HIM Xmas

A great night partying with my HIM colleagues at the Montreux Casino.

Wo's Toe

Do you want to know what happens when you drop a 10-pound cutting board on your big toe?
For the answer take a look at the x-ray of Wonda's broken toe. She'll be laid up for 2 weeks, then a funny boot so she can hobble around.
I get to wait on her night and day...

First day of skiing

... giddy with excitement like a 10 year old on Christmas morning, I buckled up my boots, snapped them into the bindings and pushed off for my first ski run of the 2008-09 season. We've had a wonderful dump of snow already and the powder at the top of Leysin was knee deep. The warm sun and no wind made it feel more like March than December.
Burning legs and heaving lungs were my reward for pushing myself ... but it was sooo good. Look forward to many more days to come.

up to 16 November

Hi! Ken writing the blog this time around (it'll be short n sweet ;-)

The weekdays all feel the same... work is good but it's the weekends that make it worthwhile. A couple of weeks ago we visited Susan & Thomas's home in the countryside near Sissach (Sissach is a few kms south of Basel). I haven't been there since Sept '05 and enjoyed the quiet, calm environment -- well, quiet except for the noise of their 4 kids living life at full tilt. We enjoyed many special wines and played some games. The time on the train going and returning was spent grading exams.

Last weekend, was really really quiet but the weather was lovely on Saturday so we had a pleasant walk along the promenade (see photos). Sunday was grey and threatening rain so we chose to visit the Collection de l'Art Brut in Lausanne. It's a superb museum displaying artworks created by societies dispossessed: insane, obsessed, self-removed, or mentally retarded. Incredibly, it is difficult not to relate with many of the works -- or at least marvel at the power of persistent effort. The artists' were compelled to create whether they wanted to or not and results, in my opinion, in true art.

This weekend was full! Saturday afternoon, we took the funicular from Vevey to Mont Pelerin and then wandered our way down the mountain to the village of Chardonne ... why go to Chardonne? well, a wine festival of course! I had invited the MBA students to join us and 5 did. You pay 10Francs for a festival wine glass and go from "cave" to "cave" to taste each winemaker's best wines for sale. We had a very enjoyable afternoon tasting many many wines (sometimes the same wine twice - hic!). The view was incredible, as was the hospitality. We arrived at our last cave to have our last taste of wine and came upon a cauldron over a fire pit that was full of bubbling homemade soup. A perfect finish.
Today we joined Olivier (HIM's sports & leisure director) and 8 students on a train ride to Les Avants, then a funicular to Sonloupe. From there we wandered 3 hours back down to Montreux. Even though downhill, it proved to be a great workout. The photos give you a sense of how the weather and clouds changed as we descended.
A bientot, Ken

Oct '08

The MBA program that Ken manages here started in September. Professors from Michigan visit in 2 week blocks to teach the courses. While they are here, we try to invite them for a home-cooked meal at least once. This is fun for Wonda since she loves to cook, and fun and interesting for both of us to get to know these people outside of the work environment.

18 Oct – Milan with Lisa: Professor Lisa wanted to do something special during her weekend here. We all decided to go to Milan for the day. Ken and I had done this trip at the end of August but were keen to go again. We still weren’t able to visit DaVinci’s “Last Supper” (need to buy 3+ months in advance). But we did go to an art museum (Pinacoteca di Brera) that was very interesting. We spent most of the day walking and revisited some of the sites that we’d been to on a very hot day in August. We put off lunch until almost 2PM and then went for pizza – we got 2 very simple real Italian pizzas to share. They were huge and it took us at least 1.5 hours to eat… but we couldn’t bear to leave any behind. It was sooo good. Then we really needed to keep walking! We bought chocolate for the train ride home – but supper was out of the question.

20 Oct – I started my job teaching English to the students who will start their hospitality program in a couple of months. The curriculum for hospitality management school includes ‘food & beverage’ and that includes learning about wine. So… (lucky me) I am teaching “Communication Skills” and “Introduction to Wine.” I am really enjoying it. I have 25 students and I try to make the learning fun for them.

It takes me 45 minutes to get to the campus. It’s in a community called Leysin way up on the mountain (1420m above sea level). Last week we had a beautiful day with 15C and sunny. But… they were calling for snow the next day in Leysin. I took my camera and got photos of the vineyards – all golden down the mountainside, with the turning leaves on the trees in forests further up. I’m glad I took those photos because, the next morning, those same slopes were dusted white. It looked amazing! There was about 8 inches of snow on the trees and rooftops at 1400m. a winter wonderland. Two days later it was all gone. I enjoy my travel time to work on the train. I either listen to music and look at the scenery or I sometimes read in preparation for the day. I work with a good bunch of folks.  

