Hey! you can call me Si-yon! But my name is Tsion. Si-yon has been my name since I got here. I am from Ethiopia, I am the first Ethiopian to visit and work in Our Chalet. I can’t wait to share my experience with my Girl Guide team. But let me share some here first.
Living in Our Chalet was an amazing experience and I worked with wonderful people and have learnt so much. Here are a few things I learnt:
- Hiking Bunderspitz (2,546m high)
I am a kind of person that says everything is possible! And besides that I love trying new things.
I decided to hike Bunderspitz because I am a “I can do everything person”. Before Bunderspitz I had only done one mountain hike and it was not easy for me. But who cares! I wanted to know what all the fuss was about Bunderspitz. We had to do it on a day time instead of the sun rise or sun set so we had to leave Our Chalet early in the morning. I was very excited and enthusiastic but couldn’t stay like that much longer! I felt like quitting many times and at the same time kept saying “it is possible” and told myself” Tsion there are actually things you can do”. I kept going and pushed myself and also the people I hiked with were my motivation and, guess what? I made it to the peak!
Sometimes things might look kind of hard and impossible; just push yourself and use your potential to the fullest – truly everything is possible.
- Morning Meetings
What do you think when you hear the word meeting, especially if you have work experience? Long, boring right? It’s totally different in Our Chalet, it’s where our day starts (if you are not either on breakfast or AM reception). Morning meetings are my favourite meetings because they allow us to be aware of what will happen that day and share interesting things. It’s important, on point, and fun! See, I told you everything is possible, even making meetings fun!
- A Place of Opportunities
Our Chalet has given me a chance to exercise my leadership skills as I was the Guest Service Intern. My position mainly focused on checking if the volunteer’s work on Guest Service was completed to the highest standard. So my job required me to be a mini boss at Our Chalet. My job didn’t leave me locked me inside the office, I got to do evening programmes and it that was fun! I got to lead a hike and see the beautiful Bonderfalle more often. And on my days off I explored the beautiful town Adelboden and some cities in Switzerland, which I loved so much.
I love taking pictures because Switzerland is beautiful, it didn’t test my photography skills! Everything comes out beautiful. Every morning I woke up and was never tired of the view, it’s incredibly beautiful.
- International Friendship
Working at Our Chalet has allowed me to meet people from around the world and to work with an international team. I made a lot of friends who accompanied me on my days off and made me feel at home. I have learnt a lot from every little conversation. And guess what? They bring international food to your table without you going anywhere! I had the chance to eat Empanadas and Gorditas without going to Mexico or Argentina, and so much more. I also introduced injera, a sourdough-risen flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, originating from Ethiopia. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is the national dish of Ethiopia with some spicy sauce called Wot.
I am ready to go now, I feel empowered and skilled, so on to the next one! I don’t know how life will surprise me but I’m excited to see what’s next.
"Chalet Chatter" 