Disneyland

We went on the MATTERHORN! In SWITZERLAND. So not really Disneyland. THIS WAS THE REAL DEAL, BRO. I shall start the weekend from the beginning of the weekend, however.

On Saturday, I got up and went to Luzern train station and met up with other Luzern-ies. From there we took a train to Bern (1hour) and there to Visp (one hour) where we ALL got together and squeezed on another train to Zurmatt (1hour). We then got all our bags to the Youth Hostel and took loads of pictures. Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my battery before I left so I had enough power to take a few photos. We ventured from there to the main part of the town and began a SCAVENGER HUNT... type-thing. It involved: 10 words in Wallis-schwiizerdüütsch, taking a pic with the Swiss flag and the matterhorn (postcards counted), a pic of a wedding, and others. The last was to trade toothpaste for something cool. We got a keychain from some shop. That shopkeeper was such a bro.
Then. We went into the Matterhorn Museum. NEVER EVER EVER go there. It involved little things of interest. It was good warmness though. After an hour there, we went to dinner at fondue. That had to have been the nastiest cheese ever. It was chunky fondue. I would've preferred swallowing barf. Once we got out of there, we commenced a battle of snow-ice. I did not win.
From there, we went to club under Rotary supervision for the night. It was great. Good music, hilarious dancing. An overall great night.

TODAY
Gosh, I can't believe this was all today but...
Morning time. Breakfast sucked. I had no voice. We went to the gondolas to the small Matterhorn. I had no voice. Ascended the mountains. Still no voice. Got to the top. It was freezing and the snow was everywhere and we couldnt see the legitimate Matterhorn. 50km/hour wind too. Awesome. Still no voice. We went into a glacier next. I found a secret ice-slide with another Californian so we deemed it ours. They wouldnt let us go down it though. It was "blocked off" as they say. As though measly little ropes block it off. HA. Still no voice.
{This is the point where I fall asleep writing the blog and postpone finishing it until Wednesday}
So from there... we went to lunch, which was SPAGHETTI!!! T'was yummy. Still no voice. Then we raced down to Zurmatt and back to our train. It took me about 3.5hours to get home for a good fish dinner. Yayyy.

Since I wrote that first part of this blog, more has happened. On Tuesday, I had no English class so I could sleep in until 9 WHICH I FRICKIN DID. Then after school, I went to visit Martin in the hospital again with Sierra and Ana. He's doing much better and he's walking around. I then ventured to Sierra's Rotary Hostclub for dinner and that was thrilling.
Wednesday, (today) it has begun SNOWING! Like real snow that stays on the ground. It's been snowing on and off for the last week but this is the first that it has stayed on the ground.

ALSO!! I had a multilingual dream! High German, SwissGerman, and English! It was awesome! It really didn't make sense, but it was funny. Just that was a cool thing to tell you all.

That's what's rollin' here.
-Eddie

Thanksgiving

It's interesting that the one year I'm away from the States on the 4th Thursday of the November, I find myself appreciating it the most. So in light of this, I've made a list of what I'm thankful for this year.

I'm unbelievably thankful family. I thank my parents for raising me in such a loving environment. I'm thankful that I've been supported throughout my whole life through every [reasonable] aspiration of mine; from my 5 years of Karate, to this great adventure I am experiencing now. I'm thankful that despite every personal feeling they had, they could let me go on my own earlier than they had expected. I'm thankful for my awesome sister. I had never been able to see how well we get along until I lived with another family of children and could compare. I'm thankful for every great family experience I've ever had. I'm thankful for all of the positive outcomes from negative events in the past year. I'm thankful for the era of "Cousin Camp" and all the fun times we had at the beach. I love and miss you all.

I am thankful for my friends. I'm thankful for all the fun stuff my best friend and I have been through. I'm thankful for all my friends that have been with me through the ups and downs of life and school. I'm thankful for my film buddies who I always have blast with. I'm thankful for my friends at hockey, including my inspiring coaches and teammates. For everyone who has believed in me.

I am thankful for my greatest roll models. I'm thankful for Ray Marquiss for telling me whatever I needed to here to help me and for his ability of control. I don't think he even knows how much he has affected my life. I'm also thankful for Brian Conroy, who was a great inspiration in my role as a comedian in theatre. Without him, there would be valuable aspects of my comical abilities missing and basic attitudes towards theatre missing.

I'm thankful for Rotary and all Rotarians. I am thankful for my club at home that has included me so well in the group. Also, all the people who have helped me start the exchange. I'm thankful for those who of donated to the great program of Rotary Youth Exchange.

I'm thankful for all the great people I've met because of Rotary. All of the exchange students I met last year while I prepared for my own exchange, the students I've met here from all over the world, my host-families, my new classmates that became my friends within the first day, and all of the great Rotarians that I would consider friends. I am extremely thankful that I have included myself in this program because of all the great people I've befriended.

I could go on for ages about who and what I am thankful for just in this year, but that could get boring. If you are reading this, chances are I am thankful that I met you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

-Eddie

Mission Kuugahr FAILS

YESTERDAY.
I was going to get on a train and go to Geneva with another American. So, I got up in the morning. Rode my bike to the station. Picked up some breakfast, and got on the train. At about 18min into the ride (before the first stop in Sursee), the train stopped. About 20min later, they told us to not get off the train and to have patience. Okay no big deal. In about 15min intervals after that, we were told the same thing until at about 1hour and a half in the same spot, they told us a train would pick us up. So after 2hours of sitting in the same spot, we moved again. The new train took us to Bern and I met up with my friend there instead. We walked around and randomly found two other friend from South Africa and Australia. After an excited day, we all went our separate ways.

TODAY
We had a Unihockey match. We lost but it was very exciting and went to overtime. The other teams' first two goals were lame and one just trickled in. Unfortunate but fun.

Halloween plays crap music

It'll be three months that I've been here tomorrow. Whoa. Everyday seems to last forever, but the months fly by. The Southern-hemis are on the end of their exchange, getting ready to head back home. It' be sad to watch them go. For all I know, I'll never see them again. It's one thing to leave your family because you know you'll come back after but as they leave us from the exchange experience, I realize that it's not guaranteed we meet again. Then again, I do live in California... they might want to come visit me.

Last weekend, we had a three day weekend because the canton of Lucerne is Catholic and Monday was a day to remember the dead or something like that. So on Sunday night (Halloween), some friends and I hung out for the night. We went to "British Night." Basically the club's way of playing shitty music for a whole night. T'was cool, yet again.

Then on Monday, I went to Fribourg and walked around with a friend while we waited for more to show up. The whole day was a lot of walking, getting to closed stores because of the holiday. We ended up in Bern to wander and then I went with Grace to a smaller city by her house in which they have a large mall. I mean, for Switzerland. It's the biggest I've seen BY FAR. And very well designed.

This week has been average. Hockey practice continues. School is alright. Math is way beyond me. History is.. well... history.

okay! I done now.
-Eddie