Students and their families began arriving on Monday. Most of more dorm students are here. I have students from: Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Russia, Norway, Italy, South Korea, China, Japan, and the USA! I'm probably missing some countries. Coming here I knew these families were wealthy, but it's beyond crazy how much wealth exists here at this school. Also, money talks here....not a good thing. I found out that one family donated 1 million dollars to help build some facility here and the student was bumped up a grade level. Hmmm, doesn't sound right to me. I'm slowly becoming aware of the school politics...something I hope to stay out of as much as possible.
Part of me thinks adjusting to life here in a small, remote village will be more difficult than my adjustment to South Korea. We shall see.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Inaugural Ride
After a busy week of orientation I was finally able to get out and have some fun. After morning meetings on Friday, the staff went out for some bobsled training. A local here was on the 1980 and 1984 Swiss bobsled team, and back in the day he built a small track, which was used for training for the start of a bobsled race. So we all formed groups of 4 and had a competition. It's something I'd never done before, nor did I think I would every be pushing a bobsled, but it was so much fun. After that we had a friendly game of softball.
I had to make a decision about what to do on Saturday. The school was taking a group to IKEA to buy furnishings for the apartments, but there was a group of returning staff members that were going out for a ride. I needed some stuff at IKEA, but I chose the ride, and I'm so glad I did. Not only did I get to spend some great time riding with some new people, I had one of the most beautiful rides I've ever been on. The route was undetermined prior to the start, but I was told it we shouldn't be out for too long...not true. We ended up riding 80 miles, and climbing over 6000 vertical feet...that's a decent amount. There was one climb that took us an hour to ascend. At the end of the ride they apologized to me for taking a newbie out on a ride like that. We started off in Switzerland rode into France and then back into Switzerland. Before we crossed back into Switzerland we took a brief stop to swim in Lake Geneva and get cooled off. It was an amazing ride through great scenery and many quaint, little towns/villages. Now I have a group of riding buddies for the next couple of months before the cold weather sets in.
Today I rode with one other person in attempt to have a recovery ride. Recovery rides are nearly impossible as each ride ends with a long climb up the mountain back to Leysin. We did our loop and were about to head up the mountain, but there was a wreck that stopped traffic, so we turned around and went back to a cafe for breakfast. After breakfast we headed back up the mountain.
I hope once work officially starts (as in classes begin) I'll still have plenty of time during the week to get out on the bike. My new bike is awesome. It climbs like a machine, but I don't..haha. I have a lot of time to put in on the bike to catch up with the other staff members, but I feel good about it.
I had to make a decision about what to do on Saturday. The school was taking a group to IKEA to buy furnishings for the apartments, but there was a group of returning staff members that were going out for a ride. I needed some stuff at IKEA, but I chose the ride, and I'm so glad I did. Not only did I get to spend some great time riding with some new people, I had one of the most beautiful rides I've ever been on. The route was undetermined prior to the start, but I was told it we shouldn't be out for too long...not true. We ended up riding 80 miles, and climbing over 6000 vertical feet...that's a decent amount. There was one climb that took us an hour to ascend. At the end of the ride they apologized to me for taking a newbie out on a ride like that. We started off in Switzerland rode into France and then back into Switzerland. Before we crossed back into Switzerland we took a brief stop to swim in Lake Geneva and get cooled off. It was an amazing ride through great scenery and many quaint, little towns/villages. Now I have a group of riding buddies for the next couple of months before the cold weather sets in.
Today I rode with one other person in attempt to have a recovery ride. Recovery rides are nearly impossible as each ride ends with a long climb up the mountain back to Leysin. We did our loop and were about to head up the mountain, but there was a wreck that stopped traffic, so we turned around and went back to a cafe for breakfast. After breakfast we headed back up the mountain.
I hope once work officially starts (as in classes begin) I'll still have plenty of time during the week to get out on the bike. My new bike is awesome. It climbs like a machine, but I don't..haha. I have a lot of time to put in on the bike to catch up with the other staff members, but I feel good about it.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Arrived Safely
Hey!
After flights from Kansas City to Chicago to Warsaw, Poland to Geneva, Switzerland, and a 1.5 hour car ride to Leysin...I am "home." I've been at my new "home" for 2 days now. Right from the get go we've been busy attempting to learn the new ropes...no free time. The village is beyond beautiful. The people are friendly. I haven't had the chance to explore too much, but I hope to do so in the near future. I think school life/work will occupy a majority of my time.
The past 2 dinners have been typical Swiss dishes....cheese fondue on night 1 and raclette on night 2. YUM! If I don't exercise like crazy, then there will be trouble. The local wine is good....and cheap.
I shipped my mountain bike 3 months ago from Korea and I took my road bike on the plane with me, but somehow it didn't make it to the airport when I did. A delivery guy dropped it off today. I was bit worried, especially since I dropped an arm and a leg for it. But both bikes are built and ready to ride...I just need the free time to ride now. These mountains are going to beat me up, but I'm excited for it :) I think I'll get out Saturday and see how my lungs and legs hold up.
