidi and I were only the 2nd people to enter the Colosseum, so it was actually much more haunting and impacting being there without the innumerable tour groups. Also, the week after Easter is free to enter almost all museums and attractions, so that was an unexpected and fantastic surprise.

Florence was quaint and intimate, much less polluted by cars and tourists than Rome, but I have to honestly say that I enjoyed myself in Rome a little bit more. I think my opinion might be a bit biased, though, because my welcome to the city was at all the image of Italy I had, and it was not the version I preferred. While searching for an ATM, there was a flash of lightening that filled the piazza with the most intense white light from lightening I've ever seen, and the thunder followed so quickly after and so loudly I thought for a moment that the small plaza was being bombed. So, as those WWII elementary school videos instructed me, I ducked, covered, and kissed my butt goodbye. Fortunately, there had not been a bombing and my duck and cover greatly entertained two homeless men. Then, the rain started, which was not a problem until I realized that Italian streets are prone to puddles, and my shoes were not waterproof. Then the rain turned into snow, and the snow into hail- all within the ten minutes it took me to get to the ATM and back. So, as much as the architecture and art and people of Firenze were lovely, I had cold, wet feet for the rest of my time there, despite my efforts of protecting my feet by stealing the hostel's trash bags and wrapping my feet in them.

So I returned home to Lausanne, ecstatic to be in my own bed, eating food other than bread, cheese and apples, and away from those consistently late Italian trains. Waiting for me in my email box was a message instructing me to call Cal Sate Long Beach Housing. I did, and learned that I was offered the position of Resident Coordinator back in the Halls! Yay! To explain the job, I will be staying at Long Beach one extra year to supervise, train, evaluate, determine, develop, assist, check in/out, and coordinate residents, Resident Assistants, and Student Assistants. There are a bunch of other verbs I could yank from the Coord. application to try to describe it, but roughly, it's a promotion in which I will be able to be an RA for the RA's and have more responsibilities.

So after this amazing week, it felt like there could be nothing wrong at all in the world. Then I realized that classes were starting back up, and I had an essay to write. So, at this very moment, I am not a traveler nor a coordinator in Long Beach. I am just an American student in Switzerland with a whole lot of homework to do.

Joyeuses Pâques

2008-03-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

To start off celebrations for the Easter holiday, I attended a "Chasse des Oeufs" (Easter Egg hunt) this past Wednesday. Between my friend Nora and I, we found probably about 80% of all the eggs hidden in the woods of UNIL's campus. Unfortunately, this hunt had a rather unhelpful misnomer in that we were supposed to be looking for chocolate bunnies, and not eggs. As a result, no bunnies were found by our team. To console ourselves after our embarrassing loss and sad show of American athleticism in Bunny-finding (despite my previous experience with a runaway pet rabbit) Nora and I returned home, our pockets overflowing with eggs, and made homemade Italian-style hot chocolate. We gave our leftovers to an thankful and impressed Fang. We chocked up our day as a near complete success then, because if we can impress a Swiss with our chocolate-working skills, how bad could the world be?

In a sharing of cultures, I have introduced near to all guests in our apartment to a little game called Dutch Blitz. To my surprise, Nora knew the game, and even owned a deck of the cards herself. When I asked her how she came to discover the wonderful world of Blitz (in French: Bleetz), she told me about the coworker who introduced her to the game. Turns out, that worker is a girl I knew in Mrs. Loomis's 2nd grade class in Erie! It's a small world after all. . .

Spring break has started, so a pot of cheese fondue and a trip to Geneva were in order. I saw the famous jet d'eau and played checkers on a life-size checkerboard. It was fun being a tourist, and good practice because Heidi and I are headed for Italy tomorrow! For one week we will explore Florence and Rome. I still need to make my list of things to do for an "Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday," but more urgently, I need to start making Easter Dinner. Hedi and I have elected to host a fêtes de Pâques for the Americans who are not able to go home for the weekend to visit their families for Easter like all the other European exchange students. An evening of bread, vegetables, nearly $20 ham sandwich slices and about $5 worth of (1600 grams) of chocolate fondue. Grocery store prices may be high for the healthy food, but my chocolate is only one step away from Free Dirt, which makes it a very happy, chocolate-y and snowy Easter. So, all in all, spring break has been and still promises to be a very fun-filled and a welcome break from classes.

