The past week and this week I have been at work without my supervisor. From Italy, she is back at home for two weeks and she left quite a bit of work to do, also leaving me with time to put together a poster that I have to complete for the end of the program. It was a bit difficult to carry out the experiments without her, but I was able to manage for the most part. Work in general has been pretty good at the tuberculosis lab. As I've said previously, everyone here is very nice and helpful, especially when I run into problems.
I had the chance to walk around Lausanne this past week. On Wednesday I went with several people to The Dark Knight, which finally came out here in Switzerland. It was the first night that it was in English, and the theater was absolutely packed. As evidence, I was in the center of the very first row. The movie was phenomenal and everyone I was with enjoyed it.
One thing I haven't really discussed is some of the details of my day. To get to the University for work, I have to walk 10 minutes to a metro and then ride the metro for 10 minutes. This past week I had the chance to explore the University campus a bit. The campus actually has a beautiful view of the mountains and the lake. It seems that people here take life a bit more slowly though. Even in my lab, lunch is an entire hour ordeal which consists of going together to the cafeteria and then together drinking coffee afterwards. The day typically also has several coffee breaks.
Unfortunately, the city pretty much shuts down at 7 PM here, so there isn't a whole lot to do after work. I usually go to the gym, which was closed for two weeks before opening up again this past week. The gym is very old and the machines reek of sweat that seems to be embedded forever. Afterwards I usually chat with the people living at Planet Blue. This past week a Serbian and an Italian moved into the apartment so I spent time with them, learning about Serbian history from the Serbian guy.
An observation I would like to comment on is Swiss culture. I feel as if Switzerland does not have a culture of its own. Its culture is a combination of the strong regional influences of its French part, German part, and Italian part. Switzerland has no language of its own, although arguably Romansch is "Swiss." It does not produce a significant amount of music or movies. Even when walking through town, I do not get a feeling of what is truly Swiss. Although not a bad thing, I still feel that I am missing out on something by not being able to engage in true "Swiss" culture.
That being said, it is exactly this conglomeration of different cultures that has shaped my trip thus far. The different parts of Switzerland provide testimony to the fact that my trip has been marked with an international flavor. From the very first day that I have been here, I have been surrounded by people from all around the world. My program itself consists of people from Brazil, Lithuania, Serbia, China, Romania, Egypt, Jordan, Hungary, and many more countries. Even in my lab, my colleagues are from the Netherlands, France, the UK, and Greece. To hear that a person is actually from Switzerland comes as a surprise to me.
What is the most noteworthy to me is the fact that despite being from completely different countries, everyone that I have met is very open-minded and harbors a desire to learn from people unlike themselves. Perhaps it is the inherent nature of people who travel abroad to be more adventurous and curious of other cultures. Regardless, the open-mindedness and inviting nature of everyone I have met only serves to enhance my experience here.
Finally, I would also like to comment on the fact that it is truly unbelievable that I have just 2 1/2 weeks left here. Time has flown by and I have really enjoyed it. Even still, I am also excited to return home and to be again with friends and family. At this point, I am planning my week long trip after the program to Vienna, Prague, and Berlin (and perhaps to Budapest, Hungary for one day).
As always, I will keep this blog updated as I finish off my last few weeks here. Hope everyone is doing well.
Au revoir!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Ticino, the Aletsch Glacier, and More...
Greetings Friends and Family!
I need to update this blog more often than I do, but I suppose it's the eternal predicament of having so much to do and not enough time, especially when trying to enjoy as much as possible in a different country. Much has happened in the past two weekends, and I have much to tell about these happenings. I have a lot to tell about the past week as well, so I will write that in the next post.. I will start with two weekends ago, when I traveled to Ticino, which is the sole Italian canton in Switzerland. How different just this one canton is from the others in Switzerland! As opposed to the to-the-second precision of the trains in the rest of Switzerland, the train that changed on our way to Lugano, Ticino on Friday night was 20 minutes late, something unheard of in the other parts of Switzerland. After a 5 hour train ride, the four of us walked to our hostel, which was surrounded by palm trees and rippling creeks, making me feel as if I was in a lush resort by a beach.
