Fleur à Genève

'I Ain't No Immigrant!'

2012-02-09T15:46:00.000+01:00

As a language professional, I came across the notion of integration very early on in my studies. Labov's studies on immigrants in the US were definitely among my favorite reads and I've always been amazed at the psychology of the phenomenon, even if I've come to master its whys and wherefores.

But I never thought I'd be one of the guinea pigs one day. Actually, I never thought I would be part of any of the processes, that I'd ever be faced with the same dilemmas. Let me explain.

The biggest part of my life I was just a language enthusiast, never leaving her own nest. To be honest I was not so interested in learning all these languages -- I was crazy about learning about them and the people who spoke them. But I was looking at the whole thing through a magnifying glass, from my comfortable seat at home. Or, sometimes, I was doing some small field research of my own, but with the detached amazement of the good Labovian student. Immigrants constituted a perti-pot type of material to me, interesting for their inability to do what they were the most anxious to do. Integrate.

The big question has always been, ever since Labov started pestering shop assistants and good citizens in their orderly queues (or was that Romaine?), why (and how) people manage to integrate into a foreign society and what are the reasons and attributes of failure. Most of the descriptions, taking into account differences between the cultures ivolved and the social status of the various groups and individuals, are very logical. However, as they examine the phenomenon (as good researchers do) from a totally objective point of view, they omit one very important thing. The human factor.

Since moving to Switzerland, I've been through a couple of very distinct phases of immigrant life. At first I was a tourist. Tourists are always (OK, most of the time) happy, because they are off from the worries of their everyday lives and they only take a couple of good things home from their trip. (I'm not thinking of Latin lovers and tropical diseases, two extremes that are hard to find in Switzerland. Though hell knows...) So I was chittering away with my cute accent and took a hundred pictures a day. I called the annoying interesting and the horrible strange. I guess it didn't register with me that I wasn't going back. (Not that there were too many things of the last two types...)

Then I gradually became a settler. The initial craze over, we turned to more practical matters. I plunged into the adventure of creating our new home with the same enthusiasm that characterized my chittering-picture-taking self a couple of weeks before. The annoying and the horrible became exciting challenges, which I learned to master by and by and felt all the greater for it. I still didn't manage to notice the ties I was cutting and the new ones forming -- and the claws getting latched on me. I was winning battles, never looking back.

I soon took the castle. I think I became an immigrant then and there. I was what is called a trailing spouse. I call this phase the phase of the princess, because you enter a home set up beautifully from someone else's money, who loves you and wants the best for you -- and yet you can't really feel at home. I think I'm still somewhat of a princess at heart. I hardly ever venture out of my castle alone and I'm quite happy I work so much because otherwise I would be sitting around in my beautiful little tower awaiting my prince.

Many of the princes and princesses (for they come in all shapes and sizes) soon become stay-at-home parents and find satisfaction in the occupation of raisig their children. It's one of the most curious stages of integration in my opinion, since what makes things more complicated is the stable, if somewhat restricted, financial background us royal descendents enjoy. It makes us feel good about ourselves and where they come from, and we see all the challanges of integration as attacks against those feelings.

I would never say that those who enter the country simply in search of a better life, skipping all these stages and immediately setting about earning their daily bread are in a less difficult position. But, if Labov et al. are right, some of them have a better chance of becoming part of the local society. According to the theory, if the two cultures are close enough (i.e. living in the target culture poses no unsurmountable difficulty) and the target group has higher social values and enjoy more socioeconomic benefits, you'll be more motivated and thus more likely to integrate successfully.

What happens in the case of immigrants with lower social status is often that the cultural differences keep them from understanding and accepting the target culture, and therefore they find integration painful and difficult. Princes and princesses, on the other hand, fail to realize the importance of a little social pressure. Their task is difficult due to the gaps between the two groups being too small. They fall back on their own cultural background when rectified or challenged, refusing to be 'lectured' by their equals. The expect to be considered kings and queens in the other realm too and forget the old saying, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

In fact, many of them call themselves (and each other) expats, and amazing size of the online expat community shows you just how powerful that term is. As opposed to immigrants, they consider themselves voluntary sufferers of the situation, since, as their attitude often reflects, it is not them who want to integrate into society but society that wants to suck them in. And they fight with all their might for that not to happen. They're here on their own accord, but they are wiser than tourists because they've all won the battles of settling down and finding some things to do. They are quick to ~~lecture~~ help you and most of the time they enjoy their status.

Well, all this sounds very nice but what are you to do if you find yourself in another country, plagued with a stable financial background and a lack of hatred toward your situation back home and none of these categories really attracts you? I can't blame you. Nor do they attract me. I definitely don't feel desperate in the strongest sense of the word, neither can I imagine myself opting for the family option to fill up my sparse schedule. Nor am I, to my utmost amazement!, arrogant enough to ignore the pushing and pulling of the strings of society. It's not so much about being a respected member of said society as respecting myself. In my world all opinions are welcome and most are equal and you certainly have the right to think you're right when I think you're wrong. I like to leave it to life to prove the relevance of any ideas and I simply cannot shrug off all the good natured criticism of the natives thinking or saying that I'll just stick to what we do back home. Because maybe we're wrong! But, to be honest, I can't nod along and feel utterly suppressed either, since there's also a (slight?) chance that it's the Swissies who are wrong. I'm sure I'm freakig them out with my insistence on dropping all ideas into the bowl, but that's for them to sort out.

For the moment I'm merely torn between all these notions. And language is just one of them. I'll have to dedicate another post entirely to language learning among expats, for I find it an area worth exploring. But I often find myself wondering why my French is as it is and why it's not moving either way. As I said, I don't want to focus on my language skills here, but I think they are a perfect example, since my social progress seems to be reflected in them to a great extent. I seriously love this language and the cultural background that comes with it, and am at a loss why I'm not progressing (faster). The problem might be that I set the bar too high. I'm not learning French on the basis of my mother tongue, making use of all the help that might provide (for it does help, believe me!) but I somehow want to become a native speaker from scratch. I'm not even consciously relying on my L2, English, which could help even more. I've rejected that idea when I realized that my slight American accent (don't ask me why it transferred) makes people think I'm some arrogant expat who would never ditch such an important benchmark. I'm trying to forget everything I know, language-wise and releorganize my brain. And that can be painful, because I start with being noone.

But is that necessary? No, I think not. I think the ideal solution would be to strike a balance. Someone once told me that the only way she could feel comfortable in all those countries she'd lived is was to retain her identity all through. Wherever she went, she picked up some things and when she moved on she integrated the new things along with the old. I wish I could figure out how to do that. Some people learn the language very well but (consciously or unconsciously) retain their accent. I often hear the Swiss talking about them with respect and fondness, all the while adding their nationality to their name. Whenever I hear people talking about me (sometimes they forget I can understand, which makes me grumble even more) as that nice little Hungarian, I get the wind up. Why can't I be just another person? The normal thing would be, of course, to feel part of their group but also feel proud of my heritage. To learn their ways and act accordingly among them, but retain my own 'accent'. To be the person I want to be in the place I want to be. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is integration.

Keep tuned to read more

similar and totally different posts. =)

Comment and rate to let me know what you think! ;)

Subscribe to get all the news! ;)

Feed on my RSS, it's absolutely calory-free! =D

Stay happy and healthy!

Hugz from freeeeezing Geneva

fleur

Last Christmas

2012-01-13T11:52:00.004+01:00

I think it's the cheesiest song I've ever heard and the video reminds me lot of Hugh Grant's mock video in Music and Lyrics. =) But I do watch it at least once every year, around Christmas, for various reasons. First off, I find the amusement totally worth the pain. =) Second, it's somehow part of my Christmas rituals and I just love this part of the year. But this year it was the third aspect that I found the most prevalent. I like the song and the video partly out of a strange nostalgia. It's not that I think fondly of the 1980s, but rather that once the music fades I can sigh with relief that I don't have to live in that world (again). And, around Christmas, one of my most preferred activities is to look back and say goodbye to all the things I want to and prepare to start anew.

It's not really about resolutions. But I do feel that the festivities, the wealth and comfort of the period allow me to go retrospective, and introspective, and change whatever I want to change. We usually do a lot of traveling visiting all the relatives, and that gives me ample time to think and reflect on the past year and the new one to come. I also find that it's easier to change my ways when I'm surrounded by beautiful things and happy faces and I can keep up these changes because they always smell a bit of Christmas afterward. =)

And yet, while I usually cherish these holidays and always feel that time seems to halt and that renewing magic is but a touch away, this Christmas was even more special. This was the first Christmas I spent in Hungary as a sort of prodigal daughter and the atmosphere, full of hope and bliss, seriously amazed me. I felt being reborn.

Somehow I felt that as all the fights and difficulties of the past two years have made me different and happier, similar changes have affected my friends and family. We all seem to have survived the earthquake and found gems in the cracked stones. Now we're ready to build a new future, from happiness and hope and love. This is what I saw around me, in people beaten down by the government's stupid decisions -- in people dreaming new dreams and making choices they would have never had the courage to make. This is what I saw in friends working furiously for their dreams and accepting responsibilities that are heavier than mountains and speak of futures brighter than any star. And this is what I felt when I saw that everyone was ready to set aside all their work and dreams and listen to my story and hug me and say how happy they were I was finally on the right track.

I didn't feel like listening to Wham!'s song this year. I didn't feel I needed it. All the rubble around us reminded us of the things we were leaving behind. And the gems in our hands (and hearts) of the future we'll have to build. We're all finally on the right track.

Thank you for reading.

May you all find such jewels

whenever staring at the rubble of your life!

Happy hugs!

fleur

Season's Greatings! ;)

2012-01-13T11:16:00.005+01:00

I bet you're thinking this will be a belated post on the holidays -- and I don't blame you. It's been a while since I last had the chance to post here, and in fact I always have some cool stories to share around Christmas. But more on those later.

What this post really is about is a totally different season. Christmas is really nice and who'd say no to a huge NYE party? Sure, the Swiss treasure these holidays just like the rest of us. But what they are even more thrilled about is THE SKI SEASON! And yes, boys and girls, seems that this year Santa brought all the snow over from the North Pole. =)

So that you can really understand our amazement at this year's snow, I'll have to tell you how all our ski career started. It was a sad and gloomy early winter night in Geneva, and so we were over in Vevey visiting a friend. =) And we started talking about our plans for the winter and how we (husband + me) liked snowshoeing and why nobody ever comes with us. Then our friend asked us if we were skiing or snowboarding and we fell silent. We explained that we really wanted to start but it's so difficult to start a sport like that from scratch. Renting the stuff can be a pain (literally) and even if our friends were super nice we didn't think they could teach us properly...

Next thing we knew we had a chalet (next to Chamonix) booked for a week in February and our names were on the list of the French Ski School under the heading débutants. Actually, the guy was so nice that he chaperoned us all the way to and from the school every day, as we didn't have a car at the time. We took a 3-day course (3 mornings, 4 hs each), and on day 3 I was braving the red slope at the school's station.

All this happened in 2011, and though people kept telling us how crappy the snow was, we went skiing as often as we could. The Ski School had been a blast, and as we'd spent the afternoons practicing (at various stations), we were improving quite fast. We find that those early days were crucial as was having good equipment of our own.

You can imagine how thrilled we were when several stations opened on December 10 and it took us no time to decide that we'd be on the slopes that Saturday. We chose a station one hour from Geneva in the French Alps and left early in the morning to get there before the crowds. The fact that there were no crowds and tickets were half price should have warned us... But newbies will be newbies and to be honest we quite enjoyed the 2 (!) blue runs that were open and had lots of fun on the mediocre snow. Little did we know...

Next week we were going to Grindelwald (to use up a gift voucher at the Youth Hostel -- a marvel!) and we decided, of course, to ski. Again, there was a huge discount on tickets as it was snowing heavily. And we should have known. Well, us being us (heeeeaaaadstrooooong! :P), up we went. And skied 6 hours in heavy snow, no visibility and 150 centimeters of fresh powder. Without ever having skied in powder before...

OK, I'll admit we're sort of crazy. I could see that when we went back the next day (same conditions, slightly better visibility) and saw where we'd been skiing. If I say that I was standing in the middle of the slope seriously considering taking off my skies and sliding down on my backside, you'll get my meaning. Of course, nothing kills skiing like fear and it goes without saying that I ended up taking my skies off and sliding down on my backside. But that was only after I hurt my injured knee and sat there screaming for minutes, for the unanimous amazement of all the five people on the slope. Ahh, little did I know...

Little did we know, indeed, that there is such a thing as good snow. Last weekend, in Morzine, I was continuously asking myself who the hell we'd been kidding. Seriously, there had been only a handful of people in Grindelwald and even they stuck to the easier slopes! Well, I think from now on we'll be pickier -- if we can. :)

Next weekend we're going back to the chalet and we're spending a week there with a bunch of friends. I hope we'll have some good snow around Chamonix and the weather will be nice too! I can't wait!

Happy skiing guys

and a marvelous new year! ;)

xoxo

fleur

Practical info

Buy good skiing equipment real cheap at Manor during their January-February sales.
Learn how to ski at the French Ski School (we did at La Poya, Chamonix, our instructos was the marvelous Papi.)
Check out the slopes of Megeve and Morzine, both around an hour from Geneva by car.
If you're in the area, don't miss the magical atmosphere of Grindelwald, and don't forget to check out the villages around and the amazing waterfalls of Lauterbrunnen!
Stay with friends or family at the Youth Hostel and give their homely and filling dinner a try. Ask for private rooms with mountain view! ;)
Have fun skiing and don't forget to keep warm and realistic of your skills. :)

Grocery Shopping in Geneva

2011-12-06T09:42:00.001+01:00

I've been meaning to finish and post this for months. seriously. Because while previously I hadn't really been concerned with groceries, since September I've been working full time and have had to plan shopping very carefully. Where I could easily time my grocery rounds before, now I really have to fit them into a tight schedule. So where do I go then? Keep reading to find out! ;)

Well, if you're new to the country you'll soon discover that the two biggest supermarkets around (wherever you live) are MIGROS and Coop (or Coop and MIGROS =)). And it's the same in Geneva, around the university and around my home as well.

(Now that I've mentioned MIGROS, I'll have to tell you a funny story -- no, actually two. When I was planning the move to Geneva, people kept telling me that I could brush up my French at the Migros language school, or I could even teach there, though wages are not so great. And I thought it was so discriminative! See, I was convinced that the name stood for an abbreviation of immigrants... Turns out it's for mi-gros, meaning that you can buy stuff in medium bulks for a lower price. But I wasn't the only one to make that mistake. When we had some friends over from Hungary and I told them I'd pop over to the Migros for some ingredients because it was cheapest there, the guy actually started telling me off for the use of such a pejorative term -- of course he misunderstood what I had said and thought I was referring to some African-owned local store! LOL! I couldn't stop laughing for a good minute.)

You'll also find that these two names carry over a number of other businesses as well, such as money changers and perfumeries. But, unless you can find a small 'non-stop' store around (in France this means they don't close at lunch time, in Switzerland some are open on Saturday evenings and the like), you'll have to rely on these two for groceries.

Of course, you can take a car/tram/bus and head for one of the bigger stores, located around the city, easily found on the Migros or Coop website. I guess if I had a large family, this is what I'd do, as you can do your shopping on the go, fill up the trunk and then go hiking in the afternoon. Given that your butter doesn't melt in the car. =) And note that you can only do it on Saturday (along with other hundreds of thousands of Swiss), as (virtually) all shops are closed on Sunday.

But as I've been a city dweller all my life, I don't really like buying in bulk or spending all morning in one of these hypermarkets and queuing up for half an hour, so that I can then be hauling huge sacks of food in from the car. No, that's not my way. I like to spend, on average, fifteen minutes twice a week at the store, at a time when it's relatively empty, so I can roam through with my list and be done with it. Around once or twice a month I take my time, browsing for new products and stocking up on stuff like rice and couscous and canned goodies -- but I tend to do this out of the rush ours as the crowd really gives me... a rush. =)

That said, I'm really happy that the Swiss have long Thursdays, which means that although all shops close around 7 p.m. on any other given day, the stay open a bit longer on Thursdays. Migros and Coop are open until 7.30 I think, and Manor until 8.30 or 9. actually, Manor is much like the big Coop stores (CoopCity), with its own grocery section in the basement or first floor.

About the differences. I used to think that Migros was the cheapest and Manor the most expensive of the trio. But then either things started to change or I got more familiar with the Swiss shopping style -- I don't know. Now I would say that -- as regards the price -- Migros and Coop are basically the same. It is true that Migros has more budget brands, which makes the average price lower, but I don't really go for those except when buying stuff for baking, etc. It used to be a well known fact that Migros didn't carry organic food, or not as much as Coop. But that's changing, and I often prefer Migros' range. All in all, I go more often to the Migros nearby, as in case I need fruits and vegetables they're usually better quality and cheaper there. Besides, as I said, they carry a large range of organic products, and I can spot something new every time.

But there's one thing that makes Coop more attractive for many, and it's still a frequent target of mine. The thing is that Migros doesn't carry many of the well known brands. It carries few in fact. Most of their stuff is their own, which doesn't necessarily make it worse quality (really, it seldom does!) but let's face it, many feel awkward giving up their all time favorite washing powder/ cheese/ face cream. And yes, Coop, especially the big ones, has a very nice 'drugstore' section, which might be of a Swiss variety (not many US brands), but is large enough for everyday shopping.

Of course, the largest of all (normally) is Manor. Usually ours in Geneva is full of tourists, as it's as close to a mall as you can get in Geneva (the 'real' malls are pathetic, you're better off trying the main shopping street). I really don't know price-wise. I would say it's more expensive than the other two, but I find that the same product costs basically the same through all three stores. But I haven't seen any budget deals at Manor, so that does make it more expensive. And the array of products is more select, ranging from what goes as 'normal' at Coop to hundred-frank bars of soap. That makes it the ideal place to look for gifts and if I need something of a more lavish style (or quality), I always check there first. They have a nice grocery section and I would definitely spend more money and time there if it was closer to us. As it is, I usually go for the drugstore products, gifts and notebooks and the like. Oh, and I love love love their small take-away corner, with delicious vegetarian wraps, and their freshly squeezed juices. Aaaaand, I'll have to add that we bought all our skiing equipment at Manor, for 70% off in January! ;)

Gifts and makeup remind me of Globus, to be spotted on the main shopping street. It's much like Manor but takes it up a notch, and I've never bought anything there, except for (very) posh and overpriced gifts and a couple of drugstore things that have fixed prices. The store's always full so I guess it has some things to recommend it, but besides their crepes, I hardly find anything that would be worth my while. (I generally have a better use for CHF 500 than a handbag, though I'm not really hard up. I just don't like spending that kind of money on that kind of thing. =))

I hope this helps and I hope

you'll stop by soon for more. ;)

Thanks for reading.

Have a great day, guys,

and see you soon! ;)

Hugz

fleur

Life's changing... [What (my) life really is like in Switzerland]

2011-11-11T10:27:00.001+01:00

[Whatever your search engine says, this post has nothing to do with sex. sorry guys. =D]

I still think it was one of my truest metaphor when I compared my 'relationship' to Geneva to a love affair. (And believe me, I live in metaphors.) And that's not mainly because of my infatuation or the fact that many of the symptoms I've developed over the years resemble an acutely sore heart. No, the real resemblance, that makes me think of tragic love stories is the way this city treats you.

Let me explain. When I first set foot in Geneva, a couple of years prior to actually settling here, I was amazed by the jewel box feel of the city. And I don't mean the shops or anything like that. But the neat little houses, the tiny bridges, the odd medieval touch on the walls -- it all made me fall in love with it. It was so cute I wanted to hug it. Coming from a city of two million, it felt incredibly small and fabulously breezy at the same time. And, though many things have changed since then -- not necessarily in the cityscape but in my own life -- it still continues to amaze me. Every morning I cross the old town on my way to work, the sheer beauty of it caresses my soul just like a gentle goodbye kiss: 'I'll wait for you, honey, when you get home'. But there's something bitter about it too. Sometimes all these promises are no more than taunt and bait and you get a glimpse of the cold reality...

I strongly believe, have believed for a while, that what you see outside is actually a reflection of what goes on inside. You might find people hostile and the world a cold place when in truth it's you who's shunning company and the world only reacts to your own problems as you draw these experiences toward you. Or, because your soul is in turmoil, you notice them more keenly than ever. Likewise, I'm sure my attitude toward Geneva and life in general can easily shape the adventures I meet here. However... However, I still think there's another side to this city, like the empty walls and beams on the other side of a beautiful stage set. But I guess it's also your decision which side you choose to play on.

So let me tell you what has changed and how I feel about life in Switzerland after two years of trial and error -- and success. Yes, to be honest, I should be on top of the world. I came here as a trailing spouse, or more a trailing girlfriend, just finishing my MA, and now look at me! A year ago I was posting about the impossibility of making a career out of teaching English, and now I'm training the future generations of language teachers! I felt cheated and deceived, because my skills and accomplishments were not recognized, let alone appreciated. And now I often have the impression that I'm actually better at this than anyone would have thought or expected of me. Of course, there's an element of luck in anything, but I'm quite convinced that it was my positivism and dedication that got me this far. I always believed I'd make it, one day or another. I knew where my place was and I never gave up my conviction that I belonged there. But then why am I not satisfied?

Some would say because people rarely are. It's in our nature to always want more and in a way this is what springs development. However, whatever ideas you might have about me, I'm not one of those fellows who go on chasing dreams all their lives. I believe in the sheer joy of accomplishment, of reaching your goal, and I do like to sit down and enjoy the fruits of my efforts. So why this feeling of bitterness?

Well, I've been wooing this particular beauty for a long time, and to be honest I just feel disappointed about our first night. Yes, there was chemistry, undoubtedly. And the... the thing was as good as they say. It didn't even bother me that I wasn't the first, and not even the 100,000th. What has been bugging me ever since is that I had to realize there would never be any talking in this relationship. No talk, no exhibitions or movies, no meeting my family. Literally. Geneva and I are only strolling the beautiful streets and reading in the fabulous parks and window shopping in the sparkling malls -- but we're never having family lunches and long discussions of movies and arts at one of the many cute coffee shops. We have nothing to talk about. We have nothing in common, except for our love for each other. Well, my love and her acceptance of my attention and gifts.

The problem, I think, is that I have no roots in Geneva. Back in Budapest I was so sure of what I liked and what I hated, and I could vent those views any time. The city was mine and whatever I said about it I could still enjoy all it had to give. In Geneva, you always have to be a little grateful. Besides, I have no one to share my joy and sorrow with. I sorely miss my family and my friends are far away too. Even if I manage to talk to them, once in a while, it's not the same thing. I was so sure that once I had a job where I was appreciated and I could put my skills and experience to good use everything would fall into place. It hasn't. I have the dream job of my life, and yet, when I have a day off I spend it cleaning the apartment, having a consoling bath and writing posts about how sad I am deep inside. Not what you would expect, ehh?

Well, you know how it is. You focus all your energies on a project and are convinced that once this is over everything will be perfect. I was so focused on this project (still am) that I never realized that it won't solve all my problems. I can't walk around with a plate on my forehead saying 'I have a permit and a job of good standing. I'm educated, smart and funny. Now you can be friends with me'. And would that give me my friends back? Would it give me back the things I loved about my life back in Hungary? The lazing around in coffee shops, the long talks on arts and the fabulous theater performances? The family dinners and strolls in the decaying beauty of a city that didn't know what it was: a world famous metropolis of business and culture or the dusty capital of a nation well beyond its prime, with a history plagued by the helping hand of superpowers. Budapest lives off the beauty of the glory of what could have been. In Geneva I often have the feeling that all the marvelous things it has to offer can be yours if you really want them and are ready to fight for them -- but they can only give you a semblance of happiness.

This can easily be seen if you consider that most people just don't have time to enjoy the results of their efforts, simply because there's no time. They have crazy expensive pastimes exactly because otherwise they can't feel that it was all worth the fight. A designer handbag makes up for the lack of time spent choosing your outfit and an afternoon on board your sailboat or on the slopes of the Mt. Blanc is supposed to console any friends or family members for not being able to see you all week/month.

But I'm just not that kind. I don't care how much my coffee costs, be it the hyped product of an expensive restaurant or 'off the tap' at our university cafeteria. It should be white and sweet and sipped over a good book, or better still a discussion of arts and scientific affairs and the psychology of human beings! I don't like spending a fortune on a handbag, just to show the world that I'm not a stingy workaholic. And I don't like hiding my plans of buying a little place somewhere one day either, for fear people would think I'm rich. I like to splurge on crazy things, such as an adventurous holiday or a gadget that changes my life. And I hate to pretend.

So I've decided to defy the system. I will be a Hungarian in Geneva, an indispensable Hungarian that no one gets. I'll take whatever I can and give whatever they appreciate. I'll become Swiss to a point that's in line with my inner characteristics and take my share of success that hangs in the air. It's so refreshing after the cloud of unsuccessfulness that all Hungarians seem to carry around on a string. But I'll insist on my little moments of peacefulness nonetheless and keep being proud of my crazy splurges. I'll never conform to the categories the Swiss have set up, but I'll play by their rules better than they do. I'll be more successful and a lot happier than they could ever be. Because I have the benefit of having been tutored by two nations, both half happy and half crazy. I'm a new breed, if you like.

Thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoyed this post and will

come back for more. ;)

Have a nice day

and an awesome weekend.

Hugs

fleur

A Working Girl's Blog

2011-10-10T12:19:00.000+02:00

Yes, that is exactly what this has become. I believe apologizing for the lack of posts on any blog is kind of lame -- you could very well spend that time writing a proper post.

So I'm not going to apologize, nor do I think there's any reason I should.My being busy (huurrrrayyy!) is kind of the topic of this post, but in a totally different way. And I'm sure you guys will understand.

This blog was born out of enthusiasm, love -- and, let's face it, desperation. My enthusiasm for traveling in general, and especially for Switzerland, has inspired many of my posts, and I even went about resurrecting my career with a huge load of positivism and cheerfulness. But it was mostly my love for writing and sharing ideas and experiences that led to my pouring information on you guys in this manner.

And I guess there was a bit of impersonal love, a need to help, even if I had no I dea who my readers were. I wanted to help you guys escape all the annoying or embarrassing situations I'd wandered into due to lack of information. Most of those situations were the results of me plunging into creating a life in Switzerland, without knowing what I was up against. Would I have plunged had I known? Good question. But once I was here (and in the stuff up to the ears), I thought I'd help those in a similar situation. Or those thinking about the move.

