rover week

5/1/14

This morning I started the day on Reception.  I opened the shop and the reception desk at 8 am, and had lots of visitors.  There were lots of Rover Week guests who needed extra clothes or better shoes from the boiler room and some who wanted to buy internet or items from the shop.  Skippy, the Chalet Cat, talked to everyone who came by.  She was very intent on anyone who stopped by the cupboard or made a cup of tea, as they were standing next to her food.  Eventually when she was fed, just before 9 am (when she is feed everyday!), she licked the spoon she was that hungry! She wasn't really that hungry - she gets regularly feed and I promise shes not fading away to a shadow!

Skippy licking the spoon of his dinner

At 9, we had the opening ceremony for Rover Week, a mid way ceremony for the South African Girl Guides and a closing ceremony for Nicky, who was heading home today.  They were welcomed, received their Our Chalet pins and read the words of Falk.  

Rover Week

South Africans

After opening ceremony, the participants of Rover Week and all of the staff were gathered together.  Nikki had a surprise for us. As part of Rover Week, we were to play a Murder Mystery Game.  Each person was given a name of another person, guest or staff, a location on the Chalet grounds, and a weapon which they had to 'kill' (or touch) the person with.  No one else is allowed to be watching or be in the vicinity of the murder when it happens.  We weren't allowed to tell anyone when or if we were killed or if we killed someone.  And when you killed someone you took over their current 'victim'.  Results will be told at the end of Rover Week and I will post my progress, or step by step descent into becoming a serial killer (hopefully!) then.  

The rest of the morning was much less unexciting.  Meetings Monday.  Morning meeting was followed by some intensive cleaning (unfortunately we have a bit of a stomach bug going around Our Chalet) and re setting of rooms,  Lunch was at 12.30 as per normal and then the Guest services team and I had a break until four.  At four we folded the dry washing and then went to prepare dinner - Rosti and Ratatouille.  

Re setting beds

Swiss Doughnuts for dessert

After Dinner we finished clean up in record time - by 7.30 pm, in time to join in with International Night.  International night was planned so that each person or group could present something unique to their own country.  The South African Girl Guides went first, they sung songs from South Africa and finished with the South African National Anthem (which, fun fact, is in four languages).

The South African Girl Guides 

Canadian presentation - a reading from 'The Hockey Sweater'

USA presentation 

The Guides from the UK

Scotland presentation - Learning to Highland Dance

 Ceilidh Dancing

The Guides from Mexico

After the presentations we had time to swap badges and try different kinds of food people had bought.  There was lots of sweets and sugar foods from Scotland, Mexico, South Africa, and dried meat from South Africa and Mexico.  No one seemed to want my Vegemite though....

Swapping!

sunday sugar

4/1/15

The morning was spent cleaning (as usual!), although I did get to do less than usual as I had to prepare Sunday Sugar.  Lunch was at 12.30 as usual though!

Rachael at lunch

Sunday Sugar is a tradition that every Sunday, someone bakes something sweet.  This week I had volunteered.  I decided that I would hit two birds with one stone and cook Sunday Sugar at the same time as cooking my traditional meal from my country for my staff challenge.  What is more Australian than Pavlova? Apart from Vegemite... though no one here seems to appreciate it!!

So here are the pictures of baking my Sunday Sugar Pavlova...

Egg yolks and whites separated

So much sugar...

Eggs whipped and sugar ready to go in

Baking time

Decorated and ready to go

Pretty much as we finished Sunday Sugar it was time to start dinner.  It is very much like a Guide camp here - one meal finishes and the next one starts!

Dinner was Spaghetti Bolognese, Garlic Bread and Salad.  We had cooked for 32, however it turned out that only 21 came to dinner.  So as per usual we had too much food, and way too much desserts! Which only meant one thing - double desserts for Staff!!

Jen consuming her dinner: 

"My precious..." 

Tonight's movie is 'Wild Child'.  Megan is currently lying on the couch procrastinating packing to go home tomorrow, whilst the rest of us (Danielle, Charlotte, Ana and I) are suffering from our food coma of Pavlova and dessert!

 

My new badge (I found it in the swap box!)

ice skating

3/1/15

This morning I was on program - Ice Skating day! We had program meeting at 8.45, later than the usual 8.30 because the rink didn't open until 10 am.

