Apartment Search Pt 2 and Ryan's Work

We looked at 4 other apartments this afternoon. We just gave up on uploading the video of the frontrunner of the day. The bathroom net is not so quick... We don't like it as much as the one we posted pictures of from Monday. This one is closer to the town, but it is also over a busy intersection. And, it's just not as cool as the other one. But, what is cool is that it is about $1,000 cheaper per month. So, we are not giving up on it yet. After looking at apartments today we walked around and found a new random place for dinner. We decided that we weren't going to be comfortable paying $2,500 for the apartment we really like, and at the same time, we don't want to pay $1,500 for something that doesn't do it for us. So, we plan to tell our agent that we would like something in between that range to look at.

THEN... we got to the hotel and came to the bathroom/computer room to check some websites that I got from co-workers at KPMG. WE FOUND THE APARTMENT WE LIKE LISTED ON A WEBSITE FOR $1,950. WTF? Sorry, grandma. We are meeting with the agent tomorrow, and maybe there is some explanation, but we don't get it. So, the search may go on.

I feel like I'm going to catch up quickly with KPMG in Lugano. It's smaller than I expected as far as number of employees go. There are probably only 15 audit professionals and 35 total people in the office (vs. 70 or so in Memphis). The offices themselves are very nice. Newly renovated I'm told... The people are also great and speak very good English for the most part! Even if they don't speak great English, they at least try and I can understand them. They ask me to have cafe (coffee) with them everyday and I have gotten Swiss chocolate 3 out of 4 days last week! AWESOME.

On my second day, the audit partner asked if he could introduce me to this guy named Brian who was in the office. He is an American and I found out he was from New Orleans. It was very nice to talk to him, and he was very encouraging about me being successful in Lugano. I talked to Malinda later about it. She told me to see if maybe the guy knew her mom, because she worked for KPMG for a while in NOLA. It turns out that she knew him! What a small world, huh? This guy works in the Zurich office and has been here since 1984. He's married to a "Swiss/Dutch girl" and I don't think he is going back to the US.

Since my last post about sleeping, I have been sleeping very well. Last night I went to sleep at about 8:30 and didn't wake up until 7:00. I'm already feeling much, much better about this whole situation. I have learned enough to not feel anxious about every task I have to do throughout the day. I feel comfortable walking to work, ordering food, not tipping too much (which is the correct thing to not do), buying things in stores, etc.... We have even gotten used to our hotel room enough that it doesn't make us want to cry when we go in the door. We are also supposed to be getting an internet card to get wireless access with our laptop from our apartment agent tomorrow so we can use our computer in our room! But, we are eager to get out. Double but, the people are still really nice.

By the time each of you are ready to visit, we will be speaking Italiano and using bidets.