Day 21:
On this day, the large group of families left along with our cows. I'm sad that the cows are gone..I miss the tinkling of their bells. Well, they have moved up the mountain to better pastures haha.I started the morning off with programme meeting. We reviewed how today was going to run with the arrival of forty girl guides from the UK! Their day programme was specialized to their requests and slightly different from the standard summer programme. Today is also the day we moved into Stockli, the staff house! I was so excited to move into Stockli and not have to hike to Main Chalet haha. At the morning meeting we played a game to sort out rooms and roomates. We each reached into a bag and pulled out a large die. Depending on the colour of the die and the number is how we got sorted into rooms. Originally I was put on the second floor of Stockli but I ended up switching to a room on the first floor so that I would be paired with another person who is a night owl. My roommate is summer vollie Jessica!
For the day programme, the day started with an opening ceremony. We, the staff, introduced ourselves and then Catt read the words that Falk said at the first campfire. Then, the flags (Switzerland and the WAGGGS flag) were raised while we sang the Our Chalet song.
Next, the girls were split into groups and went around to different stations throughout the day. One station was orienteering which included learning how to use a compass and map. Another station was learning about WAGGGS and having a tour and the last station was
First, I had break and I helped Naomi hang up the posters we made on the bulletin board in Main Chalet....people can finally see them! Then, I prepared my belongings to move into Stockli later on. After break, it was time for the barbecue lunch. We had lunch on the veranda just outside the kitchen and Christoph grilled the bratwurst and veggie burgers for lunch. I was excited because there was Toblerone for dessert!
After lunch we moved all of our bags into the van to be transported to Stockli! Then, I was on guest services so I vacuumed Spyker and cleaned some rooms. Lastly, I was on programme! Naomi and I gave a tour to a group of girls. All of the girls were between ages 10 and 15. By the time they got to us though, the girls were all wet (from being outside for orienteering) and tired. The tour started out in the conference room with the power point and then we took them to each of the rooms. I tried to spice the tour up a bit by throwing in some random facts such as going through the oven for staff challenge. Also, in the American room it is rumored that if you sit in Helen Storrow's chair without asking permission the lights flicker. I think they are rigged haha.
After the tour, it was time for the WAGGGS activities. Because of the rain, we were forced to be indoors so all of the stations were in Spyker. The girls were split into groups and went to different stations spending ten minutes at each one. Naomi and I floated around between the stations and kept track of the time. At one station, the girls had to draw the WAGGGS regions on a balloon with marker though the balloons kept popping haha. At another station, the girls had to take a picture that included these elements: celebration, 100 years of girl scouts and girl guides, a good deed and international. They all came up with very creative pictures! At one station they learned about the millennium goals with Katie Scales and at my favorite station, the girls had to search for clues hidden around in the reception lobby. The clues gave them answers to a sheet that they had to fill in. Then we all gathered back in the conference room and Naomi, Katie and I each picked winners for different categories...they all won Our Chalet song books!!! whoo!).
The guides left at 5pm and returned at 8pm for an indoor campfire in the dining room. I did not go to the campfire but instead spent my time unpacking my clothes in Stockli. When you walk into Stockli, the door directly to the right is the Music Room. The Music Room is a lounge where there is a table, a tv, dvds, cds, books, games and a foldout couch. The couch is always laid out as a bed with blankets and pillows on it. Then, if you walk straight there is a small kitchen with a table and benches with a small kitchenette of a stove, sink, etc. Then, if you keep walking straight there is a room on the right, stairs on the left and past the stairs on the first floor are two more rooms and two bathrooms equipped with showers. My room on the first floor all the way down the hall to the right next to one bathroom and across from the other. My room is medium-sized and my bed is next to the windows that have a lovely view of the tool shed. Jess let me have the large closet in the room (she got the bureau) for my stuff and I also have a bedside table. Yay! The second floor has more rooms and bathrooms. I am so happy to have a permanent place to stay this summer that is separate from the main buildings!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 20: Hike to Silleren Part II
Cate and I followed the road up the mountainside. The road was surrounded on both sides by rolling fields with mountain flowers. On our uphill climb, we found a patch of snow! We had a mini snow fight and I made a tiny snow man. The mountains are majestic and the higher up we climbed, more mountains peeked out in between the peaks. Though the hike uphill was long, it was a good bonding time for Cate and I.
