Thanksgiving Extravaganza 2012...the first 48 hours!

The "typical Thanksgiving" has never really been the norm in our house.  When we were still back in Wisconsin in the late 90's, Meghan (and I) spent a number of Thanksgivings traversing nearby states for the annual Midwest Region Oireachtas, a huge Irish dance competition.  Thanksgiving dinner was usually a mediocre group buffet at the hotel prior to rehearsal and "tanning" for the next day's competition in places like Pittsburgh, St. Louis and the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago.  Then we moved to Tokyo where Thanksgiving meant a 4 day school vacation, so it was off on a mini trip...we spent those Thanksgivings in Hakone (Japan), Hong Kong, and Singapore (fyi - the Singapore American Club has a fabulous Thanksgiving buffet!)  Upon returning to the USA, all of Steve's family came to our house in New Jersey for our first "real family Thanksgiving" in many years.  Little did they know they'd have to help hang the new dining room chandelier in order to have dinner! The following seven years we settled into a comfortable, traditional Thanksgiving routine...enjoying a scrumptious dinner and the day's football games with our good friends, the Richsons.  Other than the year Target (their dog) had a little stomach issue while they were at our house...(that put a pretty big damper on the idea of having dessert over there)...things ran along smoothly. We had joined the ranks of the traditional Thanksgiving people!! That brings us to 2012.  This year our family is scattered throughout 3 continents - Steve and I are here in Switzerland, Meghan is in India, Patrick is in New Jersey and Connor is in Wisconsin!  This would NOT be a traditional Thanksgiving in the O'Hearn household...

First off, Patrick decided back during the summer that he wanted to go to Istanbul for Thanksgiving (get it...turkey in Turkey!!)  He had a four day vacation from work, why not?  And he got a great price on airfare...so his Thanksgiving ticket was booked!  If Patrick wasn't going to be in NJ, there was no way I was going to let Connor come back to Summit and enjoy the annual pre-Thanksgiving festivities on his own...off to Grandpa and Grandma's you go!  So, we might as well meet up with Patrick in Istanbul as well!  Meghan really wanted to come to Istanbul too, but her tourist visa won't allow her to leave India if she wants to come back in less than 60 days...so that's how our 2 continents in 5 days Thanksgiving extravaganza came into being!  48 hours in Bangalore, India...48 hours in Istanbul, Turkey...a combined 7 hours of layovers in the UAE...and 24 total hours of flight time!  Jet lag...bring it on...I dare you!

We left Zurich at 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon and arrived in Bangalore on Wednesday morning, around 9 am.  Meghan had arranged for "Jojo" - a former Sneha employee turned taxi driver - to pick us up at the airport and take us to the Sneha campus where she lives and works (most of the time!)  We searched the numerous driver-held signs outside of baggage claim for something along the lines of "O'Hearn" or "Steve & Lisa" but found none.  Fortunately Jojo eventually found us and off we went in his very compact taxi for our 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive to Sneha!  I'm not really sure exactly how far it is from the airport to Sneha, but suffice it to say that traffic control is not one of Bangalore's strong points.  The city's population and businesses are growing much faster than its infrastructure (it is known as the "Silicon Valley" of India), resulting in crazy, chaotic traffic...a little like rush hour on the freeways in Chicago, with a few extra stray dogs and cows along the streets for good measure!  Fortunately, we had a relatively easy 1 1/2 hour drive to Sneha and Meghan!

Jojo driving us from the airport to Sneha in typical Bangalore traffic...who needs lanes?

Steve and Meghan outside the entrance to part of the Sneha complex.

According to the Sneha website...

Sneha Care Home is a ‘home away from home’ for the HIV infected children. Sneha Care Home strives to provide comprehensive care to the orphan and vulnerable children by creating an environment which would help them live their lives joyfully and responsibly. This is the second initiative of Camillians for the care of HIV infected children. It began in July 2008 in the Snehadaan campus as a separate entity. ‘Sneha Care Home’ is the residential part of the programme and ‘shining star school’ is the academic part of the same. It took off with 20 HIV infected children, but now it cares for 100 children. Using the National Open School System, the education system aims to help these children reintegrate into the larger community as responsible and productive citizens. It is a combination of institutionalized and community based services.