Looking back I can say that happily it was mostly enthusiasm and love that came through. I tried to keep my suffering for myself, because I thought it wouldn't help anyone. What would help is a recital of how I overcame these difficulties. And, actually, I was quite often asked about that. So I thought I'd give you a heads up as to my recent adventures. Or, to be more exact, the fruit of my struggles.For struggle I did. Those of you who are well versed in the Fleur saga know that I came to Switzerland about two years ago (OK, exactly two years ago), because my husband (then boyfriend) got a job at one of the big multinationals in Geneva. I might have told you how it all came about, how he was always looking for internal positions abroad and how he fought for almost 6 months for this one. Than again, I might not have, but this post is about something else, so that will have to wait. =)

So here I was, in Geneva, for the second time in my life, awed and very much in love. I'm pretty sure there was a huge mixture of psychological factors at play, but the outcome was that I was just totally infatuated with this city and the country that hosts it. And it looked like an infatuation all over. I can even see myself groveling and trying to look my best, while this breezy highbrow idol of mine turns its back to me... Yeah, Geneva's not been a passionate lover, more like one that lets you run your course with an easy smile only to tell you, "not tonight, honey".

But you know the beauty of real love is that you never really give up. To be quite vulgar, I knew the b*tch would love me back some day, I only had to show my worth. You might say that I was mad -- and I would agree with you, to some extent. I'm not even sure I would have made the move had I known what was awaiting me. But then again, you know you often wish you'd never met that cruel but beautiful person that's changed your life forever.

The good thing is cities are not exactly like people. Unlike my metaphorical lover, Geneva's always been known to pour happiness and satisfaction on its select few. I wanted to be among that few. I wanted to be poured upon. Not that I wanted to become super rich or have a life without difficulties (that doesn't exist by the way). I just knew I was someone Geneva would like, and I knew I would enjoy being liked by it. So on I fought.

I guess this is where I come to the point. I'm sorry if you had to wait long for this to come. But I guess if you're reading for the gist, you've already figured how to do that in my posts (or you've ditched my blog completely). Besides, I wanted to let you guys -- you, who are struggling to make your dreams come true -- know that I've been there, and this is how I got on. I'm not one of those girls that get everything right at the start and then gallop through life like one big march of triumph (do you say that, by the way?). No, I'm one of those gals that go through the labyrinth, getting chased by all the monsters, and, though I don't get killed, I get pretty worked by the time I reach the treasure. But I always reach the treasure. And there's always the nice kind of treasure. so I guess I am lucky. But you, know, that treasure doesn't have my name on it. It could be yours too.

This is really what this ride's been like. More like an adventure than a pleasure ride, i must confess it drove me to desperation from time to time. Even to tears. I did feel that I was a failure, I did feel that maybe I should just give it all up -- but I never actually did. I believe that believing in your own dreams and powers is the most important ingredient of success. Becasue if you believe in those, you can always take your course for granted and only look at the next step to take. Sometimes the big picture is just too big to consider. Never mind, keep going step by step. If you know where you're going, your determination will act like a compass and guide you through the roughest times.

And, sometimes, it knows better where to guide you than you'd ever guess. It did in my case at least. You guys know how much I love teaching. You know how much I fought for a teaching position in Geneva. But going step by step toward my dreams and becoming more and more true to myself, I started to see what those dreams actually were. I guess sometimes it's really true that you might not even know what you want, even though you seem to have a clear idea about it. And that's exactly what happened to me.

To cut the long story short, my struggles led me in a different direction than the one I set myself at first. It turns out that my dream of becoming a full time language teacher was only part of the truth. The past two years, and especially the difficulties I had to face, made me realize that I simply had more in me than what this industry would ever appreciate. And, by the time I reached the last bend of the labyrinth and caught a limpse of the treasure, I realized that that treasure was so much greater than I would have ever dreamed of. Well, actually I did dream of it but I guess it was just too huge to admit.

I can't tell you whether I'm really there now or there are more monsters lurking around. But one thing's sure: I now know what the real treasure is, and I'm not going to let it go. I know now that deep down it was always about researching language learners' psychology and training would be teachers. And, of course, changing the world a bit. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. That will be the topic of a future post, I'm afraid.

Thank you for reading.

Have a nice week guys,

and keep faith in all your fights and struggles.

Don't forget, the treasure is there,

you only have to believe! ;)

fleur

A Little More Italy (The Trip Continues)

2011-09-20T11:13:00.000+02:00

So we spent our fist (half) day at Monterosso's beach. It was marvelously refreshing, though we soon realized that this holiday was going to be way different from our Engadine trip. Can't say we hadn't been warned, but to be honest it's difficult to imagine a place being so touristy.

Monterosso has the nicest beach of all the villages, and the only proper beach to be honest. We loved the other villages (more on that later) and their little nook-like beaches (more like crevices in the rock), but if you want to have a real beach day (and save traveling costs), Monterosso it is.

That first day we kept to the "free" beach, which is very small compared to the private ones, which means that all those unwilling to pay the EUR 21 daily fee for two sunbeds and an umbrella will end up squeezing here. Which is actually fine if you like that sort of thing. :)

What sort of thing? Well, I found the atmosphere of the place very special. This actually goes for the whole of the Cinque Terre, as in all of the villages and even a bit further inland, I had that strange feeling of being sucked back into an era long past.

I might have told you that much of my wanderlust comes from having so many frequent travelers in my family, yet having been confined to the borders of my own country till the age of 17. By that time I'd heard so much of the world that I just had to see it for myself. I'd developed the strange conviction that if you can do something abroad, you'd better do it there -- and better still, go somewhere you've never been before. Not because it's necessarily better than at home, but because these experiences make you able to make more sound decisions. Well, they make you who you are.

So you might imagine how funny I felt when I realized that this holiday was going to be exactly the holiday I'd never had. You see by the time I started discovering the world, holidays where you lie on the beach wearing expensive designer sunglasses and then take a coconut scented shower and head off to a fancy local restaurant wearing your best and sexiest -- well, these holidays were already out of fashion. We've been conquering jungles and volcanoes, wearing goretex and eating at off the beaten track places, where owners don't mind if you leave mud marks on the floor. But here, I was soon digging up dresses and jewelry from the bottom of our suitcase, and stocking up on scented hair oils and the like.

Not that you need anything fancy to enjoy your holiday in the Cinque Terre. It's just that the whole atmosphere makes you feel fancy. I mean all of us look more sleek when tanned, and we all have that nonchalant view on life after a good Italian dinner. Taking a canoe and discovering the coastline, or joining the crowd on a boat tour only adds to the feeling of being on the top of the world.

Adding up all the costs and comparing it to the subjective value of the experience, we both agreed that maybe our trip to Engadine was "more worth it". But I really felt that during this holiday I could let that old ghost go. I suppose somewhere deep down I always felt that I'd been deprived of a holiday like this. Where you just relax and feel beautiful and eat wonderful food and forget about all your cares in the world.

Of course, that was not all we did. We did do some crazy stuff (well, it wouldn't be us, would it?) and we did some hiking, and all in all we explored the region quite well.

But this post is getting long, so you'll have to keep tuned for those episodes. ;) But they're coming, coming soon.

Have a nice week all of you guys. :)

Á la prochaine! ;)

fleur

A Little Italy [Our Trip to Cinque Terre] Part I

2011-09-10T23:14:00.001+02:00

I thought this post had long hit the roads of our virtual existence... However, it now seems that I must have dreamed writing it, because clearly it hadn't. I hate when this happens. Like when I was pestering that poor student about his homework, while it had only been in my dreams... Yeah, that's when I switched to very detailed lesson plans. ^^ Not that I don't trust my memory -- I simply don't trust my subconscious.

But what you really wanted to know about, why you clicked here, is our little trip to the Cinque Terre. So I guess I'll cut my ramblings short, and start telling you more about that. Well, I'm kind of in a pickle as to that. According to the stats, many people consult my blog (that sounds so cool, doesn't it?) to find out more about a given topic and to get some specific information otherwise unavailable on the world wide web. But there are those (OK, a minority obviously) who want to know how I fare or -- to be more realistic -- whether a certain place or activity would appeal to them.

You see, I definitely want to keep on providing hard to get information, but I also want to make this post (kinda) fun. So I decided to diverge from my usual informative style of posts filled with links and to do lists and venture into a semi-narrative of what we were doing (and eating) in the south. You'll see I'll still go informative from time to time, but if you're specifically looking for that kind of stuff, I have two tips to give you. I'll be highlighting the key info, so that you can scan for that. Second, I'll be using the official names of all the things I mention, so whatever search engine is your best friend, they'll be easy to gather more info on. So, let's get started! ;)

Well, we did quite early, actually. Both googlemaps and our GPS estimated the route to be around 5-6 hours, so we decided it would be awesome to have lunch already in Cinque Terre. So we set out around 7, stocked up on cheap Swiss gas and off we dashed, through the Mont Blanc Tunnel and onto Italian highways. I won't bore you with the details, only tell you that half the road was amazingly spectacular and the other half -- was just tunnel after tunnel. Which means that reading any book or writing any research (yeah, I know) was just impossible, so audiobooks are definitely the way to go if you don't have a very talkative companion. (Or, if your husband is just too conscientious a driver to let his attention wander...)

We did get there by lunchtime, however, and this meant we were up against our second Herculean task (the first being getting all the route right). Parking. OK, a little info, something you'll find in any guide or forum. Parking in the Cinque Terre is a pain. Most of the villages don't have parking lots and all of them are closed to motor traffic. But no need to worry, you're reading a survivor's guide to globe trotting and Fleur's ready to come to the rescue! ;) Your solution will be to park your car at the first or the last town, namely Monterosso or Riomaggiore and take the train. As the villages are better connected to each other than to nearby towns, I wouldn't park in Levanto or La Spezia... But that's just me. Of course, it depends on where you're planning to spend your time.

As we were planning to spend most of our time in the Cinque Terre and only give the likes of Tuscany a cursory glance, we booked a room in Monterosso. This proved to be a good decision for a number of reasons. We had excellent accommodation at Manuel's Guesthouse and the parking lot was just by the train station. We easily found a place and set off to check in and discover the village.

Needless to say, we ended up spending that day at Monterosso's beach, relaxing in the sun after all those tiring kilometers (and tunnels...).

Thanks for reading, I hope this was helpful/fun. :) To find out more about the Cinque Terre and our Italian holiday, please keep tuned. There's more to come. ;)

Hugs from a decidedly autumnal Geneva ;)

fleur

10 + 1

2011-08-04T11:12:00.002+02:00

During the last few years I've often been joking that I've found the recipe for the perfect 'happily ever after'. Find yourself a cute boyfriend in your late teens, and never let go. =)

OK, if this was so easy, the world would be full of happily married people. But it does work sometimes, as it did with us. It's so funny to think back; no one would have thought 11 years ago that the adventure that one kiss led to would be such a hit!

Amazing things happen when we least expect them, and saying that we ever planned this would be boasting. We're just as amazed as anyone else every time we realize that our passion for each other and the bond between us have only grown stronger during the years. So how did all this happen?

Honestly, I don't know. I'd say it was a fortunate mixture of personality traits and circumstance that has kept us together, but that's like saying that people are made of atoms and molecules. With all the biological and psychological explanations, there's always that 0.1% that science just can't explain. That's what I call miracle. And I believe that's what we have too.

It's been 11 years that we first confessed our love for each other. During the next ten years, we went through different adventures that all added to who we are, and helped form our relationship. Some of these experiences tested us, and some even tore us apart for a while. But somehow, against all the odds, that miracle did its work. And a year ago we celebrated our 10 year anniversary by consecrating this bond and inviting our friends and family to join us in the celebrations.

I don't think that the institution of marriage is any good, unless you make it so. Two people can only build something on the basis of their intentions and skills, and this is just the same with marriage. In our case, I believe it was one of the best decisions of our lives. We really love being married and enjoy every moment of it. I don't think marriage can change a relationship from bad to good, and it certainly proves to be a constraint to some. But in our case it just feels appropriate, it really shows where we stand.

And the funniest thing is, it didn't make us feel older or more settled. Sure we are more mature than years ago, but that is just natural. However, we're just as outgoing as ever, but also love to spend time together. And being married has something sexy about it too... like having a secret no one else will ever understand. And I guess they won't. It's that 0.1%, that miracle, that special thing that makes us shrug and smile any time someone asks 'Yes, but how?'.

Thanks for tuning in.

Don't forget to check the blog

for my newest adventures

in Switzerland! ;)

xoxo

fleur

A Really Swiss Experience (Our Trip to Lower Engadine)

2011-08-01T14:54:00.003+02:00

Any time I meet friends from home, or whenever I meet people for the first time, they ask me how I like Switzerland. I always say I love it! and they always look at me quite confused. You have to understand the cultural background a bit.

First off, Hungarians tend to focus on negative aspects of anything, and the Swiss tend to count their chickens only when they're hatched, roasted and eaten. Second, people find it incredible that my infatuation with the country is still at such a peak.

In my defense, I have to admit that I'm an all time optimist and usually refrain from having my good mood ruined. But, and this is my main point with this post, I also find the country drop dead gorgeous. Just the other day, when we were doing a short hike in the Jura, we agreed that if we happen to ever move and leave Switzerland, our new destination wil have a lot to make up for. Because, though I don't believe you can find paradise on earth, this little place is as close to it as can be. Especially, if you go to places like the Lower Engadine.

I know it's all subjective. What I find beautiful and marvelous may be OK or even dull to someone else. I'll take the blame for being a mountain addict and a gourmet and go ahead with this little review. Who knows? Maybe there are people out there who, like us, love eating and hiking, and will find it helpful.

This year we decided to (or rather, were forced to) split our holidays. So we took two separate weeks off, and chose two very different destinations. Our July holidays, thus, took us to the Lower Engadine. The Engadine Valley is in the easternmost part of Switzerland, in the canton of Graubünden (Grison/Rischun). If you're looking at the map you'll have to think the way Egyptians did, as the Lower Engadine is actually the northern one of the two valleys.

It was easy for us to choose our destination, as a friend recommended the area, and after realizing that the southern valley boasted such glitzy resorts as St Morritz, it went without question that we'd opt for the more rural, off the beaten track part. After that, it took me some time to find out that cottages or chalets are never built for two, and what we actually needed was a hotel garni, where we could rent a room without paying for half a dozen beds -- and still enjoy the traditional alpine atmosphere.

It was probably a little late (and many of the accommodations were already taken or not really suited to our needs), but we were lucky with the Hotel Chasa Nova in Samnaun. They had a beautiful double room for us, facing south, with a view on the forest and the mountains, for CHF 120 a night (including all charges and breakfast). I loved the hotel, with its wonderful location and super friendly staff, the delicious buffet breakfasts while admiring the view, and its traditional Engadine looks. Due to a Samnaun summer deal, we had open access to the spa in Samnain-Ravaisch, as well as unlimited access to the cable cars in the area.

We spent our time hiking and eating :), with occasional breaks of playing boardgames or sleeping. ;) So let's see some of the activities I would recommend.

Hiking

We did a number of hikes in the area. First we scaled the Stammerjoch (took us around 90 minutes to reach the summit from the village and around an hour looping back to the hotel), which was a good warmer and showed us some of the most beautiful views. We took the Val Maisas treck up and the Val Chamins one down, the easier option I think, and had a marvelous afternoon.

Then we spent a day in the National Parc, walking through the valley of Champlönch from Parking 1 in Ova Spin, then up to Alp Grimmels (a little clearing, where you can occasionally spot marmots, but I think it's become all too popular with families, so the animals must be avoiding it...) with cool views. (On the way down my wallet -- with all our money and cards -- slipped from my pack, and we were just about to walk all the way back when the family we passed earlier told us they'd found it like 2 kms back... Awesome people!) We continued to Il Fuorn (Parking 6), where we had the most delicious tomato cream soup at the little inn (courtesy of the found wallet!). We felt it was a bit early to return, so we decided to walk to Parking 4 and take the bus from there. So we took the trail that starts between Parking 5 and 6, in the direction of Munt la Schera. We didn't have time to go all the way to the top, so after around 30 minutes we took a break at the refuge at Alp la Schera. Beautiful views of the Lake Livigno and the mountains around! It took us around 40 minutes to reach the parking and take the hourly bus back to our parking lot. Actually, this is so well organized; you can reach any of the parking lots by taking the bus that runs through the park (through the Ofenpass) at least once an hour in each direction (demi tarif/Halbekarte reductions apply!).

Well, strictly speaking this was no hike, but we also took the cable cars to the highest point between Switzerland and Austria. We didn't descend into Ischgl but walked around a bit and took the cable car back to Samnaun. But the views were totally worth our time and, well, it was for free. :)

Sadly the good weather didn't hold out, so our trip to the Val Taschna (or Taschna Valley, a beautiful hike from Ftan or Ardez) was drowned by the rain, and we had to head back after 30 minutes. We tried to cheer up visiting Guarda, a famous Engadine village, but that attempt was also doomed to fail. Whether because it was still raining from time to time, or because we couldn't find a restaurant where both the staff was nice and one could have a vegetarian dish (instances of each were to be found but not a combination of both)... I could not say. But overall the pace seemed lovely enough, though locals seemed to be quite under the weather. I guess the area's been suffering from the economic crisis quite badly, as most of their visitors come from the EU. Well, this year not many of them were coming, it seems.

Eating

Bad weather could quench our desire to explore the wild, but never our appetite. And in Samnaun we found many good places to try local specialties. Our favorite, by the end of the week, was definitely the restaurant of the Hotel Chasa Montana (I believe it's called La Pasta). Their menu is full of local dishes, and even vegetarians can find a number of treats to meet their special needs. Prices were nowhere as high as in Geneva. I distinctly remember the Apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce costing CHF 8. And, actually, theirs was the best in Samnaun! (Believe me, we tried a couple. :)) The interior is very stylish, a mix between traditional Engadine architecture and moden elegance, and staff is all hospitality. And the food is to dies for. ;) They have a good wine list too, and I saw a good number of the savvy filling the tables and people spinning their glasses at the bar. ;)

At a similar price range, but not as unbelievably delicious, you can dine at the Schmuggler, where the interior is sure to enchant anyone. Gorgeous farmhouse furniture (centuries old, I bet!) makes this gem a really cozy place, where you're served by ladies and gents in leather shorts and flower-embroidered shirts, woolen socks and hats included. Food was good too, but if you've already soaked in the atmosphere, not necessarily something to return for.

The restaurant of the Hotel Alpina serves local dishes as well, and they have the lowest prices in Samnaun, as far as I know. Food was good, especially for the price, and the servings were filling. Their style was more towards the rural, if you know what I mean. Simple, yet comfortably spicy, they reminded us of childhood memories in the Hungarian countryside.

We ate at a couple of other places, but as I seem to have forgotten their names, the couldn't have been very important. :) If you're planning to visit the region, you can expect to eat well here. It's not really like your French cuisine, though pizzas and Italian pasta can be had almost anywhere. But if you're in for something special, think rösti and dried meat, sausages and strudel. If not for the distance, I'd still be going back once in a while for an apfelstrudel...

So I hope that was helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. ;)

I'll be back soon with more news about our little life in Switzerland ;)

We still have our Italian trip ahead of us, and school starts in September, so that's also very exciting!

But there are many things to do till then. ;)

And, finally, the weather is more summery... So I'll go and have a look at the festivities -- because it's Switzerland's biggest national holiday today.

Cheers

fleur

On Holiday

2011-07-04T13:24:00.003+02:00

I can't wait! Now that we have a car, we're a bit more flexible on holiday planning too. We don't have to buy plane tickets 6 months in advance and we can visit more remote areas as well. We've booked two holidays for this summer.

In July we'll spend a week in the Engadine valley, in the Romansch-speaking part of canton Graubünden. 5-6 hours from Geneva by car (I guess similar by train), by the Eastern border of Switzerland, this beautiful area is considered a hidden gem. We're planning to 'switch off' as much as we can, and go hiking and bathing, enjoying the spectacular views and yummy cuisine. I'll let you know how it went and post some pictures too.

Then, in August, we're going for a totally different kind of holiday. We'll spend a week in Cinque Terre, Italy. Another 5-6 hours from Geneva will take us to these picturesque little towns built on the rocks of the Western coast of Italy. I bet it will be packed full of tourists -- but we have our ways of avoiding crowds, so hopefully we'll have a good time. And if we're fed up, we can just jump into the car and head for Tuscany. We'll see...

I'm so excited about these plans, I can't wait to go on holiday! Fortunately we're leaving soon for Engadine. So I have a lot of planning to do... =)

Enjoy your holidays,

and don't forget to check

our holiday pictures!

They'll be on soon.

Bisous ;)

fleur

Feeling Festive

2011-07-04T12:47:00.000+02:00

I guess it's a world wide trend nowadays that, once it's warm enough to ditch winter coats, festivals spring up like mushrooms all over the place. I love mushrooms. And I love festivals.

There's just something non-conform, something bohemian about them. Going to a club somehow never feels so liberating and so invigorating. There's something in entering an area particularly designated to partying and general fun. It's like a world where gravitation changes: it draws you to a different nucleus, to the center of the party universe. Social barriers cease to exist, we're all chums, guests at an immense house party, a party of all kinds of music and entertainment. And when there's nothing else to do, you can just... well, be festive!

And that's precisely what I've been doing these past couple of weeks. Every weekend my local friends took me to a different festival, and finally I started to feel completely at home in Switzerland. And even a bit better than that. But let's take it a bit slower and enlist all the places we've visited. For these are yearly events and, even though I couldn't warn you of their coming this year (well, I had no idea myself until the calls came in the morning ^^), you might want to check them out next year.

5 Continents, Martigny

This was a nice little festival, nothing pretentious. We went with a friend originally from Martigny, and it seems all the locals attend the event. Of course, you'll see many tourists and people from all over the country, but somehow the whole event has a friendly feel to it and you'll be able to mingle and chat as if it was a huge garden party in truth. But it's so much more too. There's music on two stages, from all over the world. We listened to a Mexican singer in colorful robes and a band of Iranian musicians, to top the whole thing with dancing holes in our shoes to the tunes of the Amstedam Klezmer Band. And, to restore your energy, tasting the specialties of world cuisine is a must. Gorge on dishes from Palestine and Thailand, or take a safe bet on Valeisan goodies, mouthwatering pancakes and meat cooked in a dozen ways.

5 Continents, Martigny

When Old Lausanne goes reveling. All around the Cathedral, stalls offer different shows and drinks and food in a huge variety. There's concerts too, featuring well known international bands and local novelties. We also had the chance to see a magician and dance to music from Ethiopia. As place here is more limited, be prepared to squeeze and push, but if you're up to the challange it will be a rewarding experience.

Montreux Jazz Festival

Yes. I won't be the first to write about this world famous event, I guess. But I'll just have to add to the tons of reviews and recommendations. It's an awesome show for sure, and hosts some of the most famous bands and singers in the history of jazz (and music, I'll venture to say). The thing is, if you have tickets (which I find a bit too expensive, but of course in case of such a special event the prices are hardly surprising) the festival's an instant hit. If you don't, it's a good idea to get a drink and head to one of the free performances. There's excellent jazz to be had at the price of your beer at the park stage, and you can meet the queerest people and get a feeling of the special vibe. The scenery's unbeatable and looking over the lake at the snowy Alpin peaks will make you forget the occasional slips in the tune, if the performance happens to fall below standard. Not something I've encountered though.

What I don't like about Montreux Jazz (because there are drawbacks too) is the phoniness. Here, the immense crowd is just that, a crowd of people from everywhere, looking around with glassy stares, intent on getting what they want or where they want. You have to understand that everyone comes here, at least once. Whether they like the music, have friends who like the music, want to pick up a chick/guy, have nothing better to do, are traveling in Switzerland on business or leisure at the time. They're admiring the cake style mansions, the rich hotels, the fancy cars... and to many this is what the festival is about.

I prefer to sit on the grass, drink fresh juice, talk to my friends and smile at nice strangers, listen to music and forget the rest of the world. Posh hotels and fancy cars decidedly taint that pleasure, in my opinion. I don't mind them, I just don't think they're very festivaly. And stepping out of a limousine, wearing Versace head to heals, is more like Canne to me than a jazz festival. I guess I'll keep attending until I feel too old to brave the breathtaking coastal road (a must!), but always with caution. I'll keep to the lawns.

See you in the next post! ;)

Have a fun and festive summer.

Swiss Chocolate Kisses =)

fleur

Living the Dream

2011-07-04T11:59:00.000+02:00

Yeah, I know. I haven't been exactly the most diligent of bloggers these past few weeks. But I do have some excuses ready, and you'll see they're pretty good ones. In fact, I've been living the Expat Dream...

I know that sounds like happiness kept me from sharing my newest adventures. Well, that's not really true. Astonishment had more to do with it. I was so shocked to see that my seemingly never ending story of struggles had suddenly turned into a fairy tale, that I felt decidedly numb for a while. Then I was busy getting a hold of the dream I was living, just to make sure it wasn't going to flee. Now I'm almost convinced that it's reality so thinking (and writing) about it feels less awkward.

So let's start at the beginning.

In countless posts I've hinted at the struggles I was going through to establish a life here, in Switzerland. When the veils of initial infatuation lifted, the whole experience took on a Shakespearean character. My hilly lover (overflowing with cheese, chocolate and tourists) seemed to be separated from me by a wall of paperwork and strange preconceptions.

The former done I still found the challenge of finding suitable work close to hopeless. I was craving for that position where I can develop and flourish, bringing all my creative energies and fresh ideas to the firm, who, in return, appreciates my efforts and makes me feel an active member of society. Those who know me will tell you by what crazy principles I live. In my ideas, the pay is one of the minor things to consider. Once I'm paid enough to live a modest life on, and set a bit aside for times when I feel like conquering unknown horizons, I'm content. I don't like to be underpaid, of course. I just find that the general atmosphere of the workplace, the chance to develop and make good use of my skills, and the feeling that I'm appreciated and respected are somehow more important than the actual financial reward. But even with my modest needs, such a job was not to be found.

I was beginning to sink into a life of unfulfillment and perpetual melancholy, when the fruit of all my efforts suddenly burst into bloom (there's a weird picture). To cut a long story short, a position to accompany a PhD opened at the University of Geneva. I applied, filing all the material I'd been compiling for almost a year, and after a long wait they replied in the affirmative. In the course of the past two months I've seen a dream unfold in front of my eyes and change my life from a continuous struggle to look for a channel for my creativity into a living success story. Of course, the actual work has not begun yet, but I have the gut feeling that this is what I've been waiting for -- what I've been fighting for.

So you see I've been spending the last few weeks in Expat Heaven. Looking at the world in a different light, through the eyes of the busy working girl, shopping for a smart but original wardrobe, meeting people in and out of my field, enjoying the holidays. Yes, I'm having holidays now, because from September on I'll be super busy being efficient! And, you know, being able to tell holidays and workdays apart is one of the greatest feelings on earth.

Have an awesome week, guys!