Finally, we saw a building as we neared the summit! There was a restaurant, a playground and a gondola system at the top. The restaurant and gondola were closed because the summer season has not started yet. I hope to return to the top of Silleren soon to rent out a scooter and scooter down the peak! We played on the swing set for a little bit and then we took in the beautiful view of the valley. To the left, we could see the roofs of houses of nearby towns. In front and to the right, rolling green hills dotted with pine trees rose up to rock decorated with snow.
After taking in the view for a little while, we began our descent to Adelboden. We crossed a bridge near the gondola station and followed the narrow dirt trail past a small pond that then led into the pine trees. We followed this trail down the mountain through the pine trees and lush greenery. Part way down, we took a break and called Our Chalet to let them know that we would be back in time for dinner! We also found some branches to use for walking sticks which helped take the pressure off of my knees. Adelboden came closer and closer into view as we made our way down.
The trail ended and we passed through a large wooden door frame. We followed a trail that led us into a field and we passed an abandoned farm house. Luckily, we spotted the "Wanderweg" sign and knew we were on the right path. We continued down the mountain and as we got closer to the bottom we could hear cowbells (as well as smell the cows nearby haha). After passing through a few turnstyles, we reached the bottom of the mountain in a field right next to where cows were grazing! We followed the trail until we reached the road. After making a turn in the road, we realized that we passed signs that we had looked at before earlier in our hike.....we had turned around and backtracked though we had actually been going in the correct direction....oh well haha. We did get a little lost but it was all part of the adventure!
We decided to follow the road into Adelboden. We were walking on a semi-busy road so we were careful. On our walk into town, we saw some ponies with shaggy coats and took some breaks. Since we were at the same elevation as the town, we did not have to walk up the hill! We walked into town on a far edge that I had never been by before and within five minutes we were on the main street. We stopped and got dessert at a cafe (the same one that I had been to with Karin, Carly and Rihanna!). This time, I got a strawberry tart for a dessert..yum! We enjoyed our dessert on a bench nearby the square with the town fountain. Then, after stopping at Co-Op we began the journey back to Our Chalet.
We made our way down from town and then climbed up the mountainside to Our Chalet though at this point my legs were hurting a lot haha. We got back at 5ish and I took a shower before dinner. At dinner, I sat with a family who lived on the military base. We had a good conversation and at one point they asked me what I missed the most and I named a few foods including granola bars. Then, one of the kids ran and got me a few granola bars! I was touched by their kind gesture and I am saving the bars haha.
There was a campfire that night but I was too exhausted to go so I went to bed really early...at quarter to 9pm! I think I set a new record for going to bed early for myself haha...I am one of the night owls here so it's rare if I go to bed before 11pm haha
Cate and I followed the road up the mountainside. The road was surrounded on both sides by rolling fields with mountain flowers. On our uphill climb, we found a patch of snow! We had a mini snow fight and I made a tiny snow man. The mountains are majestic and the higher up we climbed, more mountains peeked out in between the peaks. Though the hike uphill was long, it was a good bonding time for Cate and I.
Finally, we saw a building as we neared the summit! There was a restaurant, a playground and a gondola system at the top. The restaurant and gondola were closed because the summer season has not started yet. I hope to return to the top of Silleren soon to rent out a scooter and scooter down the peak! We played on the swing set for a little bit and then we took in the beautiful view of the valley. To the left, we could see the roofs of houses of nearby towns. In front and to the right, rolling green hills dotted with pine trees rose up to rock decorated with snow.
After taking in the view for a little while, we began our descent to Adelboden. We crossed a bridge near the gondola station and followed the narrow dirt trail past a small pond that then led into the pine trees. We followed this trail down the mountain through the pine trees and lush greenery. Part way down, we took a break and called Our Chalet to let them know that we would be back in time for dinner! We also found some branches to use for walking sticks which helped take the pressure off of my knees. Adelboden came closer and closer into view as we made our way down.
The trail ended and we passed through a large wooden door frame. We followed a trail that led us into a field and we passed an abandoned farm house. Luckily, we spotted the "Wanderweg" sign and knew we were on the right path. We continued down the mountain and as we got closer to the bottom we could hear cowbells (as well as smell the cows nearby haha). After passing through a few turnstyles, we reached the bottom of the mountain in a field right next to where cows were grazing! We followed the trail until we reached the road. After making a turn in the road, we realized that we passed signs that we had looked at before earlier in our hike.....we had turned around and backtracked though we had actually been going in the correct direction....oh well haha. We did get a little lost but it was all part of the adventure!
