jalléCafe

Descent from pillow mountain

I hope this is the last post about changing apartments.  I've learned many enlightening and curious things about myself through the move.

Here you see a clear statement about my cultural heritage.  Americans think all large pieces of furniture should be punctuated by pillows.  In fact, so much so that one girl in one small apartment may find herself with  - and I counted them - 33 assorted fluffy "designer accent pieces."

By Swiss calculation that I lived in a 4.5 room apartment, that's an average of 7.33 pillows per room.

I repeat a quote of myself from a previous post, "What on earth was I thinking?!??"

I promise that I have descended from the summit of Kissen Berg (Pillow Mountain).  As of this writing my new apartment averages only 1.25 such designer pieces per room and I plan to keep it that way.

Moments of wonder

On a coffee pause between packing to move. I sit here in dismayed wonder.

As I sorted through my main drawers - and even after I thought I'd already recycled away so many old things - I've had repeated "what the h- was I thinking?" moments.

For example, spread before me are eight remote controls, five mouses of various connection types, a Compaq Presario laptop that weighs more than if you stacked five of my current laptops together, and the instructions for every mobile phone I've owned since 1995.

So much useless stuff kept because of clinging to the fear of being wasteful if I tossed it!

From now on I have a Jill's Rule About Stuff: Before something goes in a drawer, something else must be pulled out and tossed. Get over it, as a guy told me yesterday that his boss advised him about an ex-girlfriend. Move forward for heaven's sake.

I think it is possible that old stuff and ex-girl/boyfriends have a lot in common. ;)

The price of sitting in Italy

I liked Coronas Cafe in Florence so well that I went twice.  Once for gelati and coffee. Then just for a quick Italian-style espresso standing at the coffee bar.

Was surrounded by Italians.  Everyone from handworkers to business men taking a break.

Didn't understand a word, but totally caught the spirit.

 Later I was so tired, I just needed to rest. So decided on another coffee, this time in the first trendy looking place I spotted, B. Gallo.  The sitting was great. Coffee OK.  Price?  4x the Italian coffee bar! 

And not an Italian (other than the waiter) in sight...

 

 

 

Goodbye dear men...

As I opened the Studio door this morning a sound stopped me in my tracks. 

Silence. 

Lovely, let-you-hear-your-own-voice emptiness of pounding, scrapping and shouting men at all windows.

Ten minutes later, Italian singing started.  Two guys, happily hummed along, doing a little dance of dismantling.  Soon the scaffold was gone. And they had a great time all the while.

Made me smile, too.

Welcome back Augustinergasse, in all your eclectic charm!

Modern Matterhorn

I escaped the Man Zone last week to the Matterhorn. 

I'm pretty sure this peak is also a "he" btw. He's just rough and lustig that way.  I photographed him every morning as soon as I opened the curtains. This was last Thursday. 

Turns out Mark Twain had been near where I stayed in Zermatt in 1878.

He scaled to the top of a scant mountain that just starts slanting up in the left of this photo.  I downloaded Twain's book of  A Tramp Abroad and read the essay about his climb. Hilarious.  A century later it still gave an amazingly accurate description of how the Alps feel, especially crossing them - as I learned two weeks ago myself.

One thing I guess was different for Twain:  He said everywhere you could hear loud, crashing mountain streams.  He's right.  You nearly always hear them.  Plus.  Now you can add to that continuous sensory experience flying machines!  Look at that trail across the sky that greeted my camera. Could he have imagined that?

I wonder what will be different for the person who reads Mark in 2111?

Enjoying the unexpected

Monday morning surprise: our entire street now blocked by a crane in front of our lovely scaffolded building. Fortunately, it turned out to be a lot more quiet here than we were told to expect.  Good thing especially for my 10  client phone conferences and three meetings!

Lots of things this week turned out differently than I expected.

I received a surprise email about a possible new apartment that would put me in the center of what I most love about this city.  A surprise visit from a fortune teller at my Studio. (No I didn't ask him my fortune. Would rather that be a surprise, too. A construction worker had left our building door open...sure surprised me when I opened the Studio to see this man who looked and spoke like a cartoon character as he tried to hand me a business card.)

And I made several unexpected decisions NOT to do things the way I had planned. Go away for the weekend for one.

