Living on the rock...

...sucks!  Or so a good friend said to me today about our living in Samoa as she yearns for more travels.  I thought about that for a bit and thought, nah, I'm okay.  Nearly a year back and with my travels slashed drastically - think 2-3 times a year as compared to 2-3 times a month!! - you'd think I'd be dying to get out already.  Funny enough - nope.  So far, so good and of course, nothing lasts forever so ask me again in a year's time lol.

I'm actually enjoying being in one place.  Getting to know my country, my people, my culture, my family both immediate and extended a bit better gives me a great perspective on who I am and what makes me tick.  I also get to use my experiences from those years of travel to handle situations at home.  And I can't tell you how FASCINATING it is to observe the daily living here - one can write a million papers on it!  It's such a different world from what I have experienced outside of Samoa.  It is like well, like living on a rock!

Don't get me wrong - I do miss traveling.  I miss the idea of spontaneously booking a flight to a random destination and spending a few days there, without breaking the bank.  I miss being in a place that's multi-cultural and diverse.  I miss the feeling of arriving into a new place with so much excitement and anticipation.  I miss the different cuisines (oh my gosh I miss good international food!!!) And I miss people - actually meeting people and seeing a glimpse of how cultures/environments/societies function. Yes I miss traveling very much, but for now, I love being home more.

And I leave you with an image of my home village Vaiala.  It is of our local village church in the evening. 

Wow...

... I totally forgot I had a blog until I received emails that Curious_cat had commented on some posts!  So thank you Curious_cat and happy new year!  If it weren't for your comments I wouldn't have reread my blog and reminisced about 2014 and this in turn helped me in my reflections for 2015!

I didn’t write a single entry for 2014 and in fact the last entry was in October 2013 where I shared about my thoughts on moving back.  Fast-forward to January 1, 2015 and here I am sweating up a storm, waterfall, river and ocean in my room here in Samoa AND trying to digest all that has happened in the last 18 months or so.

To sum it up - left my job in Geneva on February 28.  Got on a plane on March 1 and began an epic 3 month journey around Europe and Asia.  I was blessed to share this with my baby sister.  We travelled through 23 cities in 15 countries traveling on 30+ planes, bus, boat and train rides trying to communicate in 12 languages and making countless memories and experiences come to life!  Epic is an understatement!

After 3 months of gallivanting we got home in time for Mother’s Day to surprise our mother and from there began my new life in Samoa.  And so May 10^th, 2014 marks the beginning of my life as a samoan stranded well… in Samoa! LOL

It’s going to be 8 months in a week or so and I tell you, it’s been one hell of a ride.  The first five months was spent working my first ever job in Samoa, and as a public servant nonetheless.  I survived but not sure I’d go back hehe.  I worked at the SIDS secretariat within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supporting the preparations for the biggest ever conference to be held in the Pacific!  It was such an honour and a privilege to be part of a historic moment for this small island nation.   It also included me doing the French voiceover for the opening ceremony!  Pretty cool I guess!  Anyhoo,  I don’t promise anything but I’ll try and blog about it later.  Key phrase – I don’t promise! :P

After that temporary stint, I’m halfway through a 6 month sabbatical I’ve given myself to just settle down and get to know things here and see where I could fit in.  So yeah, that’s my 2014 in let’s see… 400 words! :D

So here’s to a fantastic and awesome love and light filled 2015…

… for the two of us reading this, Curious_cat and me! Hahahaha

…and here’s hoping this wont be my last entry for the year!!!

It's 4 o'clock in the morning...

...and I'm wide awake with a million thoughts racing through my mind. 

Why oh why? 

Mainly of work but also of things to come.  Remember how I told you I'd be going home soon?  Yep, that's less than six months from now.  Incredible!

People ask me if I'm scared to move back and I say, nah, in fact, I'm quite calm and excited!!!  I have no idea what I'll do but I do know I'm looking forward to it.  Oh don't get me wrong, I'm sure it'll be hard one way or another, but that's the beauty of it no?  Adapting, resettling, getting back into the rhythm of being home.  I'm psyching myself to reverse culture shock as they call it... because after being away nearly 15 years, that's bound to happen!  Luckily, I've been back nearly every year since then so I have an idea of what's there but hey, it's home and that's what matters!

So let's see how it pans out :) 

Going a bit mad here...

...at the options and crossroads I'm facing as I make changes in my life.  But then again, a little madness doesn't hurt does it?  So it took a cold, a fever and a headache for me to realize that everything will be all right.  I should stop overanalyzing things and just get with it.