Saturday morning we walked through the narrow streets of Lugano, lined on either side by miniature shops selling everything from food to recycled car parts in the form of art. The language had changed. The pace seemed to have changed. Everyone spoke Italian, and I felt a bit better about the language situation, as I was able to somewhat understand the Italian. Locals and tourists were milling around in the streets, eating food from stands, drinking coffee nonchalantly at cafes, and shopping freely. After walking for an hour and eating breakfast, we headed to Bellinzona, one of the three main cities in Ticino.
Acclimating ourselves to the town, we climbed a secluded staircase to one of the three UNESCO World Heritage castles in Bellinzona. I have always harbored a strong liking for castles and this one did not disappoint. High stone walls, parapet-lined pathways along the defensive walls, towering turrets, cobblestoned paths, and a grass plain in front of the castle made for an experience that I have always sought. It gets better though.
After a lunch of baguettes, cheese spread, and more cheese, we headed down back to town only to climb back to the largest of the three castles. This one dwarfed the previous one. This castle was what I had always imagined when I read books and saw movies with castles in them. If I could go back in time, one of the first places I would go is to a castle like the one I was at during the Medieval period, when the castle would have been in action.
Walking through the massive stone walls, we entered into a huge grass courtyard with Giacometti-style sculptures on display throughout. We then walked to the top of one of the towers where we soaked in a view of the entire city. The castle was already on one of the highest hills in the town. Continuing through the castle, we entered into another gargantuan courtyard, this one with a view of the entire city. Walking along the castle walls, we found ourselves at the beginning of a 3 meter wide castle wall layered with grass. As we took pictures we walked through the top of this castle wall.
We then headed to Locarno, another of the 3 cities, where an International Film Festival was being held. Enjoying an actual Italian pizza, we then absorbed the ambiance of the festival and the thousands of people walking through the city. Although we didn't watch a film, the four of us did purchase a bottle of wine and then had great conversations at the edge of Lake Locarno and at a beautiful park in the middle of the city. The next day we spent in Lugano, where unfortunately most of the shops were closed. We spent a lot of time at Lake Lugano, renting a paddle boat, and enjoying at a lake front restaurant some of the best spaghetti I have ever had. Needless to say, Ticino was a great experience. Now, on to this past weekend.
Friday evening and Saturday were relaxing days. One of my friends here was leaving so we went out with him to celebrate. Saturday I spent in Lausanne, walking through town with friends, enjoying the city and then relaxing back at Planet Blue, which is where I live. That night we went out again with one of my previous roommates, who was back in Lausanne to visit.
Sunday, though, is the day that I want to talk about. Waking up at 7 AM, I took the 8:20 train to Brig, where I took a cable car up to Fiescheralp. There were six of us and we began, unaware at this point, a very long, arduous hike to the Aletsch Glacier. After 3 hours of hiking along the mountain, where we walked through Lord of the Rings-type rock structures, through clouds, and through pastures of cows with bells hung around their necks, we made it to the Aletsch Glacier. This glacier was stunning and absolutely enormous. It went off into the distance in both directions, where I was no longer able to see it. We walked on rocks down to a pool of water that the glacier had left behind, the color of which was a beautiful shade of blue. Ice structures were poking out of the water and rocks were frozen to the ice.
After spending some time at the glacier, we continued our hike around the mountain, on a pathway that had nothing between its edge and the deep drop to the bottom of the mountain. We traversed through angry sheep on the pathway, large pieces of their dung, sharp rocks jutting towards the sky, and streams of water. As always, I had the good fortune of smothering one of my shoes in a large, juicy piece of sheep dung. As we walked for 3 more hours, the glacier was at our side, flanked by mountains on either side. The juxtaposition of mountains that were snow-capped and mountains that were covered with grass and trees was spectacular. At one point, the 6 of us stopped walking, completely silent. All we could hear so high up in the mountains was the wind blowing, our own breathing, and water trickling in the distance. It was truly an amazing experience and a very scenic hike, to the say the least...one unlike any that I've ever done.
