Don't go away...

My trip is coming to a close, but I have much more to tell! Even though this post must be kept short, there is more to come of the adventures of Madame and Albert in Switzerland. I will be back in the country on Wednesday, so keep your eyes peeled for pitures and videos of yodeling, Swiss folk dancing, Alpine horns and more!! I am so glad that I don't have to share everything that I have learned in this blog, but I get to continuing my learning and sharing next year in the classroom with all of my students!

Albert visits his relatives

I am so sorry that I have not updated my blog for a few days, but I have quite a good reason. Albert, our new puppet friend, has decided to come to Milwaukee, and he wanted to say goodbye to his relatives in Switzerland before taking his big trip. We traveled to Obersteinberg, where his cousin and aunt and uncle live. we have been staying with them for the past couple of days, and in the mountain inn that they run, there is no electricity or internet. I am now in a neighboring town, and have a chance to write and tell you about all that I have learned.

First of all, Albert's cousin, Julian is in fantastic shape- he hikes up a mountain every day from school. The Swiss are very conscious about keeping fit and active.

Secondly, the more I talked with and spent time with Albert and his cousin, the more I realize what a commitment they feel to the beauty of their country. For example, when we were walking, Julian noticed a cloth that was lying on the ground in a pasture. Without hesitating, he ran to it and picked it up, and later threw it away.

Also, whenever I asked him what cetain flowers were called, he always knew the answer. I was so impressed with his ability to name each of the wildflowers that grew in his region- there were so many! I felt quite inspired to learn the trees and common flowers in Milwaukee when I return home.

One of the neatest things that I saw when I was in Obersteinberg was the process of cheese-making! Albert's Uncle Hansel is an expert cheese maker, and I got to observe the entire process from start to finish!! We started in the morning with milking cows. From there, the milk went into a giant copper kettle over a fire, where it was warmed to a certain temperature. After much stirring and reheating, the milk turned into curds and whey (yes, as in Little Miss Muffet!). Hansel then separated the curds from he whey, and pressed the curds into a giant cheese mold. He flipped this several times throughout the day until most of the whey was gone. (They feed the whey to the pigs.) The next day, Albert's aunt Vicky takes the mold off and puts the whole wheel in a big bucket of salt water, which helps preserve it and give it flavor. Two days later, she removes it from its "salt bath", rubs it down with pepper, and puts it in storage for a a few weeks before it is ready to eat. (If you didn't get that, don't worry- I have video footage!)

There is so much to say about my time with Albert's relatives in the mountains, but I don't want to risk you losing interest, so I will save it for tomorrow!

(Note: I have a boatload of pictures from the past few days, but am unable to load them at this time. I will do so as soon as I can, though!!)

Hello/Bonjour/Guttentag, Albert!

USM would fit in very well in Switzerland. Not only do we love the outdoors like may Swiss people and have a lot of cows in our state, but we start learning a language from day one. That was one of the biggest differences that I saw today in my visit. I actually visited a private school where they speak French all day on Mondays and Thursdays, English all day on Tuesdays and Fridays, and German all day on Wednesdays.

Today was the last day of school, so the class I visited (SK) had a party in the park. Throughout the morning, conversation flowed freely between French, English and German. It was so cool just to sit back and listen! At the park, I found that students play many I of the games that I mentioned before (Le Loup, soccer, etc.). However, when I asked the teacher if the Swiss are pretty much just like the French in terms of school and attitude, she responded with a resounding, "no". Indeed, the attitude here is much more relaxed, and students don't usually start school until SK. But there is a much greater emphasis on language. The Swiss people speak many languages. Here in Geneva, they speak French, but on other parts they speak German, Italian or Romansch, so in order to communicate with their fellow countrymen, they must speak several languages fluently. Also, Geneva is a really big city where lots of internationals come to work, so English is a must and nearly everyone speaks it.