The Sneha complex also includes a hospital for adult HIV/AIDs patients, as well as a conference center.  Among other things, Meghan works with the children at the Sneha Care Home - particularly the older kids (ages 10 - 14) who will soon be moving out into the "real world."  So, she thought it would be a good idea for us (Steve and me) to teach a class that afternoon!  With a short amount of prep time (24 hours prior to take-off) no supplies (I left all my craft supplies in NJ) and a little bit of help from the internet, I came up with a lesson plan on Advent, particularly focusing on the European/American custom of advent wreaths and calendars.  After a short period of instruction, we got to the fun part...Advent Bingo!  Using Advent-related words (four, wreath, calendar, Christmas, etc...) rather than numbers, the kids aimed to answer questions, get "bingo" and win an awesome prize! First we just gave out Swiss chocolate coins to the winners, but at the end we had two grand prizes...big "movie theater size" candy bars...boy were they excited!  Meghan is curious to see how they react this weekend at mass when the advent candles start getting lit...

Playing the Advent bingo game.

Everyone wants some more of the almond bingo "markers"

The class!

After class, we said farewell to Sneha and jumped back into Jojo's trusty cab for a little trip around Bangalore before heading to our hotel.  Enjoyed a delicious meal at Toit Brew Pub (microbrewery) in the happening Indira Nagar neighborhood.  

Toit Brew Pub

My awesome chocolate raspberry mousse dessert!

The "auto-rickshaw" we rode in to get there.
Has John Deere made its way into the Indian market?

At a beautiful park earlier in the day!

After a great night's sleep, and awesome showers, we were picked up by Meghan's friend, Cliff, who was going to take us on a tour outside of Bangalore.  Cliff is one of the founders, coach, and chief PR director for Bangalore's best Ultimate frisbee team, "Learning to Fly."  Meghan found the team via an internet search before she left the US, sent them an email, Cliff quickly replied back...Meghan went to a game about 24 hours after she arrived in Bangalore, and the rest (as they say)...is history!  Before anyone gets any ideas...Cliff is a happily married, 30-something guy who just happens to be between jobs at the moment and had the time and willingness to take us on a little adventure!  Besides being a great ambassador for the sport of Ultimate frisbee, Cliff is a great ambassador for Bangalore and India as well - couldn't have asked for a better tour guide and photographer!  If the whole engineering thing doesn't work out...he has plenty of other options!

My cow fascination continues in India...they are everywhere!!
Cliff promises that we will, "pet some cows" later...??

The "Tender Coconut" vendor on the side of the road
preparing our drinks.

Cliff and Meghan enjoying a thirst quenching drink
of tender coconut...better than Gatorade!

A traditional Indian breakfast.

Needed to get a photo with these cows pulling wagons full of sugar cane.

At Keshava Temple in Somnathapur

The pillars are so interesting - like turned wood, but not!

On the steps of the Temple - reminded me a lot of the Angor temples in Cambodia.

On the way back to Bangalore from the Keshava Temple, I finally got to pet a cow!  We looked for some friendly looking cows, with farmers who might be willing to talk to us...and that is exactly what we found! The people we found were rice farmers and they explained everything there is to know about rice farming in India to us (okay - to Cliff, but he translated)...what a great and memorable stop that was!

My cow and me!

The woman we met was at the other end of the rice paddy when
we got there.  As soon as she saw us, she came "running" over
to see what was up.  I thought this made a nice photo.
She was using the umbrella to keep the sun off her earlier.

The three of us with the rice farmers (thanks to photographer, Cliff!)

On the way back into town, I kept my iPhone camera on and took photos whenever I saw anything interesting.  I was really searching for a picture of a guy on a motorcycle with a woman in a sari riding sidesaddle on the back - saw so many of those the day before.  Didn't see any today :(

Steve thought these jugs were ceramic earlier in the day...
they aren't.