Seven hours after we started our hike, thoroughly exhausted, we took a cable car back to the foot of the mountain, where before boarding the train, I enjoyed a Swiss specialty known as raclette. It consisted of melted cheese with 2 full potatoes and small onions and pickles marinated in vinegar. The way to eat it is to cut a piece of the potato, smother it with the cheese, and then feel the fat traveling through your digestive system. After eating 3 of those, we took the train back to Lausanne (on which I slept), and I arrived home at midnight, exhausted beyond belief...
This past weekend was somewhat more relaxed than others and one that was much needed. I have a lot more to tell about my past week itself, so I'll do that in the next post!
Take care!
I need to update this blog more often than I do, but I suppose it's the eternal predicament of having so much to do and not enough time, especially when trying to enjoy as much as possible in a different country. Much has happened in the past two weekends, and I have much to tell about these happenings. I have a lot to tell about the past week as well, so I will write that in the next post.. I will start with two weekends ago, when I traveled to Ticino, which is the sole Italian canton in Switzerland. How different just this one canton is from the others in Switzerland! As opposed to the to-the-second precision of the trains in the rest of Switzerland, the train that changed on our way to Lugano, Ticino on Friday night was 20 minutes late, something unheard of in the other parts of Switzerland. After a 5 hour train ride, the four of us walked to our hostel, which was surrounded by palm trees and rippling creeks, making me feel as if I was in a lush resort by a beach.
Saturday morning we walked through the narrow streets of Lugano, lined on either side by miniature shops selling everything from food to recycled car parts in the form of art. The language had changed. The pace seemed to have changed. Everyone spoke Italian, and I felt a bit better about the language situation, as I was able to somewhat understand the Italian. Locals and tourists were milling around in the streets, eating food from stands, drinking coffee nonchalantly at cafes, and shopping freely. After walking for an hour and eating breakfast, we headed to Bellinzona, one of the three main cities in Ticino.
Acclimating ourselves to the town, we climbed a secluded staircase to one of the three UNESCO World Heritage castles in Bellinzona. I have always harbored a strong liking for castles and this one did not disappoint. High stone walls, parapet-lined pathways along the defensive walls, towering turrets, cobblestoned paths, and a grass plain in front of the castle made for an experience that I have always sought. It gets better though.
After a lunch of baguettes, cheese spread, and more cheese, we headed down back to town only to climb back to the largest of the three castles. This one dwarfed the previous one. This castle was what I had always imagined when I read books and saw movies with castles in them. If I could go back in time, one of the first places I would go is to a castle like the one I was at during the Medieval period, when the castle would have been in action.
Walking through the massive stone walls, we entered into a huge grass courtyard with Giacometti-style sculptures on display throughout. We then walked to the top of one of the towers where we soaked in a view of the entire city. The castle was already on one of the highest hills in the town. Continuing through the castle, we entered into another gargantuan courtyard, this one with a view of the entire city. Walking along the castle walls, we found ourselves at the beginning of a 3 meter wide castle wall layered with grass. As we took pictures we walked through the top of this castle wall.
Friday evening and Saturday were relaxing days. One of my friends here was leaving so we went out with him to celebrate. Saturday I spent in Lausanne, walking through town with friends, enjoying the city and then relaxing back at Planet Blue, which is where I live. That night we went out again with one of my previous roommates, who was back in Lausanne to visit.
Sunday, though, is the day that I want to talk about. Waking up at 7 AM, I took the 8:20 train to Brig, where I took a cable car up to Fiescheralp. There were six of us and we began, unaware at this point, a very long, arduous hike to the Aletsch Glacier. After 3 hours of hiking along the mountain, where we walked through Lord of the Rings-type rock structures, through clouds, and through pastures of cows with bells hung around their necks, we made it to the Aletsch Glacier. This glacier was stunning and absolutely enormous. It went off into the distance in both directions, where I was no longer able to see it. We walked on rocks down to a pool of water that the glacier had left behind, the color of which was a beautiful shade of blue. Ice structures were poking out of the water and rocks were frozen to the ice.
