Project: Get Organized

On Friday afternoon GLH and I made a resolution.

This resolution came as my sister-in-law and I sat in nearly 90 degree heat surrounded by between 70-80 old cans of paint and slowly, at times painfully, opened them one by one and stirred cat litter into them. The employees at the paint store recommended it as the fastest and cheapest way of drying out cans of paint so they can be safely thrown away and not leak toxic chemicals into the water supply.

The occasional lighter-weight can of paint that rattled was cause for celebration. It meant the paint had already completely dried and we could just toss it into the enormous garbage skid we had rented for the week. The skid that was full by the end of the day and will need to be replaced with an empty one so the process of cleaning out the house can continue. Dealing with forty years of accumulation followed by a year of illness is not a quick process.

At one stage GLH's brother stated "If I had known I would one day be doing this, I would have loosened the lids on all of these cans years ago." He actually used other words, but I try to avoid obscenities in my postings.

The paint cans were just the tip of the iceberg. There was so much we did, and so much more that needs to be done. We accomplished all we could while we were there, but we couldn't stay longer. The responsibility of finishing will fall upon the shoulders of GLH's brother and his wife. We can help with some of the paperwork issues, but the back-breaking work will need to be done by them. For that we are sorry.

So what is the resolution?

GLH and I hereby vow that we will get organized and stay organized in order to reduce the burden on the shoulders of each other or our family should we unexpectedly die or become incapacitated.

Our home is actually somewhat organized. I've always been a "purger" and tend to go through our possessions about twice a year, ridding us of unneeded or unwanted items. A skill learned from my parents and through years of moving frequently, usually without professional movers. And fortunately, GLH did not inherit the Pack Rat Gene. He doesn't feel the need to hold onto things that are not actively used. He is also very good at keeping all of our paperwork organized and has an electronic filing system to limit the stacks of paperwork that can accumulate. But there is always room for improvement.

And we need to look carefully at estate planning, wills, living trusts and so on. This is especially true as we hope to soon become parents and we need to plan so that our child/ren will be cared for and financially secure at least through college graduation. Compounded by the complication of living abroad, there is a lot work to be done.

It is always frightening to face the reality of mortality and so easy to put it off because we are still young and unlikely to die any time soon. But it is far better to work through the fear and denial than leave a difficult situation for our family to untangle, likely after paying substantial fees in probate court costs and excess "death taxes."

We will start this week and build a schedule into the process to keep it current.

It may be one of the most important things we ever do.

While the People Are Away...

We returned home this morning to a note from our friend, who cared for our cats while we were gone...

O.K. So you need to know there was an INCIDENT OF THE GREENIES while you were gone... Left the top drawer open and T 'n M got the greenies and had a wild Greenie Party getting both packages no less! Tilly looks like she got the lion's share of the greenies... So they must both have very sparkly teeth now!

By the way, the package advises no more than 10 greenies in a day or they can get sick. They are little rascals. And no more greenies for them until we have time to get to Qualipet.

Both of them still have very stinky cat breath. I guess it wore off.

Pause

In the United States due to a family emergency.

Blogging to resume in a week or so.

Good-bye, Old Girl

A Very Special Dog

Dekko

1995-2008

Shown walking with my nieces in 2005

Ponytail

This week I realized I have worn my hair in a ponytail virtually every day for close to a month. For me, that means only one thing. I am tired of dealing with long hair.

So this morning I went down and had someone cut my hair off. Unfortunately, it was a bit too short to be able to donate for a wig for children who have lost their hair.

But I am relieved to report, it is NOT a Vokuhila (Mullet).

I am now sporting a *chin-length bob. It will be months before a ponytail is even a possibility.

Ah. Much better!

*NOTE: Most definitely NOT the kind worn by Posh Spice. I don't "do" trendy. And besides, that hairstyle looks like a Reversed Mullet (long in front, short in back).

Wildlife Filming

I know the basic rule of wildlife filming. Regardless of what happens, the film merely documents events and the camera crew should never step in and interfere with the natural order of the environment. Which means that if the lion kills the baby zebra, you simply film and allow it to happen.

What I didn't know is that those rules spill over into reality television with people as well.

On Airline there was a young man who forgot his passport. His brother was on his way to deliver the passport to the airport. Unfortunately while he was waiting, he fell asleep and did not hear the repeated announcements to come to the desk. You'd think the camera crew, who stood and filmed him sleeping, might have woken him up at some stage. But apparently that would have violated the prime directive and disturbed the natural order. Perhaps even created some kind of a time/space continuum anomaly?