More blogging soon, Wonda

September '08

Sept. Update (posted in Nov!!! it's ken's fault)

We had a great September, although it went by very quickly.

We were thrilled to have our friends from Canada visit. They were touring Italy and made time for a couple days with us along their way. Our time was too short, but we made we most of it. We caught up with each other over a leisurely dinner that lasted for hours. We talked ‘til our friends were exhausted and made plans for the next day. We went for a walk/hike in the old town, through some vineyards, on a hiking trail, and eventually made our way to Ken’s office and the lake-side boardwalk. We shared photos and stories and plunged into a pot of fondue in the evening. All too soon we had to say goodbye as they continued on their tour to France. It was great fun to have shared that time.

In mid Sept., we went to this event “Route Gourmande”- meaning ‘gourmet route’. It was a wine tasting and typical swiss meal, only it took place in the vineyards, and you walked your way from one course to another. 5 courses, 5 kilometres and about 4 hours! First they gave us a glass and we chose the wine we wanted to sample and tasted some homemade pastry. Then we walked along with our glass and there was a traditional appetizer of ‘cold cuts’ meat served with dill pickles and homemade bread. Ken ate the meat off my plate while we sat by a fountain next to a cluster of houses and barns. A group of musicians were on a break, but we could hear an accordion and guitar as we topped up our glasses and headed off through the vineyards ‘til we came upon another cluster of houses. We tasted another wine and got a bowl of beet soup. This time there were a group playing the ‘alpenhorns’ ( you know-from the “Ricola” commercial). We wound our way up the side of the mountain ‘til we came into a little village. Here we were served a chicken stew in puff pastry, and more wine. We sat on an old stone wall to admire the spectacular view out over the vineyards and Montreux while we ate. Then it was on the trail again. Next stop was wine only… I guess they thought we might need to re-fill by then. We didn’t stay long there, although it seemed to be a very popular spot. Next was the cheese course. They could have been more generous with the quantity, but it was good. So was the assortment of homemade breads they served with it. We continued on our way and came to the dessert course and some sweeter wines. After that, there was an area set up to sell all the local wines that were on offer, so you could take some favourites home with you. They also had a big tent set up with long tables, and it appeared that plenty of people were buying a bottle to share with each other at the end of the tour. There was a table full of homemade breads too, and we picked up a loaf. It was a really pleasant afternoon of walking, eating, and sipping on wine! We enjoyed it a lot, and when we saw just how close we were to Montreux, we decided to walk home. A lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

September has brought cooler temperatures and the need for a jacket. Ken and I remind ourselves that we really need to adjust to these cooler temps! After three years of 30degrees every day … we have some adjusting to do. We don’t want to just stay inside ‘til it gets warm again, we want to stay active and be outside too.

So to be active and get warm, we have joined a local gym. This place is above the shopping centre, and has just been re-opened with all new equipment. The best thing is that in the changing rooms there is a sauna and a steam room. That means we can ‘warm up our bones’ in the winter. I find that deep heat stays with me a long time. There is a tanning bed (which I won’t use) and a solarium too, so I can sit and relax under the heat and light from the sun if it gets dark and dreary- which I think it will. We’re next to the lake, and backed by the mountains, so I am expecting fog, clouds and rain as the seasons change and the temp. of the water and the air differs so much. I hear that it can be mild and sunny throughout the winter, so we’ll see.

On Saturday, the 27^th, we went to Zurich (in northern Switzerland) for the day. We walked around the city and had a very expensive coffee and hot chocolate! We came across a market of ‘second hand everything’. Some things were antique, some things just curious – like licence plates from B.C. and Alberta, and some things just “stupid expensive”. It seemed that people expected to re-cooperate the cost of their original investment. There were a lot of designer name clothes, but too price-y for used goods! It was an eye opening experience.

Wandering through the old cobblestone streets of the city and having a picnic at the side of a grand old church in a city square was pleasant too, and the day passed by quickly.

The following day, we went to this festival in a little village near Lausanne (the nearest large city to us - 30 mins. by train). This festival seemed more geared to kids, so we left there and went to Lausanne and had pizza by the lake in a little Italian restaurant. Then we just took the train to a village on the way home and we walked through the vineyards on the road to home. The weather was gorgeous and we walked for over 3 hours before finally taking the train the rest of the way home. We are reminded once again of how beautiful it is here.So you see, we are trying to get out and see the area and get some fresh air and exercise at the same time.

