My new fixation

This week I have discovered a new fixation - checking flight arrivals/departures and weather forecasts at every airport that i maybe flying to/from.  Doesn't really help anything but I like to feel informed. 

So my updated plan for xmas is as follows -

get up, drink lots of prosecco, go for a walk about luzern, watch a movie then sleep

Im not the only person to be affected by the adverse weather and it could be worse I could be stuck in London.

But just to make it clear BA are dodgers stay away from their scummy flights

The rollercoaster month..............

It is coming up to Christmas, I wouldn’t need a calendar to tell you this I am just having my usual Christmas emotion fest. Except this year it is in reverse.


Normally at this time of year I hate being in Scotland. I hate the shops filled to the brim with customers, I hate the constant stream of sofa adverts and the permanent temptation of mince pies. I’ve spent my life moaning about how much I hate Christmas. However, as much as it kills me to say it there were certain days last week when the thought of Tesco was enough for me to have tears running down my face.


Then after a super surreal weekend I woke up to the reality that I actually live in a beautiful place. I went and stayed at a tiny ski resort in the mountains, to see my favorite band of the last 12 years, with two of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. Returning back to LU instead of having the post weekend blues, I ended up at the cutest Christmas market and then off for gluhwein with some other lovely people. And once again I was upset just because I was happy.

Life on the Christmas emotion rollercoaster, not fun, but often full of surprises.

flashbacks of a fool

So a few years ago I went to Romania (iasi) for new year. I underestimated just how cold it was going to be, the temperature dipped to minus 16. Now the saying is "you learn by your mistakes" I clearly don't. I only have a little black jacket that I cam wear a fleece under and I'm still cold here in luzern. Just how cold can it get?

I am going to a ski resort this weekend to see the deftones, really looking forward to it except for one thing.... I have a ski jacket but its in Britain. Maybe if a spray myself in deep heat, surely I'll be ok apart from the smell?

One thing I love this week........

Engelberg. how cute a place is it?  Seriously If I was older I would love to live there.  Actually after seeing all the cute snowboarders I might consider moving there for the winter beats Aberdeen at Christmas.  It looks like a postcard and the train journey there is stunning.

Things i should have maybe known about..................

Switzerland made world history yesterday, they connected both ends of the longest tunnel in the world.  Considering the start of this tunnel is 40km from where I live you think I would have at least known about this. hmm nope the first I heard was when a friend posted a link about it on facebook.  So I am making a mental not to read more papers.

Annoyance on the train.....

I was not in the best mood today but the lady opposite me on the train was a serious newpaper licker.  She licked half her hand and swiped over the page.  Yuck Yuck Yuck.  It can't be that difficult to turn over the page.  I manage without feeling the urge to eat myself.

Hidden Pineapple and other bad stories.....

A little known fact about me is I am allergic to pineapple and kiwi fruit, not in a life threatening way just in a it makes me sick way.  Yesterday I bought a salad from the coop I have been so good at checking for dairy ingredients I forgot to check for pineapple.  Big Mistake, I am now lying on the sofa drinking water watching junk on TV.

I think the Coop have it in for me though,   the other weekend after one too many the night before (I woke up in my bathroom) I went to the Coop.  The one nearest my house but I started to feel dizzy and queasy I thought I would make it out the door but no.........................I was ill in the cleaners mop bucket tres uncool!!!!

I have now turned over a new leaf............ alcohol free drinking tea x

the day i learnt my lesson the hard way.........

I originally wrote this post using a pen and paper (!) in a hotel in Bucharest.  I thought I loved Romania, the people, the culture, the food and the architechture.  I was so very wrong.  Bucharest does have its charms but travelling in a group of 50 and sitting in the bar with a glass of beer I felt so lonely.  I had no one to share my experiences with and realised rather pathetically late in my life that it was not Romania I loved but the friends I have there.  The sarmale is good in Bucharest but amazing when I am at my friends house.

This got me thinking about my life in Luzern, yes the city (town) is beautiful but thats not what makes me love the place.  What I love is all the amazing people I have met and the people I continue to meet.  I have made some truly great friends in such a short space of time and to them I would just like to say thanks x

When does nostalgia become sad?

Yesterday I made scones. Everyone knows that scones are the Sunday hangover cure (along with earl grey tea). Then I taped eastenders and my friend came round and watched it. This I thought was cool, having an english evening when it was typically english weather outside. Also it was a good reminder that I am lucky to live where I live.


However, today I recorded neighbours. Neighbours the show no one has watched since they are a student. I am wondering if I have taken this nostalgia trip far too far.


Talking of tea - its impossble to make a decent cup here I have invested in Twinings and a loose leaf tea but it just doesnt taste the same. I would say its the milk but I dont have milk in my earl grey.


Also I am very proud of myself, I got asked to go to pickwicks this evening and I said no because I am now a good girl

The Worlds Steepest Railway.....................

