"It's like hell, just more expensive..."

That was the subject line of the "IMD Diary" yesterday. Two IMD-ers, Catherine and Mathieu, have volunteered to write the daily e-newsletter in order to give friends and loved ones a window into the lives of overworked and sleep-deprived tycoons-in-the-making...although sometimes that window is better left shuttered, I think. ;) Here's the link (which you'll have to paste in your address bar) to the diary: http://www.imd.ch/programs/mba/programstructure/mba_diary.cfm?

I was having a similarly un-fun day. I have, since we last spoke...
- botched (although also potentially fixed? not sure...) not one but TWO rent payments for Ian via bank machine wire transfer (noting here that Swiss banking is quite complicated!)
- burned myself on the stove
- blown the apartment fuse again
- been subject to periodic and inexplicable stink of apartment -- maybe something to do with the Metro construction outside? Hmmm sulfur....
- had a small meltdown as a result of all the above, triggered by not having change for the bus

I regained my confidence/sanity by meeting up with some IMD wives this afternoon and I got around the city just fine, thank-you-very-much, which has helped me to realize that, no, I am not failing life...just Swiss electricity. We were quite the international coffee klatch: Leila, originally from Iran, now living in Toronto, Raquel from Brazil, and Shweta from India, via a few years in Germany. As weird as it is to be a lady who lunches, it is actually rather comforting to talk with people who are having similar experiences, and it's fun to have people to go sight seeing with. Lausanne is quite small -- and today quite gloomy! It's true, Brenda! -- so it's just the right size to cover in one afternoon. (Yes, that small.) We saw the Chateau (top left), which now houses administrative offices for the government (exciting!), and the Cathedral (at right). I also saw another example of ingenious Swiss architecture (bottom left), one that I might remember for Mr. Banana. Yes, folks, that is a very elaborate cat ramp you're looking at. If only Banana had somewhere to go other than College Street, I might consider such a creation.

And now to the Migros for dinner materials! Migros is a kind of super store that, as near as I can tell, sells everything. Factoid: It is also one of the largest employers in Switzerland.

Amazing, I know.

Laura of the Alps