Life. Don't talk to me about life...

Apr 8 1990

More Swiss facts...
If a Swiss guy decides he's not into learning about how to kill people, and doesn't show up for the mandatory X weeks of army duty, he goes to jail. If a swiss guy is living out of the country, and never intends on going back, he must pay a yearly fine for not doing his army duty.
ok, enough about fines...

Robyn Landers asked me about taxes. I can't, and never will figure out my pay check, and it's variable, and I don't ask cause I like the amount and think they gave me $500 too much last month. But I think I'm losing about 15% to taxes. Actually, I read something that suggests in my tax bracket, it's 10%. Probably the rest is church fines or something. I think I'm also getting an additional 3000+ sFr torture bonus on top of the normal 2000+ sFr torture bonus for having to live in Zurich. However, I just heard this rumor, that maybe Canada is going to take away the difference between what I would get taxed in Canada and what I get taxed here, when I get back. Which means I would pay around 30%, with a big lump sum when I get back. I also heard that maybe I won't have to do this if I stay away at least 2 years. Anyway, I really don't know.

I had mail long ago from Alan Bowler saying he couldn't believe it when I said I didn't want a car. I guess I lost it. Anyway, he's right. I want a car. Many cars here are small 4-seaters, with lots of room for the back seats, because the back seats are right at the back of the car with no trunk. My taste in cars seems to be changing for Europe. I'm thinking that something like a Renault 4-seater Turbo convertible is kind of neat. But there are a billion things here and I'm just starting to watch what drives by.

I went as a passenger in a small car with 2 other adults, 2 screaming kids and a large dog to Liechtenstein on Saturday. Because of the travel arrangements, it was partly hell, but I'm glad I went. It was the worst day to go. It was raining, cold and very little visibility. I've had this theory that Switzerland doesn't have mountains, and they just project images of them on the cigarette smoke. Well, now I know they're there. We accidently ended up driving up one with 20 ft visibility and couldn't get off. Its real easy to drive off the side of a mountain and kill yourself. The small town of Vaduz with the famous Shloss (castle) Vaduz that sits up on a BIG hill and overlooks the town, is a tourist trap and you see several signs or menus with English. I bet the waiters know the exchange rate on yen also.

The people are just like Swiss, don't smile and try to run you down while you stand in the pouring rain trying to cross the cross-walk. As an experiment, I just stood there while about 50 cars drove along and didn't slow down. The few people I talked to or overheard, spoke very good High German, which I could understand. Not the Swiss spitting exercises you hear here. My 'Lets Go Europe' book says they speak 'a dialect of German'. Anyway, the road up the mountain and the hiking trails are fabulous and I want to go back some day when it's nice and clear out. Oh, there is no border and I saw no way of figuring out when you end up in Liechtenstein.

To all of you who said, "Don't worry, you'll pick up German real fast". Oh yeah!?! What the hell do you know?!? Learning german is like your brains smashed out with a slice of lemon - wrapped around a large gold brick.

I made the mistake of buying a hamburger today. blech! Back to chicken for breakfast. It's hard to screw up chicken. Anyway, off on a quest for food.