Building Relationships is harder for Expat Spouses in Zurich.  As I sat on a panel, I just got as far as saying, “I think…” when the other panelist gave her opinion. She probably didn’t notice that I was trying to say something, but for a moment, I was annoyed and thought, “How rude…”. And it seems to happen more and more that I am waiting an instant too long, and then it is too late to say what I wanted to say. I now notice how I have become a “Swiss person.” I may have allowed a younger and shyer version of myself to take over these days. Having lived here in Zurich for over ten years, I prefer to […]

When I had Covid-19 the first time in 2020 I was one of the first cases in Switzerland and advice was hard to come by. I created a guideline for myself and others: Top Nine Tips to Deal With Viral Infections. it’s four years later, and many times I felt I had COVID again, but I did not test positive anymore. Maybe the first time was such a huge dose that I am now WonderWoman (a secret escape fantasy I had after I recovered as WW was always my childhood superhero role model, and the movie “WW 1984” was supposed to be out at the same time, so I listened to the music during recovery). What I have noticed though […]

It had never occurred to me that a ballpoint pen is actually refillable. I did not even think that it was using ink. I was never a big fan of the biro, ball pen, or dot pen. How could you even have so many words to describe the same instrument? In high school, the taste and smell made me nauseous.  To motivate me to “get back to school,” I cleaned up all my desk drawers and found two hand-softening silver ink dispensers rolling over a ball. With these two, my handwriting looks as beautiful as that of Daisy, the kitten. Have you ever seen kittens handwrite? Me neither, but she came to mind, and it’s a lovely thought. She sports […]

A factor that is often underestimated in Global Mobility is the critical importance of developing global competency. As you probably understand already, the arena of Global Mobility is vast, and nobody will have all the answers for you. If you enjoy constant challenges and a day that never looks the same Global Mobility could be right for you. However, you also need to be very structured, focused, and analytical. For Global Mobility Lecturers like Angie Weinberger, it is a constant challenge to provide a curriculum that is based on the right career level and also deep enough. Most courses you will find about Global Mobility in your home country will assume the home approach and all the particular legal areas […]

Seven virtues for purpose, performance, and productivity are basic practices we can now implement after our summer holiday. Are you one of the people who comes home from holidays and feels depressed about returning to work? I also had this feeling a few years back, and I would like to know what you can do about it.  Rose petals sprinkled over my neglected Zen Garden, sunflower fields turned brown, and we started to turn on the lights in the morning again. When you get home from work, you don’t want to sit outside anymore as it is dark, but you might vaguely remember this feeling you had as a kid when you were playing hide and seek at this time […]