A long break from blogging, partly forced by the computer at my parent's place firewalling all blogs!! So could not access or update this blog or read any of the other blogs i usually do.
Much has happened in the last two months.
Passed my driving test - yippee. Was a major effort. First the decision whether to take it on my manual car, or on the teacher's easier automatic one. She was pushing me for the automatic one saying its easier and the intstructor would not get distracted by poor changing of gears, stalling of the car while starting etc. But i finally decided to go with my own car, because I've now been driving it for the last year, and also mostly becasue i thought i would need at least 10-15 classes to get used to the automatic and te instructor was so annoying i didnt think i could do it. We had a big fight one day and i was on the verge of packing it in, when visions of me having to wait in the bus stop at S school in the snow appeared and i swallowed my pride and agreed with what she said! Anyway the perseverance paid off, the test was relatively easier as the instructor had been much stricter, and i also ended up practising on my own on the test roads quite a bit. And one benefit from putting up with the driving lessons is that i can finally drive on the motorway now. I tried practising with the hubby, but my speed was stuck at 90 km (the speed limit is 120 km here) and he finally got so irriated he tried to push my foot on the accelerator. Then the first time i went on the motorway with the instructor she asked me to take the first exit and said if i continue driving at that speed we will be killed as the people expect you to drive at 120 km here. She finally taught me a trick which worked for me. Concentrate on some point far in the horizon while dirving and not on the car right in front of you and relax, then automatically the speed will increase. It worked, and i eneded up even at 130 km and had to slow down! And luckily mr bro's visit happend just before the test and we ended up driving on the motorway quite a bit - we needed two cars to fit the families and i volunteered to drive so i can get some practise. The bro was getting quite irritated i could imagine-he drives a sports car and here i was driving my car very hesitantly way below the speed limit hesitiating to overtake a truck which was also some 20 km below the speed limit. Anwyay all's well. Am now licensed to drive in Switzerland and here i come!!
We had a nice holiday in India. Just the kids and me. The hubby could not take so much leave. 3 weeks of pampering at my parents house with luxuries of someone else cooking and cleaning and driving. And spending time with my parents. The kids loved it- they keep asking when we are going back. They would wake up in the morning and go off to their Ajja and Ajji and when i would surface after a long lie in they would already have been to feed the dogs, have had their milk and barely glance my way when i walk in. I signed up S for swimming lessons so most of the mornings would go in that, and in the evenings we would go to the park, eat corn (glad to say the girls have inherited the love of roasted corn!) play downstairs on the cycles. I managed to catch up with an old friend whom i had not met in years and that was great fun. Her kids are the same age as S and they got along really well. Even now S talks about them. We spent a night at their place and S and A played with the kids all evening, and when we finally got the kids to sleep then my friend and I chatted till late at night over beers, remeniscent of our early working years (seems like a century ago now). My bro and his family were also in Bangalore for the last week and it was great fun for the girls to play with their cousins. A especially was cuddled and pampered by all, being the youngest and I had quite a tough time back in Zurich getting her used to only me! S played cricket with them, hung out in the park with them, and even built a tent with them at home. We hogged on yummy home food and Chinese and Indian food in teh restaurants. Even the pizzas taste better. S declared that the Margerita thin crust pizza from Dominos was the best she's ever written and why don;t we get them in Zurich. We flew down to Hyderabad for 3 days to spend time with the in laws. The girls enjoyed playing in the garden and played hide and seek everytime they could get me or their Ajji to come and play with them. Of course their concept of hide and seek is very different- S gets upset if we don't find her immediately and comes looking for us, and A wants someone to hide with her :). We also managed to catch up with an old friend, and they also have a dog, so S was very insistent after the holiday that when we move into a house we should also get a dog. Only when you can look after them girls!! Miss the parents and home terribly. S was very upset when we left and cried a lot at the airport and on the flight. Daily she asks when we are going back and when Ajja and Ajji are coming. A also once in a while will say "I miss Ajji and Ajja". Me too kid.
My bro and his family visited us in Zurich in early July (just before the India trip). Was great fun, I feel so strongly that you should have cousins to grow up with, or someone you can meet every 6 months or so at least. My bro has two boys who are 9 and 10 and they literelly babysat the girls- S and A didn't need us around while their elder brother were there! We went out quite a bit- Interlaken for the day (took the HarderKulm bahn upto the top of the hill and had a lunch overlooking the two lakes and Eiger, Monk, Jungfrau!; and managed to also squeeze in Trammelback falls); Atzmannig - for the sled ride and rope walking; Appenzeller cheese factory and St Gallen, and also managed to squeeze in the Zoo and some swimming. Not to mention overeating and ice cream everywhere. Sometimes i feel my life is a perpertual holiday.
After my bro's visit we quickly did a 4 day trip to Venice- will cover that in detail in the next blog, and after the India trip we did a week's holiday at Norway. Both were beautiful in very different ways and that's the charm i guess of living here- a few hours by road/flight and you can see so many different kinds of beautiful places.
S is now at full day school. Her school timings are 8:30-3:15. I personally think its too long for a 41/2 year old, but other kids have been doing it last year as well. And they mostly play and have their rest/sleep time so i guess its ok. S best friend left in the holidays and there have been some tears while she's been getting used to the big school (last year she was in a different location which housed only the early years 1 batch of 30 kids, much smaller, so much more fun!), the long timings, new teacher. Hoping she settles soon. A, touchwood settled back in her daycare and now says the names of the children in the daycare as her friends! I'm having to get up much earlier in the morning (around 6:15) to prepare S lunch for school, give the girls some breakfast, and get all out of the house by 8 am, so nowadays I've been sleeping much earlier also. I made a resolution to iron the kids clothes weekly in advance, and make a menu of food in advance but so far still not happened. Last weekend we went to Bellagio for the weekend so I had some excuse, but this weekend we've been very much here, so no excuse. Well I'm here updating my blog instead so that's a good excuse! Hope to be more regular now.