We rang the program bell at 9 and were slipping down the Chalet hill by about 9.15.  There was black ice everywhere! So much that one of the girls even said - 'what are we walking into town for we can just ice skate here!'  We had 13 Guests with us - a group from South Africa.

We made it into town, no one died or slipped to terribly along the way either! We met Jen at the Sport Centre, she had organised tickets for us to go Ice Skating.  

Some of the South African Girls

 

We skated until early afternoon, by which time it was raining. Chloe rang Jen, and Jen came and picked us up from the arena, in the Van and ferried us back to the Chalet.  It did take two trips, but it was nice not to have to walk back in the rain!!

When we got back, the guest services girls were having a break, having finished most of their jobs, so we joined them. At four we went and cooked dinner - Chicken Curry.  It was a little bit of touch and go with the recipe, in relation to amounts and cooking times!  

In the end it tasted good though!  Because we had one guest at dinner (and one is all it takes!!) we had dessert.  We had mini doughnuts.  However, as we had defrosted enough for fourteen people and there was only actually 8 at dinner... we got five mini doughnuts instead of three!!  

We headed back to Stockli for another movie night!  This time it was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and St Trinians.   Katrina had baked throughout the day - She had made buns! So Chloe made hot chocolate (from more of the left over fondue) and we had hot chocolate and buns for supper!

cleared by the doctor!

2/1/15

I was once again rendered unusable until my doctors appointment at 10 am.  Though I did attend morning meeting at 9.30, then left with Miguel at 9.55 am.  The doctor asked me whether I still had a headache (yes, I did), so he wanted me to rest more.  I managed to negotiate to 'working easy' or 'taking it easy', but I'm not sure he understood.

Anyways I was allowed to return to work.  I then spent the rest of the day folding laundry and sweeping. I wasn't allowed to remake rooms or cook....

Megan made Bread and Butter pudding with the leftover rolls from yesterday.  Here's Chloe enjoying it so much she licked the bowl.  

We worked right after lunch instead of having a break and as a result we had finished everything by 3 ish.  So we had a break until we were needed in the kitchen at 4.30.  We had Chicken and Leek Pie for dinner and Profiteroles with fondue topping for desert.  As predicted, Chloe cleaned the spoon and bowl.  

After dinner we all retired to Stockli.  Around Stockli, we are constantly finding pictures of Baden Powell (below). For example, there are two in my room on the roof, on glow stars, there are random ones underneath shelves, in cupboards, on the walls and just in all sorts of places.  They are from the Summer Vollies (Jeez Chloe and Megan!!) Katrina (though I'm not sure how!) found this one underneath the kitchen table.   On the back it says:

                             " Trust should be the basis for all our moral training" - RBP

                                                                                Summer 2014

We finished the night watching movies and eating the left over fondue from Swiss Night.  It was almost like a truffle!

new years day

1/1/15

Today, as per the Doctor'r request, I wasn't to work or do anything.  It kinda made for a really boring day!!

I slept in until 9 am, the latest time yet... 

The other Vollies were either on preparing Brunch, or clean up from Brunch.  Brunch consisted of Scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, croissants, plus all of the normal breakfast items.  After breakfast, and my offers of help being refused, I went and had a nap.  When I woke up I just pottered around Stockli and the Chalet, helping where I could get away with it.  I was able to fold a whole 2 loads of washing before being sent away!

Dinner was at 6 pm,, and was a cold meat buffet.  There were some South African girls who were keen to swap badges after dinner.  Apparently they had said something to Rachael earlier and Rachael had told them she would 'hook them up'.  That meant with me.  I went and got my stash and we swapped until evening programme.  

Evening programme was Games Night.  It was a round of different 'challenges' which teams had to attempt, then points were awarded for team work and how well they did.  I was not on evening programme so I headed back to Stockli.  There we watched the Sound of Music and ate cold left over chocolate fondue!

new years eve

31/12/14

Last day of 2014!! I can't believe this year has gone so fast!!

This morning I was again on Guest services, and on breakfast. Charlotte and I were on breakfast, so we were up and in the kitchen by 7.30, ready for guests at 8. Breakfast finished at 9 and we were almost cleaned up in time for morning meeting at 9.30.

