More Rules

Today, Mom went to a meet and greet at the American International Womens Club all by herself (big deal). She was nervous, but met some new people and even decided to join a group which does various outings, next week in Geneva. She even went to the grocery store by herself once last week. We're taking baby steps here!

A week from tomorrow we will be heading to Barcelona and a few surrounding towns for five nights. I am in charge of planning this one, so we'll see if I pass the test and meet Mom's standards! (I will). Then we will be home for two weeks before heading to Ireland for almost two weeks. We will be in Dublin on St. Patrick's Day, just Mom and me so I told her she better get geared up because it is going to be crazy.

I have received two letters from the Swiss Cantonal Office (used to be in the building next door that has been torn down). They are written in French but from the parts I can make out they are requesting that I announce my arrival (required of all new residents) and pay 135CHF and bring my passport and two photos to get an ID card. Of course, I am not a resident here because they would not approve me for any type of Visa. I'm not really sure how they even know I am here but they have their rules and they want my money! We'll see how this will work out, but Dad's work is writing a formal letter that I am not here to live, only to visit. Technically, however, tourists are only permitted to stay for 90 days without a visa. They issue tourist visas, but they only issue them for 90 days (how does that make sense?) so if they really get on me I think I have to be out of the country for a month once my 90 days is up in April. Which is fine, but how would they know? (As Maureen said, I'm on the International Grid!) Maybe if I got my passport stamped, but traveling within the EU so far they have not so much as even asked for passports (even though Switzerland is not a part of the EU they allow the free movement of people with EU countries). The Swiss have rules for everything and none of them make sense. For example, you can't get a work visa unless you already have a job here. But if you come here as a tourist and get a job, you are not permitted to apply for a work visa until you have left the country. Logic doesn't matter, only rules!