Just Desserts: A Welcome-Spring Party

Today, Claire, Sharon, and I organized a dessert party for some of our friends, and we had many delicious things:




- Poppy Seed and Blood Orange Sticky Cake



- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies



- Arroz con Leche



- Bittersweet Chocolate Pear Cake



- Strudel with Slow-cooked Applesauce and Homemade Butterscotch Topping



- Honey-drizzled Kiwi Chocolate Cake



Christoph and Pauline
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The idea was to welcome Spring and beautiful weather, start off the semester with happy tummies, and spend a little time with the friends we treasure most.



Sharon, Claire, and Florian



Paolo
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After today, we will be filled up on sugar for another week!

Taco Night

After I found that soy protein in Madrid, I wanted to use it for something delicious. I decided to make tacos with fancy add-ins...a little reminder of home with an added touch of Suisse delicacy.



- Soy protein with fried onions, garlic, and taco seasoning
- Scrambled eggs with Gruyère and Sriracha hot sauce
- Red kidney beans with cumin and coriander
- Spicy peanut salad with lemon and soy sauce
- Guacamole with fresh lime
- Shredded Gruyère
- Hard-shell corn tortillas



All of this with fresh lime juice squeezed over the top made a heavenly good taco with a gourmet twist. You can see from our happy faces that this was a big hit!

Day Trip to Milano

Today I went with Giovanni, Natasha, and Justyna to Milano for a day trip. It was a 3-hour train ride, but the time went by quickly because we had many opportunities to talk about what we would see while we were there and how we would attack the large list of tourist venues. Our first order of business was to find a good place to eat, so we stopped in a family-owned store with freshly made Italian dishes. (see photos)
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During the day, we saw St. Ambrose church, the Cathedral, a bunch of crypts and mosaics, and the Castle museum. We also headed to the Pinacoteca to see the Caravaggio, which, unfortunately, was temporarily on exhibit in Rome.
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After we saw the Pinacoteca, we stopped for an iced tea in the student café next door. We had this wonderful foccacia rolled with olives as well. As we were sitting at the table, this woman approached us and asked us what our definition of life was in one word. She told us that the art student across from us said "beauty," but she wasn't convinced that this was a good answer. Natasha said "movement," I said "friendship," and Justyna said "love." It was funny because we kept having to have Giovanni translate for us - we told her we were from Switzerland, so she tried to speak German. We tried to explain that, no, we were from the French part, and then she apologized that she didn't know French, only German and English. Then she continued to talk to us in Italian. She added a rather amusing element to the end of our visit, as well as a thoughtful perspective on discussion. In any case, we left her to the other clients in the café so that we could catch our train back to Lausanne.
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We took the metro to the Central train station, where Giovanni bought wrap-around earmuffs from a street vendor and hailed the end of his suffering in the Lausanne cold. He had been waiting for 8 years to find these earmuffs at a good price, and he finally found some! For 3€, no less.

The rain in Spain falls mainly on my head.

And, due to a recent crack in the sole of my right shoe - ironically the only pair I brought for my short trip - the rain soaks through my sock and up to my ankle. There is some sort of character-building lesson to this whole weather-related nuisance, I just don't know what it is. I also enjoy how as I squish my way out of the Metro station and block the slushy snow with my umbrella, there are numerous vendors at the top of the stairs trying to push more umbrellas in my hand in hopes for a few euros in their pockets.
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All complaints aside, I have to give Madrid credit for what I think is, quite possibly, the most fantastic (and cheap!) cafe con leche ever, beautiful contemporary art exhibits that are largely free for students, and some rather impressive architecture. For example, take the Atocha train station with its plethora of comfy benches, strong rays of natural light, and indoor botanical center filled with chirping birds and algae-covered turtles. Whether it is raining or snowing outside, you can take a 20 minute siesta next to large palm trees and imagine being on a beach somewhere while people rush by with roller suitcases and duffel bags.
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Now that I have returned to the land of banks and watches, I stare at a $7 bag of potato chips and start to miss cheap food. Also, they took my hot sauce. I was fully prepared for them to confiscate it in the airport, considering it was well over 100mL, but it is still a disappointment. I will have to scour the virtually non-existent Asian stores in Lausanne to find my treasured Sriracha.

