What a weekend

We didn’t leave the country (like two weeks ago) or go up to the mountains (that’s next weekend), but we squeezed a lot into the last couple of days. It started on Friday afternoon when I took the kids to Europe’s “World of Dinosaurs.” It’s a collection of life-sized dinosaurs in an outdoor setting that happens to be one town over from us right now. We biked there and enjoyed getting up close and personal with dinosaurs, and even being paleontologists for a while.

On Saturday we spent the day in Bern. Grandma and Grandpa Brezinski are on a 15-day tour of Switzerland. Saturday was their day in Bern, so we met up with them and their group for a tour of the city and a nice lunch outside the Bundeshaus (the Swiss capitol building). Unbeknownst to me, there are several outdoor markets in Bern on Saturdays, and there was also a large political rally going on right on the Bundesplatz. So, the visit was a bit chaotic and too short, but it was wonderful to see my parents here in Bern. (We will welcome them to our home in 9 days after their tour.)

It was a hot day, so after lunch we parted ways and I took Emily and James to the Marzilibad, the outdoor public pool complex in Bern. It is a beautiful setting, and we had a great time splashing in the pools to cool down. I’m not sure why, but it seems like none of the pools in Switzerland are heated. The weather here isn’t exactly tropical, so the water is FREEZING! I can understand the Aare river being cold since it flows from a glacier, but the kiddie pool should be warmer than 70 degrees! But we had fun alternately chattering in the pool and laying in the sun.

Sunday, we stayed in Münsingen for a family day. It was a clear morning, so we hopped on our bikes and went on another family bike ride. We rode on the bike path between Münsingen and Thun with a gorgeous view of the mountains ahead of us. All together we rode about 5 miles and got passed by many more serious bikers than ourselves. But it was beautiful and, for us, quite an accomplishment.

In the afternoon, we went to see the Dampfbahn Aaretal, the local mini train run by a club of train enthusiasts. There are a couple of small-scale authentic steam engines, and the kids got to ride the trains around the fairly extensive track. Henry, our biggest train fan, loved it! The rest of us thought it was pretty cool too.

I’m a little sore, pretty tan, and very tired! Also grateful to have new and exciting things to experience with our family. Check out more pictures from the weekend in our gallery.

September 8, 2011March 31, 2013

Life without a car

I haven’t owned a bike for 12 years. I had one in college, but I rode it so infrequently that it rusted to the bike rack, had the wheel stolen, and was eventually cut off and hauled away, presumably by the Evanston police authority. Much to my father’s dismay, biking was just never really my thing. Even when I didn’t have a car, I preferred to walk and/or take public transportation.

Now, I find myself again in a town with excellent public transportation and no car. But this time, I have a 2-year-old with me all the time, and I have to do grocery shopping for a family of 5. On top of that, Swiss people are big bike-riders. There are literally hundreds of bikes parked near the Münsingen train station, and many hundreds more in the city of Bern. Needless to say, after our first week here, I got a bike and shortly after that a trailer for Henry to ride in.

The bike is a cheap (by Swiss standards), used bike that Joe calls the “Peewee Herman bike.” It squeaks when I pedal, the front brake shrieks like a banshee so I try to only use the back brake, and it has only two gears (down from at least three that it used to have). It also has a front headlight that is powered by the wheels, so when it is engaged, it makes a whirring sound like a quiet electric sander. Lets just say, you can hear me coming!

After the first trip I made to the grocery store, I was actually sore. It was a literal “pain in the butt.” The next day I got back on the bike and I thought, “You have got to be kidding me!” Ouch! But, Joe assured me that the pain would eventually go away. Henry also took some time adjusting to his new mode of transportation. He would struggle getting in and out, and whine and cry during the rides, especially the first couple of times I put groceries next to him in the trailer. But, I pressed on.

I have to admit, that it is good exercise. We happen to live at the lowest point in town, near the river. So, going anywhere is slightly up hill. But, coming back home is a breeze. This is great when I’ve got a trailer with a 40-pound child and another 50 pounds of groceries, and I barely have to pedal to get them home. However, it’s not so great when I show up for music class or church sweaty and out of breath like I just came from the gym.

As we mentioned before, the kids got bikes and learned to ride them without training wheels in just a couple of days. Now they are experts, just like the other Swiss kids. I have ridden all around town with Henry in tow and Emily and James following behind. This includes riding on roads with cars and crossing bridges to get to the grocery store, train station, swimming pool, dentist, playground, etc. Not, that we haven’t had our share of mishaps (The scrapes and bruises on James’s legs were proof of that for a couple of weeks), but all in all we get around really well. Fortunately, bikers (and pedestrians) in Switzerland have the right-of-way most of the time. Because there are so many bikes, it is a high priority, so cars have to wait for bikes at intersections, even wait to pass a bike on a narrow road.

