Last Wednesday, 19th October
Zurich - Bnn: met up with mom a little past noon, accompanied her while she ran some errands. then visited my only surviving grand-aunt. mom hadn't told her I was going to be there too. Surpriiiiiiiiiise! And she was so glad to see me, that she called her daughter (Lucy) and her daughter (Fran).
Fran dropped everything to come and say hello!
But gotta take note that this was my first day, heck first HOUR of French immersion, and the layer of rust on my speaking abilities was majorly thick! While the excitement and enthusiasm of these relatives was endearing, it was also kinda overwhelming, and I was not able to really interact properly with them :(
My grandaunt furtively presents me with a bar of chocolate, and presses two CHF 5 coins into my hand. I can't do much except thank her. I don't remember to do the cheek-kiss thingy tho. For hello's and goodbye's sure, i remember, but for 'thanx', nope, didn't occur to me :p
So, fran drops everything to come say Hi... and I don't recognise the young adult who walked in the door... well, it HAD been 15years or so since we last met... she was this little girl, with a long ponytail, whom I remember having her sitting on my lap. She says she remembers me showing her how to make those friendship bracelets. OUCH! That REALLY drove home how long it had been... haven't made any of those in, well, I guess 14 years?!
We then visit Lucy and hubby, Fran's parents. They used to live in the apartment immediately across from my grand-aunt (as in, their doors faced each other across the landing!), but had since moved to a newly built apartment complax, about 3 mins walk away. fran pointed out HER apartment, which is essentially halfway between her paernts' and grandmother's. Yikes, I dunno if I'd want to be living so close to such immediate family members!
Bnn - Tln
Take the train to Tln, which involves changing trains TWICE in the 45min journey. Ugh. Everything was on time tho - as expected. It really *is* a rare occasion that the trains run late here.
I drag my little pseudo-suitcase all the way from the Tln station to the house on the hill (bless the person who designed bags with wheels!). Oh yeah, mom hadn't told g'ma about my visit either.
Surpriiiiiiiiiiise!
I suppose there was a "good" reason lah this time: otherwise, the whole day my g'ma would be worrying and fussing about where I would sleep maaaah. Sure enough, after the initial shock and joy at seeing me, she goes But, where is she going to sleep? She then offers me "grandad's bed" : yep, ever since 1998, she's kept his side of the bed made, with sheets, blankets, pillowcases and all: a bit morbid, don't u think? Anyway, no way am I going to share a bed with my g'ma NOR "take the place" of my grandad! So we drag a spare mattress from downstairs, hunt down sheet/ blanket/ pillow/ pillowcase/ duvet, and within 30mins I'm all set up on the floor of the room my mom is using. Half an hour later, my g'ma asks But, where *is* she going to sleep?, and my mom replies It's all set up already; g'ma seems amazed.
Supper at 6pm-ish. G'ma goes to be by 8pm. I'm already bored. Good thing I have a book AND the book of sudoku puzzles to keep me occupied.
Thursday, 20th October
Me & Mom go for walk in the forest. Had planned to walk up the mountain to a restaurant for lunch, but there was a sign at the end of the village saying the owners were on vacation. So we walked up to the treeline, and cut across the forest instead. The floor was covered in a lush layer of fallen leaves. When the wind blew, more leaves would fall - kinda like yellow rain, but in a good way :) Dropped by the cemetary to see where my grandfather, plus two recently-departed grand-uncles, were buried. That was actually the first time I knew where the cemetary was :p Had lunch in a nearby training institue, then did another walk thru the forest to get back. Spent almost 3 hours in total, so about 2 hrs for the walk itself.
By that time, mom could hardly walk, since her new shoes (bought in Bnn the day before) were totally chafing at the back of her feet.
Around 3pm, my mom's sister, my aunt, Dinny drops by (prearranged, no worries) with her son, my cousin, Grant. I used to babysit him, but now, he's so TALL (I think he's still grown from 2 years ago). I feel ever more so short. And old.
Dinny takes us (including other cousin Nate) to the only place in the Tnn area that boasts a view of the Alps. On a good day, lah. This day was not one of those days. Nice view, but no Alps. Oh well. So we had tea (not literally) in the farm/restaurant there.
I can make conversation now, but I don't really bother unless a question is directed at me. After all, what is there to say? I'm a jobless bum, I ain't got no job, I hang around all day watching tv, torturing a cat, trying to get into a healthy exercise routine.
but wait, I already don't want to go even THAT far with the information... yes, again, the stigma of "having gained weight" raises its ugly head. I just don't want to talk much about what I do, or don't do, because either way it will lead to me taking about how I want to lose weight, which would then "allow" the person to say wow actually you HAVE put on a lot of weight, no wonder what with you not doing anything at all. it would totally pave the path for my mom to try and sneak in comments about me wasting my life away or something. Better just not go there.
I digress.
So yeah, me not in the most talkative mood. No matter. The two cousins talk amongst themselves, the two sisters talk among themselves, and I enjoy my cup o' coffee.
Head back to the house, hang out a bit, D & G head back, giving N a ride to the station for his guitar lesson.
Supper. G'ma goes to bed. Mom goes to bed.
I am the only one up and about at 9pm.
This is going to be a long 5 days.
