Update! 10 Days in Australia and counting...

Hello all! Well, I am still alive. I am totally off the grid, but alive. How did we ever survive a life without cell/mobile phones and the Internet before? I have NO idea. All I know is that I cannot wait to be connected again. The application is in with iiNet (any former colleagues want to do me any favors? now is the time! :) and Virgin owes me a mobile phone that I ordered before I left Switzerland. Once I am back in touch with the world, you will hear and read more from me. I promise. Until then, a short update.

We have been REALLY busy getting back into the Australian way of life. Last week I started my new job - that is right, I already had a job lined up before I left Switzerland, and I started oh three days after landing back in the country. Finding the job before leaving Switzerland - brilliant. Starting the job before getting over jetlag - DUMB. Needless to say, I am over the jet lag as of this past weekend but for some reason I REALLY suffered this time. We are talking waking at midnight and not getting back to sleep until 4 am, and all that the night before my first day of work.... NIGHTMARE. But I made it through and I am really enjoying the job so all is well on that front. Thank goodness they did not throw the towel in on me during those first few lethargic days! ;)

We are back in our house as well - which is also lucky as the tenants could have been in the house until December 11th. On the other hand, that means we are sitting around in an empty house until January 10th at the earliest when our container arrives. Thankfully, a few good friends and family have set us up with extras - extra fridge, extra bed, etc. With that and the stuff we had stored at family, we are set! Just don't be stopping by for dinner unexpected as we only have so many camping chairs and frozen pizzas to go around. ;)

Sometimes I feel like Switzerland is so, so far away in my mind and like it never happened - being back in a familiar place with familiar friends and places. It makes me sad sometimes that we left, especially during my favorite time of year - Christmas. The holiday season is just not the same when instead of snow and Gluhwein you have Santas in board shorts and barbecues. I have to keep reminding myself that when I see 'Summer' on campaigns at work it means they go live NOW and not in six months. But I will suffer through the seafood buffets and Christmas pool parties and endless days of sunshine and blinding tinsel, thinking of you all that I left behind.... oh yes. I will suffer. ;) But what I wouldn't give somedays for some Apfelchuechli and some snow... once I get this Internet hooked up at home and don't have to 'borrow' it from neighbors I will read all the Swiss Christmas blog posts with a tear in my eye... and perhaps some hot cocoa (probably a la mode - this is Australia) to remember the good times.

I have not been blogging much on the new blog, Aussie Story Blog, but only because of the lack of Internet. Rest assured I am taking lots of photos and blogging in my mind, waiting for the day when I will be back on the net... until then, know we are doing well, that we are happy to be home, and that we are thinking of all of you. Thanks again for all the well-wishes... moving back home is a lot of work, and it is sad to leave those behind, but being the first time I have returned to a place I can call my home, I am happy to say it is a really nice feeling to be back.


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We made it back!

Just a quick post to let everyone know we made it back safe and sound! A few highlights that I hope to blog about this week from the trip are:

• The movers - all about how great Crown Relocation is. This will have to be a two part thing, as we have to wait until January 10th at the earliest when our stuff arrives in Perth. But so far, tre impressed.
  
• The clean up. We paid a rather small (make that large) fortune to have our apartment professionally cleaned, and they mucked it up. More on that this week. I am livid... I hope they will cover their damages without me having to come back and open up a can of whoop-a$$ on them.
  
• The handover was EASY apart from the cleaning damages... I think the professional cleaning really helped despite the costs, but... see above. More coming soon! I will dish it all out.
  
• How to pack light and avoid 500 CHF fines from the airlines for excess baggage - actually, this was a NIGHTMARE but we did not have to pay it in the end. I might have an open marriage proposal out there to the airline employee that saved me this fine. I think Jace is ok with it though considering the dough we saved.
  
• The return home - seeing your old country with new eyes... well, old eyes as it would be this time. I have to admit, I am in a bit of shock after having been away for 4 years. Plus this is probably the first and therefore only place I have returned to in my life, knowing I am going to be staying for awhile. How do you get over the fact that things have changed while you were away and that the things you liked might be gone and those you did not like before might still be there... it is easier to escape to another country, we'll see... but all in all, I am ready and willing to start this new adventure in Australia and see the old girl with new eyes! ;)

I will have limited access to the internet for a few weeks (unless any former iiNet colleagues want to give me a hand here ;) , so please be patient and if you are still interested in guest blogging, please email me! Thanks again for all the kind wishes for a safe trip home. It is really great to be back!

