One of the first things I did when I got here was to join the American Women's Club in Zurich. I knew from an online search that they offer all kinds of activities and support including a 400 page book on Living in Zurich. It covers everything from having a baby in Switzerland (I don't think I'll be needing that section) to libraries in Zurich (all right!) to finding paid work (I notice Greg highlighted that section. In your dreams, Buster!)
I had no idea what to expect from the members. Would they be hoity toity society mavins wondering how on earth I made it into the club or Ugly Americans loudly declaiming how much better life was in the US or little old ladies encased in walkers? It was, therefore, with some trepidition that I set out on my first group outing last Wednesday: a walking tour of some of the 2200 fountains in the city. What I discovered is an extrordinary collection of women: intelligent, interesting and funny. The life experiences they bring to the table would fill volumes and I look forward to getting to know them better.
There were 23 of us on the fountain tour and our guide, although extremely knowledgeable, had an "inside voice" (throwback from my teaching days) that did not compete well with the traffic and people noise. The parts I did hear were fascinating and our walk through the old city revealed some hitherto unknown shops!
One of the things I learned is that the fountains have a small basin on the side for dogs to drink from and some have a smaller tub the other side that the children could play in. (I know! I know! Dangling prepositions!) Back when the fountains were built, people didn't know how to swim and so they made the smaller tub so kids could mess around in it and not drown. And if you wanted to get rid of your kids, you threw them into the big tub. (OK, I made that up.)
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| The dog basin is on the left, just out of sight. Kid basin on right. |
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| I'm still looking for the other half of this one! |
Two days after the fountain excursion, I attended a luncheon at the clubhouse. The American Womens Club has branches all over the world and about a zillion members (okay - I don't do numbers). The club has a philanthropic arm and even has representation at the United Nations! Friday's luncheon was to help raise funds and awareness of Schweizer Berghilfe, a charitable organization whose mission is to help preserve the pastoral beauty of the high Alps ... and keep those Alpine farmers in their place! Daniel Krahenbuhl, the CEO, used a video to give some examples: a farm that needed a larger barn that meets current standards and a cheese house to process the milk from their goats; a village store to sell wool products from the sheep wool which had hitherto been discarded; and a shop that sold dairy products from a local farm, cutting out the middle man and creating employment for local residents.
We were serenaded with traditional alphorn music: a duo that has been playing together a long time as well as one of our own members who used to play a horn in her high school band and has now taken up the alphorn; and a local Chinese Swiss opera singer who has taken up yodeling!
The lunch, cooked by our members, including one who is a professional chef, was Swiss inspired: hay soup (Nope - not kidding), pumpkin soup, lamb's tongue salad (relax - it's lettuce that looks like a lamb's tongue: or so I'm told, having never spent a lot of time examining a lamb's tongue) and a Gruyere cheese quiche. YUMMMM!
Sooo I've met some extraordinary people, made a few friends and am looking forward to other outings in the future: a trip to the largest Christmas market in Europe, a trip to a spa and a visit to Ballenberg which has more than 100 century-old buildings from all over Switzerland as well as 250 animals (I'm going to be checking those lamb tongues!) and demonstrations (no, no ... not the sign carrying kind).
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