We decided to follow the road into Adelboden. We were walking on a semi-busy road so we were careful. On our walk into town, we saw some ponies with shaggy coats and took some breaks. Since we were at the same elevation as the town, we did not have to walk up the hill! We walked into town on a far edge that I had never been by before and within five minutes we were on the main street. We stopped and got dessert at a cafe (the same one that I had been to with Karin, Carly and Rihanna!). This time, I got a strawberry tart for a dessert..yum! We enjoyed our dessert on a bench nearby the square with the town fountain. Then, after stopping at Co-Op we began the journey back to Our Chalet.
We made our way down from town and then climbed up the mountainside to Our Chalet though at this point my legs were hurting a lot haha. We got back at 5ish and I took a shower before dinner. At dinner, I sat with a family who lived on the military base. We had a good conversation and at one point they asked me what I missed the most and I named a few foods including granola bars. Then, one of the kids ran and got me a few granola bars! I was touched by their kind gesture and I am saving the bars haha.
There was a campfire that night but I was too exhausted to go so I went to bed really early...at quarter to 9pm! I think I set a new record for going to bed early for myself haha...I am one of the night owls here so it's rare if I go to bed before 11pm haha
Day 20: Hike to Silleren! Part I
I had this day off and I decided that I wanted to take a hike. I went with another summer vollie, Cate and we decided to hike up the Silleren alp. We left around 10am and began our journey by walking down from Our Chalet to the bottom of the mountain. We followed a path that was right next to a coursing turquoise river surrounded by pine trees. The path was wide and made of gravel. I could see that some of the pine trees had fallen as a result of the recent storm, and though I was tempted to walk across the fallen trees that were suspended over the river I knew it wasn't a good idea haha. We also passed a bathtub on this path haha...it was really random but a good photo opportunity haha.
We followed the signs to the adventure park. We passed the outdoor adventure park and I could see some wires up above. There was also a bridge that passed through the clearing. We would be venturing to the adventure park soon as a part of training. Afterwards, we came to a wooden bridge, crossed it and climbed up a hill next to a chalet. We looked at some signs and only saw a road so we decided to backtrack to the path we were on. We continued on the gravel road next to the river until the path opened up to a barn surrounded by fields. We made some cow friends before we decided to follow a small dirt path that ran behind the barn. We made our way around some clean-up of fallen trees up a small hill back into a grove of pine trees though we were no longer next to the river.
We contiunued our hike across the valley until we finally reached the base of Silleren. The view was beautiful; the clear blue sky outlined the snowy mountains. As we ascended the mountain, I could more clearly see the avalanche barriers high up on the mountains. We reached a steep hill next to a small stream. The hill was filled with tall grass and mountain flowers.
Then, we reached a road! We followed the road upwards near fields until we saw a path. We followed the path to an old chalet which had a "Wanderweg" sign near it (Wanderweg stands for hiking trail). We saw a small dirt trail near the chalet so we had a choice to make: 1) take the road or 2) follow the trail.
We decided to follow the trail. We followed the trail across the field and at an upward incline. The trail suddenly ended so we thought that the road would be curving back up in the distance. We started travelling in the direction of where we thought the road would be. We spent an hour crossing fields, small streams and through small patches of trees. We kept going until we came to the edge of the hill that had a sharp drop down to some water below. We took a small break nearby the gorge and decided that we were lost and could not go any further. Unfortunately Cate and I have the same sense of direction which is not awesome and the maps stayed in our backpacks the entire hike haha.
Then, we spotted a road down the hill that we were on (which was clearly someone's property haha). We descended the hill and made it to the road next to a chalet. We decided to follow the road until we reached the top!
We were getting tired and the summit seemed far away. The real question running through our minds was: Will we actually make it to the top of Silleren?
I had this day off and I decided that I wanted to take a hike. I went with another summer vollie, Cate and we decided to hike up the Silleren alp. We left around 10am and began our journey by walking down from Our Chalet to the bottom of the mountain. We followed a path that was right next to a coursing turquoise river surrounded by pine trees. The path was wide and made of gravel. I could see that some of the pine trees had fallen as a result of the recent storm, and though I was tempted to walk across the fallen trees that were suspended over the river I knew it wasn't a good idea haha. We also passed a bathtub on this path haha...it was really random but a good photo opportunity haha.