Ps. I have started a new blog as promised!!! It is really in the early phases as I am still posting on both Swisstory and the new Aussie Story Blog.* Please sign up for the email alerts on Aussie Story now or add it to your feedreader, because when then New Year begins, this is officially where our adventure continues.

*I know I am so creative when it comes to blog names...hope you like it. ;)
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Catch up... the last week!

Our last week in Switzerland is here. I really felt sometimes that this day would never come, and other times I felt like it could not come soon enough. We are stumbling over ourselves and bags (and bags of garbage - where does all this stuff come from?!) and the piles of things to take and things to leave with friends. The week will be filled with movers, cleaners (really expensive ones, too - so the white gloves WILL be coming out), handovers and hopefully a bit of fun and relaxation inbetween. Can we do it? I think so. Do we have a choice? Not anymore! We have left our jobs behind us, the apartment is officially someone elses come December 1st and as of tomorrow our bags will be packed... Bring on Perth!

Last week and the weekend was both really tough and really memorable. Last Thursday at work we had a bowling event, which turned into a quasi going away party, in which I showed off my smooth bowling moves and had a really good time downing the beers and the pints. It was great, too, since it was a work event everyone had to come out - plus there were few surprise guests - Martin, where is that email! - so no one was able to sneak away without saying goodbye.

Moreover, Friday was the big last day at work - handovers and cleaning up are never fun, but the work crew really made me feel special giving me a warm sendoff and one of the best going away gifts EVER. More on that later... actually, I got TWO very thoughtful, wonderful gifts. That in addition to the warm words and cards and I felt completely, totally bummed for leaving everyone here behind. Pity it took so long to make these friendships, but I am so lucky to have met and worked with the people I did. Thanks again to everyone for making the last few days so unforgettable.

The weekend was spent cleaning up and organizing everything to get us to the state we are at now - one in which I feel comfortable that we are not taking anything we do not need (hopefully less cubic space to pay for!) and we are not forgetting anything we need for the first 4 weeks - the minimum amount of time it will take to get our gear to Australia.

I had a great Sunday as well - a really wonderful sendoff from a few friends, which included a trip to Alpamare (I am a sucker for a water slide) and some crazy antics inbetween. ;) Thank you again so much to everyone for making us feel so special and that we will be missed. We will surely be missing each and every one of you - and the spare bed is ready in Perth (well... it will be in 4 weeks!).

This is not my final goodbye on the blog, so don't go anywhere... I have some great Guest Posts coming this week from Kathy and another from Chantal... this is just a little update to say we are still going strong, ready for the big week ahead, and a big thanks to everyone that gave us such a great sendoff. We could not have asked for more!
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Update! 3 Weeks until D(eparture) Day

I have been pretty lazy with the postings lately. I chalk it up to a few things -

1. I am making a Blurb book for Christmas this year of the Swiss Tour 2009 that I took with my family, and if you make a book before the 24th of November, you get 20% off... (Promocode for 20% discount is: BLURBTREAT3) so the pressure is on and my free time for blog photo editing and publishing is tight. Ps. I made this book with my brother last year for Christmas and it went down A TREAT! Highly recommend book gifts.
   
   
   
   

   Family Favorit...
   

   Family Cookbook
   

   By Jessica Cartwright
   

   Book Preview
   

   
   
   
   
   
2. We are in the thick of getting things together for the move:
• More people are coming to check out the apartment tonight. If you are looking for an apartment, conact me via email for details and come on over! I will even let you look in my fridge. :) Just so you all know, we have no obligations regarding the apartment - we have given our proper 4 months notice, so all we have to do it leave. We don't need to pay any penalties because we complied with the notice period. Actually, we are not vested at all in whether or not someone takes our apartment before we go - hence, I am so moody that we have to show the apartment for the 4th time tonight, as I am tired of the inconvenience of having to clean up everything for strangers to come through when I don't care if they take it or not!  Ok... Sorry for the ranting. That is off my chest. Come on over. You can see my dirty clothes pile!  :)
• Handed in the mail forwarding notice at the post...
• Figured out how to get all our pension and retirement money back.
• Filled out all the customs paperwork and ensured that we are not brining anything into Australia that we should not.
• And much more... more on all that fun stuff later. There will be a BIG POST coming soon about all the things to do before you leave Switzerland.
  
