Geneva Tied for # 2 for Best Place to Live

This article ranks the cities with the best qualities of life. Geneva #2 baby!

Business Week's Best Places to Live 2008

Geneva ranks high, but it also mentions that the survey doesn't take into account nightlife. Geneva would rank further down in that poll, without a doubt. Some of the clubs here are definitely not worth the price. A few weekends ago, we went out on the town at one of these fancy night clubs. Asked for 2 Heinekin beers and 2 bottle waters, which resulted in a 80CHF or $80 tab. Don't know what I was thinking, because tap water here is the same stuff they bottle up for Evian water. Paying $25 a beer is not my style either.

"Who's round is it now?"

Little trip in May

The pictures below are from a weekend trip:
-Annecy, which is about a 40 min drive from Geneva. It is a small town along a lake in the French Alps.
-The castle pics are in Avignon, which has the 14th century gothic Popes Palace and its famous bridge completed in 1185. That bridge used to be the only bridge over the Rhone River.

Ride around Annecy lake

Great view:
(Warning: Filming while biking should only be done by trained professionals.)

The Desk Strike

It was moving day in the office and I was transferring rooms to another side of the building. This new office is larger and shared with 4 other people. Walking into the office, I noticed that the desk was not where I wanted it to be. Immediately I walk over to my desk and turn it (90 degrees) the direction I wanted it to be. It really was missing the feng shui feel that the previous position was missing. Later that afternoon, an office architect (French guy) walks into the office and see's my doing. He pulls out a clipboard and proceeded to show me the layout of the desks. They created this diagram weeks before and previously decided where my desk was going to be. I suggested he take a pen and draw my desk in the new position, easy. All this talk about the desk made us hungry, so we decided to take a lunch break.

The next day, we received an email from the desk architect stating that they are postponing the installation of our phones in our office. Yes, because I moved my desk to my liking, they are on strike. Now, not only do I not have a phone, but my 3 colleagues don't either. The office move was at a stand still. Since I didn't have a phone, I couldn't do work. That means...time for a coffee break. Surprisingly, the movers were having a coffee too. I'm starting to like the way this works. Well eventually I got my phone, it only involved a bunch of emails, coffee breaks, and convincing them to get everything back in order. My desk is exactly where I want it too. I don't think this would have happened in the states.

Yes, the French love their labor disputes and when they put their mind to it, they can Strike like nobody’s business. But what I really love about a good French strike is that sometimes other unions go on strike just to show support for the unions that are going on strike. You don't even have to be on strike to go to a stike. How sweet is that? French news on TV commonly has updates on the latest strike of the week. Last month, even illegal immigrants went on strike in Paris. Illegal Immigrant Strike in Paris

I got my poster and markers in my back pocket. Wanna join?

PuckerUp!

Greetings have never been my place of expertise, but I'm practicing every day and getting better. The custom here in Switzerland is to give 3 kisses on the cheek to the opposite sex when you greet and say your goodbyes. First off, my apologies to those girls I created awkward moments on. Upon arrival to Switzerland, every person I met was greeted with a hand shake. Hey, it was what I was used to and mostly automatic. The straightforward handshake was working well most of the time until I received some strange responses.

One particular time I put out my hand out for a shake and she just looked at it. She leaned in, so I presumed it was going to be a hug, at the same time she was trying to do three kisses to me. We were tangled in inelegance and I confused the hell out her. It must have looked like a strange African dance and we were stuck in it together.

At first this was very uncomfortable and I didn't know what to do. Another fun moment was when I gave only one kiss on the cheek and pulled away. She was expecting two more, and her head was leaning in waiting. She recognized my decision for one and she smoothly pulled her head back. What seemed like minutes later...I decided to give her the remaining two. Hey, I owed it to her for hanging out there earlier. She had an expression on her face- 'I thought this greeting was finished'. Well, not in my mind, so I lunged in, similar to a fish out of water. She kept me waiting (another minute), then helped me finish this ritual. Talk about a long awkward greeting.

This makes it quite a task if you have to say hi or bye to 10+ people. With different cultures mix together, these mistakes are common. Seeing another American always causes problems, do we hug, shake or 3 kiss? There is really no correct answer, just pick one and dive in. Learning the hard way is sometimes the best way, keeps me updating this blog.
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France has much more complex kissing rules, based on region (1-5).
See link for region: French Kiss

Switzerland Tops World Economic Forum Tourism Rankings

Where to travel?

Austria and Germany took the second and third spots in the annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index. The index measures 14 factors in an attempt to pinpoint which countries have the most “conducive environments for developing the travel and tourism industry.” Here are all the rankings. (via Jaunted)

Another Fool's Day

Had a nice b-day dinner at Hunkgry Chinese Restaurant with some friends and enjoyed a brewski after. Check the pics below!