Something I didn't mention earlier as I was trying to focus on the positives of my new job and environment. I am working at a boarding school...boo. There are approximately 400 students representing 60 different countries...yea! I've been placed in the 12th grade boys' dorm and I have dorm responsibilities once a week and one weekend every 5 weeks. This part of the job I am not excited for, but I will do my best to embrace it. My apartment within the dorm is decent. I have just a bit less space than I did in Korea. It's a very weird setup, but it will work fine, especially when people visit because there is an extra room and bathroom. I guess one perk about being in the dorm is that my apartment gets cleaned once a week by housekeeping :)
Life won't be perfect here. Life may even be crazier here than in Korea...who knows. As I mentioned earlier, I think work will consume my life, but I should have time to enjoy the things I love. Initially there will be a lot of lonely times, clinging to the past, and resisting change. After getting used to living in Korea and feeling like I know what I'm doing, I now feel like a foreigner again. I have no idea where anything in town is. I don't even know survival French. I'll have a lot of work to do to get accustomed to life here, but in time I will be good.
I will take some pictures over the next few days. Here is one picture, but it's far from an accurate depiction of how beautiful this place is...it's what I wake up to in the morning :)
After flights from Kansas City to Chicago to Warsaw, Poland to Geneva, Switzerland, and a 1.5 hour car ride to Leysin...I am "home." I've been at my new "home" for 2 days now. Right from the get go we've been busy attempting to learn the new ropes...no free time. The village is beyond beautiful. The people are friendly. I haven't had the chance to explore too much, but I hope to do so in the near future. I think school life/work will occupy a majority of my time.
The past 2 dinners have been typical Swiss dishes....cheese fondue on night 1 and raclette on night 2. YUM! If I don't exercise like crazy, then there will be trouble. The local wine is good....and cheap.
I shipped my mountain bike 3 months ago from Korea and I took my road bike on the plane with me, but somehow it didn't make it to the airport when I did. A delivery guy dropped it off today. I was bit worried, especially since I dropped an arm and a leg for it. But both bikes are built and ready to ride...I just need the free time to ride now. These mountains are going to beat me up, but I'm excited for it :) I think I'll get out Saturday and see how my lungs and legs hold up.
Something I didn't mention earlier as I was trying to focus on the positives of my new job and environment. I am working at a boarding school...boo. There are approximately 400 students representing 60 different countries...yea! I've been placed in the 12th grade boys' dorm and I have dorm responsibilities once a week and one weekend every 5 weeks. This part of the job I am not excited for, but I will do my best to embrace it. My apartment within the dorm is decent. I have just a bit less space than I did in Korea. It's a very weird setup, but it will work fine, especially when people visit because there is an extra room and bathroom. I guess one perk about being in the dorm is that my apartment gets cleaned once a week by housekeeping :)
Life won't be perfect here. Life may even be crazier here than in Korea...who knows. As I mentioned earlier, I think work will consume my life, but I should have time to enjoy the things I love. Initially there will be a lot of lonely times, clinging to the past, and resisting change. After getting used to living in Korea and feeling like I know what I'm doing, I now feel like a foreigner again. I have no idea where anything in town is. I don't even know survival French. I'll have a lot of work to do to get accustomed to life here, but in time I will be good.
I will take some pictures over the next few days. Here is one picture, but it's far from an accurate depiction of how beautiful this place is...it's what I wake up to in the morning :)
Friday, August 13, 2010
Summer Is Nearly Over
It's been great to be back here spending time with family and friends, and I feel like the time is much more rich given that it's limited and not something I experience on a regular basis now that I'm no longer living here. Going to my favorite places seem "that" much better now. I value the time spent with those near to me.
In 3 days I'm off to Leysin, Switzerland where I will be for at least the next 2 years. I signed my contract with the intention of staying additional years given that I like my job there...we'll see what happens. I'm doing my best to manage my expectations of what my life will be like when I'm in a place where I have access to so many things that make me feel alive (e.g. skiing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, etc.). I believe that my quality of life and my health will improve being in such a place, but I still have a job to do and that's what most of my time will be spent doing. I'll have about the same amount of vacation time here as I had in Korea, which will allow me ample time to travel around Europe. My list of places to go is long!
I bought a new (used) road bike for my time over there. I contacted an old friend who is a sales rep for Trek Bicycles and he was able to pass along huge savings to me on a 2010 Trek Madone 6.9. This bike is AMAZING...more bike than I need, but hey, I got a great deal :) Right out my door in Leysin is world-class cycling, and I'm going to ride as much of it as possible.
Something I may not have mentioned earlier is that my school has a ski term. From January to March, every Tuesday and Thursday is ski day, which means that we have school the 1st part of the day, and then the 2nd part of the day is spent on the ski slopes! :) That's quite the job perk.
Hopefully in the weeks to come I'll have some fun stories/pictures/videos of my new "home."
In 3 days I'm off to Leysin, Switzerland where I will be for at least the next 2 years. I signed my contract with the intention of staying additional years given that I like my job there...we'll see what happens. I'm doing my best to manage my expectations of what my life will be like when I'm in a place where I have access to so many things that make me feel alive (e.g. skiing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, etc.). I believe that my quality of life and my health will improve being in such a place, but I still have a job to do and that's what most of my time will be spent doing. I'll have about the same amount of vacation time here as I had in Korea, which will allow me ample time to travel around Europe. My list of places to go is long!
I bought a new (used) road bike for my time over there. I contacted an old friend who is a sales rep for Trek Bicycles and he was able to pass along huge savings to me on a 2010 Trek Madone 6.9. This bike is AMAZING...more bike than I need, but hey, I got a great deal :) Right out my door in Leysin is world-class cycling, and I'm going to ride as much of it as possible.
Something I may not have mentioned earlier is that my school has a ski term. From January to March, every Tuesday and Thursday is ski day, which means that we have school the 1st part of the day, and then the 2nd part of the day is spent on the ski slopes! :) That's quite the job perk.
Hopefully in the weeks to come I'll have some fun stories/pictures/videos of my new "home."
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