Beautiful in any language

Buon Giorno! Bonjour! Guten Tag!

We're baaaccck!  Back from our trip to the beautiful country of Switzerland.  This was such an amazing experience.  We crammed a lot of travel and education in with a ton of fun and relaxing.  Though I was a little concerned about going with a group that was 75% male (and of the subset of students, it was 92% male, most of which I didn't know that well going into it), I ended up having what was easily one of my most memorable trips.  Surprisingly, structural engineering grad students are lively, hilarious, sweet (at times), and of course really really nerdy (usually in a good way).  So here are my greatest takeaways from the trip...

Language

One of the coolest things about Switzerland is its diversity in culture and language.  The feel in Riva (Italian)was completely different from Montreux (French) which was completely different from Zurich (rich...and German).  Each area had such a distinct personality.  This isn't necessarily much different from any other country, but since this was only my second trip to Europe, it made me have a real appreciation for the beauty of the different languages.

View 1 from our apartment in Riva San Vitale...

View 2 from our apartment!

Me and the Freddie Mercury statue in Montreux

Beautiful  Zurich

Education

OK so admittedly, I was excited about the prospect of going to Switzerland and Italy and I was certainly interested in seeing the bridges, but I was pretty lukewarm on the thought of visiting structures labs.  But since this was first and foremost a work trip, I kept an open mind. So even though I had my moments of grumpiness...

No really...I love touring labs.

...it was an amazing experience.  Here's a little taste of what we saw...and even though these look fake, at times, these are my actual photographs. :)

Nanin and Cascella Bridges

Sunniberg Bridge

Salginatobel Bridge

Letziwald Bridge

Food

I was probably most excited about the food, and it didn't disappoint. What's not to like?  Cheese? Good.  Fresh baked bread?  Good.  Chocolate?  Great.  Beer and wine? Fantastic.

What's apparently even better? The Doner Kebab.

And what happens when you put them all together?  You get the Epic Doner...

(Video courtesy of YouTube and the CEBs)

Experience

On our last day, as we were enjoying ridiculously expensive glasses of wine in Zurich at a little dive bar/cafe near our hotel, ProMo and I reflected on what our favorite experiences were.

Of course, the day that we toured and saw all the amazing bridges was one of ProMo's highlights...he was like a kid on Christmas morning with every bridge we drove up to... but I was surprised to hear that the daily evening trips to the bar in Riva was actually what he would take away as his greatest memory of the trip.

The sun didn't set until around 10 PM there, and our "family" dinners at the villa were usually over by 7.  The bar was small, friendly, and always had enough seats for our group.  They loved playing "American" music when we'd show up which consisted of two CDs: the 80's hair band CD and the current pop/dance/techno CD.

A typical evening would consist of sitting outside, ordering "una birra" (0.5 L) every few minutes, devouring the free snacks they gave us (ranging from the best cheesy poofs ever, to salami, to cake-like bread for dessert), having usually great, but occasionally heated, conversation, and just enjoying the world around us.

Overall, the trip made me so thankful that we had the resources and ability to experience it, but at the same time, it made me wish we could do something like that more often.  It was beautiful but crazy, exhausting and exhilarating, decadent yet occasionally minimalist, but always memorable.

arrivederci e grazie

au revoir et merci

Auf Wiedersehen und danke

The hills are alive...

i turisti

i turisti = The tourists

...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. :)


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...

...see that little town at the base of the mountain on the left? That's where we started. :)




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)




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!!!

District of Love

It was another fun time in DC last weekend!  Having the time to spend just enjoying the city prompted me to bring a new style of post to my blog - my favorite things!  What better place to start it with than one of my favorite cities? So let me start with...

Where to stay?

Despite the fact that I have a lot of friends that live in and around the district, I like to stay in hotels.  Usually, the dogs are an excuse to get a room, but I love the feeling of a true "vacation" that I get with staying in a hotel!  Especially the dog-friendly Kimpton Hotels.  By being an "In Touch" member you get free internet and a credit at the mini bar.  Bonus that they are cool and boutique-y.  There are a bunch of them in DC, but our two favorites are:

• Hotel Palomar, when we can get a good deal (because it's usually a little more pricey) - Great location in Dupont Circle area, modern feel, awesome restaurant/lounge (Urbana), huge rooms and a pool to boot!
• Hotel Helix - Usually the cheapest, but still in an awesome location now that the 14th Street/Logan Circle area has boomed.  Cool pop-art theme (the minibar has Pop Rocks and Pez!) and very cool outdoor patio for their restaurant/lounge.

