No shots for me!

I was really nervous after hearing about Kirk's visit to the Tropeninstitut yesterday because I'm a big wimp when it comes to getting shots, giving blood, or anything at all related to medical procedures. I know it's all psychological, but knowing that really doesn't help me feel any better when I feel like I'm going to pass out. I just called my doctor's office in DC and was pleased to learn that I am up to date on both tetanus and hepatitis A. So no shots for me!

I can't explain this

When I walk around downtown Basel these days, I see lots of posters for an upcoming performance by "MILVA!". Without fail, whenever I see it I immediately think of "Mulva" from Seinfeld. I have no idea what that means.

[Two follow-up thoughts. First, while I'm sure Milva is a legitimate artist, the advertisement below almost has a bit of a soft-porn air about it. Second, today's FT just made its way to my office, and on the front is a picture of Conoco's CEO, who is named--I kid you not--Jim Mulva. What are the odds?]

The politics of blogging

For those who enjoy (a) politics; (b) blogging; or (c) all of the above may be interested in last weekend's New York Times Magazine cover piece (featuring Ana Marie Cox, aka Wonkette, on the cover) on political bloggers.

Virtual Alps

I usually skip right past the science section of The Economist, but this morning I stumbled across a picture of a Swiss cow gazing over the Alps, which was part of a story in last week's edition on using computer models to improve Swiss tourism.

Oktoberfest

Granted, it's still September, but The Onion is on the job:

Will my vote count?

There's been quite a bit of press lately about the flawed system of counting overseas absentee ballots, including an article in today's New York Times. We haven't actually gotten our ballot yet, but we did get a letter yesterday from the election officials in Arlington County acknowledging our application and assuring us that the ballot will arrive soon. I look forward to casting my vote from Switzerland, but will also need to get myself up to speed on any local Arlington races since I have no idea what's going on there. Then again, considering Kirk and I will be relaxing on a beach in Langkawi, Malaysia on election day, ask me if I will care!

Lost in translation

I've learned that you can't always translate something based on logic. Our German teacher told us a funny story this morning. One of her students (obviously not a native German speaker) was shopping at a butcher shop and asked for Wurst ohne Preservative, because she wanted to buy sausages that were not made with preservatives. Little did she know that Preservative actually means condom in German. Only later, after asking our German teacher for clarification, did she understand why everyone at the butcher shop was chuckling upon hearing her request.

World travelers

It's no secret that Americans aren't the best-traveled folks in the world (I don't know if it's true, but I think I read recently that only 20% of Americans even have a passport). It's quite the opposite here, on the other hand--I think a lot of people here (I'm including Germany in "here") tend to be pretty hard-core travelers to exotic locations. Of course, it helps that most people have 5-6 weeks of vacation, but that's a whole other story. You even notice it in the travel section of local bookstores--there are an impressive number of travel guides in German for places that probably 95% of Americans haven't even heard of (present company included).

I raise this because now that I'm getting ready to do some work travel to developing countries, I realised I should probably get my vaccinations in order. So this afternoon I went to the local Tropeninstitut (they provide advice and vaccinations) to see what I needed. Much to my surprise, it was packed. And not just because they're open once a week--it's open every afternoon, but was bustling with people of all ages (and seeing as how the prevalence of tropical diseases in Basel is relatively low, I'm thinking most of them weren't there for their annual yellow fever booster shot). It's hard to imagine too many U.S. cities of 200,000 being able to support a busy tropical medicine institute. Oh, and despite having to get dip-tet (which always reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Raising Arizona--"He's gotta have his dip-tet, honey!") and hepatitis A shots, I don't have to take malaria pills (our Vanuatu guidebook said malaria was prevalent, and while the thought of malaria isn't very pleasant, neither is the thought of malaria pills, some of which are supposed to have side effects that make malaria itself seem fun by comparison).

It's not Rabieng, but...

