Obviously if you have a blog, you have to write about important things, otherwise why would you bother to have one anyways? A diary is for writing about boring everyday things like: did laundry, bought groceries, considered signing up to go skydiving and then remembered my crippling fear of heights. But, sometimes I don't have anything super important to say just that I have a voice (King's Speech, anyone?). So, anyways there are some pretty extraordinary things about what has become ordinary for me and as I was recently reflecting on this fact, I thought that perhaps even things like doing laundry might seem a bit extraordinary to someone else. Thus, in no particular order, ten rather everyday things that are perhaps somewhat ridiculous to an American audience.
#1 Laundry
I have access to laundry once a week on Fridays. It costs 1 franc 20 centimes to do a load. There is no dryer, but I have a drying room, or else a drying rack on my balcony. Pros: apparently the wind and sunshine gets into your clothes, apparently you save money/electricity by not having a dryer. Cons: it takes FOREVER for things to dry, my towels are never fluffy.
#2 The View
I am surrounded by some of the most stunning views you will ever see in your life. This has the happy result of making every photo look amazing and I don't think it's something you can ever completely get used to.
#3 Language
In my bathroom I have shampoo that is in Italian, shower gel that is in German, and a body wash that is in French. The popcorn instructions are in 16 different languages. Last year, I could listen to the Winter Olympics and the World Cup being commentated in German, French, or Italian. I can order in Starbucks in English, but prefer not to. Pros: you know you're not in Kansas anymore! Cons: English can't be your secret language because most people know it and shamelessly eavesdrop.
#4 Restaurants
Not that I have been to many, because it's crazy expensive to eat out, but you have to ask for the bill and you don't have to tip! Say what????
#5 Trash bags
I know we all have to buy trash bags to put in the cans to put our waste in, but in Switzerland I have to buy specific white and green trash bags. In order to get these lovely "sacs taxés" you have to ask for them at the register in the grocery store. They come in rolls of 10 and cost 20 francs!
#6 Phone Calls
Unless you really hate talking to people, calling someone on the phone is something you do without a second thought. It's something I never had a problem with before I had to talk in French! Talking on the phone in a foreign language is so much harder than face to face because you have no facial expressions or hand gestures to help you. Your listening comprehension is tested to the max and God forbid they ask me for my telephone number because in French you don't say the individual numbers but combine them into five hundred and sixteen for 516 for example.
#7 Public Transport
Perhaps some of you take the metro everyday to work but before moving here I was used to driving everywhere. Now I get on and off buses, metros and trains like it's a piece of cake. It's still a little strange that you have to buy tickets from machines (or else have a travel pass) and you aren't checked each time or forced to go through barriers. However, if the public transport staff do a random check and you're found to be without a valid ticket, it's an immediate 100 franc fine that increases if you can't pay that 100 francs right away in cash. Better to spend a few francs on a ticket each time even if I can go for weeks sometimes without having my pass verified.
#8 Printing
As a student, I am given printing credits at the beginning of the semester and I have access to computers and printers at the university. At UNIL (University of Lausanne) there are iMacs along the corridors that I can use them to print whatever I need. I've never yet run out of credits!
#9 English
This is kinda cheating since I already mentioned language, but here I'm talking specifically about how weird it is to overhear someone on the metro talking in English. The thing is, it isn't always native English speakers who are speaking it! I once heard a couple talking in heavily accented English together using mostly swear words. It made me cringe. I also feel like if I'm the one talking in English to a friend on a bus or street, everyone else tries to eavesdrop. The weirdest thing of all though, is when you've spent time with some other English speakers and then you leave and walk out onto the street and suddenly realize that you've forgotten that if you bump into the person walking their dog, you will have to say "excuse me" in French. How can you forget that not everyone speaks English? I guess the frequent use of English in advertising doesn't help.
#10 Dog tax
Not that this effects me, but dog owners have to pay a tax for their pet. How crazy is that? The Swiss also have other annoying taxes like for having a TV and a monthly tax for being a foreigner.