Madrid: Wednesday

And so, today I wake up to beautiful sunshine, only to have to leave it in a few hours. I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles.
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And another thing: Thank you, America, for teaching me what little Spanish I know. (I suppose it also helps that I can speak another romance language, but I will be patriotic and give my country some credit for communication with foreign lands.)

Madrid: Tuesday

So, remember my shoe? I tried to close the crack with cement glue, but the second I stepped outside in the smallest puddle of water, I felt a rush of cold to the middle of my right foot. After walking 15 minutes to the light rail station from Linda's apartment, that foot was completely drenched once again. It's no matter, because later, on my way to the Royal Palace, I attempted to step over a small pond that was collecting at the bottom of the stone stairs. I unfortunately did not manage to evade the puddle, and both of my feet were feeling the full effect immediately. As an added bonus, my right foot emitted bubbles like a rabid dog every time I took a step.
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The first visit on my agenda was the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian ruin site with a reflecting pool and a great view - albeit foggy - of the city of Madrid. There was also a free museum in the largest part of the ruin structure. It showed ancient Egyptian heiroglyphics and dioramas of possible configurations of the structures in Egyptian times. It was interesting to see the story unfold and learn a little about the significance of each of the gods.
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My quest continued to a church not far from the Debod site. I went down a path through a park, passing the Teleferico and over the train tracks, noting that the entire bridge over the tracks and all of the walls were covered in colorful graffiti. It was amazing to see what people had created over the years, and I'm sure it would not be a recommended place to travel at night. Over the bridge was the Real Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida, a church that contained Goya's religious frescoes as well as his burial ground. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed, so you will have to imagine his colorful and expressive style on the canvas of the church's ceiling. There was also a video in Spanish about the restoration process, so I briefly sat and watched albeit my lack of understanding.
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After the visit to the church, I was feeling a little hungry and hoping to find a warm place to sit and eat my packed lunch. I came across Principe Pio, a main Metro and train station, that had a giant mall with endless food court and tables. I sat across from the movie theater entrance, where I saw that there was a movie playing with George Clooney and a llama. I'm still not fully updated on the movies that come out in the US, so it wasn't surprising that I did not recognize the film.
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I also took a trip to the Royal Palace after lunch and saw the incredibly elaborate rooms where a bunch of kings named Carlos lived. There were porcelain rooms (where porcelain cherubs and vines covered the walls and ceiling) and oriental rooms and dining rooms covered in intricate silk patterns. There was also a room with a Stradavarius collection: two violins, a viola, and two cellos. This was the first time I had seen a Stradivarius, and, although you could tell that they replaced the tailpiece, strings, and pegs to make the instruments look nicer, I have to say that I was pretty impressed. I especially loved the cello, which was unadorned (as seen in the picture of the violin on the "Stradavarius" link, there is an edging along the face of the violin as well as paintings on the sides) and in pristine condition. It is a shame, though, that they are sitting in a box instead of being played.
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Plaza de Espana was another place that I on my walk around town. I took pictures of the fountain and the large hotel under construction.
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Linda took me to a couple of Asian grocery stores, where I found Sriracha rooster sauce and very cheap noodles and quinoa.
We then went to a more ethnic neighborhood with various Asian cuisine, and Linda took me to an Indian restaurant - 7 euro for a large pappadum with tamarind and mint yogurt sauces, pureed lentil soup with cilantro and lemon, palak paneer, choapati, wine, and Indian tea. Linda ordered pakoras, a chicken curry dish, and basmati rice. Our entire dinner ended up being 15 euro for what had to be some of the best Indian food I have ever tasted.