I'll be back soon, I promise,

with all sorts of cool things

to do in Switzerland

during the sunny summer months.

xoxoxo

fleur

Kindle 3 (My Thoughts)

2011-06-10T11:10:00.165+02:00

So I've had my Kindle 3 for like 2-3 months now. And honestly, I LOVE it! In fact, the reason why I haven't written about it before is exactly because it is so good. I've been reading so much that I've kinda been neglecting my other hobbies... Yeah, there's a drawback for you. LOL

Well, let's start with my business reasons, as my husband likes to call them. He also says that I shouldn't watch any ads because that was what got me hooked on the Kindle. It is so not true. What happened was that I was watching an interview with the Amazon guys responsible for its development, my eyes all red from reading academic articles on my notebook, my hands full of paper cuts from the print outs... and you can imagine how I felt when they started talking about how good the Kindle is on the eyes and how you don't have to carry all those books with you, can read in sunlight and use basically any formats you're likely to read... Kind of understandable why I got hooked. And I'll admit I did.

So I went to check out the prices and was astonished. I'm not saying that the 200 something Swiss francs we paid for the device (with customs and all) is nothing. But if you don't insist on having the actual book on your shelf, and you like reading, it takes no time to save that amount on the books themselves. For me it's already been worth it, if for nothing else but the book prices. And in fact we were about to buy a new bookcase from IKEA, for CHF 180... so see, we've saved a lot! =D And now it's even cheaper because amazon.de has it too.

OK, where was I? Oh, yes, I saw the vid, I checked out amazon, and, after reading some of the reviews and watching the videos, I ordered my Kindle. And I'm quite convinced it was one of the best purchases of my life. I love it for a number of reasons:

The screen. It's really like paper. I couldn't believe it when I first saw it. You can read it in direct sunlight, there's no glare, and it's so easy on the eyes I've never experienced any dryness or redness -- something I've often had while reading on screen for hours.

The settings options. I love love love that you can set your own contrast and font and size! You can even tilt the document 90° in either direction, pretty useful if you're reading PDFs. I also use the bookmarking and note taking functions quite often, especially when I'm reading academic documents. Your notes get saved in a separate file, so you can read them later as a text, with references to the originals. I find this pretty cool in my work.

The layout. Well, of course it's the cutest thing if you look at how slim it is. I'm not that fond of the "rough" surface of the graphite one (white is US only,sadly), but it does give a good grip. Not that you need to grip hard. "Naked", the Kindle feels the same as holding, say, 10 sheets or so. I always read it in its Eco-nique hemp case, which feels more natural for me to hold, used as I am to the weight and thickness of books. At first I felt annoyed by the page turning buttons, and kept pushing left to go back, but it's just logical that you should be able to read one-handed, no matter which hand you prefer. Now I find it pretty cool, and the angle of the buttons is just perfect. Besides, I really like the bottom keyboard as well. I've always liked the five-direction thingy on phones, and here it makes navigation really easy. I can type on the keyboard, no problem, and I think it's perfect for all the typing you're likely to do on your Kindle anyway.

The browser. Yeah, the browser. I know I'm crazy and people in general say it's worthless. But I like it nonetheless and I'll tell you why. I bought the 3G version of the Kindle, because I don't like to pay for mobile web, when all I'm doing is checking my emails. I often have to check my emails and train connections and weather forecast and the like on the go, but I'd never do any real browsing on a small screen. I have my notebook for that, and I'm not going to pay for the slow connection my phone is capable of. And so on, and so forth. So I really like that I can check these on the go for free, and I can take all the tickets and plans and guides with me on my Kindle, instead of printing them out.

The battery. Yes, that's truly amazing. I think amazon claims you can go without a recharge for a month. This I can't vouch for, I've never tried, but I guess you could do that. Given that you turn the wireless off and don't read 8 hours a day. But of course, it's rare nowadays that you have to go a month without electricity or the proper plug, and then you're not likely to be reading all day. =) As it is, I usually recharge my Kindle twice a month, or, if I'm using the wireless/3G connection a lot, once a week. And we're reading a lot.

The ease of getting new books, something that is unique to the Kindle, I think.With a couple of clicks, you can order your new book from amazon and download it to your kindle in a blink of an eye. You can convert other documents using a converter or sending them to your kindle email. I love how easy and fast it is to transfer documents to my Kindle, and take them with me!

Reading PDFs, which is one of the main reasons I bought it, is not as developed as other features, though. I'm usually reading documents without pictures (which are a pain in the ... to convert), so I hardly notice the difference between kindle books and PDFs. The functions work too, such as highlights and notes and searching, making life so much easier. The converter (I either use the "convert via email" amazon service or Calibre) makes an awful job of some tables and charts and scanned documents, however, so those I read without converting, in which case the Kindle handles the documents as pictures. I lose a good number of functions this way, but my eyes are safe at least. But normally PDFs work fine, it is only older documents or scanned ones that don't get converted so nicely. I've come across only a couple of such documents and either read them on my notebook or tilted the screen and made peace with the limited functions.

That said, I understand that some people are not so fond of the Kindle or so ready to buy one. Obviously, there are cons... In today's fast developing technology, some can't live without features such as games or a touch screen. Personally, I'm not a big fan of solitary gaming (I prefer company and then I'll only play for the fun of it), so this has never been a factor for me. I don't quite see how a touch screen on a reading device would make life easier, either, without making it more difficult. I'm often touching the screen while holding the Kindle one handed, and every time I think it's good it doesn't have a touchscreen. You can point at the words when showing it to someone, you can flick mosquitoes off it (well, you might want to!), etc. without any effect. Also, technology still has a short way to go till we can have a touchscreen without any glare, something that would endanger all the Kindle stands for. I could do with some colors, sure, but do I really need it? I don't think so. As it is, my Kindle 3 happens to be perfect for what I use it. I think the best way to improve it would be to make reading PDFs easier, add new functions and maybe new document types to the short list the Kindle can read. Other than that, I'm really happy with the device. Good job, amazon.

I hope this helps!

For more info and tips,

check out MissChiveous's video review below!

(I'm not affiliated with her in any way,

I just like her a lot and I couldn't have made

a better video review myself. =))
Have an awesome weekend! ;)

Good reading, everyone!

fleur

Buying a Car in Germany and Importing it to Switzerland

2011-06-02T20:17:00.001+02:00

I know this post's been due for some time. But we're finally done with the whole process, so I can tell you all how it's done. ^^ So if you want to buy your car a lot cheaper than you would in Switzerland, and you're not afraid of a little paperwork, keep reading 'coz I'm about to tell you all the secrets of the trade. ;)

So we started out by checking out the (second hand) offers on www.mobile.de, and comparing the prices to the Swiss ones (astonished sighs). Then we contacted the seller, who happened to be a salon near Berlin. After having agreed on the price, etc. we asked him to produce the EUR1 and EU Conformity documents along with all the other papers. We also asked for a temporary license plate, which costs around 300 euros for a month. (And good that we did because this way we could use the car while arranging all the paperwork.)

Then my hubby jumped on a plane and drove the car to Hungary, where we spent the Easter holidays. Once we were back to Switzerland, we had our 13.20A document stamped at the customs office (for this we needed the original documents of the car, certificate of road worthiness, bill etc.), which we then took to Port Franc in Geneva. There we had to pay the Swiss customs and VAT and some administration fee. The former two amounted to some 12% of the purchase price.

We quickly signed up with the OCAN for a technical inspection, handing in the originals of the documents listed here (in French): 13.20A; certificate of road worthiness; EU Conformity; the document they gave us at Port Franc. We also made photocopies just in case. They gave us a date and time for a month later, but I harassed them some in person, so we got one in a week. =) Well, as appointments have to be cancelled 48 hours earlier (otherwise the fee is to be paid!), a good number of slots are available for the determined (/desperate ^^). Note that the emission control has to be carried out before the technical inspection. I was also told that if we happen to be unable to produce some of the documents till then, we could submit them later on, when we go to pick up the plates.

So we quickly had an emission control here (took around 5 minutes), for CHF 39, which is funny considering that the slip of paper we needed for the control cost CHF 50 at Emil Frey. (I picked that up beforehand and decided immediately that I'd sooner deal with the devil than that bunch of arrogant jerks.) and couple of hours later we went to have the technical inspection. Ours was a fairly new car with EU conformity, so it didn't take long (20 minutes) and was hassle-free.

We couldn't pick up the plates the same day, because we still needed insurance. That was done online, in a couple of clicks. A friend suggested Zurich connect and, indeed, it had really nice prices. So we went with them and they even sent the confirmation to the OCAN so we didn't have to wait for it to arrive by post or print anything. Note that it's not automatically done, we learned that the hard way. You have to call them, confirmation number at hand, to ask them to send it to the office.

So in a couple of weeks we were able to pick up the plates. At the OCAN office you can get a sheet with the list of documents needed. I had to fill it in and hand it in, so I don't have it any more, but I remember that my hubby's permit and passport were among them, along with the insurance documents (emailed by Zurich connect), the 13.20A document and the German road worthiness certificate and the documents we got at the customs office.

Couple of weeks later we received a bill of the registration fee (some CHF 95), the plates (CHF 40) and the consumption tax. Allegedly upon sending the "Attestation d'immatriculation" and the customs forms to the dealer, he's supposed to give us back the German VAT, though we're still waiting for this to happen. ^^ He says the German customs will send him something as well... well, we'll see. =)))

OK, I hope that covers everything. =)

Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to do my best to answer. ;)

Have a nice weekend.

Bye!

xoxoxoxo

fleur

Happy :)

2011-05-06T18:25:00.001+02:00

I'm sure we all have this strange feeling, from time to time, that something just makes us happy for no specific reason. Think of the color of strawberries, the shape of a cloud, or the taste of your granny's cookies. There's no reason why one little thing would make you bubble with joy while others you can pass by unnoticed. Or that's what we tend to say. But we all know, if we stop to think about it, just why these little things can make life look better so suddenly.

Take me and my uncontrollable smile whenever I smell lilacs. I haven't experienced the same with any other flower: I absolutely love the smell of freesias and jasmines and my bathroom cabinet is full of the scent of roses and lavenders. And yet. Lilacs! I'm smiling even now I imagine their scent. And the funny thing is I don't even have to imagine it. I'm surrounded by lilacs 24 hours a day, thanks to Bulgari's Omnia Amethyste.

It was really strange, as if predetermined, how I came upon this perfume. At Easter, visiting friends and family, I happened to arrive in Hungary at the time when lilacs started to bloom. In the countryside there were hedges of them and the scent was just so marvelous! And made me forget all my worries and become enchanted by sweet old memories. And I wanted to bury my head in the luscious flowers so that I can keep these memories with me as long as possible. I wanted to be able to smell lilacs any time during the year... And then, when I was shopping for my fav mascara, the girl slipped a little sample into the paper bag. It was only back in Geneva that I opened the bag and tried the thing -- and it smelled like LILACS! :) It got me so curious that I just had to check the next day how much the perfume costs. And, guess what, the old style bottle was on sale at IMPORT PARFUMERIE! So, instead of CHF 59, I got the 25 ml bottle for 29! A deal, isn't it? And I actually like the old, round bottle better than the new one! ;)

I can't say I'm really following perfume trends. Wearing a scent is much like choosing my music to me: it has to make me feel good. And, in the case of perfumes, very good. For quality perfume is no cheap deal and I don't feel like splurging on eaux that don't make me feel very good -- in one way or another. I normally go for spicy scents (not musky exactly but almost) that make me want to smile playfully and dream of fluffy pillows and candlelight. In summer I might sway towards red berries and old fashioned girliness, but I guess those spicy undertones never leave my aura for long. If I think about it though, my craze (in order of appearance) for Lily Angel and Innocent, Hypnose, Amor Amor and its version Tentation, Si Lolita last summer and Absolutely me and Euphoria during the colder months -- well, all this has a reason.

I'm crazily sensitive to scents. I don't mean to say that my sense of smell is better than anyone else. But I can instantly recognize scents and associate them with myriads of situations I've smelled them in. Maybe I'm so fond of heavier scents because they remind me of my teenage years (scented candles and heavy wine and drawn curtains and kisses heavy with myths), or the perfumes my mom used to wear when I was still experimenting with watercolors and colored markers as makeup. But lilac is even more special than these.

Every time I skid into that freshly sprayed cloud of Bulgari's eau, I feel that all those happy moments are rushing back to me. As if my head was burrowed into a huge bouquet of lilacs, and when I open my eyes I could see my granny smiling at me and saying how nice my new little dress is and that I'm such a little princess. And I would roam around the schoolyard snatching bunches of lilac from the fence which had been decorated for the school leaving ceremony. And I would only laugh when little Tommy said I wasn't a girl at all, why, only look at my dirty hands and knees! Oh, all those happy moments, and they're never really gone if I open my eyes. The scent lingers and so do the memories.

I was really amazed at first that an EDT can be so long lasting. I normally don't buy them for fear they evaporate too quickly -- which they do, most of the time. But not this one. And I only need a tiny bit -- well, I'm not gonna drench all the people around me in lilac... But I wear my shawl of invisible lilacs with a smug and happy little smile, any my happy little secrets in my heart.

Have a lovely weekend.

I'll be back soon! ;)

fleur

Back on Track

2011-05-04T16:36:00.000+02:00

It's totally incredible. I honestly didn't think I'll ever be able to sit down and write a post... like ever.

Saying that I've been busy is a huge understatement. First I got sick (I don't even remember having been so sick during my adult life) and then, despite the fact that my carry-on was full of Kleenex and mouth drops, I took a plane to spend the holidays (and a couple days more) with my family and friends in Hungary. And then, just when I thought things were cooling down, I started applying for this amazing job like crazy. I can't tell you anything yet (yeah, I don't wanna jinx it ^^), but I'm just superexcited! Oh, and in the meantime we ventured into the car import business -- just kidding, we actually bought a car in Germany, undertaking all the fuss and paperwork, instead of paying the (ridiculous) Swiss price tag.

So I'm back, with info on importation procedures, philosophic posts on expat life, whispering beauty and fashion secrets; and in general telling you about my adventures roaming and taming the Swiss ~~plains~~ humps and bumps. ;)

Enjoy the sunshine my lovely darlings

and keep tuned for

the ~~freshest~~ ~~weirdest~~ ~~most interesting~~

my select news

from Switzerland.

With love.

fleur

My Style # 6 [OOTD] -- Princess Coat ;)

2011-04-11T12:40:00.000+02:00

I know it's taken me quite long to upload these. But honestly, with all the summery weather we've been having lately, I've found it hard to remember what I was wearing during those two short weeks of spring... Well, here are the pics of me wearing my fabulous Lanvin for H&M coat!

For grey days (when I usually feel more funky and rockminded ^^)

And for brighter days (when I just crave a little color)

(I'm only going grocery shopping, hence the jeans. ^^)

Hope you liked it. :)

Have an awesome week.

I'll be back soon with my fantasy readings

and some news about...

well, life in Switzerland in general. ;)

xoxoxo

fleur

Fantasy Writer of the Week: Robert Jordan

2011-04-04T14:28:00.000+02:00

I've been planning to do something like this for a very long time now. As for the last couple of years I've been reading little else than fantasy, in my free time, I thought it was a good idea to start reviewing some of the books I liked. Especially because in reading all tastes are so different that the more reviews you read the better you can judge an author's work. I'd like to add my point of view to the vast amount of book reviews out there.

I'll go in no particular order, or rather, in no order of preference. I'm planning to write these posts, going author by author, in the order I read them. I'm determined to keep all kinds of spoilers out of the game, because that's exactly the point of this endeavor: to make it easier for you to decide whether you want to read the book or not. Neither do I want to go into a discussion of the storyline. What I'm going to do is give you some hints as to the style of the writer and the atmosphere of the book. So let's start!

I don't know why Robert Jordan wasn't so famous before... Maybe he was, only not so much outside the US. Anyway, we came across his writings some five years ago, totally by chance. My husband was living in London and one morning he was smashed against a guy on the overcrowded subway on his way to work. The guy didn't even look up but kept reading what looked like a very hefty volume. During his relatively long journey, being pushed around by the crowd on a grey London morning, my husband kept glancing back at the fantasy art cover of the book. He ended up memorizing the title, so that he could look it up later. Not that he had a lot of time to read those days...

A bit later, after finding the book and finding out that it was part of a series, he started reading the Wheel of Time novels. I remember telling him how much time he spent reading, instead of doing anything else. An avid reader of classical literature, I was reading a lot too -- but none of my books made made me read long into the night, and none of them kept me from all my other hobbies. It was only a year later that, in an attempt to understand his newfound interest in books, I started reading The Eye of the World. I immediately saw that the style and language was something that would keep me reading, even if the book didn't seem a real pageturner at first. I must admit that as I'd grown up on Agatha Christie and P.G. Wodehouse, style and language were very important to me. Most of the time I was reading rather for the wittiness of the text than for anything else. Stories told as if I was sitting next to the author chatting in a friendly manner left me uninterested. They still do.

I soon got addicted. The world felt real to me, very well developed. Mind you, this was my first ever fantasy book and though I'd always considered the theme of magic and elves and dwarves somewhat childish and ... well, not very sophisticated, I was amazed just how natural magic can feel. Nowadays I'm kind of OK with wizards throwing fireballs, but the kind of adult magic displayed in the Wheel of Times (WoT) books still makes me think of them as superior in quality. The world of WoT may not attract all readers but it's indisputably consistent and cohesive. As it is sort of fresh and new it takes away the staleness of orthodox fantasy (well, wizards throwing fireballs is all well and nice but not very original...).

Freshness, on the other hand, might not be the best way to describe the narrative. If your looking for swift action and crisp, concise chapters, these might not be the books for you. (You might want to check out my next review on R.A. Salvatore, though.) It is all understandable, in a way. Creating a world takes time and the long descriptions allow the reader to immerse the reader in its mechanisms and rules, building up characters chapter by chapter and making them as transparent as childhood friends. As I've always considered style more important than action, I cherished every single syllable of these descriptions. But I can understand that they might annoy some, and I'd advise them to reconsider their choice. However, my husband's not known for his appetite for classical literature (my few attempts at the beginning of our relationship proved to be huge failures, though I managed to stuff some of his shelves with books to catch a thick coat of dust...) and he still enjoys the books, so I'd assume it's a matter of taste rather. You've been warned though.

I've mentioned the characters and how elaborate their depiction and development is. Some don't like the fact that these books tell a good guys vs. bad guys kind of story, with good guys being inherently good and bad guys, well, fairly bad. They are a bit more complex than that, but not much, which might leave some deciding to return to the somewhat more balanced world of George R.R. Martin (a review coming soon). Personally, I didn't mind. I'm not necessarily fond of black and white characters, but I definitely need more than a lot of in-between characters, however complex, to enjoy a book. People say that the real world is like that, that everybody has a streak of this or that, but I don't believe them. The fact that absolutely good people are hard to find in real life does not mean that they can't become heroes of a book. And being absolutely good is not always easy. Especially when the bad guys are a lot more ... But I should start rounding off this review.

I'll not give you pros and cons, as deciding on reading a book or not, whether it's good or not, is a lot more complex. But I'll try to sum up of what I think of the WoT books and Robert Jordan's writing. And then I'll let you know what I think of Brandon Sanderson's contribution.

What I definitely loved about these books and what got me hooked immediately was the style and the language. I loved the narrative, the kind where one character is picked as our "guide for the day", and we pry their heads and hearts open to follow them through a couple of scenes, viewing the world through their eyes. This allows for a number of styles, as each character has their turns of speech and attitudes, which makes the books all the more interesting. While we see everything from one point of view, secrets still remain hidden and to be discovered.

I also loved the language, which is sophisticated and rich but not pompous, and the characterization, which makes the heroes lovable (well, most of the time...) and the antagonists intriguing. I didn't mind the fact that most of the characters in the book are either good or bad, as I prefer my books to differ from the real world a bit. I can see, though, how this, along with the lengthy descriptions might make these books a miss for some. Although I keep thinking that's a minority. The majority have kept biting their nails waiting for the next book in line to come out and I consider myself quite lucky that I only discovered the series when it was almost complete and could go on reading without any breaks. Except for the last two books. But those were worth the wait.

Now I deliberately skipped reading reviews on any of Brandon Sanderson's books or even on the WoT books he wrote. First of all because I wanted to read them regardless of what people say, and second because I believed that avid fans of Robert Jordan might not be the fairest guides as to the merits of his successor. While I loved Jordan's book, I had to admit that towards the end some of the characters became a bit, well, stale, and some of the action was a bit dragged. I'm not blaming him, I don't think I could write about the same characters for decades, however dear they are to me. I have to agree with Mr Salvatore on this point. So when I started reading the first of the books co-written by Brandon Sanderson, I felt... relieved. A lot like when you hold your breath under water and can finally let go. Sucking in the fresh, stormy air of his prologue, I knew immediately that he was a very, very, good choice. The fact that I've been reading his books (I mean his other books) ever since is a good indication, I guess. I'd recommend reading the last three books of the series to anyone who read the previous books. Just as I recommend the whole Wheel of Time series to anyone in for a little bit of polished fantasy -- well, 14 books actually. I bet it'll keep you busy for a time. =)

I hope you enjoyed this review

and found it helpful.

Others are coming soon!

Please subscribe if you're

interested in life in Switzerland and

Geneva, book reviews and

travel tips, boardgames

and hiking, and

much much more! ;)

Have a nice, sunny spring day.

fleur

Spring in the Park

2011-04-04T12:18:00.001+02:00

spring in the park, a set on Flickr.

Yes, it's finally here. We've had a long and dark winter and, though we've already seen a couple of sunny days, nothing compares to the glory of full spring. And it's finally here. The beauty of parks in full bloom is one of the reasons I love Geneva so much. There's something wild, something unusually natural about these parks. Their trees don't seem subdued servants of the city, only kept to provide shade and occasional esthetic enjoyment. They're free and... somehow they even look happy. They're old and healthy, big and beautiful. If you're around, you must visit these parks once. And share in their beauty and freedom.

Why I love Switzerland (Geneva)

2011-03-14T13:14:00.000+01:00

Before I start telling you about why I love living in Geneva, I have to emphasize that I don't believe in the "Paradise on Earth" concept. You can go and live on a beautiful tropical island or in the hypest cities of the world, this in itself is not going to make you happy. However, you can definitely prefer one place over another, and I must say that I am pretty impressed with what this one can offer. I'm obsessed with the bright side of life and would probably find a hundred things to enjoy in a desert or in Siberia or even in tribal Africa (some places where I can less easily see myself fitting in...). And I did love living in Hungary, though a couple of things did really bug me continually. But you know what? I just seem to have found my place here. And even if it takes so much effort and time to make Geneva accept me, I think I named it home like a week after landing. Wanna know why? ;)

First of all, I love its size. I come from a city with a population of 2 million and I immediately noticed the difference. With around 180 000 people, Geneva's neither too small nor too big. I love nature and I love spending days away from the noise of the city (which is so easily done here, but I'll tell you about that later), but for some reason I need that urban element in my life. I could never ever imagine living in the countryside back in Hungary and I would only be able to do so here because Switzerland is fairly small and wherever you are you're never too far from the cities. But were I ever to move I would miss Geneva sorely.

I love how it's international and very (French) Swiss at the same time, how you can fit in whatever you wear or do or whatever language you speak. I love the food (Swiss and French and Italian with oriental touches) and I love the cuteness of the streets and buildings. I adore the little houses that can appear anywhere, from the most high-tech neighborhood to the bank district and sparkle in all colors of the rainbow, sporting hundreds of years old facades. Some have compared the city to a clock-maker's masterpiece and looking at it, lying at the foot of strange hills and surrounded by the snow capped peaks of the Alps, lit by the sun sparkling on the clearest blue-green waves of its pristine lake... I can seriously believe that it was once created from precious gems and shiny steel cogs to be ticking forever.

It's old and new and the best of both. The list of Geneva's beauties and charms would go on forever, if I was allowed the place and time. But I guess, to really decide, you have to see it for yourself. As I said I don't think there's any perfect place on earth. But, just like in love, if you find the place where you're not annoyed by the annoyances and the beauties just make your heart race -- I think that's the closest you can get! And I think I've found that place. I know there are annoyances. You might find Geneva ridiculously expensive and frustratingly pretentious, with people hiding behind the facade of internationalness to make up for their faults and lack of character, and to be able to pass judgment on anyone based on their own rules. But you know what? I find that that argument is their weakness at the same time, and you can easily break their shell when you point out just how anything can be international. And I can always look past their arrogance with a wink and an accepting smile, for their defenses only work against attack. And they'll never know that the little girl they so willingly accepted as a guest of charity is in truth just as Genevoise as they are. But they're welcome in my city and everyone else is welcome too, for whenever we wish to be rid of our backpack and camera we can instantly become citizens here, where you're only an outsider if you wish to be.

Whenever people ask me why I love Switzerland, I can only say "just look at it!". I do love the people and the food and the general atmosphere, and all of these are very important reasons for me still being here. But if you need more reasons, please go to googlemaps and zoom. Stark blue lakes and snowy slopes, palm trees and middle age castles, slow lakeside towns and modern architecture, highways and villas and parks and forests... It's like the best of Earth! It's like a huge playground for adults, a theme park of nature and history. I seriously feel that if I was ever to leave I would be much like a kid being pulled away from play. I would viciously rub my lollipop in the face of anyone doing it to me. =)

I know Fate can take me wherever and I'll accept it. But I will always miss this controversial little place called Switzerland. I'll never know if they're the most open or the most narrow minded, the coldest or the warmest, whether they live in the past or the future or are just seizing the day. I still don't know whether I love the (French) Swiss for their childish optimism and idealism or for their fear of failure and materialism. I don't know whether I feel they're somewhat elevated or they sorely need some sort of salvation... I don't know if I love them for their strengths or their weaknesses. But I do know that I love living among them.

I know it's hard to see why I love living here. Believe me it's just as hard to explain. It's as if I'd been born to live here, I fit in so well with most of the local customs and bring my own hue to the rainbow of cultures that make up Geneva. I admire many of the ideals and goals that drive the Swiss and Switzerland as a whole. And I understand most of their problems too, though to most people they only come through as silly inconveniences. But I guess you have to pay a fee if you want to ride their roller coaster. ;)

Teaching English in Switzerland

2011-03-10T18:33:00.000+01:00

I'm sure there are many foreigners teaching English (or other languages for that matter) in Switzerland. And many more looking for a way to earn a living teaching here. My experience is restricted to the Geneva area and, though I've heard quite a lot of the situation in other cantons, this is mainly what this post is going to be about. Some of the information here is general, but most of it is specific to the area and is a result of my own "research".

In addition, my experience might also be considered restricted to the private sector as I've been looking for teaching positions at private language schools most of the time. Throughout my career I've mainly taught adults and this is what I actually prefer doing.

So are you thinking about joining the club and becoming a language teacher? Or are you already teaching and planning a move to Switzerland? Maybe this can help you.

