Reflections

Eleven years ago we had just recently moved to Tokyo, Japan.  We were getting acclimated and making friends, but still waiting for things like our boat shipment and the hookup of the "deluxe" cable package on our television so that we might be able to find a show or two in English on Fox Japan or the Star Channels.  School had started for our kids at the American School in Japan (ASIJ), but they had the day off on Monday for a typhoon warning - fortunately the storm didn't hit us too badly.  Around 10:30 that evening as Steve did his nightly scroll through all of the TV channels hoping that something to watch would magically appear, he came upon what we thought was a tape of the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.  Why else would there be smoke coming from the WTC?  But then he continued on to another station, and then another...but the video was the always the same.  At that point we realized that this was not a tape - it was live coverage.  We found a station with the reporter's voice barely discernible in the background under the Japanese translation being broadcast.  As we were still trying to decipher what was happening, we watched in rapt horror as a plane hit the second tower...and the Pentagon...and the farmer's field in Pennsylvania.  We watched the first tower crumble to the ground...and then the second.  I found it difficult to go to bed...were there more planes yet to come...what else could possibly happen next?  

The next morning we received a phone call that school was cancelled yet again.  My new friend, Lynn, called me wondering why we had off again.  She had no idea what had happened - they had not been watching Japanese television the night before.  She and I ended up going over to the Tokyo American Club (TAC) later that day to rent some videos for our kids to watch.  Going to the video library we passed women sobbing as they watched the continuing coverage on the club's televisions - here in English.  The vast majority of our contemporaries in Tokyo were from the East Coast, primarily New York City.  Some lost friends and neighbors, but all were deeply impacted by the tragedy...particularly trying in a place where they were so disconnected from their friends and loved ones. It felt a little awkward...and maybe even rude and insensitive that we were looking to rent movies when such a terrible thing had just happened to our country.  The attacks did not impact either of us on such a personal level - me being from Wisconsin and her from California.  Despite the tragedy, our children still needed something to do on yet another day off of school. 

Things changed immediately.  The buses that proudly proclaimed "The American School in Japan" in black and gold on their sides were quickly painted over to plain, white, "prison buses" with tinted windows so you couldn't see the little caucasian faces inside. A fence was built around the school, and all visitors were required to sign in and out and have proper identification.  Our bus stop moved from in front of the neighboring Egyptian Embassy to a little bit farther down the street.  TAC added a screening process for both incoming cars and people - you couldn't even bring in a water bottle.  Although Americans flew flags proudly throughout the USA, we were urged to try not to call attention to ourselves...try to hide our "American-ness."  Rumors circulated one day about a possible "gas attack" on the subway system on the route used by many foreigners.  Eventually things went back to normal...or at least the new normal.  ASIJ even added some designs to the sides of the buses - ours being the best as it was "sakura" - cherry blossoms - but never re-added the school name.

Fast forward three years and we are in Summit, New Jersey.  A small city impacted greatly by the events of 9/11.  A city where each and every resident remembers exactly where they were, what they were doing, and possibly how they got home after the attacks unfolded.  A city whose sadness was marked by the cars in the train station parking lot that were never driven home.  

Another eight years and here we are in Zurich, a new foreign land.  Our children are scattered throughout the world - one in NYC, one in Wisconsin, and one in India.  How would we deal with such a tragedy now?  Let's hope and pray we don't have to find out.

Emergency - 117!

Last night we were walking to dinner at a little Mexican place down in Seefeld when we started smelling smoke.  Looking across the street we noticed a small fire on the ground between two containers in a recycling center...maybe a cigarette butt or ash caught on fire?  Another passerby had also noticed the fire and gone over to try to smother it, but couldn't.  He came over to us and we said we could call the police, but we didn't know the number.  He didn't either - he wasn't Swiss.  Then a couple and their son came riding up on bikes - they weren't Swiss (seems to be a trend in the area) - but at least thought they knew the number.  Fortunately I had my handy "handy" (cell phone is "handy" in German) so I attempted to call.  "Sprechen sie Englisch?" I asked.  "Nein" answered the operator - so much for assistance in an emergency!  Fortunately the man on the bike did speak German and he talked to the operator and gave them all of the pertinent information.  The "bike family" then continued on their way, content in the knowledge that the police would surely show up and take care of the problem.  We, however, felt the urge to stay and make sure that they actually DID show up.  I felt like we were part of an episode of Candid Camera - Zurich as people continued to walk by, notice, comment, and then continue on.  Eventually another couple on bikes came by and were interested enough to stop and try to do something.  Surprise - they were also not Swiss - native Spanish speakers this time.  Just as we were about to call the police again, they showed up.  We didn't stick around to see if they actually put it out, but let's assume they did.  The Spanish couple wondered if we saw who started the fire - we did not, but certainly didn't want to be charged with doing so!
Just another fun evening in Zurich...but the real questions are...