Exciting news for my SK/1st grade friends!! As I told you at the end of the year, Jean-Robert got a letter from Albert, a construction worker in Paris who has never been to the U.S. before. Well, the day before I left, I met up with Albert at the Eiffel Tower, where he is doing finishing up some repairs for puppet access to the top. He decided to come to Milwaukee and become friends with Jean-Robert, Soleil, Pierre and Florence and see how he likes Milwaukee! He has been travelling with me ever since. Here is the picture of us meeting at the Eiffel Tower. He can't wait to meet all of you!!

When I was your age, the train went uphill both ways...

Usually when I want to go somewhere, I get in the car and drive. Clearly, this is not the case here in Europe. Today I used several different types of transportation.



1) Bicycle. Because I only had an hour before I needed to head out for the train to Switzerland, I rented a short-term bike and rode to the River Seine. Once there, I parked my bike, sat on the quai (the walkway next to the river) and soaked in the sight of the Notre Dame one last time.



2) My feet. I walked to the train station, my backpack loaded with new exciting things (which made it very heavy!). The walk was not only a great way to see the sights, but it was also great exercise!

3) Train. The train is a great, efficient way to get people from one big city to the next- and it saves a lot of gas! The best part, though, is the view. My train wove through countrysides, which turned into hillsides, which turned into a backdrop of mountains and lakes. Switzerland.



4)Car. My host family here, the Wetzels, picked me up in their car. Even though their car has lots of seats and room in it, it is still pretty small. Whereas they may have had an SUV or a minivan in the states, they have a much more compact car here, which makes parking a lot easier!



I spoke to a Swiss friend that I knew when I lived here before, and when I asked her what the biggest differences between Swiss and American schools are, one of the first things that she said was, "We took the train to school." When she was young, she walked to the station with her mom, got on the train, rode it for a couple stops, then got off and walked the rest of the way to school. I love that idea of independence and responsibility at such a young age.



Okay, question time:

-Mrs. Choren asked about French bakery (bread, etc.) in students' lunches. Students in French schools ALWAYS have bread with their meals, according to Luiza. In fact, when they go to visit other countries, they are a bit perplexed with what to do if they are not served bread with their meals.

- Mr. Schlenker asked about what I meant by "French and un-French". You pretty much nailed it on the head. French people were much more engaged in their discussions, while non-French were engaged in their surroundings. French linger a bit more. Non-french are frankly a little louder. Neither was good or bad- it was a fun game to walk down a street, spot a group of folks and try and guess (before I could hear what language they were speaking) if they were French or not.
-Nathan asked about my favorite band for Fete de la Musique. I think that my favorite was the French band playing mostly American/English songs. They were right on the Champs Elysees, the street which runs all the way from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe. They were actually the band in the first picture!

Tomorrow I will visit a Swiss school- I can't wait to see the differences between French and Swiss school culture. Until then...

The Best Longest Day Ever!

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, yesterday was the "Fete de la Musique" all over Europe and, of course, in Paris the Music Festival was celebrated with pizzaz! This festival happens every year on the longest day of the year. My watch broke right before my trip, so I have been going along and living my days without a single care about what time it is. This got the better of me for the first time yesterday. I was heading back to the apartment in what I thought was early evening (the sun was just beginning to set) and was beginning to get hungry. Sarah and Andrew and I decided to get some dinner before we walked around to find music, and when we looked at the time, it was 10 o'clock! However, we were not alone in the restaurant- it seems that everyone had the same idea. After enjoying some excellent Moroccan food (Morocco, a north-African country, used to belong to France, so there are some strong French-Moroccan ties), we began to walk the streets looking for music.

By the amount of people that were on the street, you might have thought that it was the middle of the day! We saw all types of local and visiting bands, from an Irish folk music band, to a great French band playing American music, to a single Frenchman (beret and all!) playing famous French music, to a Reggae band at the Eiffel Tower. Just as that band ended its set, the back lights of the Eiffel Tower turned off, and it began to sparkle! What a way to end the night!

Earlier in the day, we went to visit the Louvre, the biggest and most famous museum in Paris (this is where the Mona Lisa is displayed). As we were walking across the courtyard, we heard music and high voice singing opera. We were curious to see who was singing this beautiful music. After wading through the crowd, we couldn't believe our eyes when we saw not an elegantly dressed woman, but a man dressed in baggy street clothes, singing in his falsetto voice! It was quite unexpected, and was a good lesson that people are not always what they seem. From looking at this man, I would have never guessed that he would have such a talent!