Alright. So my first impressions were very similar to those of others. I came to Geneva with a heart full of hope -- not because my life back in Hungary was bad, and not even because finding work there was difficult. I loved my job (where I worked as a language school teacher, at one of the biggest and most up-to-date institutions of the capital) and I was just going to earn more than most (any?) people I knew.

And yet I was looking forward to the change, first off because I like change, and second because I fell in love with the city the first time I'd visited years before. I had no fears about finding a job, although the forums are full of skeptics and the unemployed. But I thought who else would have the time to be moaning online. Besides, I was just finishing my MA and I knew for a fact that while in my home country it's a key to the doors of any language school, it would be a rare gem in Switzerland, as the number of degree holders is considerably lower here.

So I set off for the exciting adventure, never looking back. And then I bumped into a wall pretty soon. (Ha-haa! would the skeptics now point at my downfall, smugly adding a couple of told-you-sos. But they're wrong.) Finding a job in Switzerland is not extremely difficult and any who say they were surprised by the lack of empty positions didn't do their homework before hopping over. I can't say I was surprised. I was shocked, yes, but I immediately understood my problem. It's not like jobs are buried in some secret basement. They're there, everywhere, you can even find yourself a niche and persuade your future employer that in fact they're your future employer. The game is open to anyone. Only the rules are a bit different. And this is what you should research before picking up the dice.

I've seen enough English teaching positions to keep me busy till I burn out (yeah, like that could ever happen! ^^), but somehow what they want is not what I have to offer. You might say that they're right and I'm wrong, but I honestly don't think so. I've been teaching adults (and even kids at the beginning) for more than five years and spent six years studying the psychology and methodology of learning and teaching. I know what's good for learners and it's definitely more than my hurt pride that makes me say that the requirements of language schools in Switzerland are not justified. However, I do see their point. If I owned a language school (which my husband is convinced would happen one day ^^), I would probably do the same. No. I'd personally interview all would-be employees till they feel brainwashed. But that's another story.

What most language schools go for are professionals who have qualifications the Swiss ELT community recognizes and possess undeniable skills to deal with all possible teaching situations. Here in Geneva this means a CELTA certificate + English mother tongue + 3-5 years experience. This most of the time equates a nice position.

My having an MA instead of a CELTA complicates things because if their hiring department doesn't understand what that means I'm not shortlisted at all. Not being a native speaker per se also makes my CV more difficult to read. I could claim an English mother tongue and they'd never notice (I've never been asked for any of my school certificates), but I'm not one to start lying to get a job. I guess I'd say that my problem is I can't get past security. Once I get to talk to them I'm fine, as my current position as well as a couple of previous offers have shown. But your CV is key to most positions, especially if you're dealing with such small firms, where there are just not enough resources to look into each applicant's heart.

The other problem has been the nature of the language teaching culture in Switzerland. I'd love to say that teaching positions and courses in general are sparse because people have such high proficiency in foreign languages. I haven't really deciphered the reasons, but it is true, there are but a handful of institutions in Geneva, and most (I haven't found the exception but I'll keep looking!) can't offer their teachers full employment.

While in Hungary I was a highly qualified professional with all the skills and certificates the market needed, here -- I feel seriously misunderstood: -- I'm an also ran. If I can get my foot in the doorway, though, this can easily be solved. Unlike the other issue.

Filling up one's schedule solely with language classes seems impossible. Most successful teachers I've talked to could only do so by either working for years and years and building up a client base from scratch; or by teaching at one of the international schools. Though for that you'll need a PGCE (a college degree in Swiss primary and secondary education) and, more importantly, a passion to teach children. I've seriously considered teaching at highschools, but going back to that level of studies have kept me reconsidering.

So now I'm trying to ambush language schools, from a path rarely taken. I'm trying to do a PhD. I don't know how difficult it will be (for the moment the administrative and preparatory stages seem more complicated than the actual research), but I'm determined. I want to teach, and I want to train teachers more and more. I feel my skills are wasted away teaching groups 8 hours a week. I have so much more to offer. So I'm taking the long way round -- and some say it's the shortest way home. ;)

Thank you for reading!

Have a nice weekend. ;)

fleur

Change in Regulations: Hungarians welcome! ;)

2011-03-07T17:13:00.000+01:00

Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray!

Soon (as of May 1, 2011 as far as I know) Hungarians will count as EU citizens when it comes to Swiss work permits. This means that an employee interviewing a Hungarian will no longer have to consider Swiss and other EU nationals before making a choice. In other words, it will become a lot easier (i.e. feasible) for a Hungarian to get a job in Switzerland. This also means that "jobseeker permits" (as far as I know it's a special kind of L or B permit, to be changed for a "regular" one once a position is secured) can be applied for. I don't know how this affects tourism, though, whether tourists can stay longer too, but I'll look into it.

I'm not a huge nationalist (as you could guess from my posts ^^) and I am by no means biased towards Hungarians. But I do find it rather unfair that citizens of the later batch of EU countries were under such restrictions for such a long time. I do know that in many ways Hungary's barely reaching the standards set forth by the Union. In other cases these are just out of the countries league, period. But one thing is certain. When it comes to workforce and education, we are good. :) Maybe that's what the Swiss fear...

Anyway, jokes aside, I'm looking forward to the changes this new regulation might bring. I know that there are quite a lot of illegal or barely legal immigrant in Switzerland, who find it hard to get work. I hope this opens some doors to them.

And as long as Hungarians keep eating all that Swiss chocolate, it's only fair that a couple of them get imported into cheeseland. And once there, they will now be allowed a life as well. Thank you, Switzerland!

More info and list of countries, etc. on the official website. ;)

More tips and info soon.

Have a nice week.

xoxo

fleur

My Style #6 [OOTD] Playful and Sophisticated

2011-03-06T20:38:00.000+01:00

I was so longing for jeans and a tee towards the end of the week! But I did have to go to work and that meant facing all those very important people wearing suits and pencil skirts... I found an alternative, thanks to my fun and exclusive Lanvin for H&M T-shirt and denim blue H&M wool jacket. Here's the look:

(Esprit jeans, H&M jacket, Lanvin for H&M tee, Scholl booties)

See the makeup I wore with it! ;)

I'll be back soon with more stories on

spring trends and colorful makeup,

as well as some cool places to ski. ;)

See you soon!

fleur

Soft Turquoise Spring Eye Makeup

2011-03-06T20:35:00.002+01:00

I love turquoise and all shades of green. But I have to be careful when I use them as eye makeup colors, since they can very easily wash my eyes out and give me a cheap 80s look. I've been experimenting with different options for years but always ended up removing the makeup before I left home. I didn't feel I could wear the color with confidence.

When I decided to wear my Lanvin for H&M tee to work, though, I really wanted to wear it with a touch of color on my lids to make up for the lack of jewelry around my face (normally I wear quite a bit). So when I was done with my eye liner I tentatively reached for my turquoise Make Up Forever liner. I started with just a touch and built it up to a thin but decidedly colorful line. And I loved the effect!

(M.A.D Minerals Indelible 3 in 1 Eyeliner in Pandora; Bourjois Liner Effect Waterproof Mascara; Make Up Forever Pearly Waterproof Eyeliner 7L (very similar to the new Aqua Eyes); Revlon Brow Boosters in Blond/Gold; MNY tinted chapstick in 801A)

Thank you for reading! Have a nice week ^^ xoxo fleur

Hair (My "Success" Story)

2011-03-04T12:28:00.000+01:00

We're living in an age of eclectic fashion and everything from pixies to super long tresses is in style. I love the fact that whatever previous fashion era you prefer or whatever your personal style, nowadays it's hard to err. You can sport your grandma's sunglasses and "plastic" A-line dresses from the 60s or you can dig out your 80s disco attire and be the most stylish girl (or guy) in town. Don't forget to throw in some more modern pieces to avoid the crazy retro effect, and success is guaranteed.

The same goes for hair. I can see (both on catwalks and streets -- which often equal in quality here in superstylish Geneva) cuts from the 20s to the 90s and even some very up-to-date styles, all worn with the greatest pride and ingenuity. And I think that's the key to today's fashion, ladies and gentlemen. Ingenuity.

So lately I've been busy embracing my own style, belle epoque glamour with some hard rock influences, and I've been having a hard time figuring out just what hairstyle to sport with all this eclectic awesomeness...

For the past 10 years I've been stuck in the all-too-well-known cycle of short hair/long hair. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the pain of waiting for recently (and impulsively) cut locks to grow out and the ennui that often comes over us girls when we discover that there's just so many things you can do with long hair...

Today's fashion, however, offers countless remedies. First of all, no style is out of fashion, so while you're in the process of waiting for your hair to go, there are many intermediary haircuts you can go for, without looking strained or ridiculous. Second, if you simply prefer one length over another, there's no pressure to change your style. I remember how out-of-date and looked down on short haired girls were in the 90s and how strange and unpolished a simple long haircut seemed around 2005. But this is over, ladies, now the floor is yours and your imagination can take wings on the cool winds of a new fashion era.

I've taken advantage of this encouraging atmosphere to go from this

to this.

It still took me around 8 years, much of which was spent at my hairdresser, having my hair cut shorter after a period of struggling to grow it. The problem was that once I set my locks on the path of "growing into a certain hairstyle", I started suffering of the awkwardness of it all. Once I reached a certain length, I would go and tell my hairdresser to cut the ends straight, so that in time I might get the 70s style ungroomed and wild ultralong look I was dreaming about... Well, it doesn't work that way, does it? I would have weird superstraight shoulder length hair for about a year -- a time too long to avoid seeing an awesome pic in some magazine and, to the dismay of my hairdresser, who would say I should only wait a couple more months to have gorgeous hair, going and having it cut hopelessly short.

I love short hair. If it wasn't for my husband, I'd be sporting a pixie or an inverted bob for sure. But he likes my hair long so very very much that it borders on insanity and were I to have it cut I doubt I could look him in the eye...

Besides, I love long hair too. I know it sounds crazy, but to me it's akin to loving hot soup and ice cream. Not impossible. (A word rarely used in my book...) So for around a year now I've been searching for the style I want once my hair is long (enough). And this time I survived the wait. I still find that very intriguing. And now that I've spent some time considering it,

here's how I grew my hair:

I didn't go for a straight cut once my hair was shoulder length. I was outgrowing a bob, so I had to opt for a "Rachel" first, and I have to admit I loved that famous old hairstyle quite a lot. I think it's one of the best options out there to grow out one's hair. It's very feminine and while it suits all face shapes and hair types, it's also very unique to its wearer. (I didn't look much like Jennifer Aniston, to be honest.)

When it was longer than that, I still kept the layered style, only a bit more on the softer side. I believe it was one of the reasons I didn't rush to have my hair cut. A layered haircut gives you much more options and is a lot more playful and interesting than pin straight locks.

I had it cut quite regularly. I think this is also key. Before I'd thought hair grew faster if you just let it. So not true. The actual speed doesn't change with having it cut but when your ends are broken it looks a lot shorter and can really take your determination away. I'd always thought I couldn't have a long cut because my thin hair couldn't support it... Turns out it was just my folly, thinking that "letting my hair grow" meant letting it break half way to the roots.

I started washing it every second day. I have thin hair that can give in to even very small pressure. If I pull too tight or use too many products, its weight becomes too much for the roots and, though new hairs immediately replace their fallen comrades, I end up with frizzy and incredibly thin tresses. So I don't let it feel any strain and wash it often.

But I use products that don't damage my hair either and contain lots of nourishing ingredients. I love anything with Shae Butter as it helps smooth my hair and this is the only thing that I've found also reduces breakage. I would use a mask from time to time and I always use a thermo-protective product when I blowdry my hair.

Yes, I blowdry my hair. I never straighten it, as it's fairly straight by nature and I fear the damage that might do, but I find that if I blowdry it (not harshly just to give it a slight curve) I get bored of my long hair a lot less easily. Airdried hair looks flat and uninteresting on me and that's very far from what I like to wear. It also looks more polished blowdried and if you do it properly it can also prevent breakage. (As you brush and heat-smooth the hairs and any damage towards the ends.)

I've colored it. I don't know why I don't like my natural hair color. It's a dark ash blond but I always find that it's neither here nor there, if you know what I mean. It's not brownish enough to be called brown and not golden enough to be blond. It has a little red in it in direct sunlight but it's not red either. It's just ashy. Which is perfect if you, like me, like dramatic makeup. With my now red hair I have to tone it down a little to look polished, but with my original color I could wear any makeup look. But I still didn't like it that much. I actually color my hair using a Henné shampoo, which lasts around 4-6 weeks. I love henna products because even the non colored ones contain the nourishing elements of the plant extract. It's no myth that henna gives you shiny supersoft hair, I can vouch for it. If I ever stop using the colored one, I will still keep applying the neutral version of the mask, because I love its effect on my hair!

I've found a place for my long hair "in my wardrobe". Straight long hair looks a little out of place with my 20s style dresses but if I just consider it the very element to give them a modern touch, it becomes a tool to express my originality. I would let it down and have it perfectly styled (see above), and add a fancy pin or some beautiful vintage style earrings. After all, I'm not going for a fancy dress look but something modern and eclectic! And it fits my Kate Moss days (I love to dress her style when I'm off work) perfectly.

The most important thing for me is to justify my hairstyle. If I feel that I'm doing it only to please others or be fashionable, I become bored with it very fast. However, if I consider it a means to have fun and express my personality, then I'll be happy to wait till it grows to my ankles. Not that it's really waiting. It's fun.

My Style #5 [OOTD] - Long Legs in a Sec, No Workout ;)

2011-03-04T11:20:00.000+01:00

Look at how slender and long some XL boots can make your legs look! ;)

This is real magic! ;)

I know that the jacket (especially the oversized pockets) adds quite a bit on the hips but I just love its style and usually wear it open with a number of kickass necklaces dangling all over... And anyway, who cares about your hips when you have the longest legs in the world? XD XD XD

(Scholl boots, Bershka skinny jeans, H&M black denim jacket, H&M top/tunic, my ol' scarf, H&M gray cardigan -- I bet I'm also wearing a couple of said necklaces only they're kept warm and tucked away ^^)

Have an awesome weekend, guys! ;)

Thanx for dropping by!

fleur

When Snow Takes on a New Meaning

2011-03-01T18:09:00.000+01:00

I've always loved the extremities of nature. Some say (mostly jokingly) that I can only go on five-thousand-franc holidays, but this is so not true. A view from a mountain top (hilltop in Switzerland ;)) or the breeze through the lake is enough to make my day. Make it a snowy slope or a tropical island and you have me thrilled and virtually high with ecstasy.

But, incredible as that sounds, it can get even better than that if we're actually taming those elements. The view from the top of a volcano is stunning. But it becomes an unforgettable experience if you climb for hours to get there and race all the other climbers to be the first to glimpse the sun rising on the horizon! And sledging can be huge fun, as much as a vicious snowball fight. But when you're making the snow your element, turning and slowing and going faster than the wind, when you feel as if you'd been born to conquer all the slopes in the world, when you feel that you could walk the highways of the Alps forever without tiring -- then it becomes something more. Then snow takes on a new meaning.

I've never been quite sporty in the strong sense of the word. I've always been doing some sports, some times more frequently and dedicatedly than others, I've never quite slowed down. But I've never been that adept at sports either. I can swim (some say the sight reminds them of a dead ray...) and I usually enjoy it immensely. But I'd be the last in any competition, even against dead rays I'm afraid. I can skate, but I can only go around and around and my friends have to grab me at the end of the day and drag me off the ice. (If I was ever to skate in the UK I'd be in trouble for I can only turn left! ^^) So I had my reservations when we set off for the slopes last Monday morning.

I said nothing, because I had my beautiful new ski jacket on and we had to wake up early, so telling the guys that the 100 euros we were spending on my training might have just been spent on ice cream was not the best idea. So I kept silent and thinking that anyway, I'd do my best to perform better than a rolling boulder. I was not afraid, I just didn't believe that I'd ever go beyond the boundaries of the training area (a 5' slope...). But I was determined to enjoy every bit of it and support my hubby who took the whole adventure a lot more seriously.

And then it happened. Our instructor, this incredibly tanned guy with a constant fatherly smile and the most charming means to motivate anyone (using said smile and a good number of fibs about just how well you fared as he jerked you from below all that snow), told us after the first slide that we only had to formulate our intentions in our head and our body would follow. I was still in doubt, given the fact that my body had never met such a long stretch of snow, separated from it only by two thin skis of the most slippery material on Earth. But I found the thought quite comforting: if I fall I can blame my body and I would still seem a smart if not very sporty girl. So I gave it a try. And I finished my second slide skidding right before all the folks queuing up, with a huge grin. Needless to say I almost fell a moment later, since we had not learned how to skid and stop as yet. But it felt so good. As if I had been born with skis on my feet. (A morbid thought, that.) From then on the only constraint on my learning was that my instincts usually took me a step ahead of the course, which led me to a couple more falls and reminded me constantly to write a letter of thanks to the manufacturers of my helmet.

On the fourth day my friends were having difficulty taking me off that amazingly long blue slope and only their ardent claims that they would not come with me for another slide (and my fear of getting in -- and, more precisely, out of the ski lift!) persuaded me that it was indeed time to go home...

I loved it! Not the speed, as I'm quite slow and careful still, but the feeling that I can tame these dangerous slopes and enjoy the scenery without feeling awkward or out of place. I felt one with them, one with nature, feeling its heartbeat and taking the dizzying volumes of mountain below my feet as a call to ride it and stroke its huge back with my skis. I can't even begin to explain. As I've said I'm happiest when I'm exploring what beauties nature has to offer. And I love doing it blending in. In water I swim, on volcanoes I climb -- and amidst the snowy peaks I ski. ;)

Want the same experience?

We learned here (from Papi!) and skied at La Vormaine and at Grand Montet.

(Unfortunately, I'm not affiliated with any of the above. XD)

Oh, I can't wait to put on those unbelievably big boots again! Maybe this weekend...! =)

Have a nice week, guys.

I'll be back with some more stories soon. ;)

your fleur

Chamoneeee! -- When the slopes are but a day away! ^^ [BEST ski gear deals and my first skiing trip]

2011-02-18T12:46:00.000+01:00

It's here, my first ever ski trip, and I'm so excited!

After looking around for the best option, we decided to buy our gear from Manor. First of all, renting all the stuff we need for a week would have been only half the price and, while who knows what quality you get at rental places, if we ever choose to ski again our quality gear was already worth it. We then went with Manor because it had amazing deals on the best products. I'm not saying that everything we bought was the best quality, but I was amazed at the good deal we got on the skis and the clothes (Rossignol, Salomon and RipCurl, respectively).

So this weekend we'll finally hit the slopes. I hope they'll be OK as there hasn't been much snow lately... We're also planning to take classes, just to avoid the kind of progress I've made with skating. Taught by friends over the years, I can easily survive on the ice and have lots of fun too but I don't really control my speed and I definitely can't stop. Our ice skating sessions usually start with one of my friends giving me a push and then, when they're about to leave, someone collecting me and dragging me out. I don't really fall, I just go around and around. ^^ The problem with this method is that ski slopes are rarely circular... =D

I'm so excited, you can't imagine! Of course, I'm excited about skiing itself but I'm also really looking forward to putting on all this stuff (I can see that it will take a while till I can leave the house, trudging awkwardly in my ski boots...). And we're going to Chamonix (France), one of the most famous ski resorts of the area! Besides, we're going with one of our dearest friends, renting a cabin together, in the mountains. It's gonna be so much fun! We'll play boardgames and maybe even a bit of D&D and just have general fun. Aaaand, I'll be on holiday, something that's always cool. ^^

I don't know about the facilities, hopefully I'll be able to check my emails etc. on my Kindle 3G, but I guess I won't really be able to post here for a while. But, when I'm back, I'll definitely let you guys know how it went. ;)

Have fun till then.

See you soon.

Bear hugs (with all my gear on I look like a snowball ^^)

fleur

Mes Bottes Scholl + Wedding Pic ^^

2011-02-17T17:45:00.001+01:00

As you could see here and here, I'm sporting two pieces of Scholl's winter collection. And I absolutely love them!

I know. When you hear Scholl, you inevitably think of ugly orthopedic shoes. Yeah, that's what I had always thought of before I somehow wandered into one of their shops last summer in Hungary. Desperately hunting the perfect wedding shoes, I stumbled upon this treasury in one of the huge malls in the capital. And guess what! I bought my wedding shoes there. I know what you're thinking. Wedding shoes aren't known for comfort but rather for their elegance and all that junk. But I was not willing to be limping ever after just to have the most sophisticated shoes hidden under my gown. Besides, I wanted something funky. I'm no princess and I really wanted to balance my vintage style dress with something modern. I wanted comfort and at least 3 inch heels (that was the highest I had when the dressmaker took my measurements). I ended up with this gorgeous pair, and I haven't measured the heels but they're at least 5 inches -- which made kissing the groom a lot less awkward! ^^

Well, I love these two latest of my growing Scholl collection (I'm planning to stock for a year-round collection so that I'd never have to wear uncomfortable shoes again -- only if I really wanted to! ^^). They're the softest leather but are supported by the sturdiest soles so you can't feel all the cobbles under your toes. And I bet they help distribute the pressure equally along my back.

So, anyone thinking that Scholl shoes are ugly should think again. They're are very comfortable, yes, amazingly so, but they're also up to the latest trends. I haven't got so many compliments for any of my shoes as I constantly get for my knee-high boots. And girls are so sad when I tell them they're not available in Switzerland.

OK, here's a shot of my wedding shoes. I exchanged the black cord laces for a pair of silver cords but with the benefit of hindsight I'd rather wear them with silk ribbons or a length of lace. But I loved them nonetheless. Oh, and yes. I'm quite short. ^^ But, as my family often says, there's just so much you can get of this this quality stuff. =D

Love you guys loads.

xxxx

fleur

Things I'm Loving [Drugstore Beauty Products]

2011-02-15T16:23:00.000+01:00

I've been on a hunt for good drugstore products for more than a year now. The Swiss market was totally different from what I was used to and it was quite a struggle to set up a beauty routine that would keep me my regular well-moisturized self. =)

Initially I was "importing" stuff from Hungary, but it soon turned out that I just don't have a suitcase that would be big enough for all I need. Besides, it was quite a pain and I often ran out of products between two visits. So, anyway, I thought if we were going to live here (which seems quite sure now) I should start looking for more sustainable options.

Well, it's taken me a while, but I do have a couple of favorites now. Here's some of them. You can get these in any supermarket or drugstore in Switzerland, or at least in most of them. But they're really easy to find.

Veet Supreme Essence In-Shower Depilatory Cream -- This stuff is amazing. Takes around 5 minutes, none of which is really uncomfortable. I usually wash my teeth in the meantime or wait one minute and start taking a shower as normal. I'm not saying it's particularly natural and the smell of ammonia as well as the fact that it removes hair in 5 minutes always make me think what the heck I'm doing putting this stuff on... But, you know, it still works wonders and, though I'm not using it as my primary means to achieve smooth legs, I still think it's the best option if you're on holiday or in a rush. And it makes the skin so very very smooth! I guess because all dead cells are eliminated, along with a coat of living ones. =) But seriously, I love this stuff. Also, it's a really good prepping to any other ways of hair removal. I love my Braun Silk Epil Wet & Dry, but I must have very sensitive skin, as even that tends to leave my skin irritated. If I alternate the two, though, I find that I don't have that problem any more. I guess the cream makes the hairs finer and easier to remove.

Coop Nail Polish Removal Pads -- Actually, there are many brands available in Switzerland that make this type of product. I was very skeptical at first but as I was leaving for weeks and I wasn't sure how often I would have the chance to remove my polish the regular way, and what products would be available in Asia if I didn't take the (very flammable) liquid with me. So I grabbed the cheapest one and was shocked to discover its benefits. First, it's as good as any. Second, it's an oil based consistency, which doesn't leave my nails so dry. Third, it doesn't smell anything like nail polish remover (which gives me a headache and nausea if exposed to it too long)! And of course, it's fast. The only downside, maybe, is that as it's oil based you have to wash your hands immediately. But I do that with the regular one as well, anyway.

Maybelline Cils Demasq Dual Action Eye Makeup Remover -- It's taken me a long time and a shelf of totally useless eye makeup removers to find one that actually works. And this is awesome. The thing is I only use waterproof makeup, or I'm wearing a base or something. I hate panda eyes and I just cannot make sure I touch up my makeup during the day. Nevertheless, I love dramatic looks and huge black lashes, so at the end of the day I end up rubbing my eyes till they're red (literally). After having rubbed so hard my eye sockets hurt for a week (!), I ended up using plain olive oil, which works fine and removes all traces, but leaves your eyes oily (well, it's very moisturizing but still), which is really hard to remove. Miss Chiveous on Youtube mentioned this one in one of her videos and I thought I'd give it a try. It was cheap, around CHF 7 and it's the best I've ever tried. I don't know which ingredient to thank but it actually glides on the skin, hence no rubbing and the whole process takes seconds. A treasure.

Le Petit Marseillais Honey and Shea Butter Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner -- "I have the fines hair in the realm," my family used to say and I bet you I'd win any contest. And once it's longer than shoulder length, it starts to shed and the new hairs (for I've been explained that it's not hair loss but hair renewal) give me such a frizz you wouldn't believe it. Not if I'm using the right products, anyway. And these are among the best. They make my hair smooth and shiny and keep the frizz at bay. My favorite conditioner is American Cream by Lush and though I absolutely love it, I was looking for a cheaper alternative. And I think this is as good a dupe as can be. As I wash my hair three times a week, it's no small relief that this costs half the price too. I think it's the shea butter that makes both so amazing and I think it will be long before I get bored of the results.

OK, guys, be happy and beautiful

and please let me know

if you'd like to see more posts like this

and what your favorite drugstore products are.

All the best

fleur

Walking on Thin Ice [A D&D Adventure]

2011-02-14T16:23:00.001+01:00

Here's the intro to the next D&D (4th Ed) adventure I'm DMing. I'm not saying it's perfect narrative, but it's not really meant to be. There's not a lot of descriptions because I would like my players to tell the stories from their perspective and present their characters. This is just to give my players (and now you guys) a feel for the game and make it all the more easier to join in the fun. As we're a small group (2 players and myself), we'll need a fair amount of NPCs, but I think that only adds to the fun. I'm a newbie DM anyway, so I'll make use of the interesting terrain and an intriguing storyline rather than complicated foes and the like.

So this is what it's gonna look like.

PCs

Eglath, lvl 2 goliath Warder (My husband's character)
Lunara, lvl2 Shifter Shaman (Well, actually she's an NPC... but I like her loads. ^^)
Nim, lvl2 Gnome Wizard
Adran, lvl2 Elf Rogue

(One of these two will also end up as an NPC but he won't mind, I know. ;))

Setting
Cairngorm Peaks, Nentir Vale

(Early spring so they'll have some snow and ice too, just for the fun of it!)

