Oh, so ready to go home

I think I have definitely gone through the full roller coaster of adjustment since I came here. My first few weeks were miserable, since I was bedridden and couldn't move (from that stupid back injury). Then I spent several months actually getting work accomplished, traveling like crazy, making friends, and generally partying more than I ever have in my entire life. So, that was a complete high. Then I started to get drained, and settled into a more normal life in between my trips, with the mix of enjoyment and boredome that I think is just a normal part of life.

Now, I just wanna go home. Actually, I just want to go back to America. I want to be done working here (I just can't get excited about gas turbines, what can I say..).

Frau Schmidt, fight to the death, part deux

So, after complaining all yesterday's entry about my landlady, here I go again (and this time it involves my life). Some of you might have heard me complain about how I had to pay the whole month of December's rent, despite the fact that I will only be here half the month. It came as a surprise to me, because when I first moved in, Frau S. told me that as long as I gave her a month's notice I could pay a portion of the rent.

Last month, right before I left for England (so on Nov. 14 or 15) I gave Frau S. my notice. And she said something along the lines of "Oh, well you still have to pay the whole month of December, because I have too many other girls moving out in December and I can't fill your room over the holidays."

Though I know its HER problem to fill the rooms, not mine, I just assumed that the reason was because I had agreed to stay the whole month (which is what my Alstom contract says I will be doing). Anyway, I was complaining about this last night in an anti-Frau-bitch-fest at our dinner table, and Ester, our wise resident Swiss friend said something like, "well, if you are staying until the end of December, you would be here 6 months? What's your monthly rent?" And I told her.

She said that if you stay 6 months, you get a rent that is 30 CHF per month LESS than what I'm paying. So I went to look at my contract, and, low-and-behold, it had a departure date of December 15. Frau S. had her notice and had already agreed to let me leave mid-month! Its in the contract. She had to have known that while she was lecturing me about being obligated to stay for the whole month of December!! That infuriates me. And even more, not sticking to the contract is VERY UN-SWISS!

So, tonight, I will head home from work and argue ("discuss") until either I get half a month's rent back from her (205 CHF) or get reimbursed the 30 CHF per month for the 6-month-rent rate (180 CHF). Either way, I intend on getting some money back.

Frau Schmidt, fight to the death, part trois

So, I found this Alanis Morissette lyrics generator, so I had it compose a song for my evil landlady.



"Why"



Landladies, the Swiss, armies