  
3.  Finally - to be honest - with all this leaving talk - I get a bit depressed. Don't get me wrong - we are excited to go back to Australia! But at the same time, it is a chapter closing and it doesn't get my creative juices flowing as well as they did when we had just arrived and the Swiss adventure was full of excitment and promise. . . so bear with me . . . posting will be a bit thin but I am still here... and a new blog will be up shortly!
   
 
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We are moving back to Australia!

This is the post I thought would never come, but knew was eventually inevitable, such is the life of an expat. Jace and I, after much thought and deliberation, have decided to move back to Australia. Due to several factors, the timing is right. And while on one hand we are both sad to close this chapter of our cosmopolitan lives, on the other we are really excited to open the next by returning to Jace's home of Perth, Australia and trying our hand at planting some roots...

Let's cut to the chase though as you must have questions, and I have prepared some answers to those questions that we seem to get a lot of now that the word is out.

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When are you leaving?
We will be leaving at the end of November. That gives us a few more weeks to enjoy Fall in Switzerland, tie up our professional lose ends, and pack a lot of stuff.

Can I have your stuff?
Nope. Sorry. We are taking it with us... it was a big (expensive) decision which I question daily and will no doubt chronicle here, but no, this is my toaster and I am taking it with me.

I want to live in Switzerland... can I have your job? your apartment?
Um, as for the job, it is on Monster.com. I have no influence in who gets it, but I can highly recommend it. As for the apartment, I believe it is still available and in Urdorf. We loved it and can highly recommend living in Urdorf... As for living in Switzerland in general - I recommend you throw your hat in the ring if you get an opportunity to live abroad. It is a wonderful experience, and if you don't try, you'll never know... so just do it !

What is going to happen to the blog? Who will write it now?
Well, that is a good question. I definitely cannot write a "Swiss" story blog from Australia, but my blogging days are far from over. I have a few ideas in the back of my head for a new blog (Note to self - need cool new blog name...suggestions welcome...) and let's face it - it will still be an Expat blog (me being American and all- or an Ami as the Aussies say). I am hoping all of you will come along and join me for the virtual ride. This blog will remain online so that future expats can still benefit from the wealth that is Swisstory. And the Swiss Expat Blog Network will stay, too, and I will no doubt be checking in although I will obviously be taking a less active role.

Are you sad to go?
Yes. Of course. Living in Europe was a dream come true for us. I still have a long list of things to see and people to do... scratch that, reverse it... but let's face it, we are still in our 20's. We have some time, right?! ;) I see retirement cruises in the Mediterranean in our future... if not earlier vacations/adventures!

You just got the handle on your German and now you are leaving?!
Well, I know. That sucks doesn't it? Or should I say, "Das ist total doof, oder? Es macht mich auch verrückt." But that is cool - I am already taking applications a la Paris Hilton for my new Super Cool German Speaking Aussie Best friend. Please contact me for details. ;)

What are you going to do in Perth?
I am looking at online marketing/digital roles in Perth. If you have an opportunity for me, let me know. I am available to rock your digital world as of December 2009. Otherwise, we will be living it up in our house that has been waiting for us these last few years - albeit in the hands of what I hear are clean freak renters (thank you, we love you), dreaming of our future labrador puppy whose name I will spare you for the time-being, and no doubt Jace will be keeping my long list of Asian vacation plans in check.

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Got another question - post it in the comments and I will answer it here.

So that's it. We're leaving. Ho hum. But -until we leave and probably even into 2010, I will continue to blog about our lives in Switzerland and the process of returning home... after all, the blog has to come full circle eventually and the harmony in that gives me good Chi and Zen and super Shui feelings simultaneously.

I thank you all for following us in our expat adventures, especially those of you who have taken the time to connect via email, comments, in person or on the network, and I look forward to sharing our new adventures down under with you in a new blog soon. Until then, let's continue our Swisstory adventures, shall we? ;)
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New must read blogs from Switzerland

Every now and again, I do a bit of a blogroll shout out and I figured it was high time to again spread some of the Swiss blog love around. Here are a few more blogs from expats living in Switzerland that I think you should be reading:

Settling in with the Swiss
Anneliese and André are getting around town and roomba-ing (is that a new word like googling) around... I love the variety of posts on this site, and they are adventureous and fun with their photos and activities - like Feuerbowles at the Zeughauskeller (favorite restaurant!) and how to rent lenses in Switzerland (great tip!).

