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Winter 2012
ADAM (SD) - Winter 2012 (Until 07.01.2012)
Hi, my name is Adam and I'm from Sudan. During "real life" I work as Unit Officer for Information and Technology at the World Scout Bureau in Geneva, Switzerland. I came to KISC for a month-long internship to gain more international experience within World Scouting. And even though I have to leave KISC sooner than the other STS, I am looking forward to coming back rather sooner than later.
Andrea (CH) - Office Manager
Tschou zäme! My name is Andrea and I’m the Office Manager. I’m responsible for the Finances and all the Administration Stuff that no one else wants to do. I live in a little Chalet in Kandersteg and I’m a member of the steering committee of the Junior Chamber International Frutigland. In my free time I love to go shopping! But I also try to be a bit sporty and I’m going weekly to my Zumba training. Kandersteg is my most favorite town to live in so I spend also a lot of my free time in the wonderful nature of the Bernese Oberland.
CAoimhe (IE) - House Assistant
Dia Duit, I'm Caoimhe (pronounced KEEVA) from Dublin, Ireland. Despite being Irish, I actually do eat more than just potatoes and would gladly live on chocolate if I could !! I love to read, hike and especially sing and you can often find me singing to myself. I am delighted to be a Pinkie and I know that I am going to have an amazing experience here at KISC.
Catarina (PT) - International Friendship Assistant
Olá! I am Catarina from Portugal, and I am the International Friendship Assistant. That’s quite a nice name, no? One of my favourite passions at KISC is to be outside with our guests, running a campfire or guiding a hike in the Alps. Sometimes I think about why this place is so special to me… it’s difficult to find a reason, but: imagine you're waking up in your bedroom, you look at the window and see mountains everywhere, all around you! You look to their top and you feel so small and lucky at the same time… Also, when a lot of Scouts are at the Centre, you can actually feel the BP’s dream coming true: a Permanent Mini-Jamboree is happening here, in an International Friendship environment, and that is AMAZING! Come to KISC and have a look! You’ll understand what I mean!
Eliane (CH) - Catering Supervisor
Grüssech, I'm the Swiss Catering Supervisor working part-time at the Centre. In the rest of my time I work as a teacher in the nearby town of Spiez. After all that, when I can find the time, I love to go skiing, climbing and enjoy a nice massage.
Ginger (CH) - The other Cat
Meow, I'm Ginger the other cat at KISC. The only thing that I like less than Olave are photo shoots. This is why I made the humans use this 6 year old photo of me and just didn't turn up for any Current Staff Photo session - and to be honest I prefer it that way as I weighed several kilos less back then! I like long strolls over the Campsite where especially in Winter everyone just leaves me in peace, apart from the occasional cross country skier! If you see me during your visit, please don't tell any of the Staff members or else that papparazzi guy is waving his camera in front of my face again!
Irene (CH) - Winter 2012
Grüezi, I'm Irene, from Switzerland, or more precise a small village about 2 hours away from Kandersteg. As a Swiss person, I naturally like the 3 C's - cows, chocolate and cheese! I am super excited to be able to help out as a ski guide during busy Ski Weeks at the Centre, so in my free time I try to take it down a notch and focus on practicing my jodelling and Alphorn skills! So whenever you're around Kandersteg and see a lone pink person singing on a mountain top, that's probably me!
JACK (UK) - RECEPTION MANAGER
Hi, I’m Jack and I’m originally from London, UK, however there are not nearly enough mountains in London for my liking. I love being outside, especially when the sun is shining! I really enjoy skiing and will be found on the slopes on any lunch break or day off, (even if it is in a restaurant with a glühwein!) At work you’ll often find me hanging out around the coffee machine, especially if there’s cake! I also like arranging/fixing smile of the week, and will accept bribes. I really enjoy working in Reception with Olave, our cat, and Jeanette, our Swedish mountain troll! So I’ll see you when you arrive!!!
Jeanette (SE) - Reception Assistant
Here I am, a Swedish mountain troll in the middle of the Swiss Alps! In between protecting the Centre’s cat Olave from all the dangers she’s facing from people having the opinion that she’s weird (she’s really just misunderstood) I answer e-mails, phone calls and make sure our guests get a warm welcome in reception. I’ll be extra happy if you’re nice to Olave!
JENS (IE) - OPERATIONAL DIRECTOR
My name's Jens and I'm Operational Director. I look after the operations of KISC and in my free time I try and climb, ski, hike and enjoy the nightlife in Kandersteg. I was STS in Summer 2004, Campsite Manager in 2005, 2007 Project Director in 2006/07 and Internal Services Director in 2008/09/10. I come from Dublin in Ireland were I am part of the 47th Dublin (Ballybrack) Scout group.
