Thursdays consist of a bunch of double periods of classes which makes the day a strange length. Today I had double English (I practiced German), geography, history, biology, double French, and double p.e.
During p.e. I noticed something. We were practicing volleyball, and a lot of the girls didn't know how to play at all. A lot of the students were uncoordinated and not very athletic. At home, if you're not good at a sport, no one likes you in p.e. because everyone has to wait for you. There is so much emphasis put on sports at home, and here it's just not a big deal. I find it refreshing to not have to freak out when you mess up and send the volleyball flying across the gym.
I feel like Switzerland is a happier place than the U.S. and I wonder how one could measure that scientifically to find out. Huh. But what I've noticed is if you pass someone walking, you say hello or good morning etc, whereas back home that's just awkward and weird. Here it's a courteous thing to do, and quite frankly, it makes everyone happier. Strangers aren't as much of a reason to freak out and be awkward so much as a reason to be polite and make room to sit down or something like that.
I feel like here people also value the effort and/or money the city or someone put into something more and they expend more effort to make sure they don't mess it up. There is graffiti and all that just like anywhere else, but even the graffitiers don't go after the pretty sculptures and so on in public places. Just abandoned buildings and the like.
Also, the trains, trams, and buses are unbelievably clean. You are allowed to eat and drink on all of them, and yet they are always tidy. Yay for random things I noticed today...
