May Question of the Month

Dear IWC Members, our Question of the Month is following the example of the Newsletter and going quarterly. Before we move on to the new schedule, we would like to ask one last monthly question.

Like Maria in The Sound of Music, we all have favorite things and occupations that will always put a smile on our faces, no matter our mood at the time. It may be ‘raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.’ It may be a hug when we need it the most, or a child’s laughter. It may be lunch with a friend followed by shopping at our favorite store. Let us know:

What cheers you up? What are your favorite things?

Please send your answers to blog@iwc-lausanne.org. Contributions to previous questions, comments and suggestions are welcome. You can find all the questions and answers on the Riviera Blogs.

A good coffee with friends and hearing the real life stories of women and how we all get through this thing called life!!

Krista Chavez

What cheers me up?
What puts a smile on my face?

Nature! Nature! Nature!
The birds chirping! A flower blooming!
The change of seasons :
rain, sunshine, wind and snow.
A smile! A kind word! A good coffee!

Carole Collard

An evening with close friends, good food and great bottle of wine.

Maija Remlinger

A SUNNY DAY OVERLOOKING
THE MEDITERANNEAN SEA ON A GREEK ISLAND!
IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT!

Sharon Peterson-Kokkas

I have  a lot of favourite things now spring is coming around, but the no 1 must be:

Picking the first bouquet of white anemones and putting them in a nice little vase at home 🙂

Seeing and listening to the birds building nests

The grass getting green and the smell of the first cut

The earth waking up to new life

The first ice-cream

Have a happy Spring 🙂

April Question of the Month

April fool’s prank… At school people put food colouring in the water tanks in the attic so everyone’s bath ran green!

Kate Ashton

March Question of the Month

Spring is the season of hope and new beginnings. Every culture has numerous legends and rituals bidding farewell to a long, tired Winter and welcoming the shiny, new Spring. Many of these rituals are agrarian, meant to ensure a bountiful harvest and fertility in domestic animals. Other rituals issued from the necessity to renew our lives in some small way—hence spring cleanings, opening our windows to fresh, invigorating air, and filling our homes with colorful spring flowers.

How do you welcome in the new season? Do you have any spring rituals or legends to share with us this month?

Thank you for sending your answers to blog@iwc-lausanne.org. We welcome contributions to previous months’ questions, as well as comments and suggestions for future questions of the month. You can find all the questions and answers on the Riviera Blogs–your answers are posted as we receive them. As always, we cannot wait to hear your thoughts!

February Question of the Month

Did you know that it’s considered lucky to be awakened by a kiss on Valentine’s Day? Or that on February 29th a woman has the right to propose marriage to a man, a proposition that he simply cannot refuse? Most of Valentine’s Day customs come to us from the Middle Ages, whereas the rituals surrounding leap years trace their roots all the way to Roman times. While many ancient beliefs are slowly disappearing, making way to newer, more urban superstitions, we tend to cling to some of the “old wives’ tales” for comfort or for the sake of tradition.

Do you have a superstition? What is it, why do you have it, and how do you follow it?

Thank you for sending your answers to blog@iwc-lausanne.org. We welcome contributions to previous months’ questions, as well as comments and suggestions for future questions of the month. You can find all the questions and answers on the Riviera Blogs–your answers are posted as we receive them. As always, we cannot wait to hear your thoughts!

Oh dear – I’m a girl who strongly prefers the ‘rational,’ but when it comes to superstition I fall right into its scary charms! Here are mine:

1. The flowers called ‘Snapdragons’ mean death. They are pretty ugly things for a start but my Grandmother would not have them in the house, recounting the demise of various acquaintances as proof. My (late) sister laughed at the time and planted some in her garden, and was highly unamused to find that, coincidentally, the rest of her garden died. Coincidence or not, I am going the way of Grandmother – I won’t have them in the house or garden.

2. Spilled salt means bad luck. Dad always tossed a pinch over his shoulder if this happened, as do I – much to the amusement of my husband.

On the other hand, I see ‘good omens’ in anything and everything – I just make them up as I go. It’s not a believing thing as such, probably just a habit from encouraging my children to see the positive!

Susie Debney

I have many, many superstitions, perhaps because I was born in a mediterranean country : I don’t put hats, socks or shoes on a bed (probably because it might seem an allusion to death ?). I don’t walk under a ladder, because I want to avoid seven years of unhappiness (why ?) and am very particular about forks or knives (for instance, never cross two knives; it might announce a quarrel). Not to speak of broken mirrors, which also announce 7 years of misfortune.