I just had my first experience eating Asian food in Basel, and it was actually surprisingly good! I had heard some of the women at book club talking the other night about this place called Lilly's, and considering they had pretty good things to say about it I thought I'd try it out. It certainly wasn't as good (or as cheap) as restaurants in the US, but I'll take it! I had Pad Si Yu and a Coca-Cola Light for 22 CHF (that's about $18). We miss eating good Asian food SO much, and we can't always count on a trip to Asia (or London) to fill our cravings. Perhaps the most exciting thing is that they have a take-out menu! And for those of you who didn't catch the reference, Rabieng is one of our favorite Thai restaurants in DC (although it's actually in Virginia).

Road rage, Swiss style

I witnessed an incident of road rage this morning unlike anything I've ever seen before. Let me set the scene. It's Tuesday morning, about 9:30. I've just finished my Tuesday morning Starbucks visit (while Henriette cleans our flat and irons Kirk's shirts). I'm walking on a busy downtown street to find a cash machine. Remember that pedestrians always have the right of way in Basel. As soon as you step into a crosswalk cars will stop. I almost got myself killed a few times last week in Madrid thinking I was in Basel. Believe me, cars do not stop for pedestrians in Madrid. The one exception to the Basel pedestrian street-crossing rule is the tram. All yield to trams. That's one of the first things I learned when moving to Basel-- don't ever walk in front of trams. It's also important to know that the streets in Basel are generally quiet. Nobody ever honks, and the only sound you hear from trams is an ocassional friendly "ding" from their bell as they leave a stop. So you can imagine my shock this morning from hearing a long, continuous Brrrrriiiiinnnnnnnggggggg!!!!!! from a passing tram. (Did that capture it?) Apparently two pedestrians crossed in front of the tram. Then, the tram driver actually stopped the tram, opened his window, stood up and yelled something very loudly at the pedestrians. Of course, it was in Swiss German so I have no idea what he said, but he was mad! In the very typical Swiss way, the two people just kept on walking and ignored the driver. You have to understand that this is about as exciting as it gets on the streets of Basel, so I'm sure this incident will be the talk of the town today (at least for the tram drivers).

My Mom would be so proud

I know some of you may find this hard to believe, but I'm joining a book club! One of Kirk's colleagues has invited me to join, and I'll be attending my first meeting tonight. I am really looking forward to meeting some new women. The nice thing is that some of these are professional women who actually work at Kirk's office, and aren't just the spouses of the men who work there. I've concluded that his office is generally male-dominated [KIRK: And that's a problem because...?], so most of the people I meet and hang out with are other hausfraus like me. You know, women who worked in the US (or wherever they've moved from) but quit their jobs to move to Basel. Apparently we're also referred to as "trailing spouses". Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm quite happy being both a hausfrau and a trailing spouse. Especially when I get to go on cool trips with Kirk to places like Madrid and Hong Kong. Anyway, tonight's book is Unless by Carol Shields.

Another hurricane?

Fortunately the latest hurricane is not hitting the Florida panhandle, but nonetheless I cannot believe the devastation that state and its residents are facing. I've had lots of people ask about the latest on our condo in Perdido Key, and I really appreciate all the concern. We still don't have any specific details about the damage to our unit, but the good news is that we've seen photos to confirm that the structure is still standing. The big question now is how bad was the flooding and/or storm surge damage (it was a first floor unit). The Pensacola News-Journal has provided great coverage of the hurricane recovery. They established electronic bulletin boards for each community and that's how my sister and I are getting most of our information. People have been so kind to help others by providing information to those of us who don't live in the area and who aren't able to get there. My sister and her family had been planning to go down in October for vacation. Obviously, if they're still able to go, it will be much more of a hurricane clean-up trip.

Crunch time

With six games to go in the season, the scrappy San Diego Padres have clawed back to within 2 1/2 games of the National League wild card playoff spot. Chances are still slim but stranger things have happened. HUGE series with the San Francisco Giants coming up...

But can you name each Real World city?

Living in Europe, every now and then I'm reminded how little Americans learn about world history in school. For example, the other night we were out with work colleagues in Madrid when we came across a statue (as you do in Europe) of someone who had fought in the Battle of Lepanto. My European colleagues all nodded their heads knowingly, while I scanned my memory bank to see if "Lepanto" registered anywhere, to no avail. (Thankfully, my Canadian colleague was equally unaware, so maybe it's a North American thing...) Anyway, after a few drinks I fessed up to being ignorant as to the Battle of Lepanto, at which point I got a tutorial on its historic importance. How had I not heard of it? Who do I talk to about this? And what does the fact that I was once a high school history teacher say about the sorry state of American education?

