Random happenings
We’re getting into more of a routine, so things aren’t all new and interesting anymore. I haven’t been taking as many cool photos, but there are some interesting/funny stories that I can share.
I had a bike wreck. It actually happened the first full weekend after we got here. It was Saturday evening, and we had gone to eat brisket at Brisket (ha!). When we left, Cass took off on his bike with the kickstand down and I was laughing too hard to tell him (he did this a LOT at first). Some random guy who clearly was tipsy from watching Euro at a bar popped the kickstand up for Cass as he went by. We rounded the corner and Cass crossed over a rail track to avoid some pedestrians, and when I did the same my wheel got caught in the rail rut. I fell off the bike and out into the street (and into the tram path!). I banged my elbow, my butt, and my knee - but somehow I managed to not have a mark on me. People stopped to help, which was awkward because we didn’t understand each other - but I tried to tell them I was ok and thank you. Cass is convinced it was karma for me laughing at him about his kickstand.
I got ticked off by the manager of a grocery store for taking photos. We had gone to a store to buy a sofa, and we decided to ride by our newly rented apartment. Cass suggested we go ride by the nearest grocery store, which shall not be named, and go in to check it out. It’s really big and has 2 levels and an escalator that is like a moving sidewalk so you can take your shopping cart up and down. I thought that was pretty cool, so as we made our way out, I stopped and snapped a photo. Cass was purchasing some polenta (to try as a grits substitute), and while we were at the checkout a manager came over to me. He asked if I had taken photos and why. I said I’m American and we don’t have stores like this. He said I can’t put them on the internet because of other people in the photos. I said I waited until the escalator was empty before I took a pic (which I made a point to do), then he said that they don’t allow photos because of their competitors. Um, ok. It wasn’t clear what he wanted me to do, and he didn’t ask me to delete them. I mean, they sell groceries online for delivery AND PUT THE PRICES ON THE WEBSITE so, WTF? Anyway, we left (and I immediately came home and found the next nearest grocery store from a different chain, which I will use instead). I dare not share the pictures here, or I might get a visit from the Grocery Store Photo Police. Speaking. of police….
We actually each got a ticket while riding bikes. This was almost immediately after the Grocery Store Incident. Is somebody trying to tell us something? We were going back home and rode through Paradeplatz, which is in the city center and has lots of tram traffic. Apparently they were having some sort of cyclist sting operation there, and we got stopped for riding on the sidewalk. I have tried really hard to figure out the signage here, and it just seems like bicyclists just do whatever works. There are bike lanes in the road in some places, and in some places there are markings for cyclists and pedestrians to share the sidewalks. It’s a lot to keep track of, so most of the time you just do what others are doing. That’s what we were doing until a Polizei (there were about 10 of them around) stepped in front of Cass and stopped him. He was really nice about it and showed us some pictures of important street signs. But he did give each of us a ticket that cost 40 CHF. When Cass told his co-workers about it, none of them knew that it was verboten to ride on sidewalks there. They said it was just really, really bad luck/timing.
Things I’ve bought for the apartment: 2 twin size air mattresses, an air pump, 2 blankets, a down-alternative comforter, and the sofa. All we packed in our suitcases and air shipment was our clothes, some medicines, and 2 12-packs of Dr. Pepper.
We have British TV on our cable and I’m obsessed. Back in the summer of 2004 when we stayed in London for 6 weeks, I became a big fan of Homes Under the Hammer. It is still running! Other new favorites are Garden Rescue, Dress to Impress, Catchphrase, Unbeatable, This Farming Life, Bargain Hunt, Flog It!, and The Bidding Room. However, today Wimbledon started and that’s all that’s on right now. I’m only watching to see the ball girls/boys do their ridiculous choreography.
Our apartment lease had about 5 pages of “the rules.” I have been told that the Swiss are VERY big on rules, and now we have the written proof of it. A lot of it has to do with the hours that you should be quiet, meaning no doing laundry and/or running lots of water. With all of our awkward encounters in the last week, I’m a little nervous.
We got our residence permits. Not much to say about this, but the next time we’re accosted or stopped by the Polizei at least we’ll have some form of Swiss ID!