Travelings

2008-03-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

I crossed the border to France exactly one week ago. However, as beautiful as Lyon was, it didn't quite feel like I was in the France my high school textbooks always depicted. Nobody wore yellow cardigans tied over their shoulders, carrying baguettes as they roamed about the city streets quoting Apollinaire and MCSolaar. In fact, except for the (rather limited) presence of French flags, and the aggressiveness of the drivers, I felt almost as if I were back home in Switzerland. Unlike the stereotype, the people were very welcoming and tried to practice their English with Heidi and me, even when we insisted on speaking in French. So although I had a wonderful time, I must admit that I still don't feel like I've been to France. The best way I know to describe the feeling is the same as how you don't usually feel much older on your birthday.

If Chicago is the States' Windy City, then Lyon is France's. As Hedi and I climbed the hill to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière, I was knocked off balance twice. We figured the best idea was to continue climbing until we reached the highest point, where we faced our backs to the wind and let ourselves fly, even if only for a second at a time. The news might be reporting about the unnatural Hurricane-force winds sweeping across Europe, but I still like to believe that it is always like that there. It gives the city a bit more spunk. The basilica was beautiful, of course, and looked like it could have been the setting for Cinderella's ball, but the wind was more more interactive.

Also interactive was the Museum of Food in Vevey, Switzerland, otherwise known as the world headquarters of Nestlé. While the museum focused mainly on chocolate (we are in Switzerland), there were many different and enlightening exhibits about health and the history of diet. I, however, preferred the room where I could run on a giant hamster wheel, then get off, press a button on the wall and be rewarded with chocolate. I may be a lab rat, but at least I am a happy one.

The next morning was Sunday, and for the first time, I was able to attend a church service. It was help in a lovely little church called "Chapelle de la Gare." The building reminded me of Friar Tuck's Church in Disney's Robin Hood. It was so nice singing worship song, and very refreshing not only to have new songs, but to have them in French. After church, there was a potluck, which in French is called a Canadian Picnic, and I with a few other American girls made friends with a kind Dutch couple. We discussed Russian theology (well, they discussed and I listened for the most part) over chicken, pasta salad and spice cake. Also at church, I accidentally brushed my leg against the radiator, so now I have three four-inch long red lines up the back of my calf. It kinda looks like Wolverine clawed me.

Although I wouldn't quite call it homesickness, I am definitely starting to feel a bit strange being here. Facebook has become my enemy, because in looking at it, I have to face the truth that my conceited side wants to deny: Life continues on without me. I'm not trying to sound all exhortative and preachy, and I don't want to be lame and cliché, but it is hard to constantly feel so distant. I love being here, and I don't regret my decision to come at all, but it would just be so much easier to have my home friends here with me to share everything. So, I've come to the conclusion that we have two choices: 1. I hop on that bus in France that had a sign that said "United States," or 2. All of you need to cease having fun right now. No really, just stop. Thanks.

See you in June, when fun may resume!

Nobody's a Cowboy. . .

2008-03-04T14:00:00.001-08:00

A snowflake fell on my nose today. I haven't seen snow actually falling outside of Disneyland since I was ten or eleven years old, so it was fantastic to watch. The snowflakes were really small and they melted as soon as they hit the ground, but they tickled when they landed on my face and they danced on their way down.

Also, I am going to be in France in less than twelve hours, and I can't wait!

Nobody's a cowboy, but nobody knows.

Leap Year Day

2008-02-29T02:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Leap Year! I didn't realize that it was a leap year until I happily went to my calender this morning (because it's just darn exciting turning the calender page to the new month) and saw that 29. But this is even better than flipping the page! Is Leap Year Day a holiday? I think that it should be! I will spend the rest of the day inventing Leap Year Day traditions and activities. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

On Mountains and Museums

2008-02-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

I realized that I enjoyed a nine-week winter break, and I am out of practice at being a student, much less in a French speaking classroom. Luckily for me, my Monday classes are overwhelmingly forgiving, despite their foreign-language instruction. For example, my "language and Culture" class, which I was highly looking forward to, as perhaps an introduction to the role of language in various societies across the world, has spend the past two lessons discussing how well the Swiss Army knife exemplifies the Swiss people and how drinking Ovalmatine Chocolate may save your life if your are caught in a blizzard. Ah well, c'est la vie suisse.