From A to Z
Kristi and the boy moved from Atlanta to Zürich recently and as Kristi has been in touch with me for months prior to the move, I have been looking forward to her blog for many reasons - 1) her emails were always funny and entertaining and I looked forward to getting them - and the blog is no different 2) their adventures include two Boston Terriers tearing up the town with them (so cute!), and 3) after having met them both this last weekend, the desire for adventure is palpable and they will be traveling up a storm. I cannot wait to follow their adventures!

Switzealand
A Kiwi's perspective of the Swiss - get it - SwitZEALAND?! Ooh, that kills me that I just got that. Ok - this is like a 'Go to' list of where you should travel next in the area with great photos. These places are on my list now - and thanks to Jordan I have a good overview of what to see - Bern and Rheinfalls - OH - And I love this post about 'What is the world coming to'... hoot! And this one for the photos!

TwoFools in Zürich
I think the articles on this blog are spot on - case in point, Kathy tackled Health Care Reform last week and wrote up one of the best, most thorough reviews of the Swiss Health Care system I have read. If you want to understand the system and get motivated to revamp the US system read this post about How Health Care Works in Switzerland.

The Peterhals
Just met this couple over the weekend and I can feel a million adventures coming from them - perhaps even with their little pug, too! I love the name of the blog and the design - perhaps aided by a Google designer - hmmm? :) Deb wrote a great post about making friends in Switzerland and I think she is spot on - the expat network is definately the place to start, and I agree that how quickly you make friends will make or break your experience.

Check out my prior blog roll-calls:

• Some of me favorite Swiss blog-chens
• First ever Zürich Bloggers Meet-Up (list of blogs at the end of the post)
• Want more - check out my right side bar for a full list of blogs I read.
  

Got a Swiss blog you want to see on my blogroll? Want your blog listed? Comment me!

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How I learned German... and continue to learn!

I loved all the positive feedback related to my love list posted on Wednesday. Thank you for spreading the Swiss love around. A lot of you questioned number one on my love list though about how I love speaking German. Well, I have a few things to share here that may shed some light on why it is easier for me to speak with the locals, but then again, I actually did put in a lot of hard work to learn German in the first place. So let's do it - Here is the story of how I learned German:

Way back in the fall of 1996, sitting in my high school home room class, I heard an announcement over the morning intercom about a study abroad program in Germany - a scholarship program for a 1 year exchange. Naturally, going to a school that had no German foreign language program, not many (meaning none) were interested, but after having just quit the basketball team - no small feat being one of the few über tall girls at school - and eager to see the world and get away, I decided to apply. Heck - you never know unless you try, right? So I threw my hat in the ring, and a few months later I was accepted into the 1997/1998 Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program. (Sounds suspiciously like how we ended up in Switzerland... hmmm...) (Ps. this program is still running - so if you know a high school sophomore or junior that would like to spend a year abroad - what are you waiting for!)

Starting that Spring, I threw myself into preparing for my exchange - meaning, study hall each day and any free time I had consisted of me trying to learn German - on my own. That means for about 2 hours a day, I was writing out verb conjugations, listening to tapes, memorizing flash cards with vocbulary, and chatting online with teens in Germany (thank you AOL). By the time I actually arrived in Germany in August 1998, I tested in at an intermediate level. So you see - it took quite a bit of effort, but it paid off. I still have all those books and they sit, covered in dust, on Jace's bookshelf. :) So Tip 1) You have to invest time into learning the language.Doesn't matter how you learn - but it does take an investment of time and energy... so make time.

Picture of my exchange group in Washington DC, before taking off to Germany...
where's Jessica? Just looks for the big fro.

In Germany, all the exchange students had a month of language instruction in Adenau, Germany before being sent off to our families - this was great, although I think I was more interested in running around town with my new exchange mates and teasing all the cute Adenauer boys, oh and gelato... oh Straccietella from Adenau, I will never forget you. Fast forward, and the next 10 months were spent in my host family - I recall the first month or two being very hazy, little understanding, but lots of listening. I forced myself to listen. And eventually, words became very clear - I perhaps understood only 50% of the conversation but I got the jist.

So this is my Tip 2) Listening is key. Whether it be the TV or the office or the grocery store. DO NOT TUNE IT OUT. I know it sounds funny (especially in Swiss German) and may seem impossible, but the more you listen, the more you recognize and the more you learn. When we arrived here in Switzerland, after not having used my German for over 5 years, I was beyond rusty. But between interviewing and starting my job, I picked up a lot of words again - to the point in which the HR guy thought I was taking a course - NOPE! I was watching Criminal Intent and Friends in German every day and simply listening and recalling more words... so force yourself to watch an hour of German TV every night - and eventually, words will sink in here and there!