We followed the signs to the adventure park. We passed the outdoor adventure park and I could see some wires up above. There was also a bridge that passed through the clearing. We would be venturing to the adventure park soon as a part of training. Afterwards, we came to a wooden bridge, crossed it and climbed up a hill next to a chalet. We looked at some signs and only saw a road so we decided to backtrack to the path we were on. We continued on the gravel road next to the river until the path opened up to a barn surrounded by fields. We made some cow friends before we decided to follow a small dirt path that ran behind the barn. We made our way around some clean-up of fallen trees up a small hill back into a grove of pine trees though we were no longer next to the river.
We contiunued our hike across the valley until we finally reached the base of Silleren. The view was beautiful; the clear blue sky outlined the snowy mountains. As we ascended the mountain, I could more clearly see the avalanche barriers high up on the mountains. We reached a steep hill next to a small stream. The hill was filled with tall grass and mountain flowers.
Then, we reached a road! We followed the road upwards near fields until we saw a path. We followed the path to an old chalet which had a "Wanderweg" sign near it (Wanderweg stands for hiking trail). We saw a small dirt trail near the chalet so we had a choice to make: 1) take the road or 2) follow the trail.
We decided to follow the trail. We followed the trail across the field and at an upward incline. The trail suddenly ended so we thought that the road would be curving back up in the distance. We started travelling in the direction of where we thought the road would be. We spent an hour crossing fields, small streams and through small patches of trees. We kept going until we came to the edge of the hill that had a sharp drop down to some water below. We took a small break nearby the gorge and decided that we were lost and could not go any further. Unfortunately Cate and I have the same sense of direction which is not awesome and the maps stayed in our backpacks the entire hike haha.
Then, we spotted a road down the hill that we were on (which was clearly someone's property haha). We descended the hill and made it to the road next to a chalet. We decided to follow the road until we reached the top!
We were getting tired and the summit seemed far away. The real question running through our minds was: Will we actually make it to the top of Silleren?
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Day 19: Training and Market Part II
After dinner, it was time for Swiss night run by Carly and Karin with assistance from the Heathers! I will have to run this during the summer so this was the first Swiss night I attended to participate and observe how to run it. First, the set-up in the dining room. Swiss flags cover the windows, flags of each province hang from the rafters and in the front the Jeopardy game is set up.
The first activity for Swiss night...learning a traditional song about Adelboden. We went over the lyrics and then sang along with the music. This song gets stuck in your head so easily...it's in my head right now...
Then, a special guest, Fritz, came to play a traditional horn instrument. The horn is called an Alphorn and is extremely long and made out of wood. The horn starts out with thin (with a reed at the top) and then grows larger to the horn that sits on the ground. Fritz has been playing the horn at Our Chalet for many years and he put on a great show.
Afterwards, some volunteers picked beforehand did a play that describes the legend of William Tell. William Tell helped free Switzerland from a tyrant's rule by refusing to bow down to said tyrant. Tell was ordered to shoot an apple from the top of his son's head or face immediate death. William Tell successfully shot the apple off of his son's head and ran away back to his home in the mountains; he later killed the tyrant thus helping to free Switzerland. The kids did a great job and had a fun time :)
Then, it was Jeopardy time! There were nine teams and I sat with a group of girls. We were the cat team because our noise was meowing haha. I actually knew a lot of the answers but I tried to not help out my group too much. The whole game was loud, competitive and fun. My team won! We won getting chocolate fondue first!
After Swiss night, I was in the kitchen with other summer vollies. We may or may not have drunken the fondue chocolate......haha. Then Cate and I went to Ham's Bistro opened specially for Sarah's birthday. Most of the spring and summer vollies were already there when we got there. I had more chocolate fondue and we had fun hanging out and celebrating Sarah's 19th birthday!
After trekking back to camp house for the night, I decided to go to sleep after chatting
After dinner, it was time for Swiss night run by Carly and Karin with assistance from the Heathers! I will have to run this during the summer so this was the first Swiss night I attended to participate and observe how to run it. First, the set-up in the dining room. Swiss flags cover the windows, flags of each province hang from the rafters and in the front the Jeopardy game is set up.
The first activity for Swiss night...learning a traditional song about Adelboden. We went over the lyrics and then sang along with the music. This song gets stuck in your head so easily...it's in my head right now...
