Post Christmas Cookies

Baking heaven.

Don't tell my Mum but I just made cookies from shop-bought cookie dough and THEY ARE DELICIOUS.
They're supposed to be Christmas cookies but these ones are post Christmas cookies and I put on 10 kg just looking at them.

Why have I never made these before?!  I feel like the Swiss have been hiding this secret from me. From packet to mouth in 6 minutes.

5 wunderschöne Dinge

I just opened my computer for the first time since I left home.  What's it been....a week?  10 days?  I had to truly think about what day it actually is....so that either means I'm on holidays or severely jetlagged.
Let's go with Option A, Holidays.

Ah, holidays.  The last 10 days or so have felt all too familiar, which is nice.  Kind of like I was only here last month...(contrary to popular opinion, I was not).

Coming back to Zurich last night on the train I was overwhelmed again by the amazing scenery - the Alps just never get old and IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL. 









Loved spending Christmas up in the mountains.  It's a completely different world up there...besides all the extra snow.  Top 5 Highlights of 5 days in the Mountains (Davos):

1.) Success in Cooking a Turkey.
Would you believe, that I, having never (I don't think) eaten a turkey before(!!) cooked a turkey?!  And, not only a turkey, but, if I may say so myself, amazing stuffing AND gravy.  I'm still in shock.  I did feel a little like I was sitting down to a Thanksgiving Dinner on Christmas Day....(I blame this on Hollywood) and I was too squeamish to actually put the stuffing IN the turkey myself, however, I CAN COOK A TURKEY!

Done like a (Turkey) Dinner...and what is Duplo doing on the Table?!

2.) Skiing.
I know, I know.  Last time I went skiing I swore to never repeat the act.  This time, I did the same thing.  Next week, I'll probably say it again.  However, once I survive the treacherous act that is a ski lift, I love being so high up in the mountains with such a clear view of the sky.
(PS. Thanks to Nat for her expert tutelage and patience)

3.) A REAL Christmas Tree with REAL candles.
On Christmas Eve (when Christmas is actually celebrated in Switzerland) we went to the little church in Nick & Nat's village where the school kids were performing a few songs and a play.  I made up the dialogue in my head as it was actually in Swiss German, and it was a pretty interesting play (if I do say so myself).  However, the cool thing was the Christmas tree.  It reached the roof of the 2 story church and the teenage boys sit up on the second story and light the candles.  Nat told me it's always the same - some sort of rite of passage for this age group - you are allowed to be a part of the tree lighting. 
Looked a little to me like the Swiss allow pyromanic tendancies to develop in teenage boys, however I was more worried about a lit Christmas tree in a church made almost completely of wood.  And I was up on the second story with no easy escape.
So between making up the dialogue for a Swiss German Christmas play and planning my escape route, you can imagine I was pretty busy.

Nick & Nat's REAL Christmas tree with REAL candles

 

4.) HC Davos (Switzerland) v. Vitkovice Steel (Czech Republic).
This ice hockey game would have to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I felt very lucky to be invited to go with my Swiss family to a Spengler Cup match (HC Davos v. Vitkovice Steel)...the atmosphere was crazy and professional ice hockey is soooo fast!  I now understand why they think cricket is a slow game!
I also learnt some German chants useful for ice hockey games.  You never know when these will come in handy.

5.)  --
Ok, so I don't have a fifth highlight.  The title was just catchy.
But, in general, I'm just quite happy to be here.  It feels a little like home.  Getting used to understanding nothing again, losing whatever English I did have, Slipping and sliding on ice, Eating good chocolate and drinking gluwein, Sparkling Apple Juice!, Dry lips and catching up with many good friends.
I'm heading to Kassel on January 1st, for an intensive 3-week German course (language + culture) and then am planning on heading back to Zurich for a few weeks before I start my semester in Munich. 

Auf Wiedersehen! und Ich wunsche dir ein frohes neues Jahr!

