Category: Switzerland

About Switzerland and our travels in and around it.

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Passed!… Step 2 of Step 5…

So yesterday (8th of May 2012) i passed my Swiss Driver’s Theory Test… i PASSED! 🙂

Very happy about that 😀 (If you want to know the reason why i need to take this test when i already have my driving license, read here.)

i spent the last few weeks preparing for it; reading the theory book which had well over 1000 points in it, then taking mock tests over the last 3 days on a computer program. i took about 7 or 8 of those mock test as well as going through the entire catalogue of mock questions they had on that CD – yes, i was that nervous about the test.

i was rather disappointed in myself on Sunday night when i took the 1st mock test – i didn’t make the passing grade at all, like not even close, which left me thinking if i should schedule the test for the week after. i prayed hard. And i know i have people praying for me (yes i can hear some going – oh my goodness, all that prayer just for a little theory test!!??Hey, why not? After all, i believe God is into the small things too. Read here.). So i worked at it again on Monday. 2nd and 3rd mock test – still not a passing grade but it was getting better. Then it happened… i nailed it, the 4th time! Well, with a few mistakes but still nailed it. Then i did a few more this morning – again nailed those. i was smiling by the time lunch rolled around.

Just before lunch i read my daily reading (which i get in my email inbox) and this is what it said,

Prepare

Think about times when you’ve experienced a sense of success (Psalm 17:14). Reflect on how God played a part in it and give thanks now.

……. reading is from Genesis 24:29-67, speaking about God leading Abraham’s servant to Rebekah who would be Issac’s wife…….

Respond

Think through what success will mean for you in the next 24 hours. Ask God to be with you and grant you success (Psalm 118:25).

Now that is GOD! That is truly God speaking so directly to me.

Off i went to the test very confident, still a little nervous but confident. i had to wait awhile before i could take the test. In true Swiss tradition, the counter for the registration for the theory test was not opened till exactly 2.15pm, even though the lady was already sitting behind the counter at 1.50pm.

So i waited, along with a few others, who also thought that arriving earlier than the test time to register was a good idea. Anyhow, i registered and paid at exactly 2.16pm, and then was directed to wait some more in the downstairs waiting room. So we waited. Till our number was called and we entered the computer room one by one and sat at our assigned computers and took our test.

There were 7 questions i wasn’t sure about but i thought to myself, “It’s ok, 7 mistakes is well within the passing grade.” Maybe i was a little too confident? Should have checked my answers more carefully – i got 14 points deducted. Another point deducted and i would have failed the test! Talk about God being just on time, just right.

BUT a pass is a pass! And i can not deny that God was speaking and working. Praise the Lord!

i was going to leave you with a scan of the test results but i think that’s too corny so here’s a little Ladybug who greeted me as i skipped my way home after the test 😉

Now onto Step 3 of 5.

syc

PS: Here are the steps to take towards a Swiss Driver’s License:

Step 1 – Take the first aid course (10 hours) DONE. (It was quite fun.)

Step 2 – Take the theory test. This took me a while to get to because of my heart condition i had extra paperwork. DONE.

Step 3 – Attend the extra Driver’s Ed classes ( 4 sessions). (Click here for post on Step 3)

Step 4 – Take practical lessons.

Step 5 – Take practical test. (Read about the final step here.)

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Visit the Firehouse…

Spring Holidays just ended. As we try to get back into the school routine and prepare ourselves for what i call the marathon term (11 weeks), i wanted to show off another wonderful aspect of living here, in Switzerland.

Spring and Autumn Holidays are 2 weeks long and Summer Holidays are 5 weeks long. OK so not as long as some other countries but still long. So what are parents to do with their children? Are there camps to go to, like in the US? Yes there are, but they can be expensive. So how? Well, Ferienpass is your answer! Ferienpass = Holiday Passport (literal translation). They provide a whole range of programs your kids can join in and have fun while learning interesting things such as Where does our water come from?, have a movie afternoon, get some baking done, go behind the scenes at the hospital etc…

Here in the area we live, the family association, called “Konfetti“, run all sorts of programs throughout the year and you can join as a member for a small annual fee. BUT they not only run programs for their members, they also do programs for non-members. The Spring Ferienpass is one of them. You don’t have to be a member to join in the activities organised for the kids. However, all the programs in the Ferienpass is age allocated, meaning if you are only 7 years old, there is a limited number of activities for you to join. But there still is a fair number to choose from.

Kids assembled and waiting for instructions.

Tobias decided on a couple and we registered for them but only managed to get a place at the Firehouse visit. (Next time we’ll have to register earlier). He loved it!

It was in the early evening and lasted 2.5 hours, 6pm to 8.30pm. They were divided into 3 groups and were led by Youth Firefighters while the Senior Firefighters (or Fulltime Firefighters) got ready the 3 different stations they were to visit. It is just our local village firehouse so it is not very big and didn’t have one of those poles to slide down – sigh! But they did a few nice setups for the kids to try.

Getting shown how to work the generator. i sneaked this photo before i left him to enjoy himself.

Parents were not allowed to stay so this is the summary from Tobias. They got to put out little fires using water pistols. They got to see the fire-engine in action. They were also shown how to get power from a generator.

