Sixty Days in Suisse - Part IX

Grimaces, Gourmet and Games



My Permis B, complete with psycho stare photo

As I write this blog I am now in my ninth week of being a Swiss resident, and finally received my Permis B (the document that shows I am legally allowed to work in Switzerland). I popped down to the SPOP in Lausanne to collect the document, and luckily I didn’t have to pay any extra administration fees, apart from the 8.- CHF for a passport photo to affix to the permit.

Admittedly it isn’t the greatest photo of me ever, as it looks like I had just been told some exceedingly bad news. The reason for the grimace is that the photo booth had a warning that said “Do Not Smile”, so I didn’t. The end result is a very grumpy looking work permit, but at least that grumpy person can now proudly tell prospective employers that he can work for them (legally).

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part VIII

Waiters, Wine and Winnings



Julien from Secret Story



After the restful and stress-free previous week, my eighth Swiss week was a bit more active.

Aside from a bit more job searching, we also headed out for a meal with Chris’ friends Anne-Marie and Kelly at a Tapas restaurant called “Chez Mathilde”, that is owned and run by a guy who was in the French version of Big Brother (“Secret Story”) a couple of years ago.

I did a bit of research and it looks like this bloke, Julien Colas, made it to week 5 of the show in 2007 before he was evicted. I guess being a reality TV show failure pays well if he managed to buy his own restaurant.

Anyway, the food at the restaurant was ok – I don’t think I would go back there any time soon. I took a few tapas dishes, and considering how much I paid (33 CHF) I really didn’t think it was worth the money.

The evening itself was good though, with good company and a trip to a bar for a bit of salsa dancing afterwards. Admittedly I am a rubbish dancer – I lost count of the number of times I stood on Chris’ feet – but managed to stop myself from whipping out the Moonwalk as I didn’t want to look like a complete idiot.

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part VII

Fun, Family and Feasts

The beginning of my seventh week here was a happy one for me as I was looking forward to the following weekend when my parents, Sandy and Bob, were popping over to visit me (and Chris).

I was also still on a high from my exam success the previous week, and from winning at the lotto, and had decided that I would take a break from studying this week (delaying the start of my MCITP or OCA studies) and have a look at what jobs were out there for a talented, hard-working guy like me.

...and some trainers in an old tree

I had already updated my CV with details of my new qualification, so proceeded to apply for several jobs posted on Swiss employment websites, and see what kind of responses I get.

Aside from that, not much else happened during the week, although I did see a pair of trainers in a tree – I guess Swiss Christmas decorations are a bit different to the ones we have in England... maybe the British Christmas from Globus really is different from Christmas here?

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part VI

Tests, Tickets and Triumph

Week six of Lausanne life rolled around quicker than expected. Having booked my MCTS exam for the Thursday of this week, I spent the days leading up to it frantically trying to make sure I had actually remembered what I had read in the course material, so that I wouldn't make a complete hash of the exam.

To say I was nervous about the exam would be a huge understatement - I was terrified, partly because I hate exams and never feel confident about them, but also because the exam fee is separate to the course cost, meaning every time I sit an exam I have to pay for it (therefore failing and resitting would be quite pricey).

I didn't get much sleep in the days before I was due to take the test, and when the day came I really was not confident that I would pass.

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part V

Revision, Rain and Raclette

In all honesty, week five of my new Swiss life was probably the most boring yet, mainly because I spent the vast majority of it trying to absorb various the various functions and details involved in SQL databases, some of which had begun to make sense but that didn't make them any less boring.

I managed to advance far enough through my course that I felt it was time to book the exam and give myself a deadline for learning as much as I possibly could - and so, I scheduled my MCTS exam for Thursday 12th November.

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part IV

Sunsets, Sight-seeing and Sausages

More SQL Server studying in my fourth week here, with me sat in front of my laptop for more than 5 hours each day. It certainly was not easy, although learning a brand new subject by yourself is never something that is easy to do. Undeterred by the blurry eyes I had at the end of each day, I plodded on with my studies, aiming to take the MCTS exam within the next couple of weeks.



To take a break from the learning, Nelly and I went out for a walk along the lake in Vidy late one afternoon, just as the sun was setting.^

Queue some more photography - I managed to get a few nice shots of the sun disappearing behind the distant mountains, with the last of the sun's rays reflecting on the surface of the water.

It seems so easy to take nice pictures in Switzerland, as almost everywhere you go has some sort of natural beauty, whether it's a lake, a mountain or a rolling field in the countryside. Photographers must love it here!

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part III

Learning, (more) Learning and Lunching

My third week in Switzerland was much more subdued than previous weeks, mainly because I really needed to concentrate on getting a large chunk of my course done. Although the home learning course has no deadlines (I have to book exams myself and can wait until I am ready to do so), I was eager to try and get through as much of the course material as possible as I felt I needed the certification on my Curriculum Vitae to be able to find a job here.

And so, I spent almost the entire week staring at the computer screen, trying to absorb as much information as possible. Not the most fun week I have ever had, but I made a lot of progress on my course so some good came of it.

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part II

Courses, Chills and Chestnuts

At the start of my second week here I began my course to become a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist - and spent a couple of days learning about the wonders of SQL Server 2005 and what the heck it actually is. The course material itself was very good, lots of explanations, demonstrations and interactive scenarios, all helping to explain the subject matter.

That being said, sitting behind a computer screen attempting to learn by yourself for several hours each day is by no means an easy task - so I was thankful when Nelly asked me if I wanted to go to the market in Thonon, another little town on the French side of Lac Leman.

Sixty Days in Suisse - Part I

As the title suggests, I have now been a resident here in the land of cheese, chocolate and mountains for 60 days, although it certainly doesn't feel as long as it sounds. In fact, when I checked my calendar today and realised I had just finished my 8th week here I was somewhat surprised that time had passed so quickly - I left England with a niggling fear in the back of my mind that I would struggle to adapt to life here, with each day passing so slowly that I would actually start to long for life in Stevenage (which, as anyone who has visited Stevenage knows, would be stooping pretty low).

Fortunately, I began to like life in Switzerland almost immediately, aided greatly by the kindness of my wife's family and friends, who have all made me feel very welcome here. Indeed, my first few weeks here were such a blur of activities, outings and meals that I barely had time to miss my life in England (although I obviously still missed my family and friends). I soon found that I had passed the one month mark here, and thought that I really ought to write another blog article to let people know how I'm getting on and what its like to live in Switzerland. Another month later, and I'm actually getting round to it!

It's fair to say a lot has happened in these last few weeks. So much, in fact, that this effort might take some time to read (apologies for those who were expecting a "quickie" update), although I will do my best to keep it as brief as possible. In an attempt to make it succinct yet readable, I have had to split it into different parts (this one being Part I), with different sub-sections for each of the 8 weeks I have lived here - sort of mini-blogs, if you will.