Madrid: Monday

Linda headed off to work early in the morning, but I woke up around 8 and took my time preparing for the day. I first headed to the Museo de la Reina Sofia, a contemporary art museum that holds Picasso's famous Guernica, many of Salvador Dali's paintings, and an assortment of Spanish and other European Cubist and Surrealist paintings. Not knowing where I was going (as the museum was vast and had many entry points for different rooms), I decided to follow a small group of people downstairs, only to hear a security woman yelling at me in Spanish and telling me that I was entering a secured access. Surprised by her forceful accusations, I apologized in my bumbling attempt at Spanish, and she told me (or what I understood) to go to the information desk if I had any questions (as if that would help, considering just about no one speaks English here). I finally figured out the system and managed to see some incredible 20th century paintings by Picasso, Dali, Picabia, Vazquez Diaz, Velasco, Sorolla, Miro, and Barradas, to name a few.
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I had originally planned to take both an art and city walking tour, but the weather completely drenched any desire to wander for hours outside with a bunch of tourists with bulky umbrellas and flashing cameras. Instead, I wandered past the Prado to a free museum called the Caixa Forum, where I saw the works of Miguel Barcelo. I have to say that this was my favorite museum visit by far - the artist used natural elements to make amazing contemporary portraits and still-lifes. The exhibit contained sculptures, watercolors, and mixed media pieces that were stunning and intricate. He did most of the work on his hands and knees, and his mixed media works were thick with paint and materials of various textures and shapes. It is amazing how his abstract view of natural objects appeared so real at the same time.
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After having seen many paintings, I needed a change of pace and decided to visit the Catedral de la Almudena. Its stained-glass windows were unique in that they were abstract, almost as if they had incorporated inspirations from Dali and Picasso into the creation of the large church. The inside had the standard organ as well as a large altar adorned with gold and silver and pictures of the Madonna and baby Jesus.
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I left the cathedral to find someplace warm and energizing, so I headed to La Mallorquina, a bustling little bakery with my first taste of Spanish coffee. Cafe con leche: 1.20 euro. Can't beat that anywhere! I first bought some yummy-looking pastries (a heart cookie with chocolate and a circular pastry with sliced almonds) which they wrapped in their traditional pink paper and string. Feeling confident that I was able to order pastries with relative ease, I went to the standing bar to order my coffee. The guy behind the counter was a little curt, but I successfully ordered a coffee with milk, which he heated and poured in front of me. I added the sugar and took a sip - absolute heaven. I have never tasted coffee so rich and delicious but so simple and ordinary. Linda had recommended this place the night before while we were on our stroll, and I am very grateful that she did. Albeit my half-frozen right foot, this was the perfect pick-me-up for my dampened spirit.

Madrid: Sunday

I arrived in the Madrid Aeropuerto, where I was supposed to meet Linda at a cafe outside of the customs gates. Unfortunately, I must have taken a wrong turn and ended up exiting out of Terminal 3 instead of Terminal 1, where she was waiting. After many unsuccessful attempts to reach her cell phone, I remembered how to make out-of-country calls in Europe (I conveniently forgot to add the 00 beforehand), and I quickly connected with Linda and walked through the busy terminals to meet her at the other customs gate. We took the Metro through Zone A and then the light rail to Zone B1, where you walk about a quarter of a mile and reach a nice, gated apartment complex with tennis courts, swimming pool, and children's playground.
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Linda was prepared for my hunger and had made a delicious squash soup the day before, so we sat down to a late lunch of soup, queso, crackers, olives, and homemade babaganoush. After we were sated with food, she took me on a tour of the city, including the following: a visit to the Museo del Prado, where I saw Goya's famous 3rd of May; a stroll down La Latina, a street filled with tapas restaurants (bar food that varies from olives to mushrooms to potato cakes); the Catedral de la Almudena, Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Oriente, Puerta del Sol; and - my favorite part of the evening - a small Turkish restaurant off the beaten path. We arrived at the restaurant a little past 9pm, and the owner appeared to be hosting a birthday party for one of her friends or family members. We walked up to the second floor where there were children running around and men watching the football game and women chatting. At first, the waitress told us that she could not serve us, but then she changed her mind and set up a table. Linda ordered an item off the menu that consisted of different traditional Turkish salads - one was spicy and looked a little like pico de gallo, one had roasted eggplant and peppers, there was a mint yogurt sauce, some beans with sauce, goat cheese, rice-stuffed grape leaves, olives, and marinated cucumbers. This was served with two large pieces of what looked similar to pita bread or naan. I also ordered a vegetarian sandwich with different soft cheeses, lettuce, and tomato. To finish off, we had the traditional Turkish tea - a clear black tea that tastes incredible with a little sugar. In total, the entire meal cost about 11 euro, and Linda saw my mouth drop to the floor as the man rung up our bill. Authentic food for a student budget doesn't seem to exist in Switzerland....
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We returned home well after midnight, where we headed to bed. It also should be noted that eating dinner at this hour is not unusual for Spaniards. Linda was telling me that restaurants often open for the dinner hour after 8pm, and many people eat dinner at midnight or later. I don't understand how this is feasible for working people, but maybe they just start their work days later. In any case, the concept completely amazes me - I always thought the Swiss ate too late at 7:30 or 8.

