And why are they playing soccer? It is a mystery.
Showing posts with label culture difference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture difference. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Swiss Omas, Babies, and Hats
A couple of days ago I put the baby in my Storchenwiege wrap and headed out with the girl to a coffee shop for some coffee and gelato. After we were done, I rewrapped the baby because it came a little loose and a grandmother-type smiled at the baby before offering to help. (hilfe - pronounced hal-fe) I was almost done so I said no thank you and finished up fixing the wrap.
I am a big believer in hats for babies because either they don't have enough hair to keep them warm in cold weather or they don't have enough hair to protect them from the sun in hot weather. Either way, my babies are always wearing hats. Except when I am putting the baby in the wrap. Baby E objects strenuously to wearing a hat while I am adjusting him so I had taken it off and set it on the table.
The grandmother stopped and made some comment about the baby's head being cold. I just smiled and said (in English) that he has a hat on the table and pointed to the hat.
Now a lot of moms I know would have been irked that this Swiss grandma was interfering as they like to do but I thought it was rather sweet. Maybe it is the fact that my kids don't have grandmas of their own, I don't know. I just like it when grandma-types fawn all over my kids. :)
I am a big believer in hats for babies because either they don't have enough hair to keep them warm in cold weather or they don't have enough hair to protect them from the sun in hot weather. Either way, my babies are always wearing hats. Except when I am putting the baby in the wrap. Baby E objects strenuously to wearing a hat while I am adjusting him so I had taken it off and set it on the table.
The grandmother stopped and made some comment about the baby's head being cold. I just smiled and said (in English) that he has a hat on the table and pointed to the hat.
Now a lot of moms I know would have been irked that this Swiss grandma was interfering as they like to do but I thought it was rather sweet. Maybe it is the fact that my kids don't have grandmas of their own, I don't know. I just like it when grandma-types fawn all over my kids. :)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Swiss Kids and Their Food
So I've been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and I posted about the Swiss children and their knives. There is a bit of an update to that post. See, I went into the forest with the big girl a couple Fridays ago and saw a minor accident with one of the children and his knife. Most of the kids wear their knives around their necks on shoelaces or attached by chains to their belt loops. One boy walked out of the clearing where the teachers were and used his knife. I saw him walk into camp crying. I was about 30 feet away and I could see blood covering his thumb and part of his hand. A teacher rushed to him and bandaged him up and when I saw him later he was happy with a nice big bandage on his finger. *eek*
About the Swiss kids' food. When S started kindy, I was told that she needed to bring snack to school every day. I was instructed, quite forcefully in fact, that I should not pack anything with sugar in it. The snack I packed the first day was inspected and I got a Swiss nod of approval because it was raw rot peperoni strips (red bell pepper). I've had a chance to look around the class and see what the kids pack for snack. Frequently it is carrots, bell pepper, apple, clementines, even raw zucchini with a slice of bread and meat or cheese. The bread is always the artisan bread they make here or a small pretzel. I've seen some crackers and cream cheese but usually it is just my daughter that brings that sort of thing. On Fridays, the kids bring sausages to cook over the campfire and eat on their whittled sticks. Nothing is prepackaged.
Lunch is a little harder to scope out because Swiss kids all go home for their midday meal. It is a bit of a hold over from when moms stayed at home but the moms here adjusted for working part time or full time by switching off child care. My Swiss informants tell me that the big meal is lunch and they cook a large meal for their kids. The kids get out at noon and for the older kids with afternoon class, need to be back at 1:30 or so. That gives an hour and a half to eat, digest, and come back to school. Right now S only goes in the morning so we will have to see how the lunch thing works for her.
About the Swiss kids' food. When S started kindy, I was told that she needed to bring snack to school every day. I was instructed, quite forcefully in fact, that I should not pack anything with sugar in it. The snack I packed the first day was inspected and I got a Swiss nod of approval because it was raw rot peperoni strips (red bell pepper). I've had a chance to look around the class and see what the kids pack for snack. Frequently it is carrots, bell pepper, apple, clementines, even raw zucchini with a slice of bread and meat or cheese. The bread is always the artisan bread they make here or a small pretzel. I've seen some crackers and cream cheese but usually it is just my daughter that brings that sort of thing. On Fridays, the kids bring sausages to cook over the campfire and eat on their whittled sticks. Nothing is prepackaged.
