august 3, 2010. bern. 01:34

It had been two weeks since Iwan and I had moved back to Busswil and now my time in Switzerland was nearing its end. Iwan had left for work early in the morning and I slept in. I assumed that Iwan's mother had left for work as well. Once awake, I plodded into the kitchen and saw that Iwan's mother had laid out a plate of golden peaches and a loaf of bread. She had placed each slice perfectly in its place and the sweetness of the fruit was even more exceptional because of it. I thought of her kindness and smiled. The bread that she regularly bought had easily become a favorite. I am quite sure that such marvelously aromatic loaves of breads do not exist in America and if money were not the issue, I would go back to Switzerland for just a tiny morsel. During breakfast I recalled everyone's hospitality and thought of things I wanted to do for them. Not that I needed to but it would be the way I could tangibly show that I cared about them. That subsequently lead me to think of the sadness that I and others will perhaps have to cope with when I fly back home.

After a bittersweet breakfast, I went online and chatted with Iwan about our plans for the day. We decided that I would take the train down to Bern and meet Flo and Janina and do something with them until Iwan could meet up with us. I packed my things and walked to the train station.

In Bern, Janina, Flo, and I walked along the Aare River and wandered into a zoo. Iwan had told me that this zoo was divided into a free and not so free zone. None of us wanted to pay so we did the best to entertain ourselves with the free things. It actually turned out to be an interesting afternoon. Flo told us stories of her childhood visits to this very zoo and which animals were her favorites. Janina on the other had learned the English word for 'Ibex.' I learned that beaver was biber in German and it sounded very similar to Justin Bieber. Perhaps there was a connection I thought. We marched up a few staircases and stumbled upon an area for the flamingoes. I was very fascinated by their strange legs.

We met Iwan half way back towards the apartment and stopped by the Marzili, Bern's public park area where people dive into the river, swim in the outdoor swimming pools and lay out sun-bathing. Nüssbu came and joined us there shortly. We laid out talking, jumping over each other, and laughing at the silly competitive games we created. It was a merry time. Then Iwan had the idea that we should take a dip in the swimming pool one last time. It did seem exciting except for the fact that it was rather cold and the wind had started blowing. No matter, we swam, dove, clenched our teeth, trembled and made new memories. And Iwan mastered his flips on the diving board.

Initially, I was going to cook dinner for everyone but that quickly was overruled when we all got very hungry very fast. Instead, we went to a Chinese take-out place. We enjoyed our food in downtown Bern in one of the open squares. I had a sense that it was going to be one of those evenings that you remember really well because everyone is in good spirits. We took pictures, horsed around, and conversed. We talked about the possibility of me moving to Switzerland and everyone else coming to visit America. The conversations blended well with the soft breeze of the evening. The windows of the shops and restaurants began to light up as though they were decorations for the celebration of old friendships and of new friendships being developed. It was a wonderful way to wrap up my trip to a country whose people were welcoming and accepting.

july 19, 2010. bern. 23:12

Today was the big going-away dinner. Iwan and I would soon pack up and leave the apartment that I had been staying at for the past three weeks and he for several months. All the roommates had been great hosts and I was feeling a bit sad to leave. But I was sure that Iwan was feeling a menagerie of emotions since he had been there much longer and had become close to everyone at the apartment. It's always so sad to separate.

Flo, Nüssbu, and I had been talking about having a surprise dinner for Iwan. Flo's plan was to tell a friend of Iwan's, Märcu, to call Iwan for a barbeque at his place. Of course one needs a distraction so that the victim does not suspect anything. She would also get in contact and invite Iwan's friends. My job was to distract Iwan until everything was in order at the apartment and Nüssbu would make sweet and sour chicken, one of Iwan's favorite dishes.

That afternoon, Flo, Iwan, and I had lunch and headed out to the Marsili to swim. Sadly, it seemed that Iwan had school on his mind the entire time and it made him feel anxious. After taking a dip in the Aare River, we sun-bathed for a while and by late afternoon, Flo left to go shopping for the food and told Iwan she had things for school to take care of.

When Iwan and I came home, he went directly to his computer to work on some parts of his thesis. This unfortunately was not so good for me because the thesis completely changed his mood and it was quite difficult for me to get him to do anything. Initially, I asked him to ride around on bikes through Bern but he insisted that there was not much time before we were suppose to go to the fictional barbeque at Märcu's. Being the uncreative guy that I am, I got a bit desperate and told him that I would like to do a little shopping, to which he reluctantly complied.

