La question du mois...

**The women's club I am a member of proposes a 'question of the month' each month. It is open to all members for response, and is a way for people to share feelings on various topics. The responses from members are then posted on the club's blog. I thought I would share the question and my response with you each month.

"We run by choice so they have a voice" Running for refugees, circa 2009

Question of the month: This month's question deals with the impact of larger world issues on our personal lives. What are your feelings about the current refugee crisis? Can we continue to live our ordinary lives in the aftermath of large scale conflicts and tragedies?

I've had to really roll this one around in my head quite a bit this month. There are so many answers to how do I feel about the current refugee crisis. My initial reaction is that, of course, it's a terrible thing. Most of the world's population cannot fathom what it would be like to be forced to leave the only country that you know, your home, with only the belongings you can carry and move to a new land. It's almost unimaginable, but it's reality for over 42,000 people per day. And no, all of those people are not from Syria. About half of the 60 million refugees in the world are children.

What are my feelings about the current refugee crisis? My feeling is that the current crisis is just a tiny picture of what happens all over the world all the time. Civil and religious wars rage on in developing countries for decades, typically without the west even batting an eye. It's very far away from us, and often the people don't look like us and may not have our religion, making it incredibly easy to turn a blind eye and say that doesn't impact us. What countries you may wonder? Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Somalia Sudan, South Sudan, Congo, Central African Republic, Colombia...the list goes on and on.

So my feeling is that even though the images that we see now are heartbreaking, this is not something new we're dealing with. My feeling is that I hope people can welcome those who have lost everything with open arms, and not with a look of disgust because they are tired, poor, another religion, don't speak the language. My feeling is that even though the crisis seems bigger than we are, small acts of kindness make a difference for those in need.

And, can we continue to live our ordinary lives in the aftermath of large scale conflicts and tragedies? I would hope that if nothing else, these atrocities help give people some perspective on their lives. In some sense, I think we have to go on living our lives, but perhaps we can be more purposeful about it. Have gratitude for the fact that you reside in a safe country, sleep in a warm bed, put food on the table each day for your family. Try not to get caught up in the minutia that often drags us down, making us forget about things that are truly important.

Are there things you can do to help with the current refugee crisis and change the way you go about living your daily life? Absolutely. Regardless of where you live, you CAN do something. Whether it's giving your time, your knowledge, your resources- monetary, clothing, food, shelter, or whatever else it is that you have to give, someone in need can benefit from what you have to give. So my answer would be, don't keep living your ordinary life. Do something to help someone.

Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.
- Mother Teresa

All the grandmothers!

Rochers de Naye

Our life has felt like a bit of a whirlwind lately. Maybe not so much for BK, as he's still been working away as usual, but Baby K and I have been traveling around and doing stuff with all the grandmothers. It's been really fun, and I'm so thankful Baby K has had some one-on-one time with her grandmothers and great-grandmother!

Heading home from the airport

My mom was up last, arriving in Switzerland just a couple of days after Nani and NeeNee departed. My days in between included a little catching up on things and one day with five hours of French lessons to attempt to catch up with those as well. Baby K and I headed to the airport Friday afternoon to pick her up!

Hiking up the 1055 steps

My mom has been to visit us five times now, so her visits are a bit more relaxed, as she's here to do a little sightseeing, but mostly just to spend time with us. We mostly stayed in this area, and she and I even enjoyed a couple of days just the two of us, when Baby K went to creche. Over the weekend, she got settled and we pretty much stayed in Montreux. We hiked the 1000 stairs Saturday afternoon, then went to dinner at Le Museum Restaurant for some typical Swiss fare. Sunday was a gloomy, rainy day, but we did venture out briefly to take the funicular in Vevey and make a stop at Hotel Kempinski.

Baby K lunching with her baby

Monday was a sick day for Baby K, as her teeth were really bothering her. Tuesday she was better and while she went to creche, my mom and I spent the day in Geneva exploring. We went to the Red Cross Museum, stopped by the UN, and visited the cathedral.

