T̶w̶o̶ One p̶e̶r̶p̶e̶t̶u̶a̶l̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶a̶t̶s̶ immigrant settling into home country number five.
We spent the weekend in Zermatt with some friends. Zermatt is basically the Daytona Beach of Switzerland, not because there are any beaches, but because it’s a partying resort town full of spring break types (although more likely to be wearing snowboarding gear than a bathing suit). It’s mainly a ski resort (and it’s possible … Read more
Zurich is not exactly a diner’s paradise. Like everything else in this city, most restaurants are overpriced. Seeing the prices on a menu, I often get my hopes up about the quality of the food, only to have them dashed by the overly salty and starchy disappointment of a meal that I am later served. … Read more
Sometimes it strikes me as odd that so many religious holidays are state holidays in Europe, given that Europeans themselves are much less involved with organized religion than Americans are. But when it means a day off of work for me (when I am actually working), who am I to argue? Today is Ascension Day, … Read more
It’s like the World Cup, except that it involves only Europe (and Israel and a bunch of former Soviet Republics) and instead of a soccer team, each country fields a singer or a band. And the winner is determined by voting. And there’s no off sides. The Eurovision Song Contest was ABBA’s big international break, … Read more
So we just got back from seeing The Da Vinci Code. I’m assuming it was a completely true story, given that there was no notice at the beginning that told me it wasn’t. Also, apparently, it was based on some sort of book. Have you ever heard of it? I’m not going to actually review … Read more
My new addiction is Negro Kisses Big Dark Kissses, otherwise know as Moors’ heads Choco Heads. I blame Kesha. Her recent post about French delicacies with questionable names had gotten me thinking about Negerkussen, chocolate-covered marshmallow-crème-filled thingies that I remember from the cafeteria at the university in Germany. At the time they were undergoing a … Read more
Today this cat appeared outside my window. At first glance it seemed like a completely normal, adorable little ball of fur. I soon realized, however, that something was amiss. Although its head, tail and legs were all fluffy and normal, its back looked more fitting of a cow than a kitty. I thought this was … Read more
…the German doctor gave me this.
After a few hours in Halle I jumped on a train to Dresden to meet up with my friend Natale, who was eager to see a piece of the GDR after reading Stasiland, an excellent book about an Aussie who explores the East after the wall fell. I warned her in advance that we may … Read more
On my way from Berlin to Dresden, I couldn’t pass up the chance to go visit my old home Halle an der Saale, which I hadn’t seen in six years. I don’t have much to report, especially since I was only there for a couple hours, but it was at least worth sharing some photos. The … Read more