Let’s see what October has in store! ‘Til next time…

Summer 08

Well much has to be said, so many things have happened this summer.

June was marked by visits with friends. First, we had a wonderful visit from Ken’s high school buddy Murray. Then I (Wonda) went to northern Switzerland to see my dear friend Susan that I met and worked with in Israel in 1990. This was followed by my birthday and we were graced by our Canadian friend Tracy and her guy and another friend. We tried to give our Canadian visitors a glimpse of life in Switzerland… as we know it so far!

In July, Ken started an intensive French language program which took up his mornings, and then he still put in 8 hours of work every day! As for me, I was busy with my first job – teaching English at a summer program for youth (14-18). This was fun and interesting for me, and I am reminded of how much I enjoy being a part of other people’s learning. The students were from Spain, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and of course, the German and Italian speaking parts of Switzerland. The teaching staff were 19-25 and everyone spoke French all the time. I definitely felt on the outside because of my lack of full understanding when things were being discussed, so sometimes I had to get things explained in English. I did okay for the most part though! What was more of a shock for me, was the “age-ism” that I felt from my co-workers! People here, ask your age…often! It took me about 2 weeks to have people accept me as Wonda the person instead of Wonda the ‘age’. But, at least I got there, and was accepted and liked by my co-workers. From now on I will be deliberately vague about my age when asked.

During the jazz festival, we also had a 5 day visit from Wonda’s friend Susan and her 4 kids. Yes, we managed to cram everyone in! They kept occupied during the days and we always had time at the jazz fest and fun through the evenings. We even coordinated with my Swiss-German students to babysit, so that Susan could join us for the ‘Katie Melua’ concert on the 17th! It was a great visit.

They left Fri. afternoon, and our French friends arrived Sat. afternoon. We met these friends from France in 2005 when we lived in Sri Lanka (they were teaching French in 2005-2006). We laughed a lot and talked a lot and ate a lot and even played some silly games that had us laughing even more! All this activity kept both Ken and I very busy ‘til we left for Canada.

Our Time in Canada
I left on Wed. 23rd July. I flew though New York and, because of dangerous lightning storms there, they cancelled all flights… then I got shuffled around all 3 airports in an effort to complete my journey. TWO DAYS LATER, I finally got home at 3:30pm. And Ken arrived about 5 hours later! The next day we were at the old homestead up to our ears in cleaning and clearing out the shed when we learned that my sister and family would be there that night. And so began our time with family at home. People arrived daily and by the end of the week, we had quite the crowd at our place, my cousin’s place just over the hill from us, and at my aunt’s about 7 minutes down the road. We had lots of help to prepare the grounds, clear away old debris, and get the house ready. We cleared a huge section of the yard for a playing field with horseshoes and other games set up. We hung up a new swing in the apple orchard, and put up two huge tents between the house and the woodshed in case of poor weather. By Thursday we were ready.

It’s a good thing too, because on Friday, Aug. 1st, …
KEN AND I GOT MARRIED!!!!!!
We did a secret little ceremony with a Justice of the Peace in Halifax, and then went for lunch to celebrate!! We had our two best friends witness for us, and we asked our parents to join us. We told only these people (and swore them to secrecy!). We were fortunate to have my Mum, Ken’s Mom, (but we missed Ken’s step-dad), as well as Ken’s Dad and step-mom. We asked my grandmother too, but didn’t tell her ‘til after we picked her up and were on our way to the city. You should have seen her scrambling for her face powder and lipstick after I told her! Ah well, at 89 she still looks lovely!

So why get married after all this time together? Well, Ken and I always said we were not going to be married. However, living in Switzerland and being a “concubine”???, well, this arrangement gets in the way for me to do/have anything – bank account, job, even to be recognized as an individual…
We decided to get married to make our life easier here, and, it means I can work. This is an expensive country to live in so if both of us are working, it is obviously better for us for saving. We’ve been living together and committed to each other since 1996 anyway, so it is not like marriage changes anything for us in the way we feel about each other. This was merely a formality, and we definitely did not want all the “fuss” of organizing a wedding.

Oh … and why the secrecy you may ask? The secrecy came for two reasons. First and foremost, we did NOT want to steal any focus from my sister’s wedding which happened on July 26th. She had planned a big wedding and several family members made great efforts to be there. This is her second marriage, and after what she lived through with the first one, she certainly deserves to be happy, and we did not want to take anything away from her celebrations. The other reason was the family reunion. This big event took place at our home, and we knew there was so much work to be done to prepare the house and grounds that we decided to focus on that and then just slip away on the Friday and do our thing quietly.

