The Globetrotting Geek

Shabbat – Day 44

September 5, 2012

Today was spent sleeping and hanging out with people from the Hillel. Over lunch I chatted to more upperclassmen and was mainly recognized as that aussie-guy-whose-friend-was here-last-semester. Lunch was pleasant enough and I killed time for a while singing Zmirot (Jewish Hymns) with some of the boys. Afterwards Hillel was offering a Jewish walking tour of Penn and I joined on with a few other people I knew and saw parts of Penn that I was yet to discover.

Motzei Shabbat I went out for dinner with Rodin House Exchange and Transfer Students that was funded by the Rodin Dean and was a lovely opportunity to mix and get to know the other new students in my building.

Late Saturday night was back at the Hillel again for pancakes and another social mixer, after which I was so exhausted it was back to sleep. An uneventful Shabbat but an enjoyable.

Kunsthaus Zurich – Day 3

July 22, 2012

This morning as per usual was spent waking up at a leisurely hour, followed by a delicious swiss breakfast. Today I took the ferry into the city, a forty-five minute trip on the lake, with the flag billowing in the wind behind me.  Following that, it was another morning in Zurich! For me, this meant the opportunity to visit the renowned ‘Kunsthaus Zurich’ (art-house), a gallery with many famous and wonderful works. Below I have included a selection of my favorites, famous pieces. Amongst them are works by Dali, Picasso and Chagall.

After lunch I briefly wandered the streets again, stopping to chat with a waitress at ‘Outback’, an Australian themed restaurant. She wanted me to come in and appease the patrons searching for a true blue Aussie experience. Next was a quick stop at Sprungli to buy a thing or two (see later post).

Returning to the Empting family, my afternoon continued in Lucerne/Luzern and the surrounding countryside…