Lunch is a little harder to scope out because Swiss kids all go home for their midday meal. It is a bit of a hold over from when moms stayed at home but the moms here adjusted for working part time or full time by switching off child care. My Swiss informants tell me that the big meal is lunch and they cook a large meal for their kids. The kids get out at noon and for the older kids with afternoon class, need to be back at 1:30 or so. That gives an hour and a half to eat, digest, and come back to school. Right now S only goes in the morning so we will have to see how the lunch thing works for her.
Friday, January 15, 2010
No Baby Yet!
It is now January 15th and still no baby. It is hard to be patient but he'll come when he's ready.
On Wednesday I had a non-stress test to make sure everything still looked good, which it did. My blood pressure is a little low but the baby's heart rate was good and he had fun kicking away.
Things are a little different in Switzerland and I am now receiving care at the hospital instead of at a regular doctor's office. When we originally moved here, I looked for a homebirth midwife because the idea of switching care at the end of pregnancy was weird to me and honestly, I prefer being at home. Well the only homebirth midwife in the area is going on holiday in January and not available.
At the hospital, I was lectured that women weren't given inductions on their due dates just because they were tired of being pregnant. LOL I hadn't asked but the midwife at the hospital assumed I wanted to be induced. *scratches head*
OK, I am tired of being pregnant but the baby will come eventually. Not on my due date apparently, but someday. Perhaps even soon.
On Wednesday I had a non-stress test to make sure everything still looked good, which it did. My blood pressure is a little low but the baby's heart rate was good and he had fun kicking away.
Things are a little different in Switzerland and I am now receiving care at the hospital instead of at a regular doctor's office. When we originally moved here, I looked for a homebirth midwife because the idea of switching care at the end of pregnancy was weird to me and honestly, I prefer being at home. Well the only homebirth midwife in the area is going on holiday in January and not available.
At the hospital, I was lectured that women weren't given inductions on their due dates just because they were tired of being pregnant. LOL I hadn't asked but the midwife at the hospital assumed I wanted to be induced. *scratches head*
OK, I am tired of being pregnant but the baby will come eventually. Not on my due date apparently, but someday. Perhaps even soon.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Paying Bills the Swiss Way
Paying bills in Switzerland is a little different than the United States. First off, the Swiss don't use checks. This surprises a lot of Americans who use checks to pay bills and truthfully, it is kind of a pain in the butt. I still use my American bank account to pay student loans and storage fees in the US and I have to do a wire transfer to send money to that account.
There are some nice things about the system here though. For example, when one receives a bill, the company sends a slip of paper that has the account number, amount, and address of the receiver. It is standardized (and red!) and to pay, you just have to walk down to the post office, hand them the money (or use a bank card), and the post office transfers the money.
In the US, the mere mention of the post office would send shivers down my spine. This is Switzerland though and the post (pronounced: poscht) is much more efficient.
Another benefit: the post office also runs a sort-of bank so you can do all your banking business while paying bills. The only drawback is the post only deals with Swiss Francs and Euros. Oh well, it can't be perfect.
There are some nice things about the system here though. For example, when one receives a bill, the company sends a slip of paper that has the account number, amount, and address of the receiver. It is standardized (and red!) and to pay, you just have to walk down to the post office, hand them the money (or use a bank card), and the post office transfers the money.
In the US, the mere mention of the post office would send shivers down my spine. This is Switzerland though and the post (pronounced: poscht) is much more efficient.
Another benefit: the post office also runs a sort-of bank so you can do all your banking business while paying bills. The only drawback is the post only deals with Swiss Francs and Euros. Oh well, it can't be perfect.
Monday, December 21, 2009
No Chimney for Santa
There aren't a lot of chimneys in Switzerland for Santa to slide down. So instead, Santa breaks in through the window like a good thief. At least that is my takeaway from all the windows in Zurich that have Santa hanging outside a window on a rope with presents on his back.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Why I Wanted My Camera Today
S and I were walking around town and we stopped to get a pastry.
First of all, poppy streusel is gross. Second, and perhaps most important, there were hornets (BEES!) eating the icing off the iced pastries. And I do mean more than one. Maybe 10? They had landed and were sitting there sucking the icing off the pastries. I pointed it out to S and the other customers just chuckled. It is like I am in a foreign country or something.
*panic* LOL
First of all, poppy streusel is gross. Second, and perhaps most important, there were hornets (BEES!) eating the icing off the iced pastries. And I do mean more than one. Maybe 10? They had landed and were sitting there sucking the icing off the pastries. I pointed it out to S and the other customers just chuckled. It is like I am in a foreign country or something.
*panic* LOL
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