Me about half-way through my exchange, and half-way
through the chocolate section at Schlecker...
(someone please cut this girl's hair and tell her to lay off the Rittersport...)

Finally, while in my host family and at school and even now, I insisted on speaking German... Ok, so I had a crutch, too, that being Yara, the one on the far right, another exchange student in my town from the program who I got to speak English with often... but in my host family, they were relentless. Although my host dad could speak English, we only spoke German at home.

It is the same here in Switzerland now - I admit it - when it comes to speaking English, I am a bit of a witch. Up until just a few weeks ago, regardless of what language the other person used , I answered in German. Regardless of the topic, I spoke in German. You insist on speaking English with me?! - Good for you, but I am speaking German. I don't care if the other person has to wait for me to find the words or if we have to go back and forth 4 times before you understand what I mean - I am here to speak German and that is what I am going to do. I am darn stubborn when it comes to German speaking actually, and you know what - it has paid off! I get mega-respect and compliments at my improvement. So tip 3) and the most important - be relentless and speak German as much as you can. Find a language exchange partner (you in German, he/she in English), speak only German at work, have a German hour at home with your partner. Whatever it is - DO IT - and stick to it. There is really no excuse here not to - German is all around. Get stuck into it.

How about classes? I have had a lot of instruction in my day, too. And I think it is important but not essential. I had lessons in Germany, I studied German in college, and I had instruction as part of my compensation package here in Switzerland. It has paid off in the grammar and self-esteem department. I am in favor. But if you cannot afford it - go and get Rosetta Stone. Both Jace and I have used this and we love it. It works for us. It is expensive, but then again, you get to keep it and it is no doubt less expensive than lessons in Switzerland. Regardless of lessons or software though - in my opinion, if you do not embrace my three tips above, you will just be wasting your money...

So - after all that - I love speaking German. I get compliments. I still make a heap of mistakes - but I am still learning. All this did not come easy. I tell everyone though that like me, if you put in the effort, you can learn the language quickly as you have one advantage that others learning language do not have - IMMERSION! Living in Switzerland or another country is the fastest way to fluency. So turn on that TV, go chat up a neighbor, ask questions at Migro for the hell of it, try reading a book or the free newspapers in German, and get out there and use the language... and perhaps you, too, will add number 1, the joy of speaking German, to your love list soon, too. :)

Enjoy your weekends, or should I say, schönes Wochenende wünsch ich euch! :)

Need more tips? Want a recommendation for a book or online resource? Leave me a comment!
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Fräulein Gardener

"Oh Fräulein ..." Am I dreaming? Or did I hear something? I am definately the only one out at the garden at this time of night, I thought, as I snapped away with camera on my new fancy tripod, trying to capture my beauties in the last minutes of precious twilight.

"Fräulein ..." said this time a bit louder.

What is this? I asked, pulling the camera trigger and adjusting my eyes to look around. Am I suddenly in the Sound of Music and nobody told me? Who thinks they can call me 'Little woman?' I looked around, and that is when I saw the neighbor, a garden neighbor whom up until now had avoided me like the plague, and I was fine with that after my run in with creepy Italian. But this time he was the only one around, and he seemed to think he was calling my name.

"Fräuuuuuuleiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin..."

I squinted across the tomatoes and what has quickly become a pumpkin patch now that the beans are all frozen and tucked away for another day and the onions are mostly pulled up. There, standing just on the other side of my personal yellow marigold boundary, was the neighbor, holding up a bag obviously swollen and heavy with something, nodding that I should come over and get it. Slowly, I walked over...

"Fräulein... would you like tomatoes? Me too many. Soon I need pull them all out. Two weeks all gone. You take."

This was harmless, I realized. And free bounty. He was my new best friend. I knew we would get along just fine. So I took the bag and asked about 100 times if he was sure, before I realized that if I kept asking I might just get a tour of his garden. Too late... he did have enough and I was happy not to refuse his bounty of perfect plum tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines. All things I did not grow. Coincidence? I think not. So I took the items and thanked him - then he asked what I was doing and I explained in slow German that I was photographing the plants. He was surprisingly unalarmed and showed me some beans he wanted me to take a photo of, and I promised I would. Then as I was getting my camera, he disappeared into the night - leaving me with my camera and at least 10 pounds of produce.

Just call me Fräulein Gardener. As long as you come with produce in hand, I don't mind one bit.

Messing around with the new tripod...