I have just learnt a new and interesting Russian superstition: the danger of shaking hands or handing something over a threshold. It might be an allusion to the separation between this world and yonder world (?). A bit frightening, isn’t it ?

My mother was incredibly superstitious and some of her superstitions have rubbed off on me. A lot of them are just plain common sense, like not walking under ladders, and many are shared by other countries, maybe because they have a religious theme. I’m thinking of crossing one’s fingers to ward off evil, and touching wood to bring about a desired outcome. The later apparently comes from an old custom of touching the altar in a church, so it’s based on a religious belief, maybe one to do with the wood of the holy cross. Then there are less clear superstitions, like always saluting a single magpie, which can be quite time consuming at nesting time, when one magpie is always sitting on its eggs and only one seems to forage for food at any one time. There is a rhyme associated with this, ‘One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told,‘ which dates back centuries, but who knows why? Never opening an umbrella in the house is another no no, especially if you hold the open umbrella over your head, maybe bad luck pours out of it.

The one superstition that I have always followed at exam time is to put a poker in the fireplace, where it must lean across the grate and form an iron cross– especially lucky apparently. All I can say is that it has always worked!

Alison King

January Question of the Month

BE THANKFUL !

BE RESPECTFUL!

Béatrice Barbey-Feer

I have  few favourites, depending on whether relating to work or everyday:

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.