Photo identification project

Restoring family links section of museum

Statues who represent those who have lost everything, have no rights

I would highly recommend the Red Cross Museum if you're in Geneva. I think it is a great exhibit on war, peace, human dignity, and atrocities that have occurred throughout the world. There are three primary sections in the museum, one on family links, one on natural disasters, and one on human dignity. There are great interactive aspects of the exhibitions that allow witnesses to speak directly to you about their experience. Go if you get the chance.

Three legged chair in front of UN- signifying stance against land mines

We didn't go inside the UN, just walked around the area. For our last little bit of the day we went to Geneva's old town to see the cathedral. I think the lake probably gets most of the attention in Geneva, but it's old town is quite charming and has a pretty large and historic cathedral. I would really like to go back and spend more time in the city exploring more.

St. Pierre Cathedral

Inside St. Pierre

The next day we decided to go to the Zoo de Servion. It was a bit different from going to the zoo in Fort Worth, as it was sunny, but around 38 degrees and windy. We bundled up and enjoyed our chilly little outing. I love the zoos in Europe because you can get really close to the animals and they typically seem to be really active.

Playing at the zoo

Up close and personal with the animals

Zip lining at the zoo

Thursday Baby K went back to creche again and mom and I went up to Rochers de Naye. BK, Baby K and I went up with Nani and NeeNee, but I also wanted to take my mom up, as she had never been and it's an easy trip from Montreux. In the week since we went up with Nani and NeeNee it had snowed, and without Baby K we were able to do a bit more hiking around.

Horn player and flag thrower greeting the train

View from the top

View from the top

Winter is well on its way!

Hiking around, looking down into the valley

Friday morning mom headed back to the airport to catch her flight home. It was a really quick trip, but also a really good one. There were two little ones (Abbs and LJ) eagerly awaiting her arrival back at DFW. They were excited that Mawmaw got to see Baby K, but much happier to have her back with them again.

Waiting for her train

We have about a month long break for visitors, then my sister and her husband are making the trip across the pond to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. No more trips scheduled this year, but still plenty coming up to keep us busy!

Four generations take Switzerland

Now that we've had a day or so to get Mawmaw settled in, I thought I would tell you about the rest of our time with NeeNee and Nani. So many grandmothers, so little time! If only we had more time with all of them!

When we returned to Switzerland from London, we enjoyed an afternoon at home getting settled and grilled for dinner that night. We wanted to have an easy night to recover from the hustle and bustle of London and get ready for a day trip to Basel the next day.

Road trip to Basel!

We took a day trip to Basel so we could show NeeNee where we lived and played during our first year-and-a-half in Switzerland. On our way there we stopped in Fribourg so that Nani and NeeNee could see where BK works now. It was also good for Baby K to get out and stretch her legs a bit a little ways into our trip.

Visiting our Basel apartment

In Basel we had lunch at the pizzaria we used to frequent, then headed up to Munsterplatz to visit the church and square. Kate enjoyed running around the church, and I think NeeNee and Nani enjoyed seeing the inside and outside, including some tombs from the 900s. From there we walked down to Marktplatz, then across Mittlebrucke to take a walk by the Rhein. We showed NeeNee where we used to live, then made one last stop at Novartis so she could also see where BK used to work. After that we headed back to Montreux for the night.

Cloud waterfall at Rochers de Naye

Hiking up to the top!

Sunday morning we left the Montreux train station and rode the Golden Pass train up to Rochers de Naye. This is somewhere we had never been before, but have wanted to go for a while. Rochers de Naye is above Montreux, at an elevation of 6200 feet. You pass through a number of mountain stops on the train, go though the clouds, and arrive at Rochers de Naye above the clouds.

Everyone at the top

The views are really amazing when the clouds clear; you have a 360 degree view from the top. We saw a really unique "cloud waterfall" of moving clouds in the mountains as well. NeeNee was such a trooper and hiked right up to the top of Rochers de Naye to take in the views as well. We had lunch on the train on the way down, then all came back to the house to rest. That evening we had a babysitter for Kate and went up to Hostellerie de Caux for fondue, to have a taste of something traditionally Swiss.

