our first day off

14/12/14

This morning Chloe woke us up at 7.30 by ringing the dinner bell in the hall way into our room. It was quite loud and all of us kinda sprung out of bed!  We were instructed to be downstairs dressed and ready in 10 mins.  We weren’t sure to be ready for what though. 

Apparently we were doing the 'final test before we could become official volunteers'.  

From the Autumn Volunteers:

"Since the opening of Our Chalet, each season has passed the torch to the next group of vollies.  You will be partaking in a series of tasks which would challenge you both as individuals and as a team.  Your time at the Chalet will be frustrating and difficult at time, but overall rewarding, your activities today will reflect these ups and downs.  While you come from different places, you will need to work as one unit to not only succeed today, but also achieve in your daily duties.  This is a very special place and we are entrusting you to take great care of it.  Treat it as your home as it was ours and for hundreds of Guides and Scouts before us.  Make the most of your time here and cherish the moments, as the days will pass all too quickly.  Do you accept this challenge?"

Here's the video as played to us:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBSmK7MDQ0U

We had to follow the clues to different locations throughout the Chalet.  At these locations we would either find another clue leading us to the next location.  Locations in order, included the T-Bar, Dining Veranda, Baby Chalet,  and the Conference Room where we found the key to get into Stockli the Staff house.

Here we found a welcome sign and our names on the kitchen table on signs for our rooms.  We then had breakfast as some of us were starving (Schooley!) and then we moved into our new rooms in Stockli.  It is so nice to have a place to put everything and not have to worry about losing something or waking someone up when you move around the room! Also to not have to share with 6 other people is very nice!!

It took us all morning basically to move into Stockli.  It took me two trips... took others less and some more, to transfer all our stuff over.  We then unpacked and put away before swapping badges.  International badge swapping is so much more exciting than swapping with other people from your own country!

Then was lunch - Leftovers in the kitchen.  

After lunch we walked down the hill into town...

Here's the view about halfway down the hill...

We were walking into town for the Winterylute, the lighting of the Christmas tree.  It seemed like most of the town turned out for it.  

They were handing out free mulled wine (above).  Hence we all tried some!  The bell ringers below, we think, are a tradition.  Chloe told us, though she not sure if it's true, that the older generations are used to ring the bells in summer and the young bachelors are used in the winter! 

The Christmas Tree

All of us at in town 

After the bells had finished, we decided to check a few more things of our Staff Challenge.  Whilst in town, we climbed the fountain for a photo (and got a few weird looks along the way).

We were picked up in town and driven back to Our Chalet (way no walking!!) then had dinner.  After dinner we went back to Stockli to have our own little 'house warming party'.  Rachael made Winter Pimm's and Sarah had bought some mulled wine which we heated up as well.  Some of us also completed some more of our staff challenge by singing 'Happy Birthday' in three languages.  I sung them in Mandarin, Japanese and Spanish.  

We finished the night watching 'Chalet Girl', which Ana described as "snow-mantic", and trying to make the internet connect!