You're not welcome

The Swiss had a big vote today on initiatives that would have made it easier for second- and third-generation foreigners to become citizens. After an ad campaign that was downright American in its ugliness (see picture below), it looks like the initiatives lost. (Although Basel was evidently one of the rare German-speaking cantons to support the initiatives.)

Mezquita

One of the highlights of our trip to Madrid--and probably one of the most fascinating buildings we've ever seen--was the Mezquita in Córdoba. It really defies description but, at the risk of being boring, I'll try. The Mezquita was an enormous Moorish mosque that, after the Catholic conquest of Spain, was converted to a cathedral rather than demolished. So there is this bizarre juxtaposition of beautiful Moorish architecture and ornamentation with an ornate cathedral and chapels built right into the middle. This is an example of the original arches with a crucifix in the middle:

Back to Basel

After a beautiful but tiring week of work (me) and play (Gretchen) in sunny Spain, we're back to cold, rainy Basel. I spent most of the week working long days and we both managed to catch colds, but there were lots of highlights, including a fun day in Segovia with our Madrileño friends Beatriz & Julio, so much good food and wine that we're both going to need to go on diets soon, a spouses' trip to Toledo (but not the one in Ohio) for Gretchen, and a day trip to Córdoba (about which more later). I even got to see (but not meet) the King of Spain, which was cool if for no other reason that I don't think I've ever seen a real king--not even Larry King, Don King, or the Sacramento Kings--in person.

And now, a few pictures. First, us at a well-preserved Roman aqueduct from the second century in Segovia:


Next, the touristy but beautiful Plaza Mayor in Madrid:


Finally, a view of the historic city of Toledo:

Hola from Madrid

We are having a wonderful time in Madrid. Kirk is working hard at his conference, and I am playing hard. What an amazing city. It has a great energy and I am enjoying exploring the city. On Saturday our friends who live in Madrid took us on a day trip to Segovia, and yesterday I joined the "accomanying persons" on an excursion to Toledo (we´re not just spouses). We´ve eaten so much good food (tapas, of course) and also enjoyed lots of good wine. The weather has been perfect as well, sunny and in the mid-80s with no humidity. Tonight after a dinner at the Bank of Spain we will be going to a Zarzuela performance (hosted by the conference). I´ve heard it´s something like Spanish opera, but I´m not sure. Regardless, I´m sure it will be incredible. It seems that the Spanish really know how to have a good time!

Fate vs. Destiny

A couple days ago I was asked by a Swiss woman (who is fluent in English) to explain to her the difference between "fate" and "destiny". I told her that was a tough one and that I'd need to think about it a bit. Any suggestions? She used "destiny" in the context of "Roger Federer (local Swiss tennis player who just won the US Open) followed his destiny". The Swiss, and particularly those who live in Basel as his "neighbor", are very proud of Roger Federer.

SNL flashback

Every time I visit a Spanish-speaking country, I feel this weird impulse to play the old Saturday Night Live game show (from the old-school, back-in-the-day, groundbreakingly funny early seasons), ¿Quien Es Mas Macho?. You know, where contestants had to answer the critical question of the day posed by the host played, I think, by Bill Murray:

Host: "¿Quien es mas macho? ¿Ricardo Montalban...o Fernando Lamas?"
Contestant: "Ricardo Montalban es mas macho."
Host: "No...Fernando Lamas es un poco mas macho."

(Trust me, it's funnier when you see it...I'm just hoping I can contain the urge to blurt it out in the middle of a restaurant, shop, or passport control.)

Good music

I just got back from taking Grady to his kennel in Mumpf and I heard some old classics on the radio. It's always good to listen to German or Swiss or French radio stations (we get all of them here) if you like to have 80s flashbacks. I heard "Radio GaGa" by Queen, "The Winner Takes It All" by Abba, "The Eye of the Tiger" (who sings that??) and "Rock Me Amadeus" (was that Falco??). Good music, eh?

