Michels in Zurich

Thursday, April 15, 2010

A Toaster...What a Luxury!

For Dave's birthday, the boys got him a toaster...

When we moved here from California, we got rid of our toaster oven - we had had it for a long time, and the electrical voltage is different here, so we didn't bring some of our small appliances. Well, we never bought one when we got here - it just didn't seem that important. However, whenever we went on vacation and stayed in a house or apartment, the kids were thrilled if it had a toaster! For example, when we talked about what the kids liked most about our stay in Seville, Spain, they talked about the toast with butter that we got to have in our apartment! I guess it's good to appreciate the little things!

Dave's Birthday

We celebrated Dave's birthday in March with a cake from Sprüngli (the best chocolate in the world) and lots of fun with the kids. Happy Birthday, Dave!

Nancy's Birthday

We celebrated my birthday as a family when Dave and I got home from Barcelona. It was a fun celebration, complete with gifts from all the kids (which they had been working on while I was out of town) and a cake made and decorated by Elise! Thank you, kids!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Flat Stanley

Ethan Reid (whose family were our friends and neighbors in Moraga) sent us a "Flat Stanley" request from Alpine, Utah. For those who don't know what that is (I didn't exactly know before we got it), it is when a school class sends a blank paper doll to friends all over the world. The friends dress / decorate the paper doll, take photos with it in their city, and then send it back to the school class. Nathan and Elise (with some help from Mom) had fun decorating Stanley and writing a letter back to Ethan's class about Switzerland!

Our Little Climber

Meredith loves the stairs! We had no stairs in our house in Moraga, so we never had to worry about it. Here in Switzerland we have a big flight of stairs going up to the playroom. Meredith found it and was so proud of her climbing (and sneaking up a few stairs before we caught her). We now have a gate at the bottom of the stairs so she can't "practice" by herself anymore!

Barcelona for Two!

Yes, it's true! Dave and I took a 4-day vacation to Barcelona on our own. We had an amazing time! Barcelona really is one-of-a-kind! The architecture is beautiful and the food is incredible! And it was such a treat to be there over my birthday weekend.

We left on Thursday morning during Sportferien (sport holiday), and flew to Barcelona. Our friends Meg and Nathan came to stay with the kids again.

We stayed at 1898 Hotel on La Rambla, the main street in Barcelona, near the old town. We spent the afternoon walking around the old town, eating at a tapas restaurant, and visiting the Boqueria market. This was definitely the most beautiful market I have ever seen! You can't believe how nice and fresh the fruit looked (and it tasted good too!). And there was plenty of fresh fish! We found a little crepes stand and had a wonderful crepe there as well.

We also visited the cathedral, even going up to the roof for a view of the city. And we walked to the Palau De La Musica, which is a very beautiful old concert hall. Thursday night we ate at a restaurant on La Rambla across from our hotel, that was also amazing.

Friday (my birthday) we walked around the city and saw more of the Gaudi architecture and did a bit of shopping. We walked up Passeig de Gracia where Dave found some European shirts and a good deal on a Spanish leather jacket. We saw Casa Battlo and La Pedrera, two of Gaudi's famous buildings. We made our way to La Sagrada Familia, a massive cathedral where construction began in 1882, and it is still under construction (for another 20 years or so)! It really is amazing.

We ate lunch at a very funky / creative restaurant, where they even served us gold-covered macademia nuts. In the evening we took the metro to see the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. It's a huge fountain where they have a synchronized lights, music and water show each evening! For my birthday that evening, we went to a country music concert...Kevin Costner and his band Modern West at la Palau de la Musica. Yes, it actually was Kevin Costner! Who knew he is now touring Europe with a country band!

Saturday we walked down to the ocean where we went up Colom, a monument to Christopher Columbus, and then walked along Rambla de Mar and Port Vell. The ocean was beautiful, and the weather was great for February. We stopped at the Desigual shop in Port Vell. When I asked to try on a skirt they took me to this dressing room - with a wall of windows - and told me (in Spanish) not to worry, that people can't see in from outside! We took a few pictures with the amazing street performers on La Rambla. That evening we went to a Spanish guitar concert in a small church not far from our hotel. It was a guitar duo - very authentic and fun!

