our first guests

21/12/14

Today was our first day of official roster shifts.

Breakfast

I was on guest services so I spent most of the morning cleaning bathrooms, communal areas and re organised the Great Britain Room and the America Room.  We made lunch for the staff.  After lunch during clean up we got our first guest... my family.  Mum, Nan, Lauren and Hannah were picked up from town and driven by Miguel to Our Chalet.  I waved them up the drive way from the 2nd floor window outside the kitchen.

After they arrived most of the other guests filtered in throughout the afternoon and by dinner we had about 19 guests.  It was our first dinner with guests... hence the massive amounts of food. 

Rachael and I had spent all afternoon making lemon mousse for dessert....

After dinner and dinner clean up, Schooley and I ran the tour for the new guests.  Then we headed back to Stockli for a staff meeting... and cheese and wine...  and random henna Megan found in the cupboard.

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!!

first snows of the season

9/12/14

Overnight we had just over a foot of snow.  This might not seem like much... however it was enough to play in and throw at each other! Something we were itching to do even before breakfast.

Our day started with breakfast in the Main Chalet and then we headed back to the Helen Storrow room for the training session "Magic of Housekeeping 1".  In other words we learnt about rubbish and recycling, general cleaning and where to find products, and a tour of all the 'working' areas of the Chalet.

Lunch followed and then we had an hour and a half free.

So here was the view before we decided to run amok....

And here was us in the snow!

These were our best snow balls (above).  Once Charlotte had taught me the 'proper technique' to making a snowball I was actually able to throw them... rather than them just kinda end up a light drizzle of snow!  They make an impact and when you get one to the face it hurts!!  Also you end up with a lot of snow down your jacket, down your pants, in you hat, in your scarf.....

Here is me making my snow angel... this may not have helped with the snow in my jacket and pants situation...

After our break we were introduced to the kitchen and meal preparation.  We started with a video and then moved to the Main Chalet kitchen.  Here we proceeded on a tour of the kitchen and we tried to remember where everything was.  Then we had to make dinner.  Sweet and Sour Chicken was what was on the menu and I think we didn't do that bad of a job!!  

After starting dinner late and being worried we weren't going to have it finished in time.. we finished early - around 5.30 and dinner wasn't until 6 pm.  Instead we played a game of charades on Sarah's phone!  A highly entertaining way to pass half an hour!

Clean up followed dinner, and then we went back to Spycher to learn Christmas carols for the Christmas Celebration of the 19th. I have no idea what this Christmas carol means or what it is called, all that I know is that it is in German.  It's going to be interesting trying to sing it to a bunch of Swiss German speakers!