It's a Swiss Thing

Before coming to Switzerland, I did my best not to have a lot of expectations of how it would be. When I went to France, the movie Amélie had just come out, so it was pretty tough not to expect it to be just like that. The thing is, in France I was a long-term visitor, and for the first weekend in Paris, a bonafide tourist. So, for me, it was like Amélie. Studying abroad was magical in a way no other trip to another country could be. Life was like the movies.

I can't recall a movie set in Switzerland, but I'm sure it would paint a picture of ultra clean and tidy streets, organization and punctuality, chocolate for everyone and content cows in alpine meadows. HA! What a joke! Switzerland, as least the Switzerland I am living in, is none of the above. Last night my bus was 12 minutes late, last week, my insurance man was more than 20 minutes late. I see grafitti, trash and dog poop in the streets everyday. Getting my phone hooked up took no less than 8 phone calls to the same 2 offices and as many return calls (let's keep in mind I was in a phonebooth) just to get an appointment with an electrician, who in the end, I was told, would show up between 8 and 5! No, no, no my friends. That is not organization. That is not punctuality! That is not ultra clean and tidy and I have yet to see a cow or alpine meadow. No, Switzerland is none of those things. None, except the chocolate thing.

Swiss people eat more chocolate per capita than any country on earth with the average person eating nearly 25 pounds a year. In the grocery store, there is a separate chocolate section all on its own and always crowded. A couple days ago, I went in to pick out a few bars of chocolate. I noticed that Coop has some really cheap varieties (pictured at the right). Lindt is 3 CHF a bar at least. It's good, but so is cheap Swiss chocolate, so I thought it best to stick toward that end of the chocolate store. Just then, a sneaky little man ducked and dove at the cheap chocolate. It's really cheap -- we're talking .45 CHF a bar. He deftly counted them as he stacked them up his arm and took all of them! He walked away with 16 chocolate bars! They're 100 grams each. That right there is a hefty chunk of the yearly quota and based on his skill getting them off the shelf, I don't think he's stocked for months.

It's true, the Swiss love their chocolate. The other stuff is not holding up, not at all. But that's not to say I don't love it here. I do. Especially the chocolate.

The Voyage and Arrival in Pictures

Waiting at the LA airport.
Quite possibly the strangest outfit I've ever seen.
Note that one leg is shaved and the other is not.

LAX. Full of trash.

Travel Kettle. Tea on the go.

Subtlety is overrated.

Postcard, Brit style.

Goodbye England.

Hello France.

As the little picture instructs, just spray on to toilet paper
and wipe the seat clean. Geneva Airport. Clean as can be.

Look what my whacky couch can do!

City officials buzz around in these.

Organic eggs raised in the open air, complete with expiration date stamp.
I like the variety of colors. From my favorite grocery store, Coop.

The Past Three Weeks...

A few days ago, looking at my last post would have made me cry -- again. Jetlag and arriving in a new place has been a far more emotional and difficult experience than I would have assumed. Luckily I didn't have internet until now, and I'm feeling much more settled and adjusted, so no tears today, except maybe a few tears of joy that I now have a phone and a DSL connection!!

Really, there is a lot to bring all of you up to speed on, so here's a quick recap.

Rudy took a bath! On a 95 degree day in Seattle, he looked like he was languid and listless from the heat. My cousin John informed me that all animals can swim and he was right! Little Rudykin seemed to enjoy the cool water and relief from the heat. I think the rabbit paddle is about the cutest thing I've ever seen. Joel helped him out by getting water up onto his back. Rudy is just the sweetest rabbit on earth.


Following the unbearable heat was a week in Spokane. Joel and I had lots of fun housesitting for a family with a really cool dog named Zoey. It was a busy week, full of preparation and the stress made it hard to enjoy the time as it flew by. We did manage to steal one day to go to Tubb's Hill. I didn't swim that day. For some reason I just didn't feel like it. Now I wish I had. It was beautiful and we had a little secluded beach all to ourselves. The kind of place to go to when you close your eyes and want to be somewhere else.