The only thing this week that didn't surprise me is that it went fast.

More planned, I spent a wonderful "girls day" with a friend who will soon have a new baby. Boy or girl, we don't know. She wanted that to be a surprise. And it is scheduled just days from now.

So next week has the great potential to be unexpected, too.  I love the feeling there could be something "curious and wonderful" just around the corner.  A few surprises go the wrong way. But the hope and possibility of something lovely just ahead makes each new day it worth it!

The time and place for charm

This year, Zurich eagerly awaits it's new holiday lights. Several 100,000 little led bulbs will replace the "world's largest time piece" (250 florescent tubes) that lined the main street since 2005.

I know the year because that's when I first moved to a charming Augustinergasse office. Was so-o-o looking forward to walking through the beautifully lit streets in December.

Then Zurich went modern.

But not for long, happily. The new lights already hang in October! And the "turn on" date is November 25, a week earlier than usual.

Then the season of Gluwine can begin.

Old place, new look, carrying on tradition

 Yesterday morning - a cold, foggy Fall one again - I sought out a warm cafe on my way to the Studio. The low buzz of activity shares a human energy that inspires my idea scribbling.  My best conceptual ideas jump out in this context.  Been true since I was a student.

Here is Gran Café Motta on the Limmat in Zurich. A long-standing favorite of tourists and locals, it reopened in the Spring to fairly negative reviews about how it had been turned into a bland, trendy spot.

I found it totally and surprisingly charming.  The locals still sat quietly talking or reading the newspaper.  Waitress was quick and friendly.  Felt warm, uncomplicated and enjoyable.

I give them credit.  Sometimes it takes courage to carry on the best of an old tradition in a new way.

 

What have you noticed 170 times?

As of today (at 9:30 EST, weighing in at 7 lbs. 3 oz according to Mom's annual message), I have lived more than 17,000 days.  Imagine that?  Sure an alarm clock has startled me awake well more than 10,000 times so far. Ugh! Even this morning, even when I did not go to work.

The last few days, because I was not working, I had time to notice a fountain close to my apartment.  In fact many normal days now I have time to notice fountains when I walk home. Yet I think that's only maybe 100 or 200 times so far in 17,000 days. Barely a percentage.

A friend told me that there are more than 1,200 fountains in Zurich.  And then he commented that each one must have it's own sound because it has its own shape and water pressure and location.  I thought that was a cool idea.  Doesn't it seem like I should be able to reach a higher percentage of noticing - maybe 10% or 1700 times?  I could notice if each one has a different sound.

What have you noticed 170 times or 1% of the days of your life?

Well, here's one fountain as a symbol for noticing more! (PS, blogged for the first time from flickr.  Who says you can't teach 17,000 day old dogs new tricks??!)

And we wonder why communication is complicated

I flew 14 hours straight yesterday for a client workshop this week in Latin America. 

In 14 hours on one airplane, I will read anything and everything in print.  At one point as I stood rather dazedly in front of the toilette waiting my turn, wanting to brush my teeth after our second meal, my third movie and my fourth attempt to read more than 100 pages in my book, I noticed something:  the sign printed on the toilette door said in German, "it is not allowed to smoke in the toilette."  In English it said, "it is not allowed to smoke in the lavatory."

And I asked myself, what is a lavatory?  Had I ever in my American life (Boeing printed this wall) used a lavatory?

I don't think so.  It sounds like a word my father would have made up right along with our family favorite: swedge.  (One of the least used references ever to appear in the dictionary.)

And right below the no smoking in the lavatory sign, I noticed something else affixed to the wall was labeled:  Aschenbecker (an ashtray)

Jet lag or irony?

:-)

So much for Spring

Friday night, friends and I barbequed on my balcony.  (OK, it was a bit too cold to stand around admiring the star-filled sky above, but I love the casual times with people together at the table.)  We awoke Saturday to this blowing whiteness.   Perfect day for a fireplace, as it turned out.  And old movies.  On the brighter side of life, I nearly sunburned outside on Sunday.  Great combo of a weekend that I could never have predicted.  I thought I had run out of time to build my relationship with snow this season. I'll take it as a reminder of how life unfolds as it is supposed to, not as we expect it.