When life gives you lemons, grab Tequila and salt

Trust the magic of beginnings

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem

~~~

Susie Debney

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard comes from Anne Lamott’s book on writing, Bird By Bird. The book is filled with helpful tips for fellow writers, but funnily enough, that particular phrase, ‘Bird by Bird,’  pops up in my head whenever I pile too much onto my daily plate of chores. I find multitasking terribly draining and constantly have to remind myself to slow down and focus on what’s right in front of me. The big picture can wait. Bird by Bird, or one thing at a time, is how I actually get things done!

Romana Iorga

Some of the many proverbs I live by….

You can do anything you set your mind to.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Learn from your mistakes.

When in Rome, do as the Romans.

Better late than never.

Choose your battles.

No news is good news.

Maija Remlinger

The best advice, and words that I live by, I received from my mom. That advice is: Make yourself happy first. Sounds simple right? I’m sure that some may view it as a bit selfish as well, wanting to put others first and whatnot. But for me, this has worked in life. The whole thought behind this advice is that you can’t make anyone else happy if you’re not happy yourself. And I don’t mean you always have a smile on your face or are fake cheerful or something, but generally in life you have to be satisfied with your decisions and know and trust that they are the best for you and those around you.

Since I live by this advice examples are easy to come by. It stares me in the face every day as a mom. If I don’t take time to do things for myself, away from Baby K, I start to get a little cranky. This may be a terrible thing to say, but I am a much better mother if I have some time away to do whatever it is that makes me feel like a person again- could be writing, French lessons, some sort of exercise, dinner with friends, time alone with BK- just something that refuels me and things that make me happy. People also often comment how happy Baby K is; I’m a firm believer she is this way because she has two parents who are generally happy people. She can sense it.

As a social worker, this one was easy. Our profession often talks about the importance of self-care, but is the worst about not practicing it. It’s the same concept as above though. I cannot care for people in need if I’m in turmoil and not doing well mentally. As a social worker, if you hate your job and the people you work with, what good are you really going to do for people? I’m going to go ahead and guess not very much.

And of course in a relationship, I’m not sure how two unhappy people even begin to build a relationship on a solid foundation. If one person is not happy with their self, it is going to flow over into all aspects of the relationship, making one or both question actions, motives and generally bring in a lot of self-doubt on various levels. Ultimately you’re still two individuals who have come into a partnership together, and if one of the partners is not happy, both will feel it.

Okay, so now that you’ve had my philosophical post for the month, there’s only one thing to do…go out and be happy!

Lauren King

December Question of the Month

Winter holidays tend to be joyful occasions for festivities all over the world. Saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new always prompts a slew of customs, celebrations, and new-year’s resolutions. Our December Question of the Month deals with your way of participating in these celebrations.

What holiday traditions do you look forward to experiencing each year and why? Have you adopted any holiday traditions while living abroad? 

Thank you for sending your answers to blog@iwc-lausanne.org. You can read them next month on the Riviera Blogs, where responses to the previous months’ questions are now available for your perusal. As always, we cannot wait to hear your thoughts!

In my (hot) country, the main festivities are held on Christmas Day, blistering midday temperatures notwithstanding. While on posting many years ago in the beautiful countryside of Hampshire, England, I discovered and embraced the idea of the formal dinner on Christmas Eve – a beautiful meal at a table set the rival the Queen’s, twinkling lights, log fires, mulled wines, the wearing one’s party best (a la ‘black tie’ event), I embraced the lot. Upon return to my laid-back, beach-loving country I continued the practice of the formal Christmas Eve dinner, even if it meant the boys wearing the token bow-tie with their board shorts. Christmas Day itself was thus better spent relaxing in the garden/by the pool, eating delicious left-overs, and freeing  the kids for uninterrupted  play with their booty from Santa. Now ‘empty-nesters’ and being back again in Europe for a Northern hemisphere Christmas is nevertheless  a different but equal joy to me and I’m as excited as a kid with crispy cold, short days; the wonderful and very pretty  Christmas markets; the smells of hot chestnuts, crepes, wines; and little kids dashing about all bundled up like little pillows on legs, to mention but a few.

We have especially loved exploring the traditions and foods of neighbouring countries  -it  all seems a fairy-tale wonder and delight to me. If I had to choose a favourite place to spend Christmas  it would be a very hard call, but when recalling a Christmas in Baden-Baden, Germany I think I’ve give the Christmas World Cup to the Germans (loved their markets, foods, carols and festive atmosphere), and in general I’m pretty sure my heart will always lie with a ‘cold’ Christmas wherever it may be.

Susie Debney

Although I just arrived here from a country of small cars, massive gas and heat prices and recycling, I am impressed with the Swiss and their concern for the environment. So what can we do to reduce our carbon footprints here in Switzerland?

