Thursday, September 30, 2010
A whirlwind day
I've decided that I'd rather spend fifteen hours on airplanes flying across the ocean than get up, have a short flight to London, have a few hours of meetings, and then fly back home the same day. The whole day felt like it was about airports: take the train to the Zurich airport, fly out of the Zurich airport, fly into Heathrow, take the train from Heathrow to London, take the train from London to Heathrow, fly into Zurich, then take the train from the Zurich airport. Yikes!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The waiting room
After two years in Switzerland, there aren't a lot of cultural quirks left to discuss, but I was reminded of one today when I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office. Try this out next time you walk into a waiting room in the States.
When there are one or more people sitting there waiting for the doctor, and a new person comes into the waiting room, the new person always addresses the group with the Swiss equivalent of "Hi, everyone." Everyone sitting there then responds with "hello" or "good morning" or something along those lines. Since no one is ever thrilled to be sitting in a waiting room at the doctor's office, I guess it makes us all feel like we're in it together or something.
When there are one or more people sitting there waiting for the doctor, and a new person comes into the waiting room, the new person always addresses the group with the Swiss equivalent of "Hi, everyone." Everyone sitting there then responds with "hello" or "good morning" or something along those lines. Since no one is ever thrilled to be sitting in a waiting room at the doctor's office, I guess it makes us all feel like we're in it together or something.
Monday, September 27, 2010
He's back
I forgot to mention that Tanner returned safely from Italy last Friday. He had a great time traipsing around the city of Cortona for a week, eating Italian food and experiencing Italian culture.
In seventh grade, they go to Paris. Tanner and I pretty much covered that trip over the holidays, so he won't miss much by being gone next year.
In seventh grade, they go to Paris. Tanner and I pretty much covered that trip over the holidays, so he won't miss much by being gone next year.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Life is weird
Next week, I'm taking a one-day trip to London for some meetings. I'll leave the house at about 9:00 in the morning and be back at about 11 that night. The fact that I'm planning a day trip to London has caused me to reflect on just how weirdly my life has developed. Let's review my carefully-planned career development path:
1985: Ethan starts college as a computer science major.
1986: Ethan switches his major to physics.
1987: Ethan takes a two-year break from college to be a missionary in Canada.
1992: Ethan finishes his degee, picking up a philosophy minor for fun. He and Stace move to Minnesota to start law school.
1995: Ethan finishes law school, but instead of becoming a real lawyer, he goes to West Publishing to work as an editor. This is a strange job that just happens to combine the only four things at which Ethan excels: reading really fast, typing really fast, writing somewhat decently, and analyzing legal opinions.
1999: Ethan picks up a side job as a tax preparer for H&R Block.
2004: Ethan gives up the editor gig (and the tax gig) and takes a job where he manages a team of thirty women.
2007: Ethan moves into product development.
2008: Ethan moves to Switzerland.
2011: Unable to find a job after returning from Switzerland, Ethan moves back in with his parents. (Just kidding, Mom and Dad. I think.)
There are two lessons that we can learn from my career path: 1) it's better to be slightly talented at a lot of things rather than being really good at one thing; and 2) sometimes, success in life is just a matter of dumb luck and being in the right place at the right time.
1985: Ethan starts college as a computer science major.
1986: Ethan switches his major to physics.
1987: Ethan takes a two-year break from college to be a missionary in Canada.
1992: Ethan finishes his degee, picking up a philosophy minor for fun. He and Stace move to Minnesota to start law school.
1995: Ethan finishes law school, but instead of becoming a real lawyer, he goes to West Publishing to work as an editor. This is a strange job that just happens to combine the only four things at which Ethan excels: reading really fast, typing really fast, writing somewhat decently, and analyzing legal opinions.
1999: Ethan picks up a side job as a tax preparer for H&R Block.
2004: Ethan gives up the editor gig (and the tax gig) and takes a job where he manages a team of thirty women.
2007: Ethan moves into product development.
2008: Ethan moves to Switzerland.
2011: Unable to find a job after returning from Switzerland, Ethan moves back in with his parents. (Just kidding, Mom and Dad. I think.)
There are two lessons that we can learn from my career path: 1) it's better to be slightly talented at a lot of things rather than being really good at one thing; and 2) sometimes, success in life is just a matter of dumb luck and being in the right place at the right time.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Mixed news
Here's the good news: The FDA has approved a pill that can help to slow the progression of disability in patients with multiple sclerosis. It's called "Gilenya," which I find to be kind of a weird name, but whatever. No more shots. Awesome!