No “big event” for us, we never wanted that. Besides, we did get to celebrate with the family afterwards anyway, as we gathered at the old homestead to start off the festivities with an evening BBQ and bonfire.

The family reunion
Lucky that we did put up those tents, because it ended up raining all weekend!
We know it kept some people away, but we still did have a good turn-out of about 120-150. I don’t think I had more than a 5 minute conversation with anyone, but it was good to see everyone and learn a bit about what is going on in their lives. The intention was to have a bunch of games and activities in the afternoons, but the weather had us playing games of staying dry and ‘dash for the house’ or ‘dash for the portable toilet’ or ‘dash for the car’… depending on if you were coming or going… or leaving! Of course there was a tonne of food – as there always is at our family gatherings. The rain did let up on Sat. evening long enough for us to have a bonfire, burn the old outhouse and set off some fireworks! Meanwhile, under the big tent, my cousin’s teenager and his band set up and played some pretty good tunes, and then my sister’s new husband set up and did the DJ-ing so people could have a few dances. This was followed by a few brave (read ‘intoxicated’) fools who sang some typical karaoke tunes. Abba, soundtrack from “Greece”, some country whiners…

The woodshed, which held the “guitar hero” competition for the young ones, had by this time, turned into a card-playing area. Inside the house people were just chatting and catching up with each other.

On Sunday afternoon we celebrated my grandmother’s 90th birthday. It isn’t actually ‘til Dec., but people’s activities are more ruled by weather then, and she knew she’d get to see a lot of the family now, so a HUGE birthday cake was brought, and my aunt made a family quilt which we all signed in our appropriate squares, lots of extended family and friends joined us under the big tents, and tonnes more food appeared and got eaten and lots more put back into the fridge. It was another good day with many more unfinished conversations.

Monday was a day to just hang out with those around us, and in the evening all the food from our fridge was taken to my cousin’s place and a birthday celebration for my recently married sister happened. I didn’t make it ’til much later though, ‘cuz my best friend was passing by and stopped in. We grabbed this chance to visit, since it would probably be the only time to see each other. We had met up just a few minutes before our wedding, but didn’t really get a chance to talk on Friday.

Then, on Tuesday, we started our day with horrible news.
It turned our world on its end. Ken’s Dad called to say that his wife had a heart attack during the night. It was sudden, massive and fatal.
This vibrant woman who had been at our wedding and then the old homestead just 3 days before... She used our camera and took most of our wedding photos. She had taken some special ones that she planned to photo-shop later…
We are so grateful to have had that bit of time with Carole, and so pleased that she was part of our celebration. Our memories to hold forever.
Ken quickly arranged a ticket to fly out to Calgary that same day, and spent the following week with his father helping where he could and being supportive. We were numb. The sting of this tragedy will be felt for a long time to come.
I had the support of my family as I stayed behind to do the clean-up from the reunion and then close up the house. I was grateful to all those who pitched in to help.

Ken returned to N.S. on Mon. 11th and we just finished packing for Switzerland, went to the city on Tues. for appointments and errands, and had a few very quick visits with friends. On Wed. we shut down the house and headed off to France.

Ah… Paris.
We landed in the early morning and took advantage of the hours before our afternoon train left for the ‘land of cheese’. We went walking along the famous Seine River and sat at an outdoor cafe for the obligatory ‘café and croissant’ and watched the people go by. We walked through some streets of the Latin Quarter, and went on a tour of the Notre Dame Cathedral. We are very keen to return for a long weekend sometime, then we’ll go to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. It is only 4 hours from Montreux by train. Hhmmm…That’s like… Musquodoboit to North Sydney, or Digby, or Saint John! Europe is so compact, and we intend to experience a lot more of it!

Since we’ve been back in Montreux, we’re settling in.

Last Sunday we went on a big walk. We walked up the side of the mountain to the community of ‘Glion’ that looms above us. It took only 45 minutes, and there are a lot of stairs along the route. We stopped for a coffee/tea on a terrace overlooking the lake and the communities below with the mountains as the backdrop. Then we decided to walk to another town, ‘Les Avants’, which meant walking along the country road back down through part of the valley and up the side of the next mountain. We picked some blackberries along the way, and it took us just over an hour. We decided to refresh ourselves with a cold drink, explored the town and then took the next train home. Then it was off to Ken’s office to call our parents. From now on, we’ll be able to call from home.
As of the 28th we now have a land line phone, and internet and cable TV. Finally!

