when we left interlaken this morning to get on the train to geneva it was 48 degrees outside. let's just take a moment for that. actually, i don't mind this weather - better than humidity and heat...though i hope the rain that plagued us in interlaken is behind us!
we're in geneva now, and for the first time on this trip we have our own room! just two bunked beds, a sink, and us. hooray. :)
today we got in at 2pm, and went and toured the united nations building that is in geneva - all of the major meetings are held in new york, but the human rights commission and other smaller groups within the UN hold meetings in geneva. the building is also where the league of nations (1919-1945, if my history is correct) met when it existed.
the big exitement of the day for us was this: an english pub on our street (mr. pickwick's pub) has a pub quiz every monday night and TODAY IS MONDAY! we had dinner at a pizza place near us, and i got the best pizza - mozzarella, ricotta, and brie on this awesome chewy thin crust - and then went to the pub for the pub quiz. (note: things are EXPENSIVE in switzerland - this was true in interlaken and remains true here. dinner was about $20 for each of us - a pizza and a beer - but in budapest it would have been $10.) the quiz was divided into 10 rounds, with 10 questions per round. we kind of sucked on some rounds ("dictators of the world," "mountains of the world," and "dental terms" were particularly bad), but you will not believe what round 3 was. question: when we go to trivia nights, what category do i long for? that's right: american history. and what does jenny also teach? that's right again: american history! people groaned around us (and the french kids at the table next to us got 0 correct), but jenny and i were giddy with excitement to hear that round 3 was american history. we got all 10 questions in that round right - more than any other team - and were feeling VERY proud of ourselves, because the questions were actually pretty hard. we wrote them down for you so you could play along - see if you can beat us! (all are paraphrased, obviously...)
1. who was the first US heavyweight boxing champion who was stripped of his title?
2. in what year did the us declare independence?
3. what ethnic group was responsible for building much of the US railroads?
4. which president was in office for only 31 days?
5. what speech included the line "of the people, by the people, and for the people"?
6. what year was the cuban missile crisis?
7. in 1970, on what university campus were several students killed by police for protesting nixon's war strategy?
8. on what month, day, and year was the attack on pearl harbour? (oh yes - they spelled it the british way)
9. what was the name of the treaty that formally ended the vietnam war?
10. what was the name of the first permanent settlement in the united states?
as i mentioned before, we went 10 for 10, and were probably most proud of our answer to number 6. mom and dad: that duke degree is paying off.
but, let's be honest: we did rather poorly overall, and ended up in probably 15th place out of 20 teams. but that's okay - we had fun.
we'll be in geneva until wednesday, when jenny flies home to atlanta and i fly to london to spend four days traveling around before i have to report for work at oxford. i'm definitely sad that our travels are coming to a close, but i'm looking forward to sunday when i'll be able to set up shop in one city for 5 weeks. every time i try to zip up my suitcase it's just a little bit harder.
and for those who are interested, my new rain jacket made it to geneva unscathed. whew.
About Me
- miss claire
- i love yoga, trivia nights, npr, cooking, eating, nerdy board games, live music, and good books. i heart my family and feel lucky to have amazing friends spread around the country. moving to texas is my newest adventure!
4 comments:
No one's responded yet because they're cheating; they're all on Wiki. Cheaters. 1- Ali, 2- 1776, 3-Chinese, 4- Hayes, 5- Lincoln's 2nd inaugural, 6-1961, 7- Kent St, 8- 12/8/41, 9- (cheaters!), 10- Jamestown.
OK, there are definitely gaps in my brain, I refuse to be labeled a cheater, so here it the best I can do:
1. I can't remember his name. It was around 1910, the boxer was an African American, and they stripped him of his title because of some shennanigans with sexual overtones (he may have been dating a white woman).
2. 1776
3. This is a trick question. The Union Pacific, working west from Omaha, use a large number of Irish immigrants. The Central Pacific employed huge numbers of Chinese through the Sierras. I bet the "correct" answer for pub night is the Chinese.
4. Again, a brain cramp. He caught a cold during his lenghty inaugural speach in the rain. No hat.
5. Gettysburg Address.
6. 1962
7. Kent State
8. Dec. 7, 1941
9. Treaty of Paris
10. Since this was an English pub, they probably think it was Jamestown. I believe St. Augustines was before that, and I think Roanoke Island (the lost colony) was before that, too. But the safe answer is Jamestown.
Okay, so I thought Matt had some pretty good answers, but a few a wrong, and now You say 5 are wrong. Well.... I don't know all the answers, but Peartl Harbor was on Dec. 7-it's Joe Horrell's birthday, I think. Also, WH Harrison was the guy who walked in the rain to his inauguration and then died 31 days later.The Gettysburg Address is the one where he says "of the people, by the people, for the people, shall long ewndure. We are gathered here... and the treaty-shich didn't really work- was the Paris Peace Accors, I think----soooo, these are my guesses,
thanks for all the info-I hope you are finding the quiet life without Jenny a welcomed break- MOM
How sad is it that I probably would have gotten more correct answers in the dental terms category than this one. Those summers wearing scrubs would have paid off. My college education, not so much.
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