I am a frequent Netflix documentary viewer and the last one I watched was the COWSPIRACY. I was ready to stop eating meat forever. I felt awfully guilty. How could I defend eating one piece of meat ever again in my life to my wonderful boy? But the problems with most documentaries about CO2 and climate change is that both sides are trying to prove a point. And those who feel that reduction of meat use is what will save the planet add the workers in the meat industry to the CO2 footprint of meat… But they will still eat, drive and breathe no matter how much you cut your meat intake… I am not saying they don’t have a point. But this debate is so difficult to comprehend because of how many feelings are involved.

And then there’s the question ‘can we even stop global warming’? The temperature is rising twice as fast as expected according to numbers from the climate meeting. Is the Danish professor Lomborg right? Do we have to focus on how to deal with climate change instead of using all our efforts on trying to prevent it? Are we going to secure coastal cities or even have to move the populations inland? Do we need an extra planet?

At first I did not answer the question of the month. Not because I do not care. Not because I do not have an opinion, but because I fear global warming. When I watch the news and see the refugees, I worry about these human beings especially the children caught in other people’s fight. And I wonder how difficult can it be to have an international asylum center in Turkey from where we could help people get asylum around the world, especially in the countries participating in the Syrian war. I worry about terror…. But I do not believe that the world is going to become a califate. Ever.

But we already see the effects of global warming. We know that the biggest countries in the world do not want to cut their CO2 emmission efficiently. Not many in the world want to loose their big cars, reduce the size of their apartments, eat tofu Friday night. I don’t think we can do much more. I fear global warming is coming, so brace yourself, dear children. I am so sorry on behalf of the adult population and the generation before us.

Lise Søndergaard

Since having moved to Switzerland, I’d say that the only real difference for me has been the fact that I take the train much more than I used to in other countries. But as I live directly under the train station, that’s easy to do. So I ask myself would I still take the train as much as I do if I lived elsewhere, where it wasn’t as accessible? Probably not, I hate to say.

I have, though, become more conscious about what goes into my garbage bag here in Switzerland, now that they’re taxed. I still can’t get over how much the bags cost, but I must admit, it does make you more conscious about what you put in them.

And I really appreciate the “déchetteries mobiles.”  Too bad, though, that they don’t pass more often, because frankly I don’t have the space in my apartment to keep everything for a month until the next time the dump comes to my neighborhood. So I start my month off with good intensions, but end up putting everything anyway in my trusty white taxed bag. It’s either that or I have to take my car out and drive to the dump, which seems to be defeating the purpose.

I also wish they had more “postes fixes” for throwing away aluminium and things of that sort. I would make the effort if if they were close by, but again, if I need to take out my car to get to one, itain’t gonna happen and it all winds up, like I said, in my little white taxed bag.

So give us more opportunities and more convenient ways to dispense of our waste and I’m sure more people would adhere.

Can anyone explain to me one thing though… I don’t get why in Switzerland we don’t recycle Tetra Pak cartons! Elsewhere I’ve lived we did, so why not here? Strange….

Maija Remlinger

As an individual who is good at turning off lights (all LED’s), doesn’t have an over-heated house, doesn’t waste water (in-bred as an Aussie), and who tries madly to minimize household waste, I find it hard to say what more the individual can do. I do however feel strongly that it is increasingly demanded of the general populace to do the ‘hair-shirt’ wearing. The day to day shopping results in mountains of plastic and packaging–even loose fruits and vegetables must be placed in bags for weighing/pricing. Often meats and small goods come pre-packaged in wrap or on trays plus wrap. Items for personal usage come in heavy cardboard packaging, often several sizes larger than the item itself. One is then obliged to dispose of all this plastic/polystyrene oneself using the costly bin bags, as well as drive to the nearest disposal station to re-cycle the paper/cardboard waste.

I am aware that one can shop at open markets ( to which one must often drive), however the climate isn’t always supportive of that alternative, and it still doesn’t obviate the necessity to purchase those impossibly packaged items.

I ask the question–why is it that the businesses who produce all this waste (think of the carbon cost of production, storage, transport) don’t seem to have come up with much in the way of innovative alternatives? The whole culture in many western societies seems to waste both food and packaging, and I think these are issues that we might be better focussing upon.

I would also encourage governments to embrace nuclear power. The risks (low) are far less threatening to our world than the actual damage already done by coal power.

Susie Debney

I ran one of those carbon footprint calculators and it turns out that we would need a second planet should everybody on earth have our family’s lifestyle! Ouch. Somewhat discouraging, to say the least.

Coming from the US, where we lived in a townhouse in a residential neighborhood (which meant driving anywhere else, because there were no sidewalks to take us to the nearest shopping center, cafe, or bookstore), where we had two cars (and drove to work from 30 min to one hour in bumper to bumper traffic), where the only recycling possibilities were paper, plastic, and cans, where we used to run the air conditioning unit half of the year and the air vent heating for the rest of the time, we find our current Swiss lifestyle much greener and environmentally aware.