We ended up going to Migro near the main station in Bern and I wasn't sure what I was going to buy. I didn't want to buy things I didn't need but I needed to keep him there as long as I could so that people at the apartment could be ready for his arrival. In the end, I bought a Swiss flag (which was probably the most impractical and random thing) and some yogurt. It made me wonder if Iwan knew something was up.

After the grocery shopping, I made Iwan walk for a while and he started to get a bit antsy. I was feeling nervous that he would want to go home before everything was set up. In the end though, I had distracted him long enough for everyone to be ready and when we finally got home, he was definitely shocked. It turned out to be a brilliant scheme for us and a wonderful night for Iwan.

july 12, 2010. bern. 01:53

In contrast to America, many in Switzerland choose to buy groceries and cook at home. Perhaps it's how expensive dining out is. Or perhaps it's because people generally prefer it and see it as more healthy and tastier. Personally, I tend to cook more at home and I was pumped to see that an entire country was doing it. Even the young people. In America, most young people live off fast food, ramen, and instant macaroni. And they continue doing so until they get married, make lots of money so they can eat out everyday, or die. As morbid as that sounds, it's true.

It was a Monday morning and I really wanted to surprise Iwan and Flo with lunch. I chose to make Ragu sauce and I knew that they would love it. Who doesn't like meat sauce? I went to the local Coop and bought groceries in Switzerland for the first time. It was the first step in becoming a Swiss. Everything was reasonably priced except, if one compares it to American prices, the ground beef. Swiss cows are well taken care of and not injected with all the crap that goes into ours. So the meat is probably better for one's health. O well. It still tastes the same.

When I returned home, I asked Flo if she would be home for lunch. She said she would be and I was psyched. She was going to love it. I began the process at ten and was not done until a little after twelve. Although we were waiting for Iwan to join us, Flo unfortunately had to leave by one. She had her first serving and I kept her company at the table. I was going to wait for Iwan to eat. We talked about what we would do and decided that when she came back from school, we would go to Marzili, the outdoor park near the river Aare. Just as Flo was finishing her plate, Iwan walked in and I began to set up some plates for him and I. Flo decided that she would have seconds and I was glad.

july 5, 2010. bern. 23:05

Sometimes a simple thing can make a person happy. After everyone came back from work, we made pizza from scratch. I made the dough, Iwan kneaded and rolled it, Regola cut up the vegetables, and Nüssbu took pictures of the whole process. Thus, we devoured succulent pizzas, played word games, and enjoyed each other's company. What else does one need?

july 1, 2010. bern. 01:00

One vivid memory of Switzerland I have is a random excursion we made into town to find what I later realized was a Chinese restaurant. Perhaps Iwan and Nüssbu forgot to tell me where we were going, assuming that I had understood or that one of them had translated what the plans were to me in English. Regardless, I went with it and the evening turned out to be epic.

Although it had been a very warm day, the evening brought about a breeze that made it exceptionally nice and pleasant. I rode Nüssbu's bike and Nüssbu and Iwan skated the entire way. We had to first ride up a street where a lot of prostitutes hang out, which actually was not as weird as I had anticipated to be. From there we rode to the main square between the Bundeshaus and the federal banks, took some pictures, watched kids play, and then were off to look for the Chinese restaurant the two of them found randomly while training for a marathon. It was located in a small alleyway of a street that many do not seem to travel through. All the tables were taken and thus we improvised and sat on skateboards and used chairs as our tables. I reveled in it.

After dinner, we went to see the Bern bears, which by the time I had left Switzerland, were on death-row because neither the city or zoos wanted to keep them. Sad. Just above the area the bears lived, there was a brewery with a delightful view of the Aare river. We had a few beers and of course I felt a bit inebriated. I also think Iwan was frightened not knowing how I would act or what I would say. Or maybe it was all in my mind. Nonetheless, Nüssbu kept requesting funny jokes and the three of us had a jolly time laughing.

Afterwards, we rode through town again, dodging pedestrians, buses, and trams to meet Flo and her friends at a restaurant they were at. When we arrived, I regurgitated some Swiss phrases that Nüssbu told me to say to them. "I ha dr Wolf um sock" or something like that. Everyone laughed. I had no idea what I had said until Flo told me. We then went for more drinks at an outdoor bar of some sort. Again, Iwan and Nüssbu told me we were going to the gym at first and even now I am still confused about it. They never told me whether it was a joke or if we actually went to a gym that happened to be a bar at night.