Because this is what happens when I do.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
For Mark
A good friend, Mark Forsyth, was killed in a motorcycle accident last week. The hardest part of being so far away is not being able to personally mourn with those that mourn.
Since I got the news, I've been thinking about the Forsyth family a lot. One "Mark" story comes to mind. Well, it's really a Mark and Liz story.
We were at their house for a party of some sort. (I think it was probably for one of the YSA that we both had the privilege of "parenting.") My Daniel was 4 months old. I was chatting with Liz and some other women and the topic turned to children (of course).
Liz said, "Isn't it so fantastic to see their little faces on their first birthday when they get their first taste of sugar?" At this very moment, Mark was feeding my four month old pumpkin roll cake.
I smile every time I think of that, because I seriously doubt the Forsyth children first tasted sugar on their 1st birthdays. I think they just tasted sugar in front of their mother on their first birthday.
We miss Mark. We love all the Forsyths, and wish we could be there.
(And for the record, I told Mark to stop feeding my baby dessert.)
Since I got the news, I've been thinking about the Forsyth family a lot. One "Mark" story comes to mind. Well, it's really a Mark and Liz story.
We were at their house for a party of some sort. (I think it was probably for one of the YSA that we both had the privilege of "parenting.") My Daniel was 4 months old. I was chatting with Liz and some other women and the topic turned to children (of course).
Liz said, "Isn't it so fantastic to see their little faces on their first birthday when they get their first taste of sugar?" At this very moment, Mark was feeding my four month old pumpkin roll cake.
I smile every time I think of that, because I seriously doubt the Forsyth children first tasted sugar on their 1st birthdays. I think they just tasted sugar in front of their mother on their first birthday.
We miss Mark. We love all the Forsyths, and wish we could be there.
(And for the record, I told Mark to stop feeding my baby dessert.)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Luxembourg
We spent 3 days in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. You didn't even know it was a Grand Duchy, did you? Well, you do now. There were castles, of course, and cool tunnels under Luxembourg City, but this post is about sin.
That's right. Sin. This is a picture of one of the vending machines in our hotel. See if you can spot the "interesting items" it offers. Oh, and in case you were worried about corrupting minors, there was a sign on the top that said you had to be 16 to purchase things other than the candy.
If you get all three bad items correctly, then you win a prize! Of course, the prize is the knowledge that you purposely seek out wickedness. Sinner.
Did you spot them? I'll help. We have, right next to the "kinder" treats (really), a dirty magazine, c0ndoms, and cigarettes! Awesome, and what a great cover story. "Honey, I meant to get the M&Ms, but I hit the wrong number and got these instead! No use wasting money. Lock the kids in the bathroom!" But, I digress.
So, what if one of these isn't the vice of your choice? (The M&Ms, I mean. Not everyone likes chocolate, but cigarettes--those meet everyone's desires.) Never fear, next to vending machine number 1 was the beer vending machine!
If you never have good luck with vending machines, you can still have convenient shopping. In Northern Luxembourg, we ran into a store that definitely would be helpful around Christmas time. It specialized in two types of products:
That's right! Alcohol and toys. Hard liquor and puzzles. It had three or four big window displays and everyone one of them showcased both children's items and alcohol. Some of the alcohol was in delightful animal shaped bottles, in case you were torn between indulging your alcoholism and buying your child a present. Go ahead and buy the scotch in the glass duck and then when you've finished, the duck can be a present for Junior.
That's right. Sin. This is a picture of one of the vending machines in our hotel. See if you can spot the "interesting items" it offers. Oh, and in case you were worried about corrupting minors, there was a sign on the top that said you had to be 16 to purchase things other than the candy.
If you get all three bad items correctly, then you win a prize! Of course, the prize is the knowledge that you purposely seek out wickedness. Sinner.
Did you spot them? I'll help. We have, right next to the "kinder" treats (really), a dirty magazine, c0ndoms, and cigarettes! Awesome, and what a great cover story. "Honey, I meant to get the M&Ms, but I hit the wrong number and got these instead! No use wasting money. Lock the kids in the bathroom!" But, I digress.
So, what if one of these isn't the vice of your choice? (The M&Ms, I mean. Not everyone likes chocolate, but cigarettes--those meet everyone's desires.) Never fear, next to vending machine number 1 was the beer vending machine!