What's left in the garden?

• Sweet corn - yum!
• Chilis - two types
• Lots of basil, parsley, dill and spring onions
• A few more pickling onions and large yellow onions
• A million marigolds, both the large ones and the small mixed variety
• Pumpkins galore - orange ones, gourds, little baby ones... I am a sucker for the pumpkins and love finding the gourds hanging from the long ago blossoming sunflower stalks
• Zucchini - but not for much longer
• Salad - the late varieties are coming now along with the spinach and winter cabbages and Asian salad variety again
• Tomatoes - although I got hit by the blight that everyone warned about, I have had a few handfuls of the cherry tomatoes and there are more to come, still hopeful
• And a few more things that I cannot remember... but the dog days of summer are gone, replaced by mosquitoes and a very big compost pile... ;)

Not too shabby for planting it all from SEED! Is it?!!! ;) (Except for the potatoes and onions...)

Have a great weekend and enjoy the lovely weather!
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Who wants to visit me in Switzerland for free?!

Yesterday, while checking the prices for the Swiss Pass for the hundredth time as my family is coming to visit in September (yeah!), I stumbled across this site sponsored by the Swiss Travel System (trains, buses, etc. system in Switzerland) in which they are giving away an 8-10 day trip to Switzerland in September for FREE so long as they can follow you around and video parts of your stay for promotional material. Heck - you can even bring your dog! I cannot apply - no Swiss residents are eligible - but YOU my fellow American or non-expat- yes YOU CAN!

Just register online then create a video saying that you want to come to visit me - er, I mean come to Switzerland, and post it according to the rules on YouTube. Then wait to see if you won! How fun! Full details of how to apply are online. Heck, I will even allow you to use pictures of me in your film and explain why you want to come to the great Swiss lands - well, besides the fact you want to see the natural beauty of the Alps, the wonderful cultural landmarks, and try a bit of Swiss cuisine - we all know you are really coming to see me! :)

By the way, if you have not heard about the Swiss Pass, allow me to tell you what a great bargain it is. I am getting one for each of my family members visiting as we are going all around Switzerland. Actually, better yet, quoted from the Swiss Travel site:

The Swiss Pass entitles you to unlimited travel on consecutive days throughout the rail, bus and boat Swiss Travel System network. The Swiss Pass is available for 4, 8, 15 or 22 days or one month. (Note Jessica: I am getting the 8 day consecutive pass for them! There is also a non-consecutive pass for a bit more and as they are traveling together there is a 15% reduction on top of the price...)

This pass also covers scenic routes and local trams and buses in 37 towns and cities and will offer 50% reduction all most mountain-top trains and cable cars. (Note Jessica: SCORE!!!) The Swiss Pass will also include the Swiss Museum Pass, allowing you free entrance to over 400 museums and exhibitions.

This pass is only available to non-residents of Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein. No photograph is required: simply present your passport or identity card.

So if you have some visitors coming and you are going to travel predominately in Switzerland, you can save a bundle with this Swiss Pass. I fully recommend it for all foreign travelers that want to get around Switzerland quickly and cheaply!

But heck, go on and apply for the contest and you won't even need to buy a Swiss Pass... come on over already! :)
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My Orange Cinema Review

Last Sunday, I had the extreme pleasure of going to my first Orange Cinema movie showing. And it was great! Despite the rain all day, I checked my new best friend - the moving slide doppler radar tool for Switzerland - and he said it would be dry for the movie so we put on our waterproof suits and braved the elements to see the show - and you know what - it was dry the whole time! Thank you doppler! (Jace and I missed our first showing due to extraordinary squalls and storms... my oh my...)

The outdoor cinema is really great - super posh with bars and food and right on the See so you get a great view of the boats lit up and passing in the distance and the moon glowing overhead. When it is time for the show (we saw 'Up' - great new animated Pixar film, very cute!), the screen lifts up, like it is emerging from the water, although naturally it is not touching the water at all, and the lights go on and it is SHOW TIME. Very magical.

I went with my colleague, Michele. We both really enjoyed it. They really take care of you at the theatre, too - nice seats, free ice cream, red carpet entry, free rain ponchos (that say 'don't worry' on the back, and we've got you covered, hehe). Loved it.

There are a few more movies left in the season that you can see at the Orange Cinema and you can get tickets sometimes on the day from the ticket office on site. Tickets cost 20 CHF each and the cinema is located at the Zürihorn, just a 15 minute walk or so from Stadelhofen. Enjoy!
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Harvest time at the Swiss allotment!