The bad news: It has a few side effects. (You won't actually want to read the whole thing that I'm posting below, but I'll include it for laughs.) I think I'll stick with the shots for now. Here goes:
"Gilenya may cause serious side effects such as slow heart rate (bradycardia or bradyarrhythmia), infections, macular edema, breathing and liver problems.
"Gilenya can cause a patient's heart rate to slow down, especially after the first dose. The heart rate will usually slow down the most about six hours after a patient takes their first dose of Gilenya. Patients might feel dizzy or tired or be aware of a slow or irregular heartbeat if their heart rate slows down. A doctor will watch patients for the first six hours after they take the first dose to see if they have any serious side effects. A patient's slow heart rate will usually return to normal within about one month after they start taking Gilenya. Patients should call their doctor if at any time they have dizziness, tiredness or a slow or irregular heartbeat.
"Gilenya can increase a patient's risk of serious infections. Gilenya lowers the number of white blood cells (lymphocytes) in the blood. This will usually go back to normal within two months of stopping treatment. A patient's doctor may perform a blood test before they start taking Gilenya. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have fever, tiredness, body aches, chills, nausea or vomiting.
"Macular edema can cause some of the same vision symptoms as an MS attack (optic neuritis). Patients may not notice any symptoms with macular edema. Macular edema usually starts in the first three to four months after taking Gilenya. A doctor should test a patient's vision before they start taking Gilenya and three to four months after they start taking Gilenya, or any time they notice vision changes during treatment. Risk of macular edema may be higher if a patient has diabetes or has had an inflammation of the eye called uveitis. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have blurriness, shadows or a blind spot in the center of their vision, sensitivity to light or unusually coloured vision.
"Some patients who take Gilenya have shortness of breath. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have trouble breathing.
"Gilenya may cause liver problems. A doctor should do blood tests to check a patient's liver before they start taking Gilenya. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, tiredness, dark urine, or their skin or the whites of their eyes turn yellow.
"Gilenya may harm an unborn baby. Women should talk to their doctor if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Women who can become pregnant should use effective birth control while on Gilenya and for at least two months after stopping. If a patient becomes pregnant while taking Gilenya or if they become pregnant within two months after stopping Gilenya, they should tell their doctor right away. Women who take Gilenya should not breastfeed, as it is not known if Gilenya passes into breast milk.
"Patients should tell their doctor about all their medical conditions, including if they have had or now have an irregular or abnormal heartbeat, a heart rate of less than 55 beats a minute, a fever, infection or if they are unable to fight infections, eye problems, diabetes, breathing or liver problems, or high blood pressure. Patients should especially tell their doctor if they have had chicken pox or have recently received the vaccine for chicken pox. A doctor may do a test for chicken pox virus and patients may need to get the vaccine for chicken pox and wait one month before starting Gilenya.
"Patients should tell their doctor about all the medicines they take, including medicines for heart problems or high blood pressure, vaccines, other medicines to control their immune system or treat cancer, or ketoconazole (an antifungal) by mouth.
"The most common side effects with Gilenya were headache, flu, diarrhea, back pain, abnormal liver tests and cough."
The bad news: It has a few side effects. (You won't actually want to read the whole thing that I'm posting below, but I'll include it for laughs.) I think I'll stick with the shots for now. Here goes:
"Gilenya may cause serious side effects such as slow heart rate (bradycardia or bradyarrhythmia), infections, macular edema, breathing and liver problems.
"Gilenya can cause a patient's heart rate to slow down, especially after the first dose. The heart rate will usually slow down the most about six hours after a patient takes their first dose of Gilenya. Patients might feel dizzy or tired or be aware of a slow or irregular heartbeat if their heart rate slows down. A doctor will watch patients for the first six hours after they take the first dose to see if they have any serious side effects. A patient's slow heart rate will usually return to normal within about one month after they start taking Gilenya. Patients should call their doctor if at any time they have dizziness, tiredness or a slow or irregular heartbeat.
"Gilenya can increase a patient's risk of serious infections. Gilenya lowers the number of white blood cells (lymphocytes) in the blood. This will usually go back to normal within two months of stopping treatment. A patient's doctor may perform a blood test before they start taking Gilenya. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have fever, tiredness, body aches, chills, nausea or vomiting.