We live in an apartment, do not own a car, we walk, bike or use public transportation, take the train long distance, use a carsharing service once in a blue moon, dry our clothes on the balcony, have ecologically efficient underfloor heating and no air conditioning to speak of (a little uncomfortable during the heat wave last summer, but hey, it’s now a distant memory, right?), and do I even need to mention the multitude of recycling possibilities? I started composting, for heaven’s sake, which I had never done back in the US. So I’m a little miffed at the results the footprint calculator. It did me wrong.

Of course there are things we could do to reduce our carbon footprint even further. We could eat less meat and use only local produce (good-bye cranberries from Maine and mangoes from Ghana!). We could repurpose clothing and rearrange the furniture instead of replacing it. We could stop buying books. Unlikely possibility, but who knows?

I think the most important thing is that we’ve become aware of how we’re changing and we like these changes. It feels good to recycle. It feels good to compost and generate much less trash than we ever did before. It feels good to be able to walk everywhere—things are on a smaller scale here and we do have sidewalks! I fondly remember my American minivan, even miss it sometimes (the longing usually comes when I go shopping for food), but never enough to let it own me again. No bumper to bumper traffic in the past year and a half has been totally worth it!

Romana Iorga

October Question of the Month

Nowadays we witness to a heartbreaking degree a massive exodus of refugees seeking freedom from fear and want. Lives are lost, families broken. One thing that becomes clearer as the world shrinks due to the advancement of technology, is that few can remain unaffected by what is happening elsewhere on the globe. This month’s question deals with the impact of larger world’s issues on our personal lives.

What are your feelings about the current refugee crisis? Can we continue living our ordinary lives in the aftermath of large-scale conflicts and tragedies?

No one can fail to be affected by the constant trail of human misery we see on our TV screens on a daily basis. Few of us have ever witnessed human displacement on such a huge scale, and yet in the end we are, as individuals, powerless to do anything about what is happening. My concerns are that when the countries that are at present being devastated by war eventually return to a more peaceful situation, where will all the people be to help with the reconstruction?

Just allowing people to settle themselves in other countries without attempting to deal with the problems at source isn’t helpful either. For too long it seems that governments have been avoiding doing this and now we are in a very dangerous position with the start of what seems to be a proxy  war between Russia and the NATO countries. One thing is for sure, there is not going to be an easy or swift resolution to the problems that have caused so many people to flee their homes in search of a better life.

Alison King

I don’t understand all of the economic and political issues, but as a person I’m devastated when I see stories on TV that show mothers and their children struggling to survive. I feel like we have to do something. We can’t ignore it. Here in Europe we have so much compared to people in other parts of the world, that we can afford to give a little more than we are now.

Anonymous

I’ve had to really roll this one around in my head quite a bit this month. There are so many answers tohow do I feel about the current refugee crisis. My initial reaction is that, of course, it’s a terrible thing. Most of the world’s population cannot fathom what it would be like to be forced to leave the only country that you know, your home, with only the belongings you can carry and move to a new land. It’s almost unimaginable, but it’s reality for over 42,000 people per day. And no, all of those people are not from Syria. About half of the 60 million refugees in the world are children.

What are my feelings about the current refugee crisis? My feeling is that the current crisis is just a tiny picture of what happens all over the world all the time. Civil and religious wars rage on in developing countries for decades, typically without the west even batting an eye. It’s very far away from us, and often the people don’t look like us and may not have our religion, making it incredibly easy to turn a blind eye and say that doesn’t impact us. What countries you may wonder? Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Somalia Sudan, South Sudan, Congo, Central African Republic, Colombia…the list goes on and on.

So my feeling is that even though the images that we see now are heartbreaking, this is not something new we’re dealing with. My feeling is that I hope people can welcome those who have lost everything with open arms, and not with a look of disgust because they are tired, poor, another religion, don’t speak the language. My feeling is that even though the crisis seems bigger than we are, small acts of kindness make a difference for those in need.

And, can we continue to live our ordinary lives in the aftermath of large scale conflicts and tragedies? I would hope that if nothing else, these atrocities help give people some perspective on their lives. In some sense, I think we have to go on living our lives, but perhaps we can be more purposeful about it. Have gratitude for the fact that you reside in a safe country, sleep in a warm bed, put food on the table each day for your family. Try not to get caught up in the minutia that often drags us down, making us forget about things that are truly important.

Are there things you can do to help with the current refugee crisis and change the way you go about living your daily life? Absolutely. Regardless of where you live, you CAN do something. Whether it’s giving your time, your knowledge, your resources- monetary, clothing, food, shelter, or whatever else it is that you have to give, someone in need can benefit from what you have to give. So my answer would be, don’t keep living your ordinary life. Do something to help someone.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.”             ~Mother Teresa

Lauren King

We live in a turbulent time in which we cannot plead ignorance for what’s happening elsewhere in the world. Due to technology and the internet, the latest news not only invades our living-rooms and offices but follows us everywhere we go. So my answer to this question is that we cannot continue living the same way as before–something changes in us every time a tragedy strikes.

