It will soon be time to say good-bye to my sweet Audi and come back to the real world of Practical Patty. So, now that I've gotten to the point where I don't hyperventilate every time I have to go to the grocery store, it was time to branch out and go to the car store. I had done most of my shopping online, so this was not browsing day, this was buying day.
The dealership with the car I want is in Geneva, which is a bit over an hour away. Driving there this evening, especially during rush hour, was a bit more than I could handle. Not good to hyperventilate WHILE you're driving. So, I took the train. That's always a great cultural experience for me. I mostly stare out the window and try to eavesdrop on other people's conversations to see if I can understand any French. And, today, I would say the answer is...no. Although, every now and then I picked out a word, which is better than my ears were two weeks ago!
Normally, you can take the train all the way to Geneva. Easy peasy. But, today while we were sitting in Lausanne, I looked at the train schedule on my iPhone and realized if I were going to make my connection in Geneva, I was going to have change to a faster train out of Lausanne. Uh oh. Check my watch (actually check my iPhone because the train time is EXACT in Switzerland.) It's two minutes until the other train leaves and I'm not sure where the platform is. Double uh oh. So, the quick risk analysis...get off this train and try to catch the other train and, if I don't, probably not be able to make it back to this train before it leaves. Or, stay put and take a later connection out of Geneva when this train finally gets in.
RUN!
Down the stairs, quick look at the schedule, platform 7, escalator is full so run up the stairs. See the train is still there. Run a little faster. Hop up the steps and doors close behind me. YES! Small victory, but hey, another little adventure in my small little life. And, now at least I know that there are actually times I will want to change trains in Lausanne.
I finally made up my mind on which car I wanted at the dealership. The part of me that thinks I should be hip and cool considered the coupe hardtop, especially given there are not kids or dogs in my car daily anymore. The practical part of me that knows I am really not hip and cool wanted the small SUV crossover.
Room for my bike or skis plus suitcases; or cuteness that is a little easier to park? Practical Patty wins again. For everything except the parking, the SUV fits me. It reminds me of my beloved SUVs from home that toted my bike to Sunday rides, skis to Tahoe, and, yes, kids and/or dogs to everywhere. I can only do so much change at one time. But, if I ever have a SECOND car, it's the hardtop for sure!
"You took the train???" So says the car salesman when I left. I guess a guy who makes a living on cars is not a fan of public transportation. But, I'll say that riding the train home (without a train change in Lausanne) was much more relaxing then driving would have been. Plus, I can't eavesdrop in the car.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Food
So, I truly don't have enough experience with Swiss food yet to make much intelligent comment. But, I'll make a few observations.
We've already covered that the cheese is amazing. My Emmentaler is almost gone, so I will branch out a bit and have some new cheese to report tomorrow. The gorgonzola and mascarpone is simply amazing spread on crusty brown bread. Works for breakfast, lunch AND dinner! Yesterday in the farmers' market, I passed a booth that was full of all kinds of cheese. None of which I've heard of before, and I thought I knew cheese! I've put the farmers' market on my to-do list for next Saturday and the cheese booth will be a priority stop.
The chocolate really doesn't need my references, since it's pretty much famous the world over. If you're not a chocolate fan in the U.S., it's because chocolate in the U.S. is, well, mostly not really chocolate. In fact, I don't even like U.S. milk chocolate. But, I can't eat enough of it here. I've been limiting myself to two pieces per day, but I did cheat tonight and have three. Hope I can get into my car tomorrow, to say nothing of my pants!
On the "I'm not sure if I'm into this" list, would be the pizza I had last night. After nearly two weeks of real cooking (those who know me will laugh), it was finally time for me to go out to eat. And, since I'm still too inept to order in French (I actually can order, I just can't understand a word I'm told), I settled for making myself a frozen pizza at home. So, I chose a pizza by the picture because, even though I can stumble through reading some French, this box was German! But, it looked something like chicken and tomatoes and mozzarella. Upon first taste last night, it really tasted more like tuna. But, I was hungry, so down it went. This morning, I dug up the box to see if there was any French on it. Yep, on the back of the box, sandwiched between the German and Italian was a phrase that I interpreted to mean, "you will love this if you like fish." uh huh. Run to my French dictionary and translate the word I did not recognize, which ended up meaning "tuna."
