Beyond Chocolates and Cuckoo Clocks (Unedited Version)Edited version published on What's On Expat May-2006 Issue

Text by : Loraine Balita Photos by: Arlene Rossi

I will forever remember this country as the place which almost gave a me a heart attack.

I have never said ‘Wow’ and ‘Oh my gosh!’ as many times as when I was in Switzerland. Tourists are confronted with amazing natural beauty at every turn.

Up until my last days there, I was waiting for someone to shout ‘Cut!’, for the lights to go out and for people to start dismantling the set starting with the snow capped mountains, the perfectly mowed green grass carpet, and flower beds followed by the crystal clear lakes (swans and ducks included!).I kept asking myself if it was just a movie and everything was just put there on display, because it all were too beautiful to be true and too perfect to be real.

Being in Switzerland is being in the middle of everywhere. Landlocked in the heart of Europe, it is only a few minutes away from Germany in the North, Austria in the East, Italy in the South and France in the South West.

It has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh, which explains the long translations of ingredients and instructions at the back of chocolate bars and Swiss watch manuals.

Aside from army knives, cuckoo clocks and their uncanny ability to organize everything, they also boast of their excellent and reliable transport system. With trains, trams, boats and buses arriving on time. Hence you’d often see a marathon of women in four inch heels, desperately dashing towards the station, because trains and buses almost always leave on time. Not even Helen of Troy, who’s face launched a thousand ships could make a train here wait.

The Swiss Youth pass sold at major train stations enabled me to go around and discover what treasures this quaint little country has to offer, starting with its most popular resort.

St. Moritz : Top Of The World

The posh St. Moritz true to its reputation is a leisure tourist’s haven located on the Southern side of the Alps. Being in the middle of the Engandine region, skiers have access to local ski areas where snow is guaranteed. Other activities offered here include snowboarding, Sailing, Windsurfing, tennis, horseback riding, golf and even paragliding.

Not being a fan of any of these I went on to do what I consider is my favorite sport, the only exhausting and time consuming activity most girls can do—window shopping.

The town has some if not all of the most popular and expensive shops in the world. No wonder everybody walking down the street wore bumble bee-eye-sized sunglasses. Not only were these used to shield the eyes from sunrays reflected by the snow, it also serves its purpose of shielding the eyes from the blinding sparkle of rocks, gems and jewels, laid out on display inside glass windows in shops along the streets.

The stores lining the foot of the mountain made the place look absolutely surreal giving it an overall dreamy atmosphere. People from all over the globe, who’s got a little more to shell out, flock this place to relax and unwind.

From the laid back atmosphere of this ski resort, I moved on to see the more upbeat, busy, coffee frenzied town up North.

Zurich : World’s Banking Capital

With coffee shops at almost every corner, university students with bulging backpacks, trudging the city with their laptops, and men in business suits glued to their cell phones, swinging leather briefcases, you’ll know what this city is all about.

This is no place to spatter sun tan lotion and frolic under the sun. With its fast paced atmosphere, this city clearly epitomizes the Swiss’ passion for neatness, precision, punctuality, and hard work.

But despite the impression of Zurich being a city so prim and busy, I have discovered quiet the opposite.

It is the city where people would happily volunteer to take your picture, when they notice that you’ve been desperately trying to take a shot of your face with the background. It is where people would stop pedalling their bicycles to help you find your way back when they notice that you’ve been staring at the city map upside down. And it is the city where I met a friend who took some time off from school to show me around.

The best way to tour Zurich is on foot, which would give you ample time to marvel at the architectural treasures found within the city, starting with the Grossmunster church . Its twin towers now serve as the most recognizable landmark in modern Zurich. Devoid of its original embellishments and interior grandeur it still holds historical and architectural significance. It was founded by Charlemagne in the ninth century and it is where Ulrich Zwingli initiated reformation in Switzerland.

“You have clocks everywhere!” I exclaimed, as we went pass the fifth clock I’ve seen that day. The next one becoming the sixth, is Europe’s biggest clock face situated atop the St. Peter’s church tower.

Right across the Grossmunster is the Fraumunster church founded in 853. It is made popular by its magnificent stained glass windows by Marc Chagall designed in 1970.