After spending some time at the glacier, we continued our hike around the mountain, on a pathway that had nothing between its edge and the deep drop to the bottom of the mountain. We traversed through angry sheep on the pathway, large pieces of their dung, sharp rocks jutting towards the sky, and streams of water. As always, I had the good fortune of smothering one of my shoes in a large, juicy piece of sheep dung. As we walked for 3 more hours, the glacier was at our side, flanked by mountains on either side. The juxtaposition of mountains that were snow-capped and mountains that were covered with grass and trees was spectacular. At one point, the 6 of us stopped walking, completely silent. All we could hear so high up in the mountains was the wind blowing, our own breathing, and water trickling in the distance. It was truly an amazing experience and a very scenic hike, to the say the least...one unlike any that I've ever done.
Seven hours after we started our hike, thoroughly exhausted, we took a cable car back to the foot of the mountain, where before boarding the train, I enjoyed a Swiss specialty known as raclette. It consisted of melted cheese with 2 full potatoes and small onions and pickles marinated in vinegar. The way to eat it is to cut a piece of the potato, smother it with the cheese, and then feel the fat traveling through your digestive system. After eating 3 of those, we took the train back to Lausanne (on which I slept), and I arrived home at midnight, exhausted beyond belief...
This past weekend was somewhat more relaxed than others and one that was much needed. I have a lot more to tell about my past week itself, so I'll do that in the next post!
Take care!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Weekend of Improvisation
One would think that by now I would have gotten the hang of planning my weekend travels ahead of time and perhaps - as wild as it sounds - even organizing sleeping arrangements for myself before I leave Lausanne. Yeah, right. It hasn't happened yet, and this past weekend is too perfect an example of this lack of planning.
We were supposed to go to Ticino, the beautiful Italian part of Switzerland. The last train from Lausanne to Ticino, the one we were planning on taking, left on Thursday evening at 7:45 (Friday was a holiday - Swiss National Day). Things took longer than expected and ultimately we missed our train, which left us clueless and stranded at the train station. The problem is that going to Ticino is an expensive trip and we had all already bought passes that let us travel for free after 7 PM. So, hastily, we decided that because the trip to Ticino meant passing through Zurich, we could still take a train to Zurich, sleep there, and then head to Ticino in the morning.
And so we hurriedly boarded the train and in the first 10 minutes of the train ride it dawned on us that we had nowhere to sleep in Zurich (as if we had any place to sleep in Ticino). Luckily, three friends that we had made during the conference in Bern were living in Zurich for the summer. Thankfully they were in Zurich for the weekend and they agreed to accommodate us for night. Pulling into Zurich at 11:30 PM, I had little time to admire the beauty of the city and its orderliness. I was just tired and thankful to have a roof over my head while I slept.
It would be my luck that the next morning it was pouring rain. As Ticino is a place not to be seen in the rain, we decided to wander through Zurich for the day. Despite the rain, the grey sky, and the widely deserted streets, Zurich still managed to exude brilliance and beauty. The old town, with its cobblestoned streets, was, as all cobblestoned streets are, pure bliss for me. The lake was shimmering under the few rays of sunlight that pierced the clouds lining the sky. Once it started raining hard again, we entered Kunsthaus, Zurich's famous Museum of Fine Arts. I admittedly am not very well versed in art; however, I still managed to appreciate - perhaps not fully - and enjoy the art in the museum. More than anything else I enjoyed the ambiance of the museum.
As it was Swiss National Day, obligatory fireworks were going to erupt all over Switzerland. We decided to head to Schauffhausen to watch fireworks over the Rheinfall, Europe's largest waterfall. The town was perfect. It was a small, German, medieval-town. Although all the shops were closed, I found a small Turkish restaurant where I devoured
a chicken kebab. Holy shit, that was probably the best kebab I've ever had. We walked down to the waterfall and amidst thousands of other people, behind the lake, we waited. The waterfall was mesmerizing. It was not very tall, but it still commanded authority with the amount of water it accelerated into the lake. The Rheinfall was surrounded by trees and two castles were perched high on adjacent cliffs. The fireworks were spectacular. They illuminated the sky and reflected off the lake, making it seem as if there were fireworks in two different areas. They went on for 30 minutes and afterwards, everyone rushed back to the town and to the train station. I will end my day here because out of embarrassment I would rather not say where we slept that night...