Tuna on a pizza. Huh. I will not judge.
Which brings me to my final thought on food today. While the Europeans are freaking out because they think we Americans will end up with three livers and alien babies because of genetically modified food, I am a little more worried that I will end up poisoned here. Perhaps, as the daughter of a veterinarian, I have a bit more knowledge of pathogens than I should. The grocery store refrigerators are not very cold, and I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the fresh cheeses are made with unpasteurized milk. Which explains why it did cross my mind that the tuna pizza really WAS chicken. Fortunately, I could not think of a pathogen that made chicken taste like tuna, so I carried on.
Happy to report I am still alive and well fed, but still not sure if I will buy that pizza again.
We've already covered that the cheese is amazing. My Emmentaler is almost gone, so I will branch out a bit and have some new cheese to report tomorrow. The gorgonzola and mascarpone is simply amazing spread on crusty brown bread. Works for breakfast, lunch AND dinner! Yesterday in the farmers' market, I passed a booth that was full of all kinds of cheese. None of which I've heard of before, and I thought I knew cheese! I've put the farmers' market on my to-do list for next Saturday and the cheese booth will be a priority stop.
The chocolate really doesn't need my references, since it's pretty much famous the world over. If you're not a chocolate fan in the U.S., it's because chocolate in the U.S. is, well, mostly not really chocolate. In fact, I don't even like U.S. milk chocolate. But, I can't eat enough of it here. I've been limiting myself to two pieces per day, but I did cheat tonight and have three. Hope I can get into my car tomorrow, to say nothing of my pants!
On the "I'm not sure if I'm into this" list, would be the pizza I had last night. After nearly two weeks of real cooking (those who know me will laugh), it was finally time for me to go out to eat. And, since I'm still too inept to order in French (I actually can order, I just can't understand a word I'm told), I settled for making myself a frozen pizza at home. So, I chose a pizza by the picture because, even though I can stumble through reading some French, this box was German! But, it looked something like chicken and tomatoes and mozzarella. Upon first taste last night, it really tasted more like tuna. But, I was hungry, so down it went. This morning, I dug up the box to see if there was any French on it. Yep, on the back of the box, sandwiched between the German and Italian was a phrase that I interpreted to mean, "you will love this if you like fish." uh huh. Run to my French dictionary and translate the word I did not recognize, which ended up meaning "tuna."
Tuna on a pizza. Huh. I will not judge.
Which brings me to my final thought on food today. While the Europeans are freaking out because they think we Americans will end up with three livers and alien babies because of genetically modified food, I am a little more worried that I will end up poisoned here. Perhaps, as the daughter of a veterinarian, I have a bit more knowledge of pathogens than I should. The grocery store refrigerators are not very cold, and I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the fresh cheeses are made with unpasteurized milk. Which explains why it did cross my mind that the tuna pizza really WAS chicken. Fortunately, I could not think of a pathogen that made chicken taste like tuna, so I carried on.
Happy to report I am still alive and well fed, but still not sure if I will buy that pizza again.
All is Right with the World
I ran today. After three months of moving logistics and work travel that didn't allow for a single extra hour to even look at my running shoes, the time had come to get back at it. I thought I would go for a little jog along the lake. Almost seven miles later, I was back home. Don't worry, I didn't run all of that. I stopped at one point to lean on the bridge (gasping for air) to watch the crew teams exercising on the lake. I walked through the farmer's market (where people thought I was insane because I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt while it was 1 degree C). And, sometimes I just walked so I could breathe. Three months is a long time!
But, it was so great to get back out there. It was a cool (cold?), crisp, sunny October day. Perfect for a run (or a run/walk). I ran all the way out to my new apartment. Just to make sure I still liked it. I do.
Besides the run, I did a little grocery shopping (new store!) and bought a hair dryer. Yes, that is a pretty mundane accomplishment, but all my electronics will have to be new because of the difference in voltage here. Electric adapters are for tourists.