Background

Following his encounter, and ensuing friendship, with the young shifter, Eglath quickly found his way through the rocky paths of the Stonemarch, this narrow pass between the looming cones of the Cairngorm Peaks to the south and the milder hills to the north. Although the brave goliath would normally not cringe from an encounter with the many dangerous monsters of the area, this time he picked his way carefully. He didn’t want to delay any more than necessary.

With the snows slowly melting and warmth returning to the lands, the tribe would break camp and set out for richer areas. They have spent enough time already huddled against the protecting mountain range and eating up their winter supplies. Of course the restless hunters of the tribe would not remain idle even through the unrelenting winter months, their efforts were as much aimed at keeping their muscles toned and their senses tuned as at gathering food. But now their long wait has come to an end, and their noses were full of the scents of nature’s awakening and their thoughts of roaming the fields, chasing swift stepped deer and catching fish by the handful by Lake Wintermist’s shores.

But Eglath knew that before anyone could set out for the first, long craved, hunt they had to face the Skywatchers’ Night. That thought filled the young goliath with awe and hope and a strange fear at the same time. He pushed that last emotion away, for goliaths were fearless nomads and showing any such weakness could lead to exile – a total loss of honor and, what’s worse, one’s place in the hierarchy of the tribe. But the fact remained that none of the young fighters of the Thorn tribe could dismiss the importance of the impending event.

For Eglath, the Night held special significance this spring. He remembered vividly the wild dancing and singing of the Skywatchers as they had frenetically worked themselves into trance – and a unison with the spirits guiding their lives. A year younger and bolder, Eglath had not been able to sit through the ceremony without voicing his question. All the tribe had been shocked. Once the Skywatchers had reached their coveted state, they stood around the huge fire, swaying and staring at the stars. All the tribe knew that this was the moment when the future of the tribe of the Thorn would be decided. The Skywatchers, the tribe’s shamans, old and withered but nonetheless of the highest rank, would confer with the spirits and determine the course their people would take that year. Once they received guidance from the spirit world and made their wishes known to all, they would answer the questions of a chosen few of the gathering. It had pained Eglath that he had not been of the small group. Their questions had rung hollow in his ears and he could not help but stand up and speak when the last of them had been answered. The Skywatchers had by then all turned back to the fire and would give themselves over to the next phase of the ceremony, but Eglath’s call made them all turn sharply and regard him with otherworldly, unblinking stares. He could still remember the chill he had felt then and the loud throb of his heart as he knew his fate would be decided.

The question, that all important query, had been worth the risk, Eglath knew. He had been an adult member of the tribe for a considerable time, and had shown his prowess on more than one occasion. And yet, he had never been chosen to fight for his honor, to show all the tribe his worth as a fighter and a master hunter. Without the opportunity to perform at the Skywatchers’ Night, the young goliath was deemed to play the role of a minor hunter and provide for his own family. But he had known he was destined for more. That is why he had wanted to address the spirits, to ask them when they would grant him a place in the arena of fighters – and, subsequently, among the fighters and hunt leaders of the tribe. Thus he had struggled to get the words past the growing lump in his throat, and raise his voice. The Skywatchers, though they had eyed him for some time, had not seemed surprised. One of them, an old woman, turned toward the young goliath and raised her arms toward him and than slowly toward the sky. Suddenly she spoke, in an eerie, broken voice, half sigh half groan. “Hail the spirits that guide our people! They have spoken, Eglath of the Thorn tribe! You are to be tried, one winter from now! You will have to prove yourself, not by blood but by deed and your acts will be judged by the stars.” Then she suddenly gasped and collapsed to the ground. The others paid her no heed and Eglath was soon standing alone, fighting his emotions, among the dancing and hooting tribesmen, who were preparing for the fight that would determine their place in the tribe’s hierarchy the coming year. Eglath had not been of a mind to watch the fight. His heart ached for his inability to participate. That year he had not been chosen to fight and he had not be chosen to talk to the spirits. And yet. They had answered his question, something, he knew, was out of the ordinary. Guided by the spirits’ will, the Skywatchers could have struck him dead for his impertinence and for breaking the code of the tribe. And yet, the spirits had spared him, obviously having an answer for him. He had to believe that. He had to believe in his destiny, even as he walked the rocky paths to his home.

He had spent much time away. Following that ominous Night, he was somewhat an outcast in the eyes of his people. They knew he should not have spoken up, but they also accepted the judgment of the spirits. Eglath’s status within the tribe would be decided the next spring, and until then the headstrong young man was better to be avoided. That’s why no one had missed him when he disappeared for the winter months, to prepare for the coming fight alone. That’s why he had the opportunity to help the young shifter, to save a shaman from certain death. That had to count in the eyes of the spirits.

He thought of the female shifter now. How different she was from the huge fighter, and yet so kind in spirits. She was a marvelous little thing, Eglath now thought, an open link to the spirit world. As he had held her broken little body in his muscled arms, he had felt a strange tingling rushing through his very being. The spirits had found him, in his solitude. He had nursed the shaman back to life, spent arduous weeks hunting for her and nourishing her. When she had felt strong enough, she had summoned the spirits, in the form of a misty panther, and thus the spirits accompanied Eglath on his many hunts, witnessing his deeds.

And then spring had come and Lunara, for that was her name, returned to the elven community she lived with. Eglath quickly set out for his home, determined that the spirits would decide his fate the coming Night. He was confident that he would have a place of high honor in his tribe this year. He did not mind the lack of greetings from his tribesmen when he entered the encampment in a small valley between two looming peaks. They would greet him once more, he thought, and ask about his hunt once the Skywatchers have chosen him a master hunter. He set up his tent farther away from the center of the circular encampment, and went to sleep. He needed rest, for the next night would be the Night, and if the spirits willed it, he would fight all the hunters of the tribe. Yes, he needed the rest.

He woke late the next day, and took great pains to check his armor and weapons. He dressed slowly, examining every detail. Everything had to be perfect, as much to ensure his victory as to show the spirits due respect. By the time he was ready, it was dusk and preparations for the Night were on their way. He stepped out of the tent and joined the gathering in the middle of the camp, around the enormous fire. The Skywatchers were slowly filing out of their great tent and taking their place around the fire. The slowly turned their faces toward the flames, not minding the dangerous heat. They would soon lapse into their dancing and singing, and the spirits would take over their bodies.

Eglath watched the spectacle amidst soaring hopes and painful doubts. He would be tried this night, all his fate would be decided. As the shamans answered the last of the questions the spirits would address this year, he ran his gaze through the crowd. His shock was total when he spotted some movements around the perimeter of the great circle and the rows started shifting more and more inward. He watched, rooted to the ground, as the innermost circle slowly opened and a pair of guards led forth a group of prisoners. A moment later Eglath realized that though the two goliath escorting them had all appearances of guards, the smaller creatures were not bound and walked with relative confidence. The flames dancing on their faces, they turned toward the Skywatchers. The spectacle sent shivers through Eglath’s back and he had to muster all his courage to look at the group. The Skywatchers regarded them for a moment, then nodded in unison. The leader of the group stepped forth, toward the shamans and in Eglath’s direction. Her gaze held Eglath’s and her face showed no emotions. The young goliath immediately recognized her expression and knew she was possessed by the spirits. Her eyes were open wide and her trance made her features all the more animal-like, so fitting for her mission. She spoke in a whisper but to Eglath’s ears it seemed somehow magically magnified and he sensed that at that moment all the gathering centered around the creature and what she had come to say. “Eglath from the Thorn tribe, hear of the path you have to walk. Your path is not that of the tribe for you have to show your worth of their trust. The spirits have willed me to you. You are to leave your people and follow me and my companions. The spirits will guide you to your challenge and you are only to return when you have shown your prowess. Heed their words and the spirits will guide you on your path.”

Eglath tore his gaze away from the creature’s face and looked at the group then. He had recognized the speaker, for her face had ever been in his thoughts, and while he knew what Lunara was doing there, it intrigued him who her companions might be. In the excitement of the moment, he only consideder the shifter’s words but now he looked at the group and noticed their strange expressions. They were exhausted and battle scarred and they obviously felt out of place among the huge people. The gnome and the elf, for Eglath recognized that’s who they were, stood behind the female shifter and looked around nervously. Likely they were not so fond of their mission. But they had little choice other than trusting the tribesmen, for they were obviously running from a fate worse than dealing with a tribe of goliaths. And they seemed relatively confident, most probably because of their having brought a message from the spirits themselves.

Eglath noticed then that the Skywatchers were turning toward him and he winced at their stares. “Escort the hunter and our guests to our tent,” one of them said suddenly. “We will confer with the spirits and decide their fate at the end of the ceremony.” They then turned to face the flames again and resumed their dance. Eglath was soon surrounded by a pair of fighters and though he knew he could stop them with a single blow, he let them take him to the Skywatchers’ tent. He joined Lunara at the center of the great tent and sat down on the heavy skins, eyeing the strange group suspiciously. Then the shaman smiled and all tension seemed gone from the tent. She presented her friends, then, explaining how she had set out for the camp and what hardships they had faced. The tent flaps softened the noises of the frenzy and the fighting outside, and they could enjoy a few moments of peace before they knew they would be joined by the shamans to decide their fate. But, despite their companion’s nervousness, Lunara and Eglath were confident. The spirits were with them.

May the spirits be with you too! ;)

Stay spirited, guys. =)

Have a nice week.

fleur

My Style #4 [OOTD]

2011-02-11T12:18:00.000+01:00

OK, maybe this is nothing special. Not that I wanted it to be. =) This is just a quick shot of what I wear to work, to distinguish myself from the crowd of bankers -- and a bit from teenage fashionistas as well. ;)

So here's the look, I hope you'll like it. I love toning down feminine tops with jeans and cardigans, and these denim leggings are really a godsend!

You guys know how I feel about leggings, but these are a special breed, taking after their "parents" in the best possible way. A blend between overly sturdy jeans and all-too- revealing leggings, they keep you warm without showing too much curves or bulging out. Thumbs up to the trend! ;)

(Promod top; H&M denim leggings -- zip in the back, for a sexy feel and more comfort! ;); H&M cardigan and halterneck top; Scholl booties; my mom's (fake LOL) beads)

Hope you liked it! ;)

The trend be with you all. =D

luv

fleur

Yummy Supermarket Fondue -- The Best

2011-02-11T12:07:00.000+01:00

OK, guys, this is the real deal.

This is seriously the best fondue I've ever eaten.It's creamy and soft, has the most addictive taste to it and keeps you craving more. Not as greasy as the moitié-moitié type and a lot more distinctive.

It's about CHF 12 at Coop. (Though you have to be lucky to find it so I tend to stock up.)

400 g is enough for two, I think, add a salad and pickles and you'll have the most awesome meal.

I normally do as the recipe says and follow my instincts. Use a piece of garlic to "grease" the pot (I take my time doing this because I don't put garlic in the actual fondue). Melt the contents of the bag (i.e. the cheese) with 1 dl of white wine (around 4 fluid oz, I use cheap Swiss baking wine, which actually is quite delicious =D). When it's bubbling, add a generous amount of kirsch and spices (nutmeg, white pepper and garlic powder being the most popular choices) and more wine if it's too thick.

Place it on a burner and you're good to... dip! ;)

Bon app! ;)

fleur

The Expat Disease

2011-02-11T11:44:00.000+01:00

I haven't been the best of bloggers these past weeks, I know. But I've been brought up on the principle that if you have nothing nice to say just keep quiet. And I don't see any point to complaining as I find it a horrible weakness of humanity -- to sit down and plunge into self pity instead of doing one's best to improve whatever conditions might need improving. I believe that as long as you're alive you have the greatest of gifts and of possibilities. You can always take that deep breath and get up.

And yet, it seems that this thing has caught up to me. I had always known it existed, I just thought I would be the last person to give in to it. Maybe I am. (But then I'm afraid, humanity is doomed. =D) That doesn't make it feel any better though, and doesn't make it any less real. It's a strange feeling, as if you were rotting from the inside, and it somehow prevents you to even think of a cure. A cure to the expat disease.

But what is this thing? How does it develop? Is it contagious?

I had known it existed for a long time. Even when I was preparing for my trip, in the sanctuary of my packed up little apartment back in Hungary (see, now I call it a sanctuary...), I couldn't help but notice and laugh out loud at the absolute pessimism that ruled the expat forums. I was appalled how everyone was hating someone or something or themselves and I thought I would never ever belong to that sorry lot. I was about to conquer the world.

I guess your system is most vulnerable to the virus when your little ego hits that block wall. You think you can climb that mountain, you think you are getting closer to the top... and then you realize you've just been banging your head into the rock, this unrelenting, unmoving, unattainable peak that you thought would take you to unknown heights. And, for the first time, you think that maybe the others were right. You are stuck here, right below this starscraping pile of possibilities and dreams, and they'll never be yours. You're no longer the conqueror, the hero of the story. You're being swallowed by this gray monster, the reality of your so called life in this country. You know that you can quit any time. You know that it can graciously spit you back where you began. But to what end? You're no longer the conqueror, the hero of the story. You're an expat.

This is how it all starts and remains for most. When your most glorious of hopes has just been crushed in front of you, you don't dare dream any more. You might take it all stoically but that doesn't help the fact. You've got the disease.

I'm not one for complaining. And I hope I still have what it takes to conquer! -- if not the mountain then the sickness. But these past few weeks I've really been feeling down, feeling the weight of it all. Of the mountain, the heap of my own dreams and hopes. Without any exaggeration I can say that I'm one of the most positive people in the whole world. Just because I hate feeling sad or negative, I'd do everything in my power to change whatever needs changing. And if nothing works, I change my perspective. The world is my silver lining, I often say. And I mean it. But lately it's been needing some polishing to shine...

Crazy as it sounds, for the first time in my life, I feel homesick. I miss my family and my friends, my dear friends. I miss the feeling that the world around me is at arm's length, that I can understand everything without listening, that my mind registers the flow of information and I'm ready to react. I miss my powers: the open face I'd always shown to the world, that perpetual smile, the magic of my words. Here I feel deaf to the heartbeats of the world, deaf to the events around me. And I'm numb too, my smile lost in translation. My words don't reach hearts. My magic is lost. I'm lost.

My hopes are broken. My wings are crushed. I don't dream about soaring any more. I don't dare ask for anything, for anything this world gives turns to mist once I open my palms. Not that it gives you nothing. It does give you the semblance of a life, one that you cannot turn down. Not now that you've been fighting for it so long. And you know nothing now but the fight. You're a burned out remnant of a long war.

I don't think that I'll never get up. Deep down I know I will. This is no hope -- it cannot be taken away -- this is the core of my being. If I truly believed this was it, I'd be dead, taken over by the disease. But I know that something in me is stronger than that. Something in me is indestructible. I don't know how long I'll be floating in the mist, looking up at the stars and the mountains, their outlines leaving empty reflections in my eyes. I don't know when I'll climb again. But I do know that I'll be up once more, fighting, soaring, living. Maybe when the first flowers bloom...

fleur

Yummy Supermarket Fondue

2011-02-02T17:39:00.000+01:00

I know I'm very very late with this post... But. First the picture I wanted to share with you disappeared from my computer, and then, to make it all worse, I could no longer find this awesome product in our local supermarket. So I hope this is not a requiem and we'll soon be able to dip our bread crumbs into this magnificent concoction again!

The reason I was so thrilled with this type of fondue is that as fond as I am of Vacherin, I like my fondue a lot more Gruyere-y, if you know what I mean. The moitié-moitié (half Gruyere, half Vacherine) kind is just too soft and greasy for me, so I prefer a stronger, saltier taste. Besides, I am always on the lookout for refrigerated fondue packages that contain no wine or spices, because, as I like to add these fresh, I feel they're simply decreasing the quality of the product.

So I loved the 600 grams of sheer delight that came in a golden brown packaging, with a red pot (much like ours) filled to the brim with the stuff painted on it. It was called Fondue de Gruyere et A********* de Gruyere, and I can't remember for the life of me what that word was. As far as I could gather from the description it was some different form of the cheese, maybe at a different state of fermentation... but I'm just guessing. But it was delicious.

As Friday is cheese day in our little Swiss home, and we were running out of options, I was really hard pressed to find a substitute. As all the other packages had the ominous moitié-moitié label, and I so ~~hate~~ don't enjoy chopping cheese, I went for the one product that was different.

And oh my! We were hooked. This one had 100% Bergkase (mountain cheese) as its base, and though only contained 500 grams of the stuff, convinced us that yes, there is still some fondue out there to live for. A lot lighter than what we normally go for, it was perfect for a late lunch for two. The taste was different of course, but delicious and intriguing.

So I say go for it folks!

Please let me know which is your fav cheese fondue, so that our little team can give it a go!

Happy melting! ;)

fleur

My Style #3 [OOTD]

2011-01-24T15:57:00.001+01:00

Hi, there. Here's the next of my favorites.

I love the fluffiness of the sleeves and the skirt. Hope you like it too! ;)

(Promod dress; H&M cardigan; H&M cotton blend tights; Fossil watch)

Have an awesome week.

Cheers

fleur

I'm a "Kindler"! :D

2011-01-24T11:53:00.001+01:00

OK, not just yet. Well, theoretically I am, but the truth is the device is just getting shipped to me. But I'm so excited! In a strange, reasonable way. =)

Normally, when I'm buying some gadget, I'm excited to start "playing" with it (customizing it and generally having fun exploring its features, should it be a cellphone or a toaster). But this time I'm more excited about... well, reading. All those hundreds of thousands of books that are available for a small fee -- or even free.

So this post is about why I decided to buy a Kindle and how ordering one from Europe actually goes.

Thank you for tuning in and keep reading if you're interested.

Why buy a Kindle?
Out of all the gadgets that can handle e-books and PDFs, why choose one which can hardly do anything more than that? It's an often mentioned counterargument that by investing a little more money in a smartphone or a tablet device, you can get so much more. In a way, yes. But you know what distinguishes a gourmet and a gourmand. While foodwise I'm a total gourmet and I love tasting little bits of everything, when it comes to functions, I'm a big time gourmand.

All of the multitasking devices I've seen or owned have had their points forts, those functions that they have performed at best. To give you a very simple example, our sandwich maker/toaster makes the most delicious and super easy to prepare sandwiches, but an average toaster would beat it any time when it comes to toasts. Of course it's a huge space saver in our tiny kitchen, but every time I have to wait around 3 minutes for a toast and scramble it out of the thing, I'm wishing I loved those sandwiches a bit less. But they make up for the mess it is to get a toast out of the beast, so I'll live with it. Well, if the balance was a bit different, say my cellphone has amazing features like a huge display and tons of games and whatnot but didn't offer a seamless and comfortable phoning and texting experience, I'd part with it in a second. I have to love the peripheral options to put up with the weaknesses of the main function. So in a nutshell, when a device does everything OK but does not excel at anything, it's not really for me. And the tricky part is that when I buy a gadget, I normally already have a function in mind that it has to excel at.

I've been sorely missing a reading device for years now. As a university student and language teacher, I've always been hard pressed to have tons of documents handy (literally, my bags usually contain at least 3 books, 2 notebooks and like a hundred sheets of various documents!). I needed most of them (schedules, course plans and resource books) to be able to glance at them or quote them in class. But of course, as an avid readaholic, There was always one (or two or three ...) book in the pile that I was carrying around for the pleasure they might give when I have a couple of minutes to plunge into them.

But I've been dismayed by the display and handling of the documents offered by even the smartest phone. Yes, you can glance at them, but not very comfortably, and if you want a big enough screen (so that you don't have to strain your eyes or read two lines at a time), you can easily end up holding a brick to your ear when talking on your cellphone. Other than that, my phones are usually exposed to many dangers... I want them handy, so I hold them when running to catch a bus (one has flown spinning out of my hand during such an adventure) or holding 3 shopping bags, and I often take them with me when I'm having a bath. Well, normally their designated place is the bathroom counter but who knows how long they can remain there, tempted by the scented soak I'm having... ;)

So I went for the Kindle for two reasons. First, because I primarily wanted to be able to read a variety of documents, books being the most important. And after some research I found that all other devices (save for a couple of other e-readers) do a very mediocre job at that. I'm not a gamer and if I was, I'd prefer a hard core gaming computer, a play station or maybe a PSP on the go, because those will give you the desired experience. None of the smartphones will match a good computer at that. But of course, you can sacrifice that for the multitasking ability of those and save space in your bag. So, because I wanted to read above all else, I needed something with a strong reader and eye friendly display. The Kindle won the race because of Amazon's huge selection of books and because of the good reviews it had got. Not that it's faultless, and you might actually prefer another reader, but as I always define love by appreciating another's strengths and not being bothered by their weaknesses, I think I might say that I've fallen in love with this sleek little reader. =) I'm really not bothered by having to convert some file types or not having the possibility to customize the menu and other functions. I'm really looking forward to reading on it, which is said to be an amazing experience!

Second, I want my reader well protected. I don't even want to imagine what would happen to me if I dropped it during one of my bus chasings and were to teach a class without notes or sit through a 2 hour train trip without it. Well, I would have to play Snake on my phone. But I couldn't, because my reader was my phone, oh, I forgot that! So you see? People like me need separate devices for phoning and whatnot.

A third reason, this one of the more conventional type, was that I wanted to be able to read more and on a larger scale. There is just no way I could get my hands on all the books I want to read. First of all, they're really expensive in Switzerland, and most of them would be outrageously priced even if I picked them up in Hungary having ordered them there. And when I'm done with them, I'd have to give them away or ask people to store them for me, because we don't have the capacity to stock up so many books. So for the past year I've been reading much less than I would like to.

Ordering a Kindle from Switzerland

Ahhh... I'm no sure I want to talk about it. Amazon has a loooooooooong way to go before this becomes seamless for Europe customers. OK, what really (really) bugs me is that you can only get the grafit version in Europe. I just loved the white one so much better, I can't explain how sad it made me. But I'm not a child anymore (well, most of the time, anyway) so I got over it. I might pick up a skin later on, when I feel I'm wearing out the current one.

OK, so getting ample information took me some time. First off the website doesn't cover a handful of issues concerning the international version. For instance, it took me a couple of hours to find out whether the 3G was working properly in Switzerland and whether you could access your email etc. free when you buy an international device and have it shipped to CH. The answer to both is yes, according to Amazon customer service. Just a hint from me: if you have a general question (like this one), tell them you're not yet subscribed and proceed with your questions. Otherwise you lose precious minutes (no toll free number for us!) talking over your account info and what problems Amazon might detect. For me it was useful as it turned out I had 4 accounts under my name, but I got so annoyed by the end that it really made me consider giving Amazon (and thus the Kindle experience) a minus. Add to it the fact that the while shopping, the website (you can only buy the international device from the .com site, .co.uk doesn't ship to CH) keeps jumping back and forth between the international and US facilities, and you understand why I say they have a long way to go yet.

And you might check out all the information on transferring and converting files because for international customers there are a number of small extra charges. But there are many ways to use all these services for free as well.

Just to let you know, with all the customs and shipping, etc. the 3G device cost around CHF 220 and will take 3-5 days to get here. If you happen to have any other question, please don't hesitate to ask me, I'll try to answer as quickly as I can.

Useful links:

Amazon's page on sending and transferring files
A nice full review + awesome video

Have a nice week! ;)

I'll soon be posting about my first impressions -- hopefully! =)

fleur

On Makeup

2011-01-20T10:09:00.000+01:00

Hi guys, I'm writing this because recently I've discovered that I've been changing a lot during these past years and I feel quite grown up. Which means that most of my preferences and attitudes are very different from when I started this blog -- and I would say I rather prefer the change.

People have been misunderstanding me most of my life. =D Oh that just sounds really ridiculous! But I think you know what I mean. Not like in a bad/sad way. It's just that I've always looked so different from what I really was. I never blame anyone, looking in the mirror I can totally understand them. =)

One of the most misleading things about me is makeup.

I must admit that there was a time when I just couldn't leave the house without a full makeup. But I guess that was more due to teenage insecurity than any vanity or obsession I might have had. But for a while now I've been thinking of makeup much more as an addition to my everyday look, a form of art (I also love drawing and I'm not too bad at it) that helps express my mood and my personality. And though I would not leave home completely bare faced, it's just because without any makeup on I look like a sleep deprived 17 year old. And most of the time I'm doing things where I have to be taken seriously.

I do love makeup in a way. It's a lot like drawing and it can really accentuate the beauty of a face. But I also think that when the effort is too obvious it can look more ridiculous than flattering. So I usually do it as long as I think it's fun but still natural. To give you an example, I normally focus on the eyes and unless I want to look really gorgeous for some special occasion, I skip blush and bronzer. Lips are for fun, so while I like to play up my eyes the way they look best, I like to experiment with lip color and style. It can be taken off easily. If I want to look polished and sophisticated (and look my age too), for instance at a job interview, I tend to wear a sheer coat of foundation (foundation can easily age anyone with youthful skin) and just a hint of blush (which can easily take off years). I rarely wear concealer. My skin is so transparent that although I've spent summers focusing on getting enough sleep to diminish them, I have like permanent dark circles. Nowadays I just don't care. If it really annoys me, I dab a little liquid foundation below my eyes and on my cheeks. But usually I don't bother. I love blushes and highlighters just because they're pretty. Like bubble bath. Or ice cream. =)

So no, as opposed to what people tend to think, I'm not really obsessed with makeup. Nor do I wear a lot. And I'm not that good either. I just like experimenting. I think as long as you do it for fun, makeup is a marvelous thing.

My Style #2 [OOTD]

2011-01-18T17:59:00.001+01:00

OK, so here's the next of my favorites.

I love this sort of outfit because it's stylish enough for everyday wear but so very comfy. And you might say some of my other clothes are more flattering, but I love that it's so funky and not very clingy. ;) The top is more gathered in the back (like the frills are not so sparse) and a bit shorter, so in fact it's very flattering. =) Hope you like it!

(Promod top, H&M pants, H&M cardigan, Bata lased up heels, my fav scarf and my Indonesian black sunstone medallion)

(Without the scarf, yo you can see just how nice the lace embellishment is (; )

Have fun, guys

and thanx for popping in.

Cheers

~°*°fleur°*°~

The Pill

2011-01-17T13:11:00.000+01:00

I was still chuckling at all the puns that hit me when I was thinking of a title for this one. And then I remembered. This is not a funny story. This is a sad one. Well, it does have a happy ending but that didn't come easy. And I guess I'll never get back all those years of my life I spent nervous and unhappy -- all because of this tiny little thing called the Pill.

Not many people know this about me, though I've often told parts of the story of "this friend of mine" as a shocking testimony. I'm sharing it with you as such now, to tell you about my experience. It's happily behind me now, and I wanted to post about it before I start forgetting it. I know I never will completely, but I don't think about it much these days.

