As I sit here at 7.30am (DS has been up for at least two hours already), I can see Dear Herr Caretaker, the caretaker of our apartment block, tipping his cap at a passer-by while he sucks on his cigar and aims a jet of water at the driveway of the neighbouring apartment.
Which brings me to a couple of things. Firstly, the apartment car parks here are pretty cool. Most of the apartment blocks seem to have automatic, sliding doors in the side of a hill which lead to secret underground parking. Brilliant. At least the Hausfrau thinks so; we moved from low density housing to apartment living, and I'm still getting used to not seeing car carcasses littered across front yards or in car ports.
But back to DHC, and another thing I enjoy about Switzerland is the water. If
DHC had been casually jet-spraying his driveway in Oz, passers-by would have stopped their car by now to remind him of water restrictions. Oh yes, I witnessed this many a time at home in Canberra.
In Switzerland it's a moot point. There's water enough to sink a ship. Fountains and bubblers run constantly on street corners (there are 1,200 water fountains in the city of Zürich), and the water is clean and drinkable. I personally am enjoying the occasional spot of guilt-free hydrotherapy after a long day's Hausfrauing.
Going down to the '
Badi' (
Bad being the word for 'bath'), as
it is known, is the thing to do right now. In summer the lakeside is totally transformed: swimming areas in the lake are opened, and I frequently see parks - or any available stretch of green - littered with bronzing bodies in bikinis and boardies, cafés and grills, and change-rooms and huts. There are also men- or women-only
Seebads at least one of which I can happily confirm transforms into an über-cool bar in the evening.
At this point I must proudly report that DH swam across the
Zürichsee (Lake Zürich) from Mythenquai to Tiefenbrunnen with approximately 800 other swimmers a couple of weeks ago. Go, DH! (That's him in the orange cap, ha!)
And just by way of contrast, I recall during the 2003 Canberra bushfires there was a stretch of time during which we were asked not to use washing machines or anything which would use too much water and reduce water pressure for the firefighters. I sat on our back step with baby DS, watching black ash fall on DD in the sandpit, with
buckets of dirty nappies and growing piles of sheets and towels in the laundry. At the time I wondered if this was the future for the land of Oz. I suppose time will tell, but for now the Hausfrau has a reprieve: Now summer comes in fits and starts because there is just so much rain. Morning air is cool and damp, and DHC mows at least once a week before the bees start having too much fun in wildflowers and clover.
One more Thing I Like: When DH and I went out for dinner the other night (yes, the DLQB was in residence), I greeted (in Swiss-German) three mildly shady-looking chaps as we passed. Naturally, they sniggered and greeted us back, but
DH was less than enthused ('...er, nobody says that in the city'). Oops, but I confess I was in Automatic Greeting Mode, since everyone in our local township obsessively greets each other when they pass in the street. And, like a good Hausfrau, I follow suit.
All the kids say '
Grüuezi' (the Swiss-German greeting) or '
Morgen' first thing in the morning (short for
Guten Morgen). Even the teenage boys with their Emo hair, spiked dog-collars and lip-rings swagger along until they reach the Hausfrau, at which point they squeak: '
Grüuezi'. This I find endlessly amusing, but I figure one ought to get some respect from the youth of today when one is dutifully pumping out hot lunches and living the domestic life which, it seems, is the recommended Status Quo for a Swiss Hausfrau.
In any case, at my age I like to think of myself as an experienced and wise elder of the community, due a bit of respect even if I do speak German like a four-year-old.
As I sit here at 7.30am (DS has been up for at least two hours already), I can see Dear Herr Caretaker, the caretaker of our apartment block, tipping his cap at a passer-by while he sucks on his cigar and aims a jet of water at the driveway of the neighbouring apartment.
Which brings me to a couple of things. Firstly, the apartment car parks here are pretty cool. Most of the apartment blocks seem to have automatic, sliding doors in the side of a hill which lead to secret underground parking. Brilliant. At least the Hausfrau thinks so; we moved from low density housing to apartment living, and I'm still getting used to not seeing car carcasses littered across front yards or in car ports.
But back to DHC, and another thing I enjoy about Switzerland is the water. If 
DHC had been casually jet-spraying his driveway in Oz, passers-by would have stopped their car by now to remind him of water restrictions. Oh yes, I witnessed this many a time at home in Canberra.
In Switzerland it's a moot point. There's water enough to sink a ship. Fountains and bubblers run constantly on street corners (there are 1,200 water fountains in the city of Zürich), and the water is clean and drinkable. I personally am enjoying the occasional spot of guilt-free hydrotherapy after a long day's Hausfrauing.
Going down to the 'Badi' (Bad being the word for 'bath'), as 
it is known, is the thing to do right now. In summer the lakeside is totally transformed: swimming areas in the lake are opened, and I frequently see parks - or any available stretch of green - littered with bronzing bodies in bikinis and boardies, cafés and grills, and change-rooms and huts. There are also men- or women-only 
Seebads at least one of which I can happily confirm transforms into an über-cool bar in the evening.
At this point I must proudly report that DH swam across the 
Zürichsee (Lake Zürich) from Mythenquai to Tiefenbrunnen with approximately 800 other swimmers a couple of weeks ago. Go, DH! (That's him in the orange cap, ha!)
And just by way of contrast, I recall during the 2003 Canberra bushfires there was a stretch of time during which we were asked not to use washing machines or anything which would use too much water and reduce water pressure for the firefighters. I sat on our back step with baby DS, watching black ash fall on DD in the sandpit, with 
buckets of dirty nappies and growing piles of sheets and towels in the laundry. At the time I wondered if this was the future for the land of Oz. I suppose time will tell, but for now the Hausfrau has a reprieve: Now summer comes in fits and starts because there is just so much rain. Morning air is cool and damp, and DHC mows at least once a week before the bees start having too much fun in wildflowers and clover.
One more Thing I Like: When DH and I went out for dinner the other night (yes, the DLQB was in residence), I greeted (in Swiss-German) three mildly shady-looking chaps as we passed. Naturally, they sniggered and greeted us back, but 
DH was less than enthused ('...er, nobody says that in the city'). Oops, but I confess I was in Automatic Greeting Mode, since everyone in our local township obsessively greets each other when they pass in the street. And, like a good Hausfrau, I follow suit.
All the kids say 'Grüuezi' (the Swiss-German greeting) or 'Morgen' first thing in the morning (short for Guten Morgen). Even the teenage boys with their Emo hair, spiked dog-collars and lip-rings swagger along until they reach the Hausfrau, at which point they squeak: 'Grüuezi'. This I find endlessly amusing, but I figure one ought to get some respect from the youth of today when one is dutifully pumping out hot lunches and living the domestic life which, it seems, is the recommended Status Quo for a Swiss Hausfrau.
In any case, at my age I like to think of myself as an experienced and wise elder of the community, due a bit of respect even if I do speak German like a four-year-old.
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