Johan (SE) - House Manager
Hej hej, I'm Johan from Sweden, the new House Manager at KISC! Before you ask, no I don't eat Köttbullar all day long and I didn't invent IKEA - although it is definitely my favourite shop in the world. In fact, I like it so much that I came up with a little game which consists in guessing the name of a piece of furniture by just getting told its article number! So far I'm the unbeaten champion in it. Around here I'm only known as Johan the First as I was the first in a row of Johans from Sweden to arrive at the Centre in Autumn 2010. And now excuse me for my sudden leaving, but I have a floor to spot mop!
Jon (UK) - Programme Director
Hi, I’m Jon from the Uk and I am KISC's Programme Director. When I’m not working you can usually find me out in the mountains testing activities for our guests. I like any sports that involve wearing helmets. Cakes are another passion, and I’m working my way through the selection at the local bakery.
Julie (DK) - Winter 2012
Hi, I am Julie from Denmark. I truly deserve to be a Shortie here at KISC as I am the shortest person around, a fact I try to compensate by wearing a funny hat with a ball of rabbit fur on top! It is really fluffy, so everyone likes to pet it! Back home I work in an outdoor shop which is why I possess about 16 different jackets for every possible weather condition - after all, BP said to be prepared! Also, I'm fascinated by the collected works of James Joyce - it seems each time I read his Ulysses it's a different book, begging the question: Has the book changed, or have I?
Linda (DK) - Assistant Catering Supervisor
My name is Linda and I am the Assistant Catering Supervisor at KISC which means that I am assisting Eliane at showing up at the Centre from time to time. The other part of my time I'm busy studying Germanistik in Berne. Like all Scandinavian people, I'm completely into sweet pastries, especially kanel bolle, and will devour entire food trays of them! When I'm bored of life at KISC, I like to call helicopters to make a short escape to Fründenhütte over Summer.
Magdaléna (CZ) - Guest Services Director
Ahoj! I am Magdaléna from Prague, Czech Republic. Being the Guest Services Director, I work to ensure that all the guests enjoy their stay and have wonderful time at KISC. In my free time I love to go skiing and cross-country skiing, hiking, watching movies, reading books or having a nice cup of tea.
Matt (UK) - Assistant Programme Director
Hello, my name is History Boy! Why, mainly because I like history, but also because... well I don't know really, that's in the past anyway. I like pretending to ski, putting people into large fabric bags, practicing my Scottish accent and sharpening the pencils in Reception. I'm starting to work on my beanie collection so I can restore the Programme Department to its former glory!
Melanie (UK) - Assistant Programme Director
Cheerio, I'm Melanie and I come from Northern Ireland, a country with a strange mixture of Irish and British culture. Because of this, I like to dress up as a leprechaun while admiring pictures of the Queen. I am also a big fan of Bear Grylls, an obsession I constantly have to defend at the Centre. When I'm not tweeting about Bear‘s latest adventures, you will probably find me climbing lonely mountain tops to get inspiration for epic haikus - my secret passion!
Michael (DE) - Maintenance Assistant
Most of the time you can find me around the Chalet fixing something, changing light bulbs or new for the Winter season: snow clearing! I am not really a Winter person, so I try to invent more joyful ways of clearing the snow and ice. I can tell you licking it away doesn’t work…!!!
MYRIAM (CH) - GENERAL DIRECTOR
Hejo! As the General Director, I am the one who takes overall responsibility for the whole KISC businesses. From the deepest of my heart I support the dream of international friendship, among all people being present at the Centre. Originally Swiss I have some language capabilities that are quite useful here: I speak Swiss German, French and English and understand Italian and a few words of Russian. If I’m not working I love hiking and knitting, both whilst singing.
Nicole (AU) - Winter 2012
G'day mates, I'm Nicole from Australia and I'm one of the Winter Short Term Staff at KISC. Europe really confuses me as everything seems to be upside down here, and the Europeans don't even seem to notice, they just carry on with their daily lives as if it was the most normal thing ever. Maybe it's just because I'm from Down Under, who knows. Anyways, I really like vegemite sandwiches, Men at Work (best Aussie band ever!) and practicing my cross-country skiing skills, a thing I don't get to do often in Australia as sand is to us, what snow is to Switzerland!
Olave (CH) - Secret Centre Overlord
Hi guys, you already know me, but for those of you who don't, I'm Olave, officially I'm from Switzerland and people think I rule this Centre. This is a fact I want to put straight: In previous editions of this Current Staff page, PR people made ridiculous descriptions up for me, portraying me as a cruel, megalomaniac, crazy cat, which I am not! I am a poet, an aspiring artist. A wanted to pursue my dream to become the next literature sensation at poetry slams world-wide, but instead I am stuck here at KISC - and even though I really like it here, I am destined for bigger things. Rather than becoming frustrated of this, I decided to turn these thoughts into creative energy as there's nothing more interesting as a broken literary character that had to struggle and overcome enormous obstacles to make it to something in life. Hollywood loves stories like this. Au revoir, mes amis!