Ivan the Terrible

Here's my favorite headline from today's Pensacola News-Journal: "Fate of Perdido Key Remains Unclear." How telling that is. I spent much time yesterday reading newspapers and watching local TV online but could find very little about this isolated stretch of land where our condo is located. I guess "the authorities" just haven't been able to get there yet.

More travels

We leave tomorrow for a week in Madrid. I am really looking forward to it. Considering Kirk will be in meetings most of the time, I should have a fair bit of time to explore on my own (and I don't speak any Spanish-- yikes!!). So if any of you have any favorite travel tips on Madrid please send them to me. I usually rely on Kirk to make our daily plans on most of our trips, so this will be a new thing for me. Does that sound pathetic or what? Fortunately, there will also be a "spouses program" with organized tours for a couple of the days. That's not usually the case for Kirk's meetings, but supposedly this meeting is a big deal that only takes place every two years, so I get to hang out with the "spouses". That sounds like something my Mom used to do when she went to pharmacy conventions with my Dad. How weird.

Mas tapas, por favor

When we originally set up this blog, we kind of figured I'd be slaving away at the office while Gretchen stayed home and was the happy hausblogger. Well, with her being in Wisconsin for so long I was the blogger-in-chief in her absence. But now that she's back home and my work hours are increasing exponentially, we seem to be getting back to our original plan.

Anyway, tomorrow afternoon we're off for a week in sunny Madrid, Spain. We'll have the weekend to play (Madrileño friends are planning to take us to Segovia), then I'll be in meetings all week while Gretchen continues to play. She's got it pretty rough these days! Anyway, we may have to say adios for a little while but we should be back next weekend...

A direct hit

I woke up this morning to learn that Hurricane Ivan made landfall somewhere between Gulf Shores, AL and Pensacola, FL. That means my family's condo, in Perdido Key, FL, likely took a direct hit from this storm. I suppose it will be a while before we learn specifically of any damage, especially because it's still the middle of the night there. Good thing I have the Internet-- I'm able to watch a live broadcast from a local TV station in Mobile, AL. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures once daylight comes. My parents loved that area along the Gulf Coast so much... I can only imagine how crushed they both would have been to hear about this storm.

More Ivan

From what little Gretchen has been able to figure out, it looks like Hurricane Ivan hit just a few miles from her family condo in Florida (and the condo was on the east side of where it came ashore, and the east side tends to get the worst of hurricanes). Of course, when I say the family condo, what that really means is our condo--after Gretchen's mom passed away this summer, Gretchen and her sister became the proud owners. I'm sure Gretchen will have more to report later...

Bonsoir

We just got home from going out to dinner in France. I love saying that. We took some new Canadian friends to dinner at a great place in the French town just across the border called Saint Louis (kind of like Missouri, but not really). They are moving here from Ottawa in November (he will work with Kirk) and we are looking forward to welcoming them to Basel. It's hard to believe that I am no longer the new kid on the block and that soon I will be taking someone under my wing just as so many others have done for me during my transition.

Crack, anyone?

Does anyone have any comment on Marion Berry making his political comeback? For those of who don't keep up with DC politics, he was just reelected to the City Council. Good grief. Maybe now I understand why I live(d) in Virginia. (Not that I understand, or agree with, all the politics there, either)

Dogs

One of my favorite things about living in Switzerland is how dogs are allowed to go into stores and restaurants, etc. Today I saw an especially good example of this. As I walked to my German class this morning I passed a candy store in the train station. It was the kind where you can choose the candy you want from bulk bins and have it weighed at the cash register. Of course it was mobbed with kids, but also a beautiful golden retriever who was hanging out with his/her owner (the only adult in the store). He was about Grady's size, and all I could do was smile when I pictured Grady trying to control himself in a candy store. Is that kind of like a bull in a china shop?