Milan, Italy
Sat. Aug.30th we took the train and spent the day in Milan. No… we didn’t go for the top end designer clothes of Prada, Gucci, Armani, or Dolce & Gabbana. We went because the weather forecast said +33 and we wanted to check out the city. First stop was a late 15th century church called “Santa Maria delle Grazi”. It is here that in 1495-1497 Leonardo da Vinci painted the famous “Last Supper” on the far wall of the Refectory when it was a Dominican Convent. Well, we saw the church, but you need to reserve well in advance to see the famous painting. Next time! We walked to a 14th century castle “Castello Sforzesco” and sat in the courtyard and had our picnic lunch. We couldn’t resist cooling our feet with the locals in the public fountain out front afterwards. We strolled down the city streets, heading for the 2nd largest church in the world - the ‘Duomo’. It took 5oo years to build this elaborate structure with its white/grey-pink marble. To appreciate the architecture even more, we took the stairs to the roof. The view of the city is great and the impression of the church is fascinating. The place seats 40,000 with 52 pillars to hold up the incredible roof! Way up there on the ‘wow factor’.

We did walk through the world’s first shopping mall “Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II”. The architect built a steel-and-glass roof over the three streets that are next to the Duomo. The buildings are extravagant. And the floor is all inlaid mosaic. As you can imagine, all the designer shops are in this area.

We walked though a lovely park and then headed for a pizza and beer before hopping on the train to catch the sunset en route to Montreux. It was a great day, and has us dreaming about where else to go!

As for what’s next, on Sept.6-8, we will again have the privilege of hosting some Canadian friends who will spend a day or so with us as part of their European tour. Can’t wait to see them - and already envision a lot of - conversation, food, touring, cheese, wine, chocolate and laughter,… but not too much time for sleeping!

Ken will start a new semester at University on Sept 8th. In the meantime, I will be studying French at home, and, on TV occasionally, I can watch some reruns of American shows (“House”, “Law and Order”, “Grey’s Anatomy”) in French to help increase my understanding. Every bit helps. I will start teaching English at a partner University up the mountain starting in October.

That’s it for now, we’ll keep the updates coming more frequently now that we have internet…. Yippeeee!

FRIENDS visiting us

Woo-hoo.. wooooo-hooooo... it's so much fun when friends visit us and we've been seriously blessed with visits from Murray (11-15June) and Tracy (19-22June).
Murray was solo and became our very first house guest (HE said the sofa bed was tres, tres comfortable). On Thursday and Friday he and Wonda went on adventures close to Montreux during the day and then all of us indulged in the finest wines, cheeses, saucisson (sausage that wonda didn't touch), and bread that this region offers. Ken caught up with them on Friday evening after they had spent the afternoon in a wine education center (Oenotheque). We headed to Lutry for the LAVAUX EXPRESS - a 'train' towed by a tractor disguised as a 'train engine'. what a hoot! And the Lavaux wine region is absolutely spectacular with its terraced vineyards. Saturday we headed first to Gruyere (http://www.hrgigermuseum.com/) and had a pleasant beverage at the local alien bar. Then in a random order of events we had lunch on the train to Paleuviex, and an evening in Bern (lovely terrace by the weir). Sunday was more relaxed and we got a late start to Geneva... not much there to see really... before we said a fond farewell to Murrski.
Tracy was travelling with her beau Sandy (yes, he does exist) and her buddy Lisa. More tourist stuff that was even more wonderful thanks to gorgeous weather (although Sandy wilted on Saturday). Lisa went to Geneva on Saturday but we kept at it on Saturday (Rochers de Naye and the Fete au Village in Veytaux) and a wonderful picnic lunch near the top of the hill above Sion.
We have a break for a few days ... sort of. Wonda starts work tomorrow and Ken's project deadlines are looming.
Love to all, W&K

A NEW APARTMENT !!!

SOUND THE TRUMPETS! RING THE BELLS!

We got an apartment! Finally! We saw it on Friday, May 23 and we made an application same day, we got approved on Tuesday, got the contract on Wed., got it signed on Friday, I took it to their office on Monday, and it was signed by their director … then it was official… as soon as we got the keys we started moving. It was outrageously hectic, but worth it.

The apartment is in the heart of the city, very near the train station and Lake Geneva. It takes Ken less than 10 minutes to walk to work. It is a one bedroom with a large living room/extra bedroom and a large kitchen-dining room. It is the first time that we’ve seen a kitchen that you can actually “hang out in”. We were drawn to it immediately. We even had our first “Nova Scotia kitchen party” the weekend we moved in! Even before we had really unpacked!!!