If you never have good luck with vending machines, you can still have convenient shopping. In Northern Luxembourg, we ran into a store that definitely would be helpful around Christmas time. It specialized in two types of products:
That's right! Alcohol and toys. Hard liquor and puzzles. It had three or four big window displays and everyone one of them showcased both children's items and alcohol. Some of the alcohol was in delightful animal shaped bottles, in case you were torn between indulging your alcoholism and buying your child a present. Go ahead and buy the scotch in the glass duck and then when you've finished, the duck can be a present for Junior.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
The most important thing
I bought Root Beer today.
I realize that for most of you, this is the sort of news that makes you yawn. But to us expat types this is something to be shouted from the rooftops. Plus it was only 1.40chf per can. Yippee!
I found it at an Asian Market that I've passed a zillion times and never been in. It's on the tram line we take for Sarah's school, so I'm usually coming or going with other things to do so I don't stop.
Today, however, Sarah started her after school cooking class. The school requires that a parent pick up the child and then deliver the child to the class. This is ridiculous, seeing how school gets out at 3:15 and the class starts at 3:30, but I'm a rule follower, so Daniel and I went, saw Sarah for about 5 minutes, then sent her off the class.
Since it is 45 minutes to home and class was 70 minutes, Daniel and I went for a walk to this Asian market. It's A&W rootbeer, so no caffeine either. I'm thrilled.
In my German class, we started learning about food and how to order in a restaurant. Our teacher has been surprised by how important we think this topic is. The discussion drifted into cupcakes and he didn't know a German word for them, because he's never seen them around, but then he mentioned that he had seen bagels.
Well then. Bagels. None of the students (3 Americans, 1 Argentinian and 1 Japanese) had seen bagels since our planes touched down in der Schweiz. We all wanted to know where he had seen these supposed bagels. (Well, the woman from NYC declared, presumptively, that they would be lousy. Bagel snob.) He couldn't remember, and I bet he saw them in Germany. (He's German. The language schools like to have German teachers because Swiss German creeps in too much with a Swiss teacher.)
We think food is important. Now that I have a source for rootbeer, I may have to buy some $12 ice cream (900 ml!) and make a rootbeer float.
I realize that for most of you, this is the sort of news that makes you yawn. But to us expat types this is something to be shouted from the rooftops. Plus it was only 1.40chf per can. Yippee!
I found it at an Asian Market that I've passed a zillion times and never been in. It's on the tram line we take for Sarah's school, so I'm usually coming or going with other things to do so I don't stop.
Today, however, Sarah started her after school cooking class. The school requires that a parent pick up the child and then deliver the child to the class. This is ridiculous, seeing how school gets out at 3:15 and the class starts at 3:30, but I'm a rule follower, so Daniel and I went, saw Sarah for about 5 minutes, then sent her off the class.
Since it is 45 minutes to home and class was 70 minutes, Daniel and I went for a walk to this Asian market. It's A&W rootbeer, so no caffeine either. I'm thrilled.
In my German class, we started learning about food and how to order in a restaurant. Our teacher has been surprised by how important we think this topic is. The discussion drifted into cupcakes and he didn't know a German word for them, because he's never seen them around, but then he mentioned that he had seen bagels.
Well then. Bagels. None of the students (3 Americans, 1 Argentinian and 1 Japanese) had seen bagels since our planes touched down in der Schweiz. We all wanted to know where he had seen these supposed bagels. (Well, the woman from NYC declared, presumptively, that they would be lousy. Bagel snob.) He couldn't remember, and I bet he saw them in Germany. (He's German. The language schools like to have German teachers because Swiss German creeps in too much with a Swiss teacher.)
We think food is important. Now that I have a source for rootbeer, I may have to buy some $12 ice cream (900 ml!) and make a rootbeer float.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Things that are just wrong
Mostly, things in Switzerland are wonderful. But there are a few things that are just w-r-o-n-g.
- If there are two elevators side by side, pushing a call button will, more often than not, only summon one of the elevators. You have to guess which elevator in the bank is closer to you!
- No life guards at public swimming pools.
- Speaking of pools, Speedos are just wrong. Okay, I'll allow them for a swim team (although the Olympic athletes don't even wear them any more). But you, paunchy Swiss man, put some regular swim trunks on.
- And put the swim trunks on your 7 year old as well. No speedos for kids!
- And let's not talk about bikinis, grooming and all the areas in which a female grows hair. I know it's sexist, but you are only allowed to show the hair on your head. Any other hair should be covered or removed.
- Air conditioning is a fundamental human right. Why have the Swiss not realized this?
- Men who wear more jewelry than Zsa Zsa Gabor.
- 14 year olds drinking beer on the tram. (Legal drinking age is 16.)
- Brown sugar? Doesn't exist.
- Slugs.
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