…with plenty of job hunts…I hope I can find more companies or at least hear from them…

…spinning…I must remember to predraft instead of rushing to do what the pros do. =.=

…and exercise, specifically more four/five hour hikes and evening brisk walks. I need to lose some weight (gained from every darn holiday trip!). BAH!

Because it’s the only way to get views like this…

Do click on the panoramic photos. If you don’t, you don’t know what you’re missing.

…It’s also one of the few chances one has to gawk and gasp at the loveliness of wild mountain flowers that come into full bloom in late spring…

…Lastly, it’s a great form of exercise.

Interlaken, here we come! Yes, if the weather is good, Nil and I will be hiking somewhere up in the mountains of the Interlaken (the ever famous Jungfrau) next weekend…

Apologies for the lack of photos; we were too busy eating to do anything else!

One of the many things Switzerland is known for is the ever humble yet ultra delicious fondue. The word “fondue” comes from the French word fondre which means “to melt”. It is basically cheese melted in an earthenware pot known as a caquelon over a small burner and the process of enjoying fondue is pretty fun and easy as well; just spear a cube of bread with a prong and swirl it around in the melted fondue mix for your cheesy find. Take care not to burn yourself when you’re attempting to put the hot cheesy bread into your mouth.

Fondue can be made with many varieties of cheese and toppings; this one is a moitié-moitié (half-half) which consist of Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois. Some people use Emmental or raclette cheese and then there is of course the chocolate fondue thing! You can even add in tomatoes or mushrooms if you like.

The preparation technique is similar to what is written on Wikipedia,

There are many kinds of fondue, each made with a different blend of cheeses, wine and seasoning, mostly depending on where it is made. The caquelon is first rubbed with a cut garlic clove, then wine and cheese slowly added until melted. A small amount of potato starch (or corn starch, cornflour or flour) is added to prevent separation and the fondue is almost always further diluted with either kirsch, beer, black tea, and/or white wine. The most common recipe calls for 1 dl (100 ml) of dry white wine per person and a 200 g mix of hard (such as Gruyère) and semi-hard (such as Emmental, Vacherin or raclette) cheeses. The mixture must be stirred continuously as it heats in the caquelon. Crusty bread is cut into cubes which are then speared on a fondue fork and dipped into the melted cheese.

Oh and try not to lose your bread while you’re dipping it, you might just end up having to either swim in the lake nearby or kiss someone!

Anyway, this dish is excellent during winter because of the hearty feel of the cheese and the warmth of the wine in it. Best to be eaten in a group of four - it’s more fun - but you can still chow on it with your partner alone. For those lazy buggers out there, fondue mixes are available in packs, usually for a serving of two.

Btw, how does one blog about speaker mounts? I’m beginning to run out of ideas - I just put mine on stands. O’well…

…and after unpacking (almost everything is out of the box except for the six arriving this weekend via my father-in-law) plus some sprucing up, here’s a look at the place now. The paintings you see in the photo(s) are gifts from my mother-in-law who is a painter by profession.

All photos were taken with a Canon Powershot 1S and a fisheye lens, courtesy of Nil, of course.

This Malaysian has a very different view of farms prior to coming to this country called Switzerland. The only sort of “farms” I was exposed to were more like paddy fields and orchards or dusuns. Most of the chicken and pig we do get in the country are bred commercially; and because they stink, you can’t really find them unless you go out of your way to look for them. Even when you do find them, they don’t exactly smell great. Most of the time, these breeding places stink to high heaven and the air is just stagnant.

In Switzerland, the countryside is dotted with plenty of farms with equally a lot of acreage. You can run into dairy cows, cattle, chicken, and horses just about 20 minutes (by train) outside Neuchatel. There is also a riding school nearby (where I used to live) but still, nothing beats seeing these farm animals out in the fields grazing away. Wait till you see a dairy cow stare you right in the face!!!! Those eyes and lashes are just mesmerizing…not to mention the fact that they can grow to about six feet in height from head to hoof!

A lot of these farms consist of a barn that houses things like horse supplies (or others), equipment, animals and naturally the house where farmers live in. In some instances, it can be just one big building; most of the time, it’s a plot of land with two large buildings next to each other. I am not too sure what the statistics show but many of the farms I saw during my hikes feature gardens where farmers grow some vegetable and seasonal fruits like strawberries.

Unlike Malaysian commercial breeders, these farmers allow their herds to graze in open fields; even the chickens have their own little space to run around in. The open grassland and wind helps minimize the smell of ammonia - cow dung is a fantastic organic fertilizer in case you were wondering. You’ll find that some farmers may even recycle dung for their vegetable and fruit crops.