My tour ended with a long walk along Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich’s main shopping street. It is famous for very high –end shopping at designer boutiques. Hence it is one of the world’s most expensive shopping streets.

From the German speaking part of Switzerland up North, I went down the next day to the South West, a few mountains away from France, where French is spoken.

Montreux : Chateau De Chillon

After going around the famous Olympic museum in Lusanne, I grabbed a copy of the ship route map from the tourist office and hopped on board one of those little ships cruising around Lake Geneva. With absolutely no idea of where to go, I decided to just enjoy the breeze and calm ripples of the water as the ship cruised its way towards its destination.

“This has got to be fake!” I continuously told myself when the boat approached the next stop in Montreux. A medieval castle built on an islet, facing a spectacular view ushered me to get off.

Snow capped mountains lined the other side of the lake with its feet gently dipped in the waters. Sunrays peeked from the mountain sides, caressing the surface of the lake making the water sparkle. Add that to the already astonishing view of Chateaux De Chillon (Castle of Chillon) makes a seemingly fake, right out of the postcard, scene that would make anybody want to rub their eyes in disbelief.

This, I thought would make the greatest reason to stay single, I could now say that I fell in love with a castle in Montreux. And just like discovering substance behind a pretty face, I discovered the historical significance of this place.

The rock upon which the castle stands is said to have been occupied since the Bronze age. Nobody knows when the first medieval walls were built, but it was partly enlarged from the 11^th to the 13^th century.

Francois Bonivard was held prisoner by the Duke of Savoy in its chilly castle prison. The earlier was a lay official at St. Victor’s priory in Geneva and was shackled here for four years because he was in favour of the reformation.

Bonivard was immortalised in the poem “ Prisoner of Chillon” . It was written in the 19^th century by Lord Byron who carved his name on the third pillar in the castle prison. Other 19^th century poets and authors enchanted by this castle include Shelley, Victor Hugo, Hans Christian Andersen, Flaubert, Mark Twain, and Charles Dickens.

The huge chambers and courtyards are filled with medieval finds and centuries old artefacts. Knight’s armours, swords, silver spoon, plates, treasure chests and paintings stood witness to the lifestyle of the Dukes and Counts who lived here.

“Now this explains why royal duchesses and princesses looked so slim” I joked as me and a group of tourists went up the endless staircase leading up to chambers and towers. Imagine climbing up these staircases everyday in those bulky long dresses, talk about exercise.

After days of going from North to South and East to West I decided to settle midway and discover the country’s capital.

Bern : Switzerland’s Capital- UNESCO World Heritage Site

Happily situated where German speaking Switzerland meets French, Bern is a melting pot of cultures and people. Going around the city, I discovered that here, there is also a mix of the old and the new.

Kids seemingly lost in time, in their low waist pants, I-pods and piercings are back dropped by 15^th century structures inside Bern’s old city.

The perfectly preserved limestone edifices, medieval arcades, and Rennaisance fountains convinced UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) to deem Bern a World Heritage Site, placing it among the ranks of Florence and the Taj Mahal. The nation’s capital is also home for the bundeshaus or the Swiss House of Parliament.

I must have spent half an hour staring at the St. Vincent Cathedral in awe. This gothic structure towers high above the rooftops in Bern. Narrow, winding stairs, which I thought was also never ending, lead me up the top of the tower where I had a perfect view of the entire city.

Wanting to satisfy the kid in me, I ran off to the Bern bear pits where European brown bears are kept. Here, for 3 Swiss francs (aprox. $2.5) you can feed these lazy, brown, fur balls whose only job is to be cute.

After running around in cities, I decided to get a glimpse of Switzerland’s Italian speaking part in the South East.

Lugano: Dolce Vita

Much of Lugano’s success as a centre of tourism can be attributed to its mild climate, moderated by the presence of lakes with a high proportion of sunny days. It borders Italy which is only a few minutes away by car. This lake-side city with its laid back atmosphere, intricately-adorned structures, and sunny climate, clearly has an Italian flavour.

Lugano offers an oasis of peace and beauty for people looking for a place to relax, away from the bustling cities and busy streets elsewhere. This is where people spend their hard earned cash for a ticket to indulgence.