"Macular edema can cause some of the same vision symptoms as an MS attack (optic neuritis). Patients may not notice any symptoms with macular edema. Macular edema usually starts in the first three to four months after taking Gilenya. A doctor should test a patient's vision before they start taking Gilenya and three to four months after they start taking Gilenya, or any time they notice vision changes during treatment. Risk of macular edema may be higher if a patient has diabetes or has had an inflammation of the eye called uveitis. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have blurriness, shadows or a blind spot in the center of their vision, sensitivity to light or unusually coloured vision.
"Some patients who take Gilenya have shortness of breath. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have trouble breathing.
"Gilenya may cause liver problems. A doctor should do blood tests to check a patient's liver before they start taking Gilenya. Patients should call their doctor right away if they have nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, tiredness, dark urine, or their skin or the whites of their eyes turn yellow.
"Gilenya may harm an unborn baby. Women should talk to their doctor if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Women who can become pregnant should use effective birth control while on Gilenya and for at least two months after stopping. If a patient becomes pregnant while taking Gilenya or if they become pregnant within two months after stopping Gilenya, they should tell their doctor right away. Women who take Gilenya should not breastfeed, as it is not known if Gilenya passes into breast milk.
"Patients should tell their doctor about all their medical conditions, including if they have had or now have an irregular or abnormal heartbeat, a heart rate of less than 55 beats a minute, a fever, infection or if they are unable to fight infections, eye problems, diabetes, breathing or liver problems, or high blood pressure. Patients should especially tell their doctor if they have had chicken pox or have recently received the vaccine for chicken pox. A doctor may do a test for chicken pox virus and patients may need to get the vaccine for chicken pox and wait one month before starting Gilenya.
"Patients should tell their doctor about all the medicines they take, including medicines for heart problems or high blood pressure, vaccines, other medicines to control their immune system or treat cancer, or ketoconazole (an antifungal) by mouth.
"The most common side effects with Gilenya were headache, flu, diarrhea, back pain, abnormal liver tests and cough."
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Chili peppers
I read something funny today (this has nothing to do with Switzerland). It was an article about why people enjoy eating spicy foods. After all, where's the benefit in eating something that causes you pain? Other than humans, there's not a single animal that eats hot peppers. There doesn't seem to be any evolutionary purpose in it.
A psychologist from Yale had this to say: "Philosophers have often looked for the defining feature of humans — language, rationality, culture and so on. I’d stick with this: Man is the only animal that likes Tabasco sauce."
A psychologist from Yale had this to say: "Philosophers have often looked for the defining feature of humans — language, rationality, culture and so on. I’d stick with this: Man is the only animal that likes Tabasco sauce."
Monday, September 20, 2010
Culture clash
I got another small lesson yesterday in cultural misunderstandings.
I was leading the music in church yesterday, accompanied by my trusty organist for the day, Ansgar. He's German, not American (which is relevant to the story). We ran out of time for the last hymn, so the bishop signaled to Ansgar that we should only sing one verse. I was busy with the kids and didn't see the exchange of signals.
As Ansgar was getting ready to start the introduction to the hymn, he gave me the "thumbs up" sign and made sure that I saw the sign. I was puzzled by this, because I've always been ready to lead when it's time, but I nodded to let him know that yes, I was ready to lead the hymn.
The first verse went just fine, and I launched into the second verse as I had planned. Ansgar then had to verbally tell me that we were only doing one verse. I cut off the hymn, quickly sat down, and temporarily pretended that I didn't exist. (I think it worked.)
It took me a couple of minutes of pondering to figure out what went wrong. After all, I've usually known when we were supposed to do only one verse. It finally dawned on me: when an American wants to indicate one of something, as in one drink or one movie ticket, he holds up a closed fist, with the back of the hand facing him and with the index finger extended so that it points straight up. However, when a European wants to indicate one of something, he uses a closed fist with an extended thumb, not an extended index finger. Ansgar wasn't giving me the "thumbs up" to see if I was ready to go; he was telling me that we were only supposed to sing one verse.
The moral of the story is plain: Ansgar speaks excellent English, but he's got to get rid of that German accent when he's using hand signals.
