Written by: Andiol DeLaRosa

I am back to New York feeling like over the last month I have grown to become a better person. The 2008 Summer Study Abroad to Switzerland was an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Having the opportunity to spend time in a part of the world that I never thought I would see in my early 20’s was absolutely amazing. I am beyond grateful that Dr. Garely and Prof. Blake-Neis were chosen to be the professors for the study abroad. At all times they were helpful and generous towards us. I could sit here and write pages, maybe even a book, on the care and professionalism they treated all their students with during the 21 days in Switzerland. They always catered to our needs, and made sure we were always healthy. When ever any of their students including myself had a headache, toothache or stomachache they would run towards us making sure actions were taken to improve our condition. Academically we were all given MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME to finish our daily blogs, and were always giving the chance to ask for help in regards to blogs.

Arriving back at BMCC wasn’t a happy return at all. I was happy to see my Professors and classmates, but pissed off at the fact that the Carnival Cruise was cancelled due to “Unforeseen circumstances” by Dean Marva Craig. To my understanding Ms. Craig is a “Student Dean”; the actions she took by canceling the cruise in no way benefited the Students. The reality of the fact is that certain students raised concern about the way the study abroad was being conducted. I think to write such statement is absurd. That’s why Dean Craig really cancelled the cruise. I believe that the students reporting concerns in regards to the Switzerland trip are acting with malice. It is unbelievable that after such a magnificent 3 weeks I had to come back to this situation back at BMCC. It is unfair that the people who made these complaints weren’t even scheduled to go on the cruise.

Overall my return to BMCC was dreadful. I cannot believe how unprofessional administration handled this matter. Antonio Perez our school president was rude towards me although I politely asked to have a few minutes to converse with him — his response was if things would have gone my way this would have not happened. I am not even mad I am embarrassed that our school president responds to my request mumbling and with his back turned towards me. I am embarrassed and ashamed of being part of such a school with an administration that is shady and classless. They didn’t even give the students who had positive things to say about the study abroad a chance to speak up about the wonderful experience. I honestly feel that the administration thinks that returning me my $670.00 for the cruise solves the whole issue. They need to sit down and consider the time of work and clothes purchased for this cruise, the time wasted trying to book the cruise. I am beyond pissed off that I have such classless and inconsiderate people administrating BMCC. Currently I am looking to transfer out to a community college in Florida by august 2008, if everything goes well I won’t have to ever walk into BMCC again and be surrounded by fake, shady, malicious and inconsiderate Deans and Presidents.

Written by: Mark Villanueva

Dean Craig,

I was extremely disappointed to hear that the Carnival Cruise was canceled. I would be interested in knowing why the cruise was canceled. The financial expenses and time spent, now wasted, in planning for this trip is ruined and lost. I spent $670 for this trip. That does not include the week off work (not paid), the clothing I purchased, and the money borrowed from family to help finance this trip. I am also frustrated to hear this the week prior to the cruise. I had my summer planned and after such a wonderful study abroad to Switzerland, this is not only disappointing, it is malice.

My arrival back to New York from Switzerland was ruined with an e-mail and voice message of the cancellation. The study abroad to Switzerland was an important trip for me and every student. The learning experience and opportunity of this trip not only taught me how to run tours and be a vital strength in the travel industry, it also matured me as a person and gave me new inspiration to be a better person. I am also grateful to Dr. Elinor Garely, Prof. Sandra Blake- Neis, Elliott Williams, my fellow students, and the Travel and Tourism Club for making the Switzerland trip the best trip possible.

I am so frustrated and stressed to have come off this experience and have to deal with the cancellation of the cruise. Why were the students not contacted prior to the cancellation? We as BMCC students were not given an opportunity or reason to know why the cruise was in jeopardy to be cancelled. This is extremely inconvenient, inconsiderate, and unjustifiable for this to happen and makes me feel ashamed and disgraced to be a student of BMCC.

I look forward to hearing the explanation of the cancellation and being reimbursed in a timely fashion.

Thank you,

Mark Villanueva

.

Unforeseen Circumstances…Yea Right!

Written by: Sasha Munoz

Dean M. Craig,

Disappointment cannot even explain what the cancellation of the cruise has done to me. When I read the e-mail sent by Dean Craig stating that the Travel & Tourism trip scheduled for June 26, 2008, on Carnival Cruise Line had been canceled I was in disbelief. The financial expenses and time spent, never returnable, in planning for this trip is ruined and lost. I paid $670 for the cost of this trip. That does not include the week off work (not paid), the clothing I purchased, and the money obtained to help finance this trip. I honestly think it is absurd to make such a decision, without consulting any of the students, prior to our arrival from Switzerland. This is the most unprofessional situation that I have ever encountered with this school. Plans were made and my time was rearranged without my consent, which I find to be very disrespectful. Not only did BMCC lose credibility, but also any type of respect from me as a student towards this institution.

My arrival back to New York from Switzerland was ruined with an e-mail and voice message of the cancellation. The study abroad to Switzerland was an important trip for me and every student involved. The learning experience and opportunity of this trip not only taught me how to manage tours and be a vital strength in the travel industry, it also matured me as a person and gave me new inspiration to be a better person. I am also grateful to Dr. Elinor Garely, Prof. Sandra Blake- Neis, Elliott Williams, my fellow students, and the Travel and Tourism Club for making the Switzerland trip the best trip possible. If I could go back and have the opportunity to take this course all over, I would proudly do it all over again and I would only go if I had the same professors. It’s depressing to come back to such unprofessional drama, and unclear yet “unforeseen circumstances” as you stated in your email.

We as BMCC students were not given an opportunity or true explanation as to why the cruise was really canceled. This is extremely inconvenient, inconsiderate, and unjustifiable for this to happen. Also it makes me feel ashamed and disgraced to be a student of BMCC. And to think that when I arrived at JFK airport I had someone approach me in reference to attending BMCC because I wore the BMCC T-shirt so proudly, and I gave such positive feedback, ending the conversation with a ” See you in the fall at BMCC”. Well just so you know I take that back, and I must say BMCC is a disgrace to all students attempting to better themselves and their careers.

Unfortunately this was the way I had to be introduced to the Administrative Staff of BMCC.
Thanks,

Sasha Muñoz

]]> http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/22/unforeseen-circumstances-dean-m-craig-day-23/feed/ 0 http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/20/farwell-switzerland-day-22/ http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/20/farwell-switzerland-day-22/#comments Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:28:50 +0000 switzerland http://switzerland.edublogs.org/?p=176 Our Final Early Rising

Written by: Shevarma Pemberton

We had a good time dancing into the early hours of the next day. And what made it even better is the fact that it was not just one or two of us. It was all of us having a good time together for our last couple hours in Switzerland. Our wake up call was scheduled for 4:30 AM and since the party did not end until 2 AM none of us had time to sleep. We just sort of rolled into the next day.

