Amsterdam

As I mentioned in my last post, Jess and I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Amsterdam. It was a little sad not getting to have the traditional turkey and mashed potato meal, like we usually do in Canada, and not getting to be with our families but we still had a good time.

Once again I was pleased to get my Starbucks fix (although $8 for a grande size) and stock up on Swiss chocolate since we had to train to Geneva in order to fly to Amsterdam. We got a chance to check out the Heineken Brewery/museum, Anne Frank House, coffee shops, the red light district and just wander around taking in the architecture and sights. We enjoyed numerous Dutch meals/pastries and finally got to have some strawberries (been craving them for a while).

I think I'm in denial that its fall. In Grenoble the weather had been sitting around 21 degrees since I arrived and the last two times that I've gone away for the weekend I've experienced temperatures closer to 10 degrees. And of course, each time I am under dressed since I was planning for warmer weather. Needless to say, I bought both a jacket and some winter boots in Amsterdam. No, it wasn't that cold but at least now I'm more prepared for when fall/winter actually does come. Because its more humid here than in Edmonton you feel the cold faster than you do back home too.

Now that I'm back in Grenoble for the next little while, it's time to focus on school. I've actually become very overwhelmed by my classes and not just because I've been leaving town frequently. Within the next 3 weeks I have 5 group presentations/reports to finish and 2 midterms to study for. GEM faculty says employers are looking for graduates that can work in groups but I think they took that to a little bit of an extreme when planning the curriculum!

If you want to read about my classes and assignments, Jess (another exchange student) wrote a blog all about it so you can check that out instead of me just repeating it all. Also note that 2 of these classes have regular and necessary textbook reading to keep up with and 2 of the classes usually have weekly or bi-weekly homework assignments as well. YAY!

Needless to say...I have lots of work to do. Hopefully I can just buckle down and focus even though my dad is visiting for the next two weeks. I think I'll have mad co-ordinating skills after all this group project/meeting planning when every class has a different group mixture.

Thanksgiving

Okay, okay so I know that's not until next weekend (at least for us Canadians) but seeing as I will be in Amsterdam, Netherlands without computer access I will write about it now. For some reason thankfulness has been on my mind lately too. Maybe it has something to do with the amazing experiences I am having or the incredible scenery around here....or maybe just the fact that I've had lots of reflection time either on the tram, trains, busses, planes or walking. Also, I had my first option class yesterday and I'm taking International Humanitarian & Development Intervention. We talked about countries in need of aid and UN assistance and that also got me thinking on the things I take for granted, either here in France or in Canada. Or maybe God was just trying to get me to realize how lucky I am. Most likely a mixture of all those things.

Either way, during my time living in France I've gone through some periods of missing the comforts of home and sometimes missing the predictability of my life in Canada (although that part doesn't usually last for long). Because I've been fighting a brutal cold this last week it seems my desire for those things was recently heightened. However, as I was walking home from a marvellous shopping trip this afternoon, I flipped a switch in my thinking and started considering all the things I love about being here. Don't get me wrong...thats not a rare occurance as I am so enjoying my time here.

I know this list could really go on forever but these were some of my more recent considerations.

I am thankful that:

-I live at the base of the French Alps near a river full of clean glacier water with a gorgeous view to be had, everyday
- It's October 2 and I was able to wear a tank top, shorts and sandals today (even though the lady at the grocery store asked me why I wasn't cold dressed like that--which makes me consider that this is normal weather for them)
- I have hot water to shower with and a warm apartment
- I have a computer to keep in contact with friends and family
- I have friends in places all over the world
- I have the ability to travel freely, without persecution, all over Europe
- I can afford to buy food to feed myself
- I feel am living in a generally safe place where I have no fear of being shot or attacked on my way to school and to the store
- Although I may be fighting off illness, I am not in an area suffering from malaria, malnutrition, exposure and dysentry
- My walls are thin and I often wake up to screaming kids or loud footsteps but I am not waking up to bombs and gunfire
- I learned French when I grew up and can now get along on a daily basis in a language other than my mothertounge
- I got to enjoy Haagen-Dazs icecream AND a dark chocolate-banana crepe with Jess this afternoon
- There is an English speaking church in Grenoble
- I am privy to an education
- I am loved

As I walked contemplating all these things I really was overwhelmed at how much God has blessed me.

