Things That Make You Go Hmmmm....

Okay. I totally love this song. I remember seeing them at Grad Night 91. Ahh, so long ago...

I really like living in Switzerland. But there are a few cultural things that I just don't get. And I am not talking about the high price of veggies. I mean, just yesterday I spent $3 CHF on two Roma tomatoes. 2! Why that much? Tomatoes grow like weeds! Or at least mine did. I could have fed the entire country of Italy with the yield I got a few summers ago. Maybe that is why Switzerland is a rich country. Everybody is a tomato grower. And, okay, yes, I also spent $5 CHF on a mango. But hey, it was a Spanish mango! Or was it Israeli? Whatevs. It was delish! Definitely gives the Brazilian mangoes a run for their money. And I have to confess that in prior years I have forked out major cash for sustenance. I once spent $15 US for a jar of dill pickles. Don't go hating! You gotta do what you gotta do at times. But I won't do that here. They don't have Vlassic. And while I can go on and on about pickles (no hidden message intended), I will get to my point.

There are a few things I am really curious about.

1. Why does Switzerland rip up roads? Like, all the time? One day you have a perfectly good road. The next day there is a big hole in it. They fill it up, and two weeks later another big hole. Why? Couldn't everything be done at the same time? It could be a perfectly smooth road, and they rip it up to repave it. And it is not just the roads. Sidewalks fall victim to this too. Why? I seriously want to understand this.

2. Why do people wear parkas in 40 degree weather? Okay, not everybody, but a major majority. Can you even say that? Any who, the climate along the lake is pretty mild. Not too hot, though I was dying this summer. But I think that had more to do with no a/c. And the winters are not too cold, nothing under 15/20 degrees. Well so far. But October hits and the parkas come out. Meanwhile, I am sweating just looking at them while in my t-shirt and unzipped hoodie. I can actually handle wearing that and not be cold. And this coming from a girl who is always cold. I have a comfort level of +/- 5 degrees from 80. My husband will say 3, but I am giving myself a bit more leeway. Don't ask me to translate that to Celsius. Not gonna do it! (Please say like George HW Bush, or Dana Carvey imitating HW).

When we first got here, my boys had ski outings with school. Since it was their first time on skis, I tricked them out. Meanwhile it is 25 degrees on the mountain and they are boiling, stripping off layers. We are from Minnesota. 25 in the winter is shorts weather!

See?

Of course, their coach made them put everything back on. I guess few can understand how warm 25 is compared to -20. But back to my point. Why a winter parka in October? Maybe their blood is thinner from all the wine they drink? And I don't mean that rudely. I will figure this out too.

3. Why do the street cleaners come out in their little trucks and clean the streets in the pouring rain? Is there a benefit to this?

4. How do Swiss women walk in high heels on cobblestone streets? They have it timed to always hit the pavers. I cannot do this. Nor am I all that graceful. And I always hit the spaces. How have they learned to do this? And look cute at the same time? And while walking up and down hilly streets? I have all of these cute shoes that I cannot wear. This is truly sad coming from a shoe fanatic. FYI, my favorite word is sale. My favorite word grouping is shoe sale.

Just a few things that boggle my mind and make me go hmmmm....