Spring Time In Neuchatel

Well where to start, once again it has been a while, sorry. I have had my final intermediate exam with fab results, easter has been, lot's of school and general socialising at Champreveyres.


We'll start with spring, it is my favourite time of the year, fruit trees blossom, flowers bloom and trees re awaken and with the help of a little extra sunshine you can't help but have your spirits lifted. Day light savings has kicked in and we are now enjoying the extra hours of daylight in the evenings so no more walking home in the dark :-)


Easter weekend was celebrated here the same weekend as down home in NZ 10th-13th April. For me this entailed a extra hour or so of sleeping in (or lying in bed) time each day but we were still able to attend WOSTEP (without tutors) so friday, saturday and monday were spent at school. Achieved quite alot but with the end approaching I am really starting to feel the pinch and wish there were available hours in a day. Stress levels are quite high and school and tempers a little short but thank goodness for us you tutor has done the course himself and knows exactly where we are coming form. He really does have the patients of a saint, thanks Andrea!! Sunday however is our day off and even though it was an overcast day it was still very warm and a few of us heading on down to the basketball courts for a bit of a game (if you could call it that) followed by a walk and of course a well deserved ice cream. With the weather warming we also enjoyed a picnic by the lake last sunday joined with a couple of hangovers and some delishous chocolate turkish bread (thanks Thijs) it was another great day of rest!! Even if I did study all morning before the picnic and go for a run, it is all about balance and just how much you can cram into one day!!

Time is flying and graduation is 29th May, can't wait, as much as I love WOSTEP I am ready for the next step. Sometimes I do think when you know the end is near you just can't wait whereas if you knew there were still another two months to go you wouldn't be hanging out for the end. Does that make sense?? I have been sending my application to various places here in Switzerland and London hoping for the best however like every industry times are not so hopeful. I do know of a couple of opening at two fantastic brands in London though so fingers crossed, it will be easier to be back in an english speaking country too I am sure.


There is lots going on back home too of course my newpew will be turning 22 next week and of course we are still waiting patiently for the arival of his and Aleisha's baby, hmmm how much longer?? And my most favourite news of all I am to be an aunty again with dearest sister and bestest friend Lee-Anne 12 weeks pregnant!! Perhaps having to go home early will not be such a bad thing after all.

Must away to dinner followed by more study. Happy reading and kindest regards,
Donna

Baselworld

Well what kind of watchmaker would I be if I was in Switzerland and did not attend the Basel Fair? Baselworld is a huge watch and jewellery fair held here in Switzerland every year with retailers and wholesalers coming from all over the globe to attend. The day began with both John and Hakan sleeping in. We were to leave at eight but when I was ready I went to see if John was ready I woke him up but not to worry Hakan didn't arrive till nearly nine anyway as he had done the same thing. So whilst waiting I had a fresh croissant from the bakery and a cup of tea (the only one open on sunday and its right next door ;-) they made a wise business decision to close saturdays and open sunday and they are always busy). It is really quite mind boggling the extent some of the companies go to. The stands cost some of the companies millions of dollars and take months to construct all for one week. As an example Brietling had a huge tropical fish tank in the side of there display which I think had three or four levels to it. There are six different halls, one for big swiss watch brands, one for tools and one for brands from China, Hong Kong etc. My favourite part of the show was seeing the pieces individual watchmakers had hand made, there was a section set aside for these people that only had three or four pieces on display each but the craftsmanship and creativity displayed in this small corner would almost out do anything else I saw. I was a little disappointed to find some of the brands I really wanted to see, Audemars Piguet and Jageur-LeCoultre, did not attend Basel this year having opted to go only to one of the other fairs :-(. There are thousands of people to weave your way around, creating very tired feet and weary minds after a day. It was a great experience and as we had free tickets compliments of Rolex and Patek Philippe I had to go and now I can say I have been but unless I have an actual purpose of going I am not in a hurry to go back.

We got home at about half seven or eight I think and I went straight to bed without dinner. Day light saving started that saturday night and we had had a farewell dinner for someone leaving Champreveyres which all contributed. The week was very long and I went back to sleep after my alarm three mornings in a row! Well that is all for now plenty of study to be done but once again my blog is well overdue, can't believe it is April already!

Happy reading Budha ;-)

Home

Well I have now been out of New Zealand for three months. It feels like not so long ago that I was at home and Lee-Anne and Jade got engaged, ate too much at christmas and had a very tearful goodbye. Yet at the same time it feels like I have been gone for ages! So much has been going on in my absence, friends having engagement partys, people getting new jobs and shifting houses. When friends are away and you read all the exciting new experiences they are having you wish you were out there doing that too and then on the flip side when you are out there trying new things and experiencing different countries you wish you could still join in with what is going on back home. I guess it comes down to enjoying where you are at in life and appreciating what you have. I was saying yesterday that there are always people better off than you in the world same age with more assets have done more things with your life, this is to give you motivation to continue to strive for what you want out of life and then there is always someone worse off than you also, there purpose is to keep you thankful for what you do have.

I would really like to thank all my precious friends and family back home for all the letters, postcards, emails, photos and gifts you have been sending me over the last three months. Even just a couple of lines in an email can really lift you spirits at times. My wall of NZ is growing all the time and it always a special feeling when I hang the next item up, it is almost like a little ritual I have. (Yes hairsprings have sent me loopy and if anyone has got a padded cell up for rent I maybe requiring it shortly, he he he. Not really.) The wall has grown alot since this picture was taken!

Life her in Champreveyres is actually pretty great if you close your eyes, don't eat anything and just absorb the attmosphere. There are some really special people I have met from all over the world that make my time here in Switzerland so much more bearable. Last weekend a group of ten of us went out for chocolate and coffee. It wasn't a huge expense but it just made me feel like I was human again and that there is something out there besides the walls at Champreveyres and WOSTEP.