Beginning of Basel

I know this is a long one...looks like i should trt to write everyday so these entries dont turn out to be novels.

These first two days have been crammed with exploring this ancient town of Basel and getting to know more about the logistics of the program and backgrounds of both students and faculty. Friday morning we woke up to our first hostel breakfast with homemade bread, varieties of Jams and the much anticipated glory of Swiss cheeses. Apricot jam and Brie were accompanied by a unique kind of oatmeal, fruit and coffee. We split into 2 groups for a walking tour of Basel, starting off coincidently at the "fortress" mentioned in my previous entry...which is actuallythe remnants of the old walls of the mideival old town of Basel. About half of us smirked as we reminisced about our little gathering there the previous night where we shared a few beers. Who knew it would be right on top of the old moat that surrounded the city and had been filled to serve as a lush getaway for locals. Some fun facts about Basel: there are 170 fountains holding drinkable water (now I will never buy another 6 dollar water bottle or German "vasser flashen"). There are dragons in various forms (sculptures, fountains, tiles on cathedral floors) representing evil in the Protestant religion..we stomped hard on the dragon tile. For my sisters and fellow HP fans- bassiliscs are all around and have the similar head of a chicken, body of a dragon, and tail of a snake as in our treasured chamber of secrets. The houses used to be taxed by their width- with resulted in crammed streets of very narrow houses with 7 or 8 stories...sneaky Swiss. I did not like that Mcdonalds now inhabits a portion of an old monastery, and that apparently a Normal meal there is 16 dollars once converted from franks...high price to pay for obesity- although it seems that it is a significantly less issue in this country than good ole amurica. We ended our tour at the Museum of Pharmacology, where our classes will be held starting tomorrow. I can't wait to get lunch everyday at the market just across the street that is filled with local venders of homemade goods and fresh produce...bread, chocolate and cheese will be welcomed before we enter the unfamiliar diets of China and India.

Exercising has been so scenic! Four of us went on a 4mile run that weaved three of the five bridges crossing the Rhine river. We tried to run as close to the water as possible, but we somehow managed to intrude on the live orchestra that s rehearsing for the outdoor Charlie Chaplin film. The next minute of running was to the appropriately brisk melody of "Flight of the Bumblebee"...so funny I almost laughed to a cramp. We passed a newlywed couple twice on our run where we clapped and cheered loudly and were well received with laughs and thank you's. Today three of us went to swim in the Rhine, despite the warning of the strong current. I was nervous at first because people were cruuuuising...but we we're able to make a never-ending-pool out of the current by doing sprint sets so that we wouldn't drift from our stuff or the bank by far. The farther inward you swim, the stronger the current and the faster the swimming...but that was definitely the funnest swimming experience I have ever had.

Last night we had a four course meal at the hostel which was delicious from soup to veal to a flan-like dessert. We explored the night scene at the Brazilian street fair that bordered a huuge neogothic cathedral. It was so surreal to see disco lights glimmering off the steeples and gargoyles, you could even go inside for a drink! After indulging in a nice fat brotworst, about fifteen of us danced for hours at the reggae, dub step and Senegalian tents alongside quite the diverse crowd of tourists and locals of all ages( literally infants to elderly...). We spent the last hour joining into the drumming and chanting with the Senegal band, and closed the evening by singing songs from (for some reason) the Sound ofMmusic all the way back to the hostel.

My friend Dan taught me something fun- if your say "beer can" in a british accent, is sounds like you're saying bacon in a Jamaican accent. That phrase proceeded to dominate much of this afternoon's dialogue.