Momentary Relief

Behold the beauty of Elliott Bay. This is the spectacular sunset Joel and I witnessed from the upper deck of the Elliott Bay Water Taxi from Pier 55 downtown to Seacrest Park in West Seattle. This picture, taken with my ancient camera phone, doesn't even begin to convey the delight of that moment. That is because the ride was not only beautiful, but cool. The air off of the water felt absolutely amazing after the scorching hot day we had just endured, providing 15 minutes of blissful, however momentary relief. Only on alighting did I notice the freezer case full of Häagen-Dazs. Mmm. Next time.

If it's yellow, let it mellow...

In the last couple weeks before I leave for Switzerland, I am staying at my sister Amy's house with her, her husband Tod and her stepson Henry. I am having a great time here. We eat dinner and then we play cards and watch some Buffy together. They have a nice family unit and it feels cozy and safe. If it's yellow, they let it mellow. I've gotten used to this.

I'm in a real lame duck period here. I haven't left yet, but I feel strangely transient, strangely rooted. I've been painting at my sister Juliet's house. When it comes to painting, it's probably better to pay a professional than leave it to me, but I'm getting better. Today I got a large amount of paint in my hair. Given that I tire of taping and painting after 2 hours, I would make a pitiful laborer. Not that she doesn't like some really great music, but Juliet likes some really bad music. On track 11 of Sarah Douger's latest my mom finally screamed out, "Juliet, who is this horrible girl?" and being in agreement with my mom's opinion, though not her tactics, I took the liberty of pressing stop. The silence was beautiful.

On an exciting note, my visa arrived from the Consulate on Friday. It's very pretty and takes up a whole page in my passport just like my French student visa did. However, this one is much prettier. As it turns out, the beautiful thing is just my entry visa and I will get my permanent visa the day after I arrive.

That day is drawing near and I'm incredibly anxious. Incredibly so.

Good Music & Reunions

I continue to be enamored with Worlds Apart by Trail of Dead. I swear to God, every time I listen to it, it gets better. The lyrics are emerging from the music like never before and this is probably my favorite part about any piece of music, how it hits you in layers. Mmmm, good.

MySpace is something I have only taken seriously recently. Today I got a "friend request" from a girl in highschool whom I have not been in touch with or even really thought about in years. It's the weirdest thing to see someone's face smiling out at you from their picture and remember them. It's neat, actually. For the first time I am actually looking forward to the highschool reunion I swore I would never attend.

So that's that. We all need good music and reunions. They keeps things in perspective.

Summer of Thunder

A storm is going outside. The raindrops started lightly and now they're pounding erratically on the garden. Lightning illuminates the room, thunder claps loudly and the raindrops soften. A break. This has been the summer of thunder tumbling through the clouds, the summer of the smell of fresh rain. Of rapid, sky separating lightning. And the raindrops pick up again and the thunder claps once more. It's all happening in succession. It's release yet it fuels more of the same.

Thank God for ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

I have had this album for what, a year now? And only recently, in the last few weeks, have I become completely addicted to it? It's so weird the way that can happen, but it has. I feel like a teenager again with this album. In these days of iPods and iTunes, a person rarely buys a cd and proceeds to listen to it in order from beginning to end, but despite the fact that this album is on my iTunes, I do just that. Trail of Dead has music for every feeling, every occassion and it's almost all present on this single album. The only thing that's missing is a song for when you really need to rage and you're so pissed off all you want to do is scream along with something aggressive. The only song for that is "A Perfect Teenhood" from Trail of Dead's album Madonna. Last year Joel saw Trail of Dead in Köln where they put on what sounds like a stellar performance they finished off by breaking all of their stuff to the aforementioned song. He sent me the song right away claiming Trail of Dead was the most amazing band ever, or something to that degree. I listened, but it was way way way too heavy for me at first. The sort of thing that really puts you on edge and makes you want to grind your teeth before bed at night. But then it grew on me in a major way and when I got World's Apart, I got ready for more grinding and edginess only to be surprised by the most diverse, quality album I've heard in a long time. My favorite songs are Caterwaul and Let it Dive and I almost got a speeding ticket last week listening to them while driving.

