Morocco (8/18/10-8/23/10)

But wait -- there's more!

At the very end of my time in Zurich, I got an unexpected opportunity to visit Morocco. I have 500+ pictures to organize and caption, so I'll need a little bit of time. :) Please check back in mid-September!

Reflections: A Summer in Europe (8/27/10)

Until I immersed myself in a new environment this summer, I didn't realize that there's a catch to my normal everyday routine of multi-tasking whenever possible: routines increase my efficiency, but also decrease my contextual sensitivity. In the past three months, I have been forced, sometimes painfully, to reevaluate even the most simple of tasks and basic of assumptions. The issue of transportation is one that was most obvious to me, probably because of my legendary lack of navigational skills: the U.S. decided at some point to address the issue with cars and highways, and Switzerland with trains and tracks. Transportation and otherwise, I appreciated seeing firsthand how another group of people came up with a different solution to the same problem -- for the first time, I truly understand that alternatives always exist.

Also, I discovered that even simple tasks in new surroundings require thought. In Zurich, I was constantly confused by which ways doors opened -- I seemed to always push when I was supposed to pull. Yeah, I felt like the kid in that Far Side cartoon.


I had to dig deep and call upon what little mental math abilities I still possess because everything is measured differently: in the gym, I had to convert from kilograms and kilometers to pounds and miles; in conversations about the weather, I had to figure out the formula for moving from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Results included entering speeds on the treadmill that almost broke my ankles, selecting weights that almost broke my wrists, and having conversations about temperatures that almost mistakenly broke records ("it was only 40 degrees, can you believe it -- oh yeah, sorry, that's in Fahrenheit").

And even my most basic assumptions were tested. I didn't realize that I expected so much consistency. In Zurich, hot weather does not preclude the possibility of rain (shod in leather sandals and clad in a summer dress, I was caught in a cold downpour that evening without a hat or umbrella or jacket); the seemingly family-oriented Old Town zone, replete with colorful candy shops and Mom-and-Pop bookstores, does not exclude the appearance of adult "nightclubs" (with my eyes averted, I felt so Puritanical when I walked briskly past these establishments). Paper comes in different sizes. Bad words aren't necessarily bleeped out on TV or on the radio. I never really thought about who and how and why these decisions are made, and I never before realized that I never had thought about it.

I have learned that, when I am quiet because I cannot speak the local language, I rely not on verbal communication but my powers of observation to figure out what to do. I have learned that I could work all night while working out of Zurich because Mountain View is just starting as I'm leaving the office, so I just need to power down my laptop after a certain time. I have learned that the sun is truly precious, and fun seasonal activities can emerge as a result of the narrow window of golden warmth. I have learned that serene moments dedicated to just one purpose can be surprisingly productive. I have learned to appreciate not only what I have but what others graciously share.

I am grateful for all of the opportunities that I have been offered these past three months. Although the core of my being won't change significantly as a result of these three months, I hope that a more nuanced perspective will help me become increasingly curious and exploratory, understanding and empathetic. It's good to be home, and here's to many more eye-opening trips!

Last Sunday in Zurich (8/15/10)

What did I do on my last Sunday in Zurich? I ate lots of yummy sweet things, of course! Here I am with Ziad, with whom I worked in Google Mountain View over five years ago (eons in Google time). He was actually the one who told me about Conditorei Schober, so I have him to thank for the many brunches I've enjoyed here!


After our delicious meal, we walked around town to burn some butter. Both of these snapshots is, at least to me, iconically Zurich.



Later that night, I met up with Angela for our last dinner together in Zurich. She suggested a place called Cakefriends. With a name like that, how could I refuse?! I took a picture of the ceiling, which featured their logo.


Unbelievably, when we ordered the cake sample -- yes, our dinner -- they told us that they had run out of cake. I thought it was terribly ironic that a place with "cake" in its name only had tarts available! Luckily for us, they were absolutely delicious. We shared a savory feta cheese and spinach tart, and each ordered a sweet berry tart. The filling had the feel and taste of warm cheesecake from the oven...so good!


I saw a drink called "milk caramel" and knew that I, caramel fanatic, had to get it. You know a drink is good when it comes with an attendant glass of water.