Finally, I ended the day with a drive up onto the hill just north of me. Mostly so I could practice driving around here, get the lay of the land and take this picture (right) for all of you. I can't be sure, but I bet there is skiing up there somewhere. I've decided I have two goals for my time here in Switzerland. Neither of which has to do with the actual job that put me here, because the work stuff is a given. First goal, become conversational in French. Second, become a much better skier. I hope your Saturday was just as right with the world! A bientot!
But, it was so great to get back out there. It was a cool (cold?), crisp, sunny October day. Perfect for a run (or a run/walk). I ran all the way out to my new apartment. Just to make sure I still liked it. I do.
Besides the run, I did a little grocery shopping (new store!) and bought a hair dryer. Yes, that is a pretty mundane accomplishment, but all my electronics will have to be new because of the difference in voltage here. Electric adapters are for tourists.
Finally, I ended the day with a drive up onto the hill just north of me. Mostly so I could practice driving around here, get the lay of the land and take this picture (right) for all of you. I can't be sure, but I bet there is skiing up there somewhere. I've decided I have two goals for my time here in Switzerland. Neither of which has to do with the actual job that put me here, because the work stuff is a given. First goal, become conversational in French. Second, become a much better skier. I hope your Saturday was just as right with the world! A bientot!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Good News!
There is good news all around.
First and foremost, my third load of laundry is in the washing machine. Of course, this means that my Friday night social life is non-existant, plus I'm a bit worried that my fourth load won't make it through the cycle before the 10 p.m. cutoff. If you are concerned that a single woman has FOUR loads of laundry to do, don't forget that I couldn't do laundry during my alloted time last week. Even though it may sound like a dismal Friday night, it wasn't so bad. Left work early (by 5:30), came home and started the first load of laundry, poured myself a nice glass of wine (still working on the bottle I bought with my laundry detergent) and cooked dinner, and then Skyped.
Second, but even more important (although I have to say I'm pretty excited about the laundry), I got accepted for the apartment for which I applied! Woo hoo! On our way to see another apartment yesterday, my agent got a call from the owners saying I could have the flat if I wanted it. Next week, I still have to meet with the second of three sisters who own it. I think I just have to avoid swearing and spitting and I'll be confirmed. Of course, if you hear from me next week that I was eventually declined, you'll know I somehow gaffed.
I will point out that those of you who think I am high maintenance (and YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), take notice that I got an apartment the very next day after I got here. There are people here who have been here for months and have still not found an apartment they like. The apartment is not fancy, but it had a certain coup de foudre for me. I think I'm going to love it.
Third, work has been great. I landed in the middle of a bit of a crisis issue and have been embroiled in taking over the management of that since I got here. Not the best way to meet people, but at least you meet them quickly. I'm getting to know my way around the office and even learned a pun in French yesterday. At least I'm not bored!
Fourth, I just discovered that there is a second layer to my box of chocolates!!! I thought I was almost done, but I'm not. As soon as I discovered that, I started taking the stairs up and down from the laundry room instead of riding the elevator.
Speaking of which, gotta run. Time to switch a load. A bientot.
First and foremost, my third load of laundry is in the washing machine. Of course, this means that my Friday night social life is non-existant, plus I'm a bit worried that my fourth load won't make it through the cycle before the 10 p.m. cutoff. If you are concerned that a single woman has FOUR loads of laundry to do, don't forget that I couldn't do laundry during my alloted time last week. Even though it may sound like a dismal Friday night, it wasn't so bad. Left work early (by 5:30), came home and started the first load of laundry, poured myself a nice glass of wine (still working on the bottle I bought with my laundry detergent) and cooked dinner, and then Skyped.
Second, but even more important (although I have to say I'm pretty excited about the laundry), I got accepted for the apartment for which I applied! Woo hoo! On our way to see another apartment yesterday, my agent got a call from the owners saying I could have the flat if I wanted it. Next week, I still have to meet with the second of three sisters who own it. I think I just have to avoid swearing and spitting and I'll be confirmed. Of course, if you hear from me next week that I was eventually declined, you'll know I somehow gaffed.