Two men and a crane

As I shuffled back to work from a late lunch on a cold, snow-spitting afternoon yesterday, I discovered the process of Christmas star removal just outside the office door.  Not really motivating on a grey winter day, but the guys seemed happy enough that I noticed their efforts as I grabbed for my camera.

Maybe I should even feel depressed about the removal of holiday fun, but my spirited lunch companion and I had just said before we parted that it is January - so we really should just deal with the expected.  Would be hypocritical to now whine like a child.

So instead I'll share the new German word I learned to describe it:   "Matsch."  Here used in context: Later that evening, I slogged in the grey "slushy mush" at the outskirts of Zurich, straight uphill home thinking, "Ugh! Matsch, Matsch, Matsch."

Time sweeping by

This morning on my walk into work, I noticed something I wanted to photograph. This cute little Zurich street sweeper got in my way.  So I took his picture instead.

What I wanted to show you was this: look closely. 

Took this one last night in the dark.

Those are strings of Christmas lights already hung and waiting to be illuminated - more than a month from now!!

Zurich is nothing if not prepared and organized (and clean).

And you know what,"just like yesterday" I'll soon stand there to take a photo showing how beautiful they look.

As fast as that little street sweeper moved, December will arrive.

Autumn glory

Autumn glory, originally uploaded by jalléCafe.

Back in July, I showed you a garden planted to grow around the structure of an old industrial building. If I liked it then, I'm in love with it now.

Look at its Autumn glory!

During the last months, I've raced past photography classes, local street workers, students and executives all taking a break among the metal and vines.

Haven't taken the time to sit under it myself yet. But I managed to pause a moment with my camera.

What I found in the forest...

It's National Day in Switzerland.  Swiss Flags flying and all shops closed (well, except at the major train stations and the airport).  The day is progressing beautifully:  cool enough for a jog before long hours of sunshine now heating up Zurich.

Earlier, at about the 10 minute mark loping along in my not-best jogging gear (it is a holiday after all!), I reached the top of an uphill path in the woods where I normally make a right turn and head along a flat-ish, shaded route which eventually opens into a lovely view of fields and distant mountains.  A reward well worth the effort.

But instead of the occasional fellow jogger or dog walker at this crossroads, I found a whole bevy of people lining up for a picnic.  And I do mean lining up! 

In addition to Swiss flags (some carried by children in strollers), flew a banner:  FDP (Federal Democratic Party).  Holding a picnic in the woods. 

I made my right turn and found myself on the "path to the picnic" instead my solitary route to the mountain view.  Every person I passed (I was going the opposite direction) said "Scheonen Erste August!"  Happy National Day!  "Likewise," I panted.

By the time I circled back (having enjoyed the mountain view), the line was across my path such that I had to go around the people of all ages, most wearing red pins with the white Swiss cross and dressed for a social event. 

The local politicians had also arrived.  How did I know?  A politician has a universal stance, smile and ability to position him or herself at the front of the line.  Even in the woods.

I had a smile, too. 

When everything is interesting

Hola!  Yesterday, I flew 13.5 hour for a business meeting in Argentina.  My first visit.  Every moment of the travel gave me a new view.  RIght over Africa!

I sit here drinking a cup of coffee that tastes different than any coffee with which I've started my day.  Hoping my Latin American clients will truly live up to their  "8:30 means more like 8:45" cultural reputation.

They didn't - adapted to living in Switzerland like me I guess.

Must run.  I think this trip will remind me of my first travel to Asia.  All senses involved.  I am, of course, hoping that includes the taste of a nice, thick Argentinian steak!

When careers fit

The sun finally came out in Zurich this week; so, I walk to work most days.

Again this morning, I walked by this foot doctor's office near my neighborhood.  Look at the manicured lawn.  I always think the same thing:  now that guy should be a good foot doctor, just the precision I would hope for!

As for my authentic career, this week proved to be a race to the early finish line.  We will be closed for Good Friday and Easter Monday, both national holidays here.  We accomplished a lot, but definitely felt the stress of it a few days.

I am finding that my new web site works perfectly for what I wanted in it.  More people are signing-up for seminars.  But it's a slow process to find the time and a scramble to stay on top of the marketing as I juggle consulting deadlines.  Bet I'll ponder this a little over the holiday.