Cafes, shops and restaurants line the lake side where outdoor tables and chairs invite tourists to soak up in the gentle heat of the sun. Unspoiled, lake side villages lay nestled at the foot of the mountain.

After hours of window shopping along Lugano’s arcades, I decided to take a long soothing walk by the lake side.

These were all too much for me. The colourful and sweet smelling flowers lining the walk, the soft green grass, the warm, calming wind brushing against my face, almost lulled me to sleep. And after only a few minutes of walking I finally gave in. I sat amidst the tranquil greens of the lake side park, soaking in the relaxing scent of the flowers. Resisting the urge to lie on my back, I told myself what this place would prompt everybody to say ; This is dolce vita (sweet life)!

After weeks of going around this blessed little country, my fun trip came to an end. Dragging myself lazily to the airport in Zurich, I took a last glimpse of the place. Just before boarding the plane, I smiled at one of the airport staffs, and whispered “You have absolutely no idea how lucky you are to be living in a place like this!”

***

Hackwriters.com The International Writers Magazine- May 2007
http://www.hackwriters.com/Balita.htm


Beijing and My Pseudo Sign Language Skills
• Anna Loraine Balita
Who says you can’t survive in a country where you don’t speak, read and understand the language? I did, for one whole week! Being an Asian in Beijing was not like going to a slumber party at the neighbor’s.


Just as how it is for any other foreigner, the Chinese characters on street signs all looked like chopsticks glued together to me. I too entered through exits and had to learn the art of pseudo sign language, pin pointing (facial expressions included) my way through a McDonalds meal. It was here, in Beijing where I learned to order food without uttering a single word.

Much has been written and told about the dynasties, the imperial palaces, and the vast history of this culturally gifted city. But not even the longest running Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee Kung Fu movies will be enough to let one truly experience the richness of Beijing’s heritage. There is nothing like seeing the intricate details of historic structures that movie cameras fail to put on film. And nothing beats walking along the same bricks and fortresses that the emperors and empresses once walked on.


My cultural journey started in the country’s most famous landmark. A mammoth structure spanning thousands of meters.


What’s so Great About the Great Wall?


This must have been the reason why I shed so many pounds during my stay in Beijing. The long walk from the Badaling gate section of the Great Wall up to the roller coaster-looking cable cars along some steep brick-covered floors almost made me give up and just wait in the shuttle. I was so sure that I was the youngest in the tour group but I was always left behind catching my breath, running and calling on them to wait up.

Metal creaks echoed around the dark cave-like structure that our seemingly theme-park-inspired cable car passed through, as it slowly inched its way up the steep wall. The excitement came to a halt upon reaching the top. We were all taken aback, silenced by the mammoth structure lining the mountain ranges like stacks of giant dominoes made of age-old bricks and stones. “Everything that the sun touches and your eyes can gaze upon here” I finally uttered while extending my hand to the right, “is not mine.” I continued in an effort to break the ice.


The Badaling section, we were told, was the earliest section to be opened to tourists among all the parts of the Great Wall. 130 Million tourists including 370 foreign leaders and famous people have come to climb this ancient military defense project used to protect the Juyongguan Pass. The watch towers sitting proudly atop the mountains provided tourists their well deserved shade after a few meters or so of walking along the brick-lined walls. “This must be the worlds most pictured wall”, I told myself as I watched tourists snap and pose behind, beside and all around the brick structure.


Descending was much easier as gravity pulled what’s left of my weight and my backpack down the Great Wall. Going back to the shuttle we eagerly showed each other trinkets that we bough on our way back. What ever happened to the legendary emperors who ruled this land hundreds of years ago? That question brought me to my next destination.


Ming Tomb’s Quality Control


Just like the Egyptian Pharaohs, the Chinese emperors’ belief in the afterlife pushed them to build magnificent tombs that now house their corpses and treasures. During the reign of the Ming Dyanasty, 13 emperors built palatial buildings and complexes in the Northwestern Suburbs of Beijing. These complexes were later called Ming Tombs. It is the burial site of 13 out of 17 emperors of the Ming Dynasty.