Politics and the Packers

You might want to read this article from the Washington Post if you're interested in either a) politics, or b) the Packers. Fortunately for me, I'm a big fan of both. Apparently all those who are running for President this year have figured out that they way to get a Wisconsinite's vote is by talking about the Pack. Ahh... to be from a swing state...

Taste of Wisconsin

Thanks to our friend Julie for sending us this story about a monkey that likes cheese curds...

Wild card madness

With only about 18 games remaining, the Cinderella-story San Diego Padres are right in the thick of a crazy race for the wild-card playoff spot, just 2 games back in the National League. Let's go, Padres!



(((((...waiting for bandwagon Dodger fans to talk smack...)))))

Ich bin eine Schwedin

I just got back from IKEA and they were selling T-shirts that said "Ich bin eine Schwedin". I suppose I would've bought one for Kirk if it said "Ich bin ein Norweger" or something like that-- so he could be in touch with his Norwegian heritage. Then again, why would a Swedish store like IKEA sell T-shirts promoting Norway? Anyway, I went to IKEA in search of a Schuhschrank, which is basically like a closet or cabinet for shoes. We really don't have any closets in our flat, so we have shoes everywhere and the clutter is starting to get to me. Why is it that you go to IKEA for one or two things and you always end up spending hundreds of dollars? Rather than a Schuhschrank I ended up buying a couple Schuhregal, which I guess is more like a shelf but should work nonetheless. Now I plan to spend a couple hours putting them together. As I recall from our days of IKEA shopping in DC, putting together IKEA furniture is usually accompanied by lots of profanity. Hopefully my Schuhregal won't be as complex as a dresser or a desk or something. I also enjoyed having lunch while I was there, which reminded me of how much my Dad loved going to IKEA whenever my parents would visit me in DC and I'm convinced it was just because he loved the Swedish meatball lunch special.

Ivan

Keep your fingers crossed, say a prayer, or whatever you want to do to help... As of now, it looks like Hurricane Ivan is headed directly for our family's condo in Florida. Our place is in Perdido Key, which is right at the border of Florida and Alabama. The latest diagram I saw of the projected path shows Ivan making landfall in that area on Wednesday or Thursday. You would think our family has had enough bad fortune this year. Hurricane damage on top of it would not be appreciated. Good thing I don't have the Weather Channel in Basel or I would be glued to the TV!

Sold

Less than a month after leaving Madison, my Mom's house is sold! The official closing is tomorrow. Obviously, I won't be there... but my sister has power of attorney so she'll get to meet the new buyers. Apparently they are a young couple who are getting married in a few weeks and are happy to be moving into a house that needs a lot of work and updates. Our realtor tells us they are the kind of people my Mom would really like. I am just happy that it has gone so quickly and smoothly. What a relief.

Study break

I'm desperately trying to get caught up on my German homework (my 2nd class is tomorrow morning) and as a quick study break I will share a few of my thoughts about Hong Kong. What an amazing city. If I had to describe it in one word, I would say overstimulating. So many sights, sounds, and smells... a huge, sprawling city with skyscraper-like buildings that go on for miles and miles. I especially enjoyed all the good food, and I especially didn't like how much I sweat as soon as I walked out of the hotel (or out of any of the over-air conditioned buildings). A few of my other favorite things:

• Upon arrival at the Hong Kong airport, we had to walk through a "temperature check" where all arriving passengers are screened to see if anyone has a fever (presumably a carryover from the SARS days).


• It seems that every building is a shopping mall, including every office building. While the city has numerous outdoor markets with narrow walkways, you can also find all the upscale shopping of any major city.


• People like to hang their laundry out their windows to dry. Keep in mind that the streets are crowded with tall buildings that house thousands of people, so there is generally much dirty (or clean) laundry hanging above you as you walk down the street. I'm wondering how anything ever dries in that humidity.


• I would love to trade my local Migros and Coop for the grocery stores in Hong Kong. They are big and spacious with beautiful produce and lots of selection. I walked through a couple stores and saw so many American products that I can't get in Switzerland. I even spotted a few classic Wisconsin products, including Bagels Forever frozen bagels which are made just down the street from my childhood home, and both Old Milwaukee and Milwaukee's Best beer (not that I would buy those if given a chance...)