Send us an email if you want our new address. We will get internet by the end of June, and we both have mobile phones, but we probably won’t bother with a landline. We use Skype on the computer, so please let us know if you are also on Skype.

AND >>> OTHER BIG NEWS for the moment…

Wonda has a temporary job! A summer job, and it may lead to future work.
I will start on June 24th to teach English to youth at “Summer Language Camp”. I will teach in the mornings and do excursions with the students in the afternoons.
This will be good for me to get ‘known’ in the “teaching English world” in Montreux. I will also get to see some of the local tourist sites and discover places to go with Ken later. I am definitely looking for long-term work teaching English, preferably to adults… because they really want to learn! There is a strong need here, the pay is good, and I know from doing this work previously that it can be rewarding. I am looking forward to it.

This means I have changed my ticket home to July 23rd. This will give me a week at home before our big family reunion, and we’re looking forward to that.

So, life is going well for us.
We hope all is well with each and every one of you.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Live today!
All the best,
Wonda and Ken

May update

Life for us now is as follows.

We DO love it here, the only down-side is the lack of housing. We are still living in the hotel suite that Ken’s company put him up in when he arrived… only now we pay. It is a bedroom with kitchenette, and a bathroom. Very compact, like a camper!

The internet/email is only at Ken’s office, and we often go in on a Sunday (at some point) to send emails and call people. Hopefully soon we will have our own place… then we will have internet and we will be able to call from home. We have cell phones, but long distance is so expensive. Besides, it costs almost nothing to use the Skype on the computer. We save where we can!

Ken’s colleagues have really embraced him, and we have been socializing with them after work and sometimes on weekends.
There are always events going on, plenty to do… we’ve been to wine festivals and a cheese festival, a jazz festival and several museums. We are also getting out hiking, to see the countryside and taking day-trips in a different town or village every couple weeks. We take our “Swiss picnic = wine, cheese, bread” and of course some healthy treats to round out the meal. Eating out is costly, and people here drink wine with their meals, so it is quite common to see people sharing wine and food openly in public, no laws against that here. People take their wine or beer to enjoy on the trains (and their own food) – you can buy it onboard - if you want to pay big money.

This was definitely the right choice of place for relocation. It is so safe and comfortable, we walk every day (without fear of getting run over!) and it is so QUIET! Sometimes we say to each other, “we deserve this after all we went through in S.L.” What’s not to love about this country? (ok, maybe the cost of things) but the astounding views and lush plants everywhere, milder temps, friendly & helpful people, relaxed atmosphere, lifestyle… it is all good!

French continues to improve for me, and Ken is taking classes (and being the natural quick learner that he is, plus his high motivation), he’s learning a lot! We are finding our groove here.

We will go home for our family reunion end of July, which will be a huge event. Several people will stay in the house, and many more will camp out on the grounds. We expect 150-200 people on the Sat., but leading up to that and lingering on for a few days afterwards will be the plan for plenty of relatives. Obviously we have to set things up the best we can beforehand, and then once everyone is gone, the clean-up and shutting down of our house again. We will both be home for 3 weeks, and back here by mid-Aug. Then Ken will be in full swing getting ready for the Sept. semester. Hopefully I will be gearing up to start a new job too. And taking French classes!

And now to you… Any chance you could visit while we’re in Swiss-chocolate-land? We think this will be a 2 year posting for Ken, so you have time to plan. It is beautiful here in every season, so whatever suits you, we’ll welcome a visit from you at ANY TIME!!!

Take care and keep in touch,
Love Wonda (and Ken)

April's activities

We really like it here in Montreux; the scenery, the cleanliness, the relative ease and familiarity of lifestyle, the fact that we blend in, and … we are even adjusting to the cooler temps. People are friendly and relaxed, helpful and understanding with language goof-ups.

There has been an abundance of April showers, and plenty of flowers and blossoms to herald in the season. It is warming up too, and I have had a couple of afternoons of t-shirt warmth.

Now, if we could only get the apt. thing settled! We thought we had secured a place (Mar.26th) and they finally sent the lease agreement (Apr.24th) and they had increased the price by another $150 per month !!!! We said no, since they had already raised it by $200 from the last tenant, and they were not even going to paint (tenant said last painted 9 years ago and really needs it.) So now we are back on search! We think we have an option for the summer (mid May to end Aug.), that would give us a couple months to find a place. We will keep you posted.

There are plenty of things to do here; museums, train tours into the Alps, boat cruises on Lake Geneva, wine tasting festivals, music festivals, old castles to check out- though some old castles are still in use as local gov’t offices, vineyard operations -offices and wine cellars. It is all still very fascinating to us.

