We enjoyed All Saints Anglican Church in Vevey Sunday morning - vibrant, full, with a contemporary mission, yet deeply structured liturgically; the "worship team" (for you newbies, pretty much the warm-up act to services these days, which either drops or maintains the energy level thereafter) was eclectic (cello, congos, violin) with no singers, effectively removing their role as the emotive mirror of the congregation. I generalize that, like the Manora cafeteria we enjoy, blending American concerns for personal immediacy and openness within an existing framework (aesthetic, historical, or theological) - sometimes yields something positive - a reforming, rather than the baby-out-with-bathwater gesture. The choruses sung were musically contemporary yet retained a high level of diction (except the one we ended with), so I never got "the kids have taken over" feeling. A largely Nestle expat congregation with considerable turnover and its accompanying problems; we're simply the next wave. We spent the rest of the day with old friends, Rodman & Becky Miller. I knew them when I lived in Switzerland back in the early '80s. Leaving the lake to reach the Millers' valley above Vevey. Feeding sheep on the hill above their house. Reminded me of this TV ad and is one thing about SoCal we don't miss.
From their terrace. On Saturday, we walked to a kid-friendly beach and I tried one of the single-use grills I'd seen around. No one grilled outdoors in public when I was here 25 years ago (I remember getting quite a few stares cooking teriyaki chicken on a hibachi near Chateau Chillon), but now it's quite common and you see more elaborate grills in backyards.
I have been finding all kinds of changes here, but undoubtedly I've changed as well, 'though who's tracking that. Kinda like seeing someone after 20 years and noticing how old THEY look. A lovely woman Jack befriended on a boat ride. Finally, a tree the boys can climb!
Well, we were sitting around wondering what to do today, when Jack screamed and settled the question: Good Samaritain Hospital and 2 stiches! Jack gets into all kinds of trouble trying to keep up with Michael, and is no stranger to urgent care, but these were his first two stiches. The bandana was an hour long numbing ploy, so we joined the white coats for an outdoor lunch - today's cafeteria special: mixed grill with ratatouille and tomato soup. Delicious.
The boys ran around the heliport pad and a surprising Japanese strolling garden, complete with maples and an elevated, winding path (public gardens mostly follow the formal symmetry of English designs). After Jack's stiches, we went on to the Lausanne Salvation Army where Carolyn found a nifty car booster seat - 8 francs!
Later, using Skype to get Applecare's walk through tech support, I transfered the phone photos via bluetooth to the Mac, drifting momentarily into geek territory. Incidentally, ORANGE phone service is excellent - top models are free, no activation fee, monthlys are competitive with US prices, with satellite rather than tower-based signals. I also got my first parking ticket.
After some lengthy pros and cons, I decided to lease a car. Being a professor allowed me to exceed Peugeot's normal time limit, and seems, relatively, a deal (once you consider Swiss insurance, registration fees, upfront costs of buying a decent used vehicle, etc). It's a French arrangement and Switzerland did not join the EU, so this caused some hiccups, but, in the end, I got it. The Geneva airport has a French section, which I entered, got the car, then drove out and reentered via a Swiss bordercrossing.
I love this simple way of marking parking periods. You just set the dial when you arrive and leave on the dash - anyone can see whether you've exceeded the 10 hr limit.
Decided to return to Pully and try out the pools (which close in a couple of weeks!). Incredible setting for swimming, and friendly children handed Michael and Jack a cup and bucket besides. I was very impressed by the cafeteria's offerings - a full range of complete meals, ranging from Parisian steak or braised chicken, along with wine and beer. A whimsical scene in front of the Food Museum in Vevey - that is a fork with resident seagull. The little sailboats in the background belong to one of the sailing schools for children, which we wish Michael were old enough to take part in. The swivel chairs are firmly implanted in rock! The boat dock at Montreux, famous for its summer jazz festival and more glitzy life. Sadly, I have never been able to disassociate the song, "Smoke on the Water," from this place (inspired by a festival fire years ago). So as the boat neared and the sign could be read, the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star of my jr high days began to replay.
This is Michael at a SuperWalmart in Changchun, just a few days after he became part of our family. He always looked dazed, overstimulated when we were in a crowd - his world completely turned upside down compared to his little community of orphans in sleepy Siping. I'll never forget how he tossed and turned all night that first night with us in that hotel room. Anyway, I remember handing him a little receipt to occupy him in that cart; he never let go of it. So, today, at the Manora, my mind went to that Chinese Walmart, as I noticed him - dazed this time by Shrek - holding onto the same lego pamphlet he had when we left the apartment 50 minutes earlier.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Well, I'm experiencing blog trouble on this end, so this is really a test. Sorry for the inconvenience, but enjoy the pic anyway, I hope. BTW, we spend a lot of time on this walkway. You can barely make out the gelato stand run by a friendly Italian man. Very very tasty stuff.