I wonder if they would have helped if a lion had somehow escaped in the airport and began killing people? Or would that have been too much of an interference?

Why Aren't I Blogging?

I've received a few e-mails concerned about my lack of blogging. Is there something wrong? Did I need another break? What is happening?

Well, as my previous post mentioned, I cut my finger. Deep enough to require a trip to the hospital. It's alright, but banging it against a keyboard kinda hurts.

I'll blog again when it doesn't hurt to type.

Thanks!

Unfallgefährdet

That's the German word for "accident prone."

Which I have once again proven I am.

Earlier today I was chopping onions for dinner and the knife slipped a bit. I was pretty amazed at how much blood could pour so quickly out of my finger.

About 45 minutes later, even with constant pressure and keeping my hand up in the air, it became obvious that the bleeding was not going to stop on its own. So GLH and I made our first visit to an emergency room together. (Well, except for visits with Max the Cat to the animal hospital because he once again ate a non-food item. But that doesn't really count.)

After a two minute wait we were in the back, being examined by a nurse. The doctor arrived a couple of minutes later. The cut had to be soaked in a disinfectant that also helped to stop the bleeding. Then an embarrassingly enormous bandage was applied and we were walking out the door.

Almost the entire situation was handled in German, which impressed GLH quite a lot. He didn't know I was that good at "spreckling the Deutsch."

Have to admit, I was impressed with the efficiency. Approximately 40 minutes after walking into the emergency room, we were done and walking back out.

Worst thing about the whole situation?

Our cats seem to think the enormous bandage is present for them. Perhaps a special chew toy? They might need to be kicked out of the bedroom while the bandage is on. Much harder to protect while I am sleeping...

Healthier?

Last night we had a few friends over for dinner.

While we were eating, one of them mentioned she's been a lot healthier since she moved to Europe. She was convinced her lack of colds had to due with radiated heat instead of forced air heat, which tends to dry out your nose and throat.

I was thinking about it some more today because I have also been healthier since moving here. But I think it is more as a result of not working than anything else.

Here are the reasons:

1. I am no longer sleep deprived. Before I married GLH I actually worked two jobs, my full-time job and a part-time job. As a result, three days a week I worked from 8 am until 11 pm. I also worked at least two weekends every month. Even after I quit the second job (because GLH and I were rarely able to see each other), I worked long hours as a manager. With all the things that must be done at work and at home, plus a desire to also do fun things, I rarely got to bed before midnight and then was up again by 6 am.

2. We rarely eat away from home now. When we were both working, we would get home exhausted from the day and then try to figure out what to have for dinner. Cooking seemed like a lot of work. Not to mention cleaning up afterwards. And the grocery shopping to ensure we actually had things to eat. We would frequently end up eating at a restaurant (or picking up take out) simply because it was late, we were hungry and it was so much easier. Now that I am not working, I have time to grocery shop and do actual meal planning. Plus the cost of dining in Zurich is so high that I am reluctant to pay those prices for what is usually mediocre food. (The good restaurants are even more expensive!)

3. Exercise is an integrated part of my daily life. Since I usually take public transportation most everywhere I go, I do a lot more walking. Plus I will frequently meet other Haus Fraus for a bit of walking as well. I typically average an hour or more of exercise every day. That's a fair amount of exercise. Far more than I used to do even when I planned it into my schedule and visited the gym.

4. I am no longer exposed to so many germs. Do you have any idea how many germs library employees come into contact with on a daily basis? Large public buildings, filled with people of all ages, but predominantly children, tend to generate a lot of sickness. I love children. Really do. But they are germ factories! There's just no getting around it. Because I do not work, I come into contact with far fewer people. And unlike at work, where people may come even when they are sick, Haus Frau events tend to have only the healthy people there.

So, yeah, I am healthier and catch far fewer colds and the like. But I don't think it's got anything to do with our radiated heat!

And I am healthy even though we generally leave our windows open for the cross breeze. But that's another post altogether. (I bet others living in German-speaking areas know exactly what I am talking about!)

Gas Prices

Before you complain to me about the cost of gas in the United States, please read this...

Gas in Europe almost $9 Gallon

Thank you

Margaritas in Europe

As my long-time readers know, I have bemoaned the fact that European bartenders seem incapable of making a good margarita. What you get ends up being something like a tequila martini with an overwhelming taste of sour lemon.

But I have finally learned the secret for getting a good margarita in Europe. Oh yes I did!

First Step: Ask the bartender if they have Rose's Lime Juice.

