Carey'd Away

French Fry Day

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This week I had so much French homework that I think nothing I learned has stuck.  Do you ever experience that sort of information overload?  Sigh.

As much as I do not want to, I think I am going to have to continue my French lessons over Christmas.  My brain seems to have Teflon to French, but surely there have to be some scratches in the Teflon that the French can stick to!

Whenever I come across words in my lesson book that I don’ t know, I look them up and write in the English word.  Here are some of the words I’ve written in since starting my lessons.  I’ve included both genders where necessary.

le voisin – male neighbor,  la voisine – female neighbor
le menteur – male liar, la menteuse – female liar
mignon (m) mignonne (f) – cute
le chanteur – male singer, la chanteuse – female singer
gentil (m) gentille (f) – nice
prêt - ready
le rappel – reminder
le couteau – knife
parfois – sometimes
la facture – bill/ invoice
la veste – jacket
ordonné (m) 0rdonnée (f) – tidy
désordonné (m) désordonnée (f) – untidy

* through lesson 14

No More Minarets in Switzerland?

Minarets are tall, thin towers attached to mosques from which a muezzin calls believers to prayer five times daily.   There are presently four minarets in Switzerland, and they shall be allowed to remain, but in accordance with yesterday’s 57% vote made by a large 53%  voter turn-out, the construction of new minarets is banned.

The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) initiated the referendum by collecting 100,000 signatures from eligible voters, while other major political parties had urged the country’s citizens to reject the proposed ban.  Many people both here and abroad are shocked today as they find out the resulting yes vote to change the constitution.  Of all places, here in neutral and tolerant Switzerland.

Only four cantons voted against the initiative, Geneva (where I live), Vaud, Neuchâtel and Basel City (notably all in the French speaking portion of the country).  The Swiss government has issued an official statement respecting the decision of it’s citizens, but affirming that Muslims may still build mosques (sans minarets) here and that they “are able to practice their religion alone or in community with others, and live according to their beliefs just as before.” Also speaking out against the referendum are the Commission Against Racism and many Christian and Jewish leaders.

The campaigning (see campaign poster images here) and the vote are now over, but what does this result say for Switzerland going forward?  What will be the impact?  Sociological, Political, Financial…  Is a ban on minarets a violation of religious freedom?  Of human rights?  Will there be  local and/or international backlash?  Only time will tell.

H1N1 vaccine?

Here in Switzerland the H1N1 vaccine has become available, but people are not rushing out to get it, even though infection numbers here have tripled over the past week and people here have died.  In general it seems that they are either wary of the vaccine (indeed vaccines of all sort) for fear of side-effects or fail to see the need for the vaccine when swine flu deaths are not being reported at higher numbers than normal flu deaths.

We have not had the vaccine because we have been sick since it became available and have not decided whether or not to have it once we are well again.  There is also a chance that what we have had is swine flu, in which case we’ll not need the vaccine.

Have you had the vaccine?  If it’s not yet available to you, will you have it when it is? Why or Why not?

Tuk Tuk Thai Takeaway

Our family lived for three years in Thailand.  In that time, we ate large quantities of Thai food – a minimum of twice a week – one night a week  our Thai helper cooked for us and one night I’d bring home take away from a little restaurant near the kids’ school.  We like Thai food.  A lot.

But aside from the fact that I didn’t learn to cook it, you need special ingredients to make it well.  So we are always looking for a good Thai restaurant.  But sadly we rarely find them.  Until now.

Last weekend we stopped at the Tuk Tuk takeaway in Versiox and were very very pleased with our meal:  Satays with peanut sauce, Green Chicken Curry, Pad gai gap mamuang.  Yum!  Definitely a do over.  Next time – Pad Grapow Moo or Cow Neo or Kow Soy Gai.

Tuk Tuk Takeaway
route de Suisse 32
1290 Versoix
click for map

What are your favorite Thai dishes and where do you get them?

here we go again…

A year later, from the ashes of the last,  another rises.

Just what the world needs, eh?   More ramblings from the language impaired.

So what shall we discuss?  Or should we do it my way, with photos?