I have to emphasize here that I'm not against contraception. Not at all. But I believe that at the end of the day many options prove to be just as efficient as any other. And what bugs me is that gynecologists tend to overlook many of them. I do understand their point to some extent, that they want girls to be safe and not to worry about them any more. But I think if you're going to take something so strong (I haven't even taken antibiotics in years because I don't consider them necessary most of the time), it's your right to know about the potential consequences and other alternatives.

It all started a very long time ago, back in highschool. I asked my gynecologist about different contraceptive methods and, though she mentioned a couple, she strongly advised me to start taking the pills. (Whether I was too young to do so or not is a totally different question. I don't think I was. I'm not going to go into what I think is the right age to start having sex or taking pills. I think it's totally subjective and one just can't generalize these assumptions.) As I was in a steady relationship and it seemed the best choice.

So I started taking low-dose combined pills and all was well for a while. Of course I gained weight and couldn't get rid of it despite all the dieting, and I would have mood swings half the time, but m I can vouch that all the raves about associated benefits are true. Skin improves and periods become painless (or less painful) and less fussy. But there are some things that gynecologists never tell you.

I was enjoying the benefits for 6 years or so (while dieting like hell all the time) and never actually thought of stopping. Until one Sunday evening I realized I had miscalculated and had no pills left. Next day I called my doctor but she could only schedule me for the end of the week -- too late to continue. She said I could start some days later (I don't remember but there was a rule for times like this) or a whole four-week cycle later. Having given it much thought I decided not to mess with nature and go with the longer wait, even giving my body a couple of months' break. And that was when I learned the price of my freedom all those years.

The problem with these pills is that they act through pumping hormones into your system. I've read about some that make your body produce them, but I think the effect is similar. Your natural hormone production is meddled with and the natural signals are numbed or stopped completely. And when you stop taking the pills it doesn't mean at all that they get back to normal. Not fast at least.

When I stopped it took my body some weeks to adjust. I don't remember that period as it was around my spring exams but I do remember the shock I had when summer came. The least of my surprises back then was that my period never came back. My doc said that a couple of months' break was normal and that I could start taking the pill to get back to normal -- or wait a bit longer. But at that moment I was starting to have my doubts. I'm not a village girl but I do prefer natural solutions and the realization of how much contraceptives can mess up your system made me sick. I decided to wait a bit and see what would be best.

Long years of struggle followed. I'm not really keen on relating all of it so I'll just sum up what happened. I guess the main problem was that my hormone levels were like that of a 12 year old boy. On the good side I lost weight noticeably and my mood swings were gone. But I was still not back to normal. My period didn't show up until around two years later, and took almost a year more to get regular.

That in itself would be enough to put anyone off, but the biggest problem was that the ultrasound (an overly uncomfortable experience that I had to go through several times during these months) showed multiple cysts in my ovaries. When I asked my gynecologist about this, outraged, she said that this was a normal outcome if someone took the pills as long as I had. She said -- probably to cheer me up -- that around 7% or women developed Polycystic Ovary Syndrome after getting off the Pill, but this could be handled by taking the Pill again. And maybe I had one but even then there was no reason for me to worry because women like me were known to have given birth to healthy children under medication. You can imagine how reassured I was! I spent days googling PCOS, joining forums and crying constantly. Then I spent months feeling miserable, hunting down one renowned doctor after another, without one consenting to send me to an endocrinologist. (For in Hungary you need a prescription to visit a specialist on your insurance.) They all told me the same, that I may or may not have the syndrome and my best option would be to continue taking the pill. I even visited a specialist, who was famous for delivering babies under such conditions, and she told me how lucky I was that I wasn't developing other symptoms and that she would be happy to help me one day I wanted to have babies. Nice.

Well, after all these years I can only say that I'm happy the whole experience is behind me. And I learned a lot. Now I know that you should always research drugs before you take them. Taking the word of a doctor is not enough, for most of the time by the time they're done with their training they consider every living person healthy and lucky for it. They don't necessarily tell you that certain drugs can mess up your system or make you develop conditions that are latent in your genes. Of course, next to any fatal disease these are minor inconveniences. But I'm not sure I'm willing to go through them, nonetheless.

So how did I get over my alleged PCOS? Well, I guess I didn't have one. But I only figured that like a year later, when my body started to react to all the homeopathic and home remedies I had been taking. I can't even recall how many things I had tried and how many specialists (conventional and alternative) I'd visited. I had to realize that our bodies are systems on their own and everything was related. Hormone levels can be very sensitive to any changes in weight, diet or lifestyle -- let alone contraceptive products. And the smallest change can wreak havoc over the entire body.

The greatest challenge was to overcome my my fear and lethargy. I loved the way I looked, but I saw that my "teenage athlete" build was a clear indication of my healthy issues. So I stopped fretting over my weight (well, this came sort of natural, when you have nasty cramps and a dozen cysts you don't worry much about weight...) and started eating healthily. Not that I had been eating anything unhealthy or even drastically small amounts. But I now know that my body needs a small amount of everything and that even pasta is healthy in small amounts. And most of the time what our body craves is really what it needs. I've learned to listen to these cravings and not design my diet in my head. Needless to say, if you really listen, you know that your body doesn't really crave chocolate, you might actually have low blood pressure or just be thirsty. And chocolate is not your enemy. Artificially processed foods and drugs are.

Let this not be a complaint or an attempt to dissuade anyone from taking the Pill. But I think it's important to know what you're taking and what the implications might be. Maybe I was prone to PCO from the beggining. Maybe I was taking a risk. But wasn't my doctor supposed to warn me? I don't know. But now I know for sure that it is my own responsibility to assess the risks I'm taking when I decide to undergo any medication. And I'm so grateful that I don't have to be taking some silly pill the rest of my life and that I don't have to expose my babies to the (maybe yet unknown) effects of drugs even before they're born.

If you're wondering what I've (been) taking to help my body recover, here's a list of the things I've found the most helpful:

- Hamamelis Virginiana (taken internally; it takes a couple of months for this homeopathic remedy to take effect; most famous for its beneficial effects on the skin and veins, it also helps improve gynecological conditions; I've been taking Boiron's pellet in various doses)

- Vitamin E (the full adult daily dose; it is responsible for skin renewal and all parts of the female reproductive system)

- Hawaiian Noni /I started taking it to boost my immune system but I've found that it helps recovery in general, maybe because my body has less problems to focus on :)/

- Pomegranate Juice 100% (I wish I had known this before! It is well known that taking the Pill exposes your veins to a special load and those with weaker veins can develop spider veins and this natural juice can help such conditions.)

Hopefully some of you have found my little story helpful.

Thank you for reading.

Have a nice week.

xoxoxo

fleur

On Kids ;)

2011-01-14T18:08:00.001+01:00

You know the joke about the guy who used to attend funerals as a single man or with a girlfriend. Older relatives would keep asking him "So, honey, are you gonna be next?" Well, they stopped when he started attending funerals and asking them the same...

I don't think this actually ever happened. And I don't think I'd ever do it. But I think the message's clear.

And I guess it would have taken us a lot longer to decide to get married (well, for Him to propose and for me to say yes) had we been to do it under the keen scrutiny of all the people we knew -- and who had promptly asked us during those 10 years. But fortunately we were on foreign waters and no one was nudging us. We were free to think straight and distinguish our wishes from those of others.

So that leaves us with a happy ending, doesn't it? Well, as for marriage, it does. I've still heard a couple of times people sighing and exclaiming "oh, I'd told you you two should get married!" but we only share conspiratory winks and let friends and relatives have their fun. Good that we didn't do it for them. =) However, now there's a new theme to the unending questions, for "it is a universally acknowledged truth" that young people who have fulfilled the criterion of getting promptly married should move onto the next step and reproduce. OK, I guess we are way too cool a chromosome pool for the world to waste but... Here's what I think about having kids.

It is amazing how powerful hormones are. Or is it psychology that makes women at first contemplate the possibility and then, later on, crave babies? I can't answer that for you, I'd probably say it's both. Not that it matters, really. What I find very interesting, though, is that it's happening to me. As if I had some sort of biological clock after all.

Not that I'm craving. Or contemplating, for that matter. I've merely realized that I don't feel frustrated or out of place when dealing with kids. Don't get me wrong, I've never hated them. (What's there to hate, anyway?) It's just that I was concerned for our collective safety. Now I'm not.

I think the spell's beginning to work on me, though I'm still not wanting to have kids right now. But I do like the idea of having some one day and no longer feel that they should be born 3 years old. Maybe I could handle those first three years... well, some time in the future.

OK, so what do I think about having babies now that I'm all "converted"? Friends keep getting shocked when I tell them how cute and smart my hubby's little nephew is. "But don't you hate kids?" the keep asking me. They don't understand. Relatives, on the other hand, keep asking me "When?", with a knowing smile (rather unknowing if you ask me). And I keep telling them, "in due time" (no pun intended, really! =D). They don't understand either. There's a time for everything. And the changes in my thinking only reflect this.

Just as with marriage, there's a time to start having babies too. I blame my psychology training for most of my rational thinking (I'm more of an impulsive risk taker normally), but let's face it, you don't wanna raise kids under any circumstances. They need healthy (both physically and mentally) parents who can take the responsibility. I'm not hiding behind great principles. All I'm saying is that if I can have a say in the matter, I'd rather pick a better time.

I've heard of many couples who, after moving to Switzerland and learning how crazy the job market here is, decided to have kids. Yeah, why not? Well, I'm not that kind. I won't have babies just to keep me busy or bust my self esteem. A happy lot we'd all be!

No, I want to have babies (well, don't tell Him but I want at least two and maybe adopt a third if we're like super rich XD) when the time is right. When I decide to relinquish my career (OK, first I need one =]) and feel all the happier for it. Because for me my little angels (y compris their daddy ;-]) are to be the most important. I will then go back to my work, never feeling that I'd sacrificed anything. For thiey're my angels! And I'll still be pretty successful, without ever compromising their happiness. This is how I see the future.

So yes, we are gonna have kids, just not right now. I don't wanna be too old either, but I want to build a career that I can "sacrifice" -- Oh, no, I'm just kidding! =) In truth I need a career to go back to. Because my little darlings will need a happy and balanced mama to welcome them. So for the moment I'm trying to get there. Be happy and balanced. I still have some time to spend on that. ;)

Have an awesome weekend

all of you! ;)

hugs & kisses

from spring-time Geneva! ;)

fleur

My Style #1 [OOTD]

2011-01-13T17:33:00.002+01:00

I wanted to add more festive looks, I really did. But then I couldn't really decide when I was being festive and when it was just... well, my style. So now I've decided to go with that theme because although I would wear these any time (glammed up with accessories or changing some details for more formal occasions), I guess others would consider them strictly everyday. But for me these outfits are very versatile. I think the most stunning look can only be achieved if you're perfectly confident and comfortable in it. I could don a cocktail dress -- but believe me 90% of them would look ridiculous on me. Mostly because I normally don't feel comfortable wearing them.

So here's the first one of my "collection". I hope you like it. ;)

(sleeveless flapper dress with lace skirt, Promod; cardigan with buttoned cuffs, H&M; scarf, it's 7 years old, I have no idea :); grey wool blend tights, H&M; kickass knee high wedge boots, Dr Scholl.)

(black military themed denim jacket, H&M; scarf, Zara)

(ugly duckling "vintage" bag, ok, this has a story. :) I hate 80s fashion, so I discarded this little gem when we were "vintage hopping" with my mom last spring. But then I glanced inside and it has the most amazing construction and... and I just fell for it. It's so ugly that it is actually a state of art piece. May you find such pieces. XD)

OK, my darlings, this is all for now.

I'll be back soon with more My Style pics.

Thank you for stopping by.

Have an awesome Thursday evening/night you all.

Cheers

fleur

Happy 2011! (and Topics for January!)

2011-01-06T12:08:00.001+01:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

I left Hungary yesterday and spent much of the journey thinking about my life here and there and whether I had one at all. Not that I'm particularly prone to pessimism and depression. But these past few weeks in Hungary made me think and I wanted to grab at the opportunity. It is such a special experience to see one's life as if from far away and flying hundreds of kilometers above the Earth and being literally neither here nor there helped me understand a lot. This post will not be about my ramblings, though. Instead I'd like to give you all a heads up and list some of the topics that would come up during the course of the next few weeks, as a result of my recent experiences.

So this month you'll see more about

(in no particular order)

life in Switzerland and the general atmosphere -- confessions of an expat
my cultural escapades in Budapest (theater, exhibitions and my fav places to sip a coffee or tea - or whatever)
my Easyjet experience - cheap but not necessarily easy
why I love LUSH and my fav products
all I think about having babies
some of my thoughts on learning and teaching languages

Thanx for reading!

Keep tuned if you're interested.

Have an awesome weekend.

xoxo

fleur

NYE (Gaming Mode: On)

2010-12-28T19:06:00.000+01:00

For years and years it was really hard for me to enjoy this evening. As a teenager I was so hard pressed to find the best party and the most popular place to be that I ended up either spending it with only a bunch of my best friends or regretting that I didn't. Although most of the former ones were fun, I felt somehow left out of the huge fun that was New Year's Eve. But when I did choose the latter I kept thinking how very stupid it was to go to a party just because it was NYE. Most of my best parties have had nothing to do with any particular date (save for our wedding) and my New Year's parties were notorious failures.

Until recently.
For a couple of years ago I found myself in a group of friends discussing how these parties suck and how difficult it is to do anything fun on NYE because everyone's attending them. Then we realized. We needed a renegade party. So we founded the Gamers' New Year Parade, and it's been my official New Year's program for three years.

So it sounds a little geek.
So what? I can assure you that it's not -- but at least that puts the clubbers off. =)
What we do is play with our fav boardgames and try a couple of new ones, eat some delicious stuff and listen to some cool music, all the while talking a lot and having lots of fun. Normally there's not much dancing but there are so many opportunities for that during the year that I'm not really missing it. Not because I don't like clubbing. But I don't think I have to dance or drink to let my hair down. There are many other ways as well. Whenever I try to explain to someone why I love these parties, I can see that they don't come through as fun as they really are. I guess it's because most people wouldn't enjoy sitting around with their friends talking and laughing -- and playing boardgames. It's their loss. =)

This year it will be a little different. We've changed the venue, and a lot of 'friends of friends' are coming. So I guess it will be a little more party-ish. But we also have a number of new games to try and the 'older members' are coming as well. I'm planning to compile a list of the games we've played and tell you guys why we liked them. So keep tuned for that.

Oh, and

Happy New Year

Everyone! ;)

Merry Christmas -- From Snowy Hungary

2010-12-28T18:31:00.000+01:00

As much as I like Christmas, I have to say that this one's been (yes, it's still 'on') the best one I can remember. It's difficult to say why. But there've been a couple of things I really liked.

Snow

Well, I'll admit it was pretty annoying when I had to trudge through it when walking to work in Geneva. But it's the most wonderful Christmas background and now that I'm sitting next to a warm fire and think back on the afternoon spent sleighing, I can't but love it.

Family

I guess this should've come first but the view outside just made me think of the snow. Anyway, since I've been living away from my family, times such as Christmas, when we all get together, have become especially dear to me. Christmas without family would be so sad and blank and not 'Christmasy' at all.

Friends

They're almost just as important. I love my friends so much and miss them a lot. I am always looking forward to meeting them and during the holidays there are many opportunities to gather a bunch of them and have some fun.

My hubby
OK, I know this sounds cheesy. But it's just so much better to have someone to hug any time I feel like it, and Christmas makes me wanna hug someone big time. Besides, since we're married buying gifts has become a lot simpler as well. We have twice the money and I can always blame him for clumsy wrapping. (Just kidding, I would never ever do that! XD) I guess the best part is that we can share all the fun and any time there's anything that could spoil our festive spirit (burned, broken, spilled, etc. stuff, anyone?), we can just laugh it off. I know I've said this already (a couple of times), but I just love the fact that we're a lot like buddies and can have so much fun together! I really hope we'll stick together for a long time, because I would feel awfully sorry for any future partner of ours who had to put up with us being such great 'cronies'. Yeah, well, not only because of that. But I'm sure you get what I mean.

OK, Gifts
I'm not really a 'material girl'. And I don't need a lot to be happy. What I really love about gifts is the giving (and the getting) part. I love picking out things that my friends and relatives would love. I love wrapping them up nice and I love their faces when they tear the packages apart. =)
Let's be fair. I also like getting gifts. Not because I'm especially fond of material possessions. First I love the fact that my friends and relatives have picked them especially for me, that they've thought of me.
And then there are the gifts themselves. I don't know about others but my family (and my friends as well) have always been really good at finding out what I like. I guess I'm not hard to please. =)
But this Christmas they've done an exceptionally good job. Wanna know how? Well, I bet it wouldn't work for everyone but most girls (and even guys) I know love the gorgeous handmade cosmetics that are so fashionable nowadays. They might take the form of yummy smelling bath globes or shower and hand cremes that you just want to taste they look so gorgeous. And they make excellent gifts. Who wouldn't want to pamper themselves?

I could go on and on, listing lights and cakes and what not. But those are usually part of the festivities. What's been really special this year, though is that somehow even more love has been stuffed into this short period of celebration. I guess we cherish each others' company more now that we see each other less often. But I would never have thought that this was possible.

Hugs and kisses

and Happy Holidays! ;)

fleur

On Being Bilingual...

2010-12-14T20:02:00.000+01:00

Technically I don't qualify.

I was born and raised in the same country, the language of which was the mother tongue of all my closest family.

I don't know if it's in our genes, though, or rather in my curiously multicultural family history, but a love for languages has been passed onto me and by the time the Berlin Wall fell I was ready to absorb all linguistic influences flooding in from that direction. And there were plenty about.

I tend to believe that it all started then. But I guess my family background also helped, from the Swedish tales my mom told me to the Australian cards my relatives sent me.

Well, I ended up pretty bilingual, with all its side effects. Of course while living in Hungary I never really noticed these. I thought I was as much Hungarian as the rest of them, with a fortunate kick for languages and a multicultural upbringing. And maybe I was just that, back there.

Once I settled in Switzerland I started to realize that many of those long expressions my sociolinguistics books used actually applied to me. I was in a second language environment, with a funny national identity, quite willing to assimilate while retaining some of that identity, however mixed it was to begin with. I was the member of a subgroup of a subgroup in a society which often defies boundaries and yet votes nationalist. I felt not a little lost.

And I started to wonder just how I got into all this. Sure globalization and an English major had a lot to do with it, as well as my general disposition towards languages as tools of communication and self expression. An often quoted Hungarian saying goes 'you are as many people as many languages you speak', and I can truly vouch for its accuracy. Now it's up to me to sort out just how these people can get on with each other. It's not going to be easy. But with all the advantages, it's worth the effort. ;)

Thanx for reading.

Have an awesome week.

xoxoxoxo

fleur

Bern, Baby! [The One After ;)]

2010-12-11T13:14:00.000+01:00

Uhh... I can't upload any more photos. I'll soon find something to replace picasa, but for the time being I'll just comment on our trip -- which was awesome!

The city is so cute with its medieval feel, beautiful fountains and bears, yes, bears. I've already said that Swiss towns remind me of city sized amusement parks, and Bern is no exception. Its Old Town is a lot bigger than that of Geneva, it's like a town of its own. And that was all we needed.

Christmas markets and bears, mulled wine and rösti, we had a hell lot of fun. It's just the perfect day trip, especially if you have a CFF daily card. Otherwise it might get a little expensive.

First we walked around, admiring the atmosphere and architecture of the town, having some mulled wine and a lot of fun at the Christmas Market in Waisenhausplatz. Then when toes felt a little numb (it is sooo much colder in Bern!) we decided to hunt down some local specialties for lunch.

We had some rösti and sausages at the Odeon Rathaus (Gerechtigkeitsgasse 78) and all was delicious. Then we headed for the Bear Park, which was an outstanding experience, with the 4-year-old cubs and the two older bears acting cute and funny on the hillside. I'd read reviews of their old home and how sad and small that was, so I was really happy to see them roam about. Zoos should be like this. If you really have to have animals living in captivity, they should be allowed a healthy and happy life! If zoos were more like this, I'd visit them a lot more often.

We also checked out the Berner Münster, with its funnily grotesque gargoyles. I hope I'll be able to upload some pics soon...

I don't know why the Zytglogge wasn't working properly. Well, we did enjoy the little it did, but I was expecting minutes of animation... Maybe next time. Perhaps 4 pm was too late for it to do anything more, I don't know.

After that we took a couple of pics of the Bundeshaus and slowly headed back to the train station, stopping at fountains and the Christmas Market once again.

Oh my, it was really amazing. But I'm glad to be back. With the little work I have and my constant feeling of being a foreigner, even in international-intercultural Geneva, I can see that I would be a little depressed were I to live in Bern. I mean it's cute and all that. But still it's a lot less welcoming than the French and Italian speaking cities of the south.

Escalade!

2010-12-09T16:11:00.000+01:00

Yes, I've just bought out Marmite for this year's Escalade.

If you don't know what all the buzz is about, check out www.1602.ch for more info! ;)

Our 'victim' this year is made of milk chocolate and is from Auer again. I loved last year's dark chocolate one but, always the one for change, I wanted to try something new. I was considering buying it somewhere else, just to give the other stores a chance but looking through their wares I liked the appearance and price of the Auer ones the most. I'm not really a cheapo considering I'm willing to pay almost CHF40 for the thing, but I would definitely not go to hundreds. Soooo, I ended up buying it at Auer's again. Actually they're really good and they look a lot nicer than the slightly more expensive ones across the street.

Well, tomorrow it's Bern (the coolest map here!) and then all the fun begins! With marmites and marches and fondues and mulled wine! I can't wait! If you're in Geneva, it's a must. Vive l'Escalade! =D

Chocolate kisses and spicy hugs

from Geneva! ;)

Your Geneva news, given to you by fleur

Bern, Baby!

2010-12-09T10:18:00.000+01:00

It's so exciting!

We're having some friends over from Hungary and there will be so many awesome things to do this weekend. I can't wait!

First off, on Friday, we'll go to Bern. I've picked up a bunch of daily train tickets* and we'll leave in the morning and spend the day there. I've never been to another Swiss city, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Then on Saturday the Escalade starts, so I guess after a comfortable breakfast we'll head to the Old Town to "revel" in the specialties. We're really lucky this year, as last year it was freezing cold. But I'm prepared not to leave anything to luck. If need be my woolen stockings are at the ready! =)

* This is amazing, guys, you should definitely try it once in Switzerland! Bought at the local tourist office (Pont de la Machine in our case), they're valid for a certain day on all SBB/CFF lines. Isn't that awesome? And they're only CHF 35, so it's a lot cheaper than plain tickets, even if you have demi-tarif. You need someone, though, with a local residence (permit) to buy them. Worth a try, huh? But be quick, for they sell out weeks in advance! ;)

Yuletide Spirit ;)

2010-12-06T18:20:00.000+01:00

I love holidays and I especially love Christmas.

Not because of the shopping or gifts or the like. But because for one reason or another (mostly another) people really make an effort to do their best. Streets are decorated and the scents of mulled wine fill the city, shopwindows look gorgeous and as the Day gets closer people try to be nicer and nicer. I know that this time of the year generates a lot of waste, in the form of torn and thrown wrapping paper as well as electricity and the like, but none of it is wasted on me. I sometimes feel like absorbing all the scents and sounds and I definitely fold away wrapping papers (I'm a huge recycler, to the dismay of my husband).

And I do like the effort. Sometimes I really believe the world should be like this. We should always look for little ways to surprise others and be kind and forget our grievances just for the day. I'm afraid human nature would not allow for it though, and I don't harbor any illusions as to a perfect world. But it would be nice regardless. I love the air of "special" that hangs about this time of year and I wish it would linger. But then I guess it wouldn't be special any more.

So I savor every minute of it, drinking it in. I never start before December, just to prevent the Yuletide Spirit from draining out before January 2. But during this one month I'm all for the fun. Decorations all around the apartment, essential oils in the little burner, Christmas lights and all sorts of merriment. ;) I can't wait to be on my way to Hungary to meet my friends and family. But I also enjoy the present moment, as I know this period is so short and then it will be just regular winter again...

I wish you all an awesome holiday season,

stressless shopping

and huge Christmas fun

with the ones you love the most!

;)

fleur

How I Got Good Skin

2010-12-05T16:52:00.000+01:00

I looked much the same at 13 as I look today. So (as much as I ever matured) I can say that I matured early. As a result, I never suffered much from puberty and I don't remember having any skin problems at that time. Actually, I remember that, until quite recently, my skin has been revered as one of the softest and clearest among my friends and relatives. I put it down to my never having gone through a major hormonal havoc, and partially I was right.

So you can imagine what a shock it was when I started having all sorts of problems, which, as I later learned, are nowadays labeled adult acne and are a newfound challenge to dermatologists. Adult acne is different from teenage skin problems in a number of ways and can range from mere annoyances to more serious conditions. I counted myself among those fortunate enough not to develop very bad skin, but I was still furious at all that caused it. For I knew very well that the only thing that could have messed up my hormones was the Pill I had stopped taking a couple of weeks before. From then on, with the sudden drop of "mature" hormones in my system, I was back in junior high -- the kind I'd never been to.

First I was shocked and angry and then, when I realized this did not help my skin, I started battling it. Product upon product, failure upon failure, and a newfound interest in (bordering on addiction to) various foundations and concealers. But this would not be a success story without success and instead of lamenting on my long journey through the inferno of skin problems I'll tell you about the miracle that saved my pores. It had nothing to do with my search for the holy grail of skincare products or the generous amounts of salicylic acid I kept pouring on my face. It actually happened almost overnight and I only have chance to thank for my recovery. I don't know if I'll ever be back to using anti-acne products again, but I'm just incredibly happy for the moment to bother about that. So let me tell you how it happened and outline my skin credo as of that moment.

It all started a couple of weeks ago, when we were spending the weekend with friends and the "program" was fully packed with social activities, far from the confines of my bathroom at home. Looking at my skin a couple of days later I learned the importance of that. While away, I was unable to apply all I usually do to my face, and I didn't have the possibility to inspect myself in the mirror and feel annoyed by my skin. As a result I kept to a much more natural method, washing my face twice a day thoroughly with a good wash and applying foundation with my fingers instead of a brush or sponge. And, in keeping with good manners, I kept my hands off my face as it can be really annoying and weird if someone keeps touching their face all the time.

And, miraculously, when I looked at my skin a couple of days later it was clearer than ever. I've kept it that way ever since and my new "regime" has been very successful in doing so. Here's what I learned.

If you don't clean your applicators (brushes, sponges, etc.) after each use, you'd better not use them at all.
Otherwise it's like smearing bacteria all over your face. This applies to eye shadow applicators as well, if you have an infection or anything. If you can't clean them, better use your fingers.