A few photos

Typical street scene in central Hong Kong:


The remains of our meal at Yung Kee, including a whole fish. The two (uneaten) black things on the plate at the top of the table are "thousand-year eggs", about which one of our guidebooks says: "These are made using duck eggs, which are covered with a thick mixture of lime, ash and tea leaves, soaked for a month and then wrapped in ash and rice husks for around six months, when they are peeled and eaten with pickled ginger. They're an acquired taste: green and black inside, with a strong odour, they have a jelly-like consistency and a rich yolk." They put them on our table as soon as we sat down--call us boring, but we passed.


The Wong Tai Sin temple, where people seem to go to seek their fortunes:


Finally, us in front of a pink horse in the nightlife/restaurant district of Lan Kwai Fong. It's not at all clear what this horse has to do with anything.

We're home

We had a great trip to Hong Kong (I had been once before, but it was Gretchen's first time). It's really a fascinating city--simultaneously very Chinese and very Western, and both ultra-modern and traditional at the same time. I've never seen so many skyscrapers in my life (and I lived in New York), which is especially amazing when you see how hilly the terrain is. And, as we mentioned earlier, we ate incredibly well. Even the work part of the trip--my reason for going--went well, which is always a bonus. Having said all that, it's good to be back. The heat and humidity and rain started to wear, and Gretchen in particular was starting to have sensory overload from all the crowds, sounds, smells, sights, etc. In any event, I'm sure we'll have more stories and pictures shortly...

Forget what I said...

...about not gaining weight. We still sweat off 5 pounds every time we leave the hotel, but we're eating so incredibly well (in order: Thai, Chinese, Thai, Nepali, Dim Sum/Chinese, Vietnamese) that I'm not sure it matters. Now my work begins and Gretchen has two days where she may want to avoid bad weather in one of the great shopping cities in the world--I'm a little frightened...

Greetings from the sauna

Hong Kong rocks...we've managed to see some sights and have eaten lots of yummy food but don't seem to be gaining weight because we sweat off about 5 pounds of water weight every time we spend more than 5 minutes outside. The humidity here feels like DC & New Orleans combined, plus a little extra for good measure (yet everyone seems to be wearing jeans--ugh)...

Hong Kong Phooey

In a few hours we're off to Hong Kong and Grady is off to his kennel in Mumpf, so it'll probably be a bit quiet around here until next weekend...

Terrifying...

I'm not sure how much coverage it's getting in the US, but this hostage situation in Russia is so terrifying. CNN here has had live coverage all afternoon, and it seems like every time I check in the situation gets worse as the numbers of dead and injured increase. I can't imagine the fear among those families as they watch it all unfold before them.

Summer is here!

It sure seems strange to be saying that on September 3, but it is hot outside! After going to the gym this morning, I ran some errands (70% off summer clothes at H & M), and then picked up a falafel sandwich from Sofra-- one of my favorite places downtown to get lunch zu mitnehmen (carry out). I ate my lunch on a bench downtown so I could do some people watching and it was actually almost too hot in the sun! Maybe I should've gone to the pool today. But instead I'm packing for Hong Kong. We leave tomorrow afternoon.

Once, twice, three times a lady

If I read this correctly, Lionel Richie is giving not one, but two concerts in Basel. I'm clearing the calendar--we'll be dancing on the ceiling! (And if that doesn't convince you we're on the cutting edge, maybe this will...Basel is indeed cosmopolitan!

What do you do all day?