We really had a great time, and it was so fun to discover the city of Barcelona together! Now we want to go back with the whole family...

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Our Cute Kids!

We had a photo shoot at home and the kids loved it (except Meredith, who got tired by the time it was her turn!). What cute kids!

Quotes from the kids!

"Living in Switzerland is like being trapped in a 5-star hotel!" - Nathan, saying that anywhere else you go would probably be worse or the same, but not better (there was also something about jumping out the window and breaking your leg, just to go to another 5-star hotel.).
"Riding the train is easy, it's making sure you're on the right train that's harder." - Meredith when she and Will made their way home from central Zurich on their own with trams, trains and transfers.
"Mom, don't panic." - Meredith, before she told me she had forgotten to take her completed homework to school...my kids know me too well!
"Man, they have a FAT goalie!" - William, as he saw the opposing unihockey team walk in. He was a big goalie, but he wasn't agile, so Will and Nate's team won. Hopp Meilen!
"What's a yardstick?" (I responded with, "a wooden stick with measurements on it.") "Oh, you mean a meterstick?" - William. Yes, he has grown up in Europe!
"I mean, Dad can keep us alive, but it's not really the same!" - William, when I told him I would be out of town a few days and Dave would have to fill out something for school.
"Do we have to go to America? They're always shooting people there! I wish our relatives lived somewhere safe like Switzerland." - Meredith. Sad, but true - this seems to be all the news we hear about the US.
"Mom, can't you make something a little more Swiss, so I know my friends will like it!" - Meredith, in response to my suggestion that we make Snickerdoodle cookies for her class treat at the end of school.
"That's really bad! You know, like how your teeth feel after a 14 hour flight." - Nathan (what other 10-year-old would use that as a definition for really bad?!)
"The zebra was legendary!" - Nathan, after eating an entree of zebra in Capetown, South Africa.
"I don't know what to ask for for Christmas...I'm provided with everything I need." - Nathan
"I hope the English-speaking country won...what was it called again?" Meredith, when I said we needed to check to see who won the US vs. Portugal game in the world cup. Uh, that English-speaking country is the USA! Good thing we're going to the US for summer vacation!
"Mom, drive as fast as you're allowed to!" - Meredith, when we were late for a birthday party. There are so many rules in Switzerland that of course Meredith wouldn't say to drive as fast as you can!
"That's just my accent." - Meredith, when I tried to help her pronounce her "R"s like rrr instead of www.
When driving from Willard, UT, to Logan, UT, to visit our friend Heidi, Nate and Will ask, "How far away does she live?" Mom answers, "About an hour." Nate and Will respond, "Is that in another country?"...(a reasonable question in Switzerland, as France, Germany, Lichtenstein and Austria are all within an hour's drive).
"I'm a selfer!" - Meredith, who wants to do things herself!
"Abra ta ga ga! Make the boys' room clean!" - Meredith, waving her princess wand to help the boys when I said their room needed to be tidy before we could go anywhere
"I'm a helper!" - Meredith
"No Mom, it's called playground judy!" - William ... I think he meant 'playground duty'
Dentist: "How often do you brush your teeth?" William: "Well, when I have a dentist's appointment, I brush them twice, but usually I just brush them once a day." (at least he's honest!)
"Mom, those aren't new shirts that Dad brings home, they're washed shirts." - William, who apparently thought Dave was doing a lot of shopping, not just picking up the dry cleaning! "I thought that too!" - Nathan!
"I just love Life! Life is so, so, so good!" - William (what a positive kid...actually, he's talking about the Life cereal Dave brought back from the US)
"When starts the party?" - Elise, reading the English writing on someone's shirt in Dubai. It's hilarious to see what is written on t-shirts, but as long as it's in English it must be cool!
"Mer, I've got a brilliant idea...it's just brilliant!" - William (love that British vocabulary!)
"Will, the US is having some issues right now!" - Nathan, in response to William saying he wanted to move back to the US (Nathan is quite informed about the economic situation and political gridlock, isn't he!)
"Daisy Duke Bikinis on Top" - William, reciting the words from the song, "California Gurls" which he learned when he did the Beach Party kids' show in Austria
"I want a 'bit-a-bit' more" - Meredith
"It's just like in America. They have all these really nice people around there." - Nathan, after I asked him how he liked his visit to a new dentist (an American).
"What's a dollar?" - William, who knows all about Swiss Francs, but didn't know what I meant when I said the word 'dollar'.
"What's so special about the 4th of July?" - Nathan, when I mentioned while we were on vacation in Austria that it was the 4th of July. I guess we still need to teach some American history!
What year is your birthday? "...every year!" - Nathan (of course, it's so simple!)
"So it turns out that nobody else eats the stem of a strawberry," - Elise (what? you eat the stem of the strawberry?)
"I want to pound it!" - Meredith, saying she wants to hit knuckles when saying goodnight
