from our own correspondent

[teafortwo]

Old thread...
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2423/576865?ts=1222265998268&msgid=12499051

New thread...

to be created below!

Enjoy!

FOOC Geneva, Switzerland

Guten Tag, Finknottle, good to see you here.

I have been busy this past week and thought I should take some time to tell you lot of life in a Swiss village.

We have been here three weeks now and are gradually finding our feet. Our day starts around 7am when we get up, dressed and ready for school. Both 4yo DS adn 6yo DD go to school and we walk down the windy road to school in the morning, hoping that the weather is good so that we get our first glimpse of the lake. It is often misty here in the mornings, reminding me of the "haar" that I know from my childhood in Scotland.

The road to the village is a bit dodgy, no pavement and we have to walk along the grass verge, single file if a car comes along. Luckily it is not a busy road and we can move off into the village streets quite quickly. We walk down the road, skirting the Boulangerie, where at all times of the day there are customers sitting drinking Cafe au Lait.

We arrive at the school, any time between 8am and 8.45am, the children put their slippers on and go into class. The school has 95 pupils, the teachers are incredibly friendly and think nothing of giving the kids a hug if they need it.

Sorry for the rather abrupt end of my last posting, DH arrived home and I do like to give the impression of having slaved over a hot stove rather than a hot laptop.

Anyway, I was rather surprised to see DD's teacher give one of her pupils a hug one day. This is not something that you would see in Germany.

I have a couple of hours free and often use them to go shopping. I love the French supermarkets, just over the border but do have to be careful not to go over my limit of goods to be declared. This means any more than 500g per person of meat, 5 lts of milk/dairy products and 2 lts of wine has to be declared. Failure to do so can result in a heavy fine (which I have not yet found out how much it is, but enough to get you sweating if there is a customs guy on duty).

We have been told to take our DCs with us as Meat and Dairy Hostages, but I hate shopping with them, they are such a pain. So I brave the border post and hope that I wont be stopped. The border here in our tiny village is not often manned so I persuaded DH to buy a bit more than strictly allowed on Saturday.

Of course when we arrived at the border, there was a good looking guy in a uniform waiting for us. MmeStupid had of course left her bag with the passports in the boot of the car so I could not even deny having been shopping. My heart slid into my shoes as I saw the guard clock my shopping bags but he just asked if I had more than 10000 Euros with me. I answered that chance would be a fine thing and he waved me off. We realised later that we had been met by the French customs officer and not his Swiss counterpart.

Obviously a life of crime is not for me. DH remarked that if I am going to get into such a state then I would be better shopping in Switzerland and just putting up with the higher prices.

I cannot believe I have just spent 30 mins typing and the pxy computer lost the internet connection. If it is still in one piece I will resume typing later when the steam has finished pouring from my ears!!!!!!!!!! Arrrggghhhh

Fooc Toronto

Phew what a scorcher!! We had a really hot (Canadian Thanksgiving) weekend here, which is time for Turkey and autumnal treats. You shouldn't moan, but our condo building had done the switchover from aircon to heat last week, so we had no control over the temperature indoors, which was reaching upwards of 28-29 degrees. Our condo is at the front of the South-facing building and gets the sun through the floor-to-ceiling windows all day. [Hot, not or embarrassed]

DD and I had to go out to cool down and for the first time this summer she had to sleep in a vest with only a thin sleeping bag. I had to get out my summer clothes again too. Nice to catch some rays with the still lovely multicolour turning leaves.

Of course, it's now back to proper autumn chill, a bit of rain and jumpers all round.

I did promise a bit more Quebec. I guess what I wanted to record was my Quebecois gourmet menu experience on our final night, which was a bit more like eating in a old-fashioned wholesome Lancashire or Yorkshire restaurant than a chi-chi French place. (Not dissing the North btw, I wouldn't dare, as that's where I'm from )

First course: Pea and ham soup
Main course: Tourtière, which is a pie of French Canadian origin. Here's some info. Lovely, but the honest description would be Pie and Chips and Gravy
Afters: Apple pie
Digestif: you've heard of ice-wine and ice-beers; well there's also ice-cider, which was the consistency of frozen vodka and came in a teeny glass, with a kick like a mule. A bit like Calvados.