I will point out that those of you who think I am high maintenance (and YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), take notice that I got an apartment the very next day after I got here. There are people here who have been here for months and have still not found an apartment they like. The apartment is not fancy, but it had a certain coup de foudre for me. I think I'm going to love it.
Third, work has been great. I landed in the middle of a bit of a crisis issue and have been embroiled in taking over the management of that since I got here. Not the best way to meet people, but at least you meet them quickly. I'm getting to know my way around the office and even learned a pun in French yesterday. At least I'm not bored!
Fourth, I just discovered that there is a second layer to my box of chocolates!!! I thought I was almost done, but I'm not. As soon as I discovered that, I started taking the stairs up and down from the laundry room instead of riding the elevator.
Speaking of which, gotta run. Time to switch a load. A bientot.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Anniversary
I've passed the one-week mark! Still with a job, no parking tickets yet and I carried on a two-sentence conversation today in French. So, all is good. I realized driving home (yes, driving!) tonight from work, stopping at the grocery store, paying for my parking place in the grocery store parking lot (yes, true), shopping, checking out, driving past the little winery down the street (at left), getting into my tiny apartment garage spot and coming up to my temporary apartment that I have done every single one of these things before! (Except pay for the space in the grocery store lot. Who knew? So, I've actually EARNED parking tickets this week, just haven't GOTTEN one.) It's a good feeling to have some familiarity. When not every single thing is new, it is a bit less overwhelming.
An American work colleague and I today were sharing what we are and are not willing to learn. He refuses to switch over to Celsius, which doesn't really bother me. But, I refuse to use a French keyboard, while he has adapted just fine. (The "z" and "y" are switched, plus all the symbols are mixed up. I had several days of signing my name "Pattz" before I thought, screw this, and reprogrammed my computer to an English keyboard.) Anyway, it made me think that there will be certain things that I will (and/or should) embrace and some others that are not mountains I am willing to die on. I'm working on the language, trying to adapt to the social norms (or at least figure out what they are), and using metric. But, I'm sticking by my keyboard, with a vengeance. I could probably wax poetic about the literal and figurative meaning of all that, but I think you get it.
For those who have been waiting for the latest cheese update...today was Emmentaler and Gorgonzola with Mascarpone. Yum!
Time to watch some TV
...or... not...
Good grief! Here comes another episode of Eye on Macedonia on CNN The World. Who would guess that it was a regular feature on the only English speaking TV station that I get. While you are all watching Jersey Shore (actually my friends are above Jersey Shore...except those of you who KNOW WHO YOU ARE), I'm watching a 49-episode (it seems) documentary on the socio-political impacts of the emergence of Macedonia from its Soviet history. OK once, but I think the next 48 episodes will be painful. Remind me to search for online TV!
So, instead I'll Facebook. Maybe the only website that is actually accessible in Europe??? I should have Netfix and Playlist call them for advice.
Bye for now. Happy anniversary to me. :-)
Monday, October 17, 2011
Voila!
The laundry key is found! I looked for it all weekend, well, except when I was sleeping, which means I didn't actually look for it that long. But, I finally found it today. In the pocket of one of my suitcases. I have NO idea why I put it in there, but I'm sure there was some sort of blurred logic occurring that first day. Now, I have no excuse to miss my laundry appointment this Friday, thank goodness! You have no idea how relieved I am. Seriously, this has been a bit of a stressor for me!
Other (non-work) victories today...
I found out where the visitor parking is. And, I found out where the rental car return is, which will be good to know when I have to say goodbye to the Audi. I did have a shocking thought over the weekend, though. I will have to fill it up with gas, to say nothing of my own car when I get one. Another small hurdle to cross when the time comes.
I met a car at an unmarked intersection and did not run into it, thanks to my son! He found an overview of Swiss driving rules and emailed me the link, which I did read this weekend, when I wasn't sleeping or looking for the laundry key. In the area where my apartment is, none of the streets have stop signs, yield signs, stoplights, etc. Just four roads that come together. Thanks to Michael, I found out this is very common and you must yield to the person on the right, no matter how big your road is or how small his road is. It makes for very alert driving.