Keep your hands (and everything else) off your face.
This is crucial. I've never been one to fidget or scratch when nervous but I can't say I've always been cautious not to touch my face. But lately I find that whenever I pay attention not to my skin is all the better for it. And it's important to understand that even if your hands are clean they contain far more bacteria than your pores can deal with. Also, since I don't have bangs I haven't had a single breakout around my forehead. So all my experience backs up the general opinion expressed by dermatologists: don't expose your skin to more bacteria than absolutely necessary.

Exfoliate gently.
I used to use all sorts of exfoliators but nowadays I keep to the chemical ones or a gentle buffer from time to time. Rough textures can damage your skin, leaving it irritated or even scarred. Go for gentle, rounded beads and soft pads. Or avoid physical exfoliation altogether, as I have, and apply a wash containing salicylic acid or the like.

Go for the right treatment.
It might sound paradoxical but actually my skin has never been oily. Even when my hormonal system resembled that of a 12-year-old boy, my skin was rather on the dry side. I could call it combination except that dry patches could show up in my T-zone as well. So for me applying anti-acne product upon anti-acne product was rather a double edged sword, as it made my skin a little clearer but a lot drier too. But lately I've found a new way to keep my skin balanced. I use some of the products but combine them with a regime of moisturizers that help my skin stay healthy and in need of less exfoliation.

Look at the causes.
Skin problems in adulthood can be caused by a number of factors. It's essential that one identifies the causes before applying any treatment, as these can vary according to the nature of the problem. Paying attention to your habits and lifestyle can help you to better skin. I'm not saying that I believe in the often mentioned effects of food on your skin, but to be honest I don't eat anything that I consider totally superfluous or unnecessary. Some additives can definitely cause breakouts, just as some people might have similar problems with some spices. It is important to take an honest approach instead of blaming skin problems on fate.

I'm not saying that I know a lot about skin. But I've had my fair share of problems lately and I thought I might throw in my two cents on a topic that is often discussed on forums and blogs. I hope it was helpful.

Thanx for reading! ;)
And please subscribe, it's free and fun. =)

Our Winter Wonderland

2010-12-01T16:03:00.000+01:00

I've never lived on the southern hemisphere, so in my mind Christmas and the holiday season is closely associated with cold weather. Not necessarily snow, because winters in Hungary haven't been the same lately (though last year was pretty snowy), but cold nonetheless.

But this!

Guys, this is amazing. Very beautiful and very scary at the same time.

I spend much of my time outside, walking from one class to another, and all this snow takes me back to the time of my great grandfathers. Traffic is really slow, buses are scarce, and people are wearing rubber or sturdy boots and ski jackets. The whole town seems to have slowed and the usual throngs are missing from the snowy streets.

I don't know if it's to be considered good or bad in general, but I really like the fact that no salt or sand is poured onto the streets. Some say they're saved for the highways but I put it down to environmentalism and smile when trudging the 30 cm deep snow.

Oh, well, I guess I'll need to get some of those boots. This snow doesn't seem to be stopping soon.

Hugz and snowflakes

from Geneva

with love.

fleur

Cool with Style

2010-12-01T15:27:00.000+01:00

Madonna lied to us guys. Getting frozen has nothing to do with your open heart (which, to keep the pun, is hard to keep when friends are out to harm you, as Axl told us).

So if I was going to get snowed on I decided to do in it style. =)

Look at my half mitts! (Sounds like some Jewish ceremony...) All (except the silk bow, which had spent its former life as a hair clip) from H&M, which is my go-to place for items I must buy but don't want to spend a lot on. (BTW, thumbs up for the weird nose, I guess it's the flash but I could claim some Cirano-esque heritage...XD)

Thanx so much for reading. ;)

Happy holidays, guys!

Ken il neige a Geneve -- Life under the snow ;)

2010-11-28T21:08:00.000+01:00

It started snowing on Saturday morning, a beautiful sight that we kept glancing at from the comfy armchairs of our warm living room. It looked amazing, never stopping, like a real winter wonderland.

Then we left to see some friends and play some boardgames. My first grievance was that the cardboard boxes kept peeking out of my bag and getting wet. But soon I realized that was a minor issue. Public transport in Geneva was pretty nightmarish, though.

We took tram 16 to get to the train station but it was a hell of a lot late. I was really surprised by this as by the early afternoon I expected the TPG people to get used to the situation and work out a plan B. Well, apparently they had but it wasn't a very clever one. I'm not one to complain, so I'll cut the long story short. We did get to Morge, where we were going, with a 30 minute delay -- not too bad, I think. ;)

I love Switzerland for its amazing winter. It's so ... wintery! =) Although there isn't much snow left in Geneva, but you should see the countryside. It's all dressed in pure white, every hill and house like a cupcake. So much so that I actually enjoyed our 20 minute walk at 2 in the morning to the train station in Morge. =)

All I'll say is that leaving early and accounting for a potential freeze in public transport services is inevitable. I remember last year, on a very snowy Sunday, they actually stopped working. So take this into account. And enjoy the snow! ;)

Snowballs and snowmen

and dreams of a whiiiiiiiiiiiite Christmas

be with everyone! ;)

love

fleur

Leggings Aren't Pants -- well, most leggings... =)

2010-11-26T12:34:00.001+01:00

Hi there. I'm one of those people who believe in diversity, the greater the better. I don't think fashion is in any way to determine what one wears or to prescribe one's style. From year to year, season to season it provides one with new ideas and inspirations and it should stand for freedom and not restrictions.

I also don't believe in fashion faux-pas, because in my opinion it's all relative. A look that might be avoided when going for one effect (e.g. extra mini skirts are not really the right choice for a sophisticated look) can easily become a must when striving for another (they're awesome for a wild night out) and might even work for the first on some occasions (I've seen minis with thick woolen tights that looked so good in the office). So saying that something is just not to be worn that way is really narrow minded.

That said, I have to admit that there are things I would never ever wear in some way or another. Most of the time it's due to my hourglass figure (which I'm not extremely fond of), which changes the overall look of anything I wear, meaning that I have to be more careful. But this doesn't mean that I condemn any looks, it's just that I would never wear them because they wouldn't have the desired effect. And this is the case with leggings.

I've heard it so many times, mostly with a sarcastic edge, that leggings are not pants. Well, however we like them, they're not. It's not being picky or critical, it's the simple truth. It doesn't mean to say that they can never be worn as instead of pants, but one has to be aware. Sometimes they're just not opaque enough and most of the time they are not that flattering. But it's totally up to your decision how you wear them, I don't really care what other people wear, though I like to admire a nicely put together outfit or an effortlessly chic look. But the worst comment I can make when I look at someone's clothes is that I just wouldn't wear them or not just that way. And any time I see leggings worn with just a tee or a sweater, I'm so aware that I couldn't pull that off. I just couldn't. Or not with those types of leggings...

Because a new generation of leggings is out and they're ever so flattering, ever so sophisticated -- and they're a lot like pants! =D

I've first seen them (and grabbed a pair immediately) at H&M but I'm sure they're everywhere. Mine are black cotton, with a slightly riding breeches like seaming, no pockets and a zip on the left side. So they're a hybrid breed and they totally enable me to wear "leggings" with short dresses, tunics, long shirts, etc. When I was younger I wore these often with just jeans or pants (I even wore maxi skirts with jeans), but now as I'm older they convey a certain amount of defiance and hippiness, which I'm not quite ready to embrace and advertise. =) So normally I prefer extra thick tights. Or pants and keep thinking about my beautiful dresses that are just too short to wear to work.
But now all these walls have fallen and I can wear (almost) whatever I want. =) The key for me is the cut of the leggings and the material. The bottom line (LOL) is that these cotton ones are obviously opaque enough not to show any underwear, etc. and they don't accentuate curves so much either. This is key for me because I can easily look to exposed. But with these I can enjoy the advantages of pants (cover, warmth and sophistication) and still wear anything on top (no buttons or seams bulging through).
What can I say? I adore them! If you've been shying off of leggings, this is your chance. Go grab yourself some cotton leggings and take your fav minidresses for a stroll! ;)

Have an awesome weekend!

The power of cotton leggings be with you! ;)

Hugz

Fleur

Pre-Holiday Diet ;)

2010-11-25T16:52:00.000+01:00

Hi there. I'm posting this because I feel promises are easier to keep once written down. =)

I have to start with a disclaimer, before I tell you about the diet itself. First of all I'm not doing it to get thinner or anything. The actual "trigger" was that I just ate too many sweet things yesterday and felt really sick afterward.Sick in my case usually doesn't mean sick but with my really crazy blood pressure and blood sugar level, if I eat too much "quick" sugar in one go I just feel really queer and sometimes even pass out. So I try to avoid it. I can absolutely eat what I want weight wise. I have a totally normal figure and I don't often eat a lot, my stomach's pretty forthcoming about when it's full and I don't normally eat just for the fun of it. I used to be really weird about eating, but since I don't take any medicine that would influence my weight I'm just really normal about it. So I don't have a disorder, I don't think I'm fat or anything. So this diet is about health -- because I know I might not be such a good girl during Christmas time. =)

Well, the actual decision I made was

not to eat any sweets and "quick" sugars (white bread, pasta, pizza, etc.) till Christmas!

We'll see how it goes, I won't force myself, I mean if I'm really really craving that cake everyone's having then I'll have a bite or a slice. Normally it's better to give in a little than go on craving and cracking for something worse. So I won't go crazy but I really want to give my body some time to relax before I eat all that stuff my friends and family prepare.

So that's it, I hope this wasn't very boring. It might actually inspire some to eat healthy for a while before Christmas time. Though in many countries Thanxgiving might interfere. But it might be a good kick to start a healthy diet between the two holidays...

Have a very nice weekend! ;)

Cheers

Fleur

Holiday Look #1 (OOTD)

2010-11-24T17:18:00.000+01:00

So now that the holidays are getting closer I feel like wearing more glamorous and va-va-voom-ish outfits. Not that I'm drab otherwise but now I really feel I can pull off more accessories, etc. Like wearing bolder makeup, winter and especially the holidays allow you to wear "bolder" looks. I'm sure you know what I mean. So I thought I could share these with you all and maybe provide some inspiration, whatever. Not that I'm so savvy or anything when it comes to fashion but I do have my style and I do know what fits and suits me.

So here's the first one, which I wore today. I still felt the vibe of yesterday's fashion event and the flapper inside me roared for frills. This was the result:

OK, this is not the look, it's me sporting the Lanvin for H&M brooch. =) I'm sorry I just had to include this. (Though I could have smiled and stopped warming my hands in my coat pockets in such a weird way...) Anyway, the scarf is Promod from last years batch and the coat is H&M.

So this is an H&M dress (also bought last year) and I just love this powdery champagne pink color, I think it's awesome! Then I'm wearing a Pull & Bear cardigan (an oooooold find), H&M cotton leggings (you'll hear about these more, I love them!) and a Promod (CHF 9 on sale!) necklace. The shoes are from one of Budapest's many little shoestores, which I sorely miss in Geneva.

I hope you liked it!

Please rate it and tell me what you think. ;)

Should I do more of these?

Or you think my now-and-then kind of style sucks? =D

Let me know what you think. ;)

cheers

fleur

Lanvin for H&M : Take Two

2010-11-23T17:03:00.001+01:00

And I don't mean take two dresses. =)

But I did go back around 2 pm to check for some of the remnants of the collection. All was gone (save for a couple 36 shoes and 42 dresses). But I got a lot out of all this, much more than the actual items. This was my first time and now I'm fashion rush savvy. Here's my experience.

The rush

So I'm really happy about my little team's performance on this mission. It was very international, my Mom and me keeping in touch through text messages, sending them back and forth between Hungary and Geneva -- to get our hands on the amazing stuff a Moroccan-Israeli designer heading a French fashion house had designed for a Swedish chain. Well... Where was I? Oh yes, I was bragging about my content over our little accomplishment. Not so little, actually. We got up pretty early and were pretty efficient. And we live in two disciplined countries with not a lot of smart people.

Erm, I'm not saying the idea never entered my mind, it would be hypocrisy to say so. It did. But I'm just not that kind of person and I really do think it's unethical -- besides being a lot of trouble. =) What I'm talking about is the obvious, age old method of making money out of any rare article by stocking up on it and when it's all gone put a hideous price tag on it. Stamp collectors do it, supermarkets do it -- people on eBay do it all the time. And sometimes it's just sad.

I love Kristin Young's commentary on her experience. She queued up in Washington, D.C. and had a much harder time we did. Have I ever told you how much I love Switzerland? The whole event was so well organized that it went like a dream. 16 groups of 20 people, 15 minutes each (I bet they let us stay a little longer, though), at least 20 attendants, lots of space, enough guards, and in all, general good behavior. One item per article per person. No one was trying to push or cross the cordons and there were no fights over the items. Some of the stuff could end up on eBay, as I said I was toying with the idea myself, but I just felt that the group behind me deserved their chance as well. And I don't think many of the items bought in Geneva will, anyway. I could see that people only took what they wanted for themselves or their friends.

The collection

... can be checked out on the H&M website. =) I loved it. Somehow I didn't like the dresses so much, I would just say it's not my style. I mean most of them are great for the holidays but I don't go to those kinds of parties. Family get togethers, parties with friends and theater and cinema events don't call for dresses like these. The couple of good quality funky cocktail dresses I own will do wherever I go and I prefer amping up an everyday outfit than wearing a proper dress. But I loved the accessories and although I hesitated a lot, I really liked the black on black zebra print coat. The tees were obviously awesome and I'm so happy that I have two out of the three. My mom got these and the coat, because they were just 20% cheaper in Hungary.

She also got me two of the necklaces, the red one and the flowery bead necklace. These look so gorgeous and the red necklace can make any outfit look special. So again, I won't need a dress. =) I bought the brooch (looks so special in real life, it's a piece of art!) and another necklace, which has a leather strap as part of the design. When I fist looked at it I took it for a belt, and I just couldn't ditch the idea. It looks so nice with the beads swinging around my curves! (I did find a way to put that, didn't I? =D)

And I have 3 out of the 4 lipstick shades. I didn't get the purple one because the one I took was another red (they got mixed up though not many got sold during the first couple of turns) and I promptly took it back to the cordoned area, which got me a look of astonishment and thanx from the staff. I'm so nice, am I not? =) I don't know if I could have taken two of it or not, I'm just not that kind. So anyway, I didn't get the purple one, but I love the rest. They're really nice, complimentary shades (a pale rose that is just a little rosier than your average nude; a red that could be a good dupe for MAC's Russian Red; a hot pink which is the perfect hot pink without being too hot!) and the fact that the pale rose (called "Rose") didn't budge while I finished off my muffin says a lot. I love them and I'm so happy I went for them when no one else did. By the time the groups had finished there was only one lipstick left, I didn't care to check the shade. Oh, and I got the canvas tote as well, just because I decided I would be too lazy to get it later. Good I did because unlike the Rykiel totes, these got sold by the afternoon. And not one of them during the morning. I guess by group 5 people got pretty desperate... =)

I loved the overall atmosphere of the collection. It was like a dream about femininity through all ages, taking the shape of very modern party dresses, coats and accessories. I loved the fact that it went for a very feminine image, creating and adorning curves and using colors that shine with vitality and a sense of confidence. There was none of the no-heavy-lips-and-eyes attitude, no shunning of a woman's beauty or passion. It was all there, amplified. Now what remains is the sense of accomplishment and those beautiful pieces that will have a special place in any woman's wardrobe for years. I'm sure they will in mine.

Thanx for reading.

Flowers and tulles for everyone! ;)

fleur

Fleur < 3 Lanvin < 3 H&M

2010-11-23T10:12:00.002+01:00

This love triangle will be legendary.

I'm home and ready to report on the magic I've just seen with my own eyes. If you're still queuing up, you can read this on your phone/iPad/iPod -- I know you want to! ;)))

(The lipsticks -- ultimate pocket couture! ;) -- the brooch and the necklace that I will wear as a belt -- works awesome! -- aaand the 100% wool scarf we got as a gift as well as the little dress shaped gingerbread. This is Christmas 0.1! XD)

So I arrived at the store around 6.45 and I was like #45, which meant I was in group 3. I got the bracelet for 8.45 but I think I actually got in the shopping area a bit earlier. I was surprised to see how few people turned up before the official opening. I guess Lanvin is less well known among the usual customers of the store...

I'm planning to write a longer post on the actual collection and the individual items. For now I'll just say wow! and have a huge mug of tea. =)

Special thanx:

To my Mom, who bought me all the more expensive items a lot cheaper in Hungary. For this she woke up so early, traveled all the way to the store and fought her way through the crowd! She was in the 2nd group! She's so awesome that her fashionmoonstruck daughter can only keep thanking her.

To the awesomest husband in the whole world, who not only supported his wife in her crazy endeavor to wake up with the birds and go queue up in front of a shop while all sane people were still sound asleep, but also brought her a huge STARBUCKS mocha latte and an awesome caramel muffin while she was doing all this craziness! I would marry him again! LOL

OK, it's time for my tea and a bit of rest. ;)

Have an awesome day!

May Lanvin and the Starbucks latte be with all of you! ;)

Hugz

fleur

"Eeeeenteeeeern!"

2010-11-22T14:09:00.001+01:00

This is what my husband calls me every time the topic comes up. He's just kidding and I don't mind (we never fight or anything and we're more like cronies so him calling me anything is not meant as an insult). But the question still pops up (and makes me interested): just how old can you be and still be an intern?

This immediately reminds me of that movie where Will Smith risks everything to get that trader job, a film I'll never forget. I could really identify with the general atmosphere of the movie, even years ago, for I've always been the person to leave bridges crumbling behind, fighting for new, glorious dreams. Except they never really crumbled, for all the wonderful people around me worked just as hard to keep the world from falling while I struggled for my dreams. But I could still feel for that guy and I always will. Could've been me.

Well, the thing is that I'm working part time now (I work as much a week as I was supposed to during a day, but that's fine) and I keep thinking that this means I could do something I've always wanted but never had the chance. Mostly because of those bridges but partly also because the opportunity never arose. Now it has. There are tons of interesting internships around and I fit much of the criteria. I've just finished my studies, I have the right qualifications, and even a little experience. This is my chance to become a researcher.

So I've applied and am looking forward to their response (or applying for some more). But people keep asking me whether or not this is a good idea. Well, I don't think being an intern is that different from any other job, but of course it depends on the way you do it or the way you look at it. I don't consider it in any way degrading and I don't think anyone should. Of course if you have a good job and you have a lot of responsibility, it might be annoying to be put in a simpler position. But for my part I would consider it easy to give up a job in one area for another. I mean I quite understand that if you switch fields your expertise doesn't necessary transfer to your new job. But you can take a lot with you, and you should. And internships are usually a way companies like to train their employees and give both parties time to feel each other out. Much like a probation period. Whether they're paid or not is a different question, but sometimes this is just another tool in the hand of the employer to find the most devoted and determined candidates.

Anyway, I'm planning to continue teaching anyway, because I like it a lot. But it seems in Switzerland this is much of a hobby and not necessarily something to live off. But I'm really excited about trying my hand at some professional research, as this is something I've been wanting to do for years. I hope I'll get that call soon. ;)

My best wishes to all

from gloomy Geneva =D

(only weatherwise, though!)

fleur

Good Quality Makeup from the Swiss Drugstore [Part 2 -- Lips]

2010-11-22T13:45:00.000+01:00

I've been thinking about continuing this line of thought, but I've been delaying for a number of reasons. First of all, I haven't been buying a lot of makeup lately (erm, not so much as before anyway) and my application tricks haven't changed much either. Second, I've been working a little more and that meant wearing makeup that is not too flashy or overdone. So I've been keeping to basics that work for everyone and every occasion, such as smokey eyes and gel eyeliners and light pink or beige lips. The last of the reasons is that now that my hair is a dark copper I can't wear so much makeup any more -- or rather I don't have to. =) I love dramatic looks but I find that with your hair a more defined shade less looks a lot more dramatic. Before, all my colors blended together, my fair shades one blur of a face. So I used lots of techniques to revive and accentuate my features, which I don't need any more. My eyes look bluer and my skin glowier, so I have to be careful not to go overboard with makeup.

But (and there's always a but =D) all this means that I had to find a way to wear my lips instead of my October favorite: the red lip. I can still pull off red lips but definitely not for a day teaching stressed out bankers. They need a soothing face to be looking at (comprehension relies a lot on facial movements) not something made up for a party. So I ditched my red lipstains for the day and went with these instead:

Lipsticks

You'll note that they're all toned down shades, one might call the nudes and justly so. But as nude lips are so outdated for the season, I won't call them that. =) Plus, I've found a couple of tricks to make these colors work for winter as well.

#1 fav ever: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Almost Nude
Lots of people say it's the perfect nude and I agree. I find it so amazing that I even stopped wearing it for fear I'll use it all up. I'll stock up on it for sure. I love the creamy consistency and the color that is neither too orange nor too white and not awkwardly pink either. For fall or winter I'd pair it with a more interesting toned lipgloss to make it less obviously nude. But now that I have good lipglosses I wear the lipstick + gloss combo all the time.

#2 that came out of my makeup bag first: Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude
I used to hate it because it's such a good shade but matte like hell. But now that I have good glosses, I love this lipstick for a more cappuccino colored fall look. (Use sparingly as it might look like heavy concealer on the lips!)

#3 that fell out of my little pouch next: Revlon Matte Lipstick in Pink Pout
I didn't think much of it at first and only bought it months after Nude Attitude. It looked so... 60s pale pinkish purple that I didn't even try it. Then I was bored looking around Manor and tried it on my fingertip (which is closest to my lip color so I always try lip products on it.) and was amazed. Used carefully it gave me a very light pink look, which I loved so kept the lipstick. Paired with one of my fav lipglosses it's my go to for an effortless toned down lip.

#4 in my bag: L'Oreal Color Riche in #233 Taffeta
I adore this line, I like the luxurious smell of these lipsticks (which some find annoying but I definitely don't!) and the consistency is to dream about. They're not so creamy as to slide off your face but not drying either. BUT. The color range is the weirdest ever. I guess they were going for a love or hate kind of thing but for me the Naturals have just been way too natural (e.g. most don't show at all on my lips) and the others... they are just colors in general I wouldn't consider wearing. I picked this one up for the wedding and have been loving it ever since. It will be one of my favorite winter colors, worn with silver and white clothes and glam holiday eyes. On my pigmented lips it looks exactly as the name suggests, a light pinky brown with purple undertones and a slight satin (or even some would say frosty) finish. I stay away from anything frosty because with my dry skin (even if it looks flawlessly matte it's the same category) it just looks really off and makes me look a lot older. But this one is not like that at all.

#5 and a riddle to me is the Manhattan (German drugstore brand to be found in Hungarian stores) Intense Moisture & Gloss in 53G
I love the colors this line has. I love the moisturizing effect. I love the glossy feel. I hate the pigment particles that feel like grains on my lips. I guess it's because this is a typical drugstore brand and this is such a light shade, but Why? Oh why? This would be the lipstick I wear all the time but for the fact that I can't move my lips around or talk or anything because of this annoying grating feel. Well, nothing's perfect. Some days I still get tempted and wear it under a gloss and keep my lips still just to be able to wear this perfect shade of light pink.

#6 that I keep locked up it's so good is the ASTOR Double Excellence Premium in #105
I love this color. It's this my lips but better kind of shade but not invisible like the L'Oreal Color Riche shades but like really really beautiful. It's a mauvey nude with pink undertones and compliments my hair color perfectly. Gives me those slightly bitten lips. I'll start wearing it again in spring, because I love it so much and it's so expensive for a drugstore brand. I would throw the balm that comes with it away (it's frosted of all things!) but it would leave a hole in the hideous packaging, so I'll keep it. But I love the color and everything else.

#7 is what I wear instead on a day to day basis: ASTOR Shine Delux in #030 Nudie (discontinued)
I love the color, the consistency, everything. Maybe except for the strong smell. But that lasts only seconds and the shiny finish is amazing. This is a true nude mauve, you know the purplish kind, but I love these shades for fall. You can't put a gloss on top of these lipsticks, because the formula gets really sticky and weird but with the finish you don't really need to. My on the go lipstick that I put on at red lights or while running to work.

#8 is the same lipstick in #022 Caribbean
I use this very sparingly, like a stain, when I need a bit of color. It's a pinky coral, best for spring and summer, but I like to put it on instead of a lipbalm, because if applied lighthandedly, it's really sheer and gives only a hint of coral color.

#9 that I'll keep for spring is the Maybelline Color Sensational in #420 Coral Pop
I loved this line from the first moment it came out for the consistency, texture and smell. But I couldn't find a single shade that I could use because they were all sparkly, frosted or pearly and the couple matter shades were uninteresting mauves and browns. So it took me a while to pick this one up finally, and this will be a good alternative for my Caribbean. This is pinker and has a better texture, so this will be perfect for spring.

OK, so for glosses.
This is an interesting find, one I was totally amazed by.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses

Peach Petal #150
Lilac Pastelle #200
Coral Reef #170

The texture and consistency of these glosses is amazing. I picked up these three because I found them the most interesting and they fitted my lipstick collection the most closely. Plus, Peach Petal and Lilac Pastelle are milky shades, which makes them look nice on their own. I use them very lightly over a number of shades and they can completely change the look of a lipstick. They can make nudes more revived, peachy or purplish, and they can also make bolder shades more toned down, which I like a lot. Lots of people rave about these glosses, I know. I can see their flaws, though, but I think they're as close to perfect as drugstore glosses can ever get.I've always hated glosses for their stickiness and never wore them on a daily basis. But these changed that completely. And I'm enchanted by the versatility they add to my lipstick collection.

Well, this has been a long post. But it was long coming too. I apologize for the length, and hope you find the information helpful.

Have a very nice week.

Luv

fleur

OMG! OMG! [Fashion Alert! :D]

2010-11-18T10:26:00.000+01:00

OMG! OMG! OMG! ... OK, I'll try and stop. But OMG! This is happening! I can't believe it!

What is happening? Lanvin! In H&M stores! Soon!

I'm no fashionista, never will be. I don't like fashion for itself, for being in any way up to date or trendy. Far be it from me. =] But I do consider choosing my clothes an important aspect of my life, just as I do make up. Not because I'm vain or anything or because I care too much about the way I look. For me all this is part of the world around me, its closest elements, things I can feel on my skin, see around my body, etc. So it is of huge importance for me to have them "right", which normally depends on my mood rather than any rule or anything.

I do have my own style, which has nothing to do with the latest trends. Most of the time the two clash (they did so continually in the 90s when one could only find glittery pastel colors everywhere) but sometimes a harmonious synthesis exists, which is what drives me to hunt down items, rush to stores and spend hours and hours browsing the racks.

