Zurich, lunchtime
Nov. 16th, 2009 07:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rmThis morning I walked a mile and a half in the pre-dawn dark past the office here in order to find a supermarket that advertised a "free from" line, which is generally how you find gluten-free products in Europe. The rain was pretty bad and there are no umbrella sellers on the streets of Zurich and I hadn't thought to pack one, so I turned up the collar of my coat and tucked my trousers into my socks. I watched people on the trams go by (I do not know where to buy a ticket; when I ask questions, I am shoo'd out of stores, with irritation or, if I am with my non-white colleagues, with fear); they seemed dour and sad, but then, who wouldn't be on a rainy Monday morning before the sun was up?
I walked past schools and watched teachers write the days lessons on the boards at only 7am. I wondered when they had gotten there. And I walked past churches; there were more bells, but they did not echo and reverberate as they did in the city center; I am given to understand that some of my colleagues here go to church twice a day, every day. By the supermarket there was what I thought to be a bar open -- all dim and red lit, a woman drinking in the window. It was 7:20am. Eventually, I realized she was a sex worker. I watched her as I waited for the supermarket to open, and people came up to me and asked me where the recycling for bottles was. I knew this only because they were holding bags of empty bottles. I told them I did not know, and those that would speak to me always switched to English without surprise, as if someone who spoke no German might still clearly know
this thing. I suppose the financial industry brings a lot of English speakers here. I am wearing a waistcoat, so maybe I look like a boy done well for himself in finance; I don't know.
At the supermarket they had a very limited Free From selection, and most of it was either free from sugar or free from dairy. I bought more cheese and cured meats (which I enjoy madly, but don't like to eat so much of because of cancer risks and heart disease), some chocolate custard, some orange juice, some rice cakes coated in dark chocolate, and the cheapest Red Bull ever (CHF 1.20). I put it all in the sack Patty lent me before I left NY for my extra carry-on items. It was hard finding my way around the supermarket. I did not understand the organizational logic, and this feeling I've had of people viewing me with suspicion here only increased as I roamed the store.
After, the map I had memorized in my head failed me in getting to the office, so I popped into a Starbucks in hopes of free Wi-Fi. The Starbucks here are prohibitively expensive. The one by the train depot sells the small hot chocolate for CHF 8.10. Here it was only CHF 6.90. The woman at the counter asked me milsch or nes (I know the spelling of neither); I assumed milsch meant milk and that nes would be dark or bitter cocoa and ordered that. Since it was to stay, it came in a ceramic mug and had foamed milk on top, after I somehow understood when the shop girl said in German with a wrinkling nose "you don't want whipped cream on
that, do you?" -- I never do, so I nodded.
I have never been so grateful for a stupid Starbucks hot cocoa in all my life. I was wet and tired; I'm still jet-lagged; I'm sick of being looked at as an idiot child or derisively being called a Jew; I have too much work to do; food hear is nearly impossible for me; and as I said in email to more than one person this morning, if I were Ianto Jones, I'd be in tears by now. But there was free wi-fi and cocoa, and I reviewed my map and was able to find the office. I had chocolate covered rice cakes and orange juice for breakfast, and I just ate garlic sausage as a snack.
At work, making decent progress and with a window to look out of. The day is still dismal, but the rain as at least stopped. I'm frustrated being here as the work I am doing is all on my laptop and I could be out seeing Zurich, but that wouldn't be cool. I hope it will not be impolitic to leave at a decent hour so that I may see more of the city tonight. I hope my coat is dry by then.
Despite, or perhaps because of all of this, I find it remarkably odd and wonderful that I am here. When my parents took me to Italy as a young teen, I understood that trip to be a once in a lifetime thing for all of us. It turned out not to be of course. There was a decade when my parents went to Paris every year, until my father became more frail and the anti-Semitism made my mother uncomfortable. And I have seen Australia and Ireland and returned to Italy. Now I'm here. And will go to England once, maybe twice next year. Patty and I will be hitting a few countries in the Caribbean in January, and she of course, sees the world as I haven't yet. It is remarkable to me to have these opportunities. Sure I come from a family of social climbers, but it wasn't suppose to work.
I walked past schools and watched teachers write the days lessons on the boards at only 7am. I wondered when they had gotten there. And I walked past churches; there were more bells, but they did not echo and reverberate as they did in the city center; I am given to understand that some of my colleagues here go to church twice a day, every day. By the supermarket there was what I thought to be a bar open -- all dim and red lit, a woman drinking in the window. It was 7:20am. Eventually, I realized she was a sex worker. I watched her as I waited for the supermarket to open, and people came up to me and asked me where the recycling for bottles was. I knew this only because they were holding bags of empty bottles. I told them I did not know, and those that would speak to me always switched to English without surprise, as if someone who spoke no German might still clearly know
this thing. I suppose the financial industry brings a lot of English speakers here. I am wearing a waistcoat, so maybe I look like a boy done well for himself in finance; I don't know.
