Blindekuh

It's Saturday night and Adeeb, Tracy, and I decided to have dinner at "Blindekun" a restaurant where you eat in total darkness. The wait staff is blind and the experience simulates the feeling of blindness. So we hop on the tram and head to Dornacherstrasse which is about 20 minutes from our apartment building. When we arrive they gave us the menu so we could make our selections prior to taking us to our table because you can’t read in the dark of course. Ok, not so strange... Then we are informed of the lockers so we can store our wallets, purses, phones, or ANYTHING that could produce a glimmer of light. After locking up our belongings we are taken the waiting area. While in the waiting area we encounter other guests leaving the dining room covering their eyes and struggling to re-adjust to the light. I thought how bad could this really be or are these people just being dramatic? I guess we'll see:) Then we are introduced to our waitress "Alexandria" or "Alex" for short who is completely blind and speaks very little English. We are instructed to place our hands on her shoulders and form a line so she can guide us to our table. Along the way there are no steps or articles to bump our head (that's a relief). I volunteer to be first and off we go! At first it feels like you are entering a haunted house where you can’t see anything and you only have your sense of smell and touch to protect you. I started to see spots which made me laugh uncontrollably to the point where tears were running down my cheeks. The dining room was completely full and I could hear other guests laughing, talking, and eating. The sound of their voices was overpowering and very loud. Once we arrived at the table we fumbled to our seats and I started to think is it going to be completely dark the whole time? My eyes still have not adjusted to the light and I start to feel cross eyed. I try closing my eyes hoping that it will help me relax. It would be impossible for me to maintain this for the rest of dinner, so I open eyes and give into the darkness. It's important for you to know where your silverware and glasses are so you don't spill anything. Of course during the meal people at other tables were breaking and/or dropping their glasses. Which opens to a discuss at the table " How can they clean up glass in the dark?" and "How does Alex or the other wait staff clean the table after every group?" This is when we start to realize what it must be like to be blind. You have to do everything in the DARK all the time! Eating dinner at Blindekuh was one of the strangest experiences I have ever had. It was fun, exciting, and thought provoking all at the same time!

If you want to visit their website to learn more click here:: http://www.blindekuh.ch/

Ash Cloud shuts down Swiss airspace

The question on everyone’s mind, "is the volcanic ash cloud in Iceland affecting Switzerland?" Yes, yes very much so... Switzerland has decided to shut down their airspace which means they are not allowing any planes to land. Travelers are using any means necessary to get home and the news is estimating that the ash cloud is more damaging to the airline industry then 911. CNN and the BBC are covering this story 24 hours a day with endless reels of grumpy travelers. The situation is so bad that travelers are unable to rent a car or take a train due to the high volume.  AND England is sending the Royal Navy to bring stranded passengers back to the UK.  My boss has been stuck in Lisbon, Portugal since last Friday. The earliest flight he could catch is on 4/23..... Stay tuned:)

Sunny day in Colmar, France

On Saturday we ventured to Colmar. Colmar is a French town about an hour outside of Basel in the Alsace region which is in the north eastern part of France. Colmar is considered the "Capital of Alsatian Wine" producing the best wine in the region. For an American, the most notable fact in Colmar is that it is the home of Frédéric Bartholdi the designer of the Statue of Liberty. Colmar was built in 823! Yes, you read correctly 823!!!! It was founded in the 9th Century and eventually captured by Louis XIV in 1697. The city is very charming and the inhabitants are VERY friendly. You can spend your day wine tasting, eating crepes, shopping, relaxing in the park, renting a bike, or visiting a museum. Colmar is known as "Little Venice" or "la Petite Venice" in French due to the canals throughout the city. If the canals and the crepes do not impress you then the timber framed homes in old town will definitely hold your attention:)



If you are in Basel, then you NEED to visit Colmar, France.

What it means to be Swiss.....

I'm finally starting to feel like a resident of Basel rather than a tourist. My tram map in neatly tucked in my bag and I'm able to get around without it:) The streets and the shops are now familiar. So what's does it mean to be Swiss??? I have a few observations that I wanted to share.... the Swiss are paid higher than any EU Nation other and the gap between the rich and the poor is less noticeable here. The Swiss are very proud of their culture and will pay double sometimes triple for a product in Switzerland rather than traveling 20 minutes to Germany or France for a discount. Because the Swiss are paid a higher wage they have the luxury of buying Swiss:) I'm not sure how long this tradition will last with the younger generation looking for cheaper products in this new global economy. It is fascinating to me that the Swiss are able to maintain this high standard of living for everyone. It almost seems like a niche utopia. I’m finding a few holes here or there. More on these items later

Also, BIG news!!! I finally purchased a Swiss Army knife today made by Victorinox (the original maker of the Swiss Army Knife since 1884).

Ciao!!!

Another Beautiful Weekend in Basel

Now that everyone is back from Easter weekend, I've finally met majority of my neighbors. Most of them are here from the MIT Sloan MBA program for a Novartis internship. On Friday, we organized a dinner so everyone could get to know each other better while exploring Basel. Luckily it was warm enough for people to sit outside at the cafes and people watch. There was a buzz in the air and we were able to enjoy a cocktail outside at one of the sidewalk bars. Very fun! This is definitely something you would not be able to experience in Philly!


On Saturday, I made it to the cinema (or kino in German) for a movie with my new friends from Cape Town. If you are going to see a movie while in Basel there a few things you need to be aware of......

1.) There is assigned seating!! You can't just purchase your tickets and sit where you want. If you want a good seat you need to purchase your tickets in advance.

