Wednesday, September 2, 2009

[chaussettes]


It's Wednesday.
It's sort of my day off, but not.

I woke up at 7:20 to chill with the Alex kid while Gilone went to a meeting with Oleann's teacher. Alex and I. We played for a bit, but in the end resorted to television. I'm not normally one to do that, but they said it was fine and I was still waking up. The Twinings English Breakfast tea takes a bit of time to work.

After she got back, the three of us headed into Nyon. First we went to the licencing department to switch licence plates.

Then we went to Coop. They are so good to me. They knew I wanted Rivella, my favourite Swiss drink, badly and hadn't had it in a year. I couldn't help but smile every time it was mentioned. First I got my ID photos for my rail passes. Then we got Rivella. As usual, I was asked if I needed anything, I didn't... except Rivella! Alex got a Pokemon ball with candy and a toy. I was given one..

Onwards to the train station.

I've been thinking for a while what I would do for in terms of rail travel, my favourite way to get around. Last time I was in Switzerland I had a GA from Rotary. Now it would cost me around $2,000 to get it. It's for a year and gets you on everywhere in the entire country by boat, train, and bus. Really a great deal.

$2,000 is a lot so I looked into some other options. The best one was a combination of the Half Tax and Rail 7. The Half Tax is only around $140 and gets me all fares for just half the price. That's not such a horrible deal really, specially considering a round trip to my old hometown and back would cost me more than $145 alone. The Rail 7 gets me all train travel after 7 PM for free. Since I would be traveling mostly in the evening, it was a great deal. It will pay for itself after this weekend when I save $154 on ticket prices. Altogether I spent $242 on rail passes, but it was well worth it and they will last me a year.

Then I said I wanted to buy a fish. I did. I had been planning on getting a fish since America when I took care of Sarah's dear fish. We went to the pet shop and looked around. After 5 minutes someone told us the shop was actually closed. By then, I had already learned it would cost me around $55 to get started with a fish, bowl, water cleanser, food, and a plant.

I thought about it for a while and realized I might not be able to afford a fish. I mean, that could be a college textbook or 60 new pairs of socks. My host mom said we would go back that evening but I later told her I would pass.

Oleann came home for lunch.
We ate.
Alex napped.

Gilone had to go back to Nyon for her car licencing and asked if I could watch the kids. Yep. I could do that. Oleann and I worked on English and Alex continued to nap. After English we went upstairs to find Alex cheerfully reading a book about pirates. We played with the Guinea pigs and I thought they would die but they didn't.

Daniel came home.
I went and learned French.


I Skyped with Charlotte in China. Then Alex came and talked with her. Then he left.

Then I heard a tapping on my door. I opened it to find Gilone with a box with bags in it. A fish! They got me a fish! I asked how much and they said it was a gift. I was oh so joyful. I had fish!

So, my fish's name is Mayo-thai. Mayo as in mayonaisse.

I've started to create an enviroment for the little guy. He is so wonderful! I can just watch him swim. And he is a Beta fish. And he is my fish. I have a fish world!

Maggie - Fish Owner

Dinner was little hot dog style sausages wrapped in bacon. Soo good. And we had green beans with ham. Also delicious.

Then, 8:00 came.
Badminton.

I was so excited and looking forward to it. I don't really play badminton and haven't touched a raquet in a long time but I wanted to give it a go.

Swiss schools don't have sport teams so teens have to go elsewhere to stay active. They join sport clubs. This was the badminton club.

At 8:20 there was a tapping on my window. It was Alice and her host brother Nichola. I said good night to my host family and headed out. The club is held at Oleann's school.

I had so much fun playing. We started doubles with a girl whose named sounded like Sicily, Nicolas, Alice, and I. I thought I would be awful but I wasn't half bad. After a while we broke off and just Alice and I played. Then she had to go on so I went over and asked some random kid to play with me for a while - I wanted to play and I didn't care who with. It was a sold hour and forty five minutes of play and I was worn out and exhausted by the end. My right arm still feels odd the next morning.

I'll be able to play twice a week.

I'm really relieved because I've been looking for some sort of physical activity to partake it. I want to do curling but I don't know if I can commit to something because I might have to babysit sometimes. I'm still looking into it, though. I also have to see about square dancing.

I'm stoked for the end of September when I get to participate in an orienteering something.I don't know what it is. It'll be 6 km or so and it's in Zurich. I get to do it with Roswita, Coni, and a few other people. It's a good motivation to get moving.

After the game, we all headed home. Alice met us at the school. Apparently she never made it home because she got lost. Poor Alice, who just might read this. I felt bad. We'll have to walk the route a few more times so she can get it memorized. It's a right out of the parking lot, second left turn (first real left), follow the road till you come to the fork and follow it to the right, stay on it till the T and then turn right, then take the left onto our street. Voila.

A very tired and maybe even sweaty Maggie arrived home around 10:15. I showered, put on my paper airplane pyjamas, and went to bed with a very satisfying feeling.

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