Out With the Old, In With the New

Hi Everyone, It seems like it has been awhile since I blogged last. It is incredible how much is going on here at TASIS and I realize that if I don't stay on top of keeping this blog updated, the number of things to write about adds up extremely fast. The following is an overview of what has happened in the last few weeks. If it is a bit long for you I won't be offended if you want to skip some.

Currently the first session students have gone and the new second session students are here. The summer is split into two sessions: first a four week session, and then a three week session. Since I left off in the third or so week of the first session let me tell you about some of things that filled our days in the last week of the first session.

A Garden Party, which had live music and finger food on one of the terraces overlooking Lake Lugano. Don't the students look older when they get dolled up?

Ayoub - one of my favorite students

other counselors and teachers

My advisory group did a ropes course. Many of the students are being stretched to take healthy risks by the activities that we have been doing this summer - hiking, performing, meeting new friends, ropes courses, etc.   Carlotta, in red, kept yelling "Dio Mio!" (Oh my god!) at every part of the course, but she still did them. Nice!

We exposed these international students to what every real American summer camp entails - s'mores and campfires.

S'mores are a bit different in Swizterland than in the USA though. Notice the 3/4 inch thick piece of chocolate that Sam (counselor) is holding. Yum!

The last weekend trip of the first session was amazing. We headed to the high Alps (Lugano is located in the lower, more southern Alps) near a city called Andermatt.

Our group (eight students and two chaperones) visited the Rhone Glacier,

and got to walk on it.

We admired some great views,

while also watching our step.

Happy Explorers!

We learned to climb using our crampons under the guidance of our two professional mountain men,

and visited a man-made ice cave inside the glacier.

Then we the drove down the valley a bit and hiked up to a mountain hut where we spent the night.

Can you spot the hut in this picture? This was one of a 120-hut chain, each separated by a one-day's walk. This means you can walk across the entire Alp Range with a warm meal and cozy bed waiting for you every night.

the hut which housed about 50 people

around the hut looking east

looking west

before sunrise looking east; At night we had a real treat at dinner. After eating in the dining room, the table next to us began yodelling. They yodelled for a good 45 minutes. What a treat!

I finally realized where the word "Alpine" and "Alpinist" come from ... the Alps!

some of the views from the hut

It was a "peak" life experience.

On Sunday, the day we had to leave, we hiked in the morning,

and did some rock-climbing.

Besides the beautiful setting and awesome activites, the trip was truly great because of our wonderful students. Megan (the other chaperone) and I agreed that we had the best "children" one could ask for.

 Other things that we did at the end of the first session:

The Student Talent Show directed by Michael Brew

It had musical group performances,

dance numbers,

and solo performances.

Timur (a Russian whose first language, obviously, is not English) nailed Frank Sinatra's My Way.

We had a student play, which they wrote the script and music to (with the help of the performing arts staff) in four weeks.

And we finished the session with the Lake Lugano Boat Dance. Here is the counselor group while the students were in the back dancing.

So that wrapped up the first session. We were all very much in need of a break from our fast-paced routine and for the first time in a month campus was quiet. I actually got a little sad with no students around. We had a day and a half off before the second session started, so we counselors...

grouped up,

did some hiking,

got silly,

hung out with some very friendly Swiss cows,

and enjoyed the view.

We celebrated Lauren's birthday, who always gets a tattoo of the countries she has spent significant time in,

Swizterland = check!

 Then the second session students came.

Here is my new (and creative) advisory group.

This past weekend we traveled to Luzern, which is very pretty.

Among other things we visited a transportation museum, where they have exhibits on every type of mode of transportation: planes,

trains,

and more.

This is how they bore tunnels through the Alps. The Gotthard Tunnel, which I have had to take several times during our weekend trips, is the third longest tunnel in the world at just over 10 miles.

I highly recommend visiting Luzern if you're in the area.

Last but not least we visited Villa Balbionello yesterday, a beautiful villa on Lake Como. Several movies have had scenes filmed here including Stars Wars Episode II and the James Bond movie Casino Royal. 

And with driveways like this I can see why you'd film here.

The latest owner of this villa, Count Guido Monzino, had an interesting story. He was a modern day explorer.

He spent his life traveling the world.

He was the first Italian to reach the top of Everest. He made it to the North Pole on dog sled. In total he made 21 expeditions.

The villa was littered with objects from countries from all over the world. Oh, and his library, which was filled with books, atlases and maps, also had secret passages in the walls leading to other parts of the villa.

The incredible life and villa of Count Monzino were fascinating, but it also made me wonder if he was truly happy.

Is a lifetime spent traveling the world fulfilling?

So I went a bit deep there, but what comes, comes. There is only two weeks left 'til we all part ways and head home. The time here has been awesome and I am sad to leave it, but at the same time I am looking forward to getting back to seeing you all. 

Ciao da Lugano!