The next morning, needless to say, I was not very well rested. We headed to Lucerne and I met up with a different group of people from my program who were also traveling during the weekend. We headed to Mt. Titlis, Central Switzerland's tallest mountain. As we ascended in cable cars, typical Swiss cows were munching on the grass below, bells hung around their necks, ringing as they chewed the grass. The top of the mountain was breathtaking. At one point, I felt like I was flying in the clouds. There were mountains all around us, both snow covered and grass covered. Playing in the snow at the top of the mountain and walking through an ice cave, we eventually headed back to Lucerne, which is an absolutely gorgeous medieval city. We walked through its famous bridges, walked on top of its city walls, wandered through the city, and enjoyed sandwiches on Lake Lucerne. I took the last train out of Lucerne at 9 PM and reached Lausanne at midnight, thoroughly exhausted and in need of food and a warm shower.
The next day, the plan was to head to the lake for a boat tour of Lake Geneva. As it turns out, I woke up at noon and did not feel like going on the boat tour. Instead, we headed to a small town next to Lausanne and found a "beach" there - by beach I mean a park with a coast of pebbles and stones. Regardless, in the sun I slept, read, and swam. After several hours, we headed to Lavaux, a region widely heralded as THE place to purchase wine in the area. So, as expected, we didn't have plans for what we would do in the Lavaux region, except for the fact that I really wanted to walk through the vineyards that lined the mountain side at 30 degree angles and more.
To my pleasure, that is exactly what happened. We snuck through private vineyards, sampling the sour grapes hanging from the plant trees. Backs hunched, we walked slowly and furtively through the vineyards, admiring the plants, the vineyar
ds all around the mountainside, a
nd the lake on the other side. Admiring the view, we eventually headed back home, grabbing chicken kebabs and enjoying a beautiful sunset at the top of the city. Reaching home, I was content from the delicious kebab I ate and the beautiful views of nature that I drank in throughout the day.
Although the weekend was completely improvised, and although we did nothing that we had planned to do, it still turned out to be a great time. I got to see and do things that I had previously only imagined doing. I have always wanted to walk through medieval cities and walk through vineyards. Yeah, although these desires sound a bit cheesy, I really enjoyed doing these things. And to end, I would like to say that I am looking forward to this coming weekend, when we are again planning to go to Ticino...perhaps we will actually make it there this time. Au revoir until then!
We were supposed to go to Ticino, the beautiful Italian part of Switzerland. The last train from Lausanne to Ticino, the one we were planning on taking, left on Thursday evening at 7:45 (Friday was a holiday - Swiss National Day). Things took longer than expected and ultimately we missed our train, which left us clueless and stranded at the train station. The problem is that going to Ticino is an expensive trip and we had all already bought passes that let us travel for free after 7 PM. So, hastily, we decided that because the trip to Ticino meant passing through Zurich, we could still take a train to Zurich, sleep there, and then head to Ticino in the morning.
And so we hurriedly boarded the train and in the first 10 minutes of the train ride it dawned on us that we had nowhere to sleep in Zurich (as if we had any place to sleep in Ticino). Luckily, three friends that we had made during the conference in Bern were living in Zurich for the summer. Thankfully they were in Zurich for the weekend and they agreed to accommodate us for night. Pulling into Zurich at 11:30 PM, I had little time to admire the beauty of the city and its orderliness. I was just tired and thankful to have a roof over my head while I slept.
It would be my luck that the next morning it was pouring rain. As Ticino is a place not to be seen in the rain, we decided to wander through Zurich for the day. Despite the rain, the grey sky, and the widely deserted streets, Zurich still managed to exude brilliance and beauty. The old town, with its cobblestoned streets, was, as all cobblestoned streets are, pure bliss for me. The lake was shimmering under the few rays of sunlight that pierced the clouds lining the sky. Once it started raining hard again, we entered Kunsthaus, Zurich's famous Museum of Fine Arts. I admittedly am not very well versed in art; however, I still managed to appreciate - perhaps not fully - and enjoy the art in the museum. More than anything else I enjoyed the ambiance of the museum.
