Yes, here it is, the first report from la Suisse! No excuses, no censorship, just the plain, sometimes brutal, but always honest truth. Well. You know what I mean….
I have been in Lausanne now since Monday morning, so about two days. Please keep that in mind, because whatever comes below, you should take it with a grain of salt. But I am of German upbringing, can’t really help it, so when things do not go quick and efficiently, I get… well, irritated, I guess, is the correct expression. Anyway.
Starting anew is always the same game: You need to fill out the papers for your new employer, you have to get a bank account, you have to deal with immigration matters, and you have to get yourself a place to stay, and deal with some other small stuff I have conveniently forgotten. Now, my temporary accommodation was already settled while I was still back in Delaware. For four weeks, I am staying in the Marcolet student dorm (maisons des étudiantes), which is not too bad. Except maybe for the fact that the promised internet is not working. But that is the least of my problems right now… And just guess how much fun it will be when I start looking for a real place…
Immigration is interesting. Just recently, the entry for citizens of the EU was made much easier. Now I just use my ID card and voilà! Bienvenue! But I do have to register (annoncer) with the commune I am living at. Now, silly me, thinking I am a Lausannien, went to the office in the city. Wrangling with my almost non-existent French, I got them to tell me what I needed to get the process done. However, when I was back shortly after, they realized that I was in the wrong place! As it turns out, my dorm (= my home) is not in Lausanne, it is in Crissier! Which, having a quick look at a map, really sounds like nit picking! So I am still not registered, my next try is on Wednesday…
At least bank account should be simple, you say? Come on, this is Switzerland, after all, you say? Even thugs and terrorists have bank accounts here, plus dictatorships and alleged democracies. So, why wouldn’t a harmless scientist get a simple debit account right away? Well, actually, I could have had one already, but once I turned up at the bank when it was closed, and twice when they were about to close… Sorry, guys, but I lived for two years in a place where almost everything is 24/7. Hell, my crappy local bank had a branch even open on Saturday! So, here I am, perfectly Americanized, finding myself dazzled by the mere fact that any place would be closed between noon and 1.30pm for lunch! And of course the bank closes for the day at 4.30! Arriving there at 4.25 and asking if I could open an account right away produced only a mild smile…
The forth time I went to the big branch in Lausanne. No lunch closing here, but again my efforts came to a grinding halt when the accountant told me in rather broken English that I was missing a letter from the immigration office! Gnargh! Frustrated, I gave up for today and will start another attack on that front tomorrow… I should mention here that the letter I was asked to present was actually with me, but the way it was described to me misled me completely… Again gnargh!
At the University, things went rather smooth, I do have an office (shared, but with windows!), a comfy chair, a new desktop (core 2 duo, mmmhhhhhh!), an account, a new web page, and so on and so forth. There are plenty of cafeterias for lunch, the one I have been twice so far is rather nice! Finally, the floor I am on has a decent coffee maker, who could ask for anything more?
All right, that is just a quick and bit unsorted rant about the status quo over here. More soon!