Renaissance Festival

Today I went to a Swiss Renaissance festival with my host family! It was held in the courtyards of a real castle in the town of Estavayer. I think I liked it better than the festivals in Colorado, because although it was smaller, it was more genuine and there was much more to entertain or learn about. There was a blacksmith, violin maker (working on a medieval instrument), pottery makers of all kinds, a silver molder, yarn maker, leather worker, sword maker, wood (as in tree trunk to post) carver, shield maker, candle maker, soap maker, basket weaver, and many more artisans, all working their craft right in front of their tent so you could watch. Everyone was a professional in their field, as I found out when talking to an archaeologist who's life work was re-creating ancient baskets and rope for museums just as they were produced in older times. One courtyard was entirely filled with medieval games that I really enjoyed walking around and trying! I will have to send Dad some of my pictures to see if he wants to try and make them at home. There was also a royal court performance complete with a re-enacting of a witch hunt which actually happened a lot in the canton of Fribourg. For lunch we had thickly sliced, delicious ham and lentils in wooden bowls with wooden utensils. If you want to learn more about the festival, this is the website!

School Choir

Not long after I found out that I would be studying at St. Michel, I received a letter containing information about my classes, school events, etc. There was also a small printed note with about as much information as the picture to the left, adverting the choir. I went to ask the school secretary about how to join just in time for the second meeting on the 9th of September. My classes end at 2:00 on Wednesdays, but the choir does not meet until 6:15, so I had a few hours to wait in a student study room. I was really sick that day, and someone was kind enough to offer me a tissue. We started talking about the postcard I was writing and my exchange in Switzerland. When both of us had to leave, the last thing they said (in French) was "If I don't see you anymore, have a good year!" Five minutes later in the choir room is not exactly a year... I also met a girl studying Chemistry at the University of Fribourg who was new to the choir as well. Since then I have met a lot of new people, and everyone in choir has been very kind and open to me. The choir teacher helps me with the music if I come early, and last week the voice coach sat with me before class and we talked about her trip to Geneva. They are both very nice, and I am learning a lot of new singing techniques! So far I know of two other exchange students in choir, both from Germany, and I had a lot of fun talking to them in French about their experiences here.
Right now in choir we are preparing for the St. Nicholas/Christmas concerts. We are singing Mozart, Gregorian chants, and a special version of the twelve days of Christmas. It is very funny to me to hear the people in choir singing in English, because they all have beautiful Swiss accents. Everyone including the choir teacher accidentally says "pur" instead of "pear", and the first time I heard it it I could only bite my lip to keep from laughing!
I had no idea how serious the choir at St. Michel was until I went on their website. It seems very much like any normal Mozart-singing choir, but it has an incredible amount of history and has a really formal reputation. People from high schools and colleges all around Fribourg come to sing here. I was incredibly surprised when touring around town with my YFU post-arrival orientation group to hear that my choir was going to be singing for practically everyone at the biggest church in the city for St. Nicholas day. You can even buy a CD!
The only downside for me is that I get home really late a night, sometimes even around 11:00. Choir gets out at a reasonable time, but then I have to take the train and wait for my host family to pick me up after their church meeting. With my old sleep schedule that would not be a problem, but since I arrived here I have been so tired that I go to bed at 8:30 or 9:00 every night. Still, I am learning to enjoy it because sometimes the whole family gets home late too, and there is always a french frie stand open at the station late Wednesday night. They eat french fries with tiny forks!
All in all, I am really having a good time with choir, and am looking forward to everything we do!

Class Hike

Last Wednesday all the students in their first year at St. Michel met at the train station in Fribourg for the school organized "journee sportive". The picture to the left is of my class (all the students with the same schedule as me) riding on the bus together to the region of Gruyère. We spent most of the day hiking near the village Charmey. It was incredibly beautiful there, and I think that Bulle and Charmey are now tied for the prettiest scenery. The hike was breathtaking! I don't think I have ever seen so much moss in my life. My only regret is that like in America, teenagers don't tend to stop and enjoy things, so I found myself running along the trail to keep up instead of savoring the beautiful water, trees, caves, and mountains. At lunch time my professor pulled out a fondue pot and we all had a merry time eating fondue and lording it over the other classes! I lent someone my scarf and had the amusement of being called "Saint Lillian" for the rest of the day.

After the hike I stopped with a few friends in the gift shop of a local chocolate factory which just happened to produce Cailler, one of the most famous chocolate brands in Switzerland! We didn't have much time to look around because we had a long walk ahead of us in the pouring rain to get to the station, but I hope that at some point I will return with my family and go on a tour!

Swiss Exchange Students

Hi Everyone!
This is an announcement to inform you about the fact that there are many students from Switzerland who are hoping to study in the United States, but still have not found host families! The Swiss were open enough to welcome me into their country and have been very kind to me, and I hope for the same thing the other way around.
It you are at all interested in hosting a student for any period of time, please go on the YFU website and consider the possibility. It is as enjoyable, enlightening, and life-changing to host an exchange student as it is to be one!

Follow this link: http://yfuusa.org/host-a-student/meet-the-students.php
...and then select the "Switzerland-German" or "Switzerland-French" option and press the "show me students" button.
As of right now, there are six Swiss German students looking for a host family and one Swiss romande. There is really not a lot of difference between the two options besides the language. Many of the people I know at school are Swiss-German like my host mom, and they are just as awesome!

Even if there is no possibility that you can host a student yourself, be sure and spread the word. It takes more than one person to promote global understanding!
Warm autumn wishes,
Lily

Collège Saint-Michel

 I just finished my first week in school!
I am attending a college-preparatory school in Fribourg called St. Michel. It has a very beautiful, old campus because it was established in 1582. My only complaint is that I often have to walk up four flights of stone, spiral staircase like a sardine with a backpack to get to my next course.
I am really happy with my classes because I can enjoy learning without the pressure of getting credits, and a lot of my courses are practical and interesting. Geography class also covers astronomy, meteorology, anthropology, and of course, geography! Right now I can't understand a lot of what is said in class, but I am improving quickly.

• I have the same schedule as a group of about 20 other students, and we all walk to class together.
• There are two student bodies that go to different classes: the Swiss-German speaking students, and the French speaking students. In order to improve understanding there are exchange programs between the two groups.
• Attendance is very important to St. Michel, and missing class (even if you are sick) requires a lot of apologies and a lot of paperwork.
• We have an hour to eat lunch, and so a lot of students who live in Fribourg go home to eat or find fast-food around town. There is also a cafeteria that serves food and a wall covered in microwaves for those (like me) who brought their own from home.
• To get to school every morning I walk to the bus stop in my town, take the bus to Romont, catch a train to Fribourg, and walk to my school from the station. There is only one bus back to my town in the evening, so I always get home just after 6:00.