New Beginnings in Switzerland

  This is the weekend of the big event. Our friends 50th birthday. My parents decided to drive from Geneva to Hamburg. IT was not a problem as we literally live in a car. I'm in charge of the GPS, I read books, I watch movies and I'm in charge of catering (I tell my parents I'm hungry, and we find a nice Marché with all day hot meals).   I was very worried about the event, but it went well.   First I learned that if 35 ladies had their hair done at a hairdressers, and there is a torrential rain a gentlemen is required to hold an umbrella above as many of them as possible on their way from the hotel to the bus which was collecting us. Another small problem was the strange, polite and probably social rules around hunger and food.   I mean, we were all hungry and nice ladies were coming around with trays full of nibbles, but I couldn't for the life in me grab some and simply eat. We were standing around the table and sipping drinks for around an hour when I decided tha

  Thursday: Today it was more like: Coppet -> Nyon (School) -> Divonne (France, diesel for car) -> Coppet -> Geneva -> London. Today was a long and interesting day. The most interesting thing was to see our plane from Geneva to London delayed, delayed and delayed until, after we took off, the Geneva airport was closed! See for yourself. Geneva, waiting until the plane finally arrives from Heathrom. Heathrow, sending planes as fast as it can, with full flight departure boards. Friday: It would have been nice to have a lay in after our late arrival yesterday. We had to take our dad to work and therefore woke up very early. The lady at breakfast asked me if I wanted boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, poached eggs or fried eggs. I said Yes. because I was half asleep.   The adults laughed and said in that order please.   I did not get this joke at the time as I was concentrating on not falling under the table.  We had hairdressers and some shopping to do today. We've go

Our math teacher just came back from a week long meeting. He is full of innovative ideas.   One of them today involved me. He was explaining consecutive numbers to Swiss children in French. They did not understand. I didn't understand whether it was me who didn't understand, the children who didn't understand or the teacher who had forgotten how to teach during the last week. I may have been the one laughing the loudest. I'm not sure.   And here comes the innovative idea. The teacher asked me in French whether I knew what consecutive numbers are. I admitted I did.   Next, he asks me in French to explain consecutive numbers to Swiss children in English.   At this point I nearly forgot what consecutive numbers are.   I'm not sure whether the teacher still knew what he was talking about.   So here I am in front of the whole class, talking, (HEAVEN!!) in English. I said x and x+1 The Swiss children looked at the French speaking math teacher for some clues. At thi