Schwyz-Muotathal (Part 1)

One of Uncle Tan's colleague recommended us to visit Schwyz, one of the cantons in Switzerland, which apparently gave Switzerland its name. It's a beautiful little village beneath the Mythen mountains. And, is also the birthplace of the Swiss Army knife - enjoy 10% discount if you buy them here :)

Minutes before reaching our destination, we were awed by the magnificent view of the mountains.

Ooh...we can't wait to get off the train...

Here we are, at Schwyz, in less than an hour from Zurich with a change at Zug station. Alternatively you could change at Arth-Goldau.

Time is short since shops close early on Sat, so we took the advice of the officer in the Tourist Office to visit Victorinox first before heading off to a small village, Muotathal, to eat the award-winning cherry cake.
Am so excited seeing the vast greenland...ya we both seem very deprived...probably we were cows or sheep in our previous lives ;p

As Schwyz is somewhat like a valley with flat lowland, you could see the alps afar. And you could see the contrast of the green mountains vs the snowy alps.

According to Uncle Tan's colleague, this place receives the least amount of sunlight in Winter due to its location which was between the twin peaks of Mythen mountain.
I wonder if they are more prone to depression here...

Yes, and we get excited when we hear cowbells.
We followed the sound and saw these moo moos grazing from a distance.

On our way to Victorinox.

It was almost lunch time and in order not to miss our cherry cake, we decided to pack sandwiches to eat along the way to Muotathal, which takes about 30 mins (actually less cos the bus doesn't stop at every stops) to reach there from Schwyz.

There were many nice scenic places on-route and we were so tempted to alight at one of the stops. But due to the infrequent bus schedule and we had to rush off to Brunnen, we decided to make a trip to Schwyz on another day :)

A hungry woman is an image-less woman - for me lah ;p

Munching the cold sandwich by the river.
It's our first time eating cold sandwiches and hey, they taste Gooood!

It's a little noisy though as the river flow was pretty rapid.

It was a quiet little town with few people. Guess we were the only Asians there that day.

Muotathal is somewhat similar to Interlaken, where it's serves as the interchange for people travelling to the various alps. So during winter time, this place would be full of tourists.

Sunflowers are aplenty here during summer and they are huge!

I'm wearing an XL-sized blouse :p ...from the kid's dept which I bought at a discount hehe...

I find the tombstones here very unique and having very nice crosses. This cemetery is so well-maintained with all the pretty flowers plus the mountains as the backdrop. It's like heaven on earth.

Imagine exercising here everyday...shiokadooze...(minus the cold).

And we found a family rearing bees.

A tiny Ah Kin.
We are indeed insignificant comparing to nature.

We climbed up a slope to see what was on the other side and saw a dyke.

Oh it was very windy up here and fortunately I had my tights on keke ;p
Anyway, no one around also lah.

Saw some sheep lazing around in the shade.

Uncle Tan was a little disappointed not having close encounters with the cows. Guess it's too hot for them to be out in mid-day. We're really deprived huh?

Not many years left to be able to pose like this haha ;D

This should be the school for the village here. A very small one with a mini-size basketball court and a small playground.

It was a pleasant walk in this village and we spent quite some time admiring the place.

Here we are, at the village's bakery called "Schelbert", which sells the famous cherry cake. After alighting from the bus at Muotathal, which is also the terminal, walk back and turn in to the first street. There's one bakery on your right, that's not the one. Walk further down and you'll see this pink building. Apparently there are only 2 bakeries in this place. They even have a website: www.conditorei.ch.

Here it is, the Muotathaler Rahmkirsch Torte.

We both thought it should look be red in colour and were caught by surprise that it's white actually made of cherry liquor. The cream is light and fluffy, and the sponge is light and airy. The kirsch is not as overpowering and the sweetness lingers in your mouth. The white chocolate shavings were so thin that it melts in your mouth instantly unlike the ones we had which takes some time to melt. We both like it as it wasn't too sweet and you won't feel ger lak after eating it.

It started raining whilst we were having the cake in their cafe. Fortunately it was a passing shower.

We bought another cake back which was also award-winning. But by the time we get back, the cake melted. The lady at the shop said it can last and we thought she had packed dry ice for us ...arghhh...nevermind, we'll be back again.

Water Boys II

I've recently finished watching Water Boys II and thought of recommending it to those who miss school life (like me) and those who needs some morale booster.

It's a Jap drama (only 12 episodes) on a group of High School boys trying to start a boys' sports club in school, that is, the 'Synchro Swimming Club'. It's not directly linked to the Water Boys movie and the story takes place in a formerly all-girls' school which had opened its doors to male students.