2.) There is an intermission. I thought there was an issue with the projector and quickly realized that people were going outside for a smoke, ect... This can be a good thing or a bad thing. In my case, the film stopped for intermission during a suspenseful point in the plot.... bummer:(

3.) Movies are played in their original language with sub-titles in German or French. In most cases, the movies are in English with two sets of sub-titles since Switzerland has four (4) national languages.

On Sunday, I made it to an outdoor cafe for a latte and discovered that the cafes provide blankets for their patrons to keep warm in the event that it starts to drizzle or become windy. This was very cute and convenient!

We will miss you GG!

As some of you might know my Great-Grand mother pasted on March 31st. She would have been 93 on Saturday, April 3rd. GG as I like to call her was the matriarch of our family and will be dearly missed especially by my loving father. Below is the Eulogy he will share with our friends and family. I was so touched by his words that I wanted to share them all with you.



Eulogy for Florence Courtney Childs by: Charles Tyrrell



This woman who we are here for today Florence Courtney Childs could have been anyone’s grandmother.

She was loving, caring and was very special to us.

Some of you may know here as Aunt Courtney, Gram, GG or Friend.


There were some of us who were lucky enough to call her Mom-Mom or Grand mom.

I am sure most of you here today have some memory of our Grandmother which has touched your life in some way. Two things come to mind of which I will share:



One is she had a saying that “Everything has a place, and everything belongs in its place” I am still working on this one.



Another custom she had was how to make a perfect cup of tea: boil the water add the water to the tea-bag then the milk first then 2 teaspoons of sugar (she loved the sweets) and was always able to get 2 cups of tea out of one teabag.


This British custom I am also working on.

She loved us all even with our imperfections as all grandmothers tend to do.


But the greatest advice she gave me is still true to this day. Choose your friends Wisely!

As they can either lift you up or drag you down.

For the most part I have been Lucky and have had friend’ s who have always lifted me up.


Debbie and I personally became close to her as she lived with us for the past seventeen years.


It will not be the same when I come home from work and Gram was usually finishing her meal. (she loved to eat)


Whatever it was she enjoyed you could usually tell as she would have it sometimes around her face and the dogs would also enjoy, what she would think she was sneaking to them (but Debbie and I knew and would both get a laugh).



There is a custom she had when eating of always leaving a little on the plate which will remain a mystery which I may never know. I think it may have had something to do with the Depression.



Our grandmother would always think about others before herself. She never liked to ask for help; but would always be there to help other people first.

 Before I finish I would like to thank a few people who were there to help her when she needed it from the bottom of my heart, first my wife Debbie who spent many hours with Gram tending to her needs, and in her final months and days feeding and comforting her and ensuring she was getting the best care possible.



I would also like to thank Pat Slick who was her long time home health-aide of approx. 15 years or more and who became part of our family. She would show up dutifully most days at 7 am to get gram’s day started this was a great help to Debbie and I for the extreme attention and care she provided.

 And then of course there was Gina gram’s nurse of more than 10 years. Without Gina’s knowledge of gram and her devoted care we would have really struggled.


We may no longer see her but will always have special moments which we shared with her.



She will always have a special place in our hearts. Let’s be thankful that we were able to know a special lady like our grandmother.

Basel at 22° C

Basel is even more beautiful and alive when the weather is warm. I definitely have spring fever which is causing me to fall blindly in love with this adorable city. I love how ordinary people dress up just for a trip to the Migros or Coop (these a both two local grocery store chains). I just feel more alive being near them. Something I love even more is the way Europeans hang around outside instead of plopping in front of the TV. They want to be a part of society and enjoy the simple things like fresh flowers, great chocolate, fresh air, and music. The Rhine on a spring day is indescribable. This is what I like about Basel today:)

The Peach and the Coconut

It was explained to me today that in Switzerland American culture is viewed as a "Peach" soft on the outside with a small hardcore.  Americans are viewed as friendly and outgoing on the outside with smaller core of close family and a few friends on the inside.  Swiss German are similiar to a coconut with a hard outter shell and a liquid middle.  While in Basel you will learn/notice that the Swiss German's do not generally speak to strangers and stick mostly to themselves and immediate family.  However, once you are let into their inner circle they will love you for ever!

Fame Disco

After Bar Rouge, I met a Swiss girl named Sarah who invited me to Fame Disco a huge club in the middle of Basel.  Yes, I know what your thinking...  AND yes Sarah was a complete stranger.  She was very sweet and introduced me to all her Swiss friends.  It happened to be ladies night and all the university students were out celebrating the long Easter weekend.  Entrance fee was 20 Francs but the drinks were super cheap in comparision to Bar Rouge.  You can get a vodka and redbull for 5 Francs vs 15 Francs at any other bar in Basel!  Drink prices like everything else in Basel are higher than average!  At Fame the DJ's spin a mix of 80's, House, and R&B music and can expect to dance until the sun comes up!  The only downside is that the trams stop running around 2am so you have to either walk home or pay for a taxi (which again are very pricy).  The prices for cabs actually double in Basel after 10pm.  I paid 15 Francs for a 5 minute cab ride.  Made it home safe and sound:)

Bar Rouge

Right at the top, in the highest inhabited building in Switzerland, convenient close to the sky, the seductive BarRouge is - Cocktail lounge and club all in one. Bar Rouge offers an unforgettable view over the city of Basel and the region. The interior is completely in the color red and with comfortable sofas arranged around the dance floor.  This is a MUST see while in Basel as the views are breathtaking!!