Then, a special guest, Fritz, came to play a traditional horn instrument. The horn is called an Alphorn and is extremely long and made out of wood. The horn starts out with thin (with a reed at the top) and then grows larger to the horn that sits on the ground. Fritz has been playing the horn at Our Chalet for many years and he put on a great show.
Afterwards, some volunteers picked beforehand did a play that describes the legend of William Tell. William Tell helped free Switzerland from a tyrant's rule by refusing to bow down to said tyrant. Tell was ordered to shoot an apple from the top of his son's head or face immediate death. William Tell successfully shot the apple off of his son's head and ran away back to his home in the mountains; he later killed the tyrant thus helping to free Switzerland. The kids did a great job and had a fun time :)
Then, it was Jeopardy time! There were nine teams and I sat with a group of girls. We were the cat team because our noise was meowing haha. I actually knew a lot of the answers but I tried to not help out my group too much. The whole game was loud, competitive and fun. My team won! We won getting chocolate fondue first!
After Swiss night, I was in the kitchen with other summer vollies. We may or may not have drunken the fondue chocolate......haha. Then Cate and I went to Ham's Bistro opened specially for Sarah's birthday. Most of the spring and summer vollies were already there when we got there. I had more chocolate fondue and we had fun hanging out and celebrating Sarah's 19th birthday!
After trekking back to camp house for the night, I decided to go to sleep after chatting
Day 19: Training and Market Part I
This day, half of the summer vollies were working and half were not. I worked that day and began the day with morning meeting (as usual). I learned that there was a big market fair in town and this fair only happens twice a year in Adelboden (before summer and before winter). At this fair, all of the farmers come together to decide which land the cows will move up to for the summer time. In the summer, the cows move up into the mountains to graze. Soon, there will be a traditional cow parade where the cows will wear flower head-dresses. I hope to make it to the parade but it is at 5am haha.
For the morning, I cleaned: bathrooms, vacuuming, setting beds...whoo!
Also, Putri departed today which was sad; the first spring vollie to leave :(
After lunch, we had free time until dinner prep at 5pm (dinner officially moved from 6pm to 6:30pm). I decided to venture into town to see the market! Once I got into town, there were stalls lining the main streets. There was a lot more people milling about among the stalls. There were food stalls selling bratwurst, other grilled foods, chocolate and baked goods. There were stalls selling farm equipment, jewelry, honey and my personal favorite: toy stalls. The toy stalls were filled with different candies and toys. I thought it was so cool because most of the fairs I've gone to there are usually not stalls dedicated entirely to toys.
I stopped by the Co-op and wandered around for a bit. I bought some mint tea and body lotion...whoo! Afterwards, I was walking out of Co-op back towards the market stalls when I heard my name! I saw Rihanna, the Assistant Programme Director, walking towards me! I walked with her to a nearby cafe and we sat outside until Karin and Carly (spring vollies) joined us. They were leading the big group on programme today and allowing for the families to explore Adelboden for a bit. I got a delicious chocolate-covered creme puff and we had a good conversation. I learned that in the winter the trains freeze to the tracks in Sweden.
Then Rihanna, Karin and Carly had to leave and while I was walking with them we ran into Steph (another spring vollie)! I then walked with Steph instead and we had a good conversation. It was fun to hang out with some of the spring vollies before they depart (except Carly is working Summer and Karin will be working in the scout world centre in the next valley Kandersteg).
I then began the long hike back up the mountain. Half-way up a van stopped by next to me (I was wearing my uniform for Our Chalet...aka staff shirt, staff vest and navy blue pants) asking me if I wanted a ride to Our Chalet. The woman was showing the guy she was with Our Chalet and gave me a ride....my first time hitch hiking! Wow haha.
Then, I was on kitchen prep and clean-up. During dinner I sat with different guests and got to know them which was fun!
This day, half of the summer vollies were working and half were not. I worked that day and began the day with morning meeting (as usual). I learned that there was a big market fair in town and this fair only happens twice a year in Adelboden (before summer and before winter). At this fair, all of the farmers come together to decide which land the cows will move up to for the summer time. In the summer, the cows move up into the mountains to graze. Soon, there will be a traditional cow parade where the cows will wear flower head-dresses. I hope to make it to the parade but it is at 5am haha.
For the morning, I cleaned: bathrooms, vacuuming, setting beds...whoo!