BIG changes are coming up in my life and I have to make some more big decisions.  I have been on the fence about a few of them - mainly because it's a lot of heart vs head decisions but more and more, I see that everything will be okay and that I should really go with what my heart tells me to do - it'll be good for my soul! :)

So here goes... :)

Oh and hi and sorry for the cryptic reentry into the blogosphere lol - although I  have started on 4 yes four! entries about four different places I've visited in the last few months - Moscow, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Brussels.  Wish me luck that I finish them this year or even finish them at all! LOL

Be kind to yourself!

Today marks...

....another historical moment for Samoan rugby!  After 7 losses and 1 draw, we finally beat Scotland!!!!  And of course, I gotta blog about it just as I did when we beat Australia! lol

I love love LOVE the exhilarating and joyous feeling I feel, when our Manu Samoa is about to win - during those last few minutes when the opposing team just CANNOT score enough points.  ESPECIALLY when we have a million odds stacked against us.  A true feat when you think of the size of Samoa and its resources and compare it to the tier one nations.  It's all heart!  All passion despite the challenges!

They say, the team is inspired by the story of David and Goliath and for each game, they run onto the field with David's story in mind.  That even Goliath can fall.  Today, Scotland was our Goliath. 

Isn't that awesome?  The little guy DOES win every now and then!   Anyhoo, for your viewing pleasure, here's the skipper Paul Williams' post game interview:



Hope you're all having a great weekend! :)

Oceans apart...

.... day after day....wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you. 

I heard this song in the background and stopped what I was doing.  It reminded me of someone I was close to and we used to listen to this song together.  I don't know what happened between us but the friendship was lost somehow, somewhere... and yet, just for a moment - wherever you go, whatever you do... I will be right here thinking of you.

Life eh...

Hope you're all well! lol

Whoops...

...so much for keeping this thing updated! lol.  In my defence, since my last entry, I was caught up with work and then had to jet off to Honiara, Solomon Islands for nearly three weeks!  I hope to blog about that experience soon because it's a very very VERY interesting place!

Thanks Maria for dropping in and reminding me that I had a blog! ha!  I hope you and Marco are well and still enjoying life in Fasitoo-uta!  :)

It's also Good Friday here and I had planned on taking a train out to Lugano, Ticino - the Swiss Italian side... but with this kind of grey, foggy and wet weather I think I'll pass and go on a sunnier day. 

Speaking of Swiss Italian, most people don't know that in Switzerland there is no such language as a "Swiss" language.  There are actually four official languages here in the land of chocolate and cheese and they are German, French, Italian and Romansch.   I live in Geneva, in the French speaking side and the Swiss French speakers have a distinct accent and special words only found in this region - I think it's cute.

Anyway, where am I going with this?  Oh, well yes... just to say that I hope you're having a good and blessed Easter.

As they say in French,  Bonne Fêtes de Paques! :)

What would YOU do...

...if money were no object?



My answer's simple and probably not surprising - travel.

Travel and do good. 

Meet different people  Get to know them.  Laugh with them.  Learn their cultures.  Cry with them.  Eat their foods.  Admire their landscapes.  Hear their stories.  Trek their lands.  Play their sports.  Jump for joy!

And I know, I know.  I do that a lot already but if I didn't have to work, I would travel 24/7.  It's like a drug, so addictive - the more you travel, the more you want to do and see and experience.  It's crazy. 

AND can you imagine we're like a tiny tiny TINY part of it in this huge universe.  Speaking of which, y'all should check out this website.  It is quite astounding.

Ok, I'm losing the plot of this entry so here ya go.

PS.  Wow, am I on a blogging roll or what?! lol

Nestled in the corner....

... of the Bernese Alps, is a little town called Thun.

Beautiful vista of the Bernese Alps (still part of the Alps by the way)

And what was happening in Thun you ask?  A late Christmas party for all Pacific islanders in Switzerland, this past weekend.

A few of us took a scenic train from Geneva to Thun and arrived a few hours before the party started.  We did some exploring and saw the beautiful castle of Thun.  However, the highlight for me was the Alps themselves.

Urgh... we were so busy admiring the view that we didn't take any good photos of the castle.  This is the only one we had. 

An old wooden bridge.  By old I mean a couple of centuries old.  Crazy

Stairs leading to us to the light...