The day started with raised eyebrows from the wives in my tour group who gave their husbands pierced looks, after we were told that not only the empresses were buried here. A separate site was also reserved for the emperors’ concubines. The intricately ornamented structures house treasures such as gowns, costumes, weapons and coins displayed inside glass casings. These stand witness to how China’s legendary people lived on Earth.


Trailing behind the group I couldn’t help but notice the Chinese characters carved on the old bricks. “What are those Chinese characters for?” I curiously asked the guide. What he told us silenced the noisy crowd. These, we were told, are names and the locations of the people who made the bricks. This made it easier for the emperor to locate the makers who were called and punished, for every bricks that were poorly made. A form of quality control in the old times that proved effective considering how much these structures have withstood the tests of time. A maker would undoubtedly pour time and effort in every single brick if his life depended on it.


After shopping for silk cloths, plates and trinkets, the black and white stuffed toys displayed in stores reminded me of why I wanted to see Beijing so much in the first place.



Beijing Zoo: Happy Feet Has Got Nothing on Me


“Where can I see a panda?” I smilingly asked people around the hotel. I spent my last days in Beijing embarrassing myself, asking people where I can see those cute little black and white furry animals. I finally grab a hold of a map with the address of the nearest zoo and bugged the receptionist to write it down for me in Chinese characters.


I excitedly ran to the entrance, map in hand in search of my second most favourite animal. A clear glass separated tourists from the pandas. Stuffed toys lined the stores right beside the cage. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference because the panda’s looked like giant stuffed toys moving lazily around.


The Beijing zoo is home to 7,000 creatures of 600 different species including the giant panda, red-crowned crane and Pere David's deer-all unique to China. My Happy Feet hysteria then pulled me inside the part of the zoo where penguins are kept. Swimming around the waters, greeting and happily entertaining tourists behind the glass-covered aquarium, these famous little creatures were also a sight to see.


I spent grueling hours hailing a cab to get back to the hotel. My pseudo sign language skills finally got me a deal with a nice cab driver who smilingly drove me back. I was brought around the site where constructions for the 2008 Olympics are being made. One can just smell the excitement in the air as the locals anticipate the flocking of tourists from all parts of the globe.


Going around the busy streets of this city, covered from head to toe with only my eyes and frozen nose poking out the hood of my heavily stuffed jacket, I realized that Beijing at first glance is just like any Asian city catching up with the modern times. But not until I started observing details that it finally dawned to me. There’s more to Beijing than just the traffic jams, shopping frenzies, and sub-ways packed with chinky-eyed people. It is a city so willing to open up to the world and to modernity but is held humbly to the ground by its densely rich cultural heritage.


© A Balita May 10 2007 Anna Loraine Balita is a 23 year-old freelance writer taking up her masters in Applied Media Studies from De La Salle University in Manila.Online Portfolio: http://lorainebalita.blogspot.com/

Hackwriters.com
The International Writers Magazine- May 2006
http://www.hackwriters.com/Geneva4.htm

What Lies Beyond A Bar Of Chocolate
• Loraine BalitaThis, I thought would give me the perfect reason to stay single...'


Staring at a picture of the Swiss Alps behind a chocolate bar, I wondered how the real thing would look like. I imagined a real life Willie Wonka factory, with forests, meadows, and prairies abound with chocolate. Just before drooling on my seat, and chewing on the cabin crew’s arm, she called my attention and asked me to fasten my seatbelt, for we were about to land in Switzerland.

After weeks of going around this country, I discovered what really lies behind a bar of Swiss chocolate. It wasn’t Wonka’s factory alright, but it was so much better than that.


Montreux : Chateau De Chillon

"Chillon! thy prison is a holy place,And thy sad floor an altar - for t'was trod,Until his very steps have left a traceWorn, as if thy cold pavement were a sod,By Bonnivard! May none those marks efface!For they appeal from tyrrany to God" ---Lord Byron

“This has got to be fake!”, I continuously told myself when the cruise ship approached Montreux. A medieval castle built on an islet facing a spectacular view ushered me to get off.Snow topped mountains lined the other side of the lake, with its feet gently dipped in the waters. Sunlight peeked at the sides of the mountain, caressing the surface of the lake, making the water sparkle. Add that to the already astonishing view of the Chateau de Chillon (Castle of Chillon), makes a seemingly fake scene that would make anybody rub their eyes in disbelief.

