Laowai

Thank you Aunt Garlene, Aunt Sandy and Aunt Kim for you comments – they are a bright spot in my day.

 

Today we were in the city and got to have some unexpected and thrilling rides. 

First, this little bike merry-go-round thing that we happened upon. They have completely different playground equipment around here. I don’t think this is what Brian had in mind when he said he was eager for a bike ride this morning – but he made the best of it.

Of course we had to try the swings too.

The playground was way up on a hill and on our way down we spotted a ferris wheel near the lake. Bea insisted we go for a ride and couldn’t stop talking about it. I’m not sure how she even knows what a ferris wheel is, but she pulled us down the street saying come on, come on as we got closer. She was excited. Brian on the other hand is not a fan of heights. I was really surprised he got on an he was pretty uncomfortable up there. He looks like he’s gently holding onto Bea and taking in the scenery but really he is miserable with a death grip on Bea. I enjoyed it. I think Bea was disappointed that it didn’t go faster, but when we got off she said she wanted to go again.

Oh and one more ride that I spotted – maybe it’s not thrilling but it’s pink and I liked how it looked.

This has been my project for the week. I turned our huge pile of cardboard into neat and manageable bundles. Do I get some sort of prize or badge? It was a big job!

This is our 5th week here in our new home. We learn something new each day and feel a little more settled all the time. I don’t miss my family any less though.

Brian is off on his first overnight trip for work – in England. He’s been taking lots of day trips but this time he’s gone two nights and three long days. We miss him too.

Monday we tried some more baking: oatmeal raisin cookies. They turned out pretty good, but things are a little off. I was reassured this morning when another mom from the US said that she has the same problems. It’s because the butter is slightly different, the flour has a slightly different gluten content, the ovens work a little differently, etc., etc. I guess I’ll just keep trying and experimenting.

Here are my almost finished curtains. I made the curtains I bought from IKEA into two curtains because I only needed half the height. I still need to finish the hems.

We had a lovely time with our new friend Julie today. She just moved here from Chicago too. Her husband works with Brian. She’s a smiley, fun, sweetheart. It’s been so nice to have someone to talk about all the new challenges with. And Bea absolutely adores her – smothers her in fact. We had lunch and then blew bubbles.

Julie has a nice little dog named Whitaker who goes into stores and restaurants and everywhere with us. Bea adores him too. She gets a huge kick out of holding onto Whitaker’s leash.

We watched the ducks in the lake for a few minutes. It was warm and everyone was out basking in the sunshine. 

I like to call this little blue eyed sprite my niecey. When I was staying with Mom and Dad in Midland she was fascinated with the photo booth program on my computer. I taught her how to use it and so I have a huge series of photos – all making faces at herself.

I think her Mommy might appreciate these since she is off on a little vacation and I’m sure she’s missing her Jenna.

First of all – I think I am being influenced by British TV – I now tend to refer to myself as mummy.

I had just been reading about a secondhand store called Brocki and I made a note to check out the one in Zurich. Then on our way back home – very close to home in fact. I noticed a sign that I see sometimes. I didn’t know what it said before, but a light went off when I saw it this time. It said Brocki offen. Brocki open! – hey – could it be – a thrift store right around the corner from our home. I think it’s my new favorite spot. This little hole of a store full of old dishes, toys, furniture, fabric, clothes, you name it. And I know the word gratis – that means free. There was a whole bin of cheery fabric out front for free. Oh yes that does make me smile.

Also in the gratis pile – a couple beautifully illustrated kid’s books. More smiling mummy.

Here are a few shots from this morning – it’s nice to explore our little town at a leisurely pace.

These footprints are a little reminder for kids to stop and look before crossing the street. Very young kids walk all by themselves to school.

Here’s a very big tree that we often walk by. I should try to get a better photos sometime.

It’s sunny and getting warmer. There are bits of color popping up.

 

There are little paths that snake and wind all through town. People take the paths to get around instead of walking along the roads. I guess (as the sign indicates) they are intended for men and little girls. So here’s a man and a little girl enjoying a stroll.

I’m learning about recycling. The Swiss, as you may have heard, are super devoted recyclers. Today was the first paper collection day so I made my first neat little bundle of paper and tied it up with string. Here are a few shots to show just how neat and tidy the piles of paper are. 

Also, they are very strict about how and when things are recycled. This sign is posted at a glass and metal recycling spot – basically just a series of big bins along a quiet neighborhood road. There is a bin each for aluminum cans and brown, green and clear glass. As you can probably see, the sign says you cannot recycle on Sunday and you cannot recycle around lunch time.

So much to learn. Even the little foil top to a yogurt container should be recycled – but I haven’t figured out exactly where yet. I have been shocked that so far we have been able keep ourselves to just one small garbage bag per week. It’s a much smaller garbage bag than ones I used back in the US and it costs a couple Swiss Francs to put each bag out in the dumpster. You should have seen how excited I was when we discovered a styrofoam recycling bin very close to our apartment. We have a bunch of styrofoam left over from our IKEA furniture packaging. Wooo hoooo – that’s Swiss style excitment.

Every time Brian comes home late recently I’ve been glued to the TV watching Lambing Live on BBC. It’s a live show that follows the lambing season on a family farm in England. Brian can’t understand the fascination that I have developed… I guess I can’t explain it either. They basically show the ewes in the barn waiting to give birth and then giving birth – sometimes with the help of the farmer or the farmer’s wife. They talk in great detail about everything related to the process. From more detail than I probably needed related to all things breeding. To how they do scans to see if the sheep are having a single baby or twins or triplets. How they adopt a lamb to an ewe that has lost her baby. How they help along any lambs that are struggling. And how the ewes communicate with their lambs once out in the field. Maybe it’s because I’m pregnant and I feel a connection to all those birthing sheep mums. Or maybe it’s just the cute as a button little lambs. I’m thinking of asking Brian if we can start a sheep farm once this Switzerland adventure is over.