I have my fingers crossed that they will play a show in Europe while I'm there. Sadly, they'll be in Austria, Germany and Belgium this weekend. They're two weeks early!! I don't leave for Switzerland until August 1st. But, with a new album due out in October, they'll be back on the continent again, for sure. Check out their fansite blog at www.trailofdead.org. It's some of the more hilarious writing I've encountered and I'm pretty sure it's all penned by Conrad Keely, Trail of Dead's own frontman.

I'm Mobile and Moving

Hurrah for the rental car. This is my very own (until Saturday) Hyundai Accent. Lame enough, but oh so essential for traversing Maryland and more specifically the Baltimore, Ellicott City, Columbia landscape everyday. It has a cd player and I've burnt many a cd since acquiring this little vehicle. Nothing like freedom to go places, see things and meet up with people.

We have a huge party planned for tomorrow night and the wonderful Dr. Snow of ED600, Educational Research has said he plans to come. He is by far the coolest professor on earth - continues to surpass his coolness with each day. Our last class we did wine tasting and let me tell you that 8 bottles of wine is more than enough for 15 people to have a taste. Yum.

Freedom is Ringing all Around

Last night I went with Sarah, Joy's roommate, and her friends Katie and Megan to see the fireworks display at Catonsville Highschool. Catonsville is a few towns down Frederick Road (the road that goes all the way to "the west") from Ellicott City. I was impressed with their fireworks display. It was mostly impressive because we were right underneath them and they made my whole body rumble as they exploded overhead. We got there early, laid out a few blankets and played cards until the fireworks started. I really suck at cards. Maybe that is a skill I will have to refine in my repertoire. Cards can be fantastic fun and the perfect social activity.

Katie has a little white Cabrio like my beloved Cabriolet only newer and still operative. We drove around with the top down and when the traffic was so heavy we were barely moving, Sarah and I sat up on top of the back seat like we were on an Independence Day Float in a parade and waved to lookers on as Katie blasted an Ace of Base remix from the stereo. That was definitely the highlight of the evening.

One thing I'll really miss about the east coast is being able to wear a tanktop and skirt after dark and not get cold. Not even going fast in a convertible. Awesome.

The Slightest Pang of Regret

For the past few days, I've been hung up on this daytrip Joel and I took with my niece and nephew last summer to Tubb's Hill in Coeur d'Alene. I remember going to Tubb's Hill (we called it Tubb's Mountain) as a little child to hike and swim so it made me happy to take these two there and share that experience. As a child, it feels much bigger than it really is and it was exciting to see it through their eyes. We had a fantastic time and on the way home, while Joel and I talked in the front seat, I could see them asleep, worn out from all the fun in the rearview mirror.

4th of July marks the height of the summer, the point when it gets really hot and the beginning of the school year feels so far away even though it's inching nearer. This year, I have not yet had any summer. I was working, now I'm in school. When I get back to the west coast, I need to work more. It makes me mad, upset, disappointed that this year summer will likely go by and I won't be able to spend any days like this with Joel and these two kids. This is turning out to be the hardest part of going to Switzerland. Knowing full well that I will miss out on two years of these children's lives. This afternoon, looking at this picture, I felt the slightest pang of regret. I'm sure going to miss them.

More Chick Lit

I have been in Maryland three weeks now, and in that time, I have finished three chick lit books. That is why I love these books. They're quick reads, they're mindless, they're about nothing of importance, they completely distract me while burning fat on the reclined stationary bike at the gym. They're also in high demand because women go through them like chiclets. Really, no pun intended, and in all seriousness, I've decided to write one. But first let's discuss the work of one Lauren Weisberger.

The Devil Wears Prada is an entertaining read but there were two things that bugged me about this book. One was that it started out midstory, went back in time to bring the reader up to date, and yet never revisited the day the novel started out on. The whole time I was thinking there must have been something of real significance in that first scene that would be revisited and revealed and everything would come full circle. But then it was November and the book had started in Summer. Darn. Bugger number two was that in the last 50 pages the narrative stopped, pretty much all dialogue stopped and it was just a quick summing up of the many plot and subplot lines. Lame. The story was cute, the situational comedy funny, but those two things ticked me off enough that I'm still thinking about them.