Party over, it was time to get settled and get ready to leave. It felt like quite a hassle making sure everything was in order. We got ourselves ready and then we were going to the different rooms making sure that everyone else was ready and that all rooms were cleared. We gathered downstairs where we were met by Mr. Wicki and Marianne. Then we were off to the Zurich International Airport.

At the airport we said our goodbyes and thanks, gathered our luggage and headed for the check-in area. We were through in no time at all, passed through the security check and then all that was left was the boarding of the plane. We had a little wait before departure so we just sat down and relaxed in the waiting area until our flight was announced.

This time around there was no first class treatment and all that good stuff but we had no problems getting through. On the plane I once again sat with none of the members of the group. That did not really matter much because I simply buckled in and went to sleep. I did not need company to do that. I do not think that I have ever slept on a plane before but this time it was warranted.

I have absolutely no complaints with the service on the plane. I aroused three times during the flight on account of drinks and meals. I always liked plane food and once again they did not disappoint with the delicious goodies. The first meal was pasta in a cheese sauce with pieces of chicken and then just before the flight was over we were once again served a dish, this time of a delicious pizza with lovely cheese and pasta sauce. No complaints whatsoever.

The flight was approximately 8.5 hours but I did not really feel it this time. It went by rather quickly, and that is of course owing to the fact that I was only conscious for so much of the flight. I had mixed emotions when we touched down at the JFK airport. I was ecstatic to be back home, but at the same time I was saying goodbye to my friends. I am definitely going to miss waking up to all their faces and doing everything together. My house is going to feel so empty.

We cleared immigration and went on to collect our luggage on carousel 3. We said our goodbyes while we waited because as the luggage was retrieved we parted ways. I took a cab outside the airport and headed home. And just like that my travel experience was over. Farewell Switzerland!

Going Home to my Family….

Written by: Sarah Pagan

Wow, the process of coming home is always a joy. I woke around 4:30 am and took a hot shower to open my bright brown eyes.  Afterwards, I got dressed, organized my luggage and ran downstairs to meet everybody in the lobby to leave for Zurich airport. We loaded the bus, which was driven by our friend Marianne and I happily waved good-bye to Mr. Wicki and Chur as we prepared for the 2 hour drive to Zurich.  However, within 25 minutes of the ride I feel asleep with a smile on my face and dreams of New York in my head.

Once we arrived at Zurich airport, we worked as a team to get the luggage off the bus and a couple of us gathered luggage carts in order to transport our luggage into the airport.  Once we entered the airport, it took us a few minutes to locate the American Airlines check-in desk but we eventually did and checked in out luggage. The security agent asked me a couple of questions (if the luggage was mine and if I left it with somebody to hold).  I was so grateful for Gia because she helped me with my luggage.

Afterwards, we proceeded smoothly through airport security clearance towards our departure gate and took the airtrain to terminal E 35 to wait for the plane to arrive.

As we waited I ate my portions of my sacked breakfast and  took some pictures at the airport to kill time because it took awhile before the plane to arrive. We boarded the flight around 10:00 am and didn’t leave until 11:00 am.  Once we were ready for take-off the pilot announced that we, the BMCC group, was on board and we all were very happy with the greeting. I once again felt that we owed a huge thanks to Dr. Garely, for all of her hard work and connections which made this possible. The flight to New York was very nice, although, I slept through half of the flight.

During the flight, the flight attendants served a nice meal, which included penne pasta with chicken and pesto sauce, coleslaw, and a apple square for dessert. I really enjoyed the penne pasta with chicken and pesto sauce, it was extremely tasty, but I didn’t like the apple square or the coleslaw so I left them on the side. I drank the tomato juice to give me energy (it was cold and refreshing) and then I went back to sleep to get some rest.

As we got closer to New York, they served us cheese pizza and I was surprised because I thought I was going to get another croissant with jelly like I got on the flight to Switzerland.  However, the pizza was good and I ate the whole thing with tomato juice on the side.

Once we arrived in New York at JFK airport, I reached to get my carry-on bag and left the airplane with with excitement.  We all helped each other get the luggage and I purchased a cart because I couldn’t carry all my luggage all by myself. I learned my lesson to never pack so much clothes, because I couldn’t handle it. We all said bye to each other. I headed to leave and I showed my passport to the officer and he stamped my passport and asked how long I was in Switzerland and if I had any food on me. I answered him and he let me pass. After calling my brother, he came to pick me up and I was overjoyed to see him.

When I reached home I saw my mother and sister I was so happy (I really missed them). I spent time with my family and we caught up on things. I was just happy to be home but I still enjoyed being in Switzerland….

(Day 20: Tour Guides – Andy DeLaRosa and Sasha Munoz)

GEVAG, Trimmis, Mr. Beat Wicki and Farewell Dinner – Itinerary

6 – 6:15 am: Wake Up Call

7 – 7:20 am: Breakfast

8:15 am: Lecture Mr. Beat Wicki, (Sustainable Ecology)

12:15 pm: Lunch (SSTH)

2:00pm: Visit GEVAG Waste Burning Plant, Trimmis : Mr. Francois Boone (Transport by SSTH)

4:00 pm: Visit Sewage Work, Landquart: Mr. Herbert Vat (Transport by SSTH)

5:00 pm: Leave for Swiss Alps (Surprise Dinner)

5:30 pm: Take Ski Lift Tram to Restaurant

6:00 pm: Farewell Dinner with Mr. Beat Wicki and Ms. Sophie Blattmann

Same Day- Different Beginnings (Andy)

Written by: Andy DeLaRosa and Sarah Pagan

Today I woke up at 5:45am, which is unusual for me. However, since Sasha and I were assigned tour guides of the day, I made sure that by 6:05am everyone was awake. At 7:00am we all met in the lobby for breakfast. Since I am tired of eating bread, ham and cheese for breakfast, I decided to have coffee (black) and a croissant for breakfast.

Jump to it Sarah…

A cloudy day. I jumped out of bed when I heard this big knock on my door by Andy the tour guide of the day working with Sasha as a team. I got dressed and was on my way down to have our last breakfast together. I had the usual croissant with butter, jelly and fruit – with orange juice this time – it was good. After breakfast we waited for Sophie in the lobby. When she arrived we presented her with a wedding gift and a card. She was in shock – surprised and we said thank you for all the work she did for us. Then we took a picture with Sophie as a group before We all headed down stairs for class for a 4 hour lecture by Mr. Wicki.

Sasha presents Sophie with our token of appreciation!

Sustainable Ecology?

At 8:15am our lesson with Mr. Beat Wicki began and honestly speaking during the 4 hour lecture everything went into one ear and out the other one. I didn’t pay attention to him because I didn’t find him to be endearing, inspiring nor entertaining.

Sustainable Ecology Class in Session!

However, Sarah took excellent notes although, she felt it was the longest lecture ever, and thanked God for our breaks in between because she dozed off a couple of times.

Mr. Wicki lectured about sustainable ecology. He discussed the understanding of elements and the networking of global relationship between ecosystems. In addition we discussed the influences that our daily business activities have on the environment and how to become more aware of our environmental influences on today’s businesses and society.