As it was Swiss National Day, obligatory fireworks were going to erupt all over Switzerland. We decided to head to Schauffhausen to watch fireworks over the Rheinfall, Europe's largest waterfall. The town was perfect. It was a small, German, medieval-town. Although all the shops were closed, I found a small Turkish restaurant where I devoured
a chicken kebab. Holy shit, that was probably the best kebab I've ever had. We walked down to the waterfall and amidst thousands of other people, behind the lake, we waited. The waterfall was mesmerizing. It was not very tall, but it still commanded authority with the amount of water it accelerated into the lake. The Rheinfall was surrounded by trees and two castles were perched high on adjacent cliffs. The fireworks were spectacular. They illuminated the sky and reflected off the lake, making it seem as if there were fireworks in two different areas. They went on for 30 minutes and afterwards, everyone rushed back to the town and to the train station. I will end my day here because out of embarrassment I would rather not say where we slept that night...The next morning, needless to say, I was not very well rested. We headed to Lucerne and I met up with a different group of people from my program who were also traveling during the weekend. We headed to Mt. Titlis, Central Switzerland's tallest mountain. As we ascended in cable cars, typical Swiss cows were munching on the grass below, bells hung around their necks, ringing as they chewed the grass. The top of the mountain was breathtaking. At one point, I felt like I was flying in the clouds. There were mountains all around us, both snow covered and grass covered. Playing in the snow at the top of the mountain and walking through an ice cave, we eventually headed back to Lucerne, which is an absolutely gorgeous medieval city. We walked through its famous bridges, walked on top of its city walls, wandered through the city, and enjoyed sandwiches on Lake Lucerne. I took the last train out of Lucerne at 9 PM and reached Lausanne at midnight, thoroughly exhausted and in need of food and a warm shower.
The next day, the plan was to head to the lake for a boat tour of Lake Geneva. As it turns out, I woke up at noon and did not feel like going on the boat tour. Instead, we headed to a small town next to Lausanne and found a "beach" there - by beach I mean a park with a coast of pebbles and stones. Regardless, in the sun I slept, read, and swam. After several hours, we headed to Lavaux, a region widely heralded as THE place to purchase wine in the area. So, as expected, we didn't have plans for what we would do in the Lavaux region, except for the fact that I really wanted to walk through the vineyards that lined the mountain side at 30 degree angles and more.
To my pleasure, that is exactly what happened. We snuck through private vineyards, sampling the sour grapes hanging from the plant trees. Backs hunched, we walked slowly and furtively through the vineyards, admiring the plants, the vineyar
ds all around the mountainside, a
nd the lake on the other side. Admiring the view, we eventually headed back home, grabbing chicken kebabs and enjoying a beautiful sunset at the top of the city. Reaching home, I was content from the delicious kebab I ate and the beautiful views of nature that I drank in throughout the day.Although the weekend was completely improvised, and although we did nothing that we had planned to do, it still turned out to be a great time. I got to see and do things that I had previously only imagined doing. I have always wanted to walk through medieval cities and walk through vineyards. Yeah, although these desires sound a bit cheesy, I really enjoyed doing these things. And to end, I would like to say that I am looking forward to this coming weekend, when we are again planning to go to Ticino...perhaps we will actually make it there this time. Au revoir until then!
Recap
So I realize that I've fallen a bit behind with my posts on the blog. With this in mind, I will provide a quick recap of the past weeks, highlighting the parts that stick out and are probably the most entertaining to read about (contrary to popular belief, my life is not always full of thrills and wild stories).