The two buggers in Devil didn't tick me off enough, however, to not read Weisberger's next book, Everyone Worth Knowing and I picked it up right after I finished Devil. I enjoyed this book much more than Devil. The story was really romantic and the idea was creative. Perhaps the reason I liked it more was that the character was my age, so it was easier to relate. All of Anna Maxted's characters were my age and somehow, that matters even if it's only a few years' difference. I found the cast of characters full, from the anorexic, shallow Elisa, to the soulful, yet gorgeous Sammy. By the end, the characters exhibited real growth and discovery making it not only entertaining, but satisfying as well. Most importantly, Weisberger tied in all of the little things to make the plot, subplots and storyline a cohesive whole. Two thumbs up on that one.

Raging Storm

This is how the stream at Joy's house looks on a normal day. It's very mellow, all the rocks are exposed and the water trickles along very peacefully.

Then we had the most insane storm last night and it sent everything topsy turvy in the entire town. The first sign that it was more than a normal thunderstorm was when water overflowed in a windowsill and flooded the bathroom. The lightning just would not quit. Lightning struck every ten seconds and the thunder shook the whole house. By that point, the rain was so loud, it was impossible to have a conversation with the window open. All this, and it was still so damn hot!!

Pretty soon Joy came home from work early because Cacao Lane had closed due to flooding! The entire historic center was flooded and all the businesses had closed. Joy, her roommate Sarah and I went for a wet walk and saw the town overrun with water and of course got very wet.

Kevin, Joy's other roommate, shone his headlights on the "stream" so this picture could be taken. It was very dark, and it still didn't turn out that well, but you get the idea. On a normal day, the water is about 8 feet down, last night it was less than two. The force of the water and the speed was terrifying. I was afraid to be near it alone. This wasn't the only stream running over either. A little stream or river of sorts runs right through the center of town. There the water is usually ten feet down and there are buildings built right over it. It's very quaint because it gives the town little bridges and spaces for benches and enjoying a coffee it wouldn't have otherwise. During the storm the water was actually hitting the buildings and that was the cause of the flood.

By the time I got home from school this afternoon at 4:30 pm the stream was still this high. The news said that the storm is supposed to continue tonight and the telltale heat lightning that comes before the storm is already in full swing out front. This is seriously the most exciting weather I've ever experienced. I could really do without the humidity though. Thank goodness for those dehumidifiers.

Hot, Humid and Sticky

This is the famed hammock in Joy's yard. It provides relief from the heat with its gentle swaying and green leaves overhead. The other night, after doing laundry, we got mini-six packs at the beer and wine store, I like to call them "baby beers," and had a few on the hammock. It's big enough for two people, but I can only handle all the bugs and sticky, thick air for so long - baby beer or no baby beer. It's beautiful here, but too hot, even with the hammock.

In two weeks I'll be back in Spokane. What a relief that will be. Currently it is 91 degrees in Ellicott City ("feels like 93") and 41% humidity. In Spokane, it's 76 degrees ("feels like 76") and 27% humidity. Where would you rather be?

Unveiled: The Camping Stove

And here it is. This is the set up in the kitchen I will soon occupy. What a relief. It's nothing like the vile and disgusting image I had in my head. My overactive imagination (I am somewhat like Olivia Joules) conjured up images of 1970s Coleman camping gear covered with an impenetrable layer of dirt and grime, standing on rickety metal legs and attached to a hazardous propane tank ready to blow at any minute, hissing and releasing nasty fumes into the house as I fumble with a box of so-called strike anywhere matches and singe the hairs on my arms and my eyebrows getting it lit. No, this tidy set up is nothing of the sort and should work out just fine for my needs. I actually like the idea that the oven is smaller and energy saving. Besides, I rarely used more than two burners at a time in my kitchen in Spokane, and my refrigerator, stove and oven were all smaller than in normal American households because the kitchen was so small. In Switzerland, I will actually have a bigger kitchen. Now, the question is why it was ever referred to as a camping stove in the first place. It's electric!

A couple photos of the apartment:














The living room and balcony.
The kitchen -- yes, my kitchen in Spokane was actually smaller!

Ellicott City in Pictures

Sarah & Desmond's - cutest coffee shop in town, but they don't open until 9am!!!
A business that would never survive in the Northwest.