Also, Putri departed today which was sad; the first spring vollie to leave :(
After lunch, we had free time until dinner prep at 5pm (dinner officially moved from 6pm to 6:30pm). I decided to venture into town to see the market! Once I got into town, there were stalls lining the main streets. There was a lot more people milling about among the stalls. There were food stalls selling bratwurst, other grilled foods, chocolate and baked goods. There were stalls selling farm equipment, jewelry, honey and my personal favorite: toy stalls. The toy stalls were filled with different candies and toys. I thought it was so cool because most of the fairs I've gone to there are usually not stalls dedicated entirely to toys.
I stopped by the Co-op and wandered around for a bit. I bought some mint tea and body lotion...whoo! Afterwards, I was walking out of Co-op back towards the market stalls when I heard my name! I saw Rihanna, the Assistant Programme Director, walking towards me! I walked with her to a nearby cafe and we sat outside until Karin and Carly (spring vollies) joined us. They were leading the big group on programme today and allowing for the families to explore Adelboden for a bit. I got a delicious chocolate-covered creme puff and we had a good conversation. I learned that in the winter the trains freeze to the tracks in Sweden.
Then Rihanna, Karin and Carly had to leave and while I was walking with them we ran into Steph (another spring vollie)! I then walked with Steph instead and we had a good conversation. It was fun to hang out with some of the spring vollies before they depart (except Carly is working Summer and Karin will be working in the scout world centre in the next valley Kandersteg).
I then began the long hike back up the mountain. Half-way up a van stopped by next to me (I was wearing my uniform for Our Chalet...aka staff shirt, staff vest and navy blue pants) asking me if I wanted a ride to Our Chalet. The woman was showing the guy she was with Our Chalet and gave me a ride....my first time hitch hiking! Wow haha.
Then, I was on kitchen prep and clean-up. During dinner I sat with different guests and got to know them which was fun!
Day 18: Last Working Day of the Spring Vollies :(
It was the last working day of the Spring vollies before they start to depart on different days afterwards. At morning meeting, we learned that 58 guests were arriving in the afternoon. They are families living at a military base in Germany; the girls are part of Girl Scouts overseas.
In preparation of the families arriving, we had a lot of rooms to set up. I cleaned the Main Chalet bathroom all by myself and then I helped set beds.
In regards to the last working day of the lovely Spring vollies, we wanted to think of a creative way to give the Spring vollies their cards that we made in secret. Lunch was the staff only so before the spring vollies arrived, we took a paper chain and hung it above the table where food is laid out for lunch. We then hung the cards on the chain with a sign in the middle with a wonderful painting of the mountains and Our Chalet with "Bon Voyage" painted on it (courtesy of summer vollie Cate). We then made bridges with our hands near the doors for the spring vollies to pass through. When the spring vollies arrived, they went through our people bridges and we cheered for them. I'm glad that they loved their cards and I was surprised to find out later that we had the nicest hand-over of vollies from one season to the next (yay! we're awesome!).
After lunchtime, we had the International Experience training with Koka (Deputy World Centre Director). During this training we talked about what it is like to live with an international staff team and talking about the definition of culture. We talked about a metaphor about the glacier of culture: a small part of culture is obvious on the surface including cuisine and traditions and a large part of culture is not so obvious and underneath the surface such as values. We also talked about what culture shock is and I realized that I experienced a few of the things on the list. When I first arrived at Zurich airport I felt: lost, rejected, confused, and slightly sad. Overall, I am getting used to life in Switzerland though I am missing some food and people from home!
Then around four pm, the group of guests arrived and I did my first Meet and Greet. I went with the first family who arrived (before the rest of the big group arrived). They were staying in Squirrel House, so I went with them to Squirrel house and did the Meet and Greet there. Basically I explained where to find showers in Main Chalet, what services/equipment is available to them in Reception and other important things for them to know. When I exited Squirrel House, the parking lot between Main Chalet and Spyker had filled up with children, parents and suitcases. With three other summer vollies, we divided up the families by location of their rooms and I did another Meet and Greet. I told the families staying in Main Chalet basically the same information as I told the family staying in Squirrel House and Jessica (the summer vollie doing the Meet and Greet with me) and I showed the families to their rooms.