An oldie but goodie...Eli and Marlon enjoying their time at the Palomar

Where to eat?

Oh there are SOOO many delicious places to eat in DC (one of the reasons that it was really really hard to lose weight when I lived there!)! But my favorites include:

Open City (Woodley Park) - ProMo and I used to go to breakfast there at 6 AM every Friday and every time it was fantastic, delicious, fresh and unique.  Love it.

Napoleon (Adams Morgan) - Another neighborhood favorite, this restaurant is better known as a champagne bar late night.  But I've only enjoyed the brunch there.  The crepes are delicious, the salads are fresh, but what keeps this place in my rotation even after we moved away is the french onion soup. To. die. for. I actually said, "Come to mama" when I saw the waiter bringing the soup to our table.  No lie.  I can't really explain why I love it so much because it defies explanation. Just trust me. And get some!

Logan Tavern (Logan Circle) - Warm homey feel, nicest waiters ever, and delicious comfort food that is surprisingly affordable.  I would give a specific recommendation but everything I've gotten here is delicious.

Obviously there are a lot of other yummy places that I enjoy, but these are the places that I miss when I'm not there.

Where to dance?

[This category and the next would both say "Adams Mill" if that amazing place was still open, but alas I have to go with other choices...]

Well, there are a lot of fun places to dance and PLENTY of places I've never been to (especially some of the newer places that have a lot of buzz), but when I don't mind paying a little extra for drinks and I want to go somewhere that I (usually) don't have to worry about being hit with the "ball and socket," I go to Tattoo on K Street.  It's tiny but they have screens that play videos and the DJs are usually pretty amazing. It's my little piece of Vegas in DC.

Where to feel like a local...

Well again, this would've been my category reserved for the Best Bar in DC, but I'll say that anywhere that you find yourself saying, "Let's just go to _______ " is likely your neighborhood joint.

So in honor of the Mill, I'll leave this spot blank and say that any place is "your place" if you know them and they know you! Where you can walk in and they will know your name, give you a hug, and start prepping your favorite drink...

And finally, because my favorite thing about DC is my friends, if you want to see some really cool pictures of DC, check out my friend LL's photography blog! Beautiful!

Hey DC peeps...got any faves you'd like to add? Feel free to comment!

Viva...

Ah, my first VEGAS post!

It should not be a secret to anyone who has access to this blog (i.e. the general public) that I. love. Las. Vegas.  I know what you're thinking: Sin City, "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas," gambling, partying, overindulgence...

I'm not going to dispute that any all of the stereotypes are true.  But there are SO many reasons to love Vegas that you don't hear about as often.  Or maybe they just sound like justifications for someone to go (cough) several times a year.

Puzzle that LL got me when we moved to the 'burg!  Kept me occupied those first few months!

But I am convinced that there is something for everyone in Vegas.  For example, do you like:

• Friendly service
• Big, gorgeous pool complexes
• Delicious restaurants from some of the world's top chefs
• Over-the-top shows including any variety of Cirque du soleil show that you may want to see (including a Beatles-themed or Elvis-themed show)
• Amazing structural engineering and architectural feats (had to include that one)
• Beautiful artwork
• ...and multiple opportunities to DANCE!?

Then chances are, you will find something to love about Vegas.

Pool complex at MGM Grand

Burger Bar - IMHO, best food/drink/milkshake/friendly and knowledgeable bartender combo in Vegas!

City Center complex - one of the newest and most beautiful additions inside and out

Bellagio lobby

Surveying the crowd from atop my perch @ Haze

Want to spend the morning on a world-class golf course, the afternoon being lazy by a pool or touring Hoover Dam and capping off the night with a 5-star dinner and show? You can do that in Vegas.

Want to wake up in the PM and spend the next 24 hours drinking, gambling and occasionally stopping for some cheap food ($1 foot long hot dogs and $0.25 drafts, anyone?)? You can do that in Vegas.

Me, I like to stay somewhere safely in the middle. Pool or shopping during the day, great (but affordable) meals, and ending the day in the wee hours doing some combination of dancing, enjoying adult beverages, and a little gambling if I'm feeling lucky.

Of course you will see plenty of the things that people fear and loathe about Vegas, namely the pure excess of it all.  But that craziness is part of what makes it such a great place!  It's such a nice opportunity to escape reality and forget about life for a while...

So thank you, Vegas, for never letting me down.

PS - You all didn't really think I was going to post any pictures of me and my cohorts in Vegas, did you?! ;)

PPS - Dear cohorts, You're welcome.  xoxo, MizMo