Believe me, I've heard that question many times from those wondering exactly what I do all day in Basel since I'm not working. Considering how fast my days go I often wonder myself what I do with my time. I'm sure nobody will be surprised to hear that I love my new life of leisure. And after the year I've had, I have no guilt whatsoever about taking a break from working. Every night as I go to bed I look forward to the next day, wondering what I will do and what adventures I will have. Today was a great day, although a bit unusual. Most days I spend time running errands, grocery shopping (since I travel by tram I make small trips to the store every day), going to the gym, walking Grady, and cooking dinner. Today I spent almost the entire day at the Sports Club. It's kind of like a low-key country club just for employees and their families. Kirk and I often eat dinner there because it's good and really cheap (by Swiss standards). Anyway, I drove over there this morning for the quarterly "Spouses Coffee". (Oh no... quarterly coffee sounds reminiscent of an old NGA event from my working days...) After socializing over coffee and pastries with other non-working wives for a couple hours, I continued to lounge at the club and by the pool with two other American friends until 4:00! Granted I wasn't exactly dressed for the pool because I hadn't planned to stay beyond the coffee hour, but it was wonderful and relaxing to hang out nonetheless. Once again, no guilt whatsoever. If Kirk can bring home the bacon, I'm happy to fry it up in a pan.

Airfare

I just got an email from Travelocity announcing roundtrip fares from Washington to Frankfurt from $277, New York to Frankfurt from $285, and Chicago to Frankfurt from $318. Frankfurt is just under 3 hours by train from Basel (the train station is actually in the Frankfurt Airport, so it's a breeze). I don't know any more than that, but it's something to ponder if you're considering a visit (hint, hint).

Waltzing Matilda

I already thought it was a little strange that Bill Bryson's book about Australia is called "In a Sunburned Country" in the States but is called "Down Under" in the UK and Australia. I mean, it's the same language, why not have the same title? Anyway, I enjoyed seeing the German version yesterday: "Frühstück mit Kängurus" (Breakfast with Kangaroos). I don't know why, but for some reason that made me laugh. (Incidentally, it's a must-read if you've ever been to Australia or would like to visit someday or just want a good laugh.)

I guess it beats Fallujah

Lest anyone think I only get to travel to fun and exotic locales (you know, like Ottawa), I just found out I'll be going next month to...Beirut! I don't think Gretchen will be joining me on that trip. [And yes, I realise the civil war of the '80s is over and that Lebanon is largely secular and that Beirut is actually supposed to be a pretty happenin' place and we have friends with family there who visit regularly without incident. Still...]

Conventional wisdom

Wonkette on the Bush twins ("Could someone ask if Puffy lost a track suit?") and really bad hats at the Republican convention.

Duh

Although no longer a British colony, Hong Kong almost assuredly has a good selection of English-language bookstores. So what did I do yesterday? I went and bought an English-language guidebook for Vanuatu at a local bookstore for 34 francs (about $27) when I could have probably bought the same book for half the price in a couple of days. This stupid sinus infection must be keeping me from thinking straight (although I'm not sure what my excuse is all the other times when I can't blame my stuffy head)...

Political symbolism

One of the fascinating things about living in a place where I don't speak the language is trying to understand political posters. Near as I can tell, the Swiss vote on just about everything under the sun, because a few times a year political posters pop up all over town and we try to figure out what they're about. Usually they're pretty subtle, but there wasn't much subtle about the poster I passed on my walk to work this morning. It was sponsored by the SVP, which I think is the far-right party here and which evidently makes immigration a big issue. I'm not sure what exact issue is being voted on, and I'm sure it's more complicated than I (or the poster) are presenting it, but the implication seems pretty clear---if they're not careful, Swiss passports will be handed out like candy (especially to dark-complected people--near as I can tell, the text means "mass naturalisation?"):



There's another poster at the end of our block (interestingly enough, also from the SVP) that probably has to do with some sort of welfare program--Gretchen's former line of work--because I think Staatskinder basically means "children of the state" and Mutterschaftsversicherung (gotta love those short German words!) means "motherhood insurance" (although since Ich spreche kein Deutsche, I could be wrong).

