Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Back home

It is strange coming home to Switzerland. Everybody knows that this country is quite small, but it is also, uhm, fully packed. Not cramped, because, of course, it is a tidy country. It resembles more a nicely filled pantry. Lot's of great stuff, and everything at hand, but sometimes difficult to reach because other things are in the way.

I still know the way Switzerland works. I recognize all the familiar sounds. Then again, it is like you wake up from a dream and your mind is still in the mood of your dream. In the case of a good dream, this is mixed with the disappointment of being back in reality...

About two hours after touchdown I had my first piece of Swiss cheese. Emmentaler. The one with the big holes. I think the purists will claim that my first piece should have been Gruyère, which is probably the archetype of Swiss cheeses, the one that complements alphorns, cows and stuff, but I prefer Emmentaler. And I have to say, it was gorgeous! Then some good bread with a proper crust and nuts in it, some cured meat from the canton Graubünden, a juicy grape, voilà!

And somewhere between customs and this piece of Emmentaler it was, the idea to start a new blog, one that is catering for people abroad. I could try and explain Switzerland to them. Quite a difficult job, but then again, quite easy: I would just go on and jot down what happens to me. I am Swiss, after all and the way things happen around me are pretty Swiss as well. At least I think so.

So let's begin the experiment. Maybe it dies a quick and painless death, or it slowly rots away, or ideally, it will thrive and turn into an enjoyable read!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I recognize all the familar sounds."
And I am the lark, not the nightingale, who recognized this wonderfull sentence.

Anonymous said...

welcome home.