"Now that's how you do a proper trade." - Nathan, coaching Meredith on how to trade a lick of his lollipop for some of her candy
"Tschüss, ciao, ciao!" - Meredith, saying goodbye in a combination of German and Italian (it's common in Switzerland to mix German and either French or Italian)
"Where is my Lisie? Where is my guys? Where is my daddy?" - Meredith ("my guys" meaning Nathan and Will)
"Shh, baby sleeping!" - Meredith, putting her finger up to her mouth so we'll all be quiet for her baby dolls.
"See, I write things on my hand so I remember to do them...oh, no! I forgot to do that!" - Elise, as she confidently explained her system for staying organized, then turned her hand over to discover it hadn't really worked!
"Too tight!" - Meredith, referring to the seat belt even when it's barely fastened, her jeans, and almost all of her clothing when we put it on her, because she's quite chubby!
"You can move your porn first!" - Nathan, who just learned how to play chess from a British babysitter
"Can someone help me with the cutlery?" - William, loading the dishwasher with his proper British English
"Go make yourself a dang quesadilla!" - Elise (from Napoleon Dynamite)
"I really want to go to Greece!" - Elise ..."I'm dying to go to Canada!" - Nathan (huh?)
"Mom, spell, 'I cup...get it, I-C-U-P!'" - Nathan who is loving his newfound reading and spelling skills!
"Mom, how do you spell, 'Dear Mrs. Lillywhite, you are so beautiful'...?" - William who is always making gifts for people (writing a card for his teacher at school)
"Dad, can you teach me how to play Cricket?" - Nathan (...uh, that's not something Dave learned growing up in LA!)
"Jesus is in charge of the whole world, and he told me when I was in heaven that I can watch TV on a school night." - William, trying again after he had already told me that his teacher said he could watch TV, and I said his teacher was in charge at school but I am in charge at home...
"We're just HANGING OUT!" - William, in response to my asking what the kids were doing when they were supposed to be doing their chores.
"We have snacks in my class at church, except on Quick Sundays, then we don't have snacks, but on Long Sundays we have snacks." - William
"SmartCars rock!" - Elise
"That mom and her son are running because they're Swiss and they don't want to be late. If they were American they would be walking because they're fat and they don't care if they're late!" - Elise
"People say USA...'sucks'" - Nathan, referring to the US soccer team playing in the world cup. I asked him who said that (before telling him that's not a nice word), and he said, "The Swiss kids say that!" World Cup is huge here, and it's so much fun being at the International school where so many countries are represented.
"Mom, I like the breakfast in the restaurants...in the fancy ones." - Nathan as he sat at the kitchen table with a box of cereal and milk, thinking about the great breakfast buffets included at the hotels when we're on vacation
"A blackberry is not a food, it's a type of phone!" - William, who really believes this
"British speak proper English. We speak American English," - Nathan (obviously too heavily influenced by his British teachers and friends!)
"It's a manwo!" - Elise referring to someone she wasn't sure was a man or a woman...
"Dad, you've got to deal with this guy." - Nathan, referring to William when he is misbehaving
"My Pet Rat told me that..." - William, whose imaginary pet rat lives in a hotel in London, speaks German and English, and does many other things
"Let's do that straightaway!" - Nathan, who has added many British English expressions to his vocabulary
"Where are we going?...Is that in a different country?" - William and Nathan, as they realize how quickly one can be in a different country when you live in Switzerland!
"Can we pleeease play Ruckus?!" - Elise, talking abut a very fun and addictive card game we recieved for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Francis
"I prefer a different shirt!" - William, who wants to decide everything himself (and such proper vocabulary!)
"You hate Star Wars compared to me..." - Nathan and William (who love Star Wars, but also use this saying about anything they really love)
"Dad, do you want to hear me count from 40 to 100?" - Nathan (who thinks the 20s and 30s are hard)
"What do you do at work, Dad - play some games, and if you win you get some money?" - Nathan
"I'm the only kid in my class who knew how to do jumping jacks...because Elise taught me!" - Nathan
"eine kleine Puppe!" - nearly every Swiss woman who sees Meredith (means "a little doll" in German)
"Oh, there's that place with the W. What's it called?...that has really good food!" - Nathan (talking about McDonalds - you don't see them around very often, but Nathan has been there a couple of times)
"Otherwise, I'm going to have to tell the Bademeister" - Mom (when the kids misbehave...Bademeister means the pool superintendent, but it's just such an ominous sounding word!)
"This is just like a Disneyland ride, but the real thing!" - Elise (talking about our ride up the world's steepest cog railway to Mount Pilatus near Luzern)
"Dienstag!" - William (means "Tuesday" in German, but William uses it as an expletive)
"Nathan, when I hit you, you need to hold on tight to your water so it doesn't spill!" - William
"Mom, this chocolate makes me almost want to cry, it's so good!" - Nathan
"I got 74 out of 80 on the test…and all 8 of the questions I missed were subtraction!" - Nathan
"Hey, that's my jewelry box!" - Meredith, when she saw Elise opening her birthday present from William