After fielding off questions, I went to kitchen duty. The kitchen was extremely busy because we had 73 people for dinner including both staff and guests. We were scrambling towards the end but we got the food out on time! At dinner, I sat with a table of guests and got to know them. I also answered their questions about my background and things to do nearby Adelboden. Dinner clean-up took longer than usual but we got it done in pretty good time. As usual, towards the end I did the sweeping and squeeging...I tend to always clean the floor. I prefer that to Vimming. What is Vimming? Well, Vim is a type of cleaning product. First, you shake the white powder of Vim onto a surface. Then, you rub it into the surface with a damp cloth. Then, you take a different damp cloth and wipe it off. Lastly, you take Syrafim (a disinfecting spray) and clean the surface off. I prefer cleaning the floor haha
Today was a monumental day also because....I did a correct and successful cartwheel!!! Some of the summer vollies watched and judged it to be adequate....now I just need to perfect it!
Day 17:
Cleaning
After my adventurous days, this day felt very slow in comparison. After morning meeting, all of the summer vollies were assigned to do Guest Services for the morning. This means....cleaning! I cleaned some bathrooms and did vacuuming in Main Chalet. With all of us working, we finished cleaning early. The spring vollies' last working day is tomorrow (day 18) before they all separately depart Our Chalet. Since they have been so welcoming and awesome (especially for throwing a surprise tea party for us!), we wanted to do something special for them.
We made all of the spring vollies a special card. On one side, we put a group picture of them in the middle and different decorations around the picture depending on their personal flair. On the back we each wrote them special notes! We were not certain how we were going to pull off giving the cards to them in an awesome way but we worked on making the cards until lunchtime.
The afternoon was not too eventful. I was on kitchen duty and I got to wear an awesome apron and hat. I took control of Wendy, the sanitizing machine, during part of my work in the kitchen.
Fun Fact: The grass at Our Chalet is really long. Why is it not cut? The farmers have to agree about the time to cut the grass; anyone who cuts the grass before the decision is made is looked down upon in the valley.
We had guests from Oklahoma staying with us so for their last night we had a campfire after dinner at 8pm. I went to the campfire and it was fun. Again, I learned many new songs. My favorite from the night is the Swedish Sailor Song which is mostly made-up words. I also learned a song about a donkey and a goosing song from the Oakies. The group from Oklahoma presented the Chalet with a few gifts: the state rock which is the colour of the dirt there and shaped like a rose, a neckerchief in honor of one woman's husband who was unable to visit Our Chalet with the group and a red scarf in the shape of Oklahoma. They also gave each staff in attendance a dream catcher. I traded so I got a purple dream catcher....I love them and I'm happy to have a dream catcher for my room in Switzerland!
After the campfire, I trekked to camp house. Camp house is very small and starting to get messier and messier the longer we stayed in it haha. Then, it was time to hit the hay before another long day :)
Cleaning
After my adventurous days, this day felt very slow in comparison. After morning meeting, all of the summer vollies were assigned to do Guest Services for the morning. This means....cleaning! I cleaned some bathrooms and did vacuuming in Main Chalet. With all of us working, we finished cleaning early. The spring vollies' last working day is tomorrow (day 18) before they all separately depart Our Chalet. Since they have been so welcoming and awesome (especially for throwing a surprise tea party for us!), we wanted to do something special for them.
We made all of the spring vollies a special card. On one side, we put a group picture of them in the middle and different decorations around the picture depending on their personal flair. On the back we each wrote them special notes! We were not certain how we were going to pull off giving the cards to them in an awesome way but we worked on making the cards until lunchtime.
The afternoon was not too eventful. I was on kitchen duty and I got to wear an awesome apron and hat. I took control of Wendy, the sanitizing machine, during part of my work in the kitchen.
Fun Fact: The grass at Our Chalet is really long. Why is it not cut? The farmers have to agree about the time to cut the grass; anyone who cuts the grass before the decision is made is looked down upon in the valley.
We had guests from Oklahoma staying with us so for their last night we had a campfire after dinner at 8pm. I went to the campfire and it was fun. Again, I learned many new songs. My favorite from the night is the Swedish Sailor Song which is mostly made-up words. I also learned a song about a donkey and a goosing song from the Oakies. The group from Oklahoma presented the Chalet with a few gifts: the state rock which is the colour of the dirt there and shaped like a rose, a neckerchief in honor of one woman's husband who was unable to visit Our Chalet with the group and a red scarf in the shape of Oklahoma. They also gave each staff in attendance a dream catcher. I traded so I got a purple dream catcher....I love them and I'm happy to have a dream catcher for my room in Switzerland!
After the campfire, I trekked to camp house. Camp house is very small and starting to get messier and messier the longer we stayed in it haha. Then, it was time to hit the hay before another long day :)
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