Yesterday

Yesterday I went to my first Rotary Meeting. Steffi and her mom were there, but otherwise it was mostly just a bunch of men. There are only 2 women in the Rotary Club and this is the first year women are allowed in my Host Rotary Club. I got up and said a few word in German. Peter said I did a good job afterwards. But this was Steffi's day to present about her year in Canada.

After the Rotary meeting I had to go to German class. I was going to be arriving late because of the Rotary meeting, so I had to ride the train by myself. I sat by a guy who had a dog. I asked him what his dogs name was (in German of course) It was Aragon. Then the guy kept talking to me, In Swiss German! I got a little bit out of it, like that his dog was a year old. But it was more just smile and nod, and hope he doesn't ask me a question. He did of course! I had to tell him that I didn't understand. So he said it in English. He asked if my parents had a dog. Then he asked if I was from Russia. When people notice my German is bad, they pick a country that they think I'm from. I've gotten France and Russia so far, but not the United States.

This is everyone in my German class. I'll give you there names and country from left to right.

Gui Brasil; Rebecca Idaho, USA; Madison Canada; Luke California, USA; ME!; Valentina Brasil; Hannah Oregon, USA; Mavi Ecuador; Nica The Philippines.

After class I met up with Semu and Christi. They came to Basel to see me! I met Christi at the Train station and we went to this little park area, and sat in the grass to talk while we waited for Semu. Then when he came we went down to the Rhine River and floated down. It was so much fun! It was my first tme swimming in the Rhine. Even though we live right next to it, my host parents don't want me to go by myself.  

                                  This is where we swam. You can see other people in the water.

                                                       This is the city hall of Basel

Last Friday, I went with my Youth Exchange officer to get my classes for Gymnasium (which is high school) In Switzerland, the students pick a topic they want to study. Then they have more classes that cover the area they pick. Well they saw that I played the bass clarinet so they put me in Music courses. My Youth Exchange Officers wife, Doris, is a music teacher, so she is looking for a bass clarinet and band for me to play in. I don't think that they play instruments as a class in school, but instead I thin I have a music theory class and Choir. I keep saying I thin because the schedule they gave me is impossible to read. its just a bunch of letters and numbers. But I can read the time and room number so I should be fine. I also have math, biology, physics, geography, art (and all of these classes are in German!) And I also have German and English. French was also on  my schedule but they said I didn't have to go because. No sense in learning French while I'm trying to learn German. 

Now here is just a few picture from the past few days. 

 This an awesome piece of playground equipment. It's kind of like a merry-go-round except it's more tilty. This one I saw in a park, but there is one on a playground by my house that I see kids playing on all the time.

 This is a shelter house I saw in the same park. Its made with trees.

 Standing inside looking up.

 It even has a rock couch.

 A pretty duck/goldfish pond.

 One of Rheinfelden's towers

 The Basel Bahnhof (train station)

 You will see a lot of people on motorbikes and bikes.

 A skate park in Basel.

 Interesting looking building in Basel.

 Rheinfelden at night from the other side of the River. I took a walk with Katherine and her friend one night.

 The trash truck in Rheinfelden (taken from my bedroom window)

 A Swiss town. I took a motorcycle ride with Peter and Katherine. This was the view from a place we stopped.

 The Mohlin recycling plant. Peter, Katherine, and I took a tour of it..

A strange dragon chicken sculpture we saw in Basel yesterday. Now that I think about it. It reminds me of the giant alien chicken from the Jimmy Neutron movie.