Perfect comfort food for what was a chilly Autumn evening.

Ooops Toronto again

Naughty of me to post without mentioning the Canadian General Election which happened this week. However, as I've mentioned before, I've found it disturbingly easy to fall into an apolitical groove here. The turnout was only 58%. I can't vote here, so not my fault guv! You get more than enough exposure to the Presidential circus in the US to keep your political tank filled.

Stephen Harper's Conservatives held on to power with in a minority government. I believe when he called it he had hoped to bolster up seats (a bit like the Gordo election that never was), but that whole global financial meltdown was a bit of an upsetter to the natural party of business.

I've been astonished by the campaign though. Lots of negative campaigning in the ads on TV from all sides and big-time trashing of proposals to implement the Liberal Carbon Tax. My stereotypical view is that Canadians are quite green, but the campaigning tells a very different story, when the economic chips are down.

Stéphane Dion, Leader of the Liberals has been the recipient of particularly nasty personal attacks. The incessant message of "Don't Trust Dion, he's well shifty, academic and French" is outrageous, but clearly pressed all the no-smoke-without-fire buttons.

The Canadian economy has not been as badly hit by all things credit crunch, as the banks are ultra-conservative here, with lots of government protection and intervention and a ban on foreign ownership, but global stuff and anxiety has a way of spreading. (© Spratonomics)

FOOC Germany

Well, actually I am in Geneva, but I will keep you up to date on life in Germany too, if you don't mind.

The headlines in this week's Bild Zeitung (the largest tabloid in Germany) have been dominated by the death of Austrian politician Jörg Haider The 58 year old far-right politician died in a car crash on his way to his mother's 90th birthday party.

While I feel sorry for his family, this was a man who was very far right in his politics and has polarised Austria with his racist outpourings. He has called jews dirty, foreigners "Schmarotzer" freeloaders or parasites, "Gesindel" riffraff, vermin, and praised the decent employment policy of the Nazis. This last comment cost him his position as Governor of the Kärten region in 1991, when he had to resign.

Austria is finding it difficult to decide how to react to his death, Article in German. The funeral is to be broadcast live in Austrian TV, as if it were the chancellor or the Pope. The article stresses that Haider was not a hero, he dies driving his car more that twice the legal speed limit, after drinking at 2 parties. There is always the maxim, "don't speak ill of the dead" but should his unsavoury remarks be ignored and glossed over?

Are there any FOOCs in Austria who can give us a idea of the feelings there? Haider was not popular in Germany because of his populist farright views so I can only tell you of the feelings in the Lindt household.

I'm just dropping in to say that I'm not currently your FOOC Nigeria. I've had to come home to the UK to do some business stuff, most of which is now completed, but my ticket says I have to stay a minimum of 7 days. How sad. I'm home alone, too. Very weird! Right, am off out to buy ingredients to make Xmas puds/cakes while I'm here.

That's so nice that you feel at home in the US now Cali. So was MIL on good behavour and have you fed her to some deadly Australian animal?

SUedonim so do you have a traditional British Christmas meal when you're in AFrica then? I know we always had a traditional Sunday roast there although it was probably swelteringly hot. We were always in the UK for Christmas though

oops forgot to say that I am FOOC (NOT in Berlin, ha!!)

Mme yes I was a bit reading in a German paper "Austria mourns Jorg Haider". Well his family, ok but all Austria? Surely not.

Poor Sue, how we do feel sorry for her.

Hehehe! Don't worry about me, I'll soldier on somehow.

Zzzen, I've always come back to the UK for Xmas as our other dc are here. Dh has spent two Xmases in Nigeria, due to work. He went into the office last year on 25th Dec, because our driver was itching to drive him somewhere!

FOOC Junior section Nigeria

I'm handing over to dd2 as she has just sent me what I think is an amazing piece of writing about events in Lagos today. Btw, she doesn't write/spell like this in her school books, you'll be pleased to learn!

