FINALLY SOME PICTURES!!!!

All right, so heres a sample of the bajillions of pictures Ive taken.   Many of them arent that good, or get pretty repetitive, so heres just a few (plus it takes the computer forever to upload them)

This is Newark, NJ... a suitable foil for what was to come.

This is basically what much of Fribourg looks like, lots of old buildings and towers.

Heres a view looking out on the lower town from one of the bridges (the oldest part of the town is to the left of this picture)

Here is me on a boat heading to go eat some freshly caught fish on the other side of the lake.

Heres where the fun starts... this was the beginning point of the hike that I just went on.  It was in what is called the pre-alps, but there was still a mile of vertical elevation gain, so it was no walk in the park.

See that really tall ridge on the top picture?  Yah, climbed that and the picture below... one right after the other.

A view out from not very high up.

A  nifty trail-marking... just seemed fitting for some reason.

When finally at the top (approx 3000 meters above sea level).  A really wonderful sunset... the pictures do it no justice.

On the way back down, ran into some sheep.  Which reminds me, in the Alps here, you can be totally alone, with not a living thing near you, and still there are bells ringing in your head.......  At first its charmingly quaint, then its annoying, then it becomes just another part of the scenery (albeit an auditory one)

Oh, by the way, there's a cultural festival going on. OR the popes visitors

Ok, so today was supposed to be the first day of my language camp, but, apparently my German was good enough that I didn't have to take it (they didn't say you could test out until today) so, instead of German, the other out-tester and I just wandered the streets of Bern, where all of a sudden, we came upon a group of people dancing in a circle, playing catchy traditional sounding music. So, of course, we gawker some, until two very nice young guys came up to us, and explained that they were Catholic people from Germany on their way to see the Pope, and that we were both invited to dance with them, and go to see the Pope with them. Of course, given a chance to dance in public I will rarely turn it down, so we danced for a while, posed for some photo ops, and then declined their generous offer of a trip to Italy. When I got back to Fribourg (which is only a short trainride away), we went into town, and there was a parade of people wearing different traditional costumes, dancing and playing traditional music. Oh, by the way, there's a culture fest today!!! Then we biked back to the home, which is not far, but it's all uphill on the way back.

Slow day

Well, todazs Sundaz, and that prettz much means a daz where zou eat a lot of good food (even more than usual) and just chill.  Not a lot to report... although I had some Turkish street food the other night, and it was AWESOME!!!  I dont know whz anzone would ever go to McDs for fast food, when just as quicklz thez can get a Dönner.  Its a gorgeous daz, and thats prettz much all... so zah, a bientot

Potato Farming in mz future?

So todaz has so far been spent bz once more going to a supermarket, and also potato harvesting... thezäre delicious when cooked!!!  So much better fresh!  On mondaz, Iäll be stazing with mz actual host familz (unitl now Iäve been stazing with mz counselor, Thekla)  Then on tuesdaz, the language camp starts, which should be fun (looking forward to meeting the other exchange students)
ttt ttttt ttt thats all for now folks

In die Sweitz!!!

So I got here yesterdaz, but this is the first chance Ive had to blog (sorrz about zs and ys, theyre switched on the kezboard, and I donät know where the aposrophe is)
It is WONDERFUL here!!!!!!  the people are all nice, my germans holding up better than I expected it to, and everzthing is gorgeous!!  Its not too hot or cold here, its just right!  We went to the bank todaz (apparentlz, thez dont reallz want americans to have bank accounts because so manz of us cheat on our taxes with them, but thez made an exeption for penniless exchange students)
Also, i canät forget the food!!!! it is delicious!!!  last night for dinner, we had curried chicken and lamb ribs, which were delicious!!  and then we had strawberries (fresh) and cream for dessert!!!  As I speak, we are making some fresh ice cream, with apricots and pears and some other good stuff.   Oh, and loooads of espresso (iäve had 2 or 3 cups alreadz, and manz more offered to me)
Ill put up some pictures soon ;)

Packing??? What is this madness?

Well, 'tis the day before my last day in die vereinichten staaten von Amerika, and one would assume that I would be madly rushing about in a desperate scramble to assemble the necessary equipment for a year abroad.  Well, I spent an hour or so last night, and got things pretty well squared away, which left today open for splitting wood (oh joy!).  That done, and now that I've put some pink duct tape on my bags for easy recognition...... i don't exactly know what to do with myself, which is basically the reason i'm writing this blog.  I can't believe that i leave the day after tomorrow!!!! Thank goodness that I have my visa and all of the necessary papers.  Some poor kids going to Switzerland have had theirs delayed by 7 weeks!!  That mean's that they'll miss not only the language camp, but also the beginning of school.  Happily, I'm not in that group.