On my computer, there’s a long explanation of what I’ve been up to the last week, but it’s 4 pages long, and I feel like it’s a bit exasperated, and unnecessarily detailed. Instead here’s a few pictures and words.

It’s kinda like Seattle, but there are far more laws, and people don’t speak English [to you automatically]. I’m living with a girl named Natalie, and a boy named Yirk (sp?) in Enge, a neighborhood in the northern part of Zurich. Yirk isn’t around much, but Natalie is. This week she and her boyfriend Alex took me out to a club in Zurich, as well as a few bars. They’re both really hip and interesting, so there’s always something we can talk about. I also started work this week at Google. They put me through orientation, got me drunk, and gave me a hat.

On Monday, a bunch of newcomers, interns, employees, etc. went to this guy Stéphane’s house for a housewarming party. I was crazy tired from the jet lag, and headed home a bit earlier. I passed through this on the walk home.

On Saturdays, there are these big flea markets. I saw a bunch of neat stereotypical Swiss things, but mostly, the flea markets are where people sell things they don’t want anymore, be it may that they are incredibly legit.

or incredibly creepy

After wandering around two markets for a bit, I headed to H&M to pick up some essentials, then rode down the west side of the lake on a free borrowed bike, until I was near Horgen.

The thing that stood out more than anything else was this place called Rote Fabrik. It’s this cultural center, that’s covered in graffitti, and hosts concerts, films, workshops has spaces for artists, etc.

I think this was my favorite piece on the building.

Rote Fabrik also has a few pretty paths because of a couple adjacent parks. It’s right on the water, and they have swimming in the summer, like many places on the lake.

Other highlights

• Learning Swiss German… hasn’t happened yet.
• Jeff and I are going to Melt! Festival next weekend
• I saw a swan for the first time!
• I went to my first European club, Alte Börse where I realized Europeans have a variety of tastes in electronic music.
• I’m going kayaking tomorrow (hooooray!) alarmclock fail :(

Ciao!