I was leading the music in church yesterday, accompanied by my trusty organist for the day, Ansgar. He's German, not American (which is relevant to the story). We ran out of time for the last hymn, so the bishop signaled to Ansgar that we should only sing one verse. I was busy with the kids and didn't see the exchange of signals.
As Ansgar was getting ready to start the introduction to the hymn, he gave me the "thumbs up" sign and made sure that I saw the sign. I was puzzled by this, because I've always been ready to lead when it's time, but I nodded to let him know that yes, I was ready to lead the hymn.
The first verse went just fine, and I launched into the second verse as I had planned. Ansgar then had to verbally tell me that we were only doing one verse. I cut off the hymn, quickly sat down, and temporarily pretended that I didn't exist. (I think it worked.)
It took me a couple of minutes of pondering to figure out what went wrong. After all, I've usually known when we were supposed to do only one verse. It finally dawned on me: when an American wants to indicate one of something, as in one drink or one movie ticket, he holds up a closed fist, with the back of the hand facing him and with the index finger extended so that it points straight up. However, when a European wants to indicate one of something, he uses a closed fist with an extended thumb, not an extended index finger. Ansgar wasn't giving me the "thumbs up" to see if I was ready to go; he was telling me that we were only supposed to sing one verse.
The moral of the story is plain: Ansgar speaks excellent English, but he's got to get rid of that German accent when he's using hand signals.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Hiccups
I've realized recently that I never get the hiccups. Never. The last time I can remember having the hiccups was when I was about 15 years old. Is that normal? Doesn't everyone get the hiccups at one time or another?
Stace gets violent hiccups. They wrack her entire body. They go on for about twenty minutes, and they're so dramatic that one of these days, I expect to see a section of one of her lungs come flying out of her mouth.
What a surprise! If you had to guess, between Stace and me, which one of us had a tendency to get violent hiccups, is there a soul among you who wouldn't have guessed that it would be Stace?
Stace gets violent hiccups. They wrack her entire body. They go on for about twenty minutes, and they're so dramatic that one of these days, I expect to see a section of one of her lungs come flying out of her mouth.
What a surprise! If you had to guess, between Stace and me, which one of us had a tendency to get violent hiccups, is there a soul among you who wouldn't have guessed that it would be Stace?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tanner's off again
On Monday, Tanner will be heading out on a school trip to spend the week in Cortona, a very old city in the Tuscany region of Italy. They'll be exploring old ruins and learning about the history of the area.
I'm jealous. If anyone from this family is going to have all of these cool experiences, it should be me, right? Isn't the whole thing going to be wasted on an eleven-year-old? Oh, well. I'm sure he'll have a great time.
I'm jealous. If anyone from this family is going to have all of these cool experiences, it should be me, right? Isn't the whole thing going to be wasted on an eleven-year-old? Oh, well. I'm sure he'll have a great time.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Well, that was puzzling
For reasons unknown, Lindsey took an empty cardboard toilet paper roll on the school bus with her yesterday and asked everyone on the bus to sign it for her mom. Then she proudly presented it to Stace with all of the signatures.
Some things just can't be explained.
Some things just can't be explained.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Happy Labor Day, slackers
Yes, I'm sitting here at the office working my third Labor Day in a row. Someone's got to keep the world's economy afloat, right? Anyway, you all go enjoy your picnics and whatever while I keep working to make sure things don't fall apart.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The last of the pictures
Here are some pictures from the two Saturday trips I took within Switzerland after I got back from Norway. The first five are from Mt. Titlis, and the last three are from St. Moritz. (You can see that I now know where to park my sleigh if I'm ever again in St. Moritz.)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Life's been busy
Whew! We're starting to feel like Americans with all the running around we've been doing lately. Tanner has joined a baseball league. He's got practices two nights a week, and his Saturdays are usually spent playing a couple of games somewhere in Switzerland. Today, his games were in St. Gallen, about an hour and a half away from Zug. Boy, public transportation is sure nice. Stace and Tanner got up first thing this morning and drove to the ballpark, and then Lindsey and I took the train a couple of hours later to watch Tanner's second game. I'll sure miss being able to hop a train or a bus to get wherever I want to go.
We've also had back-to-school nights, and I now go down to Lucerne on Thursday nights to help out with the youth in our church, so things have gotten a bit crazy. We're not used to living like that.
We've also had back-to-school nights, and I now go down to Lucerne on Thursday nights to help out with the youth in our church, so things have gotten a bit crazy. We're not used to living like that.
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