Some more pics from the flat
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Monday, February 06, 2006
Can you imagine that the language they speak is not written!? In Switzerland, they speak Swiss-German which the "real" Germans call more of a throat desease than a language. While you couldn't prove it by me, SG is quite different from high German. Yet there is no accepted spelling for SG. So at some point, they all learn to read in High German which is the language of newspapers, books and magazines, but they really don't like to speak it. Language schools here teach you high German. Every direction manual you get for things like cell phones, house phones and appliances has its cover in English and its contents in four languages--not one of which is English! Maybe that why when we dial the cell phone our range heats up and when we touch off the microwave Linda's mother answers the phone in Tulsa.
This is the country of absolutes (well, with the exception of the Vodka). On Sundays and after 10, its absolute quiet. The only sound allowed on Sunday is that of peeling church bells which starts at around 10 and continues all day. It is illegal to work on Sundays unless you and your employer have a permit. Most apartment flats have noise restrictions preventing you from nailing pictures onto the walls on Sunday. They also rather expect that life remains quiet around lunch time so that Pensioners (that's me) and babies can have a quiet rest period. I was hoping the reg would pertain to Pensioners and Babes--that too would involve quiet time, unfortunately. They said the Swiss go to bed after 10 and get all hung up with noise. In some of the older apartment house contracts (those with thin walls apparently) it was requested that men sit while urinating after 10 pm.
Our mover joking told us that in Switzerland, the best way to meet your neighbor is with your attorney. We haven't found that but have heard that it is not unusual to invite your neighbors to your party only to have them call the police and complain about the noise once they have drunk your booze, eaten your food and gone home for their early-to-bed.
We do know that this is the most recycled country in the world. Cans must have all wrappings removed, their top and bottom taken off and be crushed flat and then returned to the right drop center (we don't know where yet). Aluminum cans must pass the non magnetic test before they hit their special bins and glass, divided into three colors, can not be deposited in their special recepticals on Sunday (because they make too much noise when they hit the others).
We all have our idiosynchrasies, of course. An our observations are given with a smile. You can get pretty accustomed to these nice little habits. We are just starting our cruise through the plethora of Swiss wines and cheeses. We both thought that Swiss cheese was Swiss cheese and Swiss wines must amount to a 10 acre plot. What a couple of hicks that showed us to be. Attached are some pictures from the flat.
This is the country of absolutes (well, with the exception of the Vodka). On Sundays and after 10, its absolute quiet. The only sound allowed on Sunday is that of peeling church bells which starts at around 10 and continues all day. It is illegal to work on Sundays unless you and your employer have a permit. Most apartment flats have noise restrictions preventing you from nailing pictures onto the walls on Sunday. They also rather expect that life remains quiet around lunch time so that Pensioners (that's me) and babies can have a quiet rest period. I was hoping the reg would pertain to Pensioners and Babes--that too would involve quiet time, unfortunately. They said the Swiss go to bed after 10 and get all hung up with noise. In some of the older apartment house contracts (those with thin walls apparently) it was requested that men sit while urinating after 10 pm.
Our mover joking told us that in Switzerland, the best way to meet your neighbor is with your attorney. We haven't found that but have heard that it is not unusual to invite your neighbors to your party only to have them call the police and complain about the noise once they have drunk your booze, eaten your food and gone home for their early-to-bed.
We do know that this is the most recycled country in the world. Cans must have all wrappings removed, their top and bottom taken off and be crushed flat and then returned to the right drop center (we don't know where yet). Aluminum cans must pass the non magnetic test before they hit their special bins and glass, divided into three colors, can not be deposited in their special recepticals on Sunday (because they make too much noise when they hit the others).
We all have our idiosynchrasies, of course. An our observations are given with a smile. You can get pretty accustomed to these nice little habits. We are just starting our cruise through the plethora of Swiss wines and cheeses. We both thought that Swiss cheese was Swiss cheese and Swiss wines must amount to a 10 acre plot. What a couple of hicks that showed us to be. Attached are some pictures from the flat.
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