Last Thursday, I was very much enjoying my American Literature Survey Course. Not just because it is taught in English, but because the professor, a lovely woman from New England, reads the texts to the class, carefully pronouncing each word, treating each phrase with so much care and respect that it is as if she were telling us the most wonderful story ever written to the class. It reminds me of the way my Aunt Colleen used to read Poe to my cousins and me at our All-Girl Sleepovers, in the way that she becomes the one person in the world responsible for conveying the beauty of the written word. Anyways, I was enjoying her reading of "Young Goodman Brown" when I glanced out the window and saw the Alps for the very first time. It has been so foggy and cloudy (and actually a bit smoggy, which I did not expect to see in Switzerland) that before then, I only just knew that the mountains were hiding across the lake. Now I can happily say that I have seen the Alps, even if not perfectly clearly, and have been mesmerized by their serene beauty.

I visited Ouchy this weekend and found it rather similar to Dana Point Harbor. Just with less pollution and fewer boats. And to clarify, it is not pronounced like the boo-boo, ouchie, but Oo-shee. There, I went to the museum of photography and visited a three story exhibit of Edward Steichen. I wish that I could comment more positively on this, but I had great hopes for the museum, and I'm afraid that I was slightly less than impressed. Not by the museum itself, as it was a handsome building atop a hill overlooking the lake, but by the lack of diversity of photographers. Well, I guess I could always go visit the Louvre.

Last night all of my flatmates had guests over, so we had a proper collection of internationals, a melange of young people from the US, Switzerland, Russia, China, France and Austria. I love the fact that I have been able to escape the obsession with celebrities and Access Hollywood, and even more that I have traded that with the possibility to hear stories of different experiences of the world. For example, I had never met anyone before yesterday that could tell me firsthand was it was like to experience the Soviet collapse. Or to have faced racism while backpacking through Europe. Or come from Vienna, but never heard of the Von Trapp Family Singers. (Ok, maybe that one doesn't quite fit, but I'm still putting it in my list.) It makes me feel smarter, more culturally aware, which is pretty sweet, but really that's what this whole thing is about, right?

Lessons and (or on) Swiss Chocolate

2008-02-19T03:18:00.000-08:00

I have been craving something sweet, like some type of fruit candy or a funfetti cupcake, or a cinnamon bun, because almost everything desert here is Swiss chocolate. But I still love my chocolate, and haven't been able to deny myself my daily dose! However, I have not been impressed with Swiss Hot Chocolate yet, as so far all I've been given is a mug of boiled milk with a side package of cocoa powder not even large enough to turn the milk very brown.

Today, I went to my Bilingualism class to find that in that specific lecture hall, there was no lecture on Bilingualism, but instead a small class of people doing Literary Analysis of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Pygmalion. So, I decided to stay. The prof was a very nice Irish lady who introduced herself as the head of the exchange students for the department, so there was no problem in my being part of the class. Luck has finally come to take pity on me!

I am taking a "cours du danse" here as well, just because. Yesterday evening, I discovered that Rock and Roll is very interesting hybrid of swing and jive. The instructor kept switching CDs between Elvis's 'Jailhouse Rock' and Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love,' which, of course, makes perfect sense. At least it's fun to hear dance lessons instructed in French. If I could, I would have all dance lessons across the world taught in French because the compliments sound so much nicer, and the criticisms are so threatening that you become completely petrified to find out what happens if you don't correct yourself immediately.

Well, I got all sorted with Olivier, so I know what legal stuff I have to do so I'm not thrown into a Swiss prison for not declaring myself with the Office for Citizen Control. However, somehow in my papers being lost, I was put into the Economics department, so now I must re-enroll with the Linguistics and French as a Foreign Language Departments. Mom told me to make lists of everything I have to do, but I already have papers stacked two feet high all over my desk, so I'm afraid that if I make lists, then I won't worry about remembering everything, then lose the papers, forget to go somewhere, and be thrown into a Swiss prison.

Just now, Gian was late for class, but still took time to make a full, balanced and well prepared traditional Swiss lunch of cooked carrots, boiled potatoes and lamb with sauce. Then he bolted for the door, because you cannot be late in Switzerland. But then he came running back in to tell me, "This morning, I sold 23 pairs of socks! Business is good!" Then he ran out again. This is a perfect example of my Swiss experience so far.

Sometimes I feel I've got to
Run away; I've got to
Get away
un, deux, trois et quatre, cinq et six.

One Day in One Sentence

2008-02-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

I was upset to discover that only US viewers may watch Lost on ABC online, but then a man who was alone on the metro started smiling to himself all of a sudden, like he remembered something happy.

Settling In...

