Hi

This place came to me as the natural place for posting my photographs, which is becoming my only hobby off late.

I love to shoot.

Another weekend..

Another weekend, came and passing by...

Watched 3 movies in span of 20 hrs... Read about 250 pages, skipped three meals, read dumbly Spanish formula 1 race commentary on website (not having TV that was the best option)...

So, that sums up my weekend here... Sunday is turning out to be pretty sunny as against the forecast. Initially I thought that the forecast in smaller countries are better than larger countries due to the difference in sheer geographical area to be covered by the forecasting system. Well, it seems Switzerland has its own reasons to have "not-so-accurate-forcasts". Perhaps being hilly is one.. i don't know.

I have started contributing to wikipedia now. It gives me just another option to while away my time. Today I realized another facet of the global village we are becoming. I updated something at some point in time, and within 5-7 minutes, my entry was not listed in the last 500 updates. That really shows the popularity of the site, in addition to haw many people are contributing to the site... Interesting...

Suddenly I am liking devotional and slow music more than anything. Today morning I repeating a particular "song" about 4-times before switching to another one. Perhaps the softness embedded in the music was attracting me.

I hope she receives her flowers in time. Will love to hear her after she receives the bouquet. :)

The Swiss Family Visa : Start of an Issue...

Its been frustrating and at times depressing.

Living alone in a distant country just after a few months of your marriage is not the best ideas. Many a folk have said something or other in the disagreeing way, the way i have let down my family life for the sake of job or saving some money.

Well, I have my own reasons. and possibly defendable too. Can't really say. Coming from where I do, money is a very important social tool. As much globally recognized fact as it is, money is close to your best friend when you are out of the circle of warmth of family and friends.

Well, that was the first thing that drove me, but then the charm of living and working in Switzerland was even bigger. Living in THE most beautiful country in the world. WOW. That was my first reaction when I heard about the possibility of the assignment.

On top of all that, none of us imagined that it will take so much for a spouse visa process. Really, there have been some gross mistakes from the employer's side as well. The 'wonderful' never really enquired about the process of family visas and all that. They didn't even know the differece between L and B permit, except the fact that one is unlimited to the conton whereas other has a cap on the number.

That was purely business perspective. Get the guy here, get the billing started and let everything else come second. Inspite of having a 6 year strong relationship with this employer I could not force anything better than the current situation.

At times I feel myself responsible for the situation I have put myself and my family in. Though I know its not entirely my fault, but then what do I gain by pointing at others... What we have been taught in our upbringing is "look at ur own fault first, then point to someone else".

I am close to finishing the "The Pillars of the World" (by Ken Follet), and at times I compare myself to the situation Jack and Aliena had. In Love, married and still forced to live apart. There the villain was the church and one bishop and here its my "great informed" employer and the processing system.

Today, I added another level to my contempt of the officialdom. When I tried to reach the embassy officials in my home country to ask them the status of the situation, the gently female voice told me that the concerned person is not in office today and I should call again on Monday. Well at this speed, perhaps her visa processing can finish by the time I am planning to wind up here.

Going this way, only god can intervene and do something. Well, she is a very religious girl, perhaps someone up there is listening to her prayers and will do something. I am literally at gos's mercy... his will...

First Time in Switzerland

Hi,

I have been earlier in Switzerland... although on a two week business trip. A very short very busy and focussed trip.

That trip perhaps laid foundations to my long term assignment here.

Arrived here on 27th March. Wife had to come asap after that.. awaiting only visa...

Then came the bang... i was given an L permit by my employer and the authorities said that on an L permit its not allowed to bring in your spouse.

Busted, redfaced with anger, I approached my management and they realized what they have done.

They agreed to convert it to a B but it took about 5 weeks for my B to come through. After that my wife's processing started. Its supposed to take 4-6 weeks more before she can get her travel documents in her hand. And this is another estimate. really...nothing more than that.

I tried my employer requesting the officialdom to speed up the process. I teid almost every tact, even the threat of quitting if its not done in good time (what that means is still a mystry for myself..). And they have agreed to shoot a fax to the concerned embassy... but.. nothing more than that... lets' see what happens...
I wonder how may have faced same kind of situation.

German discussion using Google translater

Well, it was fun and heroic.

I don't know any German. And this girl I had to speak to over telephone knew no English. Now, since I had to talk to her to get the right information out, I had to do something, and there came in Google Language tools -> Translater.

I had to type in the English in the translater and then ask it to give me the equivalent german, and then I tried to pronounce those words as good i could. It was tedious, frustrating, but I have to praise the girl, Lischer, she didn't put the phone down. I tried and she allowed the time to do that.

Eventually, we managed to converse (badly though), but the experience was just great. Trying to convey something to someone who knows nothing of ur language and vice versa.

Great.

Its snowing again

Hi..

Its snowing again since today morning. Not the heavy kind of snow, rather rain that converted itself to snow later in the day.

Its getting colder by the minute. And slowly but steadily, the snow deposits on top of bushes by the pedestrian areas, or gardens and car-tops etc are getting snow covered white.

The weather was supposed to get colder and rainy but as much as this.

This looks wonderful and beautiful too...

In Winterthur Again

Hi.....

I am in Winterthur again, perhaps for a longer term this time.

Arrived yesterday afternoon, I had to face a little problem due to a incorrect (possibly) train suggestion from an official at the office (train office). Carrying about 40Kg of luggage, I was made to switch trains in between a trip that normally takes about 15 minutes. Poor me.. Used all my energy in carrying that load of luggage from platform x to enquiry and then to platform y.

Other than that, life is good. Here, things are much better in terms of weather this time. Its pretty sunny, and not COLD at all. Its very much like Feb/March of Delhi/India, where you can roam around in a shirt and a simple sweater if you wish to have one.

Joined office, still to get in the mould though. Still managing infrastucture stuff in and around the place. Currently staying with a friend, but plan to rent an apartment myself. With a view to bring family along.

Well, let's see how it goes.