I haven't run out of food. This probably has more to do with cooking for one than anything to do with Switzerland. That could be a blog all by itself, but I'll put that one off for awhile until I know more about it! It may sound like running out of food could not happen, but I do think it is possible. I had all intentions to stop by the grocery store on my way home from work. I even drove, instead of walking. But, alas, I ended up at the office until after 7:30 (see blog #1) so ate out of the leftover containers tonight (see blog #2). It still baffles me that I managed to air ship plastic leftover containers, but not one single sweatshirt.
And, final victory of the day, I enjoyed the view from my office. Voila...
Other (non-work) victories today...
I found out where the visitor parking is. And, I found out where the rental car return is, which will be good to know when I have to say goodbye to the Audi. I did have a shocking thought over the weekend, though. I will have to fill it up with gas, to say nothing of my own car when I get one. Another small hurdle to cross when the time comes.
I met a car at an unmarked intersection and did not run into it, thanks to my son! He found an overview of Swiss driving rules and emailed me the link, which I did read this weekend, when I wasn't sleeping or looking for the laundry key. In the area where my apartment is, none of the streets have stop signs, yield signs, stoplights, etc. Just four roads that come together. Thanks to Michael, I found out this is very common and you must yield to the person on the right, no matter how big your road is or how small his road is. It makes for very alert driving.
I haven't run out of food. This probably has more to do with cooking for one than anything to do with Switzerland. That could be a blog all by itself, but I'll put that one off for awhile until I know more about it! It may sound like running out of food could not happen, but I do think it is possible. I had all intentions to stop by the grocery store on my way home from work. I even drove, instead of walking. But, alas, I ended up at the office until after 7:30 (see blog #1) so ate out of the leftover containers tonight (see blog #2). It still baffles me that I managed to air ship plastic leftover containers, but not one single sweatshirt.
And, final victory of the day, I enjoyed the view from my office. Voila...
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Weekend One
Despite my best intentions to get a lot done this weekend, it seems that all I did was sleep. Jet lag finally caught up with me. Plus, I was greatly tempted to nap by the arrival of my quilt! I unpacked all my air shipment boxes on Saturday morning. It was sort of like Christmas. I did not remember what had gone into the air shipment. By the end, I was just throwing things into piles (anyone who visited me the last few weeks in California can attest to that!)
I discovered quite a random assortment of items in the shipment, including things that should have been there, like my little safe and my 2011 financial records, as well as some things that made me wonder, huh? Like an assortment of plastic leftover containers. I obviously was not aware that there would not actually be any food from which to actually have leftovers. Plus, surely I could have made do without them? As it turns out, there are already TWO of them in the fridge with some leftovers in them, so score one for me.
And, at the bottom of one of the boxes was folded my quilt. I think there was a nostalgic bit of the California me that knew I would need a piece of home when I got here. It is the quilt I've had since I was a young wife. There are bits of it torn from where Adam (one of the dogs of my life) decided to use it as a chew toy and I've never been domestic enough to fix it. Nonetheless, it was my perfect security blanket under which to nap both Saturday AND Sunday. Bliss.
I guess it says something about my priorities that the napping comes before the actual doing in this blog. I did manage to travel to Lausanne (by train because I was afraid to drive and actually more afraid to park), find the Bureau d'Etrangers (or something like that) and get myself registered for my "biometrique." Honestly, I don't actually know what I did. I only know that HR gave me instructions (in French) and that I needed to do this. Perhaps I have now signed myself up for the Swiss army or to be a contestant on Switzerland's Got Talent. There is no telling.
I thought I would go grocery shopping when I got back from Lausanne, but the stores close at 5:00 on Saturday. I walked into the grocery store at 4:55, but didn't get anything purchased. Fortunately, I have enough food to get me through until about Tuesday. If I haven't gotten anything new by then, I can always live on chocolate since I now have three welcome boxes. You've got to love a company that welcomes you with chocolate. Plus, when I arrived home from a long, tiring week on Friday, there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting on my doorstep. Courtesy of Nestle. Flowers, chocolate and a great job. It's better than a date. Well, at least better than a bad date. :-)
I discovered quite a random assortment of items in the shipment, including things that should have been there, like my little safe and my 2011 financial records, as well as some things that made me wonder, huh? Like an assortment of plastic leftover containers. I obviously was not aware that there would not actually be any food from which to actually have leftovers. Plus, surely I could have made do without them? As it turns out, there are already TWO of them in the fridge with some leftovers in them, so score one for me.
