Summer

Sadly, summer is quickly coming to an end in Switzerland.  The kids here will go back to school in the next two weeks.  I have been told that this means that a massive amount of expatriates will return to Vevey.  Everyone will return from their summer of traveling to get back to their school year routine.  Right when we moved here is when all the expats left for the summer, so we haven't experienced Vevey this way.  In some ways, this makes me happy because I think that Claire and I will encounter more moms and kids at the parks and it will take much less effort to meet new friends.  In other ways, this makes me sad because expats mean a lot of English speakers.  I quite like Vevey as it is right now with very few English speakers.  Hearing French spoken all around me and speaking French with the locals has been wonderful.  My French has improved hugely in the past 2.5 months.  I fear that with the return of all the English speakers, I will not use my French as much.  We shall see...

A return to routine also means that playgroups will begin again.  The playgroups that I had researched before we moved here all ended for the summer very shortly after we arrived.  Today, I received confirmation today that Claire is enrolled in an English speaking Thursday morning playgroup beginning September 1st.  I'm very happy that we'll have a structured playgroup to go to.  My next project is to find a French speaking playgroup for another day of the week.  I want this little girl to learn as much French as possible!