A break in the clouds

I wake up 5 minutes before the church service is supposed to start. Astonished and upset at the 11 hours I slept, I quickly get dressed and check the google map I carefully marked with the church’s coordinates. I set out in a Sunday dress excited to meet fellow American Christians. Perhaps this was the wrong heart, and, as fate would have it, I could not for the life of me find the church. The street was not on the city maps that I had taken with me. I searched until I was nearly 1 hour late for service.

At this point I gave up and headed to item #2 of my itinerary: Zara. I had discerned that there was a store here in Geneva, and was determined to get some decent shopping done. The bus took me back to the shopping area I explored yesterday, but on Sunday the entire town seemed to have closed. Frustrated, I decided the Migros grocery store near the Gare Cornavin had to be open. I could at least get lunch at this point. To my chagrin, this was also closed on Sundays. My feet are hurting now, and I’m realizing I’ll have to secure sustenance for the remainder of the day since the grocery shops are closed. Curses. After gingerly walking around in my aching feet, I walk into a mom/pop grocery store run by an Iranian man. He is really nice and speak English! He hooks me up with a delish looking seafood salad and we talk Korea, Silicon Valley and English. I promise to come back again. I’m excited because the salad has colorful veggies and looks like the healthiness I crave! I then decide to save the salad for dinner and get a vermicelli salad I saw advertised at a Japanese/Thai restaurant. Go figure, it’s run by Chinese and there’s no Japanese food even though all the decorations are Japanese. Despite the nasty service, I graciously let go of my ambition for vermicelli salad and take a gamble on the basil chicken. When I get home to eat it, I’m not disappointed! The chicken is lean, dressing is vinegar-y (not fatty), and there is lettuce. Wahoo. I fill up and let myself digest for a bit. It’s already 4pm by this time, and I’m set to go running.

Strangely, it’s been overcast all day, but I figure more sun protection for me! My course is set for a Park out near the lake and I take off. Halfway there, I come upon the Museum of Natural History. Its still open and admission is free, so I decide to stay for a bit. This is cool, I tell myself. I begin to get acquainted with the regional fauna as I walk by displays of stuffed birds in various poses. I’m not in there 5 minutes before all the dead animals and eery dark lighting scare the heeby jeebies outta me and I run right back out.

I continue on my run for maybe 5 more minutes when it begins to rain. I chastise myself for leaving my bus pass at home. The rain is light, and I’m almost at the park, so I keep going. It begins to rain in full, and since I’m getting wet anyway, I get to the park. I come upon a park that is beautiful and ordered. It’s surprising that many people are still out and about in the park, but I guess they were caught in the rain as well. After the park, I’m back at the jet fountain where lots of people are milling about, and the restaurants are still full.

After a nice shower and some dinner, I am back at my computer. Earlier today, I stumbled across the blog of a WHO intern from the states. Exactly what I was looking for! Ironically she is also Korean-American. I am encouraged by her entries because she seems to be having the time of her life both on outdoorsy excursions and with meeting people. I am a bit jealous that her housing situation is definitely not as ghetto as mine. She is staying with a host family apparently in a green part of Switzerland. I’m thinking living on the French border would have been just the same distance, and less expensive! But once again, I need to go with the flow and let go of things that have already been done.