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Clouds Over Baden adn 64 bit Operating Systems

08 Dec

 

I haven’t had too much time for myself lately.  Or at least if feels that way since I haven’t had a lot of time to work on my photography.  I did finally get one small pet project of mine completed recently.  That being a rebuild of my computer and an upgrade to an 64 bit operating system.  Normally I am not one for lots of hardcore system reinstallation type work.  But I finally bit the bullet.  One of the prime motivators was the fact that I was trying to do some things in photoshop that my current operating system would just not handle.

So now I have a 64 bit operating system, and 64 bit versions of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop running.  Now I’ll just need so see if I can get that extra 10% of improved performance out of the new setup.

As a first test run I processed a photo I took of the clock tower across the street this fall.  All my programs seem to be working well. It will be time to get back into the swing of things once I can get the little one down to sleep.

 
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Posted in Photography

 

Starbucks In Baden

29 Nov

Yes in fact hell has finally froze over and Baden now has a Starbucks.  The shop opened in the middle of November and is located in the train station building right on track one. There was some press for the opening, a small article in the local Baden newspaper, but besides that it has been quiet.

I was disappointed in the layout from what I say.  I guess I am used to these vast, expansive North American Starbucks shops where there are loads of comfy chairs where you can sit, enjoy a cup of joe, and maybe surf around on you mobile device thanks to free wifi.  What we have in Baden is yes indeed a Starbucks branded store, but the scale of the place is very European.

By that I mean I probably could have counted all the tables on my 10 fingers.  They do have some additional outdoor seating, but that is a bit useless at this time of year.  I just don’t image myself going to hang out for an hour or two in the Baden Starbucks, it’s just a bit small for my liking.

That said I did see a sign advertising some tasty looking holiday hot chocolate drinks.  Even if I don’t feel like hanging around the shop I think I’m still going to have to stop in for a hot chocolate to go and a little taste of home.

 

 
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Posted in Food

 

18 Month Flea Market Hunt Comes To An End

28 Nov

I had an amazing Saturday.  So many things were falling into place for me.  The most surprising was the fact that my 18 month search for the perfect Alphorn playing jacket came to successful conclusion.  When I started playing alphorn I thought it would be be cool to pick up a traditional black velvet mens jacket with red trim from the Bernese Oberland region. For whatever reason I just think the “Berner Mutz” has a cool look about it.

At first I thought that if I bought an Alphorn I would just put down the cash for one of these crazy jackets, but after some research and talking to a local who grew up in the Bernese Oberland I learned that the starting price for one of these beauties was about 400 Swiss Francs.  As cool as the jackets are, there was no way I was going to put down 400 Swiss Francs for a jacket that I might where a few times a year while playing Alphorn with some buddies.

That is when my friend offered to call some friends that new some guys in the local yodeling club back in the old ‘heimat ort’.  Unfortunately nobody in the yodeling club was looking to part with a used Mutz.  My search would have to continue.  And continue it did for months and months until this Saturday when I spotted a Mutz hanging at the monthly flea market.

Boy did I get a deal too.  When I bought the jacket the woman surely knew I was a foreigner from my accent.  She said to me, “you know these are usually 400 Swiss Francs.”  I replied that I was well aware, and that was why I was almost ripping the jacket out of her hands for the price she was quoting me for the thing.  My wife has a wonderful way with words sometimes, and I probably couldn’t have said it better when she turned to me and said, “You are the only person I know that would buy a used marching band jacket at a flea market.”

 

 
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Posted in Shopping

 

Roasting Chestnuts At Home

26 Nov

The Christmas season brings with it our local roasted chestnut vendor.  Every year there is an article in the paper about the elderly man, now in his 80s that sets up his stand on the main street in town for about 2 months starting in early November.  I do enjoy chestnuts and it is not uncommon for me to pick some up maybe once a week or so.

After watching him for so many years I decided it was time to give it a try at home.  We had made a charcoal fire for cooking dinner and I had purchased some chestnuts a few days before.  If seemed like a perfect chance.  I ended up using a metal basket for cooking vegetables on a grill for the roasting.  The basket turned out perfect, the chestnuts, well, they need some more work.

I have to admit they looked pretty, but I think I let them sit a bit too long in a sealed plastic bag.  The moisture from the nuts caused some strange stuff, probably mold to grow inside a few of the nuts.  Those were a very unpleasant surprise when I popped the first one in my mouth.  The nuts that were cooked well, and not gray inside were rather tasty.

