Category: Exchange Programs

Submitted by Carolyn Jones on  the 2013 fall semester exchange program with the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality…

Due to our dwindling budget and lack of sleep this week, my friends and I used the weekend to hike the Swiss Alps with two of our teachers. Since our school is so small, we are able to get to know our teachers on a very personal level. (We even refer to them as our Swiss Mom and Dad.) Apparently this hiking trip is an annual tradition, which is why I originally expected it to be a relaxing and casual hike. I finally realized what I had gotten myself into when we were hiking up what can only be described as a vertical wall, feeling like I was going to pass out from the altitude and wake up as Heidi herself. We were fortunate though, because the higher we went and the more our legs and lungs burned, the more beautiful the view of Switzerland became. So after a long two and a half hours, we eventually reached the top where we stopped for a reassuring pat on the back and a much needed lunch break. 2,100 meters up and feeling very accomplished, we started our hike back down the mountain completely distracted by the overwhelmingly beautiful backdrop. A few slips and falls later, we landed at a tiny restaurant about a third of the way down the mountain where we stopped for coffee. It probably should have occurred to us that we would have to order in German considering that we were out with our German teacher (and we have an oral exam about ordering tomorrow), but it still managed to take us by surprise as we ordered in a slew of German, English, Spanish and French…I guess we can thank all of our past foreign language teachers for that. The struggle was worth it–I am unsure if I can say the same for our waiter–because the caffeine was just what we needed to finish our journey. I am unsure how in order to get down a mountain, you have to walk up, but that is exactly what we did. Exhausted and discouraged, we finally arrived at the chair lift that would lead us to the final legs of our journey. Before we started our descent down, we had a casual conversation with the woman working the chair lift. As it turns out, she is a University of Delaware Alum. I don’t know how most people would react if they found a graduate from their University on the top of a mountain in Switzerland working an abandoned looking chair lift, but we completely flipped out. Once we exchanged information and calmed down enough to not fall off the chair lift, we continued down the mountain. After a gondola, train, and bus ride, we arrived back in Chur exhausted and in need of a shower. It was another perfect day.

Submitted by Giuliana Lorusso on the 2013 fall semester exchange program with the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality...

Waking up to a view of the Swiss Alps is something I don’t think I am ever going to get used to.  I’ve been at the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality in Chur, Switzerland for two weeks now, and the views are continuing to amaze me every single day.

Going to the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality, or SSTH, is unlike any other semester exchange program.  I am going to school with students from all around the world- Germany, Switzerland, China, India, Thailand, and Korea, just to name a few.  Experiencing this much cultural diversity is both eye-opening and refreshing.  The school itself is beautiful. My roommate Stefani and I have a room with a bathroom, shower, bay windows, and a balcony.  The students here are nice and accommodating, especially because our German is a little questionable at the moment.  We are determined to learn!

My classes are broken up into Theory and Practice.  Therefore, I learn all about the food and beverage industry, and then I get to serve a three-course meal to all the other SSTH students every Monday and Tuesday.  On Wednesday and Thursday, I learn about cuisine and cooking techniques in Cuisine Theory, and then I get to help cook the three course lunch for the students.  These are long and hard days, but they leave us all feeling great and accomplished.  I have three German lessons a week along with two beverage classes.  In beverage classes, we are learning about beverage formation and service ranging from coffees and teas to wine and beer.  I love the professionalism of SSTH; the dress code for every class is a business suit, something I hope to be my daily dress code one day.  Everyday I am reminded what an amazing opportunity this is; nothing can compare to this hands-on education.

The UD girls and I have visited Chur a couple times now.  It is about a 30 minute walk down to the city and about a 5 minute bus ride back.  It is a beautiful city filled with local, old-time restaurants as well as modern convenience stores.  This weekend, we are planning on going to Interlaken and Lucerne.  We are extremely excited to see more of the beautiful Swiss countryside!

Here is our gorgeous school and a view of Chur!

Submitted by Carolyn Jones on  the 2013 fall semester exchange program with the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality…

I have officially been in Switzerland for a week now and finally feel like I am getting to know the city a little bit better. The clouds have shown up the past few days, but being up in the mountains with them is absolutely breathtaking. The sounds of Chur echo throughout them, and it feels like the city is right outside our window. My roommate and I frequently find ourselves perched out on our balcony, regardless of the weather, snapping endless pictures of the rain as we watch it drift throughout the mountains.

Today was our second trip down to the city, but unlike last time we swallowed our pride and unwillingly paid the 2 Swiss francs it costs to take the bus back up. Chur was well worth it though. After having several awkward encounters with the people at the bank, the train station, the grocery store, and the phone booth–we can thank the language barrier for those–we finally came out with the half tax which cuts all of our travel expenses in Switzerland in half, along with a $19 franc phone, a delicious butter-filled pretzel, and an excessive amount of chocolate. My roommate and I have a plan to try every kind of chocolate we come across, and to decide once and for all which is the best to bring home. All of the locals seem to have their own preferences, so it seems we have to suck it up and just try all of which hopefully won’t be too hard. The cheese here is also very impressive. I am usually particular and stick to the usual cheddar and Parmesan, but I have yet to find a cheese here that I do not like. A cheese platter is served with breakfast every morning, along with the most wonderful loaves of bread. As for our other meals, my vegetarian friend is finding it quite difficult. We were served lamb for lunch today which was not one of my favorites, but that might have had to do with the fact that I opened and drained all of the packages of the raw meat yesterday. Needless to say, it was not the most pleasant job. Most of my meals here have been wonderful, but when in doubt, there is always bread, cheese, and chocolate.

Submitted by Carolyn Jones on the 2013 fall semester exchange program with the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality…

I have had 14 “first days” of school in my lifetime, and this one was incomparable to all of them. All of the students here want to be in some segment of the hospitality industry, so for the first time I am around people (besides my father and grandmother) who love eating and dining as much as I do. I think one of the most incredible things about being here so far is that I am going to school with people from all over the world: India, Korea, Germany, Switzerland, and we all have this passion in common…even if we cannot express it in the same language. Although having a class where food and beverage is the topic may seem like a dream, it would be an understatement to say that it is hard work. My day started at 7:00 this morning and went right up until dinner at 6:30 this evening. My class was in charge of serving lunch to the rest of the school this afternoon, so needless to say it was a little unnerving after a 30 minute fine dining tutorial. I never knew the placement of silverware or the etiquette behind clearing a table could evoke so much stress and anxiety. It was all worth it though, because my roommate was on dishwasher duty and accidentally lost control of the hose…completely spraying my new professor and drenching him from head to toe. Personally, I thought it was a great way to start the semester. If things continue to get crazier from this point on, my semester abroad will be complete.