I remember encountering the stench of a now-defunct pig farm in Puchong where my mum’s relatives were staying but surprisingly, walking through Swiss farms was a “breath of fresh air” (pun intended). Sure, you will find dung sometimes on the dirt path but the air smells of grass and not pee or anything else, which makes the hiking experience all the most enjoyable!

So honestly, if you’re ever in Switzerland and you have time for a hike, go for one and discover a little bit more about farming the Swiss way…at least from an outsider’s perspective.

In case you’re wondering why I would run into a cow during my hikes, be aware that hiking trails in Switzerland allow you to cut right through the middle of pastures and farms…but more on that another day.

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, there is a grocers’ market at the plaza just next to Place Pury, the centre of Neuchatel.

Unlike Malaysian markets which can get pretty big and messy, the centre only houses about 10 to 15 odd farmers with a variety of vegetables, fruits as well as artisan produce like cheese and bread. Meat is not sold at this market as cleanliness and hygiene is a big thing in Switzerland - you can find those at the local boucherie/charcuterie (butchery/delicatessen) nearby.

Nearly 100% of the produce sold at the market is grown locally and sold by the farmers themselves. You will find at least four to five different varieties of fresh lettuce, onions, potatoes, radish, carrots, aubergine (eggplant), capsicums, garlic, cucumbers and courgettes among other things. The fruits in season at the moment are strawberries and cherries but you can still find oranges, apples, and pears for sale.

In case you think this is all just about vegetable, it isn’t. On Saturdays, artisan produce come on sale - these include nuts, spices, bread, wild mushrooms and of course, cheese. Most of the cheese in nearby retail stores are commercially produced. The ones available are the market are made by small farm owners and/or imported in from neighbouring France (goat cheese is something you won’t be able to find in Switzerland).

And flowers…there will always be flowers on sale. There is a dedicated florist selling seasonal flowers and herbs but almost every farmer will have a little bit of blooms on for sale. These range from roses to lilas (I am not too sure what the English name is) as well as fresh herbs like chives, rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme.

The farmers are pretty friendly but do note that some French will be handy when asking for prices and quantities. It was my first time alone at the market today and I am definitely proud to say that I made it out just fine! Oh, and of course with three types of lettuce, eggplant, capsicums, courgettes and strawberries for the week. I might go again on Saturday with my father-in-law and Nil…I’d love to check out the flower stall!

Before you think that this is going to be a blog entry about Swiss practices and culture when it comes to food, it isn’t. This is about what happens when you cross the border into Switzerland; in my case, it’s from France.

We have known for quite a while that certain goods will be taxed upon arrival through any Swiss border, be it via train, plane or car. It doesn’t matter what passport you hold; although Nil swears that it’s easier to pass through customs without any problems with a French passport rather than a Malaysian one.

Just to give you an idea of things that will get taxed - meat (dried or frozen or fresh), dairy, seafood; basically anything will is costly in Switzerland and cheap in France.

Meat in Switzerland retails for anywhere between 39 CHF to 65 CHF (non-sale price) per kilo of either beef, lamb and pork, seafood is naturally a bomb because the country is landlocked, and cheese can go up to 20 CHF per kilo. Meat in Switzerland retails for anywhere between 7 euroes to 16 euroes (non-sale price) per kilo. I have yet to check out cheese prices but in general, things are cheaper in France (even geraniums retail for 2 euroes compared to 7 CHF).

Once you do the math, you’d realise that if people had a chance, they would do their grocery shopping in France since it’s just right next door. But naturally, there is a limit to how much you can buy - 500 grams of meat per person. It doesn’t matter if it’s dried, smoked, fresh or frozen. Declaring the excess will rake in 20 CHF per kilo from you. Of course you could try to smuggle some in but if you get caught lying, the fine would be more than just that amount.

We have gotten away with this a few times before but today was an exception. Upon entering from Le Locle (and heading on to Neuchatel), we got stopped at the border and as you guessed, we ended up paying an additional 50 CHF for nearly two kiloes of additional meat. He’s still beating himself up over it but me? I just find it amusing. Even after you add the fine, the meat is still cheaper!!!!!!!

So yes, the freezer is well-stocked and I’m looking forward to having some grilled lamb. *beams*

In case you need to be convinced that spring is here in Neuchatel…and naturally in my house…

Yes, it’s officially - I’ve caught the gardening bug. I wonder if I should start a category just for my plants…