...which is most definitely what ProMo and I are here in Switzerland! It is even more gorgeous than I imagined and I am even more befuddled by the language barrier than I thought, but we are having a great time!
There have been many surprises - pleasant and unpleasant - but some of my favorite things about the trip so far have been quotes! Since I try to not use full names on this blog, I'll try to keep these as general as possible, except when the context makes it that much funnier. For some, you may need to know the people or the situation to think they're funny but I've tried to pull the good (yet relatively clean) quotes from my collection. So without further ado...
While we're packing:
Me: I hope you're not bringing that watch.
ProMo: Why?
Me: You can't bring a fake Rolex to Switzerland!! That's a huge insult! That's like me showing up in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan without a burqa!!
While I'm trying to figure out how to speak basic Italian...when we're already here:
Me: How do you say "hello" in Italian?
ProMo: buon giorno?
Me: That sounds right. [pause] wait a minute...did you get that from an Olive Garden commercial?!
ProMo: Maybe. So?
Every night in Riva, we've hung out at a local bar with our group of predominantly male civil engineering students. Here are my favorite bits of conversations with the boys, who will be referred to as CEBs - civil engineering boys:
The one-liners...
Guys, let's not nerd up this sh!t.
Don't. poke. the bear!
Oh I know I'm a [wuss]. I'll take your tequila shot, but I need salt on that b*tch.
Paul, you're el chino. And that's all that matters.
Sargeant, report for duty.
We're going to need the macro setting on this.
Forget about the bridges, the labs, and all the other crap I organized. It's all about the beer.
Gold Bond is just like a thousand little fairies fanning your b***s.
She speaks a dead language. I'm not dead. We have nothing in common.
You look very vertical for being so short.
Digiorno!
And exchanges...
[Regarding a joke that was told in ProMo's class]
CEB#1: Did the international students get it?
CEB#2: Of course. Everyone speaks nerd.
CEB: Hey, you're drinking an orange juice!
American Girl, also a VT student...though not CE: Um, yeah...VODKA and orange juice.
CEB: Oh so you're drinking a screwdriver.
Girl: [looks freaked out, rolls eyes] yeah, whatever.
Me: No, it's really called a screwdriver.
Girl: [mumble, sigh, rolls eyes, still doesn't believe us]
CEB#1: I can't believe we started out with such an intellectual conversation and now we're talking about sh*t.
Me: Space turds are still intellectual!
CEB#2: I know! So, OK, there's a frozen turd, human shaped...is that turd more dense than me?
CEB#1: I don't think watermelon goes with beer.
CEB#2: Everything goes well with beer.
Waiter: Limoncino! [as he hands out shot glasses of what appears to be limoncello]
All of us: Limoncello!!
Waiter: No, LimonCINO!!
CEB#1:What's the difference between Limoncello and Limoncino?
CEB#2: Paul's involved.
LC from AK: Nobody from Wasilla should lead this country
CEB: Nobody from Wasilla should lead Wasilla
[Swiss guy says something in undiscernable Italian]
Us: What?
Siwss dude: eh...gum?
Us: Oh do we have gum? [Check quickly] No we don't have any gum
Swiss dude: No...[make motions and sounds like the Red Baron from Peanuts]
Us: GUN?!?!
Swiss dude: Si...GUN! [Big smile]
[Longest pause ever. Silence. Lone CEB speaks up...]
CEB: Um...so sorry, we don't have any guns.
[Swiss dude gives us a big smile, stares at us, puffs his cigarette]
Me: [After the obvious pause...]OK so how quickly can you guys finish those drinks!?
And of course, everyone's favorite...
THAT needs to go on the blog!
Annnndddd...on that note, here are a few pictures from the trip. The first is of most of the group on a hike of San Giorgio (translation - bigg @ss hike) with a follow up picture for scale. Now, if you know me, you should know that my idea of a "hike" is a wide, preferrably paved, trail. This was neither of those things. Two hours (yes, here they measure distance in time) straight up through creeks, loose rocks, mud, roots etc. And then back down, of course.
The second set is of us being semi-illegal as we were climbing on a bridge in Switzerland. This is just one of the amazing bridges that we've seen on this trip. More pics to come as these are from a colleague who is obviously MUCH better at posting pictures in a timely manner than I am. :)
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At the top of San Giorgio. Don't be fooled. This was a crazy hard hike because we started at the base in Riva San Vitale... |
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| Us on the Nanin (or Cascella...they're right next to each other) Bridge designed by one of ProMo's idols, Christian Menn. Yes, his name is very similar to ProMo's) |
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| to give you some idea of the scope of the bridge. More pics to come when I can download my own (these are courtesy of a colleague!) |
Today we leave the Italian-speaking area of Ticino (pronounced "tee-cheeno") and head to the French-speaking areas of Lausanne and Montreux for 2 days before the trip ends in Zurich on Friday. I admit I am really sad to leave our little town of Riva, our sweet faculty apartment and of course our bar Osteria San Giorgio. The bridges have been gorgeous, amazing and awe-inspiring, the company has been fun and the atmosphere has been relaxed and (generally) upbeat. :) ...except when the CEBs occasionally want to brawl, climb on stuff and get large gaping wounds that are patched up with electrical tape, or scream obscenities during "tranquility hours"...
But in all seriousness, it has been an incredible experience to add to our list!
Until my next update, Ciao!!!
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