And, at the bottom of one of the boxes was folded my quilt. I think there was a nostalgic bit of the California me that knew I would need a piece of home when I got here. It is the quilt I've had since I was a young wife. There are bits of it torn from where Adam (one of the dogs of my life) decided to use it as a chew toy and I've never been domestic enough to fix it. Nonetheless, it was my perfect security blanket under which to nap both Saturday AND Sunday. Bliss.
I guess it says something about my priorities that the napping comes before the actual doing in this blog. I did manage to travel to Lausanne (by train because I was afraid to drive and actually more afraid to park), find the Bureau d'Etrangers (or something like that) and get myself registered for my "biometrique." Honestly, I don't actually know what I did. I only know that HR gave me instructions (in French) and that I needed to do this. Perhaps I have now signed myself up for the Swiss army or to be a contestant on Switzerland's Got Talent. There is no telling.
I thought I would go grocery shopping when I got back from Lausanne, but the stores close at 5:00 on Saturday. I walked into the grocery store at 4:55, but didn't get anything purchased. Fortunately, I have enough food to get me through until about Tuesday. If I haven't gotten anything new by then, I can always live on chocolate since I now have three welcome boxes. You've got to love a company that welcomes you with chocolate. Plus, when I arrived home from a long, tiring week on Friday, there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting on my doorstep. Courtesy of Nestle. Flowers, chocolate and a great job. It's better than a date. Well, at least better than a bad date. :-)
Friday, October 14, 2011
Hits and Misses, but a Good Day
My achievements today:
I drove to work. This may seem like a trivial event, but the 90-second trip took a bit of planning and a lot of nerve.
First, the Audi is great. I would highly recommend it. Very comfortable. But, by European standards, also very big. It barely fits into my assigned parking spot. It is so tight that I was not sure if I would be able to get into my car. Fortunately, only having tomato sauce to eat may have actually helped me squeeze into the driver side door.
Second, this may seem obvious, but every street sign is in French. I do know how to read some French, but did not realize how slow I am. By the time my mind has registered that there is a street sign, registered that it is in French, looked at the accompanying symbol and tried to figure it out, and then started to read the sign, I am already past it. I am quite wary of the red X's, but they don't always mean "no entry." In fact, they mostly mean "no parking." (See the previous post about this) but that is not so easy to figure out while going by. I think the background color (blue versus white) means something, but I don't know what yet.
Third, I have a special parking space at the office that is accessed with a remote control. From previous visits over the years, I knew that there was a driveway on the west side of the building, so I headed there. As it turns out, there are two driveways, exactly next to each other. I had visions of ending up in the wrong one, with the CEO behind me waiting for me to back out and head for the other one. Again, the signs clearly (?) described each parking lot. It's a good thing one said "visiteurs." That's not me!
Finally, I did have a small success in finding a parking space in town after work, paying for it correctly (I think!), and purchasing white wine and laundry detergent. At least what I believe is laundry detergent. Which....brings me to today's failure....
My failures:
I have one hour left in my laundry time and I have not done any laundry. I apparently have a special key that records my laundry charges. Beats the heck out of me if I know where it is. I do have the key that gets me into the room, but, alas, no way to run the machines. So, I guess it's socks and undies in the sink this weekend and another try next Friday...once I find the key or the rental company gives me another one.
But, I won't end on a downer. There was a great discovery along with the laundry saga. Although a small bottle of laundry detergent cost $18, it was refreshing to discover that the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc was less than that! Woo hoo, good wine that costs less than laundry detergent. That's a good day.
I drove to work. This may seem like a trivial event, but the 90-second trip took a bit of planning and a lot of nerve.
First, the Audi is great. I would highly recommend it. Very comfortable. But, by European standards, also very big. It barely fits into my assigned parking spot. It is so tight that I was not sure if I would be able to get into my car. Fortunately, only having tomato sauce to eat may have actually helped me squeeze into the driver side door.
