How can you not fall in love with this place

This is Brunni in Engelberg, in the central region of Switzerland - those who know a little a bit about the country, it's somewhere close to Luzern or Lucerne. Click on the photo to expand the size, and tell me if you don't fall in love with the view.

It's absolutely and miraculously a gorgeous place. I can sit there looking at that view for hours.

A zoo that I don't hate

I hate zoos. I find them to be simply a waste of time to visit. Perhaps it's an adult thing. But, I'm sure kids and adults alike who have visited the Knies Kinderzoo (kids zoo) (www.knieskinderzoo.ch/) will only have good stories to tell.

The Knies Kinderzoo is located near the old city of Rapperswill, about an hour drive from Zurich. What's interesting about this zoo is that you get the chance to pat the animals, including rhinos, giraffes, sea lions etc. So, there's a more real, close encounter with the animals than just watching from distant.

Just look at the cute face!

Vergütung der Reisekosten in der IV

 

Translated ... "Reimbursement of travel expenses in the IV"

I just learned that all the travel expenses that I incurred during the period of Lyris stay in hospital after birth are all reimbursable. What I spent wasnt so much, probably around 200CHF (it aint cheap to park at Unispital Zurich, plus fuel), but It would have been nice if I knew it earlier. A missed opportunity ..

Jom meet up! 2011

Through some adhoc suggestions and ideas on Facebook turned into a big picnic in Zurich (www.parkimgruene.ch). 

What to see, where to go?

A friend dropped me an email asking for any pointers as to what she should visit in Switzerland when she comes for a vacation in December. I owe her an apology for the late reply - this is it :)

The problem with December is that if it's the kind of winter we got last, then the best thing to do is really to sit in the warmth of your own living room and enjoy some great movies. Unless you enjoy extreme snow and cold, you really don't want to go outside. Anyway if this is the only time you have then there is no choice. Thus, my recommendation.  

1. Upon arrival in Zurich, spend a day or two visiting the city. A number of places around the vicinity should be considered:

• the Top of Zurich or Uetliberg, a small highland near the city when you can view the whole Zurich from up a tower and have great sledging rides. To get there, there is a short train ride from the Zurich main station. 
• the Zurich Lake - you want to consider taking the boat from the main jetty at the end of the Bahnhofstrasse, and stop by at places around the lake. One that is recommended is Rapperswil - a scenic old Swiss town. Nearby, there is a Tierpark (animal park), with touchable domestic animals; goats, donkeys, ponies, chickens, pigs (!) etc. 
• the Zurich old town - located parallel to the Bahnhofstrasse. You can find the sign to get there at the train station
• if you are with big wallet / purse and into shopping, don't forget to visit some the most famous watch and jewelry shops and designer labels along the Bahnhofstrasse. 
• if Bally is a brand you are seeking, check out the factory outlet in Schönewerd. There is a train that goes there, stopping very close to the outlet area. Check www.sbb.ch for the train schedule.  Some discussions can be found here.

2. From Zurich, I think you should head first to the French part of the country towards Geneva. To be honest there is nothing much to see in Geneva. Personally, it's not one of my favourite Swiss cities for various reasons. But, around to the lake there are some beautiful places - again try taking the boat, or combination of boat and train (in case time is a constraint). Close Geneva, there are also some cities worth visiting, Montreux and Lausanne. In the latter, try finding time to check out the Château de Chillon; worth a visit. 

3. On the way to the French part (or on the way back), you may want to consider also visiting the central region where you find the famous Lucerne (or Luzern) and the capital Berne (or Bern). In Lucerne, there are two popular mountain spots - Titlis and Pilatus. If you need to choose one, I suggest the latter. Slightly further down the region you will reach Interlaken where the famous Top of Europe or Jungfraujoch is - a bit expensive though to go up.

4. The best region for me personally is Ticino or the Italian part of the country. Don't ask me why, I just simply love it. Could be the language, could be the people, the landscape .. I don't know. May be the combination of all that. I'm not sure what's the shortest route to it from Geneva - again you may check at www.sbb.ch. There are a few places you should visit - Lugano, Locarno and Bellinzona (there are all close to each other - so perhaps you could use one as the base). There is famous factory outlet called the Foxtown you where you find all the designer labels at cheap to reasonable price. At the end of December there should be some Sales (after Christmas). 

IF YOU WANT TO BE REAL TOURIST, then consider the Glacier Express, only if the weather is good (clear sky and all that). If not, don't bother, not worth the cost. If you do, stay somewhere close to Zermatt; nice place - some pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shreky/sets/72157604230953438/with/2358386651/

That's pretty much what I think should be in the agenda. Enjoy ..:)

Where to find halal meat?

Aksa Halal Supermarket in Tiengen, Germany / Address: Hauptstr. 90
79761 Waldshut-Tiengen

For Muslim readers, halal butchers are not as common as in the UK or Australia. The fact that animal slaughtering is forbidden by law makes it not possible to source the meat from local farms. This is not to say that it is extremely challenging to get any halal meat. Given the small size of the country, the furthest butcher from where you live is still within comfortable driving range unless of course if you are in some remote village or up in a mountain. In major cities, one way or another one will discover at least one place that sells halal meat - imported from neighbouring countries.

The best would be to drive across the nearest border and get your supply from one of these countries. My apartment is only 30 minutes from a small German town Tiengen in which the shop depicted in the photo above is located. They sell fresh meat - chicken, beef, lamb and mutton - and open until 8 PM on most days. If you live around the area of Baden and surrounding vicinity this would be the place to consider. The price per kilo is way cheaper than Switzerland, and the best thing is that you get tax rebate of between 5 to 10% - who wouldn't want it.

See a friend's comments about the store and photos of produce it sells.

Need to renew your Malaysian passport in Switzerland ?? Here is the answer

Hello The One,

Thank you for your email.

You have 2 possibilities of having your passport renewed, you come to the Embassy and fill up the application form (signed and thumbprinted), attach 2 passport size pictures with navy blue background (3.5 x 5 cm), bring your current passport and Malaysian IC, as well as your Swiss Permit. Additionally you have to bring the copy of the payment from your bank. Payment of 50 British pounds must be paid to:

Malaysian High Commission
HSBC Bank
19 Grosvenor Place
Hyde Park Corner
London SW1X7HT
UK
IBAN: GB 51 MIDL 40031711144979
BIC: MIDLGB 2106 N
Sort Code: 40-03-17
Account No. 11144979

We will forward your application to London and it will take about 3 weeks till your new passport gets processed and sent back to the Embassy.

Your other option would be to fly to London and have your passport renewed there, if you come in the morning, it will be ready by the afternoon.

Should you decide to have it done here, please call me up so I can set up an appointment for you.

If you have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.


kind regards,

Eva
Ms. E. Bernhard
Consular Section
Embassy of Malaysia
Jungfraustrasse 1
3005 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. 031 350 47 00/ 031 350 47 10 (direct)
Fax 031 350 47 02
Email: malberne@kln.gov.my