Russian tribute day

In honor of the Russians (or just out of irony), I ate Russian foods and listened to my favorite Russian composers. Today for lunch, I made my first borscht, which was creamy and the color of rich burgundy. I did not have potatoes (which were supposed to be cooked with the veggies, separated, and then mashed with cream and added to the soup), but I managed to do a similar thing and made a beet mash with heavy cream. The result was a subtle, sweet, slightly salty vegetable soup that was rich in texture, color, and flavor. I enjoy making peasant dishes that only require simple spices like salt and pepper, because you know that the main ingredients are what make the taste so special.



As you can see, the pot was rather large, so I had enough to feed about 15 people. Good thing I have freezer space!



The color is much easier to see in natural lighting.

After eating a delicious lunch, I met Claire and Claudine (one of Florian's friends from Germany who lives in Bourdonnette near Claire) to go downtown for some afternoon shopping. Claire needed some things for her apartment and wanted a good book for her trip to Grenada. I showed them my favorite used bookstore near le Barbare. I bought a biography on Serge Gainsbourg (born to Russian Jewish immigrants), who was a famous French singer in the 60s and 70s, known for his relationship with Brigitte Bardot. There is currently a movie about his life in all the major cinemas.



We returned on the metro with hopes to do something exciting for the evening. There were advertisements everywhere showing the upcoming OSUR (orchestre de la suisse romande) de Genève concert featuring two of my favorites, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovitch. I invited my roommate Sharon to come along with us; it was her first classical concert, and to our delight, we were able to show her a great symphony experience.



It is very rare to find an artist with such passion for his music. This man was one of the most talented and spirited violinists I have ever seen. The group itself was so well connected, and you could see the waves of their bodies moving in unison to the powerful Russian music. If I had known that student tickets to orchestra concerts were cheaper than movie tickets, I would have gone much more often. This will be the start of a beautiful and musical semester.

UNESCO International Scientific Conference on Technologies for Development

EPFL organized a three-day conference on sustainability in the developing world.



In light of the recent meeting at Copenhagen, Claire and I attended it in hopes of learning about the current UN projects in developing countries. We also hoped to have an introduction to the establishment of NGOs and the research process involved in creating appropriate and sustainable technology. The result? We ended up being the only two undergraduate students in attendance at the conference of over 200 people. This was our first clue to being slightly out of place.
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Many of the topics - for example, bamboo roofs and solar-powered lantern rentals - were quite interesting and innovative. We had the opportunity to talk with some of the presenters during the lunch break, and it was nice to have a one-on-one conversation with a person who was interested in implementing different types of wall materials for houses. It was evident that this group of people did not have much respect for students of our age, as the topic of conversation usually steered toward the casual, "So, you're an exchange student? How do you like Lausanne?" or "So, have you found any good places to go out?" instead of discussing the importance of community and cultural understanding, on-site implementation, and discussion with villagers on their daily needs. It was quite frustrating at times to keep moving the conversation back to the main topic, but it is possible that we made some sort of lasting impression on the scientific community and their views on undergraduate attitudes.
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The lack of student interest was surprising but not unexpected, considering the cost of the conference. Claire and I decided that the US, especially Iowa State, does a better job of advertising upcoming conferences and seminars and makes them economically feasible for student budgets. We are privileged in the US to be able to choose our courses and have a more focused curriculum of study, whereas undergraduates in Europe are required to take a fixed list of courses each semester based on their year and subject. The flexible American university system allows students to take courses based on different disciplines and helps students form more concrete ideas about their area of interest. In materials engineering, for example, EPFL students take courses on ceramics, metals, polymers, and electronics, along with many mechanics and processing-related courses. This does not leave room for specialized courses, thus making it difficult for to students to find their interests at an early stage in their bachelor studies.
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I was particularly frustrated with an NGO representative during one of the last debate sessions of the conference. He asked us about feedback on how to make NGO efforts more successful, and people contributed ideas about having more facilities available for student research and providing opportunities for students to travel to the developing countries and perform on-site work. After the debate, I walked up to this representative and tried to ask him a question about his views on providing information seminars at universities for bachelor and master students. Before I could ask my question, though, he claimed that he was not part of EPFL, he was an NGO representative. After I informed him that I was aware of this fact, he told me that he did not have time for my question - that he had to go talk to someone else - and that I should email him so that he could fully understand my question before he responded. In short, I guess he was not looking for feedback from the likes of me, and Claire concluded that he just wanted funding. It's great to know that is such little regard or respect for student input.

