Landing in Geneva...May 07
So welcome to my first blog - I'm hoping this will be a good way to share my experiences with friends and family while we are in Geneva - hope everyone enjoys! I will try to find some non-mundane observations to share from what I'm sure is a quite spoiled American perspective!
I've been in Geneva for about five days, and it's been a study of contrasts and similarities. Although the city's dialect is French, many things can be easily navigated without uttering a word in English or French, like buying gas, shopping for groceries, or walking around the lake front. Of course, I haven't interacted with many people out in the city yet - so maybe that's why it hasn't been so difficult.
Driving has been no problem, and is fun, really - but you can't drive too fast. The Swiss are very serious about preventing speeding. They have elaborate systems to slow speeding down, like sections of road where only one car can pass at a time in either direction, roundabouts every half mile or so. Plus, if you do speed, they have hidden cameras that can levy some steep fees. So one of my first challenges will be to find all the cameras on the way to work!
Settling into the house has been interesting - I've never lived anywhere with a basement before, and being here alone with a gigantic one downstairs is a little creepy. I'll be really happy when Jay gets here, but sadly he is already scared of basements, so we may be a pair of ninnies here!
I've been in Geneva for about five days, and it's been a study of contrasts and similarities. Although the city's dialect is French, many things can be easily navigated without uttering a word in English or French, like buying gas, shopping for groceries, or walking around the lake front. Of course, I haven't interacted with many people out in the city yet - so maybe that's why it hasn't been so difficult.
Driving has been no problem, and is fun, really - but you can't drive too fast. The Swiss are very serious about preventing speeding. They have elaborate systems to slow speeding down, like sections of road where only one car can pass at a time in either direction, roundabouts every half mile or so. Plus, if you do speed, they have hidden cameras that can levy some steep fees. So one of my first challenges will be to find all the cameras on the way to work!
Settling into the house has been interesting - I've never lived anywhere with a basement before, and being here alone with a gigantic one downstairs is a little creepy. I'll be really happy when Jay gets here, but sadly he is already scared of basements, so we may be a pair of ninnies here!
I've also learned that the French have a different attitude toward appointments and civility than I'm used to. When the rental furniture was delivered, the delivery guys walked around the house smoking cigarettes (ecck!!) without even thinking of asking if it was ok. Then, when the landlord arranged for our window shades to be oiled (long story), they literally walked into the house out of blue with their own key (via landlord) - no appointment, no knocking, no chagrin! So that maybe was more scary than the basement, especially when neither of them spoke any English, but it all worked out in the end. As I suppose everything will while I am living in Switzerland...
3 comments:
Jen - great pictures and stories - don't get creeped out about basement - they are great for storing all the stuff you don't need right away - Christmas decorations, books, stuff! Looking forward to seeing and hearing more! Beverlee
Hmmmm - I think your brother needs to spend a few weeks driving in Switzerland - perhaps some improved habits!
Mom
I'm glad you got there ok. I'm kinda scared of basements too. They're damp and cold and dark. Look at it this way though - it's a good place to hide when the Window Oilers come to town.
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