Mysteries Resolved

First, that "adventurous" thing I was planning on doing today? Never happened. The sudden and insane desire to have Raclette and Movenpick won over. I made a mad dash to the nearest Coop (grocery store) after work and bought these items. I was almost ready to open up the Movenpick container and start eating while waiting in line. And I LOVE Raclette. If I could marry it, I would. Usually, one needs a Raclette grill in order to properly enjoy it, but I'm nothing if not resourceful when it comes to food. So I just had baked potatoes and Raclette for dinner. The presentation came out quite nice; I was about to take a picture for you. But something happens to me when I look at food; I can't quite explain what. I forget about anything and everything, and the only thing that matters in that moment is to inhale all that is front of me. So no pictures this time around, I'll try to exercise a little more restraint for the next time.

Ever since I landed here, there are a few mysteries that have confounded me. I'm going to address what these are and how I resolved them.

1) My Hair: My hair is usually quite voluminous, especially after I blow-dry. However, for the past ten days, the hair has been exceedingly flat and limp. At first, I thought it was because I was sick (why I think such things, I have no idea). But this continued even after I got better. Thankfully, a good Samaritan at work told me that Swiss water is really heavy, and US hair products don't have the right chemicals to combat it. Locally sold Swiss hair products have certain chemicals that absorb these minerals that make the water heavy and leave your hair weightless. I immediately made a mad dash to the local grocery store to buy a local Pantene. And voila, it worked! My hair is back to what it used to be in the US!

2) Target: If there's one thing I miss here, it's access to a local Target store. I never really realized the importance of having everything from bedsheets to pots and pans and shampoo under one roof until I got here. I wondered where the Swiss went to buy all these things. Did they go to a different store for each product? Wouldn't that be a slap in the face of the "Swiss Efficiency?" Thankfully, someone at work told me that a local Migro (another grocery store) close to work had a supermarket on the lower level. So, off I went downhill on a cobble stone, wearing ridonkulous heels, and made it to the store without a single fall, which in itself, is an achievement, as you all know. One day I'll do a post of just how many times I've already fallen here in Zurich. Anyway, I went to the lower level and was greeted by the sight of pots and pans and sheets and bags and everything that Target offered! I just closed my eyes, stood in between the sheets and pans, and felt right at home. I also bought a "dual voltage" travel hair dryer, and a few other products. Which brings me to the last mystery of the week...

3) The burning hair dryer: My hair dryer saga is well chronicled here. What I just learned today is that even if something says "dual voltage", there is a small switch at the bottom of any such appliance, that needs to be flicked "on" for that appliance to change voltage. Since my brain isn't scientifically advanced enough to know such things, I managed to burn a "dual voltage" appliance.

Now for STIDT of the day: This morning, I was listening to a particularly good podcast of This American Life on the tram. I vaguely heard some announcement on the tram, but since it was in German, I didn't understand it/ignored it. Immediately, I saw all but one person get out of the tram. In that moment, I decided to be my own person and not follow the herd. So what if they understood the announcement? I didn't! And if I didn't, well, then it just didn't mean anything. And I went back to listening to the podcast. The display screen on the tram hadn't changed, so I just assumed that the tram was taking another route to get to Uteliberg (the office where I work). A little while later I noticed that the tram had changed directions and was now heading back in the opposite direction! Then it dawned on me that the announcement was probably about the tram NOT going to Uteliberg, but rather, going back to the yard (or wherever it is that trams go). I finally got off, crossed the street, and waited for the next tram. But as I've mentioned before, my ridiculousness is genetic. I'm just an innocent victim here.