I was inspired by the characters in the show. At first, it was rather frustrating seeing them making silly mistakes and failing in their efforts to convince the school to start a Synchro Club. But without these obstacles and failures, their passion might not have grown, the team's spirit might not have become stronger and their final success might not be as sweet and triumphant. And perhaps, we might not have grown so attached to the characters as well :)

Episodes after episodes, the tension and expectations build up, we see them getting embarrassed, being betrayed by peers, feeling dejected, lost... and I felt disappointed seeing them falter and making 'unnecessary' and 'silly' mistakes.

Looking at how stressful and competitive the society is now, it's hard to allow yourself or your loved ones to make mistakes, let alone to fail. Sometimes, we learn more from our mistakes and in fact, sometimes we gain more through failures. That is one strong message from this show. How many of us dare to fail? And if we do, what's next?

How forgiving are we towards mistakes made by others, our loved ones and even ourselves? I do get very upset when my loved ones, especially myself, make certain mistakes. To bear a grudge over it takes up a lot of your energy and is certainly unhealthy. I'm glad I have short term memories ;p What moves me is their benevolence and kindness in extending their help to the very ones who were against them. Naturally, in the show, these boys managed to win their trust and admiration and eventually their support.

The passion, determination, enthusiasm and optimism of the members, including the teacher, moves me and inspires me. Despite Yes, it brought tears (including Uncle Tan ;p) but much laughter as well. It's unlike those sobby dramas & you'll be able to relate to it. It reminds me of my school days which were very much cherished and missed.

I admired the unwavering spirit and optimism regardless of how bad the situation was in trying to reach their goal. It's not even about winning in a competition. It's merely about achieving something, that strong desire to want to do something, despite the challenges and impossibilities, so that they can live life without regrets. Seriously, this show has sort of sent some invisible impulses to me that I feel like doing something... haha ;p Perhaps it's a wake up call for me to start to do something about fulfilling my dream...

Besides focusing on their struggles to form the club, the story also focussed on parent-child relationships and how each of them tried to follow their dreams. Most of the time, we are forced to grow up faster than we are supposed to be. We have to face the so-called reality as we grow older. And reality is always about results and practicality. And our dreams seem to drift further from us as we grow older.

Are dreams still dreams if they are fulfilled?

Do hope you could watch this show and enjoy walking down memory lane :)

The last episode is really a shiokadoo episode if you are dying to watch their successful performance after their many failed attempts :) Oh, and I love the song at the end of each episode. It makes you feel like putting everything down and just run :)

"There are many things in life that have caught your eye, but no many have captured your heart. Pursue those."

To be environmentally friendly or to be pocket friendly?

The meaning of contraction and irony as shown in the report below by CNA. And a good example to show the lack of thorough thinking and proper planning.

CNG—car drivers may have to pay additional tax from 2010

Channel NewsAsia - Friday, July 25

SINGAPORE : A lack of refuelling stations is not the only concern worrying drivers who are considering switching to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Drivers of CNG vehicles may have to pay an additional tax from 2010.

Sales Manager Isaac Tan drives 35,000 kilometres a year — much of it for his job.

Earlier this year, he bought a new car and planned to convert it for CNG use, to save fuel costs and the environment.

But he changed his mind at the last minute, because of costs — even though buyers of hybrid and CNG vehicles benefit from the Green Vehicle Rebate. This gives the buyer a 40 per cent discount on the car’s Open Market Value until 31 December 2009.

Mr Tan said, "I was surfing... the LTA website, ONE.MOTORING, and I realised there is this Special Tax involved on CNG. Right now, the government has waived it until 31 December 2009, but beyond that it’s unclear."

Recovering fuel duty and discouraging the use of polluting vehicles are reasons for the Special Tax.

Currently drivers of petrol vehicles pay duty of 41 cents per litre of intermediate grade petrol every time they top up their tanks.

So the owner of a 1,500cc petrol car who drives the average 21,000 kilometres a year spends about S$3,550 on petrol, of which about S$660 is petrol duty.

But duty is not charged on diesel or CNG at the filling station.

And diesel engines create more pollution. For example, the latest EURO IV diesel engines create five times more of the pollutant called PM2.5 than a petrol—driven car.

Special tax for EURO IV diesel vehicles is pegged at S$1.25 per engine cc. So the owner of a 1,600cc diesel vehicle pays S$2,000 a year in Special Tax.

The owner of a 1,600cc diesel vehicle who drives the average 21,000 kilometres a year would spend about S$1,900 a year on diesel.

But CNG vehicles produce cleaner emissions than petrol vehicles, so are exempt from Special Tax until 31 December 2009.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has not yet decided whether to extend the exemption. But it said if Special Tax is imposed on CNG cars, it will not necessarily be the same as that on Diesel IV vehicles.