Topics that Mr. Wicki covered in class:

Swiss Waste Management recycle, Energy Management, Water Management, Food & Beverage and Ecological Constructing

Swiss Waste Management recycle: The waste plants are located in industrial areas, and Mr. Wicki showed us a percentage pie graph of the amount of waste recycled. The graph consisted of 4% cardboard, 6% minerals, 16% paper, 4% glass, 3% metals, 18% compositions, 15% plastics, 3% textile, 2% Biological, and 2% others. Switzerland law requires that individuals recycle and the community is responsible for recycling their waste products.

Energy Management: Changing the environment and landscape. Global warming is causing flat areas on the snow and it is dangerous because the cable cars are built in ice and the ice is melting. This is affecting the well being of the society.

Water Management: The main use for water is for shower/bath, toilet flush, dish washing, and various washing. According to 2005 statistics- Switzerland has more than enough water, 20% is used for taking a shower, and 1/3 of water is used for toilet flushing. Therefore, the process of recycling water is very important in Switzerland.

Food & Beverage: Quality in the food and energy use in its production is very important in Switzerland. Therefore, food is made at a slower pace in order to conserver the time and work goes into food production. The working energy is a cost issue because since it takes time people will want more money to produce products to turn into food.

Ecological Constructing: Involves natural environment and air pollution. A statement, when you are selling tourism projects you are selling nature. It is so true because nature is a part of the surrounding and if it is a beautiful scenery people will come for tourism. Air pollution -cars and fuel has a lot to do with the environment but using a bike as a tool of transportation helps the environment.

At 12:15pm, after our extensive lecture with Mr. Wicki, we had our last lunch together as a group in the dining hall. Everything was arranged beautifully, the tablecloths, utensils and to top it off the food was extremely tasty. Afterwards we all met up in the lobby for Mr. Wicki and Sophie to take us to visit the GEVAG, Waste Burning Plant, Trimmis.

GEVAG Waste Plant, Trimmis….

GEVAG Waste Burning Plant – Entrance

Mr. Wicki drove us to GEVAG, one of Switzerland’s waste burning facilities and upon arrival we were greeted by Mr. Francois Boone, Plant General Manager. We were given a guided tour of the facility by the Mr. Francois Boone. During the tour Mr. Boone showed us how the trash is delivered, sorted and crushed in the compactor before it’s burned. It was amazing how the system works – they recycle raw materials, metal, sliver, zinc, aluminium and steel etc.

Touring the GEVAG Waste Burning Plant

In addition we were able to see where recyclable trash is stored, burned and how it’s converted into energy. It was very cool to witness the waste management process, although it smelled like any other waste plant would, “Rotten”!

Mr. Boone explaining the waste burning process

After the tour, we went back inside and Mr. Boone showed us a short promotional video about the GEVAG Waste Burning Plant. Mr. Boone closed out his great presentation by providing us with stylish GEVAG caps, bags, and brochures. Who would have thought that recyclable trash could be so REWARDING- Thank You GEVAG!

Mr. Wicki presenting GEVAG gifts to the TTA 100 group

Curtis, Elliott, Katherine and Sarah @ GEVAG

Sewage Works, Landquart

Once we completed our 2 hour tour of GEVAG, we went to a water sewage facility, Sewage Works, located in Landquart. However, upon entry into the water sewage control room I (Andy) felt extremely nauseated and sick, which was probably due the profound disgusting smell and the heat. Therefore, Dr. Garely suggested that I step back out to the car, in order to get some fresh air and I took no part in touring the waste facility with Sarah and the rest of the group.

Mr. Herbert Vat, Facility Coordiantor, at Sewage Works in Landquart

Once we arrived, most of the group met with Mr. Herbert Vat, Facility Coordinator. Mr. Vat didn’t speak English, therefore Mr. Wicki translated while Mr. Vat guided us on a tour around the Sewage Plant. During the tour, we were able to view where the sewage water enters the facility and how the water is treated. The dirty sewage water goes though a natural bacteria cleansing process which takes about 20 days – it’s an amazing water treatment process. Mr. Vat also took us to the control center unit to see how the process works- it was cool. They waste facility has several different color control panels, and it takes a lot of experience to know how the system works. In addition, the Sewage Plant has an automatic alarm system which monitors the sewage operations, 24-Hours per day, and if something does go wrong – within 15 minutes of the alarm, 2 workers will be there to correct the problem- I think this is an awesome system.

Traditional Switzerland Dinner – Cheese Fondue…

After the sewage facility tour was completed, Mr. Wicki and Sophie took us out for a traditional Switzerland farewell dinner, which involved a cable tram ride up a very high mountain, cows, a view of the beautiful Swiss mountains and some fabulous cheese fondue with potatoes, pineapples and bread.

The restaurant was on top of the mountain, (when we were in the cable car going up it was gorgeous). When we reached the mountain, we had to walk up a little hill to get to the restaurant. Of course, the clean air, beautiful scenery and surrounding mountains were awesome. We had some time before dinner so a couple of us went walking around and explored nature.

For dinner we went inside the restaurant and anxiously waited for the Fondue – which was a pot of several different kinds of melted cheeses. The “Cheese Fondue” was hot, cheesy and very tasty and the group conversation was even better.

“Traditional Switzerland Cheese Fondue”

We really did enjoy ourselves in spite of that fact that we were full of “cheese” and still a little hungry afterwards. We thanked Mr. Wicki and Sophie for a great day and for everything that happened that day.

Once we arrived at SSTH around 9:30pm, we were full of energy once again and immediately started packing our suitcases for our journey back to New York. We only have two more days left in Switzerland and the count down had officially begun. Although today was very long, it turned out to be a great day full of “recyclable” trash and “tasty” cheese…Good Night….

]]> http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/18/mr-beat-wicki-trash-gevag-and-swiss-chesse-fondue-day-20/feed/ 0 http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/17/lugano-and-grand-hotel-eden-day-19/ http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/17/lugano-and-grand-hotel-eden-day-19/#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:22:45 +0000 switzerland http://switzerland.edublogs.org/?p=173 Monday, June 16, 2008

(Day 19: Tour Guide – Katherine Munoz)

Lugano and Grand Hotel Eden – Itinerary

6:00 am: Wake Up Call

7 – 7:20 am: Breakfast (Please bring everything you need for the trip downstairs. There will be no time to go back up)

7:29 am: Departing to Chur (By bus from Passugg)

7:42 am: Arriving at Chur bus station, change into Lane 3

8:10 am: Departing to Lugano (by bus from Chur)

9:50 am: Arrive at Bellinzona Stazione

9:54 am: Bellinzona to Lugano (by train Platform 2)

10:19 am: Arrive in Lugano

10:23 am: Bus number 2 departs to Grand Hotel Eden

11:00 am: Meet with Mr. Maurizio Lieto (He will escort us during the hotel visit)

Subject too Change due to weather:

Option 1:

• 12:30 pm: Lunch at a local park in Lugano
• 1:00 pm: Tourism office located downtown in city center
• 1:35 pm: Arrive at Lugano train station for 1:55pm train

Option 2:

• 12:30pm: Return to Lugano train station to have lunch and wait for 1:55pm train

1:55 pm: Depart from Lugano to Bellinzona (by train Platform 3)

2:30 pm: Depart Bellinzona to Chur (by bus)

4:44 pm: Arrive in Chur

5:05 pm: Bus departs to SSTH

6:00 pm: Dinner at SSTH

Lessons Learned

1. Weather impacts and alternates your plans.

2. Have a back up plan and schedules of earlier and later transportations.

3. Remaining calm and patient when things go awry is the best solution because it allows you to keep your group calm and results in a better outcome.