After a brief rest back at the hotel, it was on to the highlight of the trip - our very Bangalorean Thanksgiving Feast!  In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we had Meghan invite all of her Ultimate frisbee friends to a special dinner to thank them for all they've done to welcome her, include her, and make her stay in Bangalore so wonderful.  About 35 of them were able to come (including some spouses) and enjoy a fabulous meal (thanks to the supreme negotiating skills of Meghan's friend, Sammy, the bill was about the same as dinner for four in Zurich...) and a super fun time!  What a great group of friends she has made...friendly, ambitious, well-educated, energetic, fun-loving and extremely proud of their country.  The future of India is very bright in their hands!

Smaller groups could eat in these fun auto-rickshaws!

In rapt attention as Steve thanks everyone for all they've done for Meghan.

Another table listens...

Pictures with just part of the group...

Back to the hotel just after 11:30 (city law requires all bars and restaurants to close at that time!)  Pack up our luggage, and it's off to the airport at 12:30 am for our 4:30 flight to Istanbul...and maybe a few hours of sleep??

My Adventures with Alice in Wonderland...oops, I mean, Switzerland!

Way back in the middle of October, my friend Alice came to visit for a few days.  It was very exciting...our first non-relative!  But then the trepidation set in...what was I going to do with Alice?  Alice used to live in Paris...Alice's sister used to live in Zürich...Alice has been to Switzerland more times than the number of months (maybe even days) I've lived here...Alice was probably in Switzerland before I ever even flew on an airplane...yikes!!!!  Well, turns out there is actually someplace Alice hasn't been...Liechtenstein!  So off we went to explore a country new to both of us...and to get another fun stamp in our passports :)

The Principality of Liechtenstein (its official name - since it is monarchy governed by a prince) is surrounded by Switzerland to the west and south, and Austria to the east and north - and the only country completed within the Alps (if you can trust Wikipedia...)  With a population of about 35,000 on approximately 62 square miles, it is a pretty small place.  There wasn't much information on Liechtenstein in any of our Switzerland travel books - but we took what we could find and set off for our adventure!  Unfortunately there are no direct trains from Zürich to Liechtenstein...but there was a direct train from Zürich HB (main train station) to Sargans, Switzerland, where we then hopped on the Liechtenstein bus which would take us to Vaduz!  (In case you're not really up on your European trivia - Vaduz is the capital of Liechtenstein...)

Off to Liechtenstein!

First thing you notice in Vaduz is the castle up on the hill - that would be the prince's castle!  You can walk up to it and walk around - but can't go in - as he actually lives and works up there.  What an awesome view he must have - can see his entire "princedom" (is that a word??)  We were going to walk up there, but never made it...too many other fun things to do in Vaduz!  

Schloss Vaduz - the prince's castle

First stop was the visitor's center where we could get our passport stamped (no border control) for a mere 3 CHF.  Everything here appears to be priced in Swiss francs.  As Liechtenstein is not a member of the EU either, I guess that makes sense.  As we peppered the visitor's center girl with questions about where to go and what to do, she decided to give us the hard sell on the "Liechtenstein All Inclusive Adventure Pass."  For just 18 CHF we could get the passport stamp for free (3 CHF), get a glass of wine at the Prince's wine cellar (8 CHF)...and so much more!  We let her talk us into it and set off with our cool new passes to find the Schaedler Ceramics Workshop.  Unfortunately this was the one place she knew nothing about (but we did??) so she ended up sending to a bus stop that was not quite where we wanted to go...but we made it there anyway.  Beautiful ceramics in a dazzling array of fantastic colors - one more stunning than the next!   Took us awhile to decide, but eventually made our purchases...and then the owner offered to give us a ride to our next stop - the prince's wine cellar - since he was heading that way anyway!  On the way, he just needed to deliver something to the university...if that was okay with us.  Well, what should we find at the university, but a field full of cows!  I guess I forgot to mention earlier that Alice and I discovered our mutual love of cows...or at least trying to take awesome photos of cows.  We jumped out of the car, cameras in tow, for this awesome photo op!  We did run into another field of cows earlier in the day, but these were closer to the road!  Eventually our ceramic shop friend returned to his car, found us down the road with the cows, and "herded" us back in so we could continue on our way - a very worthwhile stop at the university!  

Running over to see us!