If they say "yes," ask them to replace the lemon juice with Rose's Lime Juice. Voila! Mission accomplished. Sit back and sip with a smile on your face.

If they say "no," give up.

If you insist on ordering one anyway, get a side order of Sprite and use it to "doctor" the margarita and make it drinkable.

Two further notes...

1. If you like it "on the rocks," just ask for it to be served over ice cubes. European bartenders do not uniformly understand the phrase "on the rocks," regardless of what language is used.
   
2. Think before asking for salt on the rim. They generally just use regular table salt, which really doesn't have the same effect as the rock salt normally used. Might be better to just skip that part.

Enjoy!

What's Happening?

That's the question my neighbor asked immediately after I opened the door to her ring.

She wondered if we were having a huge party (to which she was not invited) or we were preparing for Armageddon.

Which was only fair considering the amount of water we had sitting in the hallway. Because right next to our door were 6 cases of water, each containing 6 1-liter bottles of fizzy water, waiting for us to take them down to the storage area in the basement. They had been delivered a few minutes before by the Migros Guy.

What she didn't know is that we also had 3 additional cases of water that we managed to fit into a kitchen cupboard. Plus 16 cartons of milk. Plus 16 cartons of juice. (Fortunately the milk and juice are UHT, which means they won't expire for about 2 months. And water doesn't really ever expire.)

Why do we have this enormous bounty of beverages?

Well, I'm a bit lazy and don't like to cart heavy beverages up the hill. Or cart them up from the garage if I drove the car to get them. So I have beverages and other heavy items delivered to our door by the Migros Guy. Much nicer that way, isn't it?

And when I did the online order on Sunday afternoon, we were also watching The Wire, a completely addictive tv series. We had just downloaded the entire first season from iTunes on Friday afternoon. We've got 6 seasons to get caught up on!

Unfortunately, my attention was diverted and I perhaps didn't pay as much attention to the Migros order as I ought to have done.

Now, I did notice that the water was on sale this week, so I tried to order 4 cases. It limited me to only 3 per order, which I thought a bit odd, but figured it was because of it being on sale.

What I didn't realize is that ordering 3 did not result in 3 cases with 6 1-liter bottles each as I thought it would. Nope. Because they sell them in clumps of 3. Which actually resulted in 9 cases with 6 1-liter bottles each. Which I would have noticed had I actually been reading the computer screen.

I have no idea what happened with the juice and the milk. Other than something very active or suspenseful was likely on the television at that moment.

So, no, we are not having a party to which we failed to invite our neighbors. Nor did we suddenly become convinced that the world is ending and we should begin to stock pile supplies.

However, GLH has asked that perhaps in the future I not watch television while making Migros online orders.

Which isn't fair. He's the one that purchased the Mac laptop, thereby enabling me to watch television and work on the computer at the same time.

So really, it's all HIS FAULT. He's an ENABLER!

Right?

One Note: This is the first time in nearly 18 months of deliveries that I have seen the Migros Guy smile. And today he was laughing outright. Even though he had to lug all those bottles of water to our door, he thought it very funny that the crazy American lady had made such a silly goof. I live to serve.

Swiss Customer Service

This afternoon GLH and I made another trip to the FedEx office at the Zurich Flughafen. Some of you may remember our last trip here.

Today they once again exhibited fine customer service skills.

We had to mail a small box of stuff to the US and had to use either FedEx or DHL because it had to be tracked from door to door. (When mailed through Swiss Post, things only get tracked to the US post office in NYC, not to its final destination.)

So we walk up with the box and explain we have to send it via FedEx.

Swiss Guy: We cannot send that.

GLH: Why not?

SG: That is a box. We can only send documents.

GLH: Are you certain?

SG: Yes.

GLH: So you are telling me that I cannot send this box from this location.

SG sighs and walks into a back office. He returns a couple of minutes later.

SG: We cannot send a box.

GLH: Who did you just go ask? Can I talk to them?

SG: I just went to check the dimensions of what we can send. That box is too large.

GLH: So you do have boxes? Can I see one of the boxes?

SG, sighing more heavily this time, once again goes into a back office and returns with a FedEx box.

GLH: I think I can make that work.

SG: No. It will not work.

GLH: Yep, I think it will. Let me try.

SG reluctantly hands GLH the box. In a few moments GLH has transferred everything over and it is ready to send. After filling out a whole lot of information about what we are sending and where, SG runs into another problem.

SG: I need a telephone number at the destination.

GLH: I don't have one.

SG: I cannot send it without a telephone number.

GLH: I have sent packages without telephone numbers with FedEx before. Are you sure?

