Well, for now I figured out how to fix the dashboard so that everything is in English. Hopefully I will be able to keep it that way because it gave me a headache just trying to fix it.
We have received our shipment of things (i.e. junk) from the U.S. and I am finally up and running on a computer. WHOHOO!! It has been approx. one month since I moved here and I am looking forward to being able to write about our adventures.
Things in Switzerland have been going well. The weather varies more than you can imagine. One day it is sunny and 90 degrees, and the next day there are torrential downpours - with hail no less. Very odd.
There are other odd things (well, odd to me) about Geneva that I have noticed and I have decided to make a list of them for your viewing pleasure.
1. People are very courteous/proper. Now, that might be normal in other parts of the world but when you are moving here from Boston it actually strikes you as odd. You people in Boston know what I am talking about. Before you ask someone a question in a store you must say (in French of course) Good day Sir (or Madame). If you do not, the person will actually correct you.
2. Red means stop (yes, stop. Not go for the first three seconds after getting the red light just because everyone else does), green means go, and people driving cars actually let you walk at a cross walk without trying to run you over. Again, this just might be a Boston thing but when I lived in the city it was every man/woman for themselves and God help any pedestrians.
3. Sundays are a day of rest. Literally. Almost all stores, restaurants are closed and I believe that it is illegal to even wash your car in your driveway on a Sunday. You are almost forced to spend the day with your loved ones. It's actually kind of nice....who would of ever guessed?!?
4. Geneva is a very clean city. I have actually seen people pick up a piece of trash off of the street and put into a garbage can. They seem to wash the streets almost every day. I have seen shop cleaners vacuuming the street in front of their shop. No lie. Oh, and did I mention that you will actually go to hell if you do not recycle?? In the interest of recycling/not wasting, if you want a bag with handles to put your groceries in, you actually have to pay 30 cents for it. I have invested in a tote for small purchases and a "wheelie" tote/cart thing for larger purchases when I walk to the store. I thought that you had to be at least the age of 80 to own one of those carts but they do actually come in handy. Not to mention that mine is very cute. Black with white flowers (fancy). If you do major shopping and need a cart you have to put a 2 chf coin into the cart. The only way you get your money back is if you return the cart to where it belongs. This is brilliant and they should enforce it in the States. This way you wouldn't have shopping carts in the parking lot because people are too damn lazy to return their carts. Target could definitely benefit from this idea.
Ohhhhh Target.........I wish that they had a Target here (sigh).
We have received our shipment of things (i.e. junk) from the U.S. and I am finally up and running on a computer. WHOHOO!! It has been approx. one month since I moved here and I am looking forward to being able to write about our adventures.
Things in Switzerland have been going well. The weather varies more than you can imagine. One day it is sunny and 90 degrees, and the next day there are torrential downpours - with hail no less. Very odd.
There are other odd things (well, odd to me) about Geneva that I have noticed and I have decided to make a list of them for your viewing pleasure.
1. People are very courteous/proper. Now, that might be normal in other parts of the world but when you are moving here from Boston it actually strikes you as odd. You people in Boston know what I am talking about. Before you ask someone a question in a store you must say (in French of course) Good day Sir (or Madame). If you do not, the person will actually correct you.
2. Red means stop (yes, stop. Not go for the first three seconds after getting the red light just because everyone else does), green means go, and people driving cars actually let you walk at a cross walk without trying to run you over. Again, this just might be a Boston thing but when I lived in the city it was every man/woman for themselves and God help any pedestrians.
3. Sundays are a day of rest. Literally. Almost all stores, restaurants are closed and I believe that it is illegal to even wash your car in your driveway on a Sunday. You are almost forced to spend the day with your loved ones. It's actually kind of nice....who would of ever guessed?!?
4. Geneva is a very clean city. I have actually seen people pick up a piece of trash off of the street and put into a garbage can. They seem to wash the streets almost every day. I have seen shop cleaners vacuuming the street in front of their shop. No lie. Oh, and did I mention that you will actually go to hell if you do not recycle?? In the interest of recycling/not wasting, if you want a bag with handles to put your groceries in, you actually have to pay 30 cents for it. I have invested in a tote for small purchases and a "wheelie" tote/cart thing for larger purchases when I walk to the store. I thought that you had to be at least the age of 80 to own one of those carts but they do actually come in handy. Not to mention that mine is very cute. Black with white flowers (fancy). If you do major shopping and need a cart you have to put a 2 chf coin into the cart. The only way you get your money back is if you return the cart to where it belongs. This is brilliant and they should enforce it in the States. This way you wouldn't have shopping carts in the parking lot because people are too damn lazy to return their carts. Target could definitely benefit from this idea.
Ohhhhh Target.........I wish that they had a Target here (sigh).
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