As it comes close to Thanksgiving, try to consider not only the things directly around you for which you are thankful but the things you might take for granted, which people in under-developed/war-torn countries are likely missing. Now consider how lucky and blessed you really are.

Dania

Oktoberfest

I'm not going spill all the juicy details and stories on my blog so if you guys are still interested in hearing more about my trip to Oktoberfest you'll just have to ask once I get home to Canada. For now, I just have a few things to share...including the fact that going to Oktoberfest 2010 in Munich was probably one of the most memorable experiences of my life!

It was super nice the whole drive to Germany and as soon as we arrived at our super cute hotel in Talhausen (25 min outside Munich because prices were crazy $$ in the city) it started pouring. That didn't dampen our moods though as we were determined. I love German food so we had an authentic meal at our hotel and hitched a ride to Freising to the train station in order to get ourselves to Munich for the evening (Fri, Sept 24).

Because it was raining it was easy to find a spot at a beer tent at Oktoberfest. Just meant we had to keep our jackets and hoods up since there was no cover. And so the litres came....just kidding. Only two each, that night.

Woke up crazy early Saturday morning (5am) to be at Oktoberfest in line for a tent at 7:30am. Loved the breakfast of bratwurst on a bun and soooo loved my Chai latte from Starbucks that morning even though I paid almost $7CAN for it. We got into the tent fast enough (luckily) and the beer started flowing at 9am. We were back at our hotel and crashed in bed by 10:30pm and everything that happened in between...those are stories for in person HAHA. No, the rain never let up so that was part of it but 5L of beer in 7 hours or so will also help to do one in.

Sunday morning we got up, not at all hungover due to the 10:30pm bedtime, and made our way back to Switzerland with a quick stop in Munich to see the Olympic Park and the new soccer stadium.

Switzerland

AND I'm back.

Holy smokes, what a week. Well....weekend mostly.

It started Thursday afternoon as Jess and I were finishing up International Marketing class. We had our backpacks packed and everything ready to go for our long weekend in Switzerland/Germany. We were enjoying break and talking to others about our upcoming trip when someone blurts out, "Don't you know the French transit is on strike again today?" Needless to say, NO, we did not know that. Its never written anywhere when these days are going to happen yet somehow, other people are in the know and I am not. We decided to check the train anyways at 1:30pm and no, it was no longer scheduled. Here we go again I thought...

Luckily the busses were still running to the Geneve (Geneva to English speaking people) airport so we paid our extra $50 for the inconvenience and hopped on that one leaving only 30 minutes later. Unfortunately that meant missing our planned train connection. Thank goodness for flexible tickets because it let us just hop on the next train from Geneve to Zurich with the same ticket we had previously purchased. From there it was Zurich to Zug where we met up with Marc, a friend of mine who lives in Switzerland but had come to work in Canada for the last year or two (where we met).

Although we arrived in Switzerland at night it was already amazing. We had dinner on a patio of an Italian restaurant right off the Lake of Zug and then headed to Lucerne to a lounge called "Suite" on the roof of a hotel. Here we experienced a breathtaking view of the mountains, the Lake of Lucerne and all the city lights. Luckily, we planned to come back Monday for more exploring, after our weekend in Germany.

The drive through Switzerland (and even 20 minutes in Austria) was incredible. It was a marvellous 25 degrees, although we were in a car, and the mountains were looking glorious while the lakes reflected the clear blue of the sky. The stereotypical green pastures, with cows everywhere, was exactly how I pictured. I decided this would be the place to paraglide if I get the chance to go back. We even drove past the country of Liechtenstein during our drive!

For ease of reading I'll write about Oktoberfest in the next post. We arrived home from Germany Sunday (Sept 26) evening, enjoyed a warm meal in the midst of crappy weather and headed to bed. Marc had to work Monday so Jess and I headed by train to explore Lucerne. we wandered around, marvelled at the view, climbed up some of the towers, crossed the famous Chapel bridge and munched on some Swiss goodies. Yes, there was some shopping in there too.

After a far to early start on Tuesday morning Jess and I finally made it back in Grenoble at 12:45pm for a class that started at 1:15. And so started another week of classes.