SG: This package cannot be sent without a telephone number.

GLH: OK. I've got a telephone number.

GLH writes down our Skype telephone number. SG accepts the number and we are finally able to end the transaction.

Sometimes it is just easier to give 'em what they want, even when it makes no sense...

Revived

Alright. Feeling better.

The weather has been cooler and rainy. That helps.

We went to Berlin and the trip verified I am actually learning German. That helps too.

We have a fabulous vacation planned for later this summer, plus my closest friend since junior high is arriving for a too brief visit in a couple of weeks and some other friends are visiting in August. That helps a lot.

All the comments of support also helped. Really do appreciate it.

Feeling more positive. Let's give this another whirl...

Break Time

I'm going to take a break from this blog. Don't know how long. Could be a week or could be longer.

Since coming back from the US last week I have been swamped by homesickness and I am having a difficult time feeling positive about Switzerland right now.

I know that a huge part of it is because summer is here. I really do not like summer and dread it every year regardless of where I happen to be. It's worse when I cannot just escape into air conditioning and ignore the weather. I have an intense dislike of being too hot and my definition of "too hot" is very different from most people. My ideal temperature is 65-70 F (18-21 C). Anything above 75 F (about 24 C) is too warm for me. Above 80 F (about 27 C) is quite unpleasant and my discomfort, not to mention whining, grows exponentially as the temp goes up from there.

But I also miss my family and friends. A situation which is not helped by some of my friends here moving elsewhere.

And I miss friendliness, people smiling at strangers and laughing with friends on the street (in public even!) Oh God, I really, really miss friendliness! Must everyone be so stoic here?

I miss hearing English and not feeling panicked when I have to ask someone in a shop a question, not only because I'm not sure of the words but also because there is a high probability that I won't have a clue what the heck they say in response. Even though my German is pretty good at the basic interaction level, Swiss German remains beyond my comprehension.

And I miss how convenient life in the US is. How you don't have to worry about running down to the grocery store before it closes or figuring out where to get x or y or z or having a slight heart attack every time you realize just how much everything costs.

So I just need to take a break until I get past this and feel more positive about being here again.

Hopefully it won't be too long.

No Relief

GLH and I are both having a terrible time with allergies this year. Even with our allergy medication, we are still having issues. So I did some googling on how to help reduce the allergens in your home.

Want to know what is the number 1 best way of reducing allergens in your home?

Central Air Conditioning

Pulls all the pollen out of the air and through a filter. Also helps to reduce any mold that may happen in bathrooms and kitchen by acting as a dehumidifier.

If only.

But alas, central air is but a dream here.

Sigh.

Accepting Applications?

Most Swiss are not currently accepting applications for new friends.

Allow me to elaborate...

When I lived in Ireland for a year as a student, I purposely kept separate from the very large group of American exchange students who also came to the same university. I theorized I had come on an exchange program to learn about a new culture and hanging out with Americans would not help me to meet this goal. And I was very successful. I had a large group of Irish friends, some of whom I am still in contact with after more than more than 15 years. Of course, I was fully emerged in the student culture and I spoke the same language, a different dialect, but close enough for the most part. But still, I made an effort and it paid off.

When we decided to move to Switzerland for GLH's job, I decided I would attempt to do the same. True, I would not have school or work to help me to meet people and I didn't speak the language. But I am a very friendly, outgoing person and I have never had difficulty meeting people in any place I have ever lived. Surely it would just be a matter of time before I had a circle of friends, many of whom would likely be Swiss.

Well, I was wrong.

Yes, I have a circle of friends. But the majority of them are other English-speaking expats.

I do know a few Swiss and would consider them friends by my own definition of friendship, but I suspect they would not consider me a friend. Mostly because I have only been here for 17 months and it takes 3-4 years to develop an acquaintanceship enough to be called a friendship. At least in Switzerland it does.

But in speaking with people who have lived here for several years and are fluent in the language, many of them have stated that they still do not have many Swiss friends. Most of their friends are also other English-speaking expats who live in the area. If they have Swiss friends, they tend to be very internationally-minded -- meaning they have either lived abroad or traveled extensively.

The only ones who do seem to truly have a circle of Swiss friends are the ones who "marry into the culture." And even then, one woman told me they aren't really her friends. They are her husband's friends, most of whom he has known since preschool, and she is accepted in their numbers and they are friendly towards her. But when introductions are made to new people, she is described as their "friend's wife," not their "friend." Even though she has now known them for more than 10 years.

This all seems bizarre to me and has led to a great deal of research.

