Other stuff

I also wanted to write about a bunch of things that I saw or did over the past few weeks. Since I haven't been too good about my blogging I was trying to make a mental list and keep track of all the things I wanted to write about. Unfortunately, I can only remember a few things right now and I'm tired.

Briefly, I wanted to mention something I observed at the bar on Saturday night.
I saw two friends saying good-bye in the tradition Swiss way: Three kisses on the check or in the air with checks touching, beginning on the left side. After they kissed good-bye, one of the pair said good-bye to another person but gave them a hug instead; something I did with most of my American friends. Now, I always perceived the kissing as more intimate, probably because it was always done, compared to a hug, which is not always done with Americans but it can be with close friends. On this occasion, I realized that the kiss complete lacked intimacy while the hug was very intimate. The standard Swiss-Kiss seemed generic and cheap while the hug appeared to be special.

I guess I felt jealous of the Swiss-Kiss and wished American did it too. However, now I don't. I realize that the Swiss-Kiss is as informal as a hand-shake but takes more time and you have to get way closer to someone than you might want too! Just cut the crap and shake hands. It's faster, easier, and just as personal as a kiss. If you want to show intimacy, give a hug.

Humm....how many people have I offended with my blogs this evening?



One more thing I saw. After running the Solalauf race on Saturday (which is another blog for the future, if I remember) I took the train down from Oetliberg with Sarah. Two hilarious guys sat down across the isle from us. They could have come from a mental hospital with their sweat shirts tucked into their sweatpants, headphones connected to a cassette player, and unshaved faces making them look like mountain men. This aside, the two guys were lovers and displayed this fact openly on the train. It was so funny. They sat across from one another, leaning forward with their foreheads touching and Eskimo kissing, whispering sweet nothings to each other, all the while one of them kept his headphones on (Sarah said the play button was depressed but I didn't see). I wish I could understand Swiss German to know what they were saying. Two, straight looking men sitting next to the guys looked slightly uncomfortable once the petting began. One curled up in the corner, pretending to sleep while the other looked out the window. I really wanted to take a picture but that probably wouldn't be acceptable.

My theory on declining priest enrollment

I read an article in the Washington Post today about US Catholics and the declining number of priests. I want to write why I think there are fewer priests joining the Catholic church.

While our society becomes more open and liberal, shame, and also guilt, become less powerful. Years ago, when it was [more] unacceptable for a young woman to have a lover whom she did not marry, she might run off to the convent to hide from the shame of a failed relationship. A youth who committed some socially unacceptable act may join the priesthood or become a nun to hide from their guilt. Most significant in my opinion; a GAY or LESBIAN could find solace, companionship, and intimacy with another priest or nun while avoiding the social pressures to marry and have children. Whether a priest remains celibate or not is independent of their sexual orientation.

Today, it is becoming less likely that certain human behaviors will bring about such shame and guilt. People are more free to act in ways (which some may judge to be immoral) that historically were taboo. The result is that fewer people flock to become priests or nuns in an attempt to hide from their shame and guilt. Why join the priesthood when there are plenty of gay men in the laity?

Some suggest that the way for the Catholic church to increase the number of priests is to become more conservative and orthodox. This may well be true because it will cast all the gays back in the closet out of fear and homophobia from the Church!


Humm....what do you think?

The risk of coming late to work

Usually I'm the first one into lab and I hook the speakers up to my laptop and play music from my computer. This routine isn't usually a problem since my co-workers are completely passive aggressive and never say anything if they don't like the music. Occasionally, one of them will seem really flustered at the music that comes on and then finally request that I change it. This is no problem with me and I repeatedly have said that I can change the music and put something else on, including internet music.

(My library consists of about 4,000 songs which I have ripped from CD's or downloaded from the internet. The selection consists of indie rock, techno, some 90's and classic rock, electronic music, some top 40's beats, and a little hip-hop. I do not have any 80's music on my computer except for a little U2, Pink Floyd, and a few other select groups.)

