Bringing back traditions...

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a house warming and a celebratory Chinese New Year party with some of my dearest lab friends.It was such a festive evening surrounded by people who have made me feel so at home here in Lausanne. 

However, with this lovely dinner I learnt something and also decided on a few things that I want for my future.  The first thing, is that it is so important to make time with your colleagues. To spend time getting to know them and their families, understanding what they are going through in their own lives, their dreams and aspirations. One might then be able to understand why they go through hard times and learn how to help them. A bonus to that is that you build a wonderful relationship with your colleagues who become friends and this raises the work environment from just work to actually having fun. 

Secondly, the dinner reminded me of the importance of dinner parties. I am not sure how often it happens with other people but with my family we host a lot of braais (barbeques) and have people around. But a dinner party, is different and equally important. Everyone sits at the table and shares a meal together. No phones and no distractions. Everyone shares a laugh and everyone gets involved in the cooking. A dinner party also gives one the opportunity to wear a slightly smarter outfit. And it is always fun wearing something a little more smart. 

Lastly, the whole experience has really made me realise how much I want a family of my own one day. To have a husband whom I can build a home with and then have beautiful children who will fill that home one day. The family who we shared the home with designed this house themselves, creating it to their ideals. That most certainly is a step in towards making a house, a home. 

An afternoon in Vevey...

Sometimes all we need are those spontaneous days - where you plan something and the complete opposite happens. Well today was a day like that. I had arranged to have dinner with a dear friend at a Sports Cafe which has become one of my favourite local hangouts. When I texted the manager to announce my arrival, he replied they had closed today. This forced us to find somewhere else to go and so we headed into Lausanne central for some food. Not exactly excited to be in the centre of Lausanne as we were quite keen to explore a bit, we managed to find a nice Turkish restaurant that served a really good burger. In Switzerland, a lot of the restaurants close on a Sunday (to promote family time at home) so finding a restaurant open is a challenge in itself. 

After lunch, my friend announced he was taking me for a drive into the vineyards, if I wanted. Of course, I wanted to see some more of Switzerland! So off we went. It was so beautiful and even though we had had rain that day, the scenery didn't fail to impress. Rolling hills with vines and the most exquisite little houses all along the lake allowed us to get lost in a little bit of the Swiss village feel. Once we had driven through some tiny alleyways and along the countryside, we headed into Vevey town centre where it is compulsory to have an afternoon coffee. This adventure is definitely a requirement for every season as the countryside bursts with colour as the seasons change. In my opinion, Vevey has a Tuscan feel with its small and winding roads. The houses have cute little coloured shutters and of course as the sun sets, there are lights everywhere making this little town magical.

Just a little entertainment between siblings...

When one lives in Switzerland, one needs to save money at every chance, as it is very expensive especially when on a student salary. I have taken some plastic spoons from the take away at work for my little room to make life a bit easier as people look at you funny when making coffee using a pen as a stirrer. A few nights ago, I used one of my trusty plastic spoons and the rest of the story between my supportive sister and I follows... 

(Just to put things into perspective - the kettle is located in the bar which is in the lobby of the hostel and it always has about 4/5 males present. I was trying to be invisible as to avoid conversation so I could get back to my room).

I have since been given a kettle. I love my kettle.