I realize that this is getting a bit long, but I want to share with you all that I got a fantastic book yesterday with 1500 traditional songs, poems, and games. It even comes with a CD, and is considered the most comprehensive collection of essential rhymes, etc. in France. Many of these have been around centuries! I can't wait to learn some with my students!

Well, tonight ends my stay on Paris. Tomorrow I leave for Geneva, Switzerland. Happy belated Fete de la Musique to everyone at home!

I Love Paris in the Summer, When it Sizzles

I apologize for the missed post- unfortunately, internet in the big city is not free and easy like it is in the small towns I have been up till now!

Before I left Maule, I decided to visit their world-famous "chocolaterie", or chocolate store. This store, Colas, is known not only for the unmatched taste of their fine chocolates, but also for the fact that they use their chocolate to make art! Their chocolate shoes (not to be worn, obviously!), their mini chocolate pianos and chocolate African masks are bought and sold all over Europe. Take a look at the pictures- all chocolate. I bought a chocolate tool box with chocolate hammers, wrenches and screwdrivers for the family I will stay with in Geneva, and of course a little assortment of dark chocolates for myself and my husband.

Then on to Paris. Ah, Paris! As I walk down the streets, I cannot help but hum the tune "I Love Paris" and feel like I am living in a movie. As it turns out, I am staying with my two comanions so far (Andrew and Sarah) in a fantastic apartment right next to the Latin Quarter, an old section of Paris which is full of book stores, shops and cafes. The streets of this city are so packed with history, and I find myself constantly wondering, "Did Victor Hugo ever walk down this alley? Did King Louis ever wander these gardens? What conversations could be overheard on this corner during the French Revolution?"

A couple of popular things for kids to do in Paris are 1) sailing boats at the pond in the Jardin de Luxembourg- a big garden, and 2) play with their friends in one of the million parks around town. In fact, last night I saw some kids playing tag. Instead of saying, "You're it!", they say "Touche!"

Last night I walked along the River Seine, where people young and old, French and very un-French, rich and poor, claimed their preferred picnic spots. For nearly a mile, blankets were spread right next to the river and friends chatted with friends. There is even a little section of the river where there are nightly tango lessons. Wow, could those people dance!!

Today is a really special day in all of Europe. It's called "La Fête de la Musique". Apparently, bands from all over the city play in the streets all night long! I can't think of the last time that I stayed up past midnight, but I think that this would be a worthy occasion. I'll let you know how it goes!

Fairy tales, Kinder eggs and cafeterias

Today was my last day in a French school, and it did not disappoint! The teachers here have been so accomodating- they like learning about the U.S. just as much as I like learning about France. One of the teachers here loaned me a book of popular French fairy tales. Today when I returned it to her, she took it, wrote a nice note inside, and offered it to me as a gift! I look forward to reading through the whole book more thoroughly this weekend in Paris and telling my students these stories in class next year.

After school, Andrew and I decided to have a truly French snack. We stopped at the supermarket and bought Kinder Eggs, thin, hollow chocolate eggs with special figurines or toys in the middle. When we got home, we ate these chocolate treats and had chocolate milk with it (chocolate milk is a popular treat here too!).

It is interesting to see the difference between the schools in this town and the schools in the first town I visited. One thing that is really different is how many students stay at school to eat lunch. My host family says that 80% of students in this town eat at the "cantine"- the cafeteria. They always have three courses: first salad (most of the time with beets), then the main dish (chicken, fish or red meat), and finally dessert. Dessert does not always mean sweet, though! Most of the time it is cheese, yogurt, fruit, and every once in a while- a small cake.

I have some exciting news for my incoming third graders: do you remember writing the thank you letters to Luiza, who did the Skype conference with us? Well, she was so happy to get ther letters that she responded to each letter individually! She was very happy to practice her English, and she read each of your letters with care. When you return in the fall, each of you will have a letter from her.