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Hannah Capozzi in Switzerland: It's been a non-stop adventure

Note on Sept. 25: Alpine resident Hannah Capozzi is spending the year abroad as a Rotary International Youth Exchange student in Switzerland. She reports here on her experiences in what we hope is the first in a series.

By Hannah Capozzi

Dear Odessa File:

My name is Hannah Capozzi, I am from Alpine, New York and I am spending 2009-2010 in Zurich, Switzerland, thanks to the Watkins Glen/ Montour Falls Rotary International Youth Exchange program.

Ever since I was a child I have always wanted to travel, see distant places, submerge myself in foreign cultures and meet people from across the globe. The Rotary program acknowledges such desires and offers six-week summer programs as well as year-long opportunities for youth to experience other countries and cultures. I opted for a year-long program and was accepted as a representative for the United States, and so my story begins…

After maneuvering through four airports, 10 hours of travel, and some questionable traveling companions, my stay here has been a nonstop adventure. My first host family met me at the airport, and to my surprise David Egli’s family was also there waiting to welcome me to their country. David spent the past year in Schuyler County as an exchange student from Switzerland and lived with my family for four months. As exhausted, terrified and curious as I was, I immediately felt connected, safe and excited to be so warmly welcomed.

My first host family (of three) includes parents, an 18-year-old host sister and a 15-year-old host brother. Both my host parents are professionals who work in the field of economics. Both teenagers attend school. I too will attend a school called Kusnacht. This school is known for specializing in languages, art and music.

Before school officially started I attended four weeks of language camp. This is where I learned the basics of High German with 25 other exchange students from 11 different countries. Not only have I learned the basics of High German, I have also picked up quite a bit of Spanish, French and Italian from my newfound friends and classmates. Every morning I walk to the nearest train stop where I board the “Fork Bahn,” which brings me to a second train connection which brings me to the language camp. In total, the commute takes about 45 minutes, door to door. Coming from a small town where the only train is for sightseeing and freight, this is a novel experience for me.  Classes are five days a week for four hours a day. We have nightly homework, quizzes and tests. Although I find the classes challenging, they are also fun and I have made lifelong friends in the process of learning a new language.

The Swiss Rotary provides each exchange student here with a train pass called a “GAGA” that allows us to travel free throughout this tiny country. Living in such a small country can be convenient as even the farthest destination is reachable in an afternoon. So, each day, after language camp, friends and I embark on new adventures. We window-shopped in Zurich’s exclusive stores and educated ourselves on the latest fashion, then located more affordable stores on the outskirts of the city. We sampled decadent chocolates at the famous Sprungli’s, we swam in Zurich Lake and high-dived in Zug Lake, we took boat trips, and met in Luzern for coffee at Starbucks. (Yes, Starbucks! It is the most popular coffee shop here.) We visited Winterthur, David Egli’s hometown, for a rock concert, and treated ourselves to Swiss lunches, baked goods, fast foods and farmers' markets throughout the land. At night dancing is what people love to do and so we tried that as well. We watched/studied, learned about the efficient train system and tried out our newly acquired language skills, much to the delight of the natives.

With my host family, I visited the beautiful city of Luzern, where we took a cog-rail train to the top of Pilatus, a majestic mountain 7,000 feet high. After many prayers were said both during the ascent and descent, we safely toured Luzern and had dinner at a traditional Swiss restaurant famous for weiner schnitzel. Each portion was the size of a computer screen; it was cooked in front of us and was fabulous!  With my host family I visited Basel, a wonderful city northwest of Zurich through which the Rhine River flows. I went to the famous museum “Kuntstmuseum,” which contains a display of 40 original paintings by Vincent Van Gogh. I was in heaven! We walked through the charming little streets of Basel admiring the old-style architecture and ate at the most scrumptious traditional Swiss restaurant.

I also accompanied my host family to Vienna, Austria for a weekend. Tucked among the ancient and ornate architecture of Vienna is the cheerful influence of Friendsreich Hundertwasser, an abstract architect who was well-known for creating buildings that are asymmetrical. I fell in love with Vienna immediately! We took a walking tour of this eclectic city and then went to an amusement park that is the oldest in Europe.  It was certainly not Six Flags, but was quaint and delightful. We toured the “Schloss Schönbrunn” (meaning beautiful well). It is a stunning castle that was built for Marie Antoinette’s family and is where Empress Sisi lived. Wife of the Emperor, Franz Joesph, “Sisi” was the affectionate nickname for Elisabeth, the beautiful and charismatic Empress of Austria, the Princess Diana of her day. The castle is absolutely breathtaking. No tour of an area is complete without sampling local cuisine, so we indulged ourselves with a famous Austrian dinner and delectable desert called Sachertorte! In addition to traveling with my host family, I have gone with them to opera and ballet productions at the “Operhaus Zurich.” There I saw the ballets “In the Upper Room” and “Swan Lake” and the opera “Ernani.”

As I write this report, my four-week language camp has ended and I have begun High School. I am very excited to experience a Swiss school and practice my “Deutsch” with my new friends. Thank you, Rotary International, for allowing me this amazing opportunity to represent the United States in this land of yummy chocolate, cheese and mountains, aka Switzerland, for a year! I look forward to keeping you posted on my experiences here and would welcome hearing your “voices from home” as I make my way.

Bis Bald (until next time),
Hannah Capozzi
forestfairy08@yahoo.com

Photo in text: Hannah Capozzi