Spending Money, Having Fun

At least my spending has come with some fun. It's not spending for no reason, although it is a lot of spending it seems. On Friday I plunked down 250 francs (came to $230 USD by using my visa debit and getting the immediate exchange rate) to purchase two train/bus related items. The first is my demi-tarif or half-fare card. It gives me a discount when I take the bus and/or train to anywhere in Switzerland. With the demi-tarif it costs me 6francs to go round trip to Geneva rather than 12 and if I go once a week, it's very much worth the 150 francs it cost to begin with. (And actually I'll be starting to go to Geneva twice a week during the days as I have decided with the blessing and aide of my host family to switch language schools in hope for something that will actually HELP my conversational French, and make me feel like I'm getting both my time and their money's worth). The second item I purchased is something called the Voie7 or Track7. This awesome piece of paper (well, eventually it'll be a plastic card) enables me to take nearly any bus (with the exception of Geneva city buses/trams) and all trains within Switzerland for FREE after 7pm. So, if I decide to go out to meet friends for a picnic or coffee or a movie, and leave after 7 it's free, and my return is also free until just after midnight. (Then the demi-tarif kicks in and it costs a grand total of 3 francs, not bad). So, although it was a CRAP load of money to spend at once, I will definitely make up my money in a short while. Although, I think that it also encourages me to spend money, but thus is the way.

Last night, to break in my Voie7 I took the train to Geneva and met up with a BUNCH of friends for a night on the town. Several of us went to an Ethiopian restaurant and had some pretty incredible food and then later some of those folks met up with the other half of our buddies at a Karaoke bar in Geneva. SO MUCH FUN! A few beers, a shot of Jameson and then someone showed up with tequila shots so we were all feeling pretty good. I ordered some fries... they were incredible and gone in about 2 minutes flat with 5 hungry girls diving in. Then four of us got up and sang Barbie Girl... simply CLASSIC! At about 1:20 in the morning the 5 of us still out and about decided to go to a hookah bar and sit around until they closed & kicked us out at 2. This is when my nice got really interesting. Either I could wait around the train station, by my self until 3:45 in the morning to catch my bus OR I could stay in Geneva. My dear friend Petra from Austria offered me her spare bed and her host family being out of town it would be perfectly alright if I stayed, so instead of any of us going off on our own at 2 in the morning, Petra, my friend Tinna (from Iceland) and I got on their night bus, headed to Tinna's for a quick "pit" stop then walked to Petra's where I immediately passed out and woke up this morning at 10 (well I woke up at 7:30, then 8:30, then 9:15 and finally 10 when I decided I should get back to Céligny). After a cup of coffee Petra walked me to the nearest train station and I got on my first of 3 connections to get home. Got back to the house about noon. It was wonderful! With the exception of the hangover/migraine (which is a legit migraine in conjunction with the hangover/dehydration because I was feeling it last night before I drank anything, but wanted a good time out anyway) I've had a good day today. Including an hour & a half nap and watching RoboCop... Yeah, that's right... ROBOCOP. I know you're totally jealous.

Tonight I'm going to take it easy, meet up with a friend for a drink or something but nothing too intense. I'm planning to be in bed by midnight. If all goes to plan! :D