Jul

27

Tram 11

Filed Under Language, Motoring & Transportation, Society & Culture | 12 Comments

Tram 11, the tram I take every time I go to church on Sundays and Mondays, didn’t arrive when I waited for it last Sunday at the tram stop across the Central Train Station of Zurich. Apparently, some of the tram routes have been altered for the time being to give way to construction work.

Then I saw an orange billboard with texts written in German. And since my husband was not with me at that time and is now enjoying his week-long group hiking holiday somewhere in the mountains, I had to figure out on my own the meaning of this very important notice. I tried to, but failed. The only words I understood were “Linien 11 und 14″ (tramways 11 and 14). I was pretty sure there was an instruction somewhere to take an alternative route. I looked around to see if there was someone who could help me. I spotted a man wearing a Zueri-Linie orange vest. He was clearly from the tram company.

ME: “Excuse me. I don’t understand the billboard here. My German is not so good. Can you please help me? I need to take tram number 11 on the way to Bucheggplatz.”

ZUERI-LINIE MAN: (Explains something to me in rapid Swiss German)

ME: (Switches to High German) “Ich verstehe nicht. Mein Deutsch ist nicht so gut. (I don’t understand. My German is not so good.)”

ZUERI-LINIE MAN: (Rambles again in Swiss German and uses his right hand to show me which direction to go to)

ME: (Decides to feign understanding to stop the linguistic agony, after realizing that there was no point in continuing this kind of Q&A session that was not going anywhere) “Ah, okay. Thanks a lot.”

I then crossed the street and walked towards another tram stop past the bridge, following the hand direction of this kind Swiss man whose oral production skill in English may be as bad as my German speaking capability.

Upon reaching the other tram stop, I then saw another tram company employee wearing an orange vest. I didn’t hesitate to approach him.

ME: “Excuse me. I need to go to Bucheggplatz and I usually take tram number 11. But there seems to be a change in the route this time. May I know where I can take tram number 11?”

ZUERI-LINIE MAN 2: “Ok. See that tram stop over there?”

ME: “Where there’s a bench with people sitting on it?”

ZUERI-LINIE MAN 2: “Yes. You wait for tram number 11 there. You have to cross the street here because you have to take the tram going in that direction (using both his hands to show me the right way).”

ME: “I see. Also, Vielen Dank! (Ok, thank you very much!)”

It feels good when speech is not hampered by any form of language barrier. I’m all for effective communication devoid of complicated comprehension challenges.

RANDOM TIP: If you’re a new expat in a country where you don’t know the language/s used, always bring with you a portable dictionary (e.g. German-English/English German) or its mini electronic version. It will come in handy someday, who knows?

Jul

25

Summer Festival

Filed Under Consumer Concerns, Life & Leisure, Special Events, Travel/People & Places | 8 Comments

Bieler Braderie, the three-day summer festival held this month in the bilingual town of Biel-Bienne, was a huge success, judging by the way visitors flocked downtown despite the intense summer heat.

Many made a beeline to the different market stalls, numbering over 40, buying items from clothes (e.g. World Cup souvenir shirts) jewelry, and bags to houseware, artworks, and all sorts of trinkets. Indeed, there were lots of products being sold here and there, crowding the sidewalks, and visitors simply revelled in the summer sale. The atmosphere somehow reminded me of the various market stalls in Baclaran and Divisoria, popular discount shopping destinations in the Philippines.

One market stall that was a hit among female shoppers was the one selling kinky ladies’ underwear. Much to my surprise, even Swiss grandmas couldn’t resist inspecting up close the wide array of panties up for grabs. I was not sure if it was the low price (CHF4.00 or USD3.20 apiece) or the sexy, “honeymooney” lace designs that lured these elderly ladies to this stall.

Food stands were aplenty as well. The participating food vendors dished out sausages, grilled chicken, kebabs, pork barbecue, Asian noodles, and chicken curry, to name just a few. Every year, my husband and I would either buy pork barbecue on skewers from our favorite Vietnamese “stallkeeper” (no one owns the stall, they rent it) or kebab servings from Turkish foodstalls.

There were fun rides and games for kids and adults alike. We tried the Ferris Wheel ride three years ago. But its repetitive motion bored me right away, and we never rode it again since then. And I remember the ride being expensive. (I can’t remember now the exact amount we paid per head, but I do remember feeling a bit scandalized for the price we paid for such a short, uneventful ride).

As is usual, a series of free concerts featuring popular local musicians drew a number of music lovers at Centralplatz. This year, we were enthralled by the performance of a salsa band called Picason composed of Swiss, Cuban, and Danish vocalists and instrumentalists. We got lucky; we were really on our way home when we heard this dynamic group’s music from a distance. We decided to “investigate the source of good music” and got sidetracked in the process. We were at Centralplatz for an hour and a half.

Summer festivals like the Bieler Braderie are popular among the Swiss. Such events provide a welcome break from the dull world that is routine work. While temperatures soar to uncomfortable 30s, many still opt to go outside and have fun with the sun goddess.

(Note: My Flickr photos on the Bieler Braderie can be found here and here. You may view my YouTube videos on the fun rides here and here.)

RANDOM TIP: Enjoy the summer. Go to the different summer events in your area in cool, comfy clothing. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen lotion on your face and body. The sun can be really harsh.

Jul

19

Bomb Shelter

Filed Under Family & Friends, In the News, Israel/Jews, YouTube | 19 Comments

It feels strange to see the picture of your one and only nephew being flashed on CNN every now and then. I first saw Ethan on TV yesterday afternoon at around a quarter past 5 p.m. His photo has been broadcasted several times since then.

Ethan, who turns two in September, was sleeping in a modern bomb shelter — which I dubbed as “the panic room” of his family’s post-Gulf War apartment in Haifa — last Sunday when this now ubiquitous photo was taken. Fortunately, he and his dad (my younger brother who works as an engineer in a high-tech company in Haifa) were able to flee the port city by car the next day, and are now staying in a hotel in Jerusalem.

They’re now relatively far away from the “umbrella of terror missiles” (words borrowed from an IDF brigader general), but there have been public police warnings on suicide bombers intending to maximize the situation in rocket-free areas like Jerusalem. Fortunately, a suicide bombing attempt was foiled yesterday.

My brother is yet to book a flight to Manila. In my Skype conversation with him late last night, he did mention flying out of Israel “in two days’ time.” In the meantime, his hands are full taking care of his baby boy, who now suffers from high fever, while attending to his managerial workload for the microchip company he works for. “It’s business as usual. People are used to it (terrorist attacks) already,” he said, coughing along the way, indicating that stress has already taken its toll on his health.

Ethan’s mom Sheila and older sister Yannah are currently in Manila. My sister-in-law, also an engineer, had had to attend to some pressing matters in the Philippine office of the same microchip company two weeks ago, tagging my niece along. But due to the escalating tension in Israel, their scheduled trip back to the Holy Land this week has been postponed indefinitely.

Anyway, my brother and his family have already expressed their intent to visit us here in Switzerland next year. We don’t have our own “panic room,” but my husband has told me that our apartment block does have a bomb shelter located somewhere. But who needs one in peaceful Switzerland?

RANDOM TIP: Visit Israel Today and Jerusalem Online to read the latest news on Israel and the Middle East conflict. And here’s an interesting read: Live from an Israeli Bunker, a blog of 17-year-old Israeli blogger Eugene who’s posting his entries, using his laptop and wi-fi connection, from — you got it right — an Israeli bunker somewhere in Haifa.

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