4. Learning from your mistakes help you to improve your future itinerary.

What a “Wet” Morning…
Written by: Shevarma Pemberton

Waking up this morning turned out to be even more challenging than every other time due to the weather conditions. Today was going to be a wet one. On days like this I would prefer to stay under covers but we were instead going to spend it battling the elements.
Today’s tour guide was Katherine and I do not even remember her wake up call because I was really out of it. It really is not bad when you have a roommate to help get you through the day because if it was not for Sasha I think I would definitely have been late.

Breakfast was at the usual time and the menu was the same as always. We hurriedly gulped down our food and were outside in time to catch the 7:29 bus as is also the customary thing to do. This would be among our final tours and so by now the norm had pretty much already been established. Today was unique in a sense however, because this time the majority of the trip would be spent on buses rather than trains and then there was also the bad weather thrown in to make things more complicated.

The Express-Bus

At the Chur station we changed our reservations to get the express bus to Bellinzona and then we were on our way. We were all pretty much wiped out by this point and I doubt that there was anyone of us on the bus that had not slept even if only for a little while. And we had plenty of time to dose off on the 1 hr 47 min bus ride anyway.

Stopping Traffic – New Yorker Style!

Upon Arrival in Bellinzona we had no time to waste and it was a quick dash to catch the connecting train into Lugano. Thanks to Andy who got us all running in the rain for the train – we made connections. It was definitely a good way to wake us up from our sleepy states.

The train ride was much shorter than the bus, a mere 25 minutes. We were out in time and once again on another bus to get us to the Grand Hotel Eden, our inspection site of the day. The hotel was a little walk away from the station so there was no way to avoid getting wet today. It was really pouring.

All the hassle and rain that we endured to get to the hotel was definitely worth it. This was by far my favorite hotel out of them all. The best was left for last. We were early as usual and took advantage of the excess time to have a bathroom break.

Grand Hotel Eden

We were met by our tour guide for the hotel, Mr. Maurizio Lieto, the Assistant Manager and after our luggage was stored we began the tour. I had been taken from my first impression of the hotel. It is heavily Italian from its decor right down to its location in an Italian city (in Switzerland).

Unlike some of the hotels that we visited whose business revolves around the winter season, the Hotel Eden’s peak period is actually around these times (May – September). People generally come to Lugano itself because of the lake, casino and shopping, all of which are in no way associated with snow.

What I found really interesting about the hotel is the fact that it is actually two hotels joined by an underground tunnel. The older of the buildings contains all the standard rooms and the second is where all the suites and everything else in the hotel are housed (the main building).

The rooms are to die for with the Italian furniture, all the amenities in the bathrooms (robes, slippers and the regular soaps and shampoos), and then the splendid view of the lake. The color coordination throughout the hotel is a dream and the expensive fabric on the walls is exquisite.

The spa in the hotel is lovely. The pool is heated and 6.5 feet deep, ideal for a nice afternoon of relaxation. Everything about this hotel appealed to me. I really have reason now to return to Switzerland. We thanked Mr. Lieto for the delightful experience and then headed back the way we came.

Local Bus back to Chur

Back on the bus we were once again presented with an opportunity to sleep. Upon arrival at Chur we simply had to make a track switch and then we were on the next bus up to SSTH. Katherine had made it through her tour day and had managed to do an excellent job despite all that she had working against her.

Dinner was scheduled for 6 PM and on the menu for today was an appetizer of fish soup, an entree of chicken in curry sauce with rice and mixed vegetables and strawberry ice-cream with a peanut butter cookie for dessert. The meal was wonderful and the service divine as has become the custom. By this time the stagiaires had become quite acquainted with us and so some of the nerves that might have otherwise been associated with having to serve us everyday were alleviated.

The countdown was now on for the end of the trip. I think that by now we were all just about ready to return to New York. I was going to make sure that I savored as much of the Swiss bliss that I could before my departure.

(Day 18: Tour Guide – Mark Villanueva)

St. Mortiz and Hotel Laudinella – Itinerary

6 – 6:15 am: Wake Up Call

7 – 7:18 am: Breakfast (Please bring everything you need for the trip downstairs. There will be no time to go back up)

7:20 am: Head outside to bus station

7:29 am: Bus departs from Passugg, alte Post to Chur Train Station

7:42 am: Arrive at Chur bus station, walk over to Track 10 for train to St. Moritz

7:58 am: Train departs to St. Moritz (ETA: 9:58 am, Duration 2 hours and a half)

9:58 am: Arrive at St. Moritz

10:15 am: Bus Pick Up to Hotel Laudinella

10:30 am: Arrive at Hotel Laudinella (Tour should last aproximately a hour. Presentation to be done by Andrea Kube, Assistant Front Office Manager)

12:00 pm: Leave Hotel Laudinella and walk down Lake St. Moritz to have Lunch and take pictures, etc.

1:45 pm: Arrive at St. Moritz Train Station for departure to Chur

2:04 pm: Train departs to Chur (ETA: 4:03 pm, Duration 2 hours)

4:03 pm: Arrive at Chur (Bus departs at 4:05 pm)

4:10 pm – 4:40 pm: Free Time in Chur to go to Migros and get things.

5:05 pm: Bus departs from Chur to Passugg, alte Post

5:15 pm: Arrive at Passugg, alte Post (SSTH)

6:00 pm: Dinner

Lessons Learned

1. Things don’t go as planned. No matter how detailed your itinerary is, things are bound to change.

2. Weather impacts and alternates your plans.

3. Have a back up plan and schedules of earlier and later transportations.

4. Remaining calm and patient when things go awry is the best solution because it allows you to keep your group calm and results in a better outcome.

5. Learning from your mistakes help you to improve your future itinerary.

St. Moritz – Switerzland’s Rich and Famous….

Written by: Shevarma Pemberton

It was quite a task to wake up this morning on account of my late night the day before. The work load seems to be endless. There is really no time for even the slightest pause. And this is all in the life of a tour manager. I have gained a new level of respect for anyone who is able to succeed in the industry. Today I just really felt worn out.

