Watch and Learn

As usual, a lot has happened since I've blogged last.  Some days I'm not really sure where the day goes, but somehow we've already been here for a month.  In some ways it seems like no time, and in others it seems like we've been here much longer.  Not in a bad way, but more in the way we've gotten used to living here.  The weather has been up and down, but mostly cold and rainy the whole time we've been here.  I'm ready for Switzerland to get the message that it's spring already.

Munsterplatz in the morning

Despite what many people may think, daily living in Switzerland is not all skiing, cheese and chocolate.  Sorry to burst your bubble.  I've loved the transition.  I'm walking more than I ever did on a daily basis in Texas, learning many new things and being challenged in my way of life.  My life is not lived around what I want now, but more around what's available, what's open, and the logistics of making things happen.  For example, you may think you can decide what you want for dinner later in the day, but don't let 6:30 pass you by- all the stores in Basel are closed.  You'll either be eating whatever you can find in your fridge (usually not much since we go to the store daily) or going out.

I find that there are a lot of little nuances to living here (and anywhere I'm sure) that people forget to tell you.  How can I manage our life without knowing this stuff?  'Watch and learn' is the theme of my life.

Here are just a few examples...

• Women aren't the primary account holder on anything.  And I can absolutely forget it since I don't have a job over here.  Even for BK's bank account I have a power of attorney so I can act on his behalf regarding finances.
• People don't work late the day before a holiday. So no matter how many times BK asks, no we cannot have our household items delivered on April 30.  No one works on May 1 (Swiss Labor Day).  No compromising- they'll be here May 2.
• There are no checks in Switzerland.  The Swiss like to think this is a more efficient system.  In reality what it means is that they payer has to go to the bank and set up an invoice or a standing order (for something like rent that is paid every month) for money to be transferred.  
• You never get billed at the time of services in Switzerland.  You will always get an invoice in the mail later.  Swiss people are reliable- everyone pays.  Unfortunately for me these were all in German and I had no clue what to do with them or how to pay them.
• Do not set your basket on the check out conveyor belt at the grocery store.  Swiss cashiers do not unload baskets- you have to do that.  You also bag your own groceries in your own bag too.
• Swiss dogs don't seem to bark at anything. My dogs...not so much, but we're working on it.

Magnolia in bloom

Don't take this as complaining, but more as observations and things I've learned.  Like I said, lots has happened since I last blogged: I visited my mom in Florence, we found and were approved for the apartment we wanted, we had our first visitor in Basel, I started German lessons, and many other things.  As life gets into a rhythm hopefully I'll update you on those too.

P.S.- Right before I finished this one I went upstairs to switch out laundry.  Hopefully I don't get caught- we're not allowed to do laundry after 9:00 in our building.

An Update on Our Swiss Dackels

Dackel: German for Dachshund, or "like the hot dog" as people on the street comment often about the boys.

It's been right at a week since the boys arrived in Switzerland from Texas.  They flew United via Chicago to Zurich.  I don't get the feeling they were huge fans of flying.  Tanner was horse when he arrived- I'm assuming from all the barking he did in transit.  We were extremely happy with their care when with the transport company.

Reunited!

We were relieved to have them here, even though it does mean that I have to get up earlier to take them out (in the cold right now) and typically must make additional trips outside before actually leaving the apartment to do what I need to do.  I think the boys made it feel complete, like we were actually home here and everyone had arrived safely.

The Adjustment:
As each day goes on the boys seem to adjust a little more to their new life.  They did not let us out of their sight for the first few days.  The apartment is not that big, but if I went into the bedroom or kitchen, I always had the boys right there behind me; I guess just to make sure that I wasn't going anywhere. Toby has found a spot on the couch where he can watch both the living room and kitchen, just in case BK and I are not in the same place.

We did have one pretty big issue the first couple of days, and are still working on it.  Toby seems to have been traumatized by the fact that he had to ride in a crate for a long trip on the airplane, then until delivery.  They did get to get out and have walks, water and food, but I'm sure that's the longest they've had to be in the crate AND not had us come home to greet them.  When he and Tanner get in their crate (we brought from Texas) Tanner is fine and snuggles right up, but Toby yelps as soon as I leave the room.  Yikes in an apartment where you're trying to be considerate of the fact that others live around you! Yesterday he was down to only barking for a minute or so; hopefully he will continue to figure out that, yes, we are going to come back to him.

Toby likes to look out the window

Transitioning from a doggie dog and yard has not been a problem.  They both do well on the leash, with the exception of Tanner's constant pulling forward.  Tanner does not appreciate that it is cold and has been raining lately.  He has learned not to fight the coat quite so much, and I have a new appreciation for the coats, as they keep the apartment from not smelling like wet dog all the time.

On nice days I try to take them on a lengthy walk- usually 30 minutes to an hour.  For dogs whose legs are approximately four inches long, that can be quite a long walk.   We always walk with BK to his tram stop in the morning, drop him off, then head in a different direction to eventually end up back at the apartment.  This morning I took them to a park/forest and we ended up walking for about 1.5 hours, which has pretty much sacked them out since we got back.

The other thing we're working on, and it is a serious work in progress, is not barking at everyone and every other dog on the street.  They've actually improved in the week they've been here, but we still have a ways to go.  We also haven't really let them off the leash in parks yet.  I'm usually outnumbered, so we'll wait for BK on that one.

How Tanner prefers to spend his time

This afternoon we're headed to our first vet appointment over here and will be riding the tram to get there.  This should be interesting, especially considering that it's raining, which Tanner will absolutely love.  I'm thinking about putting him in my bag, then I only have to deal with corralling Toby.  I'll have to let you know how it goes.  Wish us luck!

Getting a Little Bit Settled

It's been longer than I anticipated between posts.  I initially thought: I'll be experiencing new things every day and will post stuff.  It's true, I have experienced new things each day, but learning to live here and figuring out my work schedule seems to have consumed all of my time.

I often find myself wondering where the day went.  I've discovered there's really no more of the I'll just run down to here or there to grab something.  Running somewhere typically means I either have to walk five to eight minutes to a tram station, then go somewhere else in the city center OR just walk to where I want to go, which is generally 15 to 20 minutes at the least.  I have chosen to walk places- it just depends on how much time I have and what I have to carry back with me.

We moved into our furnished apartment on Tuesday (Monday was a holiday here) AND the dogs arrived to the apartment about thirty minutes after we got here.  More about that transition later.  BK had the quarter close this week, so he's been very busy this first week as well.  We're getting a little bit settled, and it's really nice to not be living in a hotel room.  As much as I love BK, we really function better in more than just one room, with only enough space for one of us to work at the desk.

Apartment hunting happens on Wednesday, and lots of people have asked if we're doing House Hunters International.  We're not doing it, but I hope to post some videos of the ones we see so you can check it out too.  To get started, here's a little tour of our current apartment. Please excuse the sniffles (I seem to be stuffy in the morning) and snapping in the middle (trying to corral the dogs into the apartment)- I'll work on my video skills this week!