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"No matter where I travel, or just how far I roam,
There's just no other place, quite as nice as home."

I'm finally home, after a 16-day trip to Switzerland. And boy it is wonderful to be back! Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't like Switzerland; the entire trip was a very enriching experience... a part of my journey that I will never forget. But being able to be home is a whole different ballgame. After the first week, I was already homesick and ready to come back. But I managed to stick it through! I tried my best to enjoy myself and made the most out of the time I spent there. Along the way, I've made some notes what I thought about Switzerland:

1. People here are generally nice. They are a lot nicer than I thought they would be. I guess I am drawing from the past experience I had with the French people in Montreal, Canada where everyone seems to have a staring problem. Here people still stare, but not as apparent. For the most part, people just mind their own business. Some of them are helpful and courteous. They do their best to help you.
2. Things are very clean. There’s no garbage anywhere. Even the public bathrooms are clean. The paid bathrooms in the train stations are exceptionally clean because they have janitors on site. Trains are older but still clean. People don’t litter, and they have janitors pick up any leftover newspapers and trash at every major stop.
3. There is a lot of graffiti. Somewhat ironic to the whole cleanliness deal. Every wall is marred by some sort of graffiti which is such a shame. I don’t know why there is so much graffiti here. I saw one guy actually spray-painting on a wall in broad daylight. Obviously, he’s not afraid to be caught.
4. They like to cook with high-cholestrol foods. Mayo, butter, chocolate and eggs -- in huge portions. The worst devil: Cheese Fondue. Fatty, but of course, tasty.
5. They are a big-on-dog country. Everywhere you go, people bring their dogs with them. I see dogs on buses, trains, in restaurants, everywhere. Most of them are so well trained. But it’s surprising to see so many of them in public places. That would never fly in San Francisco, even though SF is also a very dog-friendly city.
6. Things are very very expensive!! The starting rate of a taxi is 6.30CHF (which is about $4.15) That's more than NY! Vegetables at grocery stores are ridiciously priced. Everything from transportation costs to food to material necessities are so expensive. I wonder if people there make a lot of money. They must do, otherwise, everyone will be living in poverty.

These are the more interesting facts about Switzerland that I've observed during my time there. Until my next travels, I am glad to stay grounded for a while. There's nothing better than sleeping in my bed.