I could have sat there and looked at those mountains forever... save for the fact my island butt was FREEZING!!!

Close up of bridge

Mother nature always wins hands down no?!

We then found ourselves in a cute little chalet which was turned into a Pacific island paradise with ie lavalavas strewn everywhere, Te Vaka blasting in the background, kids running around like mad and loud ass women singing and laughing like they're sitting in their village.  Then there were the palagi spouses huddled in their corner anxiously watching their wives come together and turning into something bigger than they could ever handle - the women's committee! HA!

It was a lovely night  filled with hilarity, dance, drink and food that can only give you good memories and remind you of home.  It made me think of Vaiala my beloved village - and the crazy old ladies whose purpose in life was to dance around lifting their dresses for the world to see their CCK underwear.  It reminded me of the kids running around playing hide and seek and with one call, they ALL materialized for the food and ice cream.  Or of the younger ladies huddled outside together gossiping about who was a moekolo, who had an affair with who, who got an abortion and who was taking a loan from where.

Yep, twas a good weekend. :)

'Tis better to have loved and lost...

...Than never to have loved at all. - Alfred Lord Tennyson

I have read and heard that quote a million and ten times over and every time I did I rolled my eyes and dismissed it for being sentimental and non-sensical crap.

How karma comes back and bites you in the arse is funny.  Now it's the one quote keeping me sane after going through the biggest and only heartbreak of my life.

Here's the short of it.  Boy loves girl.  Girl loves boy.  Life gets in the way.  A decade or so later, boy confesses love.  Heartbreak and regret ensues at what could've been.

*sighs*

Mixed in with all of that is the exhilarating feeling that I am loved.  So yeah... just thought I'd put it out there.

Moral of the story:  If you love someone, bloody hell - bulldoze your way at it full speed even if your heart will be shredded to pieces because there's nothing worse than sitting here thinking of all the wouldas, couldas and shouldas... and still have your heart shredded to pieces.

Life is too damn short.


PS.  No pity accepted on this entry.  Just go for gold and get that gal/guy you love! :) 

Over and over again...

...I keep neglecting this blog!  Should I just delete it?  Ma le ma'imau o le kaimi?  It's not like there's a million of you waiting for the next post...!

Hmmmmm, okay... Imma give ONE more shot.

This time I'm going to try and blog about my travels as I have many coming up this year (as usual! yay!) but also as this is my last year in Geneva, so I'll try and write a bit more about Geneva life before I say adieu to it! 

Really excited about what the future has in store but also really enjoying every moment here (or at least trying to... give or take a couple of meetings at work! ha!)

So with that... I'm gonna press Publish before I change my mind.

Oh and hey, happy new year! :)

I'm in heaven...

... well, the greek version of heaven.  It's called Santorini and if ever you  get the chance - visit it!!!

I was on another Greek island, Crete for a 2 week long meeting (governing board blah blah snore) and to unwind from what I knew would be a VERY stressful time, I booked myself to spend a few days in Santorini afterwards.  I have dreamed of visiting Santorini for the longest time.  In fact, it's on my top 5 places to visit - a list which changes constantly, oh wait... except for the top two - Mongolia and Cuba.  ANYWAY, I'm here and this is the best place to be after a chaotic and intensive meeting.

Did I mention that I have a bad knee at the moment, torn ligaments to be specific... boring stuff but frustrating as hell.  But thanks to my gammy knee, I'm spending my days in Santorini doing this:

this:

this:

this:

and a lot of this:

I'm a bit... just a wee bit bummed that I couldn't explore the island.  There is SO MUCH history to the place from the volcanic explosion 3500 years ago which supposedly triggered the downfall of the Minoan civilization and created its current landscape to the cobbled streets and houses carved on the cliffs of the islands and not to mention the wine tasting out there (then again wine bottles magically appeared in my room everyday!)  

And although I am thoroughly enjoying my break - I am definitely coming back to this piece of heaven to do some more exploring.  But for now, I'll just go back to my glass of wine and book as I am surrounded by God's breathtaking creation!  Aaaaaah... la vie est belle!

PS.  All my photos are from my Instagram - my new addiction.  Follow me at swisshamo :)

Summer in Geneva...

.... ROCKS!!!!!! 

I've been having awesome weekends in the last 2 months - ever since the sun started teasing its way out of the rain and clouds to let us know it's summer or supposed to be.  And this weekend it was fun filled and packed with different activities!  Oka... so tired but happy! 