Second, this may seem obvious, but every street sign is in French. I do know how to read some French, but did not realize how slow I am. By the time my mind has registered that there is a street sign, registered that it is in French, looked at the accompanying symbol and tried to figure it out, and then started to read the sign, I am already past it. I am quite wary of the red X's, but they don't always mean "no entry." In fact, they mostly mean "no parking." (See the previous post about this) but that is not so easy to figure out while going by. I think the background color (blue versus white) means something, but I don't know what yet.
Third, I have a special parking space at the office that is accessed with a remote control. From previous visits over the years, I knew that there was a driveway on the west side of the building, so I headed there. As it turns out, there are two driveways, exactly next to each other. I had visions of ending up in the wrong one, with the CEO behind me waiting for me to back out and head for the other one. Again, the signs clearly (?) described each parking lot. It's a good thing one said "visiteurs." That's not me!
Finally, I did have a small success in finding a parking space in town after work, paying for it correctly (I think!), and purchasing white wine and laundry detergent. At least what I believe is laundry detergent. Which....brings me to today's failure....
My failures:
I have one hour left in my laundry time and I have not done any laundry. I apparently have a special key that records my laundry charges. Beats the heck out of me if I know where it is. I do have the key that gets me into the room, but, alas, no way to run the machines. So, I guess it's socks and undies in the sink this weekend and another try next Friday...once I find the key or the rental company gives me another one.
But, I won't end on a downer. There was a great discovery along with the laundry saga. Although a small bottle of laundry detergent cost $18, it was refreshing to discover that the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc was less than that! Woo hoo, good wine that costs less than laundry detergent. That's a good day.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Great Swiss Adventure Begins
I arrived for my grand Swiss adventure on Monday night, and I am still so jet lagged that I am really only writing this so that I am not too tempted to go straight to bed. I'm in my temporary apartment, with boxes that arrived this morning from my air freight shipment. I am thinking now that I should have put a LOT more in my air shipment as I feel a bit like I'm camping. But, I DID go apartment hunting last night and have already put in an application for a flat overlooking the lake. So much for my thinking I would not need a lake view! It is pretty hard to resist when you walk into the living room and that is the first thing you see. I'll keep you posted on whether I'm accepted for the flat. In the meantime, I'll keep looking just in case.
So far, the good:
The job. It's pretty awesome. Overwhelming and a huge learning curve, but I think I do know what I'm doing, so I hope I don't feel too lost for too long.
The scenery. All I can say is OMG. My office view is of Lake Geneva and the French Alps. It sure beats the view I had from my office in Modesto of the Frito-Lay plant across the street.
The cheese. YUM. Had fondue already (the first night I arrived). A lovely blue at lunch and Gruyere tonight at dinner.
The rental car. My last 30 days in California were spent driving a Ford Fusion. Actually, quite a nice car. But, it's not an Audi. Which is what my Swiss rental car is. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I've only had to drive it once. I'm not so nervous about the driving as I am about the parking. There are lots and lots of different ways to violate the parking rules and I am sure to get a ticket the first time out.
The people. So far, the Swiss are much friendlier than their reputation indicated. For the most part, not many people outside of work speak English, but they've been very patient with my attempts to do business. The guys at the photo shop where I had to get passport pictures taken for my work permit didn't speak a word of English and I was a bit afraid that my French was so bad that I had ended up ordering something completely wrong, but, voila, it was all correct! The power of persistence and a good attitude, on both sides.
The bad:
You cannot access playlist.com in Switzerland because of potential copyright issues!!! This is crushing for me. If any of my children would like to give me an amazing Christmas present, they can go to my playlist on playlist.com and make me an iPod playlist using those songs. I've been searching for a similar site that works in Europe, but haven't found one yet. If anybody can help me, please do.
Grocery shopping. The stores close at 6, so if you tend to work late (like I tend to do), you are out of luck. Fortunately, Nestle gave me a welcoming basket of food when I got here. So, I've been eating spaghetti and tomato sauce (not to be confused with spaghetti sauce, which this is not) for every dinner. Lucky for me I brought my spices with me, so I could create a slightly different dinner each night. I left work early today (5:30) and practically ran to the supermarket. I think I might have bought fabric softener instead of detergent, so I'll have to look that up on the internet and stop by the store again tomorrow for the detergent because...