Today, I slept in because I wasn't feeling well. (I think I'm getting a cold.) So, upon my arrival the speakers had been hooked up to a co-workers computer. Fuck! What a disaster. The music being piped into lab sounded like shit from the dentist. No kidding! "That's what friends are for" or "Oh happy day" come on? why would you even have those songs in your library as a twenty-something year old? This fuckin' easy listening rock is horrible!

Other times that I have come into labe late have resulted in a similarly fucked up music selection. The radio in lab can be tuned to local channels, but not very well. So, on more than one occasion I have come in to static being broadcast over the speakers. I ask "can you possible tune the channel so we don't have to listen to white noise?". I get a mumbled answer, indicating I can hook the speakers up to my laptop. This is so ridiculous. Music sucks in Switzerland!

What's happening to me?

Last night I went to T&M for the second week in a row. Now, it doesn't sound like anything exciting but I danced the evening away to hits by Kylie, Janet, J. Lo, and even old Tina Turner! Have I turned completely gay? It's bizarre because I am completely uninhibited while dancing to this music and I'm having a great time. Normally, I'd be annoyed or even turned off by top 40's gay dance music like this but I had so much fun moving to these songs and even singing along.

Maybe it's not appropriate for me to question what's happening to me like it's a negative thing. It could be internal homophobia which has made me dislike the kind of music at T&M. Maybe it's a good thing that I'm getting over it and embracing this side of my feelings and releasing myself...nahhhh that music sucks! (But I did download some Kylie today from the internet.)

When I was really drunk (again) last night, I decide that a new word for "no" should be "moo". My logic is as follows: In German people say "nay" for no, which in English is the sound horses make- neigh. I get a big kick out of saying "neigh" now when I reply to a question in the negative! (I asked a friend what sound a horse makes in German and it wasn't "neigh".) So, since I'm in Switzerland and everyone loves cows, we should say "moo" instead of "nay". I know, kind of stupid, but funny to me none the less- and humor is the only thing keeping me going here.

Ok, for reference, the sound a horse makes in German is "hü-ü-ü-ü-ü"
A cow in German makes the sounds "mmuuh"
For more animal sounds see
http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/ballc/animals/animals.html

Better day

As I predicted, today was better. I was totally frustrated yesterday because of work but now, at the end of my work day, I feel much more contented and relaxed. This feeling partially arises from the fact that I got my boss to give me the equipment I wanted. Also, I got to vent to Colin on the phone and I found sympathy with a co-worker. I know it just takes me a while to cool off.

For some reason I feel like I should refer to work related things in vague phrases and without using peoples names. This is partially out of fear of retaliation should a co-worker read my blog (it seems very doubtful that someone at work would read this since everyone is European and I don't think blogs are too popular in Zurich). Maybe, since I believe in not editing anything I've written I don't want to completely offend anyone or create a permanent record of my complaints. The latter seems closer to the truth and it somehow bothers me.

Reflections on my blog are not something I have done. However, I think I should come back to the previous paragraph sometime and determine what I mean by it.

I'm off to swim.

Getting fed up

Today at work was typical. Now I know I sound like a bad mechanic who blames his tools, but I have to vent somehow!

My reaction today failed because I believe my equipment sucks. When I try and get better equipment I get the total run around. My co-works point me in ten different directions before I get a consistent answer. The so-called lab manager will never let me buy anything I need because he thinks everything is fine. If this is the case, then he should come show me how to use it correctly, fix the broken stuff, or let me buy new stuff. I am totally wasting me time here.

I want to finish my work before I go back to the USA but days like these make me want to toss in the towel. I don't understand why I have to constantly fight for things that allow me to do my job. I can't apologize for wanting to work and be successful, and for getting things done in a timely manner.

Now, I just want to drink a beer and go home but instead I'm going swimming with very the person who makes my life the most difficult at work.

I am now making a list of things I like at work. It's a short list.

I'll feel better tomorrow.