Pavel (CZ) - Winter 2012
Hi guys, my name is Pavel and I come from the Czech Republic! What makes me stand out of the rest of the Pinkies is that I am the tallest of them all. In fact I am so tall, I can see Russia from my House. If I seem familiar to a lot of you, this is no coincidence, because I had my breakthrough as Jaws in Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me. At KISC you can easily identify me as the one Shortie who even on the coldest days is snowboarding down the slopes in Bermuda shorts. This is also why I am planning to introduce pink shorts as part of the KISC Staff clothing.
Pete (AU) - Winter 2012
G'day everyone! I'm Pete and have been cast as the second Aussie on the KISC film set. I really liking skiing. Especially in lunch breaks. If it was up to me, everyone should be skiing or snowboarding in lunch breaks even if it was raining. Seriously, until you have skied in a lunch break here at KISC you haven't really lived. If I'm not on the slopes, I like to wear parachute pants in the style of MC Hammer - they are simply awesome. Also, I can slip out of them very quickly to go skiing in a lunch break! Come visit me at KISC! See ya 'round, mates!
Pol (LU) - PR & Marketing Assistant
Aloha, I'm Pol and I'm from Luxembourg, one of the 12 citizens of this fictional country. Now that Winter has arrived at KISC you will probably find me snowboarding down the slopes in the valleys surrounding Kandersteg. When I'm not out in the mountains, riding my unicorn to hunt ferocious mountain squirrels, I like cook spicy and exotic dishes for my flatmates and make up Staff descriptions for cats and people that forgot to send theirs in. And if I still have some spare time left after all of this, I give lectures about the philosophical implications of time travel. If you come to KISC, I'm the guy with the camera, so don't be shy, just say hi!
Sam (UK) - Grounds Assistant
Hello, My name is Sam and I'm from Liverpool in the UK. I first came to KISC in the Summer of 2010 with my Scout group from Lydiate. We had a fantastic time and I would recommend it to everyone. I started working here at KISC, in October 2010, as a Helper in the Arabian Suite renovation. Since then, I have been a member of the Short Term Staff team for Winter 2011 and now I'm KISC's Grounds Assistant. All the time I've spent in Kandersteg I have thoroughly enjoyed and I can't wait to get started working with Michael on some inside maintenance jobs and continuing to improve my snowboard skills on my days off!
Sam (BE) - WINTER 2012
Salut à tous! I'm Sam from Belgium. I'm a Shortie for Winter 2012. I first came to KISC as a guest in Summer 2011, I really enjoyed my days here so I decided to come back as a Staff member. And now, I feel proud and happy to be part of this amazing adventure. For my first time on skis, I have dislocated my shoulder so during my spare time you can find me just chillin' in the staffroom or trying to teach some French to other people here.
I hope to see you here soon!
Sean (US) - Catering Assistant
Hello there! I'm Sean from the U.S. of A. Although I try to hide this fact, I do have a soft spot for cheeseburgers and my big ol' black Ford truck.
In the kitchen I enjoy cleaning drains and sanding our arsenal of wooden spoons while singing my heart out to Bob Dylan or any other music older than your parents. Outside of the kitchen I enjoy waxing my boots in preparation for all of the hiking I'll be doing once the snow melts. Hopefully any day now!
Simon (SE) - Winter 2012
Hej, I am the third member of the Swedish Invasion at KISC, Simon! What can I tell you about me? Well, I'm really into photographing, but because I think normal portraits are boring, I like to take photos of people without them noticing this which can lead to funny results. Almost as amazing as photos are beanies, especially the one I'm wearing all the time, be it inside or outside - just don't let Matt know this, he will steal it and put it into his Programme beanie collection. See you in Kandersteg!
SuSI (CH) - Administration Assistant
Heiii Schmützli zäme, my name is Schmusi-Susi and I'm from Switzerland, downtown Walenstadt. I work as Administration Assistant at the Centre, but in all honesty I do much more than checking bills and filing papers! In fact I'm also the official KISC gossip go-through girl, part-time radio gangsta music assistant and finally I keep everyone on the phone longer than necessary with my "Tschüss, Ciao, Tschüss, Tschüss, Tschüss, Ciao, Ciao, Tschüss..."
Vanya (BG) - Catering Assistant
Hi, I am Vanya form Bulgaria! I like reading, dancing with friends and cuddling my lovely cat Frederik. When I'm not cuddling Frederik, I'm in the kitchen coming up with new creative recipes for cakes and other delicious desserts. Recently, I have picked up learning French and hope to bring like this a bit of French Cuisine to KISC Catering!