At the supermarket they had a very limited Free From selection, and most of it was either free from sugar or free from dairy. I bought more cheese and cured meats (which I enjoy madly, but don't like to eat so much of because of cancer risks and heart disease), some chocolate custard, some orange juice, some rice cakes coated in dark chocolate, and the cheapest Red Bull ever (CHF 1.20). I put it all in the sack Patty lent me before I left NY for my extra carry-on items. It was hard finding my way around the supermarket. I did not understand the organizational logic, and this feeling I've had of people viewing me with suspicion here only increased as I roamed the store.
After, the map I had memorized in my head failed me in getting to the office, so I popped into a Starbucks in hopes of free Wi-Fi. The Starbucks here are prohibitively expensive. The one by the train depot sells the small hot chocolate for CHF 8.10. Here it was only CHF 6.90. The woman at the counter asked me milsch or nes (I know the spelling of neither); I assumed milsch meant milk and that nes would be dark or bitter cocoa and ordered that. Since it was to stay, it came in a ceramic mug and had foamed milk on top, after I somehow understood when the shop girl said in German with a wrinkling nose "you don't want whipped cream on
that, do you?" -- I never do, so I nodded.
I have never been so grateful for a stupid Starbucks hot cocoa in all my life. I was wet and tired; I'm still jet-lagged; I'm sick of being looked at as an idiot child or derisively being called a Jew; I have too much work to do; food hear is nearly impossible for me; and as I said in email to more than one person this morning, if I were Ianto Jones, I'd be in tears by now. But there was free wi-fi and cocoa, and I reviewed my map and was able to find the office. I had chocolate covered rice cakes and orange juice for breakfast, and I just ate garlic sausage as a snack.
At work, making decent progress and with a window to look out of. The day is still dismal, but the rain as at least stopped. I'm frustrated being here as the work I am doing is all on my laptop and I could be out seeing Zurich, but that wouldn't be cool. I hope it will not be impolitic to leave at a decent hour so that I may see more of the city tonight. I hope my coat is dry by then.
Despite, or perhaps because of all of this, I find it remarkably odd and wonderful that I am here. When my parents took me to Italy as a young teen, I understood that trip to be a once in a lifetime thing for all of us. It turned out not to be of course. There was a decade when my parents went to Paris every year, until my father became more frail and the anti-Semitism made my mother uncomfortable. And I have seen Australia and Ireland and returned to Italy. Now I'm here. And will go to England once, maybe twice next year. Patty and I will be hitting a few countries in the Caribbean in January, and she of course, sees the world as I haven't yet. It is remarkable to me to have these opportunities. Sure I come from a family of social climbers, but it wasn't suppose to work.
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no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 01:05 pm (UTC)It doesn't hit me as much out here, probably because I grew up on such Eurocentric books, but when I lived in the Netherlands sometimes, out at night in the city center I'd have to stop and catch my breath at the mere idea of being there, of *living* there.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 01:10 pm (UTC)I have never been so grateful for a stupid Starbucks hot cocoa in all
my life. I was wet and tired; I'm still jet-lagged; I'm sick of being
looked at as an idiot child or derisively being called a Jew; I have
too much work to do; food hear is nearly impossible for me; and as I
said in email to more than one person this morning, if I were Ianto
Jones, I'd be in tears by now.
Dude... I hope it's not too forward and offer *hugs*.
It just sounds like a no good, really could have been way better kind of morning.
Seriously, you were called "a Jew"? To your face?! I can tell that St. Moritz is going to be the one and only time in my life I was in Switzerland.
Once again, I offer you *hugs* and gluten-free cookies!
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 01:28 pm (UTC)Sympathies on the difficulties of finding familiar/eatable foods... my husband had much the same experience in Zurich on his whirlwind trip there, and he doesn't have food allergies to deal with so I can't imagine how much worse it would be for you. :(
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 02:13 pm (UTC)In Italy, the best selections of gf products are often in pharmacies, because celiacs have a monthly food allowance under the national health care plan. This may also be true in Switzerland. I hear that Billa and Coop have the best selections among grocery chains.
I'll admit to a degree of anti-Swiss prejudice arising from too many encounters with across-the-board intolerance. On my last extended stay, I began tallying how many people thought it their duty to inform me that I was violating rules, letting down standards, or otherwise deficient in behavior or character. MUCH of this was directed at my being an American, full-stop, let alone assumptions made about my ethnicity and class. Leftists in Basel, museum personnel in Bern, waiters in Zurich and gas station attendants in Locarno all made that list. Made me think that "you're doing it wrong/you don't belong" is the national pastime.