Finally, fresh loaves of cake came out of the oven. I'm not going to lie: they were scrumptious.


And so ended my last Sunday in Zurich: sweetly!

Street Parade: Zurich, Switzerland (8/14/10)

The Street Parade in Zurich is an annual "demonstration of love, peace, freedom, generosity and tolerance [that] has remained an unfathomable phenomenon even after being repeated 18 times." Angela told me that it reminded her of the parades in San Francisco, and I'd have to agree: it made me feel like I had returned to the Bay Area for an afternoon! It felt like a cross between Halloween (everyone dresses up) and Thanksgiving (it's a family affair, as parents bring their kids).

The day started off with a BBQ at Angela's apartment, which was near the parade in Bellevue.


That's a good-looking' grill!

We then walked out to the parade route. I could not believe how many speakers were mounted on each of the flatbed trucks. I soon discovered a new meaning to "feeling the music."


There was lots of flesh to behold, even though the weather was distinctly un-parade: cold and windy, the day saw the rain intensify into a true storm that evening.


The floats were all super-colorful:




Parents dressed up with and brought their children:

Everyone was packed together, elbow to elbow:

That night, we decided to go to a sit-down restaurant because we had been walking and standing all day. It felt so good to rest my legs!

Dessert for Dinner: Zurich, Switzerland (8/13/10)

Angela made the mistake a while back of telling me about this dessert sampler at Terrasse, a very pretty restaurant in Zurich: with fantasies of chocolate curlicues and scented creams and pastel ices dancing through my head, I harangued her about going to Terrasse every time I saw her. We finally found a day that worked for both of us, and it was heaven! Seven full-size desserts for 35 CHF is expensive as a sweet ending to dinner, but a good deal if it is your dinner.

Here is the "before" shot:


And the "after" shot:

The tiramisu was the best. Wrapped in a thin layer of white chocolate, the spongy cake and rich cream partnered to create the perfect finale. Good thing we went salsa dancing afterwards -- I'm sure I sugar-bombed my system in the extreme!

OrangeCinema: Zurich, Switzerland (8/11/10)

For one month during the summer, Orange (a Swiss telecom company) organizes an outdoor movie experience. I say "experience" because there's nothing half-baked about OrangeCinema even though it's a temporary theater built on the lake for 30 days. The screen is clear, the sound is surround; the restaurants, built solely for OrangeCinema, use real china and silverware. I was duly impressed with the layout and setup, and enjoyed Robin Hood while working my way slowly through the ice cream bar included in the 22 CHF ticket price. Here's a picture of the theater, courtesy of Angela:


I was worried that it was going to rain; in fact, I saw lightning in the distance and heard rain falling on leaves close by. But nary a drop landed on our area!

Man, it's going to be hard to leave Zurich.

Brunch, Bunnies and Bratwurst: Zurich, Switzerland (8/8/10)

Angela and I went to get brunch today at my favorite place, and ended up talking all afternoon in a very European-feeling room with chairs upholstered in red velvet and lamps dripping in sparkling crystal. Of course, since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped to look at the bunnies. There's a new one, and he's really tiny and really cute! I loved his ears: one sticks straight up, and the other flops to the side.


This bunny, whom you'll recognize from a former posting, started cleaning himself and looked so simultaneously adorable and comical that I pressed my camera to the glass so that I could capture the process. (Refresh your browser if you don't see a video directly below.)

Since Angela and I spent five hours chatting -- we were just as surprised as you are -- we decided that we might as well get an early dinner. We headed to Bellevue and decided on Zurich's famous bratwurst. We split one meatstick and one piece of bread, since we felt like we had just finished eating brunch.


Honestly, though, how can you refuse this?


And then I just had to get gelato because it was right there, so we each got a waffle cone even though it was pouring rain. And in case you're wondering, yes, I have three scoops (melon, mango and strawberry).

I then walked about 20 minutes to the Central tram station, which was a gorgeous stroll by the water especially because the sun suddenly emerged from behind the clouds.

I can't remember the last time I had such quality time with a girl friend, and I loved it. Thanks, Angela!