My name is Jo and i'm an addict

these may not be to alot of peoples taste, but i am addicted to these. when i lived in britain i always had a weak spot for chestnuts, it was always my job at christmas to peel the roast chestnuts from their shells, eating the "not perfect" ones as i went along. Now i'm here i get to eat chestnuts.... but with sugar and most of the time with booze... truely this is a great country!!!

tomorrow's the day

tomorrow's the day i leave my job and say bye to my close friends. I start work at 7 and by half 2 I will be leaving travelodge forever (or until they open a hotel in central switzerland anyway!). Then in the evening my friends are comin round for a fondue evening. This being scotland, i've decided to do chip (sadly you can't deep fry fondue) for the fussier eaters. everyone in scotland loves chips and cheese!!!. Then i'll say bye to them and pray that they will still keep in touch: many have been my friend since i was 9, I'd hate to loose them now.

SORRY!!!

just want to say sorry to whoever sent me an email today regarding my profile. Well i think it was about my profile because that's all i managed to read when i accidently deleted it (it had gone into my junk folder!). so sorry for not replying and if you write back i promise not to delete again!:-)

English signs

English signs in foreign countries:

In a Bangkok temple: "IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER A WOMAN, EVEN A FOREIGNER, IF DRESSED AS A MAN."

Cocktail lounge, Norway: "LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR."

Doctor's office, Rome: "SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.

Dry cleaners, Bangkok: "DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS.

In a Nairobi restaurant: "CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER."

On an Athi River highway: this is the main road to Mombassa, leaving Nairobi. "TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE."

On a poster at Kencom: "ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO, WE CAN HELP."

In a City restaurant: "OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS."

A sign seen on an automatic restroom hand dryer: "DO NOT ACTIVATE WITH WET HANDS."

In a cemetery: "PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES.

Tokyo hotel's rules and regulations: "GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED."

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: "OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR."

In a Tokyo bar: "SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES WITH NUTS."

Hotel, Yugoslavia: "THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH PLEASURE IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID."

Hotel, Japan: "YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID."

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: "YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY."

A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest: "IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN ON OUR BLACK FOREST CAMPING SITE THAT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT SEX, FOR INSTANCE, MEN AND WOMEN, LIVE TOGETHER IN ONETENT UNLESS THEY ARE MARRIED WITH EACH OTHER FOR THIS PURPOSE."

Hotel, Zurich: "BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPRIETY OF ENTERTAINING GUESTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX IN THE BEDROOM, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE LOBBY BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE."

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand: "WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?"

The box of a clockwork toy made in Hong Kong: "GUARANTEED TO WORK THROUGHOUT ITS USEFUL LIFE."

In a Swiss mountain inn: "SPECIAL TODAY - NO ICE-CREAM."

Airline ticket office, Copenhagen: "WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS."

A laundry in Rome: "LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME."

shopping in Thun

I’m just back from Switzerland after another oh too short trip. this time it was a bit different as we didn't do any of the usual touristy things (apart from a trip to Basel) and I didn't even go up one mountain. despite the absence of tourist activities this was my fav trip yet.
We did normal everyday things like go into town and it gave me a chance to suss out the shops. I love the supermarkets, the choice is smaller (except for the hams.... never seen so much ham!!!) but the produce on offer is mouth watering. I also love that the fruit and veg look like they've just come from a farm and still come in odd shapes (you know the type; potatoes that look like lord lucan etc).
The things for the home are beautiful, lots of bright glass which is right up my street and so many kitchen things that look very exciting but I don't know what they're for (I love them anyway because I’m sure they're for making something yummy!). We ended up buying some gorgeous green glasses (which I’m praying are dishwasher proof) and a lovely snuggley fleece throw, perfect for Sundays watching the best of the BBC.
The jury's still out on the clothes, some are over designed which make them look like children’s clothing and I really don't like the shoes (although the trainers are nice). there are however, some very nice things if you look which I’m fantasising about just now. There was a very nice military style blouse and a stunning leather jacket. hmmmmm I’d better save my money for my next trip in to Thun.

that funny old feeling

the washing machine's busy turning, the carparking is booked, the email confirming my flight has been read about 20 times (and printed twice) and my passport is safely in my camera bag. i'm off to switzerland again!. i thought after my second or third journey i would be a bit more blase about it but i go through this routine every time! (this being my fifth flight there in just over a year). I've decided to live a little bit wildly this time and not ordered my currency, prefering to get it at the airport (although i do have 120 francs saved from last time just in case!).
i even have my little routine right through my journey: load up my car, say bye to my dog, recheck luggage in car, double check that passport and wallet is in camera bag, drive to dundee, stop just outside of dundee to fill up car. buy some breakfast, drive towards edinburgh whilst eating breakfast, sing wildly till i get to dunfermline when singing turns to loud cursing as I see the almighty tailbacks heading towards forth bridge, start to sweat as i start worrying about missing flight, get to airport and wonder why i was worried about missing flight when check in hasn't even opened yet, check in, go to loo situated between check in and departures, go to departures, look in dixons shop in departures and think about buying mp3 player or personal cd player (if i'm feeling retro), wait and wait and wait for plane, get on plane, hope and pray that old people eating apples aren't going to sit next to me and curse myself for not buying cd player before, convince myself that 11.30am isn't too early for a whisky and coke, eat FAR too much chocolate, fall asleep, wake myself up by doing something embarrassing (trying to catch flies or speaking in my sleep are favourites) look out the window to see the approaching mountains and feeling the butterflys in my tummy awaken. start getting annoyed that flight is taking so long. pass through geneva airport in a blur. get shouted at my a man in french, sit on the train worrying about what is at the end of my journey. visit train loo countless times on journey to check that my hair and what remains of my make up is ok, feel my tummy tightening to a knot as a see the toblerone mountain and the lake, see the blurs on the platform take human form as the train slows to a stop, get of train and feel the butterflys disappear as i meet the embrace at my journeys end.

why oh why do they change my fav' childhood treats?!. not only have they made cream eggs smaller (they say they haven't but we know the truth!) they have made twiglets shorter, now making it impossible to hold on to the end whilst sooking off the marmite!!. the worlds gone mad!!!!.