It's a Swiss Thing

• Papier Decoupé
  This is a very swiss style of art which uses hand-cut, black paper, traditionally depicting the cows going up into the mountains (montée à l'alpagne) in the summer because there is more grass, and coming back down in the fall (désalpe). This process is a large part of the Swiss culture. When the cows return, there is a large festival and they are decorated with flowers.

• Toblerone Chocolate
  This is a very delicious chocolate that is made with honey and almonds. The triangle shape is meant to represent the shape of a famous mountain in Switzerland called the Matterhorn. Each chocolate triangle has a letter on it to spell out Toblerone. The package that my host family has incorporates all the crests for the Swiss cantons.

• Cantons
  The Swiss cantons are a lot like states. They each represent themselves in government and have slightly different cultures. One canton might recognize a holiday that another does not. I am living in the canton of Fribourg, which is light yellow on the map and has the plain, black and white crest.
• Déchetterie
  The waste disposal system in Switzerland is very strict. You have to pay for every kilogram of trash that you dispose of, and for that reason the Swiss recycle everything. The déchetterie is the building where everyone takes their waste and puts what they recycle (plastic, aluminum, batteries, electronics, grass cuttings, charcoal, etc) in the proper container.

• Rivella
  This is a Swiss drink that is a little like ginger ale. It is good, but I am not overly fond of it...

 

• SwissPass
  This pass is a way to pre-pay for any mode of transportation in Switzerland. After a lot of system shenanigans, I finally have one! It is very nice, especially if you are going to be here for a long time or will use the train every day. Trains and buses go everywhere all the time, and are very well maintained, so most people use them constantly. The initial cost is a lot, but in the end you pay a lot less for all your transportation needs and don't have to constantly re-new an alternate ticket system.
• Raclette Grill
  My host family used this grill for lunch today! It is used to melt and eat a very delicious kind of cheese called Raclette, derived from the verb used to describe its traditional method of preparation. The cheese is hard and  made in a giant, round, disk, but in modern times it is sold cut in squares to melt in a grill like this one. We melted the cheese and poured it out of its pan onto mashed potatoes. You never drink cold water after eating this cheese because it will harden in you stomach and make you sick!