Today is my first full day in Switzerland, and I've almost missed it. Jet-lag has inspired me to sleep until 11am, when I was roused by a phone being handed to me. Blearily I answer the phone that I'm offered, and get an update from Barbara. My sister was trying to get a hold of me. I called her back via skype.
She answered in a voice that sounded more tired than even I was. Oh. it's 4am there. Apparently, I'm not at my most alert when I'm jet-lagged, and forgot about the 6 hour time difference.
I'm on a train on my way from Buchrain to Zurich, where I"ll meet a couple of friends (Marijke and Brad) for a coffee. The train is passing through a mixture of old wooden houses, complete with shingled sides and tall roofs, and modern industrial areas. The combination of Concrete and Wood is quite interesting. Hillsides are beautifully manicured with small forests punctuating the fields. Here and there, a small cartoon character is displayed from the top of a pole, announcing the birth of a child (apparently, it's the godfather's responsibility to make these proclamations).
Moments ago, I made the switch at Rotcreuz. (Red Cross). When leaving Buchrain for Zurich, there is no direct train, and you'd either need to switch at Rotcreuz (for trains leaving at :32) or Zug (for trains leaving on the hour). As expected, the change was seamless. Trains on this section of track seem to always be on time. And by "on time", I mean "arrive and depart within seconds of the expected time".
Overall this particular ride will take about 50 minutes (I'm too lazy to look up the exact time... but it would be exact).
When I arrived in Zurich yesterday, the weather was schlect. Fog & clouds. Barbara picked me up at the aiprort at a little before 8. Passing into this country is a true joy compared with going to the US. Only one question at immigration ("How long..?") and a direct route from picking up your bags to
[Oh my. I just saw double-decker bike racks. I was too surprised to take a photo. They're fair game next time I ride this route.]
... where was I?... direct route from where you grab your bags to the outside, so long as you have nothing to declare. That's one thing I already love about this country. They treat you like an adult. Another example: Buy your tickets & board a bus or train. Nobody looks to see if you've done it [most of the time], it is just assumed that you do. There will be spot checks, and you're in big trouble if you didn't buy a ticket; but it's not like they automatically assume you're screwing the system. Plus, they don't spend $$$$ trying to make sure that every individual pays. So what if a few bad apples don't pay? The system remains friendly and efficient and free of turnstiles.
[We just passed through a tunnel and are now on the Zurich side of some place or another driving through a pretty little wooded valley with a stream running down the middle.]
Back to the arrival... Barbara picked me up and we drove back to her parent's house. When we arrived, I noticed a beautiful handmade sign they'd set up. It was a cut-out wooden switzerland shape (painted red), with "Wilkommen dahaim, Celso" written in colorful letters; all against a blue background. What a great welcome!
Welcome home. Yes, I'm now in Switzerland for the long run. After much planning and shedding and selling and farewelling, I'm finally here. This isn't the first time I've been in Switzerland, but it's the first time that it seems permanent. With that thought, I figured I'd better start writing things down.
[right now, we're passing along a long lake, about to arrive at the Thalwil pronnounced something like "Tall-veal" station]
We ate croissants, "Gipfeli" and yogurt "Yogurt" for breakfast, after which I promptly took a long nap. We woke in time for lunch, and then started running around taking care of the important stuff... like purchasing house slippers. oh, and starting the paperwork necessary for our wedding. ;-)
Barbara's father also made me a most-excellent extension cord that translates the swiss plugs to American-style plugs. The voltage is still the same, but most adapters these days can run on either 240v/50cycles OR 110/60cycles. With that, I become electronically invincible.
[I'm in a tunnel again, and am guessing that I'm only about 5 minutes away from arriving in Zurich. So, I'll end this post here.]
Somebody poke me if I start to take a long time in between posts; since I really would like to document my initial impressions of life in Switzerland. I'm really curious how my impressions will change through time.
Cheers / ciao / Tseuss,
Celso