At the end of it all, they were all given a lovely little certificate which states (a rough translation):

The Certificate.

On this occasion, with the permission of the Fire Department, we present Yoong Tobias with a Certificate in Fire-fighting. You have gained basic knowledge in fire-fighting vehicle operation, in handling electricity on the street, and with bucket/pistol fire-fighting. We thank you and would like you to know that you are welcomed to join the Youth Fire Brigade when you are 12 years old.

They also served the kids drinks and hot dogs after all that hard work putting out fires ;).

When we said goodbye to the firefighters, this is what Tobias answered when asked if he would be joining the Youth Fire Brigade.

“I’m only 7.”

Firefighter: “Well, doesn’t matter, you can start planning.”

Hehheheee… that’s the Swiss for you.

syc

PS: The Summer Ferienpass is run by a much larger organisation and it is for the entire Kanton (state) and registering for that one is an insane affair of getting to the event hall as early as possible and pushing your way through the crowds to get to the right tables. We don’t do that one. Besides we are gone most of the summer anyhow. The Autumn Ferienpass does not run in our village but we can go down to the next town and join in theirs. We may try that this year. (Christmas and Winter/Sports Holidays are expected to be spent with family. So no need to talk about those here.)

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Day Trip: Food Museum in Vevey, Switzerland

It’s the Spring School Holidays now. So i thought i would highlight another little kid-friendly excursion we took. We went to the Alimentarium (Food Museum) in Vevey last October, during our Autumn School Holidays. It was a lovely autumn day, the sun was shining and the air was fresh; we could not have asked for a better day 🙂

i decided that we would really make it a full day out. So instead of just taking the train directly to Vevey and then a bus to the museum, we went the long way – we took the train to Lausanne and then the Metro to Ouchy. From there, a luxurious boat ride to Vevey.

Here's us on the boat from Ouchy to Vevey.

i packed a light lunch and we ate on the deck of the boat, enjoying the beautiful scenery. My photos hardly do justice to the real thing.

Above: View of Ouchy from the boat, you can see the Olympic Museum along the shoreline. Below: Passing hills covered with vineyards.

Tobias loved the boat ride!

Isn't this just the life? Lakeside teatime.

We got off at the Vevey jetty and stopped at the Kiosk there for “walk-along” ice cream. We took a lovely walk along the shore and came across this relaxing lakeside cafe.

Just a couple of minutes walk from this cafe is the Alimentarium. I love how museums in Switzerland are housed in buildings which deserve to be in museums themselves. This building was simple and regal, surrounded by a herb and vegetable garden; all part of the museum’s efforts to be an all-rounded education point.

Looks like a palace, doesn't it?

The first level of the museum is filled with stations where you can learn all about the different types of food we eat, the food pyramid, as well as food through the centuries. It was really interesting to learn about the different types of food people ate long ago, then click a switch, the panel turns and you have food from today. The stations were not boring information dumps but are fairly good interactive activities. See how engrossed my little guy was, learning the food pyramid. There was also a big card game you could play after you are done with computer activity (in the foreground of the photo below).

Headphones on and eyes glued to the animation about the food pyramid.

That was just half of the first floor. Then we went up to the second floor and this went further into what happens when food enters our bodies and how we view food, treat food and even about food shopping culture. There were real product boxes on shelves and in between there were again informative stations with great little animations.

Shopping Carts showing how food shopping has changed through the years.

There were also some stations which talked about transportation of food. But Tobias loved the one which showed him what happened to the food in his stomach; how bacteria broke down the food and the different enzymes.

Absorbed in learning about food absorption in our stomachs.

The second half of the second floor showed the link between exercise and food. There is even a big human-sized hamster wheel which you can try running in and know how much fat you burnt. There are also tasting stations which dispensed little tablets to test if you know can tell the difference between sweet and salty. We didn’t do too well – heheheee 😉

That floor also had a little quiz corner which allowed you to find out what type of eater you were, whether you were a  gourmet or just your everyday omnivore.

By this time, my 7-year-old was ready to call it a day. i don’t blame him. It was a lot to take in, especially for a little guy. i mean it was interesting, very hands-on and all but a little boy can only last that long and absorb that much information. So we gave the third floor a miss. The third floor housed a special exhibition about food in different countries. Singapore was mentioned for that one and i really wanted to see it but i settled for the special newspaper published just for the exhibition. This special exhibition changes all the time, currently the new exhibit is under construction and looks to be really interesting.

Anyhow, we decided a snack was in order. So we went to the little cafe in the museum, at the back of the first floor. They serve very simple pastries and sandwiches and were already half-shut for the day but the lady was so very nice and warmed a cheese sandwich for us, and we got tea and fruit juice to wash it down before we headed for home; the direct train route this time.

Cooking Class in French, anyone?

On the way out, we walked through an industrial sized kitchen and the bunch of students who were running around the museum with their class questionnaire before, were all standing around the bench, listening to a chef tell them about food preparation and cooking. It was all in French so i did not understand anything at all. i asked the information desk and was told that schools often bring kids here to learn about food and digestion which i think is a fantastic thing. However, the cooking class was only in french.

It was a lovely day out for us. So i hope this will help you plan another little outing with your kids. Just remember little ones do get tired to don’t expect too much from them 🙂

syc