Happy Birthday Swisstory!

Happy Birthday!!!
Gummi-Cakes at Bären Land

So I might be off by just a few days, but regardless of the timing, I figured it was worth a mention that Swisstory has been online for one year! Happy Birthday, Swisstory.

When I started this blog, just a few weeks after we arrived in Zürich, it was mainly a means of keeping up with my passion for the internet and online technology. Who knew that the blog would in turn enable me to meet so many interesting people, especially other expats that also share our passion for travel and adventure and have landed up in the land of chocolate and cheese!

Throughout the last year over 14,000 people have visited Swisstory, most from Switzerland and the US, of which about 50% have come back more than once - and that makes me really happy.

So thanks for reading along and sharing in our adventures in Switzerland. It has been really rewarding to share our experiences with friends and family, and has even helped us to make a really cool scrapbook of our first year.

Go on and check out some of the inaugural posts... it will be like a Swisstory flashback. And keep reading! There is heaps more to come. :)

• That very first post - You're moving where?!... Switzerland!? April 2, 2009
  
• Getting the Swiss Visa, April 2, 2008
• Week 1 in Zürich, April 2, 2008
• Yes, that is snow in April (Beers on the train), April 7, 2008
• Half-fare cards... they get you half-priced fare. April 10, 2008
  

Sarah and Jace in front of Bären Land, admiring the gummi-creations,
back in November last year.

Zurich Blogger Meetup - Please RSVP

If you already registered your interest for the Swiss Blogger Meetup on April 26th but have yet to receive the invite for the event from Amanda, drop me an email (jessica@swisstoryblog.com) and we will forward the invitation your way so that you can RSVP for the day's events!

Thanks!

Oh the Challenges of Expat Living...

I saw this little scene on the way home the other day, as I was passing through the Bahnhof. This fountain is a centerpiece in the RailCity area of the Zurich Bahnhof, and this little gent was so perplexed and confused. How on earth was he going to get his balloon out of that mini-waterfall? (Naturally, I did not help but fired off a few shots of his most deperate moment - what kind of cruel witch am I? :)

I think living overseas is just like that. Things are sometimes similar and familiar, but then again, your surroundings and the culture are so different that while you know the answers to most questions should be easy and quick, sometimes it just takes longer than you think and the solutions are perplexingly out of reach. Oh the joys and challenges of expat life.

Any challenges to share?

I've got some great updates for next week including how we solved the challenge of swapping over our US driver's licenses for Swiss ones, updates on my adventures in the garden, and Easter musings.

Weird and Wonderful Switzerland...

Have you ever seen such a pink pigeon before?

Um, ok so I did a little photoshop on this baby and made her glow like an Easter egg, but those are her colors, no lying... she is pink. How strange, I thought, and she let me take a few shots of her, strutting her stuff, and then she took a big crap and flew off. The oddities of life. Gotta love it.

Living abroad you are generally overwhelmed with these oddities - and this last week was no difference. Let me share one of my favorites:

While wandering the streets on Sunday, after taking the Spring shots from Monday's post, I decided to wander up Bahnhofstrasse. I love to look into the shop windows and wonder what posesses the Swiss to leave all their expensive watches and jewelry on display over the weekend while counterparts across the pond pack up anything of value each night for fear or break-ins... but back to the point, I was minding my own business, enjoying the day, looking for things to photograph, remarking at how everyone was so happy and carefree, children were playing in the streets... and then...

I got spit on.

That's right. This 'charming' group of children was playing around and one second I was smiling at their laughter, and the next, a devilish child with freckles was checking the scene, scoping out the circumference, and to my horror he arched his back and tried to spit on his friend - and he missed. Instead... he spit on me.

Now this is Bahnhofstrasse people - one buys expensive watches and fur coats here, one does not get SPAT on.

Luckily, I was in good spirits and only had time to give the small child and the father who obviously was not watching his brood a bit of a long furrowed frown... but I cannot get over the fact that no one apologized to me. The kid got a bit of a finger wagging from Dad but I definately stopped in my tracks long enough for someone to say 'sorry' and nothing came.

Isn't this weird? I always thought for some reason kids were more well-behaved over here...

So watch out. Spring is in the air and you might just get pooped at or spat on. Just hopefully not both on the same day. :)

Speaking of crazy days - read about Young Traveler's April Fools Day here.
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Swiss Blogger Meet-Up!!! Would you be interested in partaking in a Blogger Meetup in Zürich on April 26th? Amanda of Queso Suizo and I are organizing the shin-dig... It is not too late to register your interest.

Are you on Facebook? Swisstory is... become a fan!

Mountain Cleaners Needed

I was just thinking that it might be nice to volunteer this summer somewhere - perhaps this is just the thing. I, too, think that it is important to keep our natural surroundings beautiful and clean, and what better way to keep fit than to clean up after the "birds in our mountains that drop some things once in awhile..."



Chantal reported about this gem first on One Big Yodel. Check out the campaign here and sign up to be a mountain cleaner with me. ;)


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Swiss Blogger Meet-Up!!! Would you be interested in partaking in a Blogger Meetup in Zürich on April 26th? Amanda of Queso Suizo and I are organizing the shin-dig... It is not too late to register your interest.

Are you on Facebook? Swisstory is... become a fan!

New X-Box Game - Alpine Legend

Want to 'become a tri-horn blastmaster?' Feel the need to 'don Lederhosen and blow your own trumpet?' This new Alpine Legend X-Box game is the answer to all our prayers, now we can be a part of the Swiss band:

Jam with alpine legends like Franz "The Manz" Lang and Johann Hornbostel. Shake the mountain tops with 100 classic Alphorn tracks including, “Whose spit is in my horn?” and “More goat bell (It needs)”.

Take your band through all the alpine rights of passage: a mountainous village tour, recording sessions in a log cabin studio, overcoming throat soother addiction, and even competing in a live yodel off.

Don't forget to 'immerse yourself with the mountain goat add on!!!'

Ps. The key to this game is the text at the bottom of the page... ah, how little it takes to make my day. Happy April Fools.
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Swiss Blogger Meet-Up!!! Would you be interested in partaking in a Blogger Meetup in Zürich on April 26th? Amanda of Queso Suizo and I are organizing the shin-dig... It is not too late to register your interest.

Are you on Facebook? Swisstory is... become a fan!