The trick seems to be to ensure you have a good quality nut, and you keep it in a cool, dry place with lots of circulation.  Makes sense when the package the big bags of them in burlap, for air circulation I suppose.  I’ll have to give it one more shot before Christmas to see if I can improve my technique.

 
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Posted in Food

 

Fall Walks Around Baldegg

20 Nov

After the cold weather we have had in the last week I think it is time to say goodbye to the beautiful Swiss fall season and start to prepare for winter.  This fall I had a chance to take a few weeks of vacation and stay at home around the house.  Most of the time was of course spent taking care of our new daughter.  But even in the chaos we managed to get out of the house to enjoy the fall colors.

I really enjoyed spending afternoons hiking around Baldegg, where the level gravel roads are perfect for our ‘all terrain’ stroller.

As it gets colder I just hope we will still be able to continue to enjoy the outdoors.

 
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Posted in Travel

 

Swiss View: HD TV for Parents

18 Nov

I recently welcomed 2 new additions to the family.  The first was a 40 inch, 17 kilo TV.  The second was a 47 centimeter, 3 kilo baby.  The former was purchased in large part to help us deal with the later.  These life events as I will call them are also the reason that I have not been posting as regularly. I’ve just have not had time to sit down and pontificate as I usually like to do.

So what I have I learned in the 6 weeks since my daugther came into this world?

First, having a baby seems to impact your sleep just about as much as moving abroad.  I say this of course from the male perspective not having to get up for feedings in the middle of the night.  For me the fact is still that my sleeping, or lack there of seems to be about as bad as it was when I first arrived here.  I had a hard time sleeping with the stress of a new job and new environment.  The only difference is before I could usually at least get in one or two good nights of sleep a week.  For now, not so much.

The other things I have discovered is the joy of television.  My wife and I have never been big TV watchers, but now with a baby it is easy to sit down and zone out to any old stupid TV program.  One of my favorites because it is so mindless is called Swiss View.  It is the kind or program that the station plays because there is absolutely nothing else to show.  It is literally some dude flying over Switzerland taking HD video overlayed with what I will call meditation music.

Perfect for late nights in front of the TV.  You can catch Swiss view on the HD Suisse Channel or pick up a DVD at your loca l exLibris store.

 

 
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Posted in Daily Life

 

Happy Halloween

31 Oct

This year’s pumpkin was inspired by an episode of Science Friday (NPR).  The radio program outlined some carving techniques used by some guys in New York that sell their carved pumpkins for several hundred dollars.

After 2 hours with my swiss army knife and a few of their tips I think I can say I can give them a run for their money.  This year we have a Swiss Chalet, a cow, and a Swiss flag.

 
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Posted in Uncategorized

 

Buying A TV in Switzerland

16 Oct

I recently embarked on a journey to purchase a new TV.  This TV would be the first new TV I had ever bought.  Not being a big fan of TV  The last TV that I bought was a second hand model that I paid 20 dollars for  back in university.  Now as a ‘professional’ I thought it would be a good time to get something that was up to date and had all the features I was looking for.

So what was I looking for?  That was  good question.  I knew I wanted something larger than my 21 inch computer screen which had been my staple for watching movies over the past 5 years.  I knew that after trying to watch my wife’s Mac in our well light living room I needed something with an non-relfective screen.

I was also looking for the following features:

  • 40 inch or larger screen
  • built in DVR recording
  • Internet connectivity with built in wireless LAN capabilities
  • Integrated Skype with video capabilities
  • Multiple HDMI inputs and Computer connections

Then my search started.  I did most of my shopping in the local interdiscount shop which had a large display wall and lots of models available.  As a deep contemplator I was getting into the habit of stopping by the store about 2-3 times a week over a period of about 3 weeks.  Was I a bit obsessed, maybe, but the shop was on my walk home from the office and it wasn’t out of the way.

After about 2 weeks I had narrowed down my thoughts, looking at a few Sony models, and a few Samsung models.  The decision was made based on the screen.  The Sony EX700 series had the right features and the right screen.  I liked the Sony HX800 screen and the Samsung’s screens better, but in my living room with the huge windows I knew the HX800 and Samsung’s glossy screens would  just not work.  I’ve had the EX721 for a couple of weeks now and I can say I am happy with my purchase.

