Natural Fridge

I mentioned earlier that our refrigerator broke during our US visit. It was disgusting. Good thing it's cold outside, otherwise we'd really be in trouble.

We're slowly building back our stock. So far it's Ryan's coke, my fizzy water, beer, eggs, applesauce (I felt sick this week), bread dough, and last night's leftovers. We've got a ways to go.

The towel is serving as a cover over the holes in our lid. Can't have critters in the curry! It's actually pasta, but I just love alliteration.

Jet Lag

This was the scene at our apartment at about 4:00 yesterday. Ryan, only getting 3 hours of sleep the night before, had to come home early from work and take a nap. So, I guess you could say we're not back to normal yet.

Still A Foreign Country

I'm sure people liked our blog posts a lot more in the beginning... everything was new and our stories were exciting. But now that our lives are routine, it's difficult to captivate. Take today for example. I got out of bed when Ryan left for work. I took the dog for a walk (we're dog sitting). I came back, got on the couch with a blanket, and put the computer in front of my face. This went on until lunch time. Then, I ate pieces of bread with tomato sauce on top (I tried to find something other than leftovers, hoping to make last night's dinner stretch to tonight, so I didn't have to cook again). I got off the couch and cleaned the refrigerator. It broke while we were in the US, and smelled atrocious. That took up the whole afternoon. Pre-Ryan coming home from work, that about sums up my day. Makes for an exciting post, right? I didn't think so.

However, every once in a while, I have days like when we first moved here. I get nervous, unsure of the language, and feel totally out of my element. You seemed to like those stories, so here goes.

Ryan bought a converter while we were in the States, so his new xbox could work with Swiss voltage. He was SO disappointed to learn it didn't work, and was very determined to return it, get a new one, and start playing Assassin's Creed II. However, I have to run most of the errands because I'm the one with no job. So, he found what looked like a UPS location in a city called Grancia (right outside Lugano - really close). We happened to have the neighbor's car, so he asked if I would take the package and get it mailed off. That's when I say "sure" when I'm really thinking - why couldn't we have done this on a Saturday?

I'm still nervous driving by myself around here because I just don't do it that often. So finding this place (even with GPS) was the first obstacle. Then, I had to communicate my needs somehow. Ryan just handed me the part... it still needed to be packaged and processed, which requires help.

Surprisingly, I arrive at the UPS building with no real problem. Then I have to park. That's a problem. Parking spaces are color coordinated, and I'm not totally sure which ones are public. So, I cheat and park down the block at a grocery lot. Someone braver would have parked in front of the actual UPS location, but I wasn't chancing it. I start walking towards the building and I'm not seeing any normal entrance. There's a loading dock type entrance with a truck blocking the way, so that can't be right. There's a side door that leads right into someone's office, so that can't be right either. After circling the building a few times, I decide to stop at the truck blocked entrance and ask for help. I say "posso" which means "can I" and point to the box, because I have no idea how to say "ship." He says something and leads me to a guy, who surprisingly speaks a bit of English. That's the best thing that could have happened because it turns out it's not really a "store front" location (just a warehouse), we didn't really have a proper label printed out for the return, and I really wouldn't have been able to do anything there without this guys help.

So, the story ends well. But at the start, I had a feeling that was very familiar to feelings in those first few days/weeks. As much as we are confortable here, it's definitely still a foreign country.

Smoking Santas and Flying Christmas Trees

Leaving for the US was a little hectic, so I missed writing about a couple of things... namely, smoking Santas and flying Christmas trees.

I was walking through the center one day, and stumbled on a plethora of Santas. There were probably 30 of them, all handing out oranges (see the girl-Santa with the hand in her bag). I'm still not sure what their deal was, but these guys taking a break made me laugh... they were having a beer and some smokes. This picture doesn't do it justice, but I couldn't exactly go up to them and say "sorriso" (smile).















And this is a picture of a helicopter bringing in a gigantic Christmas tree that was eventually placed in Lagano's main piazza. This is actually my friend's picture. She was pretty shocked to see a flying tree outside her window, and it took a minute to register.















The tree made it!

Bag Update

They found them! And we are SO happy.

The Joys of Traveling

We're back in Lugano, and the airline can't find two of our bags. They just so happen to be the two bags we carried on and stuffed with all the things we would NEVER want to get lost. We were running to catch our Chicago to Zurich connection, were last on the plane, and were stopped at the gate because there was no room for our carry-ons. They took the bags, gave us little tickets, and said we'd see them in Lugano.

The camera is in one of those bags.

Friends

We are spending healthy doses of much needed time with our families. But we've managed to squeeze in good friend time, and have been consistently amazed at their level of effort. They keep coming out, making time, and probably clearing schedules, just to be with us. I plan to write a full Christmas rundown, but because our friend time has come to a close, I thought I pay homage to those people who, unlike family, don't HAVE to love us, but do it anyway.












P.S. - We love you back.