We may not notice the inward changes immediately. Things may be happening out there in the world that focus our attention on the external. But sometime later, in the privacy of our homes and our thoughts, we’ll realize that we’re not the same. Perhaps we lose a certain innocence about the terrible things that happen in the world. Perhaps our fears about the future of our children is fueled by the most recent school shooting. Perhaps our disappointment in human nature is once again fully validated by some meaningless act of terror.

And yet, what is there to do? Withdrawal from all things negative that affect us deeply cannot be the answer. We may not be the same in the aftermath of tragedy, but we are alive. Our families, our friends, and the rest of this hurting world need us. It’s up to each of us individually how we respond to this need, but the least we can do is listen. Empathy begins with the act of listening.

Romana Iorga

IWC’s Riviera Blogs introduces the

September 2015 Question of the Month

For the past few months, our bloggers have written about the wonders of daily life in a beautiful place, the books we read and the destinations we travel to, our struggle with French and the gourmet dishes we cook or discover. The blogging experience has been tremendous, but we are missing an essential ingredient for a blogging community—and that is you, our dear IWC members.

Writing is often a lonely endeavor, but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be. We have a support group embedded in the very structure of our club. Our members have already shown wonderful enthusiasm and have contributed to so many activity areas. All of us naturally tend toward communication andsharing our knowledge and experience, which is the reason we belong to the IWC in the first place.

This is how the Question of the Month (QOTM) idea was born, aiming to serve as a forum for all the IWC voices who wish to be heard. We plan to publish questions ranging from serious to quirky to possibly hilarious. Your suggestions for future QOTMs are always welcome. And before you claim writer’s block or direct your attention to the next episode of your favorite TV show, let us assure you that your answers to the QOTM need not be lengthy. You may write a word, a sentence, a paragraph, etc., much like you write an e-mail or have a conversation on Facebook. You may also choose to sign your responses with your full name, your initials, or remain anonymous.

While engaging in a conversation with one another, you might discover how funny or profound or profoundly funny your friends and acquaintances are—and you will make new friends by reading other women’s stories and opinions. Our experiences are similar, after all. What we have to say will always strike a chord with someone else. You may be surprised by your own answers to questions you didn’t even know were important to you.

The format of the QOTM is very simple (we have lengthened the response period to give our members more time):

1. On the 1st of the month, you will receive the QOTM in your e-mail. It will also be published in the e-news and on the Riviera Blogs.

2. Send in your response to blog@iwc-lausanne.org before the end of the month.

3. Your answers will be published on the Riviera Blogs on the 1st of next month, the same day a new Question of the Month goes out.

Our inaugural Question of the Month deals with the experience of being uprooted and transplanted into other cultures and often other languages. Not only does this question reflect our common experience, but it also ties in nicely with Cindy Wawrzyniak’s August blog post Know Thyself, which is truly inspiring and will strike a chord with many of you.

September 2015 Question of the Month:  

Returning to Lausanne from various vacation spots around the globe—or from the formative places you used to call ‘home’—what experiences, thoughts, and changes do you bring back, what things have you realized you just can’t live without?

We left England almost 10 years ago and are now happily settled in Switzerland, where we felt at home as soon as we arrived. Surprising really, as previously we had spent most of our lives in the flatlands of East Anglia where the altitude is at sea level, even slightly below. Now we look at snow covered peaks for most of the year and the only thing I miss about our previous surroundings are the amazing skyscapes.

I no longer feel completely at home when we return on visits to the UK. The traffic has increased exponentially, along with the population and it all seems so busy all the time. There is no lull in the middle of the day, shops are open 7 days a week and there is no let up on Sundays as there is here. Then there are the signs at airports warning travellers not to assault the staff and also threatening destruction of one’s luggage if it is left unattended, always the feeling that something unpleasant may be lurking in the background! Children not allowed to make their own way to school unaccompanied by watchful parents, and no one would be trusted to take goods (such as wine) away from a vendor and being trusted to pay later even though they don’t know you!

This is why I heave a sigh of relief when we return to Switzerland, and am never sorry to come home. If there are items which I can’t easily buy here it is a small price to pay for such a good quality of life.

Alison King

Over the past six months I have been meditating on this often as we have been in the throws of not knowing where we will be. I was introduced to a theory of sorts called “I am a triangle” and I must say it changed my outlook on the whole idea of “home” and how we change.   http: //naomihattaway.com / 2013/09 / i- on-a-triangle-and-other-thoughts-on-repatriation /

I love the picture of someone going from being a circle to learning about the squares in the world and taking some features from each to become a unique and different person … THUS the Triangle. It just so simply explains that there is in fact no good or bad in all these places, there are simply differences. We take parts from everywhere we have been and incorporate them into who we are. The challenge is to take the good and leave those things that have either challenged us in the past or the parts of society did not fit our personality too well. That is the overall take for now. As for the specifics …