It's also helped that there's more than a few Samoans here for the next few months.  I have my cousin Henry and a friend Justin and our "baby sister" Tailani.  Having them around has forced me to go out and show them sights and do stuff with them and you know, just make the most of being here.   It's been awesome - we've gone out to dinners, free concerts, taken weekend trips to Brussels or around Switzerland and yesterday we went op-shopping.  A new term to me but here in Switzerland - as Justin found, you can get designer labels for a fraction of their original prices!  Justin bought 100CHF worth of shirts and jackets made by the likes of Christian Dior, Valentino and Calvin Klein.  Seki a.

Anyway, just wanted to post this up to say I'm still alive (for all two of you who still visit me blog! hahaha)

Happy week and have a great summer if you're on this side of the equator and if not, stay warm!!!! :)

Life in April catchup

Yikes!  I got so caught up with deadlines at work that I missed out on two days of the photo challenge!  But fear not, trusty followers - I have come to save the day.  Kinda.  Okay maybe not.

Anyhoo, here's Days 12 and 13 for your viewing pleasure (or whatever it is that brings you here!) :)

Day 12:  Celebrate good times

I cheated on this one and reusing a photo I took 2 years ago, but I just love this shot.  It was taken at a club in London.  You know, when I look at it I feel as if the light is about to open up into a parallel universe.  And I'm here just ready to step into it.   So close.  And yet, so not gonna happen! heh!

Day 13:  Window

I was lazy with this one and so guess what I snapped?  Yep, the view from my window.  lol.  Ah well, it's still kinda pretty.  And fits the theme.  And who cares?  Yeah.  Exactly.

  


#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge Life is goooooood!!!!!

Day 11: Looking down

Today will be a one-liner.  I'm super duper tired because I had an absolutely great and productive day.  Fist pump!!! (sorry two-liner)

#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge  Looking down towards the UN plaza.

Day 10: Looking up

I woke up this morning and the first thought on my mind was a song actually - "I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and bright.  And I pity, any girl who isn't me today!"   Yep, it was a good day.  On a side note, I posted it on FB and of the 30 people who "liked" it only one was a guy.  I guess boys don't feel pretty.  Then again, guys commented... usually the smart arse comments.  Ok, I digress.

So where were we? Oh yeah, looking up.  You could take that literally of course, but I'll take that as a reminder to remain optimistic, see the glass as half full, stay the course and (insert your own cheesy one liner here!)  You get my drift.  I took a whole bunch of photos - landscape photos, skyline photos and pretty buildings but I settled for this weird one.  Think of it as abstract art.  Fefe ia Pikaesso.   I'll leave you guessing as to what it is... :)

#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge

I hope you feel pretty today! :)

Day 9: The art of peace

Easter Monday.  The last day of the quietest Easter weekend I've had in ummm let's see...wow, actually the last time I spent Easter in Geneva was in 2005.  Talk about ants in my pants ey? lol.  It was a nice and quiet day though.  I spent it playing games, reading, sleeping and watching the planes take off.  And then it dawned on me - this is my art of peace - at least for today.  And it ended with the sun setting as a plane jetted off to a faraway land.  :)

#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge  #sunset #planes

Day 8: Family love

I hope you all had a blessed and wonderful Easter Sunday.  A day of rejoicing and celebration.  A day to give thanks and appreciate one another. 

Today, I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride.  I woke up filled with energy and readying myself for church celebrations.  Then I got a call from my best friend here - she's Maori & had to go home today to Aotearoa for a family emergency.  I went over to look after her three kids while she and her husband took care of tickets, packing and all the last minute stuff that comes with that dreaded 3am phone call.  I had to steel myself not to cry.  I'd been teary eyed all weekend, as I was also thinking of a dear friend who passed away two weeks ago.  He is finally home in Samoa and as I write this, they are holding his final service.  

After she left, I spent most of the day with her children - three beautiful, wide-eyed, feisty kids.  They totally provided the ups of my day.  They give me so much joy, and so much love.  I was to provide for them but they ended up providing for me - as is usual with children.  So it's only fitting that today's photo is about them - my family here in Geneva.  My source of love, happiness and endless cuddles. 