So the garden is in full swing and that means harvest time! All the Swiss plots are full of great fruit and veg and the plots are a flurry of excitement as everyone rushes to harvest their crop at the best times - having garden parties to celebrate the bounty... and me too! Here's the run down on what I am harvesting at the plot this week:

• The beans are in full swing - yellow and green - and lot of them! They are a bit small at the moment, but I figure if I pick them over time I will get some small and some big ones and it will even out. Yum - fresh beans!
  
• The onions are ready - I have spring onions, pickling onions (which I will try to pickle for Jace - fingers crossed that I don't end up with a moldy grey jar of vinegar - it can happen!), and regular big ol' yellow onions. They are coming up over time and eventually I will lift, dry and store them all.
• We have carrots! For some reason, I figured I would totally fail with the carrots as the soil has to be just right, well draining, forked through and perhaps a bit sandy. I have great soil so I thought I would have forked carrots. Not so! They are awesome - both red carrots and orange.
• Um, see those huge green things on the right - those are zucchini and yeah, I left them for a bit too long. Can you say zucchini bread, zucchini brownie (so yummy!) and ratatouille? Oh yes, and then some. After making all that, I still have these big daddies. Bread em' and bake them, Mom says. I think I might have to tomorrow.
• Chilies (hot peppers I mean) are coming. So are the tomatoes. I had to move the chilis this last weekend actually because the tomatoes and pumpkins were drowning them out. They are happy living where the peas used to be, I hope. I hope moving them so late was not a mistake!
  
• And how can forget those potatoes? They are all up now - and although they are not huge there are enough of them to last until winter if they store well (paper sack, in a dark, cool place)...

Honestly, I still cannot believe I have grown all this! It has been a lot of work - but it has been worth it for sure. More is still to come - fresh sweet corn, pumpkins (to eat and to decorate), lots more carrots, onions, radishes, chilis, tomatoes, beans, spinach, chinese cabbage, and more!

Enjoy some photos of the harvest - and check in again soon!

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Thanks for your help with the Photo Walk Submission!

Busy weekend... busy week ahead! Just a quick post for today - but I have a garden update coming up tomorrow.

Here are the two shots I submitted for the World Wide Photo Walk - wish me luck! Thank you to everyone for your great feedback and encouragement!

You can see all the photos that were submitted by the Zürich walkers (or at least those that submitted a photo!) here: Zürich World Wide Photo Walk submissions

There is also a great Flickr page with a lot more shots from the day. Enjoy!

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Almost Famous - Swissnews Article by Chantal

So a few months ago, a fellow blogger and mega-talented writer, Chantal Panozzo, interviewed me for an article in Swissnews about blogging and it just came out today! There are some great bits in there about what I do, how I blog for fun and for fortune (albeit a small, tiny, could carry it in my pocket fortune), and how Jace is my editor and chief (Ooh I love that quote the most!).

I am not the only one featured - Julie from Zurika and Toma from the Antiques Diva also were featured - rightly so, I love their blogs. Please check them out. The article turned out smashingly - if I do say so myself - and I hope you take a second to check it out and let me know what you think.

Read the article:

• Blogging for business & pleasure by Chantal Panozzo - Swissnews (August 2009)

OH - and welcome Swissnews readers! Thanks for stopping by! (Now click on those ads...! - just kidding... :)
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Worldwide Photo Walk (Help!)

1. Reflections of you.

Saturday afternoon, amazingly during a dry spell, I took part in the 2nd annual Worldwide Photo Walk in Zurich. Over 900 cities around the world took part in the walk, organized in part by the notorious Scott Kelby with help from sponsors and local organizers around the world.

The goal: Walk around with a group, take some shots, meet new people, enjoy photography, and win great prizes. Who knows if I will win anything - most likely not. But I had a lot of fun watching all the photo enthusiasts scurrying around Zurich, shooting up a storm... and I got a lot of fun shots! But don't take my word for it - see for yourself!

Ps. This is where I need your help! I have to submit 2 photos to the Walk site/competition. Here are those that I liked. What do you think? Help! Let me know in the comments what you like best! And check out the photo walk site in August to see shots from other participants around the world.

2. A clean game of chess

3. The bars of Zurich

4. Handling it all

5. Swiss scenes

6. First steps together

7. An apple a day 1

8. An apple a day 2

9. Church scenes

10. Fish out of water

11. River contemplations

12. Round the corner

13. Steps

14. Chess pieces

15. Defeat

16. Thirsty work

17... Woops! This is Kerrin! She and Nik were both on the walk as well! Nik already posted a lot of great shots (of us!) on Facebook from the event - here is one of my favorites... hopefully we will see more of their shots on their blogs!