The past two years have been like that. I don't know what's possessed the masterminds that have mostly been busy designing 80s inspired animal prints and piling color on color lately, but they have come up with a few looks based on much earlier trends that just put a spell on me and I can't stay away from the shop (window)s. Among retailers my shrine has been at the Italian brand Promod's stores and when I wasn't clearing the hangers there I was gauging at the looks a number of designers (the list would draw on too long) put on stage. Glam rock flappers flooded those stages and all I could do was sip on my pomegranate juice and say ooooh and aaaaah -- and hunt for those trends among the racks of clothes (mostly glittery tropical colored leggings and shirts...).

And now a comet has appeared on the dark sky of 2010 fashion. Sure it's been a sky studded by stars but they were so far away from me (that is, my purse). But now, now this one will hit the earth (or stores to be more exact) very close and I feel it will be my Armageddon too.

LANVIN FOR H&M is hitting stores soon.

Sure the collection features a host of 80s inspired items. But look at those... those delicate colors and frills and those 40s-50s figures! Look at the flowers and beads and the coats and dresses that seem to be leaping out of an Audry Hepburn movie or from an old old Chanel catwalk. Waving me forward, to get lost among their frills.

I'm not in love. No. Clothes would never have such a hold over me. But they do take me away, covered in lilac mist, floating above the smoking rooftops of Paris, London, New York, Geneva and even Budapest, the sparkles of these calm cities spread under my bare feet, musk and vanilla in the air, and yes, deep bergamot, and I'm wearing nothing but the mist and cheerful red lipstick and I know those houses are full of gentlemen and outrageous young women and some orchestra playing tango. And I want to float on like this forever. Not caring what time or age it is. For as long as I'm clad in frills and flowers, or riding boots and white shirts, I can feel that the world around me can never change so much in principles. Anything at arms length can be the most high tech and up to date. But my heart is covered in sweet vanilla and deep bergamot and what I wear should always reflect that.

So this is how I booked my first row ticket to the opening of the Lanvin collection, determined to sleep on the doorstep of our local H&M. Fortunately locals don't get up so early. =)

How do you say "Leave me alone" in a host of languages?

2010-11-16T20:01:00.001+01:00

Well, it's time I was armed with a list like this.

I started toying with the idea back in France but I guess you might find it helpful in any multicultural environment.

The thing is that as much as I love multicultural cities, I have come to realize that there are annoyances. And what's really interesting is that they happen not because I am annoyed by someone else's culture but because they don't respect my own. I am not complaining, far be it from me. But it's still remarkable that while certain social groups demand the acknowledgment and acceptance of their culture or religion (uhm... minarets in Geneva, anyone?), they can just as easily go and ignore others'.

It's not so much a grievance as a puzzle to me why men from countries of stricter religious customs keep hitting on me. I'm totally OK with the Mediterranean temperament, and from Italians and French it is mostly flattering when they come up to you to tell you how beautiful you are. I also think of Latin Americans murmuring such things as a compliment. I understand that in their culture it is a common and essentially a positive thing. I never encourage these but most of the time that is not needed as they are really what they are, softly murmured or kindly offered compliments.

However. I am having difficulty accepting such behavior from men of strict religious backgrounds, who convey their meaning a lot less politely. And it's easy to guess the reasons behind the phenomenon. Judging by their eyes I'm obviously asking for it. I'm wearing only a winter coat and woolen scarf, and my face dyed hair are not covered, showing both skin and hair. Tsk, tsk... I'm pretty sure they take me for a hooker... But come on, they are the ones who are "abroad", they should be the ones to take some time and consider my culture before shouting after me, not to mention physical contact... Would I just dream of trying to call them something...

Well, I wouldn't (I don't even know what I could call them) because I am tolerant, something they're obviously not. But it's so sad that when you're prepared to smile at everyone and accept any culture or religion, some people still go around judging you and behaving the way they do. Well, I just hope it will stop one day. Maybe when I get ugly enough for them to stop shouting at me. Or if it gets so cold that one can only go outside fully covered up. =)

Thanx for reading,

I promise I'll be back with more informative topics soon.

Hugz

fleur

Jobhunting

2010-11-10T19:39:00.000+01:00

It's been so long. I know. I don't really have an excuse, except that I didn't want to be writing disheartening posts full of complaints. I'm just not that type. I don't believe that there's any point to criticizing things, as what cannot be changed is simply not worth it, while if I can do something to improve things it just feels so sad to be complaining about them. So instead I set to work.

Well, work is a key issue here, because since my last little ray of hope has been drowned in the pessimism of the ORP people, I have been busy finding myself something to believe in. Teaching English to adults is not as easy in Switzerland as it might be in other parts of the world, as I'm planning to explain in a post as soon as I can bring it up without swearing (only to myself, of course ;-]). So that made me think about what I wanted. Did I really want to teach English or was it something I was just doing because it was convenient? Would I want to try my hand at something else, given the chance? Where did I see myself in 5/10/20 years?

Well, the answers were really interesting. The ORP people told me (during that fancy introductory presentation, right before slamming the door in my face) that sometimes it was important to look for latent or not so latent competencies that just haven't been exploited as yet. I really did like that idea and spent some time outlining my skills etc. Truth be told I can be quite frank with myself and I don't shirk from admitting my faults and mistakes. I guess it's all that psychology training I've been through, but I don't see any point to denials, for they might make one stronger momentarily, on the surface, they don't really help me. Having a good insight and being terrible at lying, I don't think I could actually fool myself. So I came to some conclusions.

First of all, I'm all competencies. =] OK, of course I'm not perfect or even close, but neither can I say that I am good for nothing. I just haven't decided how to use them - yet. And the funny thing is that though I don't think teaching would long be my primary occupation, I can still see why I love doing it. Its requirements fit much of my skills and qualities and develop them in a way. In the long run, of course, I can see myself rising higher than these requirements. But that just gives me higher goals to focus on.

I took that knowledge with me jobhunting. Much of what I've been doing is actually "passive job seeking", meaning cold calls and the world wide web. Although many claim that only a small fraction of the positions available are advertised, I believe that if you really look you can find the right one. Besides, while the Geneva market has been quite unfriendly (meaning literally unaccepting) to some professions, blaming that for a lack of success is a weak excuse. I do know that I'm sorely needed somewhere, I only have to find the place.

So I've been looking. And I know I'm getting closer. I teach more and more for my current employer. There are more and more positions that fit my profile. Sooner or later the pieces will come together. I know. Till then I'll just keep working and looking. And I'll keep reminding myself of all I've learned through these months. About myself and about my goals, both short term and long term. I'll keep them ahead, like guiding stars.

Our Fav Boardgame: DnD 4th Ed ;)

2010-10-30T15:09:00.001+02:00

Please skip if you don't like RPGs or if you don't like DnD. I'm totally free to like (and spend my time playing) whatever I want, and I'm sure playing a social game such as this one has no drawbacks for me. I've always loved role playing, mostly because of the social aspect, and because there are so many eccentric things that I'd love to try but in real life it would be either very weird or very dangerous.

Now 4th Edition is a little different, and some don't quite like it for that.
But as a bunch of board game players, we enjoyed the boardgame like aspect of encounters. In fact, it makes the game less "fictive" and brings in an element of involvement that was previously reserved for more active players. Even if you're new to the system, it's really easy to learn and those who normally enjoy simply watching the game unfold can now have a bigger say in what's happening. Because it's sort of simpler, a lot easier and in front of your eyes. I remember playing 3th Ed and a bunch of other RPGs. I was always the watcher type, my character simply filling a gap in the group's abilities, and I usually let others decide my battle moves for me because I couldn't even begin to understand the stats and charts it involved.

And now I was DMing the game. It was my first time playing 4th Ed and my first time playing DnD in like 10 years. So that's saying something. Yes, it was difficult at first, sometimes a bit overwhelming, but I did enjoy it and my players even more so. I won't go into the details of DMing, that would be a totally different post. I don't even know if you guys would be interested in it at all. But for now I'd just like to point out that if you like boardgames and have a group of at least 4 players who enjoy strategic games and the like... DnD 4th Ed is a very good option. If your quests focus on battle, you'll get a more real life, amped up version of Descent, a game I love. Plus, DMing is much nicer than playing the Overlord. You're not against your players and you can have lots of fun too. On the long run, you can also try role playing more, and next time someone else can DM. It's huge fun.

The only disadvantage, obviously, is the cost. All the books and stuff... but on the other hand, they really look good and you only need a couple of them to start playing. Even if we only play a couple of times, this is a nice investment, especially given the cost of going to the cinema, etc.

Nice gaming, everyone!

and an awesome weekend! ;)

fleur

About Having Nothing and Everything [Ramblings]

2010-10-27T22:51:00.001+02:00

I don't know how to begin this post. Normally I wouldn't write something like this unless I had a story to tell or at least some rationale. Well, you could say that I have one. I came to Switzerland a year ago, and since then have been through several stages of expatness. Some were nicer, some more difficult, but they've all been ... well, informative. Or formative. Depends on how you look at it.

Now I'm at a point which I sometimes think is a dead end -- and at other times a treasure heap of possibilities and options. I'm either having analysis paralysis to use the gaming phrase (you know when you have simply too many options to make the right decisions and you just seem to freeze, sort of) or it's really more difficult to make a living here than I thought. I don't know which, but these days I feel often down, which is weird given my impossibly positive attitude. But lacking some things one is used to makes one respect many things that one has. And I'm beginning to see the world as one big solid silver lining.

First off, I've never had so much time on my hands. And instead of spending it searching for jobs frantically and futilely, I could use it so much better! (I'm calling this search futile because sometimes I spend hours browsing job ads in sections that have nothing to do with my field, and deep down I know that I wouldn't find anything there but I can't bear the thought of not having looked everywhere.) So now I'm composing a list of all the things I've always wanted to do, and I swear I'll do them this time! I'll start with finding yoga classes and I'll also be doing lots of ELT related things. If jobs don't come to me in my field, I'll be doing it without payment, but to my own liking and development. And there are tons more, so I definitely won't be bored. =)

And then there are lots of things I've come to treasure. Like the time I spend with my husband and the time I spend teaching. And all the good qualities I have and now have the time to develop. When life's rushing by there's so little time for self development. When I had my first appointment with the unemployment people (ORP/RAV) they were bragging about their aptitude tests and self development training. I was so looking forward to all that and now that they're not going to help me, I can't see why I should give up on it. So I'm going to have lots of fun for sure. =)

The funny thing is that every time I think it through I feel really good about it. Sometimes I feel really sad and hopeless, as I'm really not used to being idle and the thought that I'm almost officially a housewife freaks me out. I sincerely respect all women who can handle a household and take the responsibility of it all, but I'm just not good at it. I know that I won't excel and I just can't consider what I'm doing an occupation. But once I'm done with self pity, I'm fine. You never know what's actually good for you. =)

So basically when you have everything (or when you have certain things), you can overlook so much. When you have less, you can discover so many things and it's not just out of optimism or positivism that I say this. If you don't look at your "holiday" as superimposed and refuse to give in to self pity, it's actually very similar to an eat pray and love session. It's up to you. As for me I'll go for the fun way. ;) And I'm quite sure it's also the more effective one.

Baby Doll Eyes [Makeup]

2010-10-21T09:48:00.001+02:00

Guys, this stuff is amazing.

I was always a big fan of the doe eyed look, and I think it's one of the best weekend looks, easy to pull off when you don't want to wear a lot of makeup. It looks natural but polished and this product, my newest mascara, will give you that French lesbian chick look. Yes, no kidding. This is what we used to call the look back in high school and I think it fits the effect perfectly. It looks a bit as if you weren't gonna put any makeup on but did put on a little bit, weren't so good at it, maybe smudged around a little, but look gorgeous anyway...

You all know what I'm talking about and I'm sure you've dreamed of the look, or, if you're a guy, of girls wearing it. =)

Now you have the chance to try it out.

[Go to the end for a fun bit, if you're not interested in makeup. ;)]

With...

wait for it...

ta-daaaaam!

Bourjoi's Liner Effect Mascara!

It has a formula enhanced with khol and a stiff-type brush that's short on one side and like a comb on the other. This helps you put the product close to your lashline and then just comb it along the lashes. For lower lashes it's enough to use either side, in my opinion. And there you are, your Parisian young girl look (LOL).

Seriously guys, this is awesome!

I love me my Covergirl Lashblast, but that's mascara. This is a whole makeup look in one go, with incredibely long lashes. I'd still use the Lashblast if I was going for some decidedly mature dramatic vampy look, but this looks just as dramatic, and takes years off your face, right away. (I can't vouch for the lesbian effect, I haven't been approached since wearing it, but I'll report as soon as I am. ;D)

By the way, yesterday, when I was shopping for fondue ingredients, I got my ID inspected for buying Kirsch... Now how's that? I was laughing so hard the whole queue was staring at me. Come on, I'm 26! 8 years above the limit (in Europe)! Waaaaaah! :D There's your doe eyed look for you! ;D

Cheers and lots of love

your petite fleur ;)

Unemployed in Geneva

2010-10-19T20:23:00.001+02:00

OK, just a quick update if anyone ever gets unemployed in Geneva (or arrives as such on a permit) and starts wondering how it works.

I went to the ORP [or RAV in the German speaking parts, which is how I was looking for it in Geneva with little success as in French it's ORP ] yesterday and found out the following:

They are really helpful, upon registration (which you can do even if you're employed at the moment but getting laid off soon, etc.) you go through some aptitude tests and the like and you get all sorts of help and counseling in your search for a job.

If you've worked for at least 12 months in the last 24 months, you might be entitled to some chomage as well. Even if this was in another country. Due to bilateral agreements, I might even get some money but that's totally not what I'm interested in, so I don't really care that much. But it's good to know and anyone in such a situation should definitely check with them. There are lots of factors they consider so it takes time till they can tell you, though.

Anyway, then there are courses you can take and trainings and they might even persuade an employer to employ you, as they offer to continue paying you and you'd start working as an intern, sort of. So this can also give a kick to your career.

Now I don't know what jobs they'd find me. But as I'm not interested in the money (as a penalty for refusing an "appropriate" offer, you can be deprived of 30-45 days of chomage), I can refuse as many cleaning jobs as I want. (It would be a totally different thing if I didn't speak French or was here of my own accord. As I'm not I can't see how any of these would help me with my career.)

If you have any questions about this, please post your questions and if I haven't answered them as yet, I'll try. Note that I've only been to the introductory presentation so I don't know everything just yet. But I'm really looking forward to the whole experience, I've never ever been officially unemployed and they made it sound kind of fun.

There are lots of obligations, like the papers I'll have to fill in month by month and I'll also have to be looking for a job actively, but as this is what I'd be doing anyway, I'm not scared. And all they can penalize with is taking days off my chomage, which doesn't really concern me. However, I want to do this right, because I think it's a great opportunity to take advantage of some professional help.

Friday Decisions...

2010-10-15T10:14:00.000+02:00

Here's my post from EF:

"People say that it's best to resign or give someone the sack on a Friday, as then one has a weekend to celebrate or to cheer one on, meet friends, etc.

I seem to follow the same route, I always make these decisions on Friday. I guess during the week I'm just open to calls and opportunities that may come (but somehow never do). I don't work on Thursday, so I start feeling the pressure, and by Friday morning I feel really pushed to do something, to make my next week better.

So now I'm taking a turn again and going in a couple of other directions. First off I'll have a look at the qualifications I'd need to teach at high schools. Though my experience is more related to teaching adults, I have no doubts that I could excel with the younger age group. It's not so much the teaching that I'm concerned about, but I'll have to look into the requirements and administrational aspects. I know my HS teachers worked more after classes than during. =)

The other option is going freelance, which, to be honest, gives me a headache. I'm reading through the thread on freelancing, I've downloaded the manual, and I hope I'll be able to get my head around all this stuff. I don't want to post for help there as I haven't read everything as yet. But if you're reading this and have some time, could you please tell me what the easiest way is to go freelance and teach private English classes? (Like helping kids in the evenings and the like.)

OK, I'll stop blogging here. =) But I hope, at the end of the day, when I win my battle, this will be a nice tutorial to success for anyone who's wondering how this could be done. I'm one of those who've not come to Switzerland as native speakers and realized that teaching English might be a good option. I wish them all luck and I know many of them will become excellent teachers! But I want to show that if you've actually been trained to teach English for years and years, and even have some experience, there's still a chance to pursue a career here. I hope I'll have a success story to write and you'll be able to shortcut and shoot to the stars. "

... And Red Hair

2010-10-14T10:47:00.000+02:00

I guess it's coz it's autumn... But I've really been drawn to red and deep brown and deep gem colors. Last weekend we went hiking in the Swiss mountains and I couldn't take my eyes off all the beautiful colors that nature surprised us with. It was amazing.

So yes, my hair is red now, or rather a really dark copper. As I used a Henna "shampoo", it's gonna fade in like 3 weeks. But I'm quite determined to either buy the same product again plus some shampoo to maintain it or to find a more permanent color treatment. I don't wanna go like super red, but I really like the present color. If I go with the less natural approach, I might actually go a couple of shades lighter, like a light copper, bordering on a strawberry blond... but I don't know. I like the fact that this one fades so I can have my natural color back any time. I was dyeing my hair for years and years (practically all colors of the rainbow) and I hated going back to my roots. LOL It was horrible when I decided to go back to my natural color, as it either looked very weird when my colorist dyed it "back" and it wasn't any better when I had it cut like 2 inch long... Well, I'll think about all that before dyeing it permanently, but I'm loving this color and I guess I'll keep on wearing it for some time. ;)

Have an awesome day!

And see you soon! ;)

Things I'm Loving (Makeup)

2010-10-14T10:33:00.000+02:00

It's still not a makeup blog. =)))

But as I'm really on a budget, real treasures are hard to find. And there's no real drugstore in Geneva, one has to scrape stuff off from supermarkets and pharmacies. No Sephoras in Switzerland to allow for a little splurge, you either go with "drugstore" stuff or go to the department store counters and drain your savings. -.-,

But I've been treasure hunting these 11 months, and I can let you in on the secrets... if you are interested. ;)

I'll have to do it in several parts as there are some gems, so keep tuned. ;)

So let's start with the basics. Moisturizers. These are not necessarily considered makeup, but believe me, with the right moisturizer you can easily achieve a flawless look. Just as a bad one might make your skin flakey, dull or brake sensitive areas out. I found mine at Coop. Unbelievable. I'd been using way more expensive L'Oreal and Garnier products for years, but they were either not enough for my dry skin or contained some fragrance or the like that irritated my skin and made me throw a number of jars away. Though I'm on a budget, I know quality when I see it. And opening this little nondescript white plastic container took my breath away. They have a couple of options in the same line, it's the organic natural Coop made line, natura-something (sorry, I took the label off mine, it looked so tacky), and you'll find creams for several skin types. They're around CHF 12-15, but don't let that fool you. The one for very dry skin is a thick white cream that smells slightly like Verbena or lemons. And a bit like plants. I'm serious. It's magic.

Then there's foundation. That has always been tricky. Most of them make my skin dull and flakey and lighter ones just don't do anything in particular. So I'd rather go without. But my skin sometimes plays tricks on me and nowadays I have the impression that wearing foundation is considered being more polished. Letting people see your pimples or any redness in your cheeks is a no-no, as if it meant that you didn't put any effort into your look. Which, in my personal opinion, is crazy. But I work in an environment where women have to dress up (their face), so even if I'm quite an outsider, I can't really wear trashed jeans -- or show up with no makeup on. So long story short, I needed a foundation. I won't go into the trials I'd gone through before finding this one. It's the 24 Hour SuperStay by Maybelline. And I love it. I apply with a wet sponge and sheer it out a lot, but use it in its more concentrated form as a concealer as well. There are bad reviews about it, of course, so I can imagine that it doesn't suit everyone. But after using up several bottles of Revlon's Colorstay for Dry skin, I can easily say that the Maybelline SuperStay is so much better for dry skin. The right color can be hard to pick, though.

Eyeshadows, liners, etc. I'd been dreaming of buying an eyeshadow base for years. Then my wedding started approaching and when I decided I wanted to do my own makeup, I was sure this was the perfect excuse to splurge on one. But fortunately I came upon the M.A.D. Minerals Indelible Crease-Proof Waterproof Smudge-Proof Creme Eye Shadow (in Bare Necessity), and it saved me quite some money. I've never tried the MAC Paintpots, but based on the videos I think this product is really similar. I can easily say that it prevents creasing for at least 12 hours, depending on the product you put on top. For me it normally lasts that long or longer. As for eyeshadows, I do stay clear of obviously low quality eye shadows. Back in Hungary I stocked up on Art Deco shadows (You can get them at Douglas in pretty much any European country, even Switzerland), and I really like the quality of those. I've bought a couple of Yves Rocher trios here and some Bourjois eye shadows but I prefer the former as I've realized I don't like anything frosty any more and my Bourjois pallet is just that. I don't know how Yves Rocher can produce such good quality products for the price they sell them at but it's pretty amazing... They wouldn't last without the Creme Eye Shadow under but I have oily eyelids so basically nothing would short of acrylic paint, and I have doubts even about that. =)

So I'll soon come back with lips and cheeks and nails and the like, keep tuned for that.

Love you loads.

Fleur

Why Are All These Things Happening To Me?

2010-10-07T13:34:00.000+02:00

Well, first of all, they aren't. Nothing just happens, dear, there's always a purpose. Without giving you a lecture on the purpose of life, let me just cheer you up with a little idea. Here's what I think of fate or destiny, or whatever you like to call it. ;)

In my opinion and experience, there are no coincidences in life. The world works as a huge system, an ecosystem, if you like. All our actions and paths are interconnected, and you cannot do anything without consequences.

Besides, life itself is loaded with tasks and trials. I believe each of us has a set of tasks and experience that one just has to go through. Call it Karma or whatever, but you cannot evade it. If you don't learn something one way, you will another, maybe the hard way.

If you put the two together, it is easy to see that there is always a silver lining. Maybe you got into that awful situation to realize something or to meet someone. Or perhaps simply to avoid some even more awful thing. Of course at that moment none of it seems to matter, only that you feel miserable. Well, don't. Life is too short to feel that way. And there are so many things to experience!

OK, I haven't been through many of the awful things you might have, but I've had my fare share of sad stories. Only I don't think of them as such. They taught me lessons and they've made me the person I am today. And despite all this when someone asks me what my life has been I always say that it's been surprisingly easy and happy. If I think hard, I can come up with painful episodes. But does it help me in any way to feel sad and miserable? Maybe, sometimes, when I need to feel that way. But that's rare, and on the whole I don't think it's any good. So cheer up and look at things from a different point of view. There's always something to learn, to do, to experience. I'd rather go through hell than live a totally sheltered life. ;)

Thanx for reading and

have an awesome day! ;)

huge kisses

your fleur

Wellness Thursday

2010-10-07T13:19:00.001+02:00

I might have mentioned this decade old habit of mine. But if you have no idea what I'm talking about, just keep reading. ;)

Wellness Monday originates from back in the old days, when I was very very busy all week long and hardly had time to let my hair down, let alone sit in the tub for hours. And then, one day I realized you can really amp up your day just by adding a small wellness factor.

On dark Mondays mornings I would wake up totally unwilling to step out into the winter grayness. Thinking of the day made me go Aaaaaaaaaaargh, and all I wanted was to sleep through the whole lot of it. And one of these morning I realized that all I needed to make my day cool was a little rewarding pampering. So I'd squeeze in a 30-45 minute foot bath, when I'd surround myself with magazines, would paint my nails or watch beauty videos, or just close my eyes and relax. Some days I'd make that into a soak and hair treatment, but I would always -- always -- wake up beaming, thinking of the treat I'd have that evening.

Well, since then it's been moving around the week, depending on when I have enough time, but in my opinion it's still best to schedule it for the end of a hard day. It feels a lot more rewarding and special.

And don't forget that others have hard days too. Soaking your feet side by side with a friend makes it all the jollier, and husbands (though at first reluctant) can enjoy a bath or even a facial from time to time. ;) Those honey-cream treats are so soothing, and I know you all want it, guys, whatever you say! LOL

As always, thank you for reading.

Bubbles and sparkles! ;)

Fleur

Fleur à Genève

'I Ain't No Immigrant!'

Last Christmas

Season's Greatings! ;)

Grocery Shopping in Geneva

Life's changing... [What (my) life really is like in Switzerland]

A Working Girl's Blog

A Little More Italy (The Trip Continues)

A Little Italy [Our Trip to Cinque Terre] Part I

10 + 1

A Really Swiss Experience (Our Trip to Lower Engadine)

On Holiday

Feeling Festive

Living the Dream

Kindle 3 (My Thoughts)

Buying a Car in Germany and Importing it to Switzerland

*Happy* :)

Back on Track

My Style # 6 [OOTD] -- Princess Coat ;)

Fantasy Writer of the Week: Robert Jordan

Spring in the Park

Why I love Switzerland (Geneva)

Teaching English in Switzerland

Change in Regulations: Hungarians welcome! ;)

My Style #6 [OOTD] Playful and Sophisticated

Soft Turquoise Spring Eye Makeup

Hair (My "Success" Story)

My Style #5 [OOTD] - Long Legs in a Sec, No Workout ;)

When Snow Takes on a New Meaning

Chamoneeee! -- When the slopes are but a day away! ^^ [BEST ski gear deals and my first skiing trip]

Mes Bottes Scholl + Wedding Pic ^^

Things I'm Loving [Drugstore Beauty Products]

Walking on Thin Ice [A D&D Adventure]

My Style #4 [OOTD]

Yummy Supermarket Fondue -- The Best

The Expat Disease

Yummy Supermarket Fondue

My Style #3 [OOTD]

I'm a "Kindler"! :D

On Makeup

My Style #2 [OOTD]

The Pill

On Kids ;)

My Style #1 [OOTD]

Happy 2011! (and Topics for January!)

NYE (Gaming Mode: On)

Merry Christmas -- From Snowy Hungary

On Being Bilingual...

Bern, Baby! [The One After ;)]

Escalade!

Bern, Baby!

Yuletide Spirit ;)

How I Got Good Skin

Our Winter Wonderland

Cool with Style

Ken il neige a Geneve -- Life under the snow ;)

Leggings Aren't Pants -- well, most leggings... =)

Pre-Holiday Diet ;)

Holiday Look #1 (OOTD)

Lanvin for H&M : Take Two

Fleur < 3 Lanvin < 3 H&M

"Eeeeenteeeeern!"

Good Quality Makeup from the Swiss Drugstore [Part 2 -- Lips]

OMG! OMG! [Fashion Alert! :D]

How do you say "Leave me alone" in a host of languages?

Jobhunting

Our Fav Boardgame: DnD 4th Ed ;)

About Having Nothing and Everything [Ramblings]

Baby Doll Eyes [Makeup]

Unemployed in Geneva

Friday Decisions...

... And Red Hair

Things I'm Loving (Makeup)

Why Are All These Things Happening To Me?

Wellness Thursday

Happy :)