A traditional Swiss dinner

Monday was Nani and NeeNee's last full day in Montreux. BK even took the day off! The weather was chilly, but the sun was out and it was a really nice day, so we decided to take a lake cruise around our end of the lake, including briefly going across to France. After nap time we went around the lake a bit to Chateau de Chillon, then walked back to Montreux to have dinner at one of the restaurants we like to frequent.

Nani and Kate on the boat

Inside Chateau de Chillon

The next morning it was back to the grind for BK, and NeeNee, Nani, Baby K and I had an easy morning at home before they caught the train to Geneva to fly back to the US. NeeNee walked Tobs one last time, with all of us enjoying a stroll down our street, up above the lake. Baby K and I helped Nani and NeeNee down to the station, and off they went, back to London, then on to the US.

On our last walk together for this trip

We loved getting to share our life with Nani and NeeNee and can't wait to see them soon at Christmas!

Exploring London together

They're here!

We just finished up a great visit with Nani (BK's mom) and NeeNee (BK's grandmother). It was great having them here; of course BK and I love getting to see them, but we especially loved that Baby K got to spend so much one-on-one time with them. Not that we don't love when the whole family gets together, but with 11 people in our immediate family, there's usually a lot going on.

Baby K and I met Nani and NeeNee in London before returning together to show them around Switzerland. We had quite the whirlwind trip around the city, with just a day and a half to cram in as much as we could. I know, it's not much time in London, but we wanted to do what we could and still have the end of their trip in Switzerland.

Enjoying the ride on the Hop-On Hop-Off

When you fly to Europe from the US, typically you arrive in the morning. We met Nani and NeeNee in the terminal where their flight came in and went from there. Our first afternoon in London we grabbed a quick bite for lunch, then got on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. A family friend had recommended it to us, and with the weather in London quickly turning to rain when we arrived, it worked well for us. The only thing I didn't like was that we had to go to Trafalgar Square to validate our tickets, which was annoying and out of the way at the time. We didn't validate until the next day.

In front of the Tower of London

We made a stop at Piccadilly Circus, then happened upon M&M world, where we personalized some M&Ms for Kate's cousins. We then took the tube and headed over to the Tower of London area. Nani and I got a good workout, as I hadn't done my usual research on which tube stations were stroller-friendly. So, like in many trips before, the stroller was carried up and down many flights of stairs.

Tower Bridge

The Tower of London was really fun to see, although Baby K thought the high point was all the puddles to splash in after the rain. The crown jewels were the highlight for us, and after our visit there was a great view of Tower Bridge. We enjoyed walking around in the area for a while afterwards, and made our way back tour hotel for the evening. It had been a long travel day, so we called it a day and enjoyed a relaxing dinner at the hotel after Baby K went to bed.

Buckingham Palace; flag is up, Queen is in

The next day was our really big day. We started by walking to Trafalgar Square, hopped on the bus from there seeing Hyde Park, the Mayfair area, and Grosvenor Place. We rode the bus to Buckingham Palace, attempting to see the changing of the guard, but unfortunately it was us and thousands of others as well, so it was hard to catch a glimpse. The flag was flying and the Queen was in residence while we were there! Afterwards, we took a stroll through St. James Park, then also saw Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the Parliament Buildings.

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben

After a quick stop for lunch, we strolled back through St. James Park, taking our time, and giving Baby K some time to get out and stretch her legs. We walked through the park to the Chesterfield Mayfair, where we enjoyed high tea, and Baby K even had her own little set up, including a chocolate "milk shake" (chocolate milk).

Sitting with NeeNee in the park

High Tea

We decided to end our day with a visit to Kensington Gardens and Palace. The gardens are beautiful, especially during this time of year when all of the leaves are changing. We walked around the gardens, stopped by the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, then ended our time in the park with a buzz by Kensington Palace. That was pretty much the end of the day for us at that point, as we had to catch an early flight the next morning.