Basler hitparade

According to today's Baslerstab, here's the latest Top 20:

1. O-Zone - Dragostea Din Tei
2. Anastacia - Sick And Tired
3. Nina Sky - Move Ya Body
4. Stefan Raab feat. S - Space Taxi
5. Mario Winans - I Don’t Wanna Know
6. Maroon 5 - This Love
7. Jamelia - Superstar
8. Hoobastank - The Reason
9. D-12 - How Come
10. Ana Johnson - We Are
11. Nelly Furtado - Força
12. The Roots - Don’t Say Nuthin’
13. Jojo - Leave (Get Out)
14. Cassidy - Hotel
15. Avril Lavigne - My Happy Ending
16. Blue - Breathe Easy
17. Black Eyed Peas - Let’s Get It Started
18. Soul Control - Chocolate
19. Die Fantastischen 4 - Troy
20. In-Grid - Ah l’Amour l’Amour

G-dog

Thanks to Kirk and his fabulous dog walking abilities, something amazing happened to Grady while I was gone. Grady has always been a bit frisky, or should I say borderline aggressive, with other dogs while on his leash. Very uncharacteristic for a lab. So I have always been paranoid when we see other dogs while on a walk. You can imagine how much my paranoia increased when we moved to Switzerland where 1) dogs generally walk off leash, and 2) I don't speak the language which makes it difficult to explain Grady's behavior to other dog-walkers. Apparently while I was gone this summer, Kirk took the "I don't care what happens" approach with Grady and it worked! I'm not saying that he's by any means normal while on leash, but we can easily pass by other dogs with no worries. Just this afternoon, for example, we walked through the big field near our house and passed 3 dogs playing together off leash. Grady looked intrigued, but since none of the dogs approached him we walked by without incident. I think Swiss dogs are just smarter and know when to stay back. Whatever the reason, it certainly is nice to feel comfortable walking wherever we want. Thanks Kirk!

How much does that cost?

I was thrilled to find Coca-Cola Light in cans today in a "Fridge Pack" with 10 cans. Most of the time it seems the grocery stores only sell it in plastic bottles. There are basically only 2 types of grocery stores in Basel, Coop and Migros, but they are literally all over the city. It seems like every time I turn around I find a new store and I often shop at different stores just to see which one I like best. This afternoon I stopped at a Coop that's in the basement of a major downtown department store called EPA. I was already downtown having coffee and a schoggiweggli with a woman who just moved here from New Zealand so it was convenient to shop there today. If I can get over the sticker shock of a 10-pack of small cans costing 8.50 francs (about $6) then perhaps I'll become a regular!

Twins

So, were the Bush twins really that bad last night? (Regardless of my political views, on some level I find them oddly compelling...does this make me a bad person?)

First day of school

Lots of kids I know in Wisconsin (including my niece and nephew) have their first day of school today. It was my first day of school too. I had my first German lesson this morning. We will be learning "Hochdeutsch", not Swiss German. I suppose one might think it would be a good idea to learn Swiss German while living in Switzerland, but hochdeutsch is much more... how should I say it... well, at risk of offending any Swiss blog readers, it's much more normal. The nice thing about taking private lessons is that we can be flexible with travel schedules. Since we're going to be in Hong Kong next week our next lesson will be September 13. In the meantime, I have lots of homework.

News of the day

From the Borowitz Report, political news that really matters:

PARIS HILTON CALLS FOR END TO SWIFT BOAT FLAP
Distracting Attention Away From Her, Heiress Says

Hotel heiress and reality TV star Paris Hilton today called for an end to the controversy over Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam War service, warning that the continuing swift boat flap was distracting attention away from her.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, Ms. Hilton told reporters that the controversy "has overshadowed the issues that really matter to the American people, such as my messy break-up with Nick [singer Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys]."

Ms. Hilton also said the she had experienced "a significant and troubling decline" in ambushes from paparazzi ever since the swift boat brouhaha began.

In an effort to blunt the controversy stoked by the group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Ms. Hilton announced today that she and her sister Nicky had founded a new political action committee called Hotel Heiresses Against Swift Boat Veterans For Truth.

Ms. Hilton picked up an important backer later in the day when actress Lindsay Lohan voiced her support for the tabloid princess's decision to take on the swift boat veterans.

"Before the whole swift boat thing came up, people were obsessed with whether or not I had my breasts augmented," Ms. Lohan said. "I'm deeply concerned that the nation seems to have lost focus on that."

"If these swift boat veterans were really for truth, they’d want to know the truth about my breasts," she added.

In other political news, the Republican National Committee announced today that President George W. Bush's acceptance speech at the convention next week would be simulcast in English.