Mark was the tour guide of the day and sure enough, Sasha and I received a 6 AM wake up call. Despite the numerous roll overs, we still somehow managed to make it downstairs in time for the 7 AM breakfast. It was a rushed breakfast as we had to be down at the bus station to catch the 7:29 bus to Chur. And just like that the adventure began.

We arrived at the station in time for our 7:58 transfer to the train headed for St. Moritz. Everyone on the train was obviously extremely tired and so, as was expected, many of us had succumb to sleep in no time at all. Unfortunately for me, regardless of how drained I was feeling, sleep was not an option for me. I am just not a fan of napping on public transport and while in the company of others. But it was a two hour ride that offered enough time for everyone else to dose.

I was a designated note taker for the day so while everyone else slept, I was on point observing the stops and the environment. The train ride was lovely as usual with the view of the mountains, crystal blue water and flower gardens that we passed along the way. It was even more stunning to look at the drop as the train rose in altitude (it moves on an incline).

We arrived at the St. Moritz station at just about 10 AM. Just as was scheduled, two buses were awaiting us. One of the bus drivers was open and willing to take pictures with us before taking us to our inspection site of the day, the Hotel Laudinella.

The Hotel Laudinella is the biggest 3 star hotel (in the region) located “at the top of the world,” (the trademark of St. Moritz) in an exclusive resort town in Engadine Valley. It is composed of three buildings which explains its vast size. It is a winter resort known for its location with large amounts of snow, ideal for winter sports like skiing.

At the hotel we were met by Andrea Kube, the Assistant Front Office Manager of the hotel. She cued us in on a couple minor details, such as the fact that the hotel is 3 buildings big, and then handed the tour over to Mr. Stefanos Giannakis, a double duty concierge at the hotel. He pretty much does everything due to the limited staff (checks luggage, organizes transportation for guests, deals with complaints, etc.), and the 2 golden keys that he wore only further denoted his qualifications.

We began the tour in the lobby which was a neat little room but it was also a bit bland. Everything was made in wood (as is the case throughout the hotel). From this room I thought I knew just what I could expect throughout the tour. My first impression of the hotel was not the same impression I had as the tour proceeded.

We made a stop in the conference room where many performances and concerts within the hotel are held and then headed downstairs to the ski equipment repair and storage room. It was really nice the way that the hotel caters to their guests and their winter activities.

On the way to the equipment room, we happened upon the General Manager of the hotel. He is of Swiss origin but attended Cornell University in New York back in 1960. He also gained experience working in the St. Regis Hotel and for a travel agency in New York. It was very pleasant to have bumped into him. We also learned in his presence that the hotel actually belongs to a cultural corporation and is a not-for-profit organization. The most striking thing that was mentioned is the fact that the hotel is always open. We have never seen or heard anything like that before. And it took a 3 star hotel to get it.

We made our next stop at the Pizzeria. It was a nice and cozy room in the basement of the hotel and open into the early hour 2 AM. Of course when we heard this hallelujah bells were ringing because again, we had yet to hear things like this over here in Switzerland. In addition to this orders could be made and the cost of the pizzas were 20 CHF are fairly reasonable price by Swiss standards.

On our way to inspect the rooms of the hotel we took a quick glance into the hotel kitchen. It was a really big kitchen. What is even more impressive is the fact that the hotel has 5 restaurants that promote diversity (Italian, Swiss, French and Traditional). We actually visited three of these restaurant and they are the Stüva Restaurant, the Italian Pizzeria and La Brasserie Restaurant. There is almost no need to leave the confinements of the hotel as it so well caters to the needs of its clients.

Upstairs we were able to see just what the rooms of the hotel are like. There are three categories of rooms: standard, superior and junior suites, and we were able to view each category. The rooms are nice and comfy with everything to properly accommodate guests. The view from the rooms also make the a stay at the hotel worthwhile with either a view of the amazing mountain range or the view of the beautiful lake St. Moritz. If you are lucky you get a pretty decent view of both.

The only downside from the room inspection was the fact that there were no bathroom amenities. But why waste time lingering on miner matters like that when they have rooms that accommodate entire families. As a matter of fact the facilities throughout the hotel seem to support the theme of family. An example of this was evident in the cute little room they had for children, the Kinderzimmer.

My favorite part of the hotel inspections is most often the wellness area so it is always a joy to hear that it is the next stop. The was a massages room where they offer specialty massages like Hot Stone massages. The view from the gym is extraordinary. It is open and creates a nice atmosphere for workout. There is really a feeling of wellness. There was also a spa, but due to its occupancy, we were unable to actually see it.

This tour definitely showed that sometimes you can avoid extremes and stick to middle ground. Even though the Laudinella is just a 3 star hotel, it provides wonderful accommodations and an ideal winter vacation. Let’s not forget the fact that it is more within economic means with an average rate of 160 CHF per person. A bonus against luxury hotels of 4 and 5 stars.

We thanked Mr. Giannakis for the lovely morning tour and followed procedure: business cards and pictures. We gathered our things and followed the directions of Mr. Giannakis to the bus station where we took the number 3 bus to the Information Center (Tourism Office).

At the St. Moritz Tourism Office it was like Davos all over again. Mark had called to alert the office of our expected arrival. The woman he spoke to, Anne, tried to act like she had no idea of what he was talking about when we got there. It was as if she was trying to deny her own existence in the office as if we could read the name ANNE on her name tag. She really was not that important anyway and we grabbed our maps and other information and went outside where we sat on some benches and ate the packed lunches that SSTH had prepared for us (ham and cheese sandwiches with fruits, a nut bar and a boxed drink).

As we all should have learned by now, plans are bound to be changed. Nothing is set in stone. So due to the low temperature, the planned walk by the lake was out ruled by group consensus (Dr. Garely was the only one who wanted to stay). So – we took the bus and had a little driving tour of the lake on the way to the St. Moritz train station. The upset in the plans pushed the day up by an hour and we were on the 1:04 PM train back to Chur.

We arrived in Chur a few minutes past 3 PM. We agreed to meet at the station by 3:50 and split up in groups. The split was basically pointless because the large majority of us wound up in Migros to pick up our usual snacks.

We were back at the station for the 5:05 PM bus and witnessed something that we did not think would ever happen. The bus left at 5:07!!! Probably a once in a lifetime occurrence.

We sat down to dinner at 6:30. Another lesson in fine dining. The food on the menu was once again divine: an appetizer of cream of asparagus, an entree of glazed roast veal with herbs, duchess potatoes and mixed vegetables (asparagus and artichoke), and raspberry sorbet with coconut macaroons for dessert. It was finger-licking good.

Day 18 was over after some late night blogging. This seems to be another protocol I have adopted. On to day 19…

]]> http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/16/st-moritz-and-hotel-laudinella-day-18/feed/ 0 http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/15/us-customs-declaration-form-6059b/ http://switzerland.edublogs.org/2008/06/15/us-customs-declaration-form-6059b/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:28:35 +0000 switzerland http://switzerland.edublogs.org/?p=75 Sample Customs Declaration Form
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form 6059B – Instructions
Welcome to the United States!