Close-up "Kuh" (cow in German)

Artsy Kuh

At the Hofkellerei des Fürsten von Liechtenstein (Wine Cellars of the Prince of Liechtenstein) we sampled a few wines and then bought a few wines, "sold only here" Liechtenstein chocolates, and a couple of "Hofkellerei Liechtenstein" engraved wine glasses!  Quick romp through the prince's vineyard on our way back to town and the bus to Sargans.  Got all of the things we wanted to do accomplished...but never made very good use of our Liechtenstein All Inclusive Adventure Pass.  Didn't show it at the winery...and they still gave us our two free glasses of wine.  Reviewed the booklet later...and found out we should have received free ceramic cups at the pottery place...should have read the booklet earlier!  Oh well...next time...

The prince's wines (with his portrait behind) - they sell these wines
at the Wine Shop in Zurich!  And on the wine boats too!

Schloss Vaduz overlooking it's vineyards.

And FYI...we took Alice to another place here in Switzerland that she had never been - Rapperswill - just down the lake a two hour boat ride (30 minute train ride) from Zürich!  It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon for a boat ride and then we walked around the town for a bit before taking the train back to Zürich for dinner.  That makes TWO places in or around Switzerland that Alice had never been to!!!  Such fun!  Can't wait for next year's visit for the Christmas markets :)

Beautiful Sunday on Zürichsee!

In Rapperswil

Wandering through town.

Always searching for the artsy photo opportunity...

Brats (with hard roll on the side) at Alice's sister's favorite place in Zürich near Bellevue!

Dinner with Alice and Greg their final night in Zürich at Kronenhalle.

If it's the Second Saturday in November...it must be Räbechilbi!

On our my quest to experience all things "Swiss," we ventured off this past Saturday to Richterswil, home of Europe's (or some might say the World's) largest Räbechilbi or Turnip Festival!  Some of you may remember my experience last April with Sechselauten (burning of the snowman) where I stood for hours in the cold rain, by myself, just to experience this uniquely Zürich event.  Well, I'm happy to report that this time I was not too cold, it was not raining, and best of all...I was not alone!  We went with a group of ten new friends and enjoyed some Swiss tradition followed by a little Italian food and drink!

According to Lonely Planet,

Apart from being used as a phallic plot device in Blackadder, the turnip has never enjoyed much limelight. In an attempt to correct this criminal neglect, the good people of Richterswil, a small town on Lake Zürich, organise an annual celebration of the vegetable.

The philanthropic souls have been beavering away at their noble mission since 1905, organising a parade featuring 26 tonnes of carved root vegetables. Add in 50,000 candles and you have a veritable light-and-turnip spectacle. Resembling everything from elephants and roses to turnip temples, the floats parade past 10,000 hanging lanterns. The grinning jacko’- lanterns cover houses, the local church and even a funicular tramcar. Richterswil was rewarded for its dedication to the Brassica rapa when the festival made it into the Guinness Book of Records in 1998.

Not much more I can add to that...other than at 18:25, five minutes before the start of the parade, a huge bang went off and all of the lights in the town went off in preparation.  It was truly a light-and-turnip spectacle...a kind 
of Tournament of Roses Parade gone "Root!"

First thing we saw after getting off the train - beautiful!

One of the fancier carved turnips - the ones on the window sills
are typically just hollowed out without designs.

New Christmas decorating idea??  Pinterest anyone??

Residents all getting prepared for the big parade.

Beautiful staircase!

Crowds in eager anticipation...

How do we get one of these views next year?

A sampling of floats..."Down with the Euro??"

A Hippy - note the peace sign necklace!

Captain Jack Sparrow

Jonah and the Whale...from the back.

Eagle - We figured that was for us :)

Working Windmill - the front turns and the turnips spin
so as not to lose their candles!

Woman's silhouette on the side on the windmill...
not sure what that was all about! 

Ray Charles...why not?

Eiffel Tower

Leopard - Our 1st place prize winner -
if we were giving out awards!

Although this Alfred Hitchcock was pretty impressive too!

Double Decker London bus

And continuing the London theme...London Bridge!

Dinner afterwards!