After morning meeting Charlotte and I went and finished clean up of breakfast then once again the rest of our day was with filled with cleaning the bathrooms, laundry and kitchen.  However, we had finished all our work by about 11.30 am.

So Nikki had us help with Stocktake.  I had left before I could do it at the Guide Shop at home, and now I was having to do it here!

Counting Lanyards

Danielle counting badges

Danielle and I organised lunch at 12, for 12.30.  Then after lunch and clean up we had a break until 3.30. This is where the day went wrong!  I decided I needed to get the entire swiss experience including the health care system.   After running halfway from Stockli to Spycher, and then slowing down to a walk, (I was walking when I fell!), I hit some black ice and stacked it onto the stone path out side Reception.  I fell onto both knees and wrists at the same time, and then smacked my head on the floor.  After sitting for an hour, and not getting overly better, I was taken to see the Doctor in town.  Apparently I'm fine, possibly a mild concussion, with a nice headache and impressive bruises.  I did have some company sitting in the Helen Storrow Room, making sure I wasn't getting worse.  

 

This is Fidgit - my company

I was babysat in the Helen Storrow Room, to make sure I didn't get worse.  We went to watch Bridesmaids and the Sound of Music, but we only got through the beginning of the Sound of Music, before we had to freeze outside to watch the fireworks and usher in the new year!

Chloe 'dropping our ball'

(It was a light which we strung up onto the flag pole)

Fireworks across the valley

new years eve break programme

30/12/14

This morning first on the agenda was to head to morning meeting at 9.30.  There I was reminded that Opening Ceremony had been at 9am.  Both Megan and I had missed it... opps.  We had had a breakfast date and wondered where everyone else was.... I said later if she hadn't been there then I probably would have left Stockli and gone to find people but because she was there I didn't.

I was lead Vollie today which meant after morning meeting we organised the job list.  Once again it meant cleaning the bathrooms, communal areas, folding the never ending laundry pile and cooking meals.

Staff lunch was at 12.30 and dinner was at 6. We had Alpine Macaroni, Broccoli and Apple Sauce.

Danielle, Chloe and I were on evening programme - Swiss Night.

VOGELLISI - translation

If I were to forget who Vogollisi was

Vogellisi lives in Adelboden

Adelboden lies in the Berneroberland

And the Berneroberland is beautiful

Yes, the Berneroberland is beautiful 

Yes, the Berneroberland is beautiful 

And the Berneroberland is beautiful

The William Tell Story, as perfromed by our guests:

The people of Switzerland were not always free and happy as they are today. Many years ago a proud tyrant, whose name was Gessler, ruled over them, and made their lot a bitter one indeed. One day this tyrant set up a tall pole in the public square, and put his own cap on the top of it; and then he gave orders that every man who came into the town should bow down before it. But there was one man, named William Tell, who would not do this. He stood up straight with folded arms, and laughed at the swinging cap. He would not even bow down to Gessler himself. When Gessler heard of this, he was very angry. He was afraid that other men would disobey, and that soon the whole country would rebel against him. So he made up his mind to punish the bold man.

William Tell's home was among the mountains, and he was a famous hunter. No one in all the land could shoot with bow and arrow so well as he. Gessler knew this, and so he thought of a cruel plan to make the hunter's own skill bring him to grief. He ordered that Tell's little boy should be made to stand up in the public square with an apple on his head; and then he bade Tell shoot the apple with one of his arrows. Tell begged the tyrant not to have him make this test of his skill. What if the boy should move? What if the bowman's hand should tremble? What if the arrow should not carry true?

"Will you make me kill my boy?" he said. "Say no more," said Gessler. "You must hit the apple with your one arrow. If you fail, my soldiers shall kill the boy before your eyes." Then, without another word, Tell fitted the arrow to his bow. He took aim, and let it fly. The boy stood firm and still. He was not afraid, for he had all faith in his father's skill. The arrow whistled through the air. It struck the apple fairly in the center, and carried it away. The people who saw it shouted with joy. As Tell was turning away from the place, an arrow which he had hidden under his coat dropped to the ground. "Fellow!" cried Gessler, "what mean you with this second arrow?" "Tyrant!" was Tell's proud answer, "this arrow was for your heart if I had hurt my child."

And there is an old story, that, not long after this, Tell did shoot the tyrant with one of his arrows; and thus he set his country free.