christmas eve eve

23/12/14

Today was what I believe will become an average day at the Chalet. I wasn't on program and I was on breakfast duty so was up and in the kitchen by half seven.  Breakfast and packed lunch was served and cleaned away. Morning meeting was at 9.30 where after we went back to finish cleaning up breakfast. 

Then it was general duties- cleaning, mopping, folding laundry...

All staff had lunch together in the dining room and after that we were free of jobs.  I needed something to do so I started making dinner - Alpine Macaroni by myself and as it turns out I finished it before four when we were supposed to start! It was ok becuase it still needed cooking in the oven so I got away with making it early.  

After dinner the guests had evening program of Swiss Night.  I joined in with the fam fam, but I wasn't allowed to answer questions in Jeopardy the Swiss Version. However I was allowed to eat the fondue at the end!

the elk horn player

fondue

introduction to deep cleaning and swiss night

12/12/14

This morning was our introduction to deep cleaning.  Deeeeeeeeeepp cleaning.  Sarah (now to be called SCHOOLEY), Katrina and I cleaned the T-Bar in the Main Chalet.  Whoever designed the wooden boards on the wall is an absolute idiot.  They were definitely going for looks rather than practically.  It took basically all morning.  The others were incharge of cleaning the Laundry and the Boots room in the Main Chalet.  Sarah decided that she was going to wipe the walls, and then ended up scrubbing them completely.

Sarah, SCHOOLEY, and I were in charge of lunch.  At least all it was was reheating and salad stuff.  We cleaned up afterwards and then SCHOOLEY and I went for a much needed walk.  SCHOOLEY needed to get over the 'cabin fever' as she put it!

Here as some of the photos of the view....

Then we begun guest program training....

We played a couple of starter games to begin with.  One we had to all stand on a tarp which was about 1m by 1m and turn it over to the other side, without falling off onto the snow.  Another was we had a long piece of rope which was very 'sticky'.  Once you touched it you couldn't remove your hand from it! We had to unknot the rope without moving our hands once we touched it.  It proved harder than it sounds.  

After that we were introduced to the Staff Challenge.  Like the Guests Challenge, the Staff Challenge consists of a list of tasks and challenges we can complete during our time here to accumulate points.  To complete the challenge we need to collect 80 points.  Some are easier than others.  SCHOOLEY and I completed two today after receiving it:

- Do 20 push ups and 20 sit ups

- Find out a fact about Switzerland that no one else knows

The fact one was quite hard because obviously everyone had taken the obvious ones!!

Here's some of the random facts we found out though:

- You can not own only one Guinea Pig in Switzerland, you must own them in pairs

- The Swiss Franc's abreviation is CHF because Switzerland's name in Latin is Condoederatio Helvetica (Hence the CF) and F for Francs

- The last legal execution of a witch in Swizterland was in 1782

- In 1471, a chicken laid a multicoloured egg and was proclaimed the 'devil in disguise'.  It was put on trial and was burned at the stake.   

The last two were the ones SCHOOLEY and I used to do the challenge.  

After dinner it was program training for Swiss Night,  We started with a song: Vogellist.  Its about a Girl from Adelboden and the beautiful scenery surrounding.    

Next was a Game of Jeopardy.  We split into two teams - SCHOOLEY, Sarah, Rachael and Ana on one, myself, Katrina, Charlotte and Danielle on the other and we competed against each other.  We ended up winning, 5,500 CHF to 5,300 CHF.  

We got an Orange as a prize, and the other team got a plate of fondue.   Though they did end up having to share with us to finish the night!!