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Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thuydu/sets/72157622708685899/show/

CICR, Genève, Thụy Sĩ

(CICR = Comité international de la Croix-Rouge = International Committee of the Red Cross = Trụ Sở Hội Chữ Thập Đỏ Quốc Tế)

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Đây là suy nghĩ thực 100%, viết vào iphone trong suốt chuyến đi Thụy Sĩ vừa rồi, bắt đầu từ chuyến bay từ Newark đi Genève. Copy lại nguyên xi, không sửa lỗi chính tả.

Day 1: flying, and Genève

- I am at the airport right now, in front of the gate for the plane to Genève, Switzerland. Several of the children sitting in the vicinity are talking in French. The language is like music to the ear. Genève, it turns out, is on the French-speaking side of Switzerland.

- Interesting enough, all of my Europe trips coincide with some special days. Last September trip with the anniversary of 9-11, this trip with Halloween. Not a huge fan of Halloween anyways.

- I’m already impressed by the Swiss. No immigration paperwork to fill out. The officer is very friendly, and actually crack a smile (heard that, American custom?). The line for foreigners is actually shorter than the one for Swiss/EU. What a refreshing change.

- In Genève’s McDonald restaurant, a big Mac is 12.35CHF (Swiss Franc), or about 13USD. I just got the same one yesterday at Newark airport for 5USD, and Newark isn’t exactly the cheapest place in America. The restaurant next door, called SwissMeal, asked 13CHF for a burger. If I am going to spend that much on a meal,I’d rather spend on something authentic Swiss like cheese fondue.

- The fog in the morning is nut. Can’t see a damn thing. I thought my day was fucked if this continued  The airplane landed without anyone knowing, except for the pilots of course, due to the dense fog on the ground. One landed, the pilot exclaimed: Six flags! Fortunately, it cleared at mid-day.

- First time I’ve been to Catholic church on Sunday for mass, and it was special because:

+  I’m not even Christian.

+  The church is the biggest in Genève, considered one of birthplace of world’s Protestantism (against the church’s asking people’s money for services thingy).

+  It was in french. Meaning? I didn’t understand a damn thing.

- I’ve never seen so many different Christian churches with a few blocks in my life, 4 and counting.

Day 2: Fribourg

- A very tiring day. Got lost in the cold rain without an umbrella, twice, while lugging my heavy luggage. Then tried to catch a bus to the institute, which turned out to locate a bit out of the city.

Day 3: Fribourg

- Cowbells in the misty morning sound cute, but in the dark of the night, combining with church bell, they turn creepy.

Day 4: Fribourg

- Wanted to buy cowbell, then realize it is heavy, then the nail to the coffin: ~2000CHF.

Day 5: train to Zurich, then flight to Prague (Czech Republic)

- Swiss women ain’t that good looking (ok faces, giant butts), but they sure wear fancy clothes. Even the kids. There is this one little girl (10 years old?) I saw on the bus that I couldn’t find anything on her that isn’t brand name, from scalf, coat, shirt, jean, shoes, watch… Every single item.

- Man, these Lindt chocolates are delicious. I have to stop myself from eating or the damn acnes would show up. Definitely will buy some and bring back to the US.

- Zurich airport does not have free Wifi. How cheap! So unlike Pittsburgh airport.

- I feel bad for anyone who wants to announce anything to the public on Switzerland. They have to do it in French, German, Italian, and then English. It took 5 min for the Czech airline lady to make a simple announcement.

Day 6,7: Prague

- Can’t even start to say how much I appreciate Huong’s help here. Her guide makes my travel so much smoother and more enjoyable!

- Beggers in Prague go to quite an extent to … beg for money. They kneel down, with their faces flat on the pavement, and their hands extended on the ground holding cups for money. They never actually look up to you. I was going to take a picture, but then decided it would not be polite. Compared to them, those in the US (or Vietnam for that matter) are like lazy bastards!

- If I stay here for too long, I would get fat. I’ve been walking around the square, checking the food booths, and eating continuously. I also adore their hot wines.

- Did I say I appreciate Huong’s help? She even went to the airport with me, at 5am this morning.

Day 8: Kutna Hora (Czech Republic)

- There is a big, I mean gigantic, Philip Morris factory in a town near Prague. Even worse than the old tobacco factory back in Saigon that i have to ride by everyday to/from school  And a big church right next to it too. I wish i know how people worship in that kind of environment.

Day 9: zurich flight and train

- Hsbc and Citibank really dominate the whole airport airline entrance advertising thingy. There are everywhere I go

- The Swiss trains are great: quiet, with limited sideway shaking

Day 10: Fribourg

- The Swiss are too modern to the point of being silly. The motion sensor light bulb in my bathroom keeps turning itself off while I am taking a shower. What the bloody hell ?

- I think I am getting a flu. Last night felt like shit, even with the Tylenol. Fever.

Day 11: Fribourg

- Sick like a dog.

Day 12: Fribourg

- Still sick.

- Met Peter this morning too, seem like a nice guy. Too bad he’s too busy.

- Goodbye Fribourg. Not quite sure if I am going to miss you.

Day 13: in a youth hostel in Zurich

- The flu is still with me, damn. A South Afrikan guy is my roommate. Probably go up the mountain with him tomorrow. Two cute Korean girls are in the room next door, although at this stage of tiredness, I wouldn’t give a damn about cute girls.

- My skin looks like from a dead guy. Too cold, the food is bad, and everything is expensive.

Day 14: Zurich

- Just talk to a guy today, stay in the same room with me. He is from japan, and has been travelling for the last 3 months across Europe, all by trains, all alone. And he still have 3 more months to go, with interesting choice of locations including Bosnia. Man, I can never do what he did, 6 months by train is ways too much.

- The minimum wage by law for Swiss is 20CHF, with possible increase to 30CHF in the future. If they work for 2 hours, it’s equivalent to someone in Kansas working for a whole day.

- There is one aggressive family in the train with me from Zurich to Genève today. The mother starts yelling in French at an old lady sitting on the next compartment right when they got in at Bern. Then at Fribourg, the father yells in German at another guy sitting at yet another adjacent compartment.

Day 15: Montreux

- The French is one of the most impolite people. Two of them actually try to walk away when I approach and open my mouth asking for direction.

- Montreux is gorgeous, the building , the sea, and the mountain. The best town I’ve been to in Switzerland.