Each individual arriving into the United States must complete the CBP Declaration Form 6059B. If you are traveling with other immediate family members, complete one form per family unit. Please contact your nearest port of entry to order the form.

Explanations for information fields are explained below sample image.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form – Front
1. Print your last (family) name. Print your first (given) name. Print the first letter of your middle name.

2. Print your date of birth in the appropriate day/month/year boxes.

3. Print the number of family members traveling with you (do not include yourself).

4. Print your current street address in the United States. If you are staying at a hotel, include the hotel’s name and street address. Print the city and the state in the appropriate boxes.

5. Print the name of the country that issued your passport.

6. Print your passport number.

7. Print the name of the country where you currently live.

8. Print the name of the country(ies) that you visited on your trip prior to arriving to the United States.

9. If traveling by airline, print the airline’s name and flight number. If traveling by vessel (ship), print the vessel’s name.

10. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you traveling on a business (work-related) trip?

11. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you bringing with you:

a.	fruits, plants, food, or insects?
b.	meats, animals, or animal/wildlife products?
c.	disease agents, cell cultures, or snails?
d.	soil or have you visited a farm/ranch/pasture outside the United States?

12. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Have you or any family members traveling with you been in close proximity of (such as touching or handling) livestock outside the United States?

13. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you or any family members traveling with you bringing $10,000 or more in U.S. dollars or foreign equivalent in any form into the United States?

Read definition of monetary instruments on the reverse side of the form.
Examples: coins, cash, personal or cashier’s check, traveler’s checks, money orders, stocks, bonds.
If yes, your must complete the Customs Form 4790.

14. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you or any family members traveling with you bringing commercial merchandise into the United States?

Examples: all articles intended to be sold or left in the United States, samples used for soliciting orders, or goods that are not considered personal effects.

15. If you are a U.S. resident, print the total value of all goods (including commercial merchandise) you or any family members traveling with you have purchased or acquired abroad (including gifts for someone else, but not items mailed to the United States) and are bringing into the United States.
Note: U.S. residents are normally entitled to a duty-free exemption of $800 on items accompanying them.

If you are a visitor (non-U.S. Resident), print the total value of all goods (including commercial merchandise) you or any family members traveling with you are bringing into the United States and will remain in the United States.
Note: Visitors (non-U.S. Residents) are normally entitled to an exemption of $100.

Declare all articles on this form. For gifts, please indicate the retail value. Use the reverse side of this form if additional space is needed to list the items you will declare.

The U.S. Customs officer will determine duty. Duty will be assessed at the current rate on the first $1,000 above the exemption.

• Read the notice on the reverse side of the form.
• Sign the form and print the date.
• Keep the complete form with you and hand it to the CBP inspector when you approach the Customs and Border Protection area.

Controlled substances, obscene articles, and toxic substances are generally prohibited entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form – Back

Thank you, and Welcome to the United States.

“Wow”!! A Fabulous Weekend in Milano, Italy

Written by Andy DeLaRosa and Sasha Munoz

We woke up after only 2 hours of sleep and couldn’t have been any happier. At 7:30am we started our wonderful 2 day trip to Milano, Italy.

We were so excited we didn’t even worry about eating breakfast. It took us three hours and 45 minutes to reach the Milano Centrale. However before we arrived in Milano the train was delayed because a young lady in her 20’s had to be escorted out the train because her mother was beating her up. Once we arrived in the train station, we were very surprised, the Milano that we were use to seeing on television was not the one we saw when getting off the train. The area was surrounded by crack heads and very poor people (we felt like we were in the hood). We immediately ran to use the bathrooms and surprisingly we had to pay 1 Euro each to use a nasty filthy bathroom. After we used the bathroom we sprinted to convert our money into Euros and get a map from the tourist office. At approximately 12:00pm we found a Mc Donald’s outside the train station, we each ate a Big Mac meal with French fries and a coke. The food was extremely expensive (14 Euros) – at least it tasted fresh and good.

After we were done with our meal we started walking the streets of Milano. It was a mission to get some help since 90% of the people didn’t speak English or Spanish. We were able to find a man at a Western Union office who helped us out with the map by letting us know where the tourist areas were.

As we walked farther into the city, we started feeling better about being in Milano as the streets appeared much cleaner and several famous museums appeared in sight. We immediately ran into the (Natural Art) Museum which was fabulous. The museum tour lasted about 25 minutes because we had a lot to do. Following the brief stop at the museum we started feeling like we were in heaven we started walking towards the Piazza del Duomo (main tourist area) in Milano. We felt right at home and ran into several stores (Dolce & Gabbana, Diesel, Calvin Jeans and H&M).

Finally at 2:00pm on this beautiful and sunny day our walking paid off, we had reached the Piazza del Duomo. We were walking in heaven on cobble stone roads. First thing we saw was a local train with a big sign posted on the side, Custo Barcelona, a famous high end fashion designer from Spain. Along with the lettering he had plenty of models in the advertisement for his fall 2009 fashion designs. The colors and the way the models posed were amazing. Once in the plaza we were happy because it felt like we were in the real Milano. We went inside the Escada, Burberry, Max Mara, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Bulgari and Fendi stores. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the stores (store policy). The prices were high but the clothes were flawless, now we know why Milano is considered one of the worlds fashion capitals.

Distraction settled in and we had realized we had not called our professors to notify them that we had arrived safely. Then we stopped browsing through the shops and purchased a 10 dollar phone card. The instructions on the damn phone card were in Italian, we asked several locals for help and we received none. We felt like we had paid 10 euros for a phone card that was useless. Once done with the shops we wanted to go into Duomo (one of the biggest cathedral in all of Europe). The line to enter was at around 300 people; therefore, we took pictures and had a prayer in front of the cathedral. We really felt good after the prayer and had a sense of peace and spiritual stability.

After we exited the front of Duomo we headed to the metro to take a 30 minute train ride to my aunt’s house. We encountered another issue we didn’t know which train would take us to her home. Luckily a Metro employee who saw us struggling came up to us; it was like God sent an angel from heaven to help us. The man spoke perfect Italian but also Spanish because he was born in the Dominican Republic. He helped us buy our metro passes and walked us down to the correct train. After a 30minute train ride and a long walk we reached our aunt’s house.

Arriving at our aunt’s house made this whole experience worthwhile, seeing her again after 16 years was priceless. She immediately hugged us both and asked Andy “what happened to his brown glasses” he laughed and responded that he had not worn those glasses since he was 7 years old. It was a very emotional reunion; we sat down for a few hours and spoke about the last 16 years of our lives. She immediately called Andy’s mother and they both started crying over the phone because his mother thought we was joking about our whole trip to Milano. We were so happy to reunite with our aunt and to see our older cousins Jorge (23) and Eimy (20), which was cool, because they were still as humble as they were years ago. Later on that afternoon came in Matthias (13) and Giovanni (11) our aunt’s 2 kids from her Italian marriage, the kids were happy to see us being that we had never met before. After all the joy, laughter and catching up, we were finally able to reach Professor Blake-Neis. We took the opportunity to notify her that we were fine.