Joe finally got his bike this week. His is another cheap, used bike that didn’t even work when we got it. Fortunately, Joe has become quite the bike mechanic. After replacing the chain and the tires and tuning it up a bit, he rode it to the train station this morning with all the other business commuters riding bikes in suits with their briefcases strapped to the back. And, last night we went on our first official family bike ride. Even though I didn’t have a bike in Milwaukee, and Emily and James could never really get very far, this is something I’ve always wanted to do. And last night, we finally did it! We took the whole family to the edge of town, past many swiss style homes, and by an open field with a beautiful view of the mountains, trains rushing by and even a few cows and sheep.

I have to admit, I actually enjoy getting on my bike now. I won’t be doing long distances any time soon (sorry dad!), but it is no longer a pain in the butt, literally or figuratively. Even Henry has learned to enjoy his new ride. Most of the time, when we pull into our driveway and I get off the bike he says, “That was a great ride, mom!”

September 7, 2011September 5, 2011

Swiss Banknote Series: 10 Franc Note

Charles Edouard Jeanneret (1887-1965)

Known as Le Corbusier (a pseudonym), Jeanneret was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (in Canton Neuchâtel). Though he become a French citizen later in life, he was honored by the Swiss National Bank for being a well-known architect and pioneer of modern architecture. He was particularly interested in using architecture to provide better living conditions for people in crowded cities.

His most well-known project was the planning and implementation of the Indian city of Chandigarh. He was commissioned by the Indian government to develop the city as a new capital of the Indian state of Punjab. Of note, he also designed the stadium that was to become Saddam Hussein Stadium in Baghdad. He also designed a number of private homes, including one called “Villa Schwob” in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

He died at the age of 77 while swimming in the Mediterranean sea near Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France.

Today, the banknote bearing his image will buy you two coffees, and two gipfeli at Migros Take-Away.

September 5, 2011

Swiss Banknote Series: Introduction

It feels like almost everyday I end up going to an ATM machine to withdraw my hard-earned American Dollars as Swiss Francs. We’ve mentioned before on this blog how expensive things can be here, but it is more than just the expense that makes me look at Switzerland’s money in a different light. Certainly Switzerland is a world financial powerhouse and daily updates from the newspapers detail the complex policy-making issues within the Swiss National Bank.

But living here has given me the opportunity to really examine the issued notes that make up the money. It’s not something we usually think about in America, but maybe that’s because I know who George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin are (not to mention Sacajawea), but who are the people on the Swiss Currency, and what did they do to get immortalized like this?

Part of this interest has been prompted by the recently publicized Swiss Franc New Banknote Project. In 2012 the Swiss National Bank will start printing new currency whose design was the result of a contest. So for a few posts over the next several weeks, I was going to look at who was on each Swiss Franc Banknote (10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 1000 – never seen that one), and find out a little about them. And if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll throw in a bonus post about the coins if you’re lucky.

September 4, 2011March 31, 2013

Thun, the Tanzschiff, and Ten years

So, as I noted before, September 1st, 2011 was our tenth wedding anniversary. Sarah and I decided to get a babysitter this weekend (no small feat in Switzerland), and go out for the evening. Sarah had been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time, as she had already decided where we were going for our anniversary.

We took the train down to Thun, a lovely city just 10 minutes south of us by train, that also lies next to the Thunersee (Lake Thun) right where the Aare river exits. In fact, a portion of the old city is essentially an island in the middle of the Aare river, connected to the rest of the city by pedestrian and motor vehicle bridges. On one side of the old city is the bahnhof, and on the other lies Schloss Thun.

Sarah and I walked around the old city, visited Schloss Thun, and had drinks at several outdoor cafes while strolling through the town. We also saw preparations for a festival in the middle of the old town called the Langer Tisch, a festival that involves one long eating table that meanders through the old town.

While this was all lovely, it was by no means the highlight of the day. Sarah had a special plan in mind. There are a number of boats that sail on the Thunersee, “cruises” if you will, that have any number of themes associated with them. There are simple tourist boats, lunch boats, fondue boats, fish boats, wine boats, almost any kind of boat you could imagine. And Sarah had her eye on one particular boat for some time: the Dinner-und-Tanzschiff (Dinner and Dance Boat). She had made reservations for us on this boat, which only rides about once every two weeks or so, when she noticed that one set sail on our anniversary weekend.

The boat itself was beautiful. The M.S. Berner Oberland is one of the largest tourist ships to sail on the Thunersee. The dinner was delicious; we had apparently been upgraded to a First-Class dining area reservation. The view of the lake shore as daylight faded, and lights lining the lake as darkness crept in was fabulous, and made for a romantic evening.