For now though, I'm headed out to demonstrate work-life balance in the sun and share some authentic prosecco with friends. 

Finally Spring

I take it as a good sign that I am present enough in my life to notice the first signs of Spring - natural or, as in this case, urban!

 

The cafes roll out!, originally uploaded by jalléCafe.

What a difference a tunnel makes!

Lugano 8 Feb 008, originally uploaded by jalléCafe.

I arrived in Lugano last night to attend a conference. As usual, the north side of the Gotthard tunnel was cold, gray and snowy. (See photo on flickr by clicking the link.) And some 15 kilometer's later - sun!

Well, by the time I was in Lugano, it was dusk with a lovely full moon. Warm enough to walk leisurely to the hotel.

That full moon inspired some other ideas last night.  Nice to be off to a new view of the week.

How do you explain this?

Clauses 6 Dec 08, originally uploaded by jalléCafe.

Last Saturday was "Sami Claus" day in Switzerland. As usual, I forgot until I ran into the Clauses.

I've often wondered how one explains to children here why there are so many Clauses. They look modern these days, too: on the cell phone, wearing backpacks and driving Harleys.

Then again, I once believed that one Santa flew all over the world on one night and magically popped down every chimney by scratching his nose.

Sami Claus - like why I keep overbooking myself  during the holidays every year and then expect to relax and enjoy it -  is not a logical concept!  :-)

Good morning Star Shine!

Starry Morning 12 Nov 08 (11), originally uploaded by jalléCafe.

This cold, wet, gray morning, I jumped off the tram to find our office street lined with stars. Literally. It happens every year in November: Zurich prepares for the holidays. One day the lights go up on the Bahnofstrasse. Then on the side streets. Today was our day!

Unfortunately it has been less "our day" in the office because each member of our team has, with a few days lag in between, come down with the flu. As of tonight, I was the last man standing without a sniffle. Even the most stubborn of our stubborn "I am not sick" deniers has been forced to stay home to sleep. Ugh. Fall.

Even in this tough economy, we are keeping busy enough. One thing I notice is that compared to last year, this November feels like we can focus on our clients because our office is at least in order and our team knows how to work together.

Now if the team would all just get healthy enough to show up...

Ah, but the holiday lights don't actually turn on until the end of the month. And no one will want to miss that!

Business lunch Euro 08-style (9 June 08)

Business lunch Euro 08-style (9 June 08), originally uploaded by jalléCafe.

Monday and Tuesday, the sun sparkled around soccer fans.

I decided to "tram" down to the lake. In fact, I've spotted enough junk food - from pulled pork to bratwurst -  for the next three weeks of lunches when the sun shines. After all, Euro 08 will not likely come here again soon.

Plus, I saw over the weekend in my Swiss International Airlines account that I'm still the proud holder of more than 400,000 air miles. I have taken only about six trips a year since 2006. 

When collecting miles collected so much of my time, I missed such chaotic scenes like otherwise sedate Swiss statues wearing t-shirts and men drinking beer beneath colorful hats (see the rest of my photos on flickr); I am a better human being for eating fries!

Before 10

I conceived of this blog about two weeks ago:  while walking through Zurich on a lovely Spring Saturday before 10:00 in the morning. 

Around 9:00, I first heard and then watched a choir of Alp Horn players on the dock at Burkliplatz.  Standing in a row, eight lederhosen-clad, edelweiss-decorated men sounded horns slowly together to echo in a strange, melodic way on the hills around the lake.  They must sound even more magical when summoning spirits in the Alps. 

A few minutes later, a few blocks up the Bahnofstrasse, I heard a swing band.  Fifteen brass instruments I would say, all men over 60 I would bet.  Really together.  A small crowd gathered holding coffee and tapping toes.  Clapping between songs.

Then I headed for my favorite market to buy fresh bread and whatever latest olives were ripe.

And to the normal grocery store for basics, to the eyeglass store for contacts, to my office to drop off stuff needed there, home to stash the rest away.

Before 10 in the morning, I heard two little concerts, got an hour of exercise walking about the lake, finished my errands and enjoyed more than one cup of coffee in the sun (the last on my balcony).