So how about the shopping experience?  Let me give some thoughts on all of the websites and stores I visited.

Fust

I check out a few sales advertisements for Fust and their website.  I found their website not very useful and The selection did not really have anything that interested me. Their website doesn’t have a way to browse the available TVs, rather it is just a place where they post a PDF of their latest sale paper.  Totally useless in my opinion.

Interdiscount

I found the interdiscount website one of the easiest to use.  While the graphic design is a bit dated the site does allow you to filter results based on screen size, brand, and a host of other features.  The only disadvantage of the site is that the technical data on the models is not necessarily complete.  From the store perspective they have alot of their stock available for viewing in the store.  They also have a HD video clip playing on the display TVs that is very good for comparing the TVs.  If has a fast action scene for checking motion blur, and dark scene for getting a feel for the contrast of the TV, and some color rich scenes.  Interdiscount has a large selection and their prices were also very competitive.

Mediamarkt

Mediamarkt has just launched an oneline shop this year.  And it shows. There are some basic search features to filter by brand and size, but there is not much choice on their website.  The store is a different experience.  I visited the newly remodeled  Mediamarkt in Dietikon and found it to be comparable to any big-box shop like best buy in the U.S.  Their instore selection was good.  Non-sales items were a bit higher priced than others, although their sales prices were comparable to other chains.  The one negative about the Mediamarkt store, was that the TVs are not setup in a way where one brand of TV is next to another.  This makes comparison of image quality very difficult in the store. Interdiscount was much better on this account.

Digitec.ch

Digitec is a former web based shope that has recently started opening small show rooms.  The digitec website as the best tools for searching and comparing TV models.  You’ll need to read a little German, Italian or French, there is no English option.  I used the Digitec website to do most of my research.  I did visit their showroom and with only about 6 TVs on display it was a bit of a joke.  Digitec had some of the best prices and offers delivery or pick-up in the showrooms. If you know the specific model you would like to purchase it is definately work checking out.

Migro Electronics

Migro Electronics had very limited selection but they had the best prices.  I actually ended up purchasing my TV from the local Migro Electronics shop.  It just so happened that Migro carries a good selection of Sony and Samsung TVs and they have some great sales prices.  I think the key to getting a good price at Migro is to wait until there is an electronics sales. One negative about the shop was the HD video clip playing on the display TVs.  The clip is just a loop of store advertisements and it is almost impossible to use to compare the TV quality in the shop.  For model comparisons visit another shop like interdiscount.

That wraps up my thoughts on TVs in Switzerland.  Good luck with your search. If you have any additional ideas or experiences leave a comment.

 

 

 

 
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Posted in Shopping

 

Wiener Chicken

06 Oct

 

The cafeteria at work is at it again.   There was a great offer last week for a plate of Wiener Chicken.  Mmmmm sounds good to me.

 
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Posted in Language

 

Sharing The Expat Experience

27 Sep

A friend of mine at work put me in touch with a new Expat last week.  He has been ‘in-country’ only a couple of weeks.  We got a chance to meet for coffee today.  It reminded me of when I arrived. So many new things and all sorts of new ways of doing things.  He asked a couple of good, relevant questions for new comers to Switzerland.  They are worth repeating.

What are the orange boxes on the buses?

Those orange boxes are ticket validation machines for multi ride passes.  If you have a 10 ride pass, or a day ticket, it needs to be validated.  Stick it in the slot and the machine will time stamp your ticket.

What about dry cleaners?

Yes dry cleaners do exist in Switzerland, and like everything else they are expensive as compared to the U.S.  A typical dress shirt is about 5 francs to clean and a suit is usually around 20 francs.  Dry cleaners are most likely found by public transportation hubs.  Train stations and airports as an example.

Where is the best place to get a haircut?

In Switzerland you’ll pay about 27 francs as a minimum for a basic mens haircut.  If you are used to walk-in type shops like Cost Cutters, or Fantastic Sams in the U.S. you’ll want to consider a chain called Gidor.  They do not take appointments and are the most reasonably priced.  For men, you’ll need to be prepared to tell the stylist how long you want your hair cut in millimeters, and it is also good to know the word auslauf, or we would say ‘tappered in the back’ in U.S. English.

If you have any other questions about life in Switzerland leave a comment and I’ll see what I can come up with.

 

 

 

 
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Posted in Daily Life

 
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