Permit L

Our residency permits finally came through - 'L' - to be exact, which runs one year. I managed to get a cell phone without it, but need it for repeated Swiss entry and exits, as well as a bank account, if we go that route. You have no idea how much effort it took to get these little violet passbooks.

Regulation of identity and whereabouts can be somewhat touchy and complex: immigrants have redefined the national profile (although Mohammed isn't the #1 boy's name yet, as in Britain), but there is a dark history regarding sending Jews back to the border during WWII, as well. Switzerland wasn't the only country to penalize Jews (Columbia U had a quota in place), but there had been national pride in assisting Jews that suppressed the opposite truth (German historian George Mosse unearthed that Swiss immigration invented the "J" for passport designations).

The installation artwork around the government offices (Lausanne is the capital of the canton of Vaud) was going up, and we were impressed by this "tree." The area - the Flon - was a marginal space for art and antique warehouses and lofts that is being reclaimed by the city.
BTW, we were so relieved when Michael told us during breakfast, "I am so excited to go to school!" We are hoping classmate, Igor, turns a corner, since he told his mom, "I hope the school disappears." Igor is in year two of kindergarten and still hasn't picked-up French; his teacher started learning Russian.
We've been staying with Brady and Stephanie Smith - about a 20 min walk north of the hotel, where freestanding homes are rare. The influx of immigrants has transformed this area into a Vietnamese and Indian enclave, lending this city the ethnic flavor of a larger European city, rather than a parochial Swiss town. I brought home good take-out from "Saigon"; I don't know if North Vietnam is also represented here.
Michael wanted to eat on the terrace, so on this autumnal day we joined other families on adjacent balconies. My experience here and in the States is that Northern Europeans - partly due to climate constraints and partly to lack of central heating - are more tolerant to wider temperature shifts; ie can be seen enjoying a meal outdoors in less than optimal conditions (compared to most Americans, I think).

Ice in drinks is another interesting thing. Although flavor is often cited as the reason Europeans have generally favored non-iced beverages, my guess is it is also related to "old wives" tales about dangers of cold drinks on digestion, as well as to different histories regarding the household refrigerator.

Back to Lausanne, which has 300,000 citizens, but heavy government subsidies give it the cultural amenities of a town much, much larger - amidst the stunning natural beauty, a real jewel of Swiss cities.

We just learned that we can move into the hotel tomorrow PM!!!