We was very tired as the night came in but reached deep down within ourselves for some energy when my aunt started cooking an Italian and Dominican meal fused together. We had some Dominican styled steak with peppers onions and pasta with melted cheese, carrots and cucumbers. Thank you Lord Christ for this meal, it was tasty and everything that we had been craving for the last 20 days. Overall, today’s adventures were great; the day was full of laughs and happiness. We were so happy to be in Milano, its feels like an outer body experience something that words can’t describe.

On Sunday, June, 15, 2008, we woke up stress free, after all who wouldn’t after the wonderful day that we had on Saturday. My aunt had a wonderful breakfast ready for us at 10am. We had white toast (with butter), steamed milk and coffee cake. Breakfast was delicious and we felt right at home. Once breakfast was completed it was time to get ready to head back to Chur (bummer). At 1pm we left my aunt’s house and we became nostalgic because we really wanted to spend more time with our family.

We had a latte marchiatto at the main plaza while we waited for our train back to Chur. At 2:25pm we boarded our train and it took us 4 hours to get back to SSTH. Once we reached Chur we were starving, since on Sunday’s Chur is such a ghost town, the only place open was Cindy’s Dinner. We both had an all Americano burger (lettuce, beef, bacon, pickles, onions and mustard), large fries and a medium coke. The food was delicious to our surprise because Cindy’s burgers tasted very similar to Johnny Rockets burgers (New York).

However, we will not lie – over the two days we’ve missed our professors and classmates. Upon entrance at SSTH we were greeted by Prof. Blake- Neis, Dr. Garely, Shevy and Sarah. We both were happy to see them; it felt like an eternity without seeing them. We immediately started chatting with them and gave them all the details of our wonderful weekend away from Chur. Once the long chat was over, we both went downstairs to blog about our wonderful weekend and then went straight to bed afterwards.

Finally Food I can Recognize !!!!

Written by: Sasha Munoz

Today I awoke at 6:00 am in order to prepare myself to attend church with Professor Blake-Neis, Mark, Sarah, Shevarma, Andy, Elliott and Adrienne. Although we did schedule breakfast I saw that SSTH had set-up the dinning room for breakfast “unfortunately”. I met the group in the lobby at 9:00 am and waited for Sophie, who drove us to church in Chur.

We attended High Mass at the St. Marie Catholic Church in Chur. The mass began promptly at 10:00 a.m. and the entire service was in presented in German. Although there was a language barrier, I was still able to follow the order of the service since I grew up attending a Catholic church. The mass was an hour long and it felt good to take the time to relax and pray for a lot of things. After mass we walked to the Chur train station to have lunch at Cindy’s Diner.

Relaxing in Chur, Switzerland on Sunday after lunch (From left to right: Shevy, Adrienne, Sarah, Prof. Blake-Neis, Mark, Sasha and Andy)

“Wow”, finally some food I recognized!!! I happily ordered an American burger with everything on it, with an extra large order of french fries and a soda for 20.00 CHF, which was extremely reasonable compared to my last meal in Chur at Otello (approximately 20 CHF per person for pizza, salad and something called lasagna). Talk about a golden burger- the burger was actually very good and considering that life here seems to be very expensive, it was well worth it.

Afterwards, we attempted to catch the 12:10 pm Die Post bus back to Passugg but since we were so busy enjoying our meal we actually missed the bus by a mere 2 minutes. Therefore, we decided to walk around Chur for a little while, which was actually a very, very short journey being that everything is basically closed on Sunday.

We took the 2:10 pm bus back to SSTH. I was amazed to find the lobby full of international students. About 60 students arrived at the School for a two-week training session in food and banquet service from different parts of Europe.

Dinner was served at 6:00 pm and to say the least, it was an adventure within itself, since there were a few issues get our meal and table set-up correctly. We dine as a group for all three meals and Dr. Garely prefers that we all sit at the same table. Since the European students were not skilled enough to serve many people at one time – the compromise was two round tables. This way the TTA students can dine together and the Food Service students would not be overwhelmed. (In the end Dr. Garely solved the problem with such professionalism and grace that it was another valuable lesson learned in “tour management”).

After dinner most of the group met in the computer room and tried to catch up on blogging before bed.

From Luzern to Zurich and back to Chur

Written by: Asha Burton

I felt a little groggy from the night before, but ready to discover Zurich. We got up a little later than I hoped but reached the rail station feeling a little more awake.

Zurich Train Station

Gia getting in the spirit of the Euro Cup

Asha taking a seat at the feet of soccer Gods

We took a train to Zurich around 11 am and reached there with enough time to do some sight seeing. The Kunsthsaus Musuem we originally wanted to see didn’t take our Swiss Passes. It was on the list we received early for museums that would accept the Swiss Pass. So we pulled out a map and looked for another location to find. The Museum for Hospitality and Tourism was supposed to be around the corner. Only problem was we couldn’t seem to find it. Even a local looked baffled when we told her the location.

In front of the Kunthaus Museum before we got rejected with our Swisspass

The old regalia of Grossmunster Cathedral

We eventually looked for other things and stumbled across Grossmünsterplatz, a historical cathedral near the lake of Zurich. We kept looking around and noticed the Euro Cup madness followed us from Luzern there, only times 5. We already purchased our Swiss shirts from Luzern station and decided to put them on. We looked like twins and took pictures along the bridge.

Time was against us so we made a couple of purchases at Coop supermarket, then headed to the train station. Once on the train, we talked about how good the trip was. We took a nap each and reachChur in one piece. We took the bus back to the school, and made it just in time for dinner. I noticed that there were the new students in the other dining area. They are the students who are completing there course in dining room service and cooking. We had dinner with the group and professors, then had free time. I chatted with the others then did some school work in the textbook. The bed was calling me after a couple of hours, and I answered willingly.

Peace and Quite in Chur, Switzerland

Written by: Shevarma Pemberton

Today marked the most rest that I have received in quite a while. Everyone was out on their excursions except for me and another colleague so there was nothing but peace and quiet. This time food was not served until noon and I was relaxed so I took out my sudoku puzzle book. All was right with the world.

A little later in the afternoon, Adrienne (my colleague) and I took the bus into Chur and went on an excursion of our own. We were pretty much wandering aimlessly along the streets for lack of a better activity, hoping to come upon something of interest. We were overjoyed to find a Natural Museum only to be disappointed at the fact that we would not be able to understand anything. Once again everything was in German. I am really frustrated by this language barrier issue. I was taught yet another lesson or at least made more aware of a simple fact: it is very important to be able to speak a foreign language. The more global we become the greater the importance.

After the disappointing blow, Adrienne and I went off to Migros, our supermarket, and picked up a couple snacks to get us through the weekend before heading back to the school. At the school we ordered a feast of pizza with nuggets and fries and chocolate mousse. There was a 30.00 CHF minimum for delivery and the total bill was 50.00 CHF. The order was a little messed up but the food was so good that I cannot complain.