I left off talking about Interlaken three weekends ago. The following day, on Sunday, I woke up in the tent and we headed towards Jungfraujoch, a mountain also known as the "Top of Europe." Along the way, I noticed something peculiar about most of the tourists. So many of them were Indian! After thinking about it for a while, it dawned on me that there is a unique relationship between India and Switzerland. Bollywood (the Indian movie industry) had shot several films in Switzerland, most notably Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, in the very region I was on Sunday. What was amusing was that at the top of the mountain was an Indian restaurant named none other than "Bollywood." Regardless, the view at the top of Jungfraujoch was jaw-dropping, with formidable mountains and glaciers surrounding the mountain itself.
The following week was fairly uneventful, although I did explore Lausanne some more and my work was moving along in the lab. I was able to get some of my first results in the lab, and they were as we hypothesized. My typical evening, even now, consists of coming home from work around 6, resting for some time, going to the gym or jogging to the lake, returning to the apartment and cooking dinner while chatting with friends, and then passing out from what almost always is an exhausting day.
Thursday, July 24th, however, was different. I had been invited to a conference in Bern (the capital of Switzerland) by the organization that had provided me with my travel grant to journey here to Switzerland. Everyone who received the grant was invited to come to the U.S. Embassy in Bern, where we heard several presentations regarding US - Swiss relations and the growing science and technology sector in Switzerland. I met some really accomplished and interesting individuals at this conference. At these presentations, I was surprised to also meet Mrs. Fulbright, the wife of the late Senator who initiated the Fulbright program. Mrs. Fulbright was very knowledgeable and very amiable. I chatted with her throughout a lunch that we had been escorted to, overlooking the city of Bern. Afterwards, we were given a tour of much of the city. Once the tour was over, several of the people in the program and I wandered throughout the city, soaking in the views of the blue-green river, the red-roofed buildings, and the cafes lining the cobblestone streets that I am completely enamored with.
The subsequent weekend was a bit less eventful as the previous one. Saturday was a very relaxing day, in which we wandered throughout the city and then lazily admired the lake and the mountains from a park right on the lake (a spot increasingly becoming a favorite of mine). Sunday we headed to Gruyere, where much of Switzerland's cheese is made. We went to the fairytale Chateau de Gruyere (Castle of Gruyere), beautiful with its maze-like garden, towering turrets, and ornate rooms, surrounded by greenery and mountains. Afterwards, we had a great lunch on a restaurant's terrace overlooking the main street of Gruyere, cobblestoned and medieval.
The following Tuesday was my birthday. I truly had a great time on my birthday. At work, I enjoyed cake and ice cream with everyone that I am working with. In the evening, some of the friends I have made here took me to the lake, where we rented a boat for half an hour and then wandered around on Lake Geneva, stopping briefly to dive into the clean water. Afterwards, we met up with some more friends and enjoyed dinner at the lakefront Creperie d'Ouchy, where I had a delicious Indian Curry crepe followed by a Chocolate crepe. On our way home, we stopped for ice cream and then cut another cake when we arrived back at the apartment. Without a doubt I can say that the people I have met here are incredibly warm and inviting. The fact that they did so much for me on my birthday is just one small example of this.
The only thing I have not talked about is this past weekend, which without a doubt deserves a post on its own.
Before I end, I would just like to reflect a bit on my time here so far. Yesterday marked exactly one month since I have been in Switzerland, and it truly has flown by. I have made really good friends while I have been here, I have seen things that previously I had only imagined I would ever see, and I have learned so much, both consciously and subconsciously. It is not just the work that I have learned from here; rather, I have learned from the people I have met and the experiences that I have had. Often times a person does not immediately understand what certain experiences and people teach him or her. Only afterwards does a realization come. I know for a fact that I have subconsciously learned a great deal about myself and the world in just one month here, and I have already begun to realize that.
At the same time, however, I have recently begun to miss my family and friends back at home. This is the first time that I have traveled with no one that I know. Although Lausanne has become a home away from home for me, it is still somewhat hollow, missing the family and friends from the U.S. Although I am enjoying my time here thoroughly and wish for it to not end, I am also looking forward to being with loved ones back in the U.S.