Rest in love Leon.  Strength and light to the Tautaris.   And here's to family love.  :)

#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge #blessings

Day 7: The shadows

I must warn you guys... it's another meh post today.  Taking photos and I mean GOOD photos is bloody hard.  Ah well, at least I'm enjoying myself trying out new things, for example, I tried taking a picture of my shadow with my hair down... all that came through - a big, huge black blob - epic. fail.  Which reminds me... I must get my act together and join a gym. lol

Lucky I went out to dinner in the old town and got a few okay shots at the restaurant.  I settled for this one - it gave me the creeps.  What say you? 

#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge #lurkingintheshadows

Day 6: Just Dance

So you'd think this one would be easy considering I love dancing - of any kind... but as most things, the intention is there and it's all good but realizing it is another matter.  Hmph!  Seems to be the theme of this particular challenge - sheesh.  

At 11.30pm though, I gathered the following items and voila!  let's just call it "accessorizing a polynesian dancer"... or something pesto like that!  Isaaaaa!

#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge #polynesiandance

Day 5: Textures

Meh.  Today's post was an okay one.  I didn't feel any creative juices flowing in me.  Urgh.  That sentence sounds SO wrong. 

ANYWAY, I did what I could... I tried out two photos and only posted the first one on Instagram.  It's of different textures I pass on my walk home from work everyday.  The second one is pretty much self explanatory. 

Hmmm... still a meh for me.

#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge #meh

Oh and have a blessed Easter y'all! :)

Day 4: Juxtapose

Dang, this is much harder than actually writing a blog everyday.  You have to actually think and plan out what you want to shoot and how it relates to the theme.  Today's theme was hard but luckily I worked with what I had... no, let me rephrase that - I worked with WHO I had!

And I think it's pretty cool, see for yourself:

#lifeinapril #photoadaychallenge #yingyang

Day 3: Negative space

Tell me something, when you first read the phrase "negative space" what do you think of?  For myself, I instantly thought of a room full of mean and negative people. And I was puzzled that I had to take a picture of such nonsense.  However, thanks to wikipedia, I found out that negative space is a term in the art and photography world (auola!) and is defined as such:

 Negative space, in art, is the space around and between the subject(s) of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, and not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and such space is occasionally used to artistic effect as the "real" subject of an image. The use of negative space is a key element of artistic composition.

I have NO idea whether my next photo is "negative space" but I personally like it and that's all that matters! LOL.  So here you go, what do you think?

 #lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge #cherryblossoms


 

Day 2: Reflections

This was a hard one.  I couldn't find anything until 11.48pm and here's the result:

#lifeinApril #photoadaychallenge #wheremyheartlives

And no I wasn't on drugs. 

Day 1: Foolish antics

Here we go.  Hope y'all had a great April's Fools day.  Yes, all 5 of you. lol

#lifeinapril #photoadaychallenge #ilovelife

Life in April...

....one photo at a time. 

Have y'all heard of instagr.am?  It's this pretty awesome photo app which lets you post up your pictures using different filters.  I feel like I don't use it much and so to remedy that, I've joined a photo a day challenge aptly named Life in April - an Instagram photo a day challenge by @othersuchthings.

It's also because I want to do more (cue in my existential shenanigans) and have better experiences (cue in existential shenanigans) and what better way to do that than to record everyday life using cues! :)

So here goes - I'm going to post my daily photos on Instagram (follow me @swisshamo) and also on here and maybe even on Facebook.  There will be days when I won't be able to post them up due to travels (whoohoo!!) but I'll still take them on a daily basis and post them later.  Oh and I will only use my trusty iPhone 3GS so that should be interesting. 

All righty, wish me luck.  First one coming up later today :)

I woke up...

...this morning in a cold sweat.  I had a really awful dream.  I won't go into details about it except that I woke up feeling scared and frightened.  My dreams are usually related to how I feel about a particular situation happening in my life and lately, I'd been feeling uncertain about things mainly at work.  I have this fear of failing... no, let me be more specific, I have a fear of being incompetent in what I do.  A fear that's paralyzed me before.  This morning I woke up and tried not to wallow in it but was looking up ways of fighting it.  I was online - reading the bible, reading self-help sites, readying myself for another hectic week and making sure I don't let this fear overwhelm me.  And then I read the news that one never wants to hear. 

The passing of a beloved friend.

And it all hits home.  Time and time again.  Life is too damn short.  Make the most of it.  Live it - with vigour, with love and with passion.  Every damn day. Tell the people you love that you love them.   Over and over again. Don't bother with the bullshit and the nay sayers.  Walk away and don't waste a single second on them.  Laugh and laugh some more and laugh loudly.   And what else?  Oh, yes.  Fears.  Face them, ignore them, tackle them head on but whatever happens - don't let them overwhelm you.  Not freaken worth it.  And lastly,  no matter what - know that you are loved, loved, loved. 

