The Big Holiday - Zurich

Zurich - photo (c) Geraldine Thompson

Well, today I'm in Zurich, where I'm staying for two days before flying to Singapore on Tuesday. This is the day where I will see my new flat "in the flesh" for the first time and I'll finally meet the person who is renting it out to me. It'll be interesting to meet her after all the emails we've exchanged. Candice very kindly went and looked at it for me and she gave it the thumbs up.

Of course, this also means that I've bitten the bullet and I've paid my first month's rent and my deposit already. The hardest bit about moving to Switzerland is the initial expense before you've been paid. I remember my first month in my previous job - I'd spent so much that I'd ran out of credit on my credit card (and I was trying to be frugal)!

It took me 18 months to finish up all my Swiss admin when I got to Egypt and what did I go and do? Yes, I decided to work in Switzerland again and so I have to re-do everything. And then, the year after, I'll have to close everything down all over again. Oh what a merry-go-round life is! I also hope to be opening a bank account today (I think I'll try Migros bank this time round).

I've had a bit of a rude awakening to working life as I'd forgotten how things can change at the blink of an eye and you need to shift your priorities around as needed. At the time of writing, I've just been asked if I could start work a week earlier than planned because they really want me to be in Japan for a meeting on my original starting date (13th April).

It's exciting, as I like travel, but it gives me only 3 full days after returning from New Zealand, with jet-lag no doubt, to unpack, pack, reorganise my flight, etc. I've asked whether I can do the preparation for the meeting from Egypt (it would give me more time to pack!) and as I write (it's Saturday for me) I am waiting to hear back as to whether this will work out (fingers crossed) ....

I forgot to mention previously that the job interview itself was a reminder of working life, too, since my first interview was scheduled for 7am (yes, 7am!) due to the interviewer having to fly back to the USA that morning.  I am now reminded of the Swiss fondness for (what I consider to be) the early hours. My final interview was at 7pm, by phone, to fit in with the interviewer who was already in the USA. If you work, this isn't so abnormal, but if you've been out of it for a while, it does make you shake your head a bit at the madness of this world (that I am now willingly re-entering).

Oh well, it's all good fun at the end of the day and at least I got my mega-holiday in beforehand. It's good to know that I got my priorities right! I'll leave you in suspense as to where I'll be this time next week....(inshaahllah)