Blog buddies

I know many of you are newbies to the whole blogging thing, so I thought I would share a site that is currently nominating people for their great travel blogs. You should definitely check out some of the nominees and I will post the winners. The photography blogs are really amazing. Check it!

Jump to other nominations here:

• Best Travel Blog


• Best Single-Author Travel Blog


• Best Group-Written Travel Blog


• Best Destination or Trip Narrative Blog


• Best Informative/Practical Travel Blog


• Best Photography on a Travel Blog


• Best Big Media Blog


• Best Podcast or Video Blog

Censor this!

I head to work this morning and see a lady reading a local newspaper and the cover had a picture of a naked woman! What is this lady doing? There are kids around here! I find one of these newspapers and utilizing my french lessons I deciphered the caption as a pic of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni.

The way nudity is preceived here is totally different than in the states. It isn't an issue and is common to see an ad showing a little more skin. Europeans believe that nudity is natural. This article would never pass in the states. The record for most TiVo rewind moment was during the superbowl with Janet Jackson's wardwobe malfunction. My finger still hurts from all the rewinds and pauses. It would have been no big deal over here. I find the US prefers to censor the human body over gore and violence. The body is so much nicer to look at.

So go ahead G 'Dubba' and put your nude wife on the cover.... wait actually hold that thought (no, erase that thought).

Cycling a winding road

Today something happened to me which is a first. I was notified that a friend of mine died 2 days ago in a cycling accident. He was a friend from college and a part of my life which I won't forget. His name is Matthew Peterson. We bonded over a Tucson summer and it was nice to have it filled with a friend's quality time. In a town like Tucson, campus was empty and all students have left, we made the most of it. We both worked at a Marriott hotel, he in bell service and I in restaurant/bar. He was conviently living on my way to school or work, so it was common to stop by to say hi. Him and his roommates also gave me 'Siggy', my dog in college. The dog's name we came up with at their house, because it was the Delta Sig house at the time and where we all hanged out. Matt and I also were in a business fraternity together. He was the kind of person you could rely on and always know he would be there. Thinking back, he never had a negative thought in is mind and lived life with a very kind hearted demeaner.

A spring break from college, Matt join my family and I in a trip down to San Carlos, Mexico. We had such a good time being the typical college kids getting into trouble. If he were here, we would tell you the story where we paid off the cops when we were pulled over. I was impressed by how cool and collected he handled the situation. Or we would laugh at how he walked through the glass door in the back yard. Just good times enjoying each other's company.

Immediately I googled his name to find out what happened. Ofcourse I found the report of the accident.... But more importantly I saw a person with a passion in his life that has obviously made a change in the world. The search results returned site after site after site on cycling. He took what he loves and went with it. He had an entire community of cyclist show respect for what he unselfishly gave and thier hearts showing what they can't get back. He has positively affected the people around him and for that I THANK YOU .....my friend Matt. The world is a better place because you were part of it. You will be missed.




Matt Peterson winning Merco Credit Union Crit on March 1st.


My sincere condolences to his family.

You can visit the website Remembering Matt to find details on the service and leave a comment about him.

Looking for the soft fluffy stuff

We can easily check the ski forcast....Let it snow!

Verbier Snow Forecast | Snow Report | by E-mail

Are we happy yet?

I came across an article that rated Switzerland as one of the happiest places to live. Article: Countries happiness factor

Slideshow of countries

After reading the article, the question comes up 'Can the external environment have an effect on happiness?'





Give me some warm sun, snow capped mountains, a large shady tree, soft grass, white clouds, blue skies, sandy beaches, with a small breeze and that would give me a little happiness. There is no doubt in my mind that being around nature lets you know you are alive. If you enjoy the outdoors and you need a polethera of things to do outside, then Switzerland is a prime choice because it provides ample opportunities for the enthusiasts. Last nite I had dinner with some friends and some conversations that caught my attention were 'I know these three hikes around here that are truely amazing' or 'Have you tried kite skiing?'. Ok...I must confess, hearing a girl mention kite skiing is a major turn on. There is an energy here that forces you into the outdoors, whether you like it or not. It's not an option, it's a necessity. If winter brings skiing, I'm interested to see what summer will bring.

Working for a non-profit organization with a goal of changing the world for the better, adds a sense of purpose. Helping refugees is not something I am experiencing first hand in the fields of Africa, but the energy of people on these missions have a genuine kindness and consideration. It intrigues me to talk to someone who is unselfishly wants to change the world for the better, while the topic of 'how much money' never seems to arise. Being from a capitalist society, as well as myself with a business background, it is different yet refreshing to experience. I realized you get the same feeling when doing volunteer work. Although my community service I did around town was court ordered, but you get my point. Definitely compassion creates happiness.

