geneva

i had to go to geneva to pick up my coveted ID card. i guess because it was sponsored by a diplomat i had to go in person.

the fellow was very nice and he had to explain to me the pension program, health insurance (in switz it's mandatory for all to have it but it is still run by private health insurance companies....)and my rights as a worker here.

if i should quit my job or my job be over and i wish to stay here i can only work for another diplomat with my F status. so he gave me this thing to come to geneva and i can apply for jobs as a 'private servant' with another diplomatic family. there is a whole service for this there due to all the diplomats that live there and around the country....so that is pretty cool....

i walked around a while and went to the UN....which is in total lock down but not as locked down as the russian consulate. that place had barbed wire and cameras everywhere...much like the embassy in DC in glover park. either way i was going to do the UN tour but it was already noon and it was packed with groups so i opted for the quiet serenity of the red cross museum.

there was a great photography exhibit called 'stigmata'. there were pictures of katrina! that was pretty sweet to see....and a series of photos of women who were enslaved as prostitutes (very sad).....also there were photos of israeli training camps....very eerie.

the museum was not big but it outlined the history of the red cross in switz/europe as well as internationally. there were very old videos from WWI showing different nationalities shaking hands and doing jigs. very silly but really cool.

the file cabinets of the prisoners of war was astounding! so many!

then there were the children victims of land mines and object made by prisoners of war....

it was interesting to see their take on WWII. all they had were the loads of sanitized clothes due to typhus in poland. it seems like such a hush hush topic here, talking about the holocaust.

after this uplifting adventure i walked around geneva and figured out what time i had to catch my train home and sat by the lake which was amazing. some things we can take pictures of and go 'ooh that's pretty' but to be there and to just sit and stare at the alps reminded me of being in i dunno colorado....it was astonishing!

i think i might go to Interlaken for my easter break. (google it)

perhaps even trying my hand at skiing....though i have not been skiing in some time!

i think i want to go somewhere peaceful!

so really i just wandered around, got some coffee, overall just enjoying the atmosphere.

the french were so much more friendly than the people in basel. here if i am smiling and say hi to people they just glare at me. there i was walking around smiling and enjoying it and people were saying 'bonjour' and so on!

geneva is way bigger than basel with lots of hotels and banks and international organizations.

i will go back to spend a weekend there so i can do the UN tour and other fun things cause of course there were lots of churches that were OLD and i love me some churches.

on the way home i sat with three swiss army fellows. they were very nice....we got to mess with one of their guns cause he kept dozing off!

that was funny....

it was a long day and today will be a long day too!
fun!