Pyrotechnics

I am sitting in my room at my grandparents, listening to them sing-a-long to the Swiss nation anthem that is blaring from the TV in their living-room. Fireworks are going off outside my window, loud reminders that today is Switzerland’s independence day, August 1st.

Last night was Basel’s big fireworks extravaganza, which both Chung and I slept through. It was in the 90’s yesterday and between going to watch the new Narnia movie (yes, that’s how cool I am), and having two inches of frizz added to my fro, I was more then fine with by-passing the patriotic festivities, and going back to my grandparents to paint my nails (Nars’ “Jungle Red,” to be exact) and watch the first season of Project Runway on my laptop.

Even today, I spent the first part of the morning watching the second half of Project Runway and eating lunch, twice (Grossi cooked for Grossvati and I, and then after my cousins had called to say that they couldn’t make lunch at 12 o’clock, when we always sit down to eat, they would come at one, which lead Grossi to cooking a second time and then having only one of my cousins show up, she forced me to eat a second time).

After the final judging, and Jay winning the finale, I headed into Basel to catch Get Smart, and have the guy sitting behind me call me a “Bitch” because he overheard me complain to Chung about how his girlfriend loudly could not decide on a seat as the movie started. I just now walked home, to find the dark and stormy sky start to break with beautiful cuts of a soft, clear sunset. Swiss flags hanging out front of the houses, people on balconies and in backyards drinking beer and setting off miniature pyrotechnics, all while the scent of cheap white, wax candles drift through the Summer air: all reminders of the many Summers my sister and I spent here as kids, Dede loving it, me waiting to go home.