Things that seemed strange when we first arrived in Switzerland, but are quickly becoming normal...

You have to pay for the ketchup at informal restaurants! (20-50 Rappen for each little packet)
Grocery stores close at 6:30 or 7:00pm during the week, 4:00 on Saturday, and are closed all day on Sunday.
Banks, government offices, and nearly all stores close each day from 12-2 for lunch.
The mailmen drive motorcycles!
You don't write checks for anything - everything is done through electronic bank transfer
Accessing your bank account online requires a user ID#, Pin#, and from a SecureID digital device a number that changes every few seconds (remember Mission Impossible?)
Buying tickets for the train is on an honor system (you don't have to go through a gate or insert your ticket), yet people run to the ticket machine to buy a ticket before boarding
Trains arrive and leave exactly on time
Kindergarten children walk to school on their own wearing orange and yellow vests
Most radio stations play American 70's music (picture driving through the green hills from Zurich to Luzern listening to "Staying Alive")
The voice on our SUV's navigation system is a British male
Traffic lights turn from green to yellow to red, and from red to yellow to green
You get a speeding ticket for 5 miles over the speed limit - there are traffic cameras and you receive the ticket in the mail two weeks after you were photographed speeding (if you see a "flash", you know you've been caught)
You need 2 sets of tires for your car - summer tires and winter tires. And everyone changes their tires in October and April.
Garbage must be sorted and put in a special bag purchased in your own village, and each 35 liter bag must have a sticker on it that costs SFr 1.80
You have to put a SFr 2 coin in the grocery cart to unlock it from the rest of the carts (then you get the coin back when you lock it back into the stack of carts after shopping)
Eggs are not refrigerated in the grocery store
Milk is not refrigerated in the grocery store
When buying produce in the grocery store, you put it on the scale and punch in the code for the product (#1 for bananas), then out comes a sticker with the price
You bag your own groceries in your own bag (or buy one at the store)