     1.  Where were all the Swiss people?
     2.  What was someone doing that close to a recycling container on a Sunday anyway???

Amsterdam - Where "XXX" Doesn't Always Mean What You Think!

Back in Zürich for all of 48 hours or so, it was time for our first European trip...a little jaunt over to Amsterdam! Although we may not appear to be your average Amsterdam types (a little too straight-laced and conservative...if you hadn't guessed), the city seemed to offer some things we were looking for - beautiful sightseeing, interesting museums, cool weather, and reasonably priced art!  So, what the heck...we can deal with a little progressiveness and pot smoking in the streets!

We arrived late on Saturday night to our Rick Steve's recommended hotel, the "Hotel Ambassade" on the Herengracht canal.  The hotel is in a maze of connected houses, so getting to our room meant an elevator to the 3rd floor, walk down a number of different hallways, up a tiny staircase to the room on the left.  Our room happened to be in the attic of one of the houses, but what the room lacked in ceiling space it made up for abundantly in charm!  

That's our room all lit up in the attic!

Ceiling light!

We went to dinner that night at Lucius, a fish place, that the hotel recommended as it was nearby and the kitchen stayed open until 23:00.  The fish tank in one wall was amazing - all living creatures, even the coral and grasses!

I'm not coming out until the kitchen is closed...

Brilliant!

Over the next couple of days we went to some museums.  The Rijksmuseum - currently under construction, so only a small wing was open featuring the most important Dutch Masters with some history of Holland thrown in.  The Van Gogh Museum - Van Gogh's works are organized chronologically as they mirror the changes in his life and also includes works by many great Impressionists that influenced him.  The Anne Frank House where one of the world's most famous diaries was written during her two years hiding in the "secret annex" behind her father's business.  Museums we missed included the Houseboat Museum, Tulip Museum, Museum of Bags and Purses, and the Hash, Marijuana, and Hemp Museum...guess we'll have to come back again!

Statue of Anne Frank

Life imitates art?  At breakfast one morning...

The majority of our time was spent sightseeing around town at art markets, flea markets, shopping streets, and art galleries.  We bought a couple small pieces at some of the Sunday art markets...but alas, no tulip bulbs or wooden shoes at the Bloemenmarkt!  We frequented Henri Willig Cheese and More (a couple of times) - free samples of a wide variety of delicious cow and goat cheeses...and free samples  of the truly delectable Dutch stroopwafels - a kind of sandwich cookie with caramel in the middle - I guess that is the "and More"!  Getting lost in the canals, nearly run over by the myriads of bicycles (rumor has it there are nearly as many bikes as there are residents!), and enjoying some great food made for a fun couple of days.  Sunday was an unbelievably schizophrenic weather day - sunny one minute...and POURING rain the next.  Unfortunately one of those pouring rain moments occurred as we were passing through the red light district on our way to the other side of town - not exactly the place to just "duck in" to the nearest doorway.  Sad to say, even at 11:00 on a Sunday morning, some of the windows were occupied with "wares."

Tulips, tulips, tulips (bulbs, that is...)

The inspiration behind Crocs??

Just "Cheese" - no "More" - at Henri Willig Cheese and More!

The pouring rain from our hotel room window.

Bike with flowers...artsy...

Amsterdam loves bikes!

A wooden rental bike!

Even the "J Lo" of Amsterdam travels by bike!!
(You have to look closely...)

Have you figured out yet why "XXX" doesn't always mean what you think?  Although XXX can certainly refer to the city's notorious red light district, it is also Amsterdam's "coat of arms"!  According to the website "Why Go Amsterdam"...