Zurich - Bnn: met up with mom a little past noon, accompanied her while she ran some errands. then visited my only surviving grand-aunt. mom hadn't told her I was going to be there too. Surpriiiiiiiiiise! And she was so glad to see me, that she called her daughter (Lucy) and her daughter (Fran).
Fran dropped everything to come and say hello!
But gotta take note that this was my first day, heck first HOUR of French immersion, and the layer of rust on my speaking abilities was majorly thick! While the excitement and enthusiasm of these relatives was endearing, it was also kinda overwhelming, and I was not able to really interact properly with them :(
My grandaunt furtively presents me with a bar of chocolate, and presses two CHF 5 coins into my hand. I can't do much except thank her. I don't remember to do the cheek-kiss thingy tho. For hello's and goodbye's sure, i remember, but for 'thanx', nope, didn't occur to me :p
So, fran drops everything to come say Hi... and I don't recognise the young adult who walked in the door... well, it HAD been 15years or so since we last met... she was this little girl, with a long ponytail, whom I remember having her sitting on my lap. She says she remembers me showing her how to make those friendship bracelets. OUCH! That REALLY drove home how long it had been... haven't made any of those in, well, I guess 14 years?!
We then visit Lucy and hubby, Fran's parents. They used to live in the apartment immediately across from my grand-aunt (as in, their doors faced each other across the landing!), but had since moved to a newly built apartment complax, about 3 mins walk away. fran pointed out HER apartment, which is essentially halfway between her paernts' and grandmother's. Yikes, I dunno if I'd want to be living so close to such immediate family members!
Bnn - Tln
Take the train to Tln, which involves changing trains TWICE in the 45min journey. Ugh. Everything was on time tho - as expected. It really *is* a rare occasion that the trains run late here.
I drag my little pseudo-suitcase all the way from the Tln station to the house on the hill (bless the person who designed bags with wheels!). Oh yeah, mom hadn't told g'ma about my visit either.
Surpriiiiiiiiiiise!
I suppose there was a "good" reason lah this time: otherwise, the whole day my g'ma would be worrying and fussing about where I would sleep maaaah. Sure enough, after the initial shock and joy at seeing me, she goes But, where is she going to sleep? She then offers me "grandad's bed" : yep, ever since 1998, she's kept his side of the bed made, with sheets, blankets, pillowcases and all: a bit morbid, don't u think? Anyway, no way am I going to share a bed with my g'ma NOR "take the place" of my grandad! So we drag a spare mattress from downstairs, hunt down sheet/ blanket/ pillow/ pillowcase/ duvet, and within 30mins I'm all set up on the floor of the room my mom is using. Half an hour later, my g'ma asks But, where *is* she going to sleep?, and my mom replies It's all set up already; g'ma seems amazed.
Supper at 6pm-ish. G'ma goes to be by 8pm. I'm already bored. Good thing I have a book AND the book of sudoku puzzles to keep me occupied.
Thursday, 20th October
Me & Mom go for walk in the forest. Had planned to walk up the mountain to a restaurant for lunch, but there was a sign at the end of the village saying the owners were on vacation. So we walked up to the treeline, and cut across the forest instead. The floor was covered in a lush layer of fallen leaves. When the wind blew, more leaves would fall - kinda like yellow rain, but in a good way :) Dropped by the cemetary to see where my grandfather, plus two recently-departed grand-uncles, were buried. That was actually the first time I knew where the cemetary was :p Had lunch in a nearby training institue, then did another walk thru the forest to get back. Spent almost 3 hours in total, so about 2 hrs for the walk itself.
By that time, mom could hardly walk, since her new shoes (bought in Bnn the day before) were totally chafing at the back of her feet.
Around 3pm, my mom's sister, my aunt, Dinny drops by (prearranged, no worries) with her son, my cousin, Grant. I used to babysit him, but now, he's so TALL (I think he's still grown from 2 years ago). I feel ever more so short. And old.
Dinny takes us (including other cousin Nate) to the only place in the Tnn area that boasts a view of the Alps. On a good day, lah. This day was not one of those days. Nice view, but no Alps. Oh well. So we had tea (not literally) in the farm/restaurant there.
I can make conversation now, but I don't really bother unless a question is directed at me. After all, what is there to say? I'm a jobless bum, I ain't got no job, I hang around all day watching tv, torturing a cat, trying to get into a healthy exercise routine.
but wait, I already don't want to go even THAT far with the information... yes, again, the stigma of "having gained weight" raises its ugly head. I just don't want to talk much about what I do, or don't do, because either way it will lead to me taking about how I want to lose weight, which would then "allow" the person to say wow actually you HAVE put on a lot of weight, no wonder what with you not doing anything at all. it would totally pave the path for my mom to try and sneak in comments about me wasting my life away or something. Better just not go there.
I digress.
So yeah, me not in the most talkative mood. No matter. The two cousins talk amongst themselves, the two sisters talk among themselves, and I enjoy my cup o' coffee.
Head back to the house, hang out a bit, D & G head back, giving N a ride to the station for his guitar lesson.
Supper. G'ma goes to bed. Mom goes to bed.
I am the only one up and about at 9pm.
This is going to be a long 5 days.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I'd love to hear from you, drop me a comment.