Lesson in hospital visits

When I arrived home yesterday evening, I saw Sharon standing in front of her door with a giant bandage on her hand and a look of amused anxiety on her face.
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"So..."
"Sharon! Is that a bandage? What did you do to your finger?!"
"It hurts a lot. I think I need to go to the hospital."
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We rushed to put on our coats and left for CHUV, the university hospital in Lausanne. After running into Pasha on our way to Flon, we took the M2 to CHUV, which has the characteristic hacking and baby noises over the intercom to signify the stop. How clever. At any rate, we arrive to the emergency room and stand behind the yellow line until the receptionist is done on the computer. Sharon holds up her hand, and the woman gives us an apologetic look and starts to say something that doesn't sound promising. She calls another woman over, who proceeds to tell us that we have to go to a specialist clinic for hands and feet, called la Clinique de Londeraie.
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My question is, what happens if you are carrying your dismembered foot around and no longer have the ability to walk? Are they still going to make you go all the way across town to the specialist because the public university hospital cannot treat you? This is another one of those Swiss administration policies that I fail to understand. The receptionist printed out the instructions for us and explained the metro journey and the 15 minute walk from the train station, including which turns to take at which lights, etc. Sharon and I wondered why they turned us away if the hospital was completely empty, and we decided that it was empty because they turned everyone else away as well. We begrudgingly took the trek to the hand and foot clinic, which was on a small, sparsely-lit street. She ended up getting two stitches and was out in about 30 minutes. All in all, it turned out to be an important learning experience. Now we know that it is important to verify the correct hospital for your condition before you show up dying at the counter of the emergency room.

When Lausanne gives you rain, you hide in your apartment or...?

Today, it is raining, as expected for winter in Lausanne. Claire and I are thinking about going to the movies, but I don't know what to see. Our options look like Le Princesse et le Grenouille (princess and the frog), Sherlock Holmes, and Oceana. We were also looking at museums, and evidently the Roman Museum in Vidy is free for students. I want to take advantage of the free museums the first Saturday of the month (which is tomorrow!), so Claire and I might check out the Musee de Beaux-Arts and the Olympic Museum. What I am really excited about is the Musee d'Art Brut, which re-opens in March. This museum contains art made by people from prisons and mental institutes, and it is the only one of its kind in Europe. The other museum that I want to see is the Fondation de l'Hermitage in the Parc de Sauvabelin, which is supposed to have an Edward Hopper exhibit in June.

Claire's Arrival

On Monday, I gave my mom a tour of Lausanne, including a trip to the St. Francois church, le Barbare for lunch and a hot chocolate, and the children’s clock near the Hotel de Ville.



Claire arrived Tuesday morning, the same day of mom’s departure, so we took the train to the Geneva airport, picked up Claire, and sent mom on her flight back to Des Moines. We spent the day touring the city with Claire’s Tandem partner, Thierry. We met up with my new Belgian roommate, Sharon, at Flon and went to le Barbare once again for a hot chocolate; seriously, this hot chocolate never gets old. Now, Claire is all settled in her room in Bourdonnette, and we are now off to meet some friends at le Satellite!