Zurich
June 2013

Two stories in one. It has been awhile since I have posted. Mainly because I have forgotten, have no time and its harder to understand strangers when you don't speak the same language. But they still occur. Less likely in Zurich, for the most part people keep to themselves I find.

Today I went back to German school, before I went to Starbucks to see if a friend was working. I asked for a tall green tea lemonade. They understood it as a tall green tea with lemon! What! I never knew that even existed? We never had lemon flavour. Whatever it was +25 but a hot cup of tea was good, too. Iced. Come on, I worked there for how long and forgot the magic word.

On my way to the Lake to study before class there was a great, royal swam just sitting in the middle of the busy road near the main train station. I had to laugh out loud it just wouldn't move, cars honking and everything.

Then I found a nice spot on the dock and began my overdue studying. I am not very good at it. But I had got into a rhythm and was doing well. When suddenly a man comes and sits near by, and says good morning. I say it back and you'd think that would be it..no..it is never just it!

So then he begins to throw bread at the ducks (there are some weird ducks here, so colourful) right over my head. I am just waiting for a chunk of bread to fall on my head..I have yet to check my hair for breadcrumbs.

And then it begins, he sees my notes and asks about my language studying. So in my horrible German I explain that I am studying before class. Then he says, gut, and how old am I? And where I am from? Oh I speak Polish, he is from Hungary! Ok.. Then somehow he starts talking about his life. I understood maybe 65% of it. At first I thought he worked at a paper packaging company. But then he showed me a picture of Nesespresso so then I thought that. Then he said something about engineering. So still not sure what he does. But he is from Hungary and the work there was not good. When he came to Zurich 10 years ago he was happy to have left. Jobs are not good in Italy, Spain, etc. he says. He became a manager here, back home he could not get this position.

So on and on he went about his life. And about commercial brands. He showed me his Tommy Hilifger bag that was filled with his loaf of bread and a carton of milk. He says this is a good meal, no Mcdonalds' hamburgers. Then he said he doesn't need Adidas shoes, he showed me his boots, which by the way were sitting beside him, I did not notice when he even took them off. He had very wooly socks, long corduroy pants and a thick top. It was over +25! He points to all his clothes saying that none of it is brands, you need to invest. He then for some reason while pinching his clothes to show me sniffed his underarms..

I then was just tired of saying "Ja..ja" and nodding and decided to go early to class. He asked if I am around here every morning. I said no because of work. I lost a very special study spot. :(