Hello, readers!

It has been another fun, interesting, and amazing day! :)  On today’s agenda was a scavenger hunt around the city. At the start of the day, we were given a list of major sites and landmarks around the city and we broke into groups of four and were given the challenge of finding each of them. This was a really great opportunity to get to know the different parts of the city and to see some major landmarks. Among the sights we had to find were Saint Peter’s Cathedral, the Flower Clock, the botanical gardens, as well as the UN building, the World Health Organization, and the “Broken Chair” (see picture). Getting around wasn’t as difficult as you might think - after getting to know the tram lines and stops, our team navigated really well! We had a great time spending the time getting to know each other. Geneva isn’t a very large city, so getting around is a little more manageable than others!

Broken Chair

Getting to see the UN and the WHO, in addition to countless other international organizations, was a real highlight. Seeing the buildings and thinking about the plans and policies that are launched in each of them is just really fascinating. I know as students, we are all really looking forward to getting started with the World Health Assembly and seeing how major global health issues are discussed and addressed. The Broken Chair was another really astounding thing to see. The Chair is a sculpture created by the Swiss artist Daniel Berset in 1997 at the urging of Paul Vermeulen, the director of Handicap International Suisse. The Chair sits in front of the UN to signify the numerous individuals across the globe who have fallen victim to land mines. From what I’ve read, the Chair was only supposed to stand for a short period of time until the issue of land mines was considered and discussed in detail by these leading international agencies. Because, from the perspectives of numerous advocates, the issue has not been given significant consideration, the Chair remains in place. Very thought provoking.

Rainbow over a rainy Geneva!

As for this week, our days will be largely taken up with the World Health Assembly. Tomorrow morning, Dr. Manoj Kurian from the International Aids Society will be meeting with our group before we go to the UN to do a tour and begin the assembly. It’s through Dr. Kurian’s wonderful support that we’re able to attend the assembly and we are looking forward to getting to speak with him about the work he does. 

More updates tomorrow!

Diana

PS - On a quick side note, another favorite scene for me today was watching a man riding a Vespa scooter scoop his dog (an Irish setter) up from the sidewalk and sit him on his scooter with him. What a great way to travel! :)

Hello everyone!

It’s about 1 a.m. Swiss time and I just wanted to write a few lines about what we’ve done today!  It’s been quite the day - we’ve had the opportunity to see quite a bit of the city (mainly Lake Geneva and the “Old Town” area). Such a pretty city to walk around! 

Our day began with a trip into the city. It wasn’t far to travel on the city tram from the dorm to Lake Geneva. One of the very first things you see when you get off the tram is the Jet d’Eau, the giant fountain in the lake that is one of Geneva’s most recognizable sites. It shoots water from the lake straight up 140 meters into the air at about 200 km/h (according to my Lonely Planet guidebook :) ). Nestled around the lake are lots of really pretty, quaint buildings - apartments, offices, shops, etc.

Jet d'Eau

We had the opportunity to walk along the lake, which was beautiful. The backdrop for the lake are the alps. Because the day was overcast, visibility was limited, but you did catch sight of quite a few snow-capped mountains. On clear days, it’s possible to see Mont Blanc in the distance (Europe’s tallest peak). We will be traveling to see it in person next week, which I’m really looking forward to!

As you stroll along the lake, another common sight are swans. You can see lots of them cruising along the lake with their babies (which, I learned, are called “cygnets”.) There were also lots of huge boats of all kinds - sailboats, paddle boats, yachts, etc. The area was full of people - sightseeing, strolling, running, and roller blading. 

Also near Lake Geneva is “Old Town,” the historical portion of the city that marks the city’s original origins. This is  a very traditional European style area of the city, with cobblestone streets and alleys and so many different types of restaurants and stores. While walking through, we happened upon Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s birthplace. As a lover of all things political science, this was a really fun find. It was on my list of to-do’s before I left!

Following our exploration of the city, we came back to the dorm and did some more grocery shopping. Stores, restaurants, office, banks (nearly everything), will be closed on Sunday. Monday is also a national holiday in Switzerland, so everything will again remain closed (for “Whit Monday”, a religious observance for Pentecost). Because we won’t have access to many things, we stocked up on some more groceries to last the next few days. Grocery shopping to me is an entertaining experience. I enjoy seeing the different kinds of foods available!