Now - back to the matter at hand - which shot do you like? ;)

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How 'bout them... potatoes.

Ok, so I know these are not photos of Prague. I had a lot (of lounging around doing nothing) to do yesterday, it was my birthday after all, so I did not get around to editing my photos from the trip. Alas, you will get them tomorrow. I promise! :) Until then, how about this bounty from the good ol' garden? They're mine... all mine. And actually, since this photo I have had a few more potatoes out of the garden, and peas, and zucchini! It is all coming along swimmingly. Thanks for asking. :)

I know this is out of focus, but I had to pull up a carrot to check them and this is what they are looking like. Isn't he cute?

Potatoes are all ready to come out I think. All the leaves are dying which I think means I need to take them out soon. Does someone know? Swiss Garden specialists? Hello? The onions are drying nicely, too, and will be ready for storage soon.

These peas are also very gratifying. A lot of work to cull but extremely tasty. Yum, fresh peas.

Stick with me. More garden updates to come. All is in full bloom and ready to burst. Ahh the joys of a Swiss Garden.

Read more about my adventures gardening in Switzerland through these posts:

• Adventures in Swiss Allotment Gardening
• How does my Swiss Garden grow?
• How does my Swiss Garden grow, you ask?
• Have I lost the plot? My Swiss Garden plot
  

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I'm 28 and feeling great! Happy Birthday to me.

This weekend just past Jace and I went to Prague as a bit of a birthday present for us both... I was itching to go. I will post photos this week so stay tuned!

Another birthday abroad. Looking back, I think I have had more birthdays abroad in the last 10 years than birthdays at home. Adding it up, I have only had 3 birthdays in the States in that time. Wow... and this is my second birthday in Switzerland, as I celebrated here last year!

Apart from the mini-break to Prague I am celebrating at work - I brought in an American specialty that also uses some of my garden finery: zucchini bread (which I have realized after much commentary is really zucchini cake...) and a few chocolates. It is my duty as the birthday girl to do so - such is the tradition at my work. In addition to all the birthday greetings and kisses (3 on the cheek) I also got a lovely card from all of my co-workers and a gift certificate to Orelli Fusseli. I think that is really quite a nice gesture!

Thanks for following the blog and for sharing my 28th with me! :)
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I hate Swiss coins

All my accumulating Swiss coins. I hate you...
but love the coin pouch (thanks, Jodi!)

Here is what I know:

• They are all too silver... I know US coins are also very silver, but... these are just way TOO silver. Too shiny.
  
  
• They are all too similar. I feel that US coins vary more - like with the States on the back of the quarter - that makes me happy. These all have the same pattern and same repetition. It makes my eyes hurt. Get creative Switzerland. You make your paper money colorful, what's up with the coins?
  

• Jace hates to use them. So we end up with buckets of coins around the house that we have to use up. Thank God there is no penny though... similar to Australia so I am over the fact that they are rounding up somewhere and ripping me off. Over that. Won't speak of it again. So thankfully no need for a huge penny jar. But I do wish that they didn't accumulate so much. I think it has to do with the fact that there are 1, 2 and 5 Franc coins and therefore there is always just so much coinage to go around... Hate their accumulatingness... know that is not a word. Hate that the coins force me to make up words.
  

I hate you most of all fifty rappen piece... ooh you irk me.
From bottom left to top right, 5 Rappen, 50 Rappen, 10 Rappen, 20
Rappen and 1 Franc/100 Rappen (Rappen are what cents are called in Switzerland)

• I hate the fifty rappen coin. It is way too small for its own good. Now, I know that the dime is small, but this is like if we created a fifty cent piece and made it smaller than the penny. It just does not make sense. They get it right when it comes to the Franc sizes: 2 is bigger than 1 Franc and smaller than 5 francs. Makes sense... But with the fifties - I am continually finding them stuck around the house and cursing the minters for making such a valuable piece so freaking small. I HATE YOU MINTERS! Why do you punish us so?... I can't imagine the small fortunes I must leave behind in other people's car or on the bus. Just follow me around if you need some dough - just follow the trail of fifty cent pieces to find me.
  

What do you think? Am I over-exaggerating here? Do you love the Swiss mint? Tell me... :)
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