During my exchange year you guys really asked me some, well lets say interesting questions. I tried to remember the best ones and give my answers to it:

After I introduce myself as Raphy from Switzerland:
1. So Ralph in Sweden, you guys speak Chinese right?
Well first: my name is Raphy, second: I am from Switzerland! It is NOT the same as Sweden and third: Chinese is spoken in China. My native language is Swiss German!

2. Do you guys have Swiss Cheese in Switzerland?

No of course not! Swiss cheese comes from Peru and they just use the name to sell more stuff to the Americans, because they think “Swiss” always means good quality. Just kidding, yeah we have that Swiss cheese in Switzerland too, how ironic.

3. Do you have a king in Switzerland?

Yes, we do! Every household has their own little TV. In the morning you have to switch on the TV and the king will tell you what you have to do.

4. Do you guys live in houses?

No, we don’t know such a thing. Houses are really old fashioned and we all live in some kind of space ship that just floats around.

5. Hold on, Raphy, isn’t Africa the same as South America.

No…. xD

6. Is it true that every European plays soccer?

Yeah, without any exceptions, even the ones that are physically challenged. It is the law. You have to play soccer, otherwise you are not a real European.

7. In Europe the car “smart” is more popular than in the US. Does that mean that all people are really smart in Europe?

Yes it does. Because I don’t know if you knew, but to get the car “smart” you have to make an IQ-test and only if you don’t fail the test you can buy one…

8. Do you listen to music in Switzerland?

Yes we do!

9. Does everybody jodel in Switzerland?

Com’on! Does every American like McDonald’s?

UPDATE: Just to let you know: It is not dump to ask stupid questions! It is dump not to ask them! And don’t worry not only you guys asked me some really good questions also Swiss people asked me some really wondering questions about the US. When you think about this post

I know it has been a really long time since I wrote. And I apologize, but there are cool things coming up. So, don’t worry I will keep up my blog.
So lets get to the subject. I don’t know how you guys in the States are dealing with the swine flu right now. In Switzerland the government has set up some safety precautions. Since I am back there are TV-ads that tell you to wash your hand all the time and do all the other stuff to prevent getting infected. Now, since there is the second wave coming the hole nation will get shot. Well, not literally, but everybody gets a free inoculation. Of course you don’t have to, but they hardly recommend it.
Last week a girl of my class got infected with the h1n1-virus and there are many other cases in my school. Now the swine flu is here, and some people are really worried about it. Some schools even closed to stop the expansion of the flu. Of course my school is still open and source of education! But the flu is all over the press and I think there is no newspaper without nothing about the flu.
My whole family took advantage of the free inoculation, my mom really wanted that we all get it. So last Saturday I went the “shot center” and got one. There weren’t many people there. Even though the government has bought about 12 million shots and is giving them out for free, most people don’t want the antivirus. I think it can’t hurt you, so why not getting what is for free, right?
Today I regret my decision to get the shot because I am suffering under the side-effects of the shot. I have a huge headache, also my muscles are aching and I feel very dizzy. Hopefully this will run away quick so that my decision was the right one. For today it was the wrong. But when you see it over a long term it probably was the right one.
Hope you guys are dealing well with the flu! Don’t get infected! Wash your hands all the time and don’t sneeze in your hands !

I am sure you have ask yourself before, how much worth is a dollar. Well currently it is worth A LOT! Two days ago with 1,02 Swiss Francs (Fr.) I could buy 1 Dollar. Today according to the “Baz”-newspaper for one dollar you get 100.- Fr. ! I am glad I still have dollar bills worth around 100 dollars at home! They are worth around 1000.- Fr. !!! Investing in the dollar is really profitable these days!

PS. Of course the newspaper just forgot the dot between the 1 and the zero. Sorry Americans but your dollar is as much worth as one Swiss France. Maybe it will be more tomorrow, but for today we are even!

So, as the old readers probably noticed I am not posting as much as I used too! That has one simple reason: I am really busy right now. Am I really? I tried to put down some reasons and make a conclusion:

1. School

I have about 35 hours of school each week. That doesn’t sound like a lot. But I also have 11 classes. Sometimes, or better always, that results in a lot of homework, studying and other things that you have to do in your free time. The bad thing about school is that you can’t just come home and relax. No, you come home and study and do your homework. Or better you should be doing that… But I don’t need to tell anybody how stressful school is right?

2. Teachers

My teachers really like us. The want that we really learn something in their subject. So, each teacher makes his/her subject the most important one. But when you have 11 subjects that means you have to work in each class like it is your most important one. Does that even work? In my opinion not! My teachers also think pop test really encourage students to keep up with their material. For me this is just a bad sign that the teacher doesn’t know how to motivate his students right. Also they have the ability to let us write tests all at the same time! So one week I have about 8 test but then the other none. I think that could be worked out better.

3. Lack of motivation

It seems to be a down turn at the moment. After a great year like the one I just had, it is really hard to be back in the “real” world. To be back at your home court where many things have changed while you were gone. Also I see many thing in a different way and often not in a better way. I see how they could be improved, but I can’t help to do so. All those reason led to bad mood and that also creates stress because you can’t see through the huge pile of work you have to do.

4. Lack of doing what I should be doing!

I think this goes with point 3. Usually I am just not doing what I should be doing. When I should start studying for a test I go play the drums, When you should be doing my homework I go on my laptop and watch NBA-TV and when I should be reading a book a call a friend to escape from my duties. But this is not only with school things, also with other things I have to do… Then in the last moment I finally do what I should be doing. I guess this forth point should be called procrastination!

5. other activities

Besides school I am going to church, I play the drums and basketball, I create websites to earn some money, I have to clean the bathroom each week (I know, isn’t that horrible? ), I have a lot of other ideas for projects, I have this blog, and also I have to sleep! After coming home at 5 o’clock it can be really stressful going to practice come home really exhausted at 9.30 PM and still have to study and do some other stuff everybody has to do. But again this could all be worked out with a better planning and really doing what I should do.

6. Being really lazy!

I just have to admit, I sometimes am really lazy! Especially if I am not motivated,  I am REALLY lazy!

Conclusion:

I am just a poor kid who doesn’t have any bigger issues in his life then complaining about how busy he is. My stress basically results of procrastination (and teachers)! I am still in school, my adults wish they still would have school. When I think what other issues are going on on this planet, how people die because the have not enough food, people have to leave their homes because of war. I am just fastidious! Or my life is just too good and I really don’t have other worries. Please laugh at me! Because I am laughing at myself!

Sorry to all vegetarians! Today was a good day! Not only because I didn’t have school in the afternoon. No, also because we received about 14,6 of fresh Swiss meat. I did the math for you guys and it is 30,9 pound! (If you want to check: 1kg is 2,2 pound) Now you are probably thinking that in Switzerland everybody buys meat like that. But that is not the case. Normally Swiss buy it like normal civilized people in grocery stores in smaller amounts. But our family has some good connections with a farmer. So, we could buy it from him! Sadly we only got one piece for dinner, but at least something. The rest of it went right a way in the freezer where it hides from the big hungry Raphy! One day Raphy will have NO MERCY!!!

PS. I wanted also to apologize to everybody that I didn’t wrote much the past week (actually nothing)A special sorry goes to the people who check my blog every hour! I was REALLY busy with school stuff (procrastination )