This, I thought would give me the perfect reason to stay single, I could well say that I fell in love with a castle in Montreux. And just like discovering substance behind a pretty face, I discovered the historical significance of this place.
This castle was immortalized by the famous poet Lord Byron in his poem “Prisoner of Chillon”. Going down the chilly castle prison with its high ceiling and rocky floor, I found the place as creepy as it was interesting. Carved on the third pillar is Lord Byron’s name, who was inspired to write about Francois Bonivard’s ordeal. Because the latter was in favor of the reformation, he was kept shackled here for four long years during the 16th century by the Duke of Savoy. If being tied down to a wooden post by a heavy metal chain is not enough torture, the chilly atmosphere, cold stone floor and trifle amount of sunlight pouring in through only the thin loopholes on the walls of the dungeon, would have driven the prisoners then, half insane.

Climbing a few steps up the stairs brought me to a totally different scene. Chambers filled with medieval treasures stood witness to the lifestyle of the dukes and counts who lived here. Treasure chests, knight’s armors, swords and paintings adorn the halls and courtyards. “Now this explains why royal duchesses and princesses looked so slim! No elevators!”, I joked as I and a group of other tourists went up the endless plights of stairs, leading to the chambers and towers. Imagine climbing up these staircases everyday in those bulky, heavily embroidered dresses. Talk about exercise.

Medieval Murten

From a medieval castle to a medieval little town in Switzerland, I just couldn’t get enough of the interesting lives of Princesses, Knights and Dukes. The town of Murten has kept its charm and appeal with perfectly preserved towers, walls, streets, arcades and walkways that would surround any tourist who would want to walk back in time. You can almost see knights in horses passing by who would come to any damsel’s rescue. Snap back to reality and you’d see them in motorcycles, BMW's and Audis screeching along the age old bricks used in the streets.

Wondering just how strong the brick fortresses are, I kicked the wall just beside the tower clock. After breaking a French pedicured toenail, I realized just how stupid I was expecting the structure to crumble right before my feet. If these have been here since the medieval times, it could have well withstood even the strongest typhoon, snow storm and earthquake since those times. Silly me, thinking I was Goliath who could kick this edifices right off of their feet.And then

I wondered what these structures are made of, and why can’t we, the ultra intelligent, cyber people of the modern times build structures as strong as these? With all the resources and technology right at our disposal, equipment we can command with our every whim, still we make buildings out of pancakes with only syrup holding it together. Come tsunamis, earthquakes and typhoons these modern buildings would crumble to pieces.

After a failed attempt to read the bus route and directions in French and German and getting lost in the process of going back to the train station, I finally sat on the cozy train. In front of me was a man reading a newspaper with a red adverstisment on the back about a car show in Geneva. I then remembered a ticket given to me by my brother as a gift. Desperately searching through my backpack, I finally reached the bottom and was able to grab a hold of the red ticket for the Car show. Pulling it out of my bag, stuff falling out, I held it up and told the conductor smilingly that I’m off to Geneva.

76th Annual Geneva Motor Show March 2006

Packed with car aficionados running around like kids in a candy store, I barely was able to squeeze inside the venue. Feeling like a midget amidst a crowd of tall people drooling over the cars on display, I decided to join in the frenzy.

From the big muscle cars to the cute minis, they had everything on display there. Who wouldn’t want to drive them all? If these were pocket sized, I would have brought one home.The Ferrari’s stood out, as always, as well as the Lamborghinis and the uniquely designed model cars. Two entire floors were half filled with cars and half with ecstatic people, whose eyes were almost popping out.

Needless to say, I ended that day with a blast, thankful that I sat in front of the guy with the newspaper.And so my days in Switzerland ended. I would never look at a Swiss chocolate bar the same way again. Because beyond the chocolate bars, army knives and cuckoo clocks, is a country filled with historical treasures, breathtaking views, exciting events, and people with the uncanny ability to organize everything and a passion for neatness, precision, punctuality, and hard work

© Anna Lorraine Balita - May 2006pinkraine18@yahoo.com