2008-02-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

Finally I understand why people took so many of those pictures at the Gare in the movie Amélie. It's because you need a passport photo for absolutely everything here! The metro pass, student ID card, ESN card, your visa, your Migros card, and of course your passport. I thought that bringing one would be enough- I was wrong! I need to stop by the Lausanne-Flon Metro stop tomorrow to take more pictures! I'll be so tired of seeing my own face in little 1"x1"squares by the end of this semester!

Today was a good day. It started off the coldest morning yet; it made my ears feel like they were being sliced off by the wind. I went to la rencontre d’accueil, or the Introduction to the University for exchange students. It made everything so much clearer- I actually know what I need to do now! I got there two hours early, so along with four other girls (a German, an Austrian, a Pole and a Swiss-German), we stopped for thé and chocolat chaud, then took a walk along Lac Léman. We found the sheep and the elusive donkeys. We also saw some swans, who were as beautiful and as graceful as anything, or at least they were until one almost came on shore to attack us, which is when we ran away.

The information was helpful and I was feeling great until it came time for me to pick up my student ID card, which was nowhere to be found. I stood in line after line until I met Olivier, who upon hearing that I was a student from Cal State Long Beach he exclaimed: "You are Elizabeth! I have waited and waited for you! We were so worried that you wouldn't come!" Now, the whole "worrying" thing usually implies some sort of problem, and I definitely had a problem. Somehow, almost all of my paperwork had gotten lost in the mail, or left in an office, or something very mysterious and very not-Swiss. So, I have been temporarily put on hold until I can meet with Olivier on Monday and get my ID card and register for classes and all.

Cool thing about Swiss classes- you don't actually register for about 3 weeks into the semester. We get to attend as many classes as we want, without attendance taken, then choose which ones we liked best at the end of the three weeks.

When I got home, my two flatmates had a surprise for me: pink tulips, a Black Forest cake, and a bottle of "girly" champagne, as Gian called it. So we had a tiny little 10-minute fête. Then Gian left for work (not the sock company), and Heidi and I made spaghetti with meat sauce by slicing up one of my frozen hamburger patties. Then we brought a peace offering of Swiss chocolate to the girls that live upstairs, and had a pleasant evening with our new friends.

Bonjour Lausanne!

2008-02-14T14:48:00.001-08:00

I have arrived in Switzerland!! After my first flight from LAX to Heathrow was three hours late, I missed my connecting flight in London. So, I got to spend some time at Heathrow, learning that the British have signs that say "Give Way" instead of "Yield," and that the airport is not as horrendous as it has been described to me, but actually very clean and easy to navigate. Anyways, by the time I finally got Geneva, I had missed my train to Lausanne. So I waited for the next train, and realized that the Gare makes you pay half a franc to use the rest room. If you do not have exactly a half-franc, you may not get change, and you may not pee. So instead of wasting time moping about having to hold it, I asked a friendly custodian to teach me how to use the payphone. Besides, I needed a bit of extra time to get two suitcases and a carry-on bag (totaling about 30 kilos) onto a train by my 5foot3 self.

Once in Lausanne, I was guided onto two different metro trains and one bus to my new home, la Maison des Ochettes. Tricky thing, though, you need a key to get into your room, and my rendez-vous with a certain house manager to obtain said key was called off, though not to my knowledge. So after waiting outside on le Chemin de Berges for about 20 minutes, I called to find out that my key was happily locked away in a safe in one of the buildings. So, I got the secret safe code, got my key, and let myself into my apartment.

From my window I see a pleasant little creek, a rusty swing set, a tall apartment complex about a 1/4 mile away, and a row of California-gardener hacked trees. Instead of hiring gardeners, my school has adopted a flock of sheep which they herd around and have them graze on different lawns each week. I've heard that there are donkeys that roam about as spare lawn-mowers as well, but they have eluded me thus far. Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) is peaceful, with it's slate blue-gray water that comes in to the shore in shwishing one-and-a-half inch waves.

People here check their watches so much that I really wouldn't be surprised if they started replacing "How are you?" with "What time is it?" They have all been lovely, very welcoming and patient. Patient seems almost paradoxical, because everything is run on time, and if you are late, then you're out of luck with no hope, (except for the next train of course). But, the way they explain that your situation really is unfortunate is very kind. They are all so proud of their country and their Swiss-ness. I've never heard of a country put some sort of sunblock on their apples so the flag is "naturally" grown into the apple skins, but sure enough, they do that here! The people I have met so far have all been very polite and good-humored as they explain to me that the Swiss way is not my way (yet) but I will come to see that it is the best. This message isn't condescending or critical, just a simple truth that there is nothing better than Swiss life.