Quote from the Dalai Lama -(Art of Hapiness)
'If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.'

Can't only be External!

Happiness is such a broad term and everyone's interpretation varies from person to person, that the external environment is only a small piece of the equation. Happiness is determined more by the state of one’s mind than by one’s external conditions, circumstances, or events—at least once one’s basic survival needs are met. Thus, the only source of happiness – and unhappiness – comes from inside yourself.

"Happiness is not something that comes to you or you can go to. It is something you create now, today. Waiting for something to change in order to be happy is waiting to live your life. It is not what happens to you that counts. It is how you react to what happens to you. It is your attitude. When you adopt a positive attitude, life becomes a rewarding adventure instead of something to get through."

The key to happiness is in our own hands. To create a life that is rich with color, you just need to learn to convey it. Find what makes you tick and go with it, then you can convey the canvas of your life elegantly. Life, truely is a piece of artwork full of vivid colors created by a brush of experiences.

Happiness is in the interpretation...

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
– Mahatma Gandhi

See the world map of happiness
.

More mountains...can you get enough?

Doubt this is the last of the mountains, you just can't seem to get enough of them here. I'm finding that sometimes pictures don't grasp the beauty or the moment like a video can.

Another view:

Top of Mont Fort

Mont-Fort: The highest point in Verbier. It took us (Sarah, Marc, Elena and I) over an hour of getting on ski lifts to get to the top. Only Black piste from the summit. A black piste is the same as black diamond in the states. Their level of dificulty ranks are: Black, Red, Blue and Green (easiest).

When you press play, don't look down!


Little Description of Mont Fort

Next snowfall, I'm definitley coming back to the top to hit the fresh snow...can't wait.

Where's the Beef?

Super Bowl in the States:
There is one event I have NEVER missed my entire life and that has been the Super Bowl. Growing up, my parents were known for throwing the best Super Bowl parties in town. Neighbors, family and friends would pack the house for this annual festivity of great food, drinks and socializing. Every neighbor from our street would be at the house. The kids participated in halftime games in the street. Being a chef extraordinaire, my dad would always man the grill with creative dishes like a buffalo roast for the NY Buffalos or a Green chile stew for the Greenbay packers. The meals were well planned well in advance by one of the best chefs in the Southwest.

Super Bowl and bets go hand in hand, so it's not surprising that I learned to gamble at a young age. The duties involved were creating betting 'squares' and collecting the money, along with any side bets we could think of. We even bet on the bud bowl, which is bud light vs. budwiser. (Maybe I should see a shrink?) People that were not into the game would look forward to the millions of dollars spent on 30 seconds of marketing. What about the marketing geniuses creating the talking frogs, louie the lizzard, wasssssuuuuup, the doritos girl, the clydesdales playing football, go-daddy's risky commercial, pepsi and Cindy Crawford...etc.

Check the Top 25 Superbowl commercials
My personal favorite is #20 Terry Tate- Office Linebacker. The #3 frogs are also great.

If it's your team in the Super Bowl, then it is another thing all together. When it's game time, you represent wearing a jersey, and the colors will be blaring along with your mouth to anyone who opposes you.

Super Bowl in Switzerland:
The game starts at 12:15am and the bar is surprisingly filled with mostly Americans. I could tell the people at the bar weren't huge Giants or New England fans, but we all are obligated to see the Super Bowl because it is one past time ingrained in our lives. Tonight they have American food like nachos, burgers, and chicken wings. From my experience with American food in Europe is 'just don't do it!'. You may want some comfort food like home, but it hasn't been worth it about 90% of the time. They can't make a decent burger and the nachos are definitely not what I would call nachos. The only thing worth ordering are Freedom fries, which are probably not American anyway.

About the only time I want to see a commercial is during this game. Commercial time is coming up and I'm looking forward to a new advertising slogan to take to the office tomorrow, but instead I get a couple announcers. The game has a different feel when the announcers are British sportscasters using words like brilliant, superb, extravagance...etc. They also had commentary from a couple lads, one wearing a Packers jersey. Aren't we watching the Giants vs. Patriots? An interesting thing about Swiss/German TV is the very limited amount, if any commercials. It is so nice to watch TV and not go to commercial in mid sentence like in the states. Europeans seem to have less tolerance for advertising and they feel it affects the flow of the program. Living over here I suddenly don't have this feeling to ask my doctor about Cialis or Vioxx.

To make the game a little more interesting I found some others with the same betting interests. I had to follow tradition even though I am impartial to both teams and put some money on the game anyway. The game ended up being a nail biting game down to the wire. We cheered until 4:30am bonding with the fellow die hards making a great nite of American Football (with a European twist).