Diving into pages

As I am sitting here typing, I feel that inner tugging that you get when you have a real good book waiting for you to be continued. Reading is one of my greatest passions. I just love to dive down into other worlds (not just in fiction, obviously) and explore.

I think it was last year that I tried to keep track of how many books I read every year. For two or three months I meticulously wrote down every book I had read but then it got all muddled up because of all the stuff I was reading for my tesis.

I remember when I was a teenager I got so annoyed that books were so short. I would read a book of 500 pages in two hours. Later I began to read almost exclusively in English. At least that would take me a couple of hours longer. I'd say that now I am just as fast reading in English as in German so the next thing to do is read in Italian, which at the moment is still a bit tiring and a lot of times I'm not up to it because for me reading is all about the pictures in my head. If I read too slow it's like a film that doesn't move.

But then reading is not just about the speed. It's about imagination about getting lost, forgetting where you are. Seeing the impossible, getting to know people who do not esist but seem so real, learning things you never knew before. And now I'm returning to read "The Oxford Murders" a book that is about mathematics, logic and philosophia and at the same time a crime story which I'm already in love with!!

The things that change

My life has changed a lot during the last year and it is going to change again this year. I can definitely not complain of being bored!! There are quite a few plans and ideas at this point of time, hopes and fears. I have sent out my first application Monday. With all the horror stories in mind of how long it took some of my friends to find a first job I wonder how many will follow.

Surely my case is different as I'm looking for work in another country. There are some things that speak in my favor (having lived abroad and speaking two linguages fluently and all the little but important jobs I did while I studied at the WWU) and then there are things that are not so cool like that I'm still learning Italian, being a stranger, not having a car etc.

But then the unemployment rate in Switzerland is three times lower than the one of Germany. At the same time I'm not quite sure whether I want to stay in Switzerland or work in Italy.

This year will definitely be very exciting and I wonder where will I be next year at the same time? Will I finally find a place where I want to settle down and stay? Or will I once again feel the great urge for more adventures, to see more of the world, to experience more, to live free as a bird?

Der Papa

Kommt uebermorgen!! Er hat eine Schulung in der Naehe von Zuerich und kommt nachher hier hergefahren. Beim Fahren ist er in seinem Element, er ist naemlich frueher immer sehr viel gefahren weil er in ganz Deutschland gearbeitet hat.

Und dann sind wir jeden Sommer 8 Stunden lang nach Oesterreich gefahren wo es ihm auch richtig gefallen hat die ganzen Berge rauf und runter zu fahren. Da wird er jede Menge Spass haben von Zuerich hier her zu fahren. Hinter dem Gottardo ist jetzt auch alles schoen weiss. Hier ist es schon wieder geschmolzen-zuviel Sonne!

Aber zum Thema Papa-wenn das aufkommt muss ich immer damit angeben, dass wir am gleichen Tag geboren sind! Gute Reise, Pa!!

Sciare

Sono andata sciare lunedi sopra Cari. Era molto divertente però non so ancora se mi piacciono lo nuove sci o no. Sono più corti e non mi sento così sicura con quelli di con gli altri. E' stato un bell weekend, tranquillo e a stesso tempo ho visto tanto.

Sabato siamo andati a Ponte Tresa per prendere gli nuovi occhiali di Nico. Eravamo anche a Luino e abbiamo fatto la spesa. Ancora non ho trovato questi cantuccini senza latte o burro che ho mangiato una volta. Però ho trovato taroncini con il gusto di caffè-buonooooooo!!

La domenica sono andata con Sascha e Nico a Coira e mentre loro hanno arbitrato ho fatto sight-seeing di Coira. Una bella città!! E dopo alla sera siamo andati a Vigera. Carì è proprio sopra Vigera però la strada che va a Carì è chiuso in inverno e si deve prima andare in giù e dopo in su. Non sono mai andata sciare così alto (erano quasi 3000m) e con così tanta sole. Neve non c'era tanta più ma abbastanza per divertirsi!

Am Freitag bevor die Danny kam. Ja, wirklich das ist ein Photo vom Januar. Wir waren grade in Ponte Tresa einen Kaffee in der Sonne trinken. Vor lauter Sonne konnte ich nichtmal grade gucken. Guckt mal rechts hinter mir. Was ist das? Richtig, ein Stern! Richtig, das ist noch die Weihnachtsdeko und ich sitze ohne Aermel in der Sonne weil es so heiss war. Am 19. Januar 2007. Beweisphoto!

Rabadan

Arriva il carneval! Jetzt kommt der Karneval nach Bellinzona und der heisst hier Rabadan. Die Schulen machen sogar eine Woche lang zu damit auch alle richtig feiern koennen. In den Geschaeften gibt es mehr Karnevalskostueme als ich jemals gesehen habe.
Gestern nacht kam aber erstmal der Schnee runter bis zur Haelfte der Berge und dazu eisiger Wind. Der Winter ist da!!!!

EasyJet not so easy

Yesterday we missed the flight to Germany. We didn't have the car and took the Malpensa express (a bus) to Malpensa from the central station. The bus driver, however, was intend on filling the bus to the max, which meant we departed 20 minutes late. People were already calling, "Daiiiii, andiamo!!!" Then we slowly made our way through the Milano traffic until we reached the autostrada. We made some speed for maybe two minutes when we arrived at the end of a traffic jam. There had been an accident. We krept along for another 30 minutes and arrived at Malpensa 35 minutes before the flight departed, yet they didn't let my friends board the plane any more, che stronzi!!! They had to change the flight to the one of tonight and also had to pay 100 Euro for fees! I'm not impressed with EasyJet, no neanche un po'!!

De Gustibus

My friend Danny is the same as always, always makes me smile. For the last two days she's been keeping to say "De Gustibus" because she liked the sound of it and she has read it here on the Migros building. She has also learned "mucca", "andiamo", "si", "va bene" and a few other words. She is very happy to be here and everythings so easy around her. She also is a lot like me. When she sees a sunny place she wants to stay and enjoy the sunshine.

However, there's one thing that makes me very afraid for her. If someone here found out how she likes her coffee they'd send the mafia and have her decapitated. I offered her a very good Italian espresso today and what did she do? Mixed some water with a bit of milk, put it in the microwave until it boiled and then added a little bit of espresso. Ma, che schifooooooooooooo!!!

I'm also glad I got to know her husband (how weird that sounds) a little better and I must say, he's fine!!! I think he will take good care of her and make her happy. If not, I will send the mafia. He was mostly fascinated with the cultural differences here, how relaxed everything is, how there is no hurry and no one gets upset over a bit of a mess. He is very impressed with the differences in quality of life here and there.

Tomorrow we will go to Milano again. It better not be ice cold... We have had il favonio for two days and it's been about 30 degrees Celsius in the sun.

Kyrill

Well, the storm is over and I can't believe it was raging so hard in Germany when we there was really no wind at all here yesterday. What a difference it makes on which side of the Alps you're on! My mom said three trees in front of the house have fallen. I haven't heard from anyone else yet. So please let me know you're all okay.