Last Sat. we went to a village where all the winemakers had their wines out for sampling. The idea is you pay admission – get your glass, and then just walk through the village from one wine-makers house to the next; sampling the wine and chatting with the owners/vintners. There were a couple guys walking around playing music as well as a few spots along the way set up for bands. There was also an area to get food - meat pastries, meat sandwiches, meat soup, meat and potatoes… they were even roasting a cow on a spit! Huge! Lots of meat to go around! So… by the end of the afternoon I had learned two things…bring my own lunch so that I can actually EAT something, and … taste the wine, and dump out the rest! The atmosphere was festive and people were friendly. We tasted the wines of last year’s harvest and some from 2006, and from now ‘til Sept. these village wine festivals will be happening all over the region. After all, we are in the heart of the wine region… we hope to learn something about it while we are here.

The University where Ken works has students from several different countries, and last weekend they had an “International Day” where they decorated a booth to represent their country, dressed in their traditional clothing, and served food and drinks from their country. There was a cultural show too, with lots of singing and dancing. Lots of fun! It reminded me of the multicultural festival in Hfx. There is one here too, in early June, Ken and I will be sure to check it out.

In April, we also took a train to the top of a local mountain,(with another couple) shovelled snow off a picnic table and sat out there and had our lunch, then caught the next train down. We got out along the way and walked the rest of the way down the mountain to the heart of Montreux where we sat at an outdoor café in the warmth of the late afternoon sun.

That’s it for now… more to follow!

Hello from Montreux! (rhymes with John-true)

Well I am here at last and so happy to be with Ken again. Love that guy!
I have many first impressions... where to start?!

Well, my first impressions happened in Sept. 2005, when, as you may know, Ken and I came to Montreux during our Swiss vacation away from Sri Lanka. It was beautiful then, and we took the river boat from Lausanne to Montreux. We sat out on the deck chairs in the warmth of the sun and enjoyed a typical picnic of bread, cheeses, fresh tomatoes and, of course, wine from the region. As we glided along the river taking in the view, we were impressed by the majestic mountains, the vineyards that took up every inch of extra space and the old world charm of the buildings.

Well, I'm not just breezing through this time... but I am equally impressed!

Oh the scenery! The mountains are just as 'jaw-dropping' astounding as before, and the vineyards and old stone buildings are just as fascinating.

The lake is huge and the mountains jut up to the sky in very steep inclines that seem to have houses dotted along at impossible elevations… all but the very top! The roads and the rail lines cut through the mountainside at angles that put even ‘Wile E.Coyote’ and the Roadrunner to shame!
The architecture is very impressive, with an incredible attention to detail. You can't help but notice... even if you don't have an interest in that.

The grapevines have all been trimmed back – ready for this year’s new growth and looking very organized; row by row. We are definitely in the middle of ‘wine country’!

As for the climate, it is now like Vancouver. The temp. is between 8 and 12 during the day, and 2-5 at night. But that cold nip is not in the air. The weather is quickly changeable – warm and sunny or cool and lightly raining.

The early spring flowers are all in bloom – tiny yellow, pink or purple alpine meadow flowers, violets, tulips and daffodils. The yellow forsythias are shouting their colour, and the cherry blossoms are all pink and white. By next week the magnolia trees will be bursting in their white and purples.

Many species of little birds are singing their spring songs and we are enjoying it all.

This is the first spring Ken and I have experienced in 4 years, so perhaps we are a little more alert to the changes.

Living here has its adjustments too.

French is the language all around us - spoken and written. Ken has help from colleagues to figure things out (translate/interpret), and I am trying to manage in French, to ask for what I need and to understand what I read and hear. My challenge is that I can begin a conversation with people, and then they assume I am completely bilingual and start speaking quickly and using slang and I get lost in the dust. But I try everyday to speak more and read what I can so I can learn the vocabulary for certain situations… like renting an apartment. The learning is constant!

Luckily, the people are very friendly and helpful. Tourism is a major industry here, and since the scenery and climate are so beautiful, this area tends to draw the “rich and famous” crowd. Well known musicians, actors, race car drivers, other sports stars and the like are drawn to the incredible beauty of the place. These are some of the reasons why a lot of people can speak English and often Italian as well as French, since we are close to the borders of both France and Italy.

German is also common to know. Ken does alright with it since he studied German in high school and university. He has also lived in the German area of Switzerland while doing part of his university studies for his Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Who would have thought that 13 years later he would be back in Swiss-cheese-land managing the MBA program here for the international students.!!! Life has some crazy circles!