I felt so alive and grateful. I wondered why 10 in the morning doesn't always feel so alive during the week?  Why can't it?  I even start earlier those days...

Ah, but I'm not always so open.  Not always so free to wander with my time.  Often focused in a beeline for the next project and to do list.

Which explains where my blog got lost too.

I'm back now to a coffee stop in the mornings.  Or a hot chocolate.  An open start with a wandering creative mind.  A week of it now.

Tonight it is just before 10.  I feel centered again already and eager to see what "before 10" tomorrow will bring.

 

 

The color of "organized"

I love office supplies!  The way some women shop for shoes, I can get happily lost in between aisles of labels, sticky notes, pens and notebooks.  If I walk in an office supply store, I'd better have 30 minutes, minimum, to lose.  Like a man in a Do-It-Yourself warehouse.

Just look at these colors!

I'm especially in heaven right now because all of the Zurich shops have loads of office supplies in big displays.  Discounted.  Stacked in the aisles like fruit in the supermarket.  Colorful.  Inviting.  Irresistible.

When I have time to organize, I have time to also dream a little.  The process of cleaning closets also clears my head. I did a lot of this in the office and at home over the holidays.  The New Year feels more fresh and energetic for it.  I had a lot of change in 2007. A closet-cleaning was due.

And now we march forward bravely into 2008, knowing where everthing is from the start.  Able to use the things around me to make me more efficient and give me more ideas. (That's called distributed learning, BTW, in academic terms - -it's a real skill you can use!)

For me, the color of organized is "sunshine."

Week 32: Flowers that keep glowing

That's not a typo in my title. I meant "glowing flowers."  On Monday morning, near 7 a.m., I walked out my door and for some reason that morning found the rudebeckia's along my walkway stunning.  I stopped and took a picture.  That was the last time I stopped at all until Friday. Or so it seemed.

In between, I met with clients on four days.  Most of the meetings happened amongst torrential rain from Tuesday night through early Thursday morning.  Flooded streets.  Soaked shoes.  Spent a long evening with the PWG Executive Committee in a restaurant overlooking Zurich that should have provided a visionary view of the city. But of course, that's the night the rain began. We got a lot accomplished inside.

The week had some bumps.  Some challenging conversations to set clear action plans and deadlines.  I'm working with a new client team. Love it.  The people and the challenge. I'm a change for them.  Takes energy on all sides to make a change.

Finally on Friday, I walked home (not in rain) at about 7:30 p.m.  First thought I'd go to my fitness club for a work-out. Checked-in even. But realized in a flash that a walk home in fresh air was the thing I needed more.

And there were the rudebeckias.  Glowing in the evening sun.  As if they had not stood outside in 36 hours of pouring rain and cold wind this week.  As if nothing interesting - or in fact anything at all - had happened in the last five days.  Fresh, one might say, as daisies on a sunny Monday morning.  I smiled: if they can be so fresh after this week, so could I!  I was glad for the walk home.

A sea of black suits

Yesterday, I went to hear a CEO speak at the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce luncheon.  Every morning that I see this ahead on my calendar, I groan a little to myself that I have to wear a traditional dark suit that day.  Even a skirt.  Now I dress often more casually, more comfortably. Some days, I wear jeans to the office.

Each time I walk into one of these event, I am swept away by the sea of black. Almost all men.  I feel I've jumped back in time.  After 15 years in Corporate America I often wondered why we bothered with all the formality that gets in the way of real conversation.  White linen table cloths, china, a lot of forks and spoons all around your plate. And sometimes I wished I was in a simple bar drinking a beer with friends.

Happily, this event usually serves a good purpose.  Carsten Schloter, Swisscom CEO, proved intensive and focused as I imagined him from my reading.  In fact, we often hear someone interesting and see them talk up-close and personal.  I would rarely have this opportunity in another larger city than Zurich.  Such events in London or New York would be huge and difficult to even commute to...I walk 5 mins!

I have nearly always enjoyed an interesting conversation at my table.  This time with a Reuters reporter (not wearing a suit) and an ex-Pat American consultant.

Maybe I've learned to be myself, even when dressed like a man...or as a friend calls it "a penguin."  Anyway, it's not so often now; no sacrifice of my personal life required.