Baby K trying to catch a glimpse of George

Like I said, we had to cram as much in as we could, with just a little over 36 hours in the city. I've been to London four other times, for longer time frames, and even though there is a lot of stuff we didn't see, we got to see a lot of the landmarks and things that were easy to see and experience. BK and I have talked about the fact that we should go back together sometime soon.

Friday morning we caught an early flight and came back to Switzerland so that NeeNee could see where we live (Nani's been here before), and experience all things Swiss. More on that later though... Baby K and I need to head to the airport to pick up Mawmaw (my mom) this afternoon!

A taste of Texas, en Suisse

Purple is the only color allowed on game days

First things first, let me say, GO FROGS! It's a Saturday night in Switzerland, and they have an 11am game, meaning we get to watch the entire game!!

Sometimes when you live outside of Texas, you have to bring a little taste of home to wherever you are. This was the case for us twice in the past few weeks, when we had a little Tex-Mex fiesta for BK's team, and then again tonight when we needed a little bit of home while watching college football. I also wanted to share the recipes I used in case you're a Texan (or American who likes Tex-Mex) in Switzerland or somewhere similar. 

BK's team enjoying the terrace

We hosted BK's team for dinner at our house a couple of weeks ago. Baby K entertained everyone for a little while before she headed off to bed, and then we enjoyed a Tex-Mex Fiesta for dinner. When we do something like this, BK always asks for menu ideas, and I always lean toward this one. I think it's because typically we're having Europeans over, so this will be something very "us" and not something they have on a regular basis.

I was pleased with how everything turned out, and hopefully people enjoyed it. Here are the recipes I used for our fiesta:

• Fajita seasoning: I used this for both chicken and beef; we grilled 2lbs of each and I doubled the recipe. I would probably quadruple next time and let it marinate a little longer.
• Salsa: I've used this recipe a couple of times, but we don't have Rotel in Switzerland, so you have to adjust by taste accordingly or it turns out extremely tomato-y.
• Guacamole: This is something I think you really have to make based on taste. We use avocados, tomato, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, cilantro (called coriander here), and chicken bouillon.
• Mexican Rice: I had never made this recipe, and it turned out great!
• Refried beans: I used canned ones that we can get here, but typically add salt, pepper, and garlic, then top with cheese.

Tonight for the TCU vs Texas game I really wanted some tailgating food to enjoy while we watched our game. BK loves Buffalo Bros in Fort Worth, so I thought I would give some wings a try. We also made guacamole again, and grilled some corn. The combo may seem a little random, but it was really good.

Wings, guac, and grilled corn

I was surprised to find wings at Coop (grocery store) that were only drums. I bought two packs and made one with buffalo flavor and one with Asian flavor. Surprisingly, the buffalo ones were way better than the Asian ones, as they had a much stronger flavor, and had quite a bit of heat to them. I chose two recipes that required baking the wings as opposed to frying, as the last thing I need is one more mess to clean up.

Here are the wing recipes I used:

• Easy Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings: I used Cholula hot sauce, which I found in our local grocery store. I wouldn't do anything different on this recipe.
• Honey Soy Chicken Wings: these didn't have as much flavor as I would have liked, so we added some teriyaki sauce afterwards. I'll probably play around with this recipe next time to improve it.

I did have one fail...I attempted to make ranch dressing as a dipping sauce for the buffalo wings. It was pretty much a complete fail. I used a Pioneer Woman recipe, but it just was not right. I'm not sure if the mayonnaise has a stronger taste here or what, but it was not good. I'm sure I'll try again at some point.

To end this post on a very positive note, TCU just trounced UT, beating them 50-7. Can't say it enough...GO FROGS!

I would say auf wiedersehen, but...

BK and I dressed in traditional attire

If I said that, it means until we see one another again, and I don't plan to see Oktoberfest again. Once was plenty for me.