Ken is enjoying his job and has quickly built up a good rapport with colleagues and students. In the few days I have been here, I have been introduced to several, and gone out for a drink and a bite with 5 of his colleagues. It is an international group and they are very accepting to us. Sat. we helped Ken’s colleague Gideon (originally from Cameroon) and his Canadian wife Angela move from a village way up near the top of the mountain (45mins by train… straight up!). Their new place is just beside the lake at the bottom of the mountain, and much more convenient for work. They are good people and I think we will become fast friends.

Other observations are that: (1) It is quiet here. (2)The train and bus systems are very efficient (it would have to be - it’s Swiss!) (3) People don’t blast their horns while driving… haven’t heard one yet; just the siren of the ambulance. (4) The city planners had their heads screwed on the right way when they created a wide lakeside boardwalk that extends the full length of Montreux and the neighbouring towns. I walked to the town of Villeneuve on Friday afternoon and it only took 25 minutes by the lakeside boardwalk. It has beautiful plants and shrubs along the full length, and you only hear an occasional train and no traffic. (5)There are even “doggie-doo” bags at all the garbage bins so no-one has to watch what they might step into! (6) My only negative…. The Europeans somehow seem to have missed all the health warnings of smoking… people smoke almost everywhere without a thought to those who don’t smoke. Yuk. Thankfully, Canada is much more advanced in this area.

We both already feel comfortable here, and it looks like this will be a 3 year term for Ken. Unlike Sri Lanka, this “housewife” (or “concubine” as the Swiss call a common-law wife) – is allowed to work. That is great for me, and I actually look forward to seeing what I can do here. Time will unfold that reality!

Our first priority is finding a place to live. This is proving to be quite challenging with a very low vacancy rate and (which naturally follows) a very high rent! This also is similar to Vancouver, but here the rent is even higher! We know that we will only afford a 1 bdrm., but of course we are keeping in mind that we want to be able to have guests. Therefore, our floor plan and the furniture we choose will accommodate that.

I think that’s it for now. I am just a few days in and loving it all! I strongly encourage you to visit, this place is really amazing! You all can start booking your visits once we have a place for you to land! We’ll keep you informed.

Take care… and look at the photos! Further updates to follow.

Wonda

WONDA IS ON THE WAY

We found out that Wonda received permission and she will arrive on Monday, 10 March... we'll have to catch up on missed Valentine's day and our anniversary (24 Feb)...
I'm still on the hunt for an apartment that's reasonably close to work and within our budget...
Wonda's in the midst of packing and happy to hear that she won't need winter clothes because Spring has already sprung here... daffodils up 10-inches and lots of blossoms and leaf buds.

oh yeah! skiing in the alps is way way cool. most excellent and reviving... although my poor aching body is screaming for a little massage (tap, tap, tap [inside joke]).
I've added a few photos from the day at "4 Vallees" above the village of Verbier. i'll let them speak for themselves... i'm seriously hoping for at least 1 more good dump of snow before the end of March.

Ken's here... where's Wonda?

It would be funnier if wasn't taking so loooong. My visa was approved 11 Jan. Wonda is stiiiill waiting. The root of the problem is our non-married status... apparently the Swiss authorities have no concept of "common law marriage" and the fact that Wonda and I have been together for 13 (13!!!) years doesn't convince them that we're "together." We really, really should have had that wedding in SL on the back of an elephant!

So, extra time and extra paperwork necessary: such as a form that assures the Swiss that I will cover all financial obligations for Wonda. I asked my Swiss colleague to make calls to the cantonal (provincial) authorities who are holding up the process and also asked the Swiss consulate in Canada to make calls. The best the authorities can say is "we're working on it." With any luck, Wonda will have the visa on Wed, 20th and 1-2 weeks later she'll be on a plane here. with any luck...

I've been working medium hard since arriving on 6 Feb. Most of my work effort has been diverted by practical matters such as registering at the cantonal office, shopping for health insurance, setting up bank accounts and (most stressful) looking for an apartment. Also just getting on a friendly basis with the students, admin and faculty here is important.

Ok - it's gorgeous here and it isn't even summer yet. there's a strong feeling of spring and I even noticed a few magnolia trees with flower buds about to burst open. In SL I had to pay attention when I walked for fear of falling in a sewer or getting whacked by a rogue trishaw... here, the risk comes from letting my attention wander across the lake to the morning sun kissing the peaks of the French Alps, or onto the shimmering waters of Lake Geneva, or a wonder of architecture, or a beautiful, classy lady... that's about the time i'll walk in front of a bus.

enjoy a few photos of the area as well... a bientot