Rest in love Leon.  Your life was an expression of light and love to those around you.  Your zeal for life, your beauty and your kindness will NEVER be forgotten.

It's been over 3 months...

... since the last time I got on a plane.  And I have another month to go before my next flight.  This is the longest time I've spent in Geneva continuously in FOUR years! 

I don't know whether I like staying here for such a long period of time.  I've found myself becoming introverted (so not me!) and  I think it has made me a bit too self-absorbed and pensive for my own good.  I hardly keep in touch with friends and let alone family except for my mum, sisters and one or two cousins.  I've not been on Facebook in over 3 weeks and can't be bothered with what's going on in Samoa or anywhere else for that matter. 

It doesn't help that I've had crazy migraines and been ill often this past winter.  So yeah, it's gotten me thinking that it's great I'm having some down time and there IS an advantage to being in Geneva but this can't last for too long.  I need to go out and have more adventures.  I need the excitement of being in a new place, meeting new people, trying out new foods and learning new things.  I yearn for it in fact!!!!  *sighs*

In the meantime, let me reminisce about past adventures in Lebanon with its rich history, or fly to the exotic and surreal world of Cuba, or dream of the concrete jungle and lights of New York City.   And I miss the crazzzzzzy island get-togethers be it in the South of France or in Hamilton, NZ for the Rugby World Cup.   And omg, it just hit me.. I've been to so many places and I havent blogged about them!  I seriously need to... more so I can have my memories in writing!  Ai ai ai... so much to do and so little time!

Let me end it here before this becomes the millionth draft on my blog. LOL.

I do hope that you're having an adventure whereever you may be and that you're making the most of what life is offering you.  We've only got one shot at it! :)

Oh my...

...check out this gem of a video.  25 ways to wear a scarf!!!  Each way is so cute and it's perfect timing as most days I wear scarves for winter!  I cannot wait to try them all out...

Oooh!  Maybe I should try wearing all 25 styles in 25 days.  What you think?  Yeah?  Ok, let's goooooooo!

Ice hockey rocks...

...and omg!  I never thought I'd say that.  I won't go as far as saying it's as good as rugby, but it's not too far behind.  I attended my first ever ice hockey game last Sunday and it was out of this world!  I absolutely loved it.  It was a game between the Geneva Servette Hockey Club and the Lugano Hockey Club in the Swiss hockey league.

My Canadian friend and I arrived at the arena an hour before the game started and already the place was pumping.  People were streaming in and we noticed most of them were holding a teddy bear or peluche in French.  Turns out, it was the match for "Operation Peluches" where fans would throw their teddy bears into the rink after Geneva's first goal, and these would be donated to the children's hospital.  

Geneva scored the first goal and next thing you know, it's raining teddy bears.  From all corners of the stadium people were throwing them into the ice rink.  The game stopped and the Geneva club from their A team to the juniors started collecting the teddy bears in boxes.  I just read they collected over 3000 teddy bears!  

What an atmosphere I tell you!  And if you've been to Geneva, you'll know it's not one of the most vibrant cities in the world but the stadium was packed and there was an area for standing room only, and they had like a cheer squad!  Honestly, I was amazed.  The cheering that day rivaled any cheering from South America or Samoa for that matter!  There were drums, vuvuzelas and megaphones and throughout the game, they kept supporting their boys. 

And the funniest thing, Geneva's hockey team sucks BIG TIME!  (I know, I'm SO bad!)

I really liked it because it's such an easy game to understand.  6 players per team and the aim is to get the puck into the net.  It's fast paced, very physical (my kinda game!) and strategic too.  Easy peasy.  Not long into the game my friend was laughing because here I was screaming my lungs off at the Geneva team to take advantage of the power play when I've only just learnt what a power play is five minutes before!?! Ah!  nothing like sports to get my adrenalin pumping!

Needless to say, Geneva lost 3-2 after leading for the most part 1-0 against Lugano (again... they suck! ARGH!) but  I left there feeling pretty psyched about ice hockey and already planning to see another game.   

And there you have it my friends, another quality experience to add to my 2012 portfolio!  I hope your weekend was just as great as mine! :)

PS.  Will post pictures when I get the chance... especially of the teddy bears.  Y'all will be amazed!