1st week (favourite is Sunday)

Wow, time has passed so fast. But...


I want to thank all of my friends back home for their prayers and also sending me off at the airport, with smses or phone calls. It was embarassing that many were waiting for me to go in thus I decided to check in at 11.30. I wanted to add a departure picture in but just realised that about 50 pictures of mine are stuck in a 4GB SD card (it could store pictures but couldn't transfer it to any laptops that I've tried).


Breakdown on a week with some photos...





Montag (Mon) - Arrived at airport 7:50. Me & colleague waited for luggage and then walked abt 10mins before coming to train station. Then we got our half-rail card which gives 50% discount on most trains, buses and ships (It's still $$$ after 50%, haha). Pictures for Mon to Wed relied on photos taken from Thu onwards as new SD card didn't work. [The 3 'tall' buildings (12-stories) are Buhler or more or less highest building point in Uzwil.]


Then reached Uzwil at 9+ and awaited what I feared most, my apartment as I've no idea at all how it'll be like. Actually saw my colleague's one first, his has got a nice view but thou shall not covet... Haha... Then mine was... GREAT. No view but I like the space, 40sqm man along with a balcony. Thank you Lord for the wonder provision of the place and space. Also, almost everything needed was available. Then off to grocery shopping. After that unpacked and knock out. Gradually, realized that now that I'm staying alone, I've to have a certain level of competency in household domestication and it's so time consuming, haha... But it's good.





Dienstag (Tue) - 1st day of work [insert is the customer centre at 7.30a.m but I think half the company would be in by about 7.45 each day. They start and end early which I like also). Met colleagues and saw the many new software to be learnt. Also got a project on hand but was fiddling with just software on day 1. There's an official coffee break from 9.15-9.30 and maybe 3-3.15 where everyone meet at pantry to chat and so on. Had a S$20 lunch of a meal with coke... After that went to buy somemore stuff, so much to buy initially. Realised that I would be under going a high level of domestication as I've to clean up the apartment, cook most of my meal and so much more. [my desk and the building seems to be pretty new, was taken during lunch thus the absence of people]. It's a norm in company to work with dual screen as we have to look through a few drawings as a time. My project is under the charge of a grandpa who has been in company for almost 40 years. There are also a few who would hit their 50th year in the company.





Mittwoch (Wed) - Tried out lunch in Buhler canteen and it was value for money at S$10 for staff, so happy. Then my internet was only resolved finally. Thus can do a bit of other stuff. But had to leave work for like 1-2 hours to get some other admin staff resolved.

Donnerstag (Thu) - Shipment came in after leaving S'pore on tuesday. We rushed back from office again to handle it for a short while. Then after work & dinner, started to unpack the many boxes till late. I think I stopped at abt midnight after tearing the some of the boxes apart as they are serious about recycling... They even have glass bottles divided to brown, green and white.

Freitag (Fri) -
[insert a basic train line to get machineries to hmm airport. Maybe port also but would pass through some countries.] Didn't do much on friday but continue to unpack, there was just so much stuff lying around. During my 2nd hike, saw these beautiful signpost. They have detailed routes for cycling, hiking, blading and canoeing. Did some research, the 'simple' routes would be 3-5hrs. There are some serious hiking routes that takes a week which cut across like the breadth of Swizterland.






Samstag (Sat) - Did a day trip to St Gallen. Found the half-rail really useful as it gives 50% discount for most train, bus and boat rides. However, it's still not that cheap after 50% discount but better than nothing. (a 20mins return train trip to St Gallen is at 8.20chf or abt S$11).

However as time pass, I have found some other options via the railcard which is really good also. For example, I can travel one day around switzerland on the main trainlines at S$70 which is really a good deal. I think I may have found such similar deals for friends who would visit but do let me know earlier as those tickets are hot. [Looking at my railpass, these was a short moment of sadness, I would only be back after a year. Seemed like so far but thank God, so far, time has been passing by pretty fast. Then with handling of a sizeable project, I've to put in additional focus during working hours. Which equates to sleeping early like by 11 or 10 everyday if possible.]








Sonntag (Sun) - This was the best day in my first week in Switzerland as I went to 5p.m church in Zurich. It was just totally amazing... Having some little signs that this would be the church to attend, it still required effort. Thus the amazing story goes...
My home was 20mins away from Uzwil train station and I left only at 3.10 (train leaves at 3.30 sharp). Thus I had to run a bit and it was drizzling and cold. So I was running with my slingbag, holding an umbrella and trying to catch my breath, haha... Having arrive at the station at 3.20, I still had to press like 5 options before my ticket finally showed up, but in the end I board the train, hallelujah.
[insert is the entrance of the church. The only visible thing was the red standing signboard] Then for the first time, there was train delay and my connecting platform was from 1 to 21/22 (thank God, seeing signs helped). So by the time I was at the connecting train platform it was 4.30 and the train took just 4 mins to reach the station near church. It took some 'courage' to find the church. I was walking passed a carpark which I felt I had overshot. Thus, I went back a bit and saw like some warehouse area with no people at all. But then, I decided to just walk through the warehouse somehow and hope a church would appear and yes, it appeared (just that it uses the warehouse as their building).
It was a little similiar to Expo as they used disco lightings and also collapsible air-con ducting. The 5p.m international service was abt 100 people but from everywhere. [insert is a thanksgiving session to God which was posted on the screen at the end of service. People just started sending sms, so cool.] Service was in English/Spanish. After service, they have a welcome reception actually like for everybody just to connect. Then they also have a simple dinner (hehe... my heart and stomach was blessed). Met a s'porean couple also and the swiss pastor in charge of the international congregation (whom I contacted on facebook).

Thus this wraps my my 1st week. It's strange, somehow I felt that I'll be busy for 1-3 weeks as also a church friend is visiting (need planning when we tour). But it's good. My main adjustment is to learn german n swiss german as soon as possible. I think about half the people I get in touch (not including office) can't speak English, so it's exciting. Finally, a thanks to all friends who gave suggestions to improve my blog (honestly, it's still very messy, haha). Should settle it within the next blog entry. I was a little busy at times also as I do enjoy chatting on MSN with friends back home. God bless and keep in touch.