The laundry. This temp apartment has a shared laundry room with a schedule. That is actually extremely common here. It's very rare to have a washing machine in your flat, and ALL the shared facilities have a schedule. Which means, if you can't wash at your designated time, you're not washing until next week! My time is Friday evening, so I guess I have no Friday happy hour until I get a new flat! So, if anyone want's to Skype on Fridays, I'll be hanging out at the laundry room looking for something else to do. In fact, tomorrow I have a meeting at 5:00, so I'm going to have to go home at 4:00 to get my laundry started, go back for my meeting, and then return home to start the next load. Crazy!
Television. There is one and only one English channel. CNN The World. I am newsed out right now. It's not even particularly interesting. An odd collection of pseudo news and features. I've thought perhaps I could work on my French by watching some French stations, but now, my head just hurts from trying to keep up and I'd love to see an original Law and Order.
Now, off to make a late night snack...that Gruyere is calling my name.
So far, the good:
The job. It's pretty awesome. Overwhelming and a huge learning curve, but I think I do know what I'm doing, so I hope I don't feel too lost for too long.
The scenery. All I can say is OMG. My office view is of Lake Geneva and the French Alps. It sure beats the view I had from my office in Modesto of the Frito-Lay plant across the street.
The cheese. YUM. Had fondue already (the first night I arrived). A lovely blue at lunch and Gruyere tonight at dinner.
The rental car. My last 30 days in California were spent driving a Ford Fusion. Actually, quite a nice car. But, it's not an Audi. Which is what my Swiss rental car is. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I've only had to drive it once. I'm not so nervous about the driving as I am about the parking. There are lots and lots of different ways to violate the parking rules and I am sure to get a ticket the first time out.
The people. So far, the Swiss are much friendlier than their reputation indicated. For the most part, not many people outside of work speak English, but they've been very patient with my attempts to do business. The guys at the photo shop where I had to get passport pictures taken for my work permit didn't speak a word of English and I was a bit afraid that my French was so bad that I had ended up ordering something completely wrong, but, voila, it was all correct! The power of persistence and a good attitude, on both sides.
The bad:
You cannot access playlist.com in Switzerland because of potential copyright issues!!! This is crushing for me. If any of my children would like to give me an amazing Christmas present, they can go to my playlist on playlist.com and make me an iPod playlist using those songs. I've been searching for a similar site that works in Europe, but haven't found one yet. If anybody can help me, please do.
Grocery shopping. The stores close at 6, so if you tend to work late (like I tend to do), you are out of luck. Fortunately, Nestle gave me a welcoming basket of food when I got here. So, I've been eating spaghetti and tomato sauce (not to be confused with spaghetti sauce, which this is not) for every dinner. Lucky for me I brought my spices with me, so I could create a slightly different dinner each night. I left work early today (5:30) and practically ran to the supermarket. I think I might have bought fabric softener instead of detergent, so I'll have to look that up on the internet and stop by the store again tomorrow for the detergent because...
The laundry. This temp apartment has a shared laundry room with a schedule. That is actually extremely common here. It's very rare to have a washing machine in your flat, and ALL the shared facilities have a schedule. Which means, if you can't wash at your designated time, you're not washing until next week! My time is Friday evening, so I guess I have no Friday happy hour until I get a new flat! So, if anyone want's to Skype on Fridays, I'll be hanging out at the laundry room looking for something else to do. In fact, tomorrow I have a meeting at 5:00, so I'm going to have to go home at 4:00 to get my laundry started, go back for my meeting, and then return home to start the next load. Crazy!
Television. There is one and only one English channel. CNN The World. I am newsed out right now. It's not even particularly interesting. An odd collection of pseudo news and features. I've thought perhaps I could work on my French by watching some French stations, but now, my head just hurts from trying to keep up and I'd love to see an original Law and Order.
Now, off to make a late night snack...that Gruyere is calling my name.
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