The XXX symbol is three St. Andrew’s Crosses in white on a black stripe on a red background. On the flag they appear horizontally, but most other places they appear vertically. St. Andrew was a fisherman who lived in the 1st Century AD and was said to have been crucified on an X-shaped cross. The Amsterdam XXX symbol dates back to the year 1505 when the city was a fisherman’s town, so the coat of arms was established as the symbol for the city itself and it also flew as a flag on all ships registered in Amsterdam.

Who knew??!!

Interesting canal guardian...

Classic Amsterdam architecture.

Are you Amsterdam?

Beautiful canals.

Reflecting kitty...

The infamous letters on Museumplein.

From the other end.

Two Amsterdam classics!

One of the many picturesque churches.

Old juxtaposed with new...and a little "xxx" for good measure!

Everything "Old" is New Again...

On Thursday, August 23rd (or should I say 23 August) I returned "home" to Zürich...a mere 102 days after I left for my summer in Summit!  Of course, I had only been in Zürich 56 days before I left...talk about confusing!  If my Deutsch skills were lacking in May, imagine what they are now after a summer in New Jersey...fuggedaboudit!

My summer in the US was full of a variety of interesting adventures...enjoying Meghan's graduation from Georgetown,  searching for a spinal surgeon and then having cervical spine surgery, wearing a fashionable cervical collar for approximately 6 weeks (read - NO driving!), vacationing with family in Door County, WI (wearing said collar...), playing some bridge both at home and at the shore, attempting to organize 20 some odd years of photos, getting the okay to remove the lovely collar (yay!!), spending a long weekend in Charleston, SC with Steve's college roommates for a daughter's wedding, sending Meghan off to Bangalore, India for a 4 month internship, taking another trip to the midwest to return Connor to UW Madison and celebrate my brother, John's 60th (!!) birthday (among other things...) and celebrating Patrick's 24th birthday a few days early as we were on our way out the door to the airport! Not exactly your typical summer vacation, but it could be worse!

Now it is back to trying to remember how the oven/microwave/grill works...carrying everything home from the grocery store (at least I can, now that my neck is better!)...memorizing multiple pin codes for my numerous debit and credit cards...returning to blogging...and getting back together with my old pal, Fritz! :)

Meghan and her roommates graduation weekend

The graduate and her family!

Wilson's - Our favorite Door County ice cream destination!

Look at the bay....

Tired cousins...

So fun catching up again in Charleston, SC

Fun times at the HAT - sorry we missed you Tina, Rob and Greg...

Happy 24th, Patrick!

Should I Stay or Should I Go....

Sorry - you thought I was done for the summer - but just a few random thoughts about the little things I will come to miss when I leave "der Schweiz" for the summer...vs what I will be going back to!


Opening the doors and windows (without screens) for fresh air - and keeping them open all day
...when it gets really hot and humid, the air conditioning option is definitely a plus!

Love the cool breeze...and nothing really seems to fly in!

Remote controls to open and close windows in certain rooms (like our bedroom) that once open, close automatically if it starts to rain

...hard for anything window-related to top that!

Really good, fresh food from the grocery store that seems to cook itself
...grocery stores that stay open past 8 pm, and on Sundays...just in case!


Being able to walk to the grocery store
...being able to drive the groceries home from the grocery store!


Seeing my old pal "Fritz"
...seeing our own cat, Annie!  Although I'm pretty sure she's decided I abandoned her and left her with Patrick, so it could be a pretty cool reception...

Guess who was right outside our apartment door when I went to leave last night?

Views of the Alps
...views of NYC from just the right spot on Oak Ridge!  And of course, the infamous..."look at the Bay" when we get to Door County!

The view never gets old...but it's much better in person...hint, hint!

My iPhone 4S and my favorite app - Instagram
...my good old Droid with the BEST navigation system ever (and I think they just added Instagram for android devices...yay!)


Practicing my "Deutsch" or should I say "Schweizerdeutsch" skills everywhere I go (yeah, right)
...being able to understand MOST of the people I need to talk to (yeah, right...I am going to NJ...)