"In the morning after the rain dad heard some shouting outside. so he looked out his window and called me. and there were about 100-200 men running through the gates. and they kept running behind those boards . and dad said to get his camera because it looked amazing. but just as i was getting it he called back not to. so i went back into your room and looked out the window and they were carrying a body.

(A) man had fallen off the top of the building site and we think he must off landed on the wall and fallen again behind those boards (just in between the two walls, in the corner.. And it was like a stampede of workers running through the gates and ran over the roundabout and then went behind the boards. the security people had to close the gates because there were hundreds of people running through them. and there were guys outside trying to look in the gates. the people on the building site were all hanging over the edge trying to watch.

so anyway as they were all going out some of the men were carrying a body. and they all went outside and surrounded the ambulence trying 2 get the body in. but of course it couldn't move because there were hundreds of people around it. in the end it managed 2 get through. maxwell said the man had so many fractures and had damage to his spinal cord. and dad said that a person shouldn't look like that because the man was all floppy and it did look like a body. maxwell didn't want 2 hav a look, 2 gross!! so that was v exciting."

fooc Paris

WOW - sue - what a story!

As a non Jew I find it very interesting to live with four out of five apartment windows overlooking a synagogue. The synagogue is an impressive dark beige futuristic looking building with what looks like a large nike tick on the side in which pigeons roost. Jewish celebrations spill into the synagogue garden and because of this the Jewish calender is the backdrop to our home life.

This time of year is by far my favourite. Firstly a small group of men gather in the garden and then they noisily get on with the job of building a big sukkah and filling it with many rows of tables and chairsen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkah.

After this for more days than I can ever keep count of (maybe a fooc can tell me?) lunchtimes and dinnertimes the sukkah fills with many people, somedays in casual clothes somedays dressed very formally, sometimes mainly families, sometimes mainly men, other times a few women and children. They gather to eat, drink and then most evenings sing.

The sukkah is filled with smiling warm people, hot plates, hebrew song and a soft yellowy light glowing into the night. I think you can imagine that from my window it looks simply magical.

Sorry to HIJACK the thread ladies but we need your help.
A few of us Overseas Mumsnetters have started (well, suzywong started it) a rebellion petition thread to get MNHQ to allow us to join in on the Competitions held by MN every week.
We need all the support we can get - please come over to our thread and lend your voice to our movement.
Kind regards
ORIFIcE (Overseas mumsnetteRs unIte For faIr trEatment)

she's not sorry, she's PROUD! Proud to stand up and be demanding!

to add to ghosty - I have started a straight petition thread - hoping that we can then focus on our demand leaving our other thread for campaign strategies.

petition here

I have some foocing to do and will add it later when I have managed to catch up cleaning, laundry and everything else!!

I haven't been on this thread for ages. I sat down with a nice cup of tea and a wodge of homemade tablet to catch up but didn't manage it so I am now snuggled in bed with a hot water bottle and my laptop!

Chicago

Fall in the US is wonderful. I think, even in the city, it is prettier than in the UK - amazing colours on the trees, fields of dried corn and pumpkins everywhere! As with other festivities, Americans take Hallowe'en very seriously. Most homes have at least 1 pumpkin on display but many homes are also adorned with cobwebs and light, tombstones in the garden and giant inflatable spiders. A bit like this or this or this

Downtown, there is a special festival, imaginatively named Chicagowe'en, complete with orange fountains, a haunted house, a midnight circus and, of course, a parade.

Oregon

Everything here is all crisp and fall and Halloweeny, too. We've done the obligatory pumpkin patch visit, and have 3 pumpkins from there, plus 1 from our garden waiting to be carved. The man from the nursery booth at the farmer's market has given the kids 4 free pumpkins, also. Daddy is going to be busy helping them carve pumpkins. I shall be taking care of the pumpkin seeds, and roasting them for a nice treat.

We made Halloween dough ornament decorations, too. "Scary" black cats, ghosts, and pumpkins. The black cats really aren't that scary, and the ghosts are just downright cute. We got orange confetti to make the pumpkins sparkle, and our pumpkins are on the flashier side of good taste, I'm guessing. But it was great fun, and DD and DS haven't stopped talking about it.