And what could be more romantic, than two 300-lb guys in plaid shirts, unbuttoned at least half way down, singing German folk music with a pre-programmed Yamaha keyboard? Well, that pretty much describes Duo Barbados, our entertainment for the evening. The beginning of every song sounded like Boney M singing “Rivers of Babylon,” which Sarah got tired of me singing until at one point they actually WERE playing “Rivers of Babylon.” Sarah kept referring to what they were playing as “Muzak,” but to me that seemed like an insult to Muzak.

And if they weren’t entertaining enough (and the video below should clear up any confusion there), most of the other boat patrons (many of whom likely got their tickets as a half-price deal through their local ballroom dance studio) sent the entertainment value soaring into the hilariousphere. Among my personal favorites were: creepy guy who sat alone all night without dancing, The Elizabeth Taylor lookalike (at least from about 1 week after she died) and her “partner” who took turns “dancing” with a man in a boat captain’s uniform, and Mr. Bolo Tie and his lovely companion, who were actually very good dancers and enjoyable to watch.

There are times when sitcoms seem unbelievably contrived, but there are definitely times when you can’t believe that your life has turned into a sitcom. The only thing missing from last night was a laugh track, or a live studio audience. But when you are celebrating 10 years of marriage, you don’t let something like a ridiculously surreal Dinner-und-Tanzschiff ruin your evening. Sarah and I toasted the night away, laughed at ourselves, and, most importantly, hit the dance floor a few times just to say we did it all!

See our photos from our anniversary adventure.

September 2, 2011March 31, 2013

Making Friends

Emily went to her first birthday party this week. Emily and James have had friends here in Switzerland since the day we arrived. There were kids playing outside on our street, and instantly they became friends. They speak German to the other kids, though not at a very high level. But it doesn’t really matter… they’re kids. They just ride bikes together, or play with toys, and *bang* they’ve made a friend.

And now they both go to school where there are plenty of other kids to play with and befriend, so that after only two weeks, Emily was invited to a party.

With adults, it’s completely different. Once you are out of college, making friends, even in my home country, isn’t easy. And Swiss people are notorious for sticking with their childhood friends. Introducing any new friends to their social group takes an extremely long time (i.e. longer than the year we are here). On top of that, the language barrier is a much bigger deal for adults. I can get along in a conversation okay, but I get lost fairly quickly once we are past the basic introductions. And, with adults, talking is extremely important if you want to get to know someone. There is no playing or school-like environment that brings people together. Adults don’t really *do* much, except sit around and talk. So, if you can’t talk very well, it’s kind of a problem.

The other night, Joe and I were watching Seinfeld and there was a bit about this very topic. It was good to laugh about it. But seriously, I’m not sure we’ll get invited to anything the entire year – at least not by anyone who doesn’t speak English.

August 31, 2011August 31, 2011

Mixing business with pleasure

This post comes a little late, but on Tuesday, August 23rd I had the chance to visit a manufacturing facility for a large international Orthopaedic device maker. The plant was located in Le Locle, Switzerland, near Neuchâtel, about 5km from the border with France.
Interestingly, this location started manufacturing medical supplies when a neurosurgeon from South America came to Le Locle to talk with the Tissot family (manufacturers of fine Swiss watches) about manufacturing a tiny motor for cerebrospinal shunts used in kids with hydrocephalus. After a series of business acquisitions, mergers, takeovers, and moves, the facility ended up producing a large amount of Orthopaedic implants, including titanium trauma implants, and spine implants.

I was greeted at the rail station by gorgeous weather, rolling hills, charming houses, and a smiling Antonio and Isabelle, the representatives from the plant. Antonio and Isabelle took me for lunch to a local restaurant, the absolutely fabulous Restaurante de la Gare – Chez Sandro. The restaurant, a short walk from the train station, was started by an Italian couple who have since passed it on to their son, though the father still cooks and entertains the guests (and himself, it seems). If you ever find yourself there, the Saltimbocca with homemade pasta is as good as it gets. It has since made my dreams.

Antonio, Isabelle and I talked about the region, the effect of the Swiss Franc on industry in Switzerland, and their impression of the United States. We enjoyed our food, drank a bottle of local Neuchâtel wine, and eventually made our way to the plant.

The plant tour is probably only interesting to someone like me, but it did give me a concrete image of the “Swiss Quality” that is so often advertised here. It was a great time, and I had the chance to meet lots of great people who were proud to show off the work they were doing.

When the tour was done, Antonio drove me to the train station and I boarded my train. As I rounded Lake Neuchâtel and headed toward Bern I felt really glad to be in Switzerland, if only for a relatively short time. It’s nice to remember to feel lucky every once in a while.