My theory? It's the difference between a transient society and a non-transient society.

The United States is a transient culture and has been since the beginning of its history. It's the largest "immigrant culture" that exists. Pretty much everyone is from an immigrant family. Even if your family came over on the Mayflower, you are still an "immigrant family." And as a culture we are extremely mobile. Most of us move multiple times within our lives. We move as children with our families as our parents get relocated for their careers. We move away from home to attend college. We move about the country and the world ourselves as we begin our own careers.

The US culture has always adapted for this. The earliest immigrants had to make connections quickly or they risked failure. In many cases, failure meant death. They had no network of family and friends on which to depend and had to work with complete strangers just to learn how to live in their new environment. From the pilgrims to the pioneers to the influx of European immigrants at the end of the 19th century, an inability to quickly meet people and develop relationships usually resulted in a "failure to thrive."

Even now, people constantly moving in and out of your neighborhood is the norm in most American communities. It has led to the creation of groups such as Welcome Wagon and Newcomers Clubs. Most Americans have a small circle of very close family and friends, a secondary circle of local & work friends and a much larger circle of acquaintances.

In Switzerland it is completely different. I cannot now remember where I read this, but in one of the books on Swiss culture I read before moving here one statistic stuck in my head. Around 70% of Swiss live within 30-40 kilometers of where they were born.

Think about that for a moment.

When you live close to where you were born, and most everyone you know has always lived there as well, you really have no incentive to make new friends. Your spare time is already spent juggling the social obligations of your extended family and the friends you have known since childhood. Why would you make the time for friendship with new people? Especially when they come from a different culture and perspective and friendship would be more of an effort?

And that is why I believe most Swiss are not currently accepting applications for new friends.

Any other theories?

Boo Boos: A Cultural Experience

This evening we had guests for dinner. An Incident occurred.

Let me set the scene...

Guests:
KR, German woman who lives a few blocks away
and her 1 year old son, F

KH, our English upstairs neighbor and her 4 year old daughter, R, and her nearly 1 year old son, D

Scene:
We are sitting around the living room after dinner enjoying Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble with ice cream. The little ones are getting tired, a bit cranky and slightly clumsy. In one move, D throws his hands out and tumbles forward off of his mother's lap, hitting his forehead hard on the coffee table. He immediately starts to scream and a large bump begins to form on his forehead.

KR (running for the kitchen): Quick, I need a knife!

GL (running after her): A butter knife?

KR: Yes, where is one?!!

GL (handing her the knife): I also have a package of frozen vegetables!

KR, looking at GL as if she is insane, lays the flat of the knife against the growing bump.

KH runs back into the room, having just returned from upstairs: Here, I have a Mr. Bump!

KR and GL both turn to stare at her in puzzlement.

End Scene

Later, after the screaming has stopped, we each had to explain our choices to each other. KR had never heard of using a package of frozen vegetables to ease the pain and swelling of a bad bump. GL had never heard of laying the flat of a butter knife against a bump to do the same. Neither of us had ever heard of a Mr. Bump. KH had never heard of the Knife Method, but had heard of the frozen peas. However, the English Method of choice is a small, fish-shaped frozen gel thingy called a Mr. Bump.

All of our cultures end with a "Kiss to Make It All Better."

What is your culture's form of Boo Boo Treatment?

PS: R, the 4 year old, and GLH calmly continued to eat their desserts and wisely stayed out of the way of the frantic women.

Rude Awakening

This morning we were awoken very early by an odd buzzy sound and cats acting crazy. Max and Tilly were racing around the room and up on the bed.

The cats were chasing a wasp. Unfortunately, they weren't so much catching it as making it very angry.

Fortunately, GLH stepped up to the plate and killed it.

I really, really miss screened windows...

Morning in Hell

Went to the Migros to stock up on groceries for the long weekend. I could not believe the mobs of people there. I actually saw one woman push another woman aside in order to get the last fresh baked loaf of a certain kind of bread. (There was other bread there, but apparently it was all wrong for her needs.)

See, the grocery stores close at 5 pm on Saturday and don't open again until 8 am on Tuesday. I went this morning in the hopes that perhaps it would be calmer than I knew it would be this afternoon or tomorrow.

No such luck. But at least I got the things I needed. No saying what is likely to be left by tomorrow afternoon.

For those Americans out there who have no idea why it's a holiday, let me explain. It's Whit Monday. Never heard of Whit Monday? Before last year neither had I. I had to look it up.

Those Europeans will use any excuse to close down for a holiday, won't they?