I still run for trains

It didn't take long for old habits to return.  First train I went for...I was running late (not my fault) and I although I ran, I missed it.  
Swiss trains 1.  Kylie 0.
Later that day I found myself running down the road for the train...and had to laugh.  It felt like Déjà vu.  Bag, scarf, coat flying behind me, running past the ticket machine, throwing some money in it's direction, only for my efforts to be in vain as the train pulled away just as I got to the platform.  
Swiss trains 2.  Kylie 0.


Have been fighting jet lag for the past 4 days, but starting to feel more human again today.  Once again, I am typing away on a strange European keyboard which I blame for this short post.  However, Mum (and others who were wondering) I am here...safe and sound.  Zürich was amazingly white and snowy and beautiful when I arrived, and now up in the mountains near Davos, there is plenty of snow and ensuring there will be a white Christmas.

And now I am cooking croissants, enjoying Swiss bread, and about to make a pavlova (just to keep Christmas a little bit Australian).  I think I've also said I will cook a turkey for Christmas dinner (what was I thinking...never cooked a turkey in my life).

It's so lovely to be seeing friends again and those Swiss Francs again.  (First day I arrived, there was a 1000 CHF ($1000) note on the bench...ah, yes.  Indeed I am in Switzerland).

Frohe Weihnachten!

I am the official Door Opener

I was reminded of good things tonight.
Every now and then I join an excellent group of people who join together to take uni students who live on campus to Woolies. It's a bit of a hike for the students otherwise, especially with lots of shopping and so they're only too happy to jump onboard our bus of fun for a 5 minute drive to buy groceries as we go back and forth.
I act as the official door opener and professional conversationalist. I never knew I had it in me - to begin so many conversations - but I just keep talking until some unsuspecting person is tricked into chatting with me for the ride.

Tonight, a guy got on who I've seen around uni. To be honest, not the person I would generally talk to. If I had to stereotype myself and him.
But tonight, he was lucky enough (unfortunate enough?) to sit next to me. I talked about uni and holidays and Woolies and he grunted a couple of times and I thought, this is going to be an extra long 5 minutes. But I kept talking to myself and then he started talking. And had really good things to say. And then he initiated the conversation on the way home. He initiated conversation and questions about human rights and women's rights...and the oversecularisation of our culture....and community work. And was seeking real depth and answers to big questions.

Not that I have those answers, but I was thankful for the reminder that people are people. It doesn't matter what they look like, or who I think they are from their appearance.
And that we seek truth and goodness. And that my worldview is small, and God's worldview is big. Much, much larger than what I think or believe.

"We can name Jesus, orient out lives around him, and celebrate him as the way, the truth and the life, and at the same time respect the vast, expansive, generous mystery that he is."

4 Monate

I'm a little bit ashamed that it's been over 4 months since I last blogged.
Oops.
I didn't blog at all about the last trip OS (5 weeks away - NZ, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Bintan Island (Indonesia))...definately an adventure (and great times with wonderful friends and Jenna (both a sister AND a friend).
I'm more than half way through another semester at uni! Eeek. Well...that may perhaps be wishful thinking - still a hard slog ahead to finish.
Just home from a lovely holiday back to Dubbo, finishing with Tom & Katie's wedding last night in Wee Waa. It was such a wonderful and fun celebration and it's hard to believe my little brother is married! And we have a new sister!
I bought a flight to Zurich.
I've been accepted to study in Munich for a semester.
I spent the last week being apart of a study intensive at Burrabadine, which was an excellent chance to see Jesus through new eyes and refocus on Him.
I put fuel in a car for the first time in almost 3 years! (The price has definately gone up!!)
I have wonderful German friends at uni who pretend they understand me when I massacre their language.
I have hopeful plans for time in Switzerland next year.
I rode a hired scooter in Thailand! BIG fear relieved and I want to explore South America on a scooter now. Who is coming?
I will be in Europe for the 4th winter in a row. How does this happen?!
And that, my friends, is an update on the last 4 months of my life.

'Jesus never asked anyone what they did for a living; what mattered was what they did with their life'

Why is my white dog now grey?

This is kind of like a 'Dear Abby' column but instead I'm calling it: 'Dear Tessie'.

