Bern Baby, Bern

For my program's first excursion, we traveled to Switzerland's capital, Bern. This is a beautiful city that I may like more than Geneva. While there, we toured the parliament building and a cathedral. Both were very extravagant! I also found my new favorite bar, Propeller. If you ever happen to be passing through Bern one weekend, make a stop by this chill and lively bar that turns into a club on weekends.

Story of the week however, goes to a certain bar in Bern by the name of Gut Galant. It is here that myself and two other friends were enjoying a beer when in walks two relatively young guys already clearly inebriated. The two guys walked in, or rather, shuffled in with a drunken stupor to their faces and were talking loud Swiss German. And if you did not notice any of these signs, then you were sure to notice the bottle of Heineken they were carring into the bar. As soon as they took the seat next to us, the bartender walks over and tells them that they can't bring in any outside alcohol and that they would need to get rid of it. Long story short, they do not get rid of the bottle and the bartender must kick them out, only to be met with much hostility from the drunken guys who then leave and switch their hats in an attempt to confuse the bartender and sneek back into the bar, to go up stairs to the restaurant. Of course the bartender is much too wise for them and kicks them back out of the bar.

However, the story takes a turn when the guys do not leave and in fact a friend who was already in the bar comes to their rescue and begins arguing with the bartender (Swiss German mixed with anger and large inflections is definetly terrifying, yet captivating). Then, just as the guys flick off the bar and leave two of them take their boots and kick the glass pane of the front door. It's on now! The bartender dashes out the front door and chases down one of the guys and brings him back to the bar where they get into a bar fight. The drunken guy loses, but not after getting roughed up a bit and banging his head into the same glass window that was earlier kicked (aparently glass doors are very strong in Bern, who knew?). good times in Bern... To end the already amazing night was watching as other people from the group came back to the hostel in drunken cheerful moods.

We were there for only three short days and then made our way back to International central, aka Geneva. Next week, Brussels and Paris!!!

Before I go back to writing a paper due tomorrow, I will leave you with the words of one of the speakers we had come talk to our group:

"We learn a lesson, then we learn it well when we repeat it" -Colum Murphy

Smitten with Switzerland

So a lot has occurred during my first weeks in the land of chocolate and cheese.

I will start with the first weekend we were here:

A week ago Saturday, a group of us had the plan of going to see a movie at this film festival that was occurring [Black Movie: blackmovie.ch] and then we would go to the after-party. The After-party was apart of the movie festival and it was being held at an abandoned factory nicknamed, the Zoo. Unbeknown to me, the theme of this party was "60's Tokyo". Still not quite sure why or even what "60's Tokyo" has to do with film, however, I do know that the potpourri of people made me realize I would need a beer, maybe even two. The list includes,but is not limited to, Emo, Drag, and Hippie, with a splash of Hipster. However, in the end I enjoyed myself and so did most everyone else, it would be what happened next that would have the night take a turn for the worse. Realizing that the last train was leaving from Geneva to Nyon at 1:20am, we made our way back to the station only to miss it by one minute. The next train was not until 5 am! With places closing and the chill night air biting our faces, we could only think of one place that was open long enough for us to sit and wait... the Zoo. With our heads hung low and our bodies beginning to ache from tiredness, we went back to the zoo and sat on the side as everyone around us danced on until we could leave for the next train later that morning.

A little bit about Geneva:

Here's where I'm going to explain to you something i'm noticing. Topic for today: EUROPEAN GUYS- So the Swiss women here are gorgeous (I'm pretty sure I'm in love) however, I do not seem to find a lot of single girls at the bars we go to (hince my constant search for new bars). What there are a lot of, are single European guys who's forwardness and tact for hitting on American girls is unprecedented by anything I've seen in the states. They ask if I'm the boyfriend of the girls in my group and as soon as I say no, they charge in and pounce, it's all very National Geographic. The upside is that because I'm there the guys end up buying me drinks too. So I can't really complain too much as long as the free drinks keep rolling in.

All's well that ends well!