I'm sorry for posting so late. At the present time I am at a Conference on Community Building in Switzerland. The city of Luzern is my location.
Being here is great!
The Conference has some key speakers and the rest of the time the participants present further information on the topic of the original paper in there allowed time frame with visual aids. These were submitted earlier.
So much for the facts.
The people are friendly but reserved; with this I am referring to the Conference hosts. All the attendees have divided themselves into the foreigners fro outside Europe and Europeans. An exception are 2 people from Spain.
That is a bit strange, but I enjoy all the various people I am meeting here.
Only 2 other people from the U.S.A. are here and they came late and are leaving tomorrow.
This morning I went with a few others on a cruise on the VIER WALDSTETTER SEE. a lake right in front of the Conference Center. I had a great time. On the North side of the lake are the higher mountains and the snow covered peaks look magnificent. These are always snow covered. I will try to take a cable car up to the skiing are before leaving.
Being here makes the whole world seem smaller. Everyone is from some place different. It is a good feeling. When in a setting like this it seems so simple to work out life issues and world issues. Most people are in the social work field and have an interest in improving situations for populations. Would it ever be possible to have social workers as presidents ect.? I know it won't happen, but provides an interesting daydream.
Everyone had to make their own hotel accommodations; the University hosting this event has no housing and we do not get to spend time with the students or visit the institution. This is a bit strange, but they do not want interruptions in their scheduled classes.
My hotel is in walking distance form the Conference and is in the old part of town. It is family owned and has 16 rooms, mine is on the 4th floor and I get to walk up 5 flights of stairs. Good exercise!
For the next month I will not complain about the cost of anything, since Switzerland is the most expensive country I have ever been in. It is not part of the European Union and therefore kept it's own currency, the Swiss Franc. For a cup, and this is a cup with no refills and not a mug, of coffee the cost is at least $4 and a small bottle of soda or water to go is between $3 and $4. Eating is outrageous, but wonderful. Before I came I was surprised that the Conference fee was over $500, but now I can see why. Meals are not included, but we do receive coffee and cake in the afternoon. Tonight s an optional dinner, but we have to pay $65 to attend.
I will go, because I am so far in the hole right now, that I will go to the only evening function organized through the conference.
Even though I will be in money trouble after this, I am glad I came. It is a once in a life time experience and I am expanding my views and opinions. That is after all why I came. Now I will return to a meeting, I am using a laptop of a professor from Ghana. To save money we bought lunch at a grocery store: bread, cheese and fruit. It was great. We had a fun time.

Sorry But...
Hey sorry for not typing to ya'll yesterday I have been a bit under the weather. Which brings up another wonderful way to take a break from your classes. Get sick. Not really. But, I could not go to classes for two days because I was contagious. well any way I am rambling. Take care all of you AND DO NOT GET SICK. -- Posted Wed 9/12/07

So in the third week of classes excitement is winding down and we are longing to go some where any where to get away from CSU (I am of course referring to the people in the dorms). I would recommend taking a drive to Pennsylvania( if you drive of course) ,it is so beautiful there you don't even have to stop to take it all in. For those of you who do not drive take a walk, down Euclid that is, go towards the theatre district and keep going until you just are tired of walking you would be surprised about the things you notice when your not streaking past in a bus. And if you drive but do not want to leave the state just take a drive. the things you will discover when you just take a random road and take notice of the things around you. Well thats all for today. Come back again tomorrow when I discuss more things you can do to take a break from the stress of class.
Posted by CSU Honors Program at 6:06 PM 0 comments
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