Let me start out by saying, Oktoberfest was fun, and absolutely something I am glad I got to experience while living in Europe. Having said that though, here are a few things you can keep in mind while reading about my take on our time in Munich and at Oktoberfest:

• I don't like beer. I know, I know, why go then? Like I said, for the experience.
• I'm past the point in my life when I'm interested in being around people who are so drunk they are vomiting at 2:00 in the afternoon, walking around like zombies, and barely able to hold themselves upright.
• Oktoberfest is best enjoyed without your children...as in, they should go to the grandparents' house and plan for a Monday pick up, after the weekend.

Giant pretzels for all to enjoy

Now, you may be thinking, you went to Oktoberfest in September? Yes, Oktoberfest always starts sometime around the third week of September and goes until the first week of October. In Munich people call it The Wiesn. The only reason it is called Oktoberfest (supposedly, according to our tour guide) is because American troops stationed in Munich after WWII couldn't pronounce wiesn, so they just decided to call it Oktoberfest, and the name stuck.

Our liter and half-liter (for lemonade) mugs

We traveled to Munich on a Thursday, went to Oktoberfest Friday and Saturday, then traveled back home on Sunday. I thought I would tell you about Oktoberfest specifically in this post, then come back to tell you more about Munich, where we stayed, how we got along with Baby K, and other stuff. And in case you're wondering, yes she came to Munich with us; no she did not go to Oktoberfest.

Inside Traditions-Festzelt tent

When planning this trip, we heard that the only way to go at Oktoberfest was to get tent reservations. This is because there are literally millions of people there, all who want to get inside a tent to drink some beer. Without a reservation, you're likely to be out of luck in getting into a tent, and definitely won't have a place to sit or be able to get anything to eat. We had reservations at Traditions-Festzelt on Friday and Stiftl Tent on Saturday. They were very different from one another, which was a great thing to experience.

Oktoberfest grounds- it feels like the state fair

Friday morning we headed off into Munich, suited up in our traditional lederhosen and drindls, to experience the more traditional of the two tents, Traditions-Festzelt. I was surprised when we arrived, to find that Oktoberfest is a bit like the state fair; lots of rides, carnival food, random crafty trinkets, games, and the other usual stuff. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't really that for some reason.

Outside of the "tent"

Traditions-Festzelt tent is located in the Oide Wiesn section of Oktoberfest, which is a more traditional area. It is a huge tent, that I'm sure can seat hundreds of people. Our reservation was from 11:30 until 4, and during that time there were many bands playing, people processing in and dressed in traditional attire, and groups dancing on various stages. There was also this group who used whips to play along to the music...interesting. It lived up to our expectation of the traditional tent for sure.

Beer station

With a table reservation, you receive tickets for food and beer. The beer at Oktoberfest is only served in liter mugs, and contrary to popular belief, is chilled and nice and cold when it comes out. I really I think I only made it 3/4 of the way through one liter the whole time. Oktoberfest is also known for the roasted chicken, which is really good, along with many other traditional dishes such as potato salad, dumplings, and spetzle. You can pretty much drink and eat yourself silly there...and many people do just that.

Inside Stiftl Tent- the band is up top

The other direction inside of the tent- much smaller

On Saturday we had reservations at Stiftl Tent. Even though we liked getting to experience the more traditional tent the day before, the Stiftl Tent was much more our speed. It is considered one of the smaller tents, and has very cozy feel. There is a live band, that mostly consists of a guy singing German and English rock songs. Apparently the most commonly played song at Oktoberfest is Country Road by John Denver. Who knew? There's also a German drinking song played in all the tents for everyone to sing along with. Fun!

Before the dancing/stomping started

Anyway, back to the tent, it was a lot of fun. It was crowded and loud and most of the people around us were really nice and enjoyed talking and having fun with everyone around them. At one point everyone was standing on the benches of the tables singing and stomping, generally just having a great time. Again, the beer is served in liter mugs along with the traditional food. I knew I would like this tent when they offered us prosecco to start in a tiny mug. Yes, please!

And they're up!

So that's about it for the actual Oktoberfest. I'll fill you in a little bit more about where we stayed (you know, bringing three toddlers along and all), stuff we saw in Munich and other recommendations we have in case you decide to make the trip.

Until then, Prost (Cheers)!