Hang in there, and hope you get a chance to look more at the city -- it's worth it, in visual if not social terms.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 03:32 pm (UTC)FYI, the word for umbrella is Das Regenschirm. "Ich brauche einen Regenschirm kaufen". I need to buy an umbrella.
Wheat is weiss. Verkaufen Sie irgendeine Nahrung ohne Weizen? Do you sell any food without wheat? I highly doubt you'll find wheat-free bread. (Das Brot).
It's always weird being in a strange city, even if you like it but it's especially weird when you're cold and tired and busy. I'm confident you'll wring the full measure of experience out of it nonetheless.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 04:35 pm (UTC)Despite the growing anti-semitism in France, I had no problems there. Don't advertise but don't hide my ethnicity either.
Never a problem in Mexico or Central America either. Ok, there was that one indicent at the airport for the Galapagos (when I had very red hair) where a soldier (in fatigues with automatic weapon) came over and began to touch my hair in amazement. Yes, I was a little unnerved. My tiny female guide scolded him and he slunk away embarassed.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 05:18 pm (UTC)"Haben Sie Regenschrime?" (Do you have umbrellas?)
"Ich hätte gerne einen Regenschirm" (I'd like [to buy] an umbrella).
"Wo kann ich hier einen Regenschirm bekommen/kaufen?" (Where can I get/buy an umbrella?)
Department stores should have them. Maybe stores that sell hats and bags.
Wheat: Weizen. But AFAIK rye also has gluten.
Gluten=Gluten.
Gluten free bread: Often near the organic (Bio) food. Natural food stores might have it, too.
Using public transport in Zürich:
http://www.vbz.ch/vbz_opencms/opencms/vbz/english/
Tickets usually can only be bought from vending machines. I don't know about the Zurich ones, but ticket vending machines can be hellishly complicated.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 06:13 pm (UTC)He passed it to me, and we're passing it to our daughter, though she's only been to Puerto Rico and California.
glutenfree in Zurich
Date: 2009-11-16 07:28 pm (UTC)So sorry you're having such a bad time with the food et al. :-/
I'm German but not celiac, have been to Zurich but never to the place below so no guarantees but I found this through German-language googling and thought it might be useful.
"Taboa", at Seefelderstrasse 25, carries glutenfree products and has a snack area where they offer gf bread, sandwiches, soup, baked goods. [link to map on their website, website is German only sadly] (http://www.taboa.ch/pages/lageplan.html) The website says they're 5 minutes on foot away from "Stadelhofen" train station and can be reached by tram lines 2 and 4, stop "Kreuzstrasse". Opening hours mon-fri 9-19, sat 10-17.
My deepest apologies if you found this alread but this post on an English language forum (http://www.englishforum.ch/daily-life/53425-you-gluten-intolerant-celiac.html#post475698) has some more info on related terms and tips on places in Zurich and Swiss dishes that are glutenfree. This English language post on Switzerland and staying glutenfree (http://www.celiactravel.com/stories/switzerland.html) gives more tips and warns about a very common Swiss spice mix, Aromat, that's not gf. It also has a link to a German language gf restaurant card.
Btw, I didn't notice any strange treatment when I was in Zurich but I'm not Jewish and while I don't look Swiss, German or White European, my Swiss friend was with me and I speak Standard German... I did notice anti-immigrant sentiment, on West German levels (=quite high *sigh*). So sorry that your experience has been so bad. I'd be very interested in your thoughts on and observations of racism and anti-semitism.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 08:46 pm (UTC)"if I am with my non-white colleagues, with fear);"
" I'm sick of being looked at as an idiot child or derisively being called a Jew;"
Did people really do this? Amazing, in the US people speak of racism, but to hear of it being this overt--blows my mind. I mean, even after the holocaust?!
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 09:12 pm (UTC)So yeah. I get it, sorta.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-16 11:34 pm (UTC)I'm sick of being looked at as an idiot child or derisively being called a Jew
Dear gods. I'm now reminded of the single worst example of anti-semitism I ever encountered. In a mailing list for a French modern supernatural RPG that was being sold in the US, more than 1/3 of the people on the mailing list were French. One of them posted a scenario where the villains were evil kabbalists who pretty much incorporated every negative Jewish stereotype I've ever encountered. I would have chalked this up to a single bigot, except that none of the other French gamers saw anything problematic with it, meanwhile myself and most of the Americans on this list were fairly troubled/horrified. That level of clearly unquestioned & unconscious bigotry is horrifying to me.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-17 02:59 am (UTC)