Pretty white church on a hillside

Joy actually lives on this road. Supposedly it goes all the way to St. Louis -- ha ha! "the west."

I believe this is the Bureau of Tourism

Entrance to town and Howard County

Olivia Joules: Brilliant!

Helen Fielding, regarded as the queen and creator of chick lit with her ground breaking Bridget Jones's Diary, lives up to her reputation, perhaps even surpassing it, with Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination. It is a novel first and foremost about espionage that lightly incorporates romance into the plot, making it the most brilliant chick lit book I have read yet. Olivia Joules is set in our modern times, involving politics and current events as well as personal growth and love.

Fielding, who really did define the chick lit genre, is clever in that she doesn't allow the romance to be at the center of the story. Her protagonists are always loveable, strong, yet girly and adorable women whose successes revolve around personal achievement. Stories that are just about the romance are merely romance. Chick lit, particularly Fielding's, is distinct in that the protagonist is always fabulous on her own, thereby attracting wonderful men, something I was disappointed to see the producers, writers and directors miss altogether in the movie adaptation of Bridget Jones.

Fielding's Olivia Joules is an inspiration. It is at once gripping and exciting, romantic and sexy. I absolutely loved it!

These people are receiving Masters degrees.

During my first full day of classes, I experienced not one, but two instances of utter disbelief regarding my classmates' lack of general, common knowledge. The first was when a woman made an argument pertaining to "No Child Left Behind" while we mock argued a court case from 1975. I remarked that it was anachronistic to make an argument based on "No Child Left Behind" and the woman just looked at me like I was a giant tomato, or marshmallow.

"It's what?" she asked, looking genuinely puzzled.
"Anachronistic --" I paused. No look of recognition. "It's not chronological," I said. No dice. Still she didn't understand. I thought maybe I had said the wrong word by mistake. So I said, in layman's terms, that "No Child Left Behind" wasn't around in 1975. The she got it, but by that time it was "case closed."

That really bothered me. I don't like to think that I am in a 700-level graduate course with a classmate who doesn't know what the word anachronistic means.

Fast forward to afternoon session in a 600-level Educational Research course. Our professor, Dr. James Snow, quite possibly one of the coolest professors I've ever had made a reference to the Symposium, using the word pontificate in his deadpan description which was quite entertaining. No sooner does the guy make his funny statement and the class starts laughing, but a girl next to me says, "What was that word you used? I don't know that." He responded, as I would have, that the symposium was a men's group in Greece, etc, etc. And she interrupted and said, "No, that word, ponfit?"
"Pontificate?" he asked her. "Yes, I don't know that," she responded.
I, along with most the class and Dr. Snow, told her.

My God!! These people are receiving Masters degrees! I agree that there is a lot of knowledge out there in the world, and no one can possibly know all of it. But, come on. Anachronistic and pontificate!?! It's not exactly Greek. And if you don't know a word, look it up, don't announce it!

One last thing...people should also be aware that Brazilians speak Portuguese, not Spanish. That, however, is another story.

Camping Year Round

The confirmation came early this morning that the camping stove is indeed for year round use in the kitchen. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read the previous post, "Why are a camping stove and butane listed under kitchen?"

This confirmation is somewhat disturbing to me and has meant the return of the irrational (although now not so irrational) imagined scenarios of me schlepping through the streets of Neuchâtel in the snow with a butane tank to refill it and the even more horrifying thought of a kitchen that is not integrated and tidy, but rather dominated by a camping stove that clearly belongs next to a campfire. Maybe, I'm hoping, there are some really fantastic camping stoves out there in the world. Perhaps this light blue camping stove is a luxury edition so luxurious that it can be used in the home. The pictures are on their way.

Maryland

Finally I arrived in Ellicott City. This is my friend Joy's house where I am staying during my summer session at Loyola College. I haven't spent that much time on the East Coast, but what I've noticed is that when you get away from the obviously urban areas and into the smaller towns all of the old houses have big porches like Joy's house has.

This is the stream that runs in front of the house. It makes a lovely relaxing sound that goes nicely with the birds' singing. If only the cars on the street would quit going by, it would be most idyllic.