August 26, 2011March 31, 2013

It’s the little things

Looking back on the past couple of weeks of school, work, and life, it’s hard to come up with any big things to write about. But, a few of the little updates are…

Emily lost two (yes two!) more teeth in the past couple weeks. It turns out the tooth fairy also comes to Switzerland. Emily’s smile looks like a checkerboard. James, who is 6 years old and hasn’t lost any teeth yet, is quite jealous. We tried to explain to him that Emily doesn’t have many more teeth to lose, whereas he has a goldmine in his mouth that is sure to start paying off at some point.

Henry no longer needs his precious nookie. The plan, as recommended by our dentist, was to poke a hole in it and gradually make it bigger until its functionaly was lost and he gave it up on his own. Joe didn’t quite catch the gradual concept, and basically mutilated it right off the bat. It caused a couple of painful bedtimes, but it worked. It’s yet another thing that shows what a big boy Henry is becoming.

We got library cards at the local library. The kids were starved for new books after a month of reading the small selection we brought from home. The collection of English books is pretty sparse (even in the “big” library in Bern), but we immediately maxed out our limit of books we can check out. Emily was thrilled to find quite a few new “Rainbow Magic” fairy books, even though they are in German. I am still impressed that she can read chapter books in two different languages!

We attended some community events, including a festival at the swimming complex, a 5K run (didn’t run, just watched), and a marching band parade. I also found the Catholic church, though the mass was in Swiss German, so I only understood about 50% of what was said.

So why write about the little things? You know how, when you see other people’s kids only occasionally, they seem to grow so much? Yet, when you see your own kids (and yourself) everyday, its a lot harder to perceive the growth. It’s all the little things everyday that are adding up to big changes.

August 25, 2011August 31, 2011

My new office

I have just got a key to my new office, which I share with one of the Oberarzts (staff doctors). We have a wall with large windows on it that looks down on part of Bern. In addition, the helicopter landing pad is just outside my window. See the pictures below for the view.

This view from my office window looks North.

This view looks more to the Northwest.

And this is a shot of one of the emergency helicopters taking off from the landing pad.

August 23, 2011August 24, 2011

It costs how much?! (and what’s that in dollars again?)

I turned on one of my favorite podcasts today (Planet Money), and was suprised to hear that the topic was Switzerland. Specifically, it was about how strong, and therefore expensive, the Swiss franc has become. It’s actually a great episode, if you are into dorky economics, and it gives the big picture of what we are experiencing first hand.

It seems that we have chosen the absolute worst time, financially speaking, to live in Switzerland. Switzerland has always been expensive; we knew that. When we visited here in 2010, we had serious sticker shock. Now, the prices are still high, AND our dollars are worth a lot less. With some practice, we have gotten pretty good at bargain shopping at the grocery store. Meat is particularly expensive, so we haven’t had an ounce of beef (or a gram of boeuf) since we got here. To give you some examples from the past week:

*Swiss tidbit – they don’t actually sell eggs by the dozen here. They sell them in seemingly random collections of 6, 8, 9, or 10. But, we did the math.
Item	Price (CHF)	Equivalent Price (USD)
8 small flour tortillas	4.80 CHF	$6.06
1 small chicken (2-3 lbs uncooked)	8.80 CHF	$11.12
Dozen Eggs*	4.13 CHF	$5.22
Dinner out for the family (not fancy)	120 CHF	$152

We don’t buy clothes or other household items unless we absolutely have to. The podcast even talks about Swiss people going across the border to buy things, which made us laugh. We have a list of things that we need to get, which we’ve ben updating ever since we got here. We were planning on buying them in Germany when we visit this weekend.

The unnerving thing, is that native Swiss don’t seem to bat an eye at the prices here. Perhaps it is their inborn reserved nature. Perhaps they are making oodles more money than we are guessing. Or perhaps, when you grow up in an expensive economy you just know that certain things cost a certain amount. It just so happens that now, the Swiss Franc has a lot more buying power outside of the country than it has ever had before.

While, at first, that may seem like a good thing for the Swiss (more purchasing power), most everyone we have talked to is terribly concerned about it. Swiss exports are becoming unaffordable. Stores on the border are struggling to compete with their competitors just kilometers away in another country. Tourism could take a downturn in a country that heavily relies on it (though there are no signs yet). And businesses looking to locate factory work to a country that is known for its precision engineering are finding it prohibitively expensive, even with existing tax breaks for relocated jobs.

Which leads me to our proposal: the “Schwab Family Swiss Holiday Relief Plan” (formerly the “Swiss Family Schwabinson Grrrrrrreat Deal!” – we had to drop it for several trademark violations from Disney and Kelloggs). For those of you planning to visit us, we are happy to offer free lodging and meals that cost less than $30/person!

But no matter the cost, we both agree that we would not give up this opportunity for the world. It’s worth it! At least that’s our two cents (currently worth 1.59 Swiss rappen).