After grocery shopping, we met as a group to debrief on what we’ll be doing tomorrow and Monday. Tomorrow, we will be doing a scavenger hunt around the city to see some of the major sights and get acclimated to getting around. After our group meeting, we set out for some dinner. Another item on my list was to try some authentic Swiss fondue. A group of us went back to Old Town to a restaurant that was recommended to us. It was quite delicious - we tried three different kinds - two different cheese blends and one that was both cheese and mushroom. We were given both pieces of french bread and potatoes to dip. It was great to try!

Looking forward to the day tomorrow!

Diana

Bonsoir!

I’m writing this at the end of another interesting day in Geneva! While we aren’t completely underway with our class activities, we’ve had some time to spend as a group getting around the city. We met this morning at the Geneva airport and then traveled to Webster University, where Kent State University has dorms available for students studying abroad. The interesting thing about them is that they used to be an old Rolex factory!

After checking in and getting some time to relax, we went out and got bus passes to last us for our trip. The interesting thing about Swiss bus passes is that they take your photograph and put it on the front. (I guess to prevent people from passing them around!) Following that, we stopped and had something to eat, and also went to the grocery store to pick up some breakfast food. The rooms we’re staying in are equipped with stove tops, refrigerators, and microwaves so we were also able to pick up some things to eat throughout the week. Grocery shopping was a fun experience - similar to the U.S., but different in the fact that people only tend to buy what they can carry home. It was interesting to see the types of foods available and to compare prices to the U.S. Looking through my public health lenses, I also noticed the set up of the grocery store. The first thing you hit when you enter are all of the fresh foods - fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. From there, you worked your way in - more like a pyramid shape than our rectangle-shaped Giant Eagles!

Geneva

After the grocery store, we headed back to the dorms. We spent some free time this evening checking out the neighborhood. A few of us stopped for some coffee down the street. Swiss coffee has an A+ in my book!  This was also a good opportunity to get to know each other and to talk public health :) I think we’re all looking forward to getting started with our work out here and to learn. We have Saturday and Sunday free, and then on Monday, everything starts! Monday also happens to be a national bank holiday in Switzerland and we’ve been informed that nearly everything will shut down - should be interesting as well :)

It’s great to be out here and it’s easy to see that Geneva is an interesting city - very dynamic and diverse. I appreciate that about it! 

More tomorrow!

Diana

I’ve officially arrived in Switzerland!!  My flight came in around 7:45 am Swiss time (1:45 am U.S. time). I’m feeling very fortunate that I had a smooth trip all around! One quick flight from Cleveland to Dulles and then straight out across the Atlantic to Geneva. Flying over night has its benefits - even though airplanes aren’t the best places to get some rest, it’s nice to arrive with a full day ahead of you! The long flight also gave me some time to catch up on some good movies (Argo and Lincoln).

So far, I haven’t made it around to much, but I’m definitely looking forward to getting out and exploring. The weather is cool and overcast, but pleasant!  Other groups of students are arriving Friday and Saturday and we are traveling to Webster University where we will be staying the next 2 weeks. I’m looking forward to getting things underway! :) I will have pictures to share!

Until next time!

Diana

Hello! The following blog will be used to document our experiences as students in the 2013 Kent State University College of Public Health/College of Nursing Global Immersion course in Geneva, Switzerland. I hope that through this blog, I can provide highlights of our two-week trip and share the many exciting things we will be seeing and doing.

Each year, a group of nursing and public health undergraduate and graduate students from Kent State University travel to Geneva to attend the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHA is considered the "decision-making body" of the WHO and is attended by delegates from each of its 194 Member States. As students, we have the opportunity to attend both plenary and breakout sessions at the assembly and to learn more about the priorities and policies that are established by the WHO related to major global public health issues. For more information about the WHO and the World Health Assembly, check out their website: http://www.who.int/en/ and http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2013/wha66/en/index.html

In addition to our time spent at the WHO, we will also have the opportunity to visit other major international organizations dedicated to global public health. Included in our trip will be visits to the International AIDS Society, the World Council of Churches (who is sponsoring our visit to the WHA), the International Red Cross, the International Council of Nurses, Doctor's Without Borders and others.

And it won't be all work and no play!  We will also have free time to spend in Geneva, as well as a trip into the alps - where we will visit Mont Blanc (Europe's highest peak), a visit to Nyon, France, and a beautiful day trip to Paris, France!

We are all scheduled to arrive in Geneva by Saturday, May 18th. I hope to update this blog daily during our trip, so please stop back! I'm looking forward to sharing this adventure with you!

Au revoir,
Diana :)