Pizza Mac & Cheese

There is no cheddar cheese here.

But I might have not looked hard enough yet. Last night I decided to make my mom's Mac & Cheese. Well, cheddar makes up about 80% of the recipe. And I could not find anything remotely similar to cheddar or orange cheese. So I used "Pizza Cheese" - which doesn't even have mozzarella in it. Am I American or am I American?

But I'll have you know there's more than enough brands of Swiss to feed the world five times over.

Before I forget, let me address a question about my last blog:
Q: How can they tell if you use the toilet or the urinal??? (In reference to the McClean bathroom in Lausanne)
A: There are three sections. You know those things you go through before you enter a subway or amusement park? Where you either swipe a card or put a coin in and push the bar forward and it spins back up to hit you in the butt if you don't move fast enough? That's how they know what part of the bathroom you're using.

Also, for my picture-hungry readers, I posted a bunch of photos today. Somewhere around thirty or more. And Lindsay, Rosengarten overlooks the city. The garden is behind the restaurant next to the street.

Then I stared at my computer for the next eight hours. I love Advertising, but I do hate the headaches I get from staring at a small laptop screen when designing.

So today after work, I went into the city again. I wanted to check out this clothing store I saw on Sunday when I was being poured on. Get ready for this...I bought a shirt! My very first European shirt! Of course it looks like one I would buy at home if they had it. I debated buying the not-so-cutesy Schwiez! tank top that was obviously mass-produced for the EURO 08 games. It was six francs but I figured I would find a better one.

Then I ate some more pizza mac & cheese. My new roommate came home for about the first time in three days. I really don't know when she sleeps. Anyways, she invited me to go salsa dancing with her and a friend tonight. I said no because I knew I, too, would not get any sleep. (I know I just heard about ten 'booo' sounds coming from the US)

But I am going to check out the bars this Friday night! I'll let you know how that goes.

Tonight, I used fabric softener for the first time. I felt like a complete idiot because I didn't know how much to put in so I poured two little cap-fuls in. It's not like the German directions really helped in informing me of how much I should put in. I didn't really see where I could go wrong - I mean, there's nothing wrong with your clothes being too soft. Plus it did a lot better of a job making my clothes smell good than the Konzentrat Surf powder detergent I'm using.

Saturday, I'm heading to Zurich and Baden. Zurich to shop (maybe) and sightsee, and Baden for a cookout. My professor introduced me to someone I should meet while I'm here, and she lives in Baden. She invited me to a cookout and asked if I like burgers. Of course I told her that I only liked them with cheddar.

Enough about cheddar. I think I'll mention some more things about the Swiss:

- The Swiss LOVE their plants. My flat is practically infested with plants. So are everyone's balconies and windows, and my office. I have the same kind of relationship with plants that I do kids. It's non-existent and I don't care for them. But since I'm renting someone's room who just happens to have one stuffed in every nook and cranny of the flat, I'm responsible for watering them. I don't even know how to water plants! I have no idea how often is too often, when I watered them last or even how much water to put in it. I haven't killed any yet though!

- Everyone who is anyone here is a smoker. I'm not sure how such environmentalists became to be smokers. They're not even considerate about their smoking - they'll blow it in your face even if you're on your last live lung cell. If I die of secondhand smoke, it's going to be a direct result of living in Switzerland for six weeks. Did I mention someone's ash flew right into my eye? Thank goodness Americans are considerate about it. I apologize if that turned into a rant.

Coming home from the city today, I noticed a part of the Alps that I couldn't see before because it was always too cloudy. When the sun hits them just right, you can see the snow on top. The Alps are nothing short of amazing. I can't get over how big these mountains are.

That's all I've got for now. It's my bedtime and I've got to see if my fabric softener worked, a.k.a. get the laundry in.


Auf Wiedersehen/Love,
Jessica