I'm waiting for my shipment of apples and pears, too. I ordered 25 pounds of each. I suspect I shall have several intense, crabby days of cooking, but am looking forward to eating the rewards of my hard work. Another mom was selling them at DD's preschool for a fundraiser for her older daughter, and they were such a good price, I couldn't pass it up. They're coming from Hood River, which has many apple and pear orchards, and is about 50 miles away.

I've been quite stressed, lately. 2 weekends ago the kids and I were a 4 hour drive away at the in-laws, and DS had a febrile seizure. That was the scariest few minutes of my life, easily. I have been downright paranoid since, and DS has slept on a huge pile of blankets on our bedroom floor since.

I have turned into a traveling pharmacy, secretly carrying a thermometer, ibuprofen and the U. S. equivalent of calpol with me in my purse everywhere I go. I rationalize that I would be doing better by now, but DD and DS are a touch sick, and his temperature keeps sneaking over 100 the past few days. I feel that if I let my guard down, it will happen again, and I can't relax, which I know is ridiculous. Sometimes I tell myself to get a grip, that there are so many people out there who have children with much worse health problems, and that guilts me into acting like a sane person for a small while.

Dooney,
neither of mine DCs have ever had a seizure, I am sure that it was very scary for all of you. I would be just as worried.

We have been wandering through the vineyards a lot here, the leaves are turning, so many beautiful colours that they are indescribable. Just down the hill we could see the sail boats on the lake yesterday, and the mountains in the distance. On very clear days we can see the snow covered alps, although we often have misty mornings until the sun breaks through.

On Saturday we went shopping in the Hypermarche in France, just 30 mins from here and when we arrived back at the house there were 2 police cars in the driveway of the house opposite. Rumours were rife in the neighbourhood as to the reason, with plenty of curtain twitching going on. One of the neighbours said that he spoke to one of the policemen and was told that it was not a burglary, but a "Aggression". I will speak to my spies in the village and find out more.

We have been warned though, that burglaries are common here in this area (contrary to all we have heard about Switzerland being very safe) and to lock our doors and put up our shutters at night. We have an alarm system that we do not know how to work so will have to find out about that. The burglaries are, according to the neighbours, either the work of gypsies or The French.

As I mentioned, we are very close to the French border, so anything that happens in the village is often attributed to The French. Car speeding through the sleepy village? The French. Litter on the woodland trail? The French. Burglary? The French.

Our other topic of conversation at the moment is our open fire. We have never had an open fire and asked our nearest neighbour for advice on where to get logs. He told us that they have never managed to get the fire in their house to draw properly, they just get a houseful of smoke. Their house is identical to ours and the previous renters also had problems with the fire. DH has taken the fireplace to bits and reassembled it properly as it was not right (so he says) so we will try it out one afternoon when we can open the windows to get rid of the smoke if need be.

I just had to stop typing to go outside in our garden and listen to the hundreds of birds in our tree. We have a huge oak tree in the garden and it was FULL of birds singing. (sorry, that I cannot tell you what kind of birds, I will ask a neighbour). DD and I stood fascinated until they flew off in a flurry of falling leaves.

DD tries to catch the falling leaves, every leaf she catches is a fantastic day for us. So far this morning she has caught 2 lovely days. We will need them this week as we have school holidays.

Such wonderful descriptions of autumn, much better than my/dd's body scenario! I'm enjoying my first autumn in the UK for a few years and was scuffling through leaves on Saturday. I was just a little embarrassed when I came face to face with a man who must have wondered what this 50-something person was doing in the leaves. But I don't really care what he thought; that's one benefit of getting older, being past caring.

I was in the US in early Nov, four years ago, and shall never forget the 'fall' colours and Halloween decor. I spent a weekend in San Francisco where it seemed de rigeur to have not one, not two, but at least six pumpkins at your porch, all carved into modern works of art.Amazing.

Dooney, best wishes to your little one. None of mine have ever had a convulsion but ds2 had severe asthma and now I'm always on the lookout for malaria so I share a little of your 24/7 concern. It's not nice.