I have been told the cogwheel train up Mt Pilatus is the steepest of its kind in the world by two people now therefore it must be true.  I am not a fan of heights or things that make funny noises when moving therefore I didnt like it.  I havent made too many childish errors since moving here but going up a 7000ft mountain without a jacket was one of my more notable ones, I was freezing! 
If anyone is ever in the area I would not recommend going to the top of the mountain but the second cable car station is well worth a visit.  There is a high rope course and a cool bobsleigh run.  Also the railway geek walked down from the first cable car station and said it was beautiful.

Food:

Also this week I had alpenmacaroni again, its cheese, ham, onion potato and macaroni it is beautiful.  Its served with apple sauce I know it sounds horrible but its amazing.

Schweizerhof:

I take back what I said about the Schweizerhof I was there last weekend for a clubbing night and have not danced as much in ages.  I am normally self concious about dancing but my friends just danced their own way and its true what they say - Dance like no one is watching.  It really makes you feel good.

Technology:

I still have no wireless but my mam who is over for a visit convinced me to buy a TV.  Its twice the size of the old one but still small by most peoples standards.   My TV box is working now so I can watch British TV.  I dont really like it but I can't wait for the inbetweeners.  At the start of the week I didn't know how to work it as all the instructions were in German but it has been put into english for me now so i am all sorted :)

to go out or not to go out that is the question?

I like to think of myself as a professional but sometimes its difficult to remain so.  Like last night I had lots of work but stayed out longer than I should because I was having a nice time, the result working well past 11pm.  Tonight I have been invited out, now I know I see my grade 10's for the first time tomorrow my social brain says go my teacher brain says stay in and get your preparation done.  Sometimes its just annoying being sensible!!! 

On a completely different topic I now understand the train announcments in german.  Given my german is barely basic I am quite proud of this acheivement.  Also I can understand some of the articles in the free newspapers that are always on the train.  If I could translate this into talking I would be doing quite well!

Random Observations

I have lived in Switzerland for 6 weeks now and here are some of my observations:

Shoes - they are overpriced and ugly, I dream of office and schuh in the UK, I saw a pair of ballerina pumps 100CHF. It would be ok if the shoe shops looked nice but they just stack the shoes on boxes!  I don't want to look at the prices in nice shoe shops but I reckon I could probably get a pair of paul smith heels for around the same price.

Tourists - they are everywhere they stop in front of you and take a photo of the most bizarre things like the post box??? Also on the bus when you are holding your shopping.  One women smacked me in the face with her backpack and shouted at me for being in her way!  I have devised a system, I propose we have tourist pig pens where they can take pictures until their heart is content and on the Kappelbrucke have a tourist lane and a lane for residents avoiding anymore backpack in the face incidents.

Cheese - I love it some of it is too strong but the emmental is amazing!

Alcohol - I was in a bar the other day and it was 5chf for a coca cola light or 5chf for a beer guess which I chose!  Obviously alcoholism is a not a major problem here for starters they have rooftop bars with fences right at the edge of the roof.  If there were the same thing in Britain guaranteed there would be the following headlines: Murder, Accidental Death, Suicide and Death by Misadventure.  Brits with booze is always bad here they can handle it ............. most of the time

Cinemas - not multiplexes here, I went to see a movie 3 rows from the front I am not tall but the cinema screen looked and felt like it was at the end of my nose, I had to move my head to see what was happening then the film stopped for a break.... madness!! I have never been to movie and asked the person next to me what they thought half way through the film.  Having been slightly scarred by this experience I reluctantly agreed to go a different cinema this one was good you could take glasses of beer in however, there was no break and I found myself disappointed by the fact... which is even crazier!

Banks - oh my god I think you have to be a model to work in them.  The first time I went in I was seriously under dressed so now everytime I go I get dressed up like I am going to a job interview.

Music - Britain has an overinflated opinion of its music lets face it Paul McCartney, the Beatles they are a bit crap............sorry.  However I would gladly listen to the frog song on a loop rather than listen to some of the music I have heard here.  I was at a concert and the band were a rock, jazz, hip hop combo it was as successful as it sounds.  When the singer sang everyone get on your knees everyone did ... its not literal people its a song.  Other musical highlights include a saxophone player playing to a backing track at ear drum splitting decibels, a singer trying (and failing) to be Leonard Cohen, an M People reject act and the worlds most white middle class rappers.  James morrison played two sold out shows here that says it all.  I have seen bands I liked advertising gigs (maximo park, stereophonics, etc.) but they never venture out of Zurich.

Technology

It is driving me mental here in der Schweiz.  First I get my broadband set up but it seems that the wireless password will forever remain a mystery to me.  Then I get a television connection but it does not work with my television so I am paying for something I can not use ..... Excellent!!!!!!!