For me and my family we have missed the friendliness or maybe openness of the US, but not the constant meaningless chit chat. We know the Swiss as being, yes, more reserved, but when they do interact, it is meaningful not just this chat did often happens in the States.

The competitive spirit. What a wonderful part of American culture, but it has a downside certainly to making people feel that it is literally every “person for himself.” That, I feel, makes us suspicious of even our friends and co-workers. When everyone is trying to get ahead it means that you leave people in your wake, here it feels more of a team effort. Not always, but overall. That get ahead at any cost in the US feeling is exhausting.

Consumerism … well what to say. You can literally have anything, anywhere,

anytime in the US. Here there will not be many fruits for months–in the US you can get it anytime, but at what cost ?? Likewise with the strip malls. You can literally be anywhere in the US and there is same long row of stores … Target, Kohl’s, Barnes and Noble … wanting you to buy buy buy !! The amount of stuff, including food, that exists in people’s homes is astonishing. Here people are a bit more careful, as things are more expensive and not as readily available.

I am also including a photo the FB page of the triangle group had the other day. A fascinating sculpture of “leaving a country” …

Krista Chavez

I’ve travelled back to Chicago, my “homeland”, many a time throughout the past 27 years since I emigrated to Europe for love. In the beginning it was more frequent than as of late. On my most recent trip back “home” (that is a complex word for me now, because I seem to have many) this past summer, I came to an emotional realization: I could never permanently move back to the United States.

Living away from a place, its people, culture, attitudes, lifestyle and politics for so long, eventually has made that same place seem foreign. I felt lost in a place that once was so familiar and influential in who I was as an individual. I have been too heavily affected by my 22 years spent in France, my adopted homeland, followed by my short but sweet stay in Spain and now Switzerland. I realize that I have become now more European in nature than I am American, although I do maintain its accent. That I doubt will ever leave me.

I have become one of those “third culture” people, and so are my kids, and I wonder if it’s a good thing. Because the hardest question for us all to answer is, “Where are you from?” Sometimes I feel like I’m from nowhere and so many places at the same time.

I used to cry my way back to France after each trip I’d take to Chicago, now I look forward to coming back to Europe, its food, its ways, many languages, customers and cultures … and yes, all its many problems too.

But I do still love going back to visit Chicago and the States. My family is there. My oldest friends are there. I have such wonderful memories of my childhood, high school and college years spent there, not to mention the time when I was falling in love with my future French husband to be. But now Switzerland is my home, as France and Spain were once before.

Who knows where we might settle next, or even retire too? Because at the same time that my husband and I realize we could never move back to America, we’re not sure if we could move back to France either. It’s funny how time away from a place opens up your eyes to so many things you never were able to see before, while you were there. Each place you live in, influences you, changes you. Yet no place is perfect and the grass will always seems greener elsewhere. That’s just how it is.

One thing for sure, though, when I do go back to Chicago, I still always make sure I come back with chili peppers in some way, shape or form. The one thing I still can’t seem to find in Europe and definitely do miss and realize I just can’t live without.

Maija Remlinger

It was on a trip to Antartica when I boarded an ancient exploration boat in Ushuaïa, a wonderful boat that I loved as if it were a human being. We were about 120 passengers, plus the crew+ all those who occupied themselves with the “hôtellerie” + a wonderful scientific team who gave us such interesting and daily conferences and who looked after us so well during our excursions.

It was the trip of my life. I was so happy to be at sea. That always broadens one’s mind and gives us a feeling of liberty. The scenery was so wonderful that you cannot but feel elevated by it. and the contact with animals – penguins, seals, “elephants de mer” was so astonishing and moving, especially when you have the privilege of seeing the penguins eggs hatch and the babies coming out ! There were thousands of animals. You had to be careful of seals and “elephants de mer” (not nearer than 5 meters), but you could mingle with penguins quite easily, provided you did not disturb them.

I was not the same person when I came back.

Mary Anne Zagdoun

I have made five roundtrips back to the states in just over the year that we have lived in Switzerland.  We have gotten so that we created an excel spreadsheet of routine items that we “HAVE” to buy when we are back.  Things such as my son’s vitamin’s, dry ranch dressing, and personal care items.  As we live here longer and find more items or acceptable substitutions, we mark things off the list.  Much easier to pay a little more here than to have to take an extra suitcase back with us.

Last time I was back, it seemed all I did was drive around.  I hate driving, and was ready to come back to the excellent public transportation system that we have here.  We are also becoming less worried about returning to the States so much.  If there is someplace we would rather travel to, we find we are willing to give up a home visit.

Lara Archer

The most important reflection: that there is so much to see, find and explore elsewhere but that we are so lucky to be living in Switzerland!

Gusta Van Dobbenburgh