Confetti and Mother/Daughter Taxi Service

Guten Tag!  (smile, head nod, right handed handshake)  


I hope this finds everyone doing well.  It, ahh,....is certainly being sent from one who is well.  Currently I'm sitting in studio (in Chur), by myself, listening to the music of Martin Dosh who coincidentally is in a band called Dosh, great stuff.  We finally started classes over here this week, however this has been somewhat of a false alarm in that we met on Monday and do not have anything until tomorrow (Friday).  I'm thinking that the school practices the walk, jog, run theory of education by slowly building up the work load...we will see.  There are 12 students here from all over the world; Romania, Japan, China, Brazil, Germany, Kosovo, and Jamaica....a real solid group.  As in most of these entries, I have the tendency to get ahead of myself a little bit, so to back track to last week, (head nod), here we go.


Basel.  I went to Basel last week in hopes of meeting up with a friend of mine Jessica (from architecture school in MN).  However, before I left, in emailing back and forth, we had only gotten as far as thinking that it would be nice to meet up in Basel.  No location, no time, no a whole lot of things.  And so with this I set off on the 2.5 hour train trek from Chur to Basel early Wednesday morning arriving in Basel around 9:45.  Immediately I naively started looking for Jessica, perhaps she is here in the train station? No?  Okay, well, ahh,....I guess I'll grab a coffee and start walking into town (which, is....that way) and hopefully run into her down there, great, good good.  I should also mention that Wednesday was the last day of Fasnacht in Basel, a three day festival that needs some explaining.  I know, I know what some of you are thinking, "Great, a history lesson from Kevin.  Perfect.  A great way to start the day."  However, it really is an amazing event and completely caught me off guard....literally I just stood there dumbfounded.  For starters the sweetest costume on Halloween back in the States is bottom of the barrel at Fasnacht.  And not only do they all wear ridiculous costumes with even more ridiculous masks, they all play the drums or the fife or ride on wagons.  As some march playing music, the rest follow in wagons urging you to come toward them where you either receive a flower, a boat load of confetti, or an orange.  There are about 40 groups that march in the parade, however there is no set course and the groups just go where ever they want (and it is understood by all that they have the right of way).  This description is only the tip of the iceberg that includes political statements by each group, Fasnachters who are not in groups called 'wild ones', the sense of melancholy over the entire celebration, etc..... Getting back to wandering around town by myself, Jessica and I finally found each other around 2 in the afternoon, just as the parades were starting.  We had a great time, took a bunch of pictures (check the pictures and a movie courtesy of Jessica), had a sleep over, went to the Architecture Museum in the morning, and I made it back to Chur Thursday afternoon.


Friday, I went with some buddies I have met here in Chur, Davide and Mark, to Peter Zumthor's Chapel in the small village of Sankt Beneditg (A town where Romansch is spoken.  The -tg is pronounced like -ch in English.)  This was absolutely amazing (Yes, but Kevin, how can anything be amazing if everything is amazing?)  That may be so, but it doesn't take away from the amazing-ness of the Chapel (and the experience of getting there.)  Speaking of getting there, it is surprisingly not easy.  Taking the train a hour into the Alps, you have to tell the conductor to stop the train at Sumvitg-Cumpadials, then with only your two feet as means of transportation a sign outside of the station lets you know that the village of Sankt Beneditg is an hour hike up the side of the mountain.  If you take a look at some of the pictures posted with the chapel and river valley below, the train drops you off at the river...this is the hike you have to make.....unless you befriend a girl on the train, as we did, who happens to be getting off the train at Sumvitg-Cumpadials, as she did, whose mother is waiting for her outside in a car, as she was, ready to give a ride to three students up to the chapel.  So instead of an hour hike, it was a ten minute car ride....awesome.  We spent 2 hours at the chapel sketching, walking around, taking pictures, enjoying the view.  Then we hiked back down neglecting to call upon mother-daughter taxi service.  Anyway, if you ever get the chance, go...you will not be disappointed.  


Since this blog is getting long I will stop and write more later; about the happenings of this week, the start of school, my blossoming international soccer career, trips to Davos, etc.


I wish everyone a great day.  With a smile and a handshake,


Kevin, Kevbo, Stu, Ducky, KBar, etc.


P.S.  Thank you all for the birthday wishes and comments posted on the blog.