After it all I was able to catch up on some work and make effective use of spare time. I went to bed a happy camper, looking forward to what will be in store for tomorrow.

Bernina Express to Tirano, Italy

Written by Sasha Munoz

Today was one of the most exciting days ever. Professor Blake-Neis, Elliott and I rode the Bernina Express into Tirano, Italy. We arrived at the train station by 8:00 AM with a departure time of 8:28 AM. We started to board the train and realized that maybe we should upgrade to First Class since we had Second Class tickets. We spoke to the conductor and for $19 CHF we upgraded to First Class. I am glad we upgraded because this made a big difference in our trip. The seats were leather and the leg room provided great comfort, considering that I have long legs and need to stretch. However, the train ride to Tirano was four hours long and amazing.

The view that I experienced through the panoramic windows was unexplainable. You would truly have to take the ride yourself in order to enjoy the experience. We arrived in Italy at 12:35 PM which is siesta time for the Italians; so we didn’t get to see much, but we did walk around and saw the locals and some closed shops. Sightseeing was a whole new experience considering that it is a whole different culture. We had lunch at a local Tirano Italian restaurant and thank goodness I took Italian 101 because that’s what got us through our lunch order. The food was great, very fresh and tasty. The meal was a bargain compared to the prices in Chur. We had lunch for $17CHF each. After lunch we headed back to the train station and took the 2:25 PM train back to Chur, which was another four hour train ride. Although we were on the train for a total of eight hours, I still could not get enough of the view.

Dinner “Disater” at Otello

We arrived in town at 6:29 PM and went to another Italian restaurant in Chur because we couldn’t get enough. We went to Hotel ABC to ask for a local restaurant, since we arrived in Chur and it looked like a ghost town. We were recommended to have dinner at Otello, an Italian restaurant. This was the worst mistake ever!!! We walked into the restaurant after carefully viewing the menu outside, and we were coldly greeted by one of the waiters whose name was “Melano”. We took a look at the menu once again inside and he came to our table to take our orders. We told him we wanted lasagna, a salad and a pepperoni pizza. Surprisingly according to them whom claim to be an Italian restaurant, a pepperoni pizza to them is a pizza with yellow and green peppers on it!!! Are they sure they are an Italian restaurant? We then ordered water and they charged us $2 CHF FOR GLASS SERVICE, in order to serve us water, which was absolutely absurd.

After having the supposedly Italian chef come out to discuss the pepperoni factor, the waiter had the nerve to never come back to our table! Talk about customer service negligence. I felt as though I was being discriminated against, because I noticed that the first waiter walked away from our table and a young African came to our table to continue serving us. He did an excellent job trying to make our experience better and I was appreciative of that but the dinner was already spoiled. It’s repugnant to see people’s attitude this way. But I bet he had no idea of who he was serving.

After we finished our dinner, I kindly told our kind new waiter who we were and that this experience was going to be shared with the world. Also, I told him that I was grateful for him trying to resolve the situation but his colleague had already spoiled my view towards the restaurant. He must have shared with the staff that we were attending SSTH and studying tour management, because they all waived goodbye to us as we exited the restaurant in the most an exciting manner. TOO LATE!! I will never go back to this restaurant and if I were you I wouldn’t either.

Please never eat here!!

.

EuroCup Weekend in Luzern, Switzerland

Written by: Asha Burton

I woke up in Luzern instead of the school and felt slightly relieved that I didn’t have to get up early for once. Gia, Adele and myself soon roused ourselves out of bed before 10 am to have breakfast in the hotel. We gathered our things and tucked in for breakfast. It was nice to see other foreigners (including Americans) getting ready for a new adventure as we were.

Breakfast of champions, Asha and Adele enjoying a bite, literally.

Once we checked out, we headed to the street market on the other side of the river. I noticed a museum and wanted to check out the exhibits. The girls were interested to so we headed in the direction. As we went inside, I noticed they had mini benches and stuffed animals to one side of the room. Adele pointed out a rack of small raincoats on the wall. I figured it was a kiddie museum, but was still into what it had to offer.

Adele giving the deer one big wet one.

A leopard in the museum

The boar hog a little on the funky side with Adele

Overlooking the river in Luzern

Adele looking at the array of items at the riverside flea market

After looking at the different animals and butterfly collections, we all ended up enjoying ourselves and had a good time. I then got a call from Sarah because she told me that Andy, Mark , and herself would be coming to Basel for the weekend. We already planned in our itinerary to meet up with each other once they arrived. We jumped a bus and headed toLuzern Rail Station. I was excited to see part of the group. I must admit that I miss them a little since we spent so much time together.

Adele. Mark, Sarah, Andy, and Gia in front of the Basel Zoo

One of the security guys at the zoo took our picture for us.(Adele, Andy, Mark, security man, Gia, Sarah, Asha)

Once in Basel, Euro Cup madness was already underway. I never saw so much red and white under one roof before, so the football madness was extremely infectious. After calling andtexting Sarah, we agreed to meet at Basel Zoo which was a 15 minute walk away. After about 19 minutes I heard Andy hollering my name at the gate.

In front of Basel rail Station for the coming games. (Asha, Gia, Sarah, Adele)

We all hugged and laughed at our fortunate weekend away from Chur. We agreed to go to France briefly, so we took a tram near the border. I asked at the border if it was okay for Americans and Nepalese to cross the border. They said okay and I screamed across the way to the others, “We’re going to France!”

The joke goes: How many Americans do you think can fit in a French phone booth?

(Andy, Sarah, Adele,Gia, Mark)

The gang in front of our next site inspection

We didn’t get very far but we checked out a patisserie and a winery. In both places the French people were very nice and patient with us, even with the language barrier. But in a meat shop, a french man could speak some English and had a nice chat with all of us. He helped with the purchase and was excited that we were from New York.

Collectively, we all had a good time being together to enjoy the experience. Soon, we walked and got our passports stamped to prove our 2 1/2 hours in France existed. We got back to the rail station and enjoyed a slice of pizza each.

Were taking a break after a not bad slice of pizza. ( Adele. Gia, Andy, Sarah)

Near the fan zone in Basel, Switzerland

Soon we had wave a dry teared farewell to the others and went back to Luzern for the backpackers hotel. After a little trouble finding the place, we eventually stumbled across the hostel. After hearing Elliot talk about hostels, I hope this wouldn’t be that type of situation. Once inside, I knew this hostel was legit. We checked in then dumped our bags on the bed in the room. I was beat tired but very hungry, so I roused the girls to get some food. Once we got outside it started to rain, but I wasn’t discouraged. I told them that we’re New Yorkers and we still find ways to get thing done.

We eventually got some food, then played pool at a local bar. Adele swears that she beat me. If you have to share the pool table with a bunch of raucous young people, it was easy to get distracted. We left sweaty but elated at a nice night out. As soon as we got back to the hostel, we ran for bed.