Stephanie is my Partnership Program Partner through X-change UNIL. She is my tour guide to Lausanne, the one who can answer all my Swiss Common Sense questions, and the one who helped me find Ochettes without panicking that I was lost and that my French was unintelligible. She gave me a box of Lindt chocolate and socks with Swiss flags on them when I arrived. She is really nice, and actually, quite beautiful. In trying to Swiss-ize me, she now refuses to speak English unless I am completely without an idea about what is being said to me.

I live in an apartment with one other girl and two boys. I have my own room, though. The girl is Heidi, and didn't think about being a Heidi traveling to Switzerland until someone mentioned Shirley Temple to her. She is from Maryland and studies architecture. Needing to go to Lyon to pick up her Visa, Hiedi has invited me to go with her in about a month. She also wants to travel to Holland and Italy. I believe that I've found my travel buddy!

The guy in the first room is named Gian (John). He is very sociable and is always just coming into the room to offer advice on which is the best supermarket and which castles are the nicest to visit. He speaks English well, and he nicely corrects my French when I mix up genders and adjectives. He also started a company selling men's socks, and keeps thousands of plain black men's socks in his room.

The third flatmate is Fang. We have not met yet, but his name has promise.

The metro trains are really smooth and fast. There is no snow on the ground, but it has been about 30-32 degrees Fahrenheit the past few days. My favorite swiss chocolate so far is the Lindt Classic Cresta. I have not tried any hot chocolate yet. Prices here are crazy expensive. At the grocery store, (which is called Migros) 1 raw chicken breast in the little saran-wrapped thing is about $9. But, I supermarket swept and got a big bag of frozen chicken patties and a big bag of ground beef for about $13 each. That was good news. There is a company called Budget, and it's going to save my tummy from shrivilling up in emptiness. They sell cheap food, kinda like Target has Market Pantry, and Costco has Kirkland. I went to a Budget-less grocery store called Coop, and a half-sized bottle of shampoo was almost ten bucks.

I haven't gotten lost in the city yet, but everything is so tall and there are so many alley ways and look-alike staircases that it's only a matter of time before I do. So far my favorite place has been the little creek (of which I do not know the name yet) right where the Metro 1 line stops as Dorigny by the University. Either that, or this unbelievably wide tree by "Le Banane."

The toilet paper here is light blue and has little raised bumps on it, so it looks just like that neck-napkin that dentists put on you so you don't spit on yourself. My apartment is pretty quiet, maybe because we don't all know each other yet, maybe we are all just kinda boring. Fang came in once (we think) because we heard his door open and close, but it has been about 12 hours since then, and there hasn't been a sound. Did he teleport out? Mayyybe. Did he die? Possible. Did he fall asleep? Likely. Did he never actually come in and now our apartment is starting to go 1408 on us and make us hear ghosts?. . . Even more likely.

The elevator is shady, to speak of it positively. You press 4, and you get to Level 5. So you think, at least, because there is a gigantic 5 on the wall when the elevator doors open. But no, they accidentally painted a 5 on the fourth level, and decided not to change it. That was helpful on move in. The first time I got in the elevator, when Stephanie was helping my take my bags up to my room, all the lights went out and we went (rather quickly) downwards. We ended up in the basement. Jenette would have peed her pants. Two people were in the basement, luckily and showed us the correct way of pushing the buttons. Those two actually turned out to be Gian and Heidi. Oh! If you want to get to the roof, you have to put your room key in this unmarked key slot, turn it a quarter to the left, then press the roof button. Otherwise the lights go out, and you are sped to the basement. A giant gorilla dog lives down there. No, I'm not kidding-- the house manager Monsieur Duranot keeps his fuzzy little mini-horse down there.

Overall, it has been quite an adventure so far. I go to my university's Day of Welcome tomorrow, and hopefully will find out there what classes I am supposed to show up for on Monday, because as of yet, no one has been able to tell me how to register for any schooling at this school. Oh well. At least I'm learning to weigh my carrots at the grocery store before I get to the checker if I don't want to be grumbled at in French, German and Italian all at the same time.

I have been 21 for 39 Swiss minutes now, so I think it would be okay if I unwrapped my gift from Auntie Freda, and opened my "Do-Not-Open-Until-Your-Birthday" cards.

Bonne Nuit!