Meeting all kinds of new people (hmmm...have I really done that??)
...seeing lots of friends and family! (except of course, Steve - but he's going to be spending a lot of time away from Zurich this summer anyway, and coming to the US a few times - so how much different will it really be??)


And of course, once I get home, I can flush the toilet all night long if I want to!!! :)

It is Time....

Hard to believe, but it is already time for me to head back to New Jersey and the good ol' US of A!  Connor gets home from school next Wednesday, and Meghan's graduation festivities begin on Thursday! It will be strange to get back and have to jump right back into the swing of things.  In some ways it seems like we just arrived in Zürich, but in many ways it already seems like home.


I dont know whether I'll be blogging much during the summer...although everyone knows New Jersey is pretty exciting! However, I still have some post ideas floating around in my head so they may get typed up stateside.  Just thought I'd take this opportunity to give a little update on things around here...


Some of you may remember our little buddy "Fritz" the cat from the first floor who mysteriously disappeared around Easter weekend...   After nearly 4 weeks MIA, I am happy to report that he has returned!  Apparently he had an operation to remove a tumor, but now he's back; slimmer, trimmer and a little less sociable than he used to be.  I saw him today on my way out to the grocery store...

New litter box?  Or maybe just softer than the cement...

Speaking of neighbors, the one family in our building that we had yet to meet stopped by on Sunday with muffins for us!  They couldn't have been nicer.  The mom is a pediatrician (always nice to have a doctor in the house) and they actually lived in California for a while.  We feel very fortunate to live in a building with so many nice, friendly Swiss people!  Hopefully that will still be the case when we have our first party...although we did make it through the week of the teenage boys unscathed, so we'll keep our fingers crossed!


And speaking of Sunday, you'll never guess what we did last Sunday...we went shopping!  Yes, I know - I've told you that stores aren't open on Sundays in Zürich - but last weekend was a special event in an interesting area of the city.  Kind of like Summit's "Girls' Night Out"...but for anyone and on Saturday AND Sunday!  The area, Zürich West (Kreis 4 and 5) is your basic "other side of the tracks" area.  In reality it is actually on both sides of the tracks as it covers the area on either side of the many railroad tracks that run from Zurich's Haupbahnhof.  Throughout history the district has had a rather dark side - used initially as a waste dump and execution grounds; home first to migrant workers, then to prostitutes; and serving later as the domain of a quickly spreading drug scene.  It now features the creative talent of countless artists, architects, designers, musicians and innovative restaurants while still harboring a fair amount of the seedy side that is engrained in its past.  The world famous FREITAG store selling bags made out of recycled truck tarps and seat belts is located there in a "skyscraper" made out of old shipping containers.  That skyscraper is now dwarfed by Zürich's tallest building, Prime Tower, providing additional contrast in this intriguing and ever-changing area of the city.

FREITAG shipping container sky-scraper with Prime Tower looming behind.

Another view of Prime Tower - with some of the inventory of a second-hand
shop in the foreground.  Shop (I think the boat is just for display, but who knows?)
is located on one side of the overpass - office building on the other.
For you Mequon-ites out there - pretty obvious Jim Moriarty is not on the planning board here...
how about that for a blast from the past???

Mid-century (?) desk lamp we purchased at one of the many second-hand shops.

On the "other side" of the "other side" of the tracks...

Vacation...All I ever wanted

The Go-Gos would love it here in Zürich...seems like everyday's a vacation day!  Let's see...we arrived here on March 18...since then there have been 7 Sundays and 4 additional holidays...out of 44 total days (that's 25%!!)...yikes!  Will the grocery store EVER be open???

May 1 - Day of Work...or something like that

So, yesterday was May Day.  A day for workers' rights, so apparently there is the potential for protests against big business.  Steve was told not to wear a suit to work so as not to draw attention to his capitalist leanings...  Neither of us saw anything too crazy or scary. Just another vacation day for the Swiss masses!

Enjoying the lake - see the Alps in the distance??

Globus Department Store in the popular Bellevue area must have decided
to board up their windows for the day just in case - but left their outdoor seating area out.

A "Revolution" protest banner over billboard just down the street from the Globus store above.

Our downstairs neighbors pulled a lot of the outside shades down over their windows as well...we didn't do anything...maybe they knew something we didn't?