Q.
Dear Tessie.
I took my white maltese shih-tzu to the dog grooming place shop thing because she was, ah, in need of grooming. She had been neglected since we have a new child in the family and we could no longer pay attention to her 23 hours a day.
I went to pick her up when she was finished and instead of a white dog there was a grey dog wagging her tail at me. I've had her genetically tested and she's the same dog. Why is she now grey?
From Worried and Confused Dog Owner 135445


A.
Dear Worried and Confused Dog Owner 135445.
This is not a common problem. Dog grooming place shop things, as you call them, do not normally cause your pet (now politically called animal companion) to change colour. I've taken time this week to spend some time talking to your animal companion and she's given me a full update on the happenings on that day. Did you know she could talk? We rarely come across as intelligent animal companions as this. Although I must warn you - she told me she is her losing her ability to speak because of the neglect received by her in recent months.

Apparently after she had been groomed by Groomer #1 she was placed in a cage to await your arrival. She was somewhat embarrassed to talk about this part of the experience as the groomer has made her feel quite ashamed by her new haircut. Her ears are bare and as these aren't her best feature she would like in future for a slighter longer cut in the area.
Whilst in the cage, a second animal companion was placed in a cage and the Groomer #1 left the room and closed the door. The other animal companion was apparently quite troublesome and a bad influence on your dog. Apparently, he talked her into using teamwork to move their cages across the floor to reach some tasty treats. She was unsure of the following details but in their haste to feast on the treats, they knocked over a large bucket which fell on a device she described to me and I've understood to be a hyrobath. This caused a fire to break out and as I mentioned, she is unsure of the following details. It wasn't until Dog Groomer #3 (Dog Groomer #2 was on a lunch break) smelt smoke that the door was opened and the dogs saved. She is also aware that she could be charged for the ensuing destruction of the hydrobath and wishes for this information to remain confidential. The fire caused both dogs to suffer severe smoke inhalation and the ash caused your dog's coat to turn from white to grey.

I've spoken with the Dog Grooming shop (CLEAN-DOGS-R-US) and they've offered to pay for a full day-spa-visit with your local vet where your animal companion will be observed for a full day to check for concerning signs of smoke inhalation (sever coughing, asthma etc), and also assured us that Dog Groomer #1 has been replaced. You may also be interested to know that dogs with upper jaw which jut out higher than the lower jaw are three times as likely to be led astray by fast-talking troublesome animal companions. This statistic will certainly help her should the case be taken any further by CLEAN-DOGS-R-US.

I wish you all the best with your future endeavours and your talking now-grey animal companion. She should return to full colour in 4-6 years.

Kindly,
Abby.

If your animal companion is grey after a visit from a Dog-Grooming salon, they may have also suffered smoke inhalation.

This is the only time that this blog will switch to a Dear Abby-style post. If you didn't understand what this post was about, it probably wasn't meant for you.

The Line that I was born above

Live Below The Line - An Interesting Little Journey - Part 2

Day 3 is over and I have survived 3 days of living on $2 a day. Well, foodwise anyway.

In the last 3 days, I think I've been more aware of all the things I use/do that cost a lot. Well, a lot in comparison to $2 for all food all day. Everything from fuel to my facewash to the coffee that I can't have this week from the uni cafes. My coffees at uni cost $4.30 - and that's not even a large cup! That's twice what I'm living on for food! Twice what 1.4 billion people in the world survive on for their every need every day. And not just as an experiment for a week- that's their life!

It's hard to get my head around...it's not just about the lack of choice for food or the lack of the tastes that I really enjoy. It's also appreciating and understanding that it's hard to concentrate when you're hungry. It's much harder to function at basic life tasks when you're thinking about your next meal and it just affects a large part of life. So if that is your life, then life if harder and affects more than just meal times.

It's good to be reminded of a much bigger picture and a much bigger world. That I was born above a line that 1.4 billion people today were born under. Even if I'm not *enjoying* this experience, I'm grateful for the reminder. Also grateful for .39c jelly I got stuck into tonight.