First, let me begin with last weekend. As you will see from the post before last, I took a little trip with some friends to Basel to see the Swiss national team play Greece in a World Cup qualifier. The Saturday started with me taking a short train ride to Morges, sort of a suburb of Lausanne, where Rashmi and Cyril live right on the main town square. We had omlettes and took a stroll around the bustling market before hopping the train to Basel. Couple hours later, we arrived. It was a great, sunny day, so we decided to make it a walking day...no buses. We grabbed a sandwich at the grocery store and headed for the zoo. Not crowded at all, and the only animals we didn't get to see were the monkeys (just barely missed their building's closing time). Cyril was disappointed that we missed the seal show too.
So after the zoo, we headed back into town where the futball fans were out in force in their red jerseys. In need of a little luck (Switzerland was ranked a couple spots lower than Greece) before the game, we headed to a great Irish pub. They were showing the US Open and soccer on the flat screens, so we order some beers, some chips (fries), and took a load off. The game itself was entertaining, even if I'm not the biggest sportsfan who ever walked the planet. The stadium (largest in Switzerland I think, although small by US standards) was full of red, and each seat had a Swiss flag to be waved in support of the team. They were big fans of their fight songs, and of course they sang the Swiss national anthem at the beginning (they don't know if too well though). The Swiss kept the ball on the Greek's side of the field most of the game, but there were no real highlights until the last 10-15 minutes. You could tell the Greeks were getting tired despite having a near miss on the Swiss goal, and it wasn't long before the Swiss made it 1-0. After a couple other solid shots over the next minutes, the Swiss notched another and wrapped up the game at 2-0. Hop Swiss! (something like Go Swiss!) It was a late night getting home, but I think we made it back before 2am. Worth it though. Thanks to Rashmi and Cyril for the ticket!
Great news #2: On Thursday, my relocation agent called to inform me that my application at one of my favorite appartments from my search since the fire had been accepted! So by at least October 1, I will have a new place to call home. Finally! The location is great (old city) and right next to the metro and all kinds of shops and restaurants, the place itself is updated and large, but I might go broke trying to pay for it. If you visit over a weekend, you might find it a little loud, because the cathedral is just outside the windows, and they tell me Sunday mornings are full of bells clanging. But I will miss my old, burned up terrace. No lake view this time. Perhaps that will make me more appreciative every time I see it, instead of having the great view every morning. Anyway, I'm just glad to have a nice, new place of my own again. The process of settling in will start all over, but hopefully it'll be quicker this time.
Finale: This Thursday, my parents arrive! They will be my first visitors, which is most fitting. The Thompsons will be in town for around a week, and we have no major plans other than to just catch up and enjoy the city. Unfortunately I have no apartment to offer them board this trip, but I was able to find a recommeded hotel with a full kitchen included that is very close to where I'm staying now. My dad sent me this picture a month or two ago from the day he and his scout troop left for Bisset, Manitoba. I liked it quite a bit, but didn't really have anything to do with it...until now!
One last note: as we were sitting in the audit room this week having a team meeting, someone cracked on North Wilkesboro (clearly they didn't know I am not from there but from Wilkesboro). But as it turned out, of the 8 people in the meeting, fully 50% had been to the Wilkesboros! Four random people, of three different nationalities, in a single room, in Switzerland, at the same time...had been to my little hometown, population less than 10,000! What a world!
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