Mr Tan said: "The way the government is setting the policies — or not setting the policies, rather — is not helping the public. And in fact, if they really want to encourage the public to go to greener vehicles, then they should set the policies right in the first place."

LTA said it will announce its decision on the Special Tax for CNG cars in due course. So for now, drivers considering a CNG vehicle will have to live with the uncertainty of higher taxes in future or wait until a decision is made. — CNA/ms

Wiedikonians gathering

Sat morning at Paradeplatz.

Thought we could do our last minute shopping in the morning before the end of the sales season...and before the shops get crowded with the sweaty smell in the changing rooms...

Finally it's sunshine day this week although it was still quite cold in the morning.

This is the museum cum watch shop at Bahnhofstrasse. It sells a variety of brands here, mostly expensive ones.
www.beyer-ch.com

The Grossmünster Church in old town - the distinctive icon of Zurich

Uncle Tan trying some new angles...fortunately my nose is pretty clean hehe ;p

But you can still see his camera's reflection ;p









After a shopping in town and exploring Stadelhofen, we head home to bake chicken wings for the nite's gathering. I was having a headache then due to the sun. A cap is a must here...

It was quite crowded when we reached and were welcomed by the picturesque view of the lake at the Wollishofen ship station.

2 small kids rowing a big boat by themselves...

We found a good spot with some shade whilst waiting for the rest to arrive.

Here comes the cute little handsome boy :) He was a little shy at first and was practically frozen when I approached him. Think it's been 2 months since we last saw him, so he was a little apprehensive. But he warmed up after a while :)

I simply love his big eyes with natural curled eye-lashes

He looks cool with the hanky round his neck huh :) In fact, it serves as a 'collector' for his drools as he's teething now. Looks better than a bib rite? :>

Munching on his mum's homemade bread. Oh it's really yummy. Pending recipe from her ;>

Standing next to his aunt, Anna's sister, who is getting married in Aug. Both of them have nice eyes and good complexion. Envy envy:)

The yummylicious food prepared by all of us.

Argh...this one is soooo cute! Can you see his long curled eye-lashes?

He's a happy baby always full of smiles :)

Ah Kin having a headache due to over-exposure of the sun earlier . Fortunately the panadol works after a while.
Papa Zolt had to chase after Denes who was running around. According to Mama Anna, he used to stay close to her, within her sight, but now he's getting more adventurous :)

Yup, he's all warmed up now :)

This picture is so cute...both are naturals in front of the camera ya ;)

An enjoyable evening out.
2 Wiedikonians were missing thou as they were in Geneva.

All of us noticed this little fella with his 'blue glasses' that fits his face perfectly hehe ;p

The girl in blue dress seems to be his sister for she too had her 'red glasses' on :>

The evening view where you could see one part of the land lit by the sun.

My first time seeing the night view of the lake. It was pretty.

I'm beginning to appreciate life in Zurich more thou I must say it took me about 2 months to settle down.

The pace of life is comfortable, actually not too slow. People are generally polite where you'll receive greetings when you make payment at the counters and sometimes along the streets (there was once Uncle Tan tried to count the no. greetings he received whilst we were hiking), cars giving way to pedestrians (not all of course), people giving up seats for the elderly, responsible pet owners picking up the poos of their dogs, convenient transport with reasonable personal space during peak hours, normal working hours with good renumeration, beautiful natural sceneries and landscapes, fresh crisp air, and not to mention, the shopping.

Picnics and gatherings are common here. In SG, Saturdays are meant for enrichment/ tuition/ remedial classes or sometimes ECAs in schools, with some of these spilling over to Sundays. No wonder we suffer more of Monday blues. Speaking of which, I don't remember seeing any ads on tuition classes, unless they advertise on the paid papers cos the papers we read are similar to TODAY and Wobao in SG. Just that they have about 4 free papers here.

I do hope to have more picnics and gatherings when I go back to SG. But given the hectic schedules of my cousins who are so busy with schoolwork and friends who have either family or work commitments, I wonder if this is possible. Well, maybe just start with Uncle Tan and I :)

Of course we have also experience the not-so-nice things in this place where it was ranked one of the best place to live. We also met those not-so-friendly people, had to endure 2nd-hand smoke and the littering of cigarette butts, the inconvenience of shops closing on Sundays, the high cost of living, the erratic weather, the language barrier...Well, a place can never be that perfect but we're glad to have the opportunity to stay in this 'paradise on earth' to experience a different culture and learn something. It's an experience that I'll remember and treasure.

Those who have read my blog, I hope you have experienced this place and the fond memories with me as well.