I left off talking about Interlaken three weekends ago. The following day, on Sunday, I woke up in the tent and we headed towards Jungfraujoch, a mountain also known as the "Top of Europe." Along the way, I noticed something peculiar about most of the tourists. So many of them were Indian! After thinking about it for a while, it dawned on me that there is a unique relationship between India and Switzerland. Bollywood (the Indian movie industry) had shot several films in Switzerland, most notably Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, in the very region I was on Sunday. What was amusing was that at the top of the mountain was an Indian restaurant named none other than "Bollywood." Regardless, the view at the top of Jungfraujoch was jaw-dropping, with formidable mountains and glaciers surrounding the mountain itself.
The following week was fairly uneventful, although I did explore Lausanne some more and my work was moving along in the lab. I was able to get some of my first results in the lab, and they were as we hypothesized. My typical evening, even now, consists of coming home from work around 6, resting for some time, going to the gym or jogging to the lake, returning to the apartment and cooking dinner while chatting with friends, and then passing out from what almost always is an exhausting day.
Thursday, July 24th, however, was different. I had been invited to a conference in Bern (the capital of Switzerland) by the organization that had provided me with my travel grant to journey here to Switzerland. Everyone who received the grant was invited to come to the U.S. Embassy in Bern, where we heard several presentations regarding US - Swiss relations and the growing science and technology sector in Switzerland. I met some really accomplished and interesting individuals at this conference. At these presentations, I was surprised to also meet Mrs. Fulbright, the wife of the late Senator who initiated the Fulbright program. Mrs. Fulbright was very knowledgeable and very amiable. I chatted with her throughout a lunch that we had been escorted to, overlooking the city of Bern. Afterwards, we were given a tour of much of the city. Once the tour was over, several of the people in the program and I wandered throughout the city, soaking in the views of the blue-green river, the red-roofed buildings, and the cafes lining the cobblestone streets that I am completely enamored with.
The subsequent weekend was a bit less eventful as the previous one. Saturday was a very relaxing day, in which we wandered throughout the city and then lazily admired the lake and the mountains from a park right on the lake (a spot increasingly becoming a favorite of mine). Sunday we headed to Gruyere, where much of Switzerland's cheese is made. We went to the fairytale Chateau de Gruyere (Castle of Gruyere), beautiful with its maze-like garden, towering turrets, and ornate rooms, surrounded by greenery and mountains. Afterwards, we had a great lunch on a restaurant's terrace overlooking the main street of Gruyere, cobblestoned and medieval.
The following Tuesday was my birthday. I truly had a great time on my birthday. At work, I enjoyed cake and ice cream with everyone that I am working with. In the evening, some of the friends I have made here took me to the lake, where we rented a boat for half an hour and then wandered around on Lake Geneva, stopping briefly to dive into the clean water. Afterwards, we met up with some more friends and enjoyed dinner at the lakefront Creperie d'Ouchy, where I had a delicious Indian Curry crepe followed by a Chocolate crepe. On our way home, we stopped for ice cream and then cut another cake when we arrived back at the apartment. Without a doubt I can say that the people I have met here are incredibly warm and inviting. The fact that they did so much for me on my birthday is just one small example of this.
The only thing I have not talked about is this past weekend, which without a doubt deserves a post on its own.
Before I end, I would just like to reflect a bit on my time here so far. Yesterday marked exactly one month since I have been in Switzerland, and it truly has flown by. I have made really good friends while I have been here, I have seen things that previously I had only imagined I would ever see, and I have learned so much, both consciously and subconsciously. It is not just the work that I have learned from here; rather, I have learned from the people I have met and the experiences that I have had. Often times a person does not immediately understand what certain experiences and people teach him or her. Only afterwards does a realization come. I know for a fact that I have subconsciously learned a great deal about myself and the world in just one month here, and I have already begun to realize that.
At the same time, however, I have recently begun to miss my family and friends back at home. This is the first time that I have traveled with no one that I know. Although Lausanne has become a home away from home for me, it is still somewhat hollow, missing the family and friends from the U.S. Although I am enjoying my time here thoroughly and wish for it to not end, I am also looking forward to being with loved ones back in the U.S.
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