I'm Here!

I have been in Switzerland almost a week now and I still can't get over how beautiful it is here. Above is a picture from Nyon where I have my french class every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Here you can see Lake Geneva (or as the locals call it Lac Leman) with the mountains in the background. The tall white peak is called Mont Blanc and can be seen from France, Switzerland, and Italy.

I have quickly discovered that Switzerland is the country of lakes...and of water in general. They have over 15,000 bodies of water on an area about twice the size of new jersey. They really value their water resources and their environment in general. I have never seen such a clean country. Their tap water has the same mineral content as most bottled water. Here is a picture of the shore of Lake Geneva. 

It is so clear!!!

 This week has been so packed with stuff--orientation, tours, and moving in with our home stay families. My host family is so sweet. My host mom is an AMAZING cook and I am always excited to see what is going to be for dinner. My host dad is extremely nice and is always trying to help me with my French. I have two sisters, 15 and 8. My older sister knows some English so I always look to her to help translate when I get lost. Even so, I rarely hear English while I am at home so my French will hopefully improve quickly.

View from my bedroom

I live in a small town outside of Nyon called Gland. It is so quaint and beautiful and full of families. It is more or less in the country and I am surrounded by mountains, but I am still only a short walk from the train station where I can get to Nyon in 5 min and Geneva in 20.

 

My friend Katherine and me on the train to Geneva

We go into Geneva nearly every morning for our classes on global health. Geneva is a very interesting city. It feels like a big city minus the big sky scrapers and big city filth. It is a very international city with nearly 40% of its residents originating from countries other than Switzerland. The city is separated by Lake Geneva into two parts.

The bridges connect the "old town" with the international area where the the United Nations, World Health Organization, the Red Cross Headquarters, and many other international organizations are located. Yesterday we visited the World Health Organization (WHO) and were briefed by one of the heads of the committee on environmental health and climate change. It was extremely surreal to be in the same building where diplomats gather everyday to make decisions that directly affect the health of the entire world.

 

Me in front of the WHO

Today some friends and I walked around the "old town" section of Geneva. I really love this area because it is full of so much history. The Romans once controlled this area and it was a central location for trade. It was also a central location for the Protestant Reformation since John Calvin lived and taught in Geneva for nearly thirty years.  

Central Square of Old Town

I really enjoy Geneva, but I think Nyon is my favorite so far. Above is a picture of the lake I took as I sat and ate lunch in Nyon. The clouds are so amazing. Because we are so high up the clouds are much closer to us. The horizon is actually France, which is the case for almost any horizon one can see from the lake.

Today we toured the United Nations library and received our ID badges so we will have access to it for the rest of the semester. I was like a kid in a candy store....they have over 10 floors of stacks and a huge section solely dedicated to refugee issues! The library was created to bring people together who are seeking to promote peace through information and self education.

Tomorrow we are going to the Geneva Hospital to learn more about their health care system which from what I hear is pretty amazing.

I will keep snapping away and updating as much as possible. Love you all!