February 2008, Tokyo, Japan

First trip back to Tokyo in many years. At the business dinner, guess who is the only one not wearing a grey suite? The video arcade, Mitoya has closed and the Kinnikuman rubber erasers we yused to collect are now worth lots of money, but the stuffed manga shops, plastic food, crowded intersections and giant yellow pachinko man bring back memories.

January 2008, On top of Mount Rigi

If you visit Mt. Rigi, sticking your head in the Heidi cutout is required.

Sledding is more fun and more treacherous than you would imagine.

Kevin maturely soaks up the culture at the glass blowing museum...

January 1st 2008, Barcelona, Spain

Kevin and Jess come to visit for New Year! Jump in a car drive through France and Southern Spain to Barcelona! See Traci and Chris there. Awesome city. Churros hot chocolate, the mouth of the Mediterranian. Ask any Barcelonan and they will tell you, Gaudi is the greatest architect EVER!

December 2007, Fribourg Switzerland

Let it be known that Michelle never passes up an oportuinty to sip the Fonk Juice!

Fribourg in December is a cold place.

Just outside of town in a mediocre Swiss castle lies the HR Giger museum. Who would have thunk it?

November 2007, Paris is for Segwayers

Michelle is unclear on how much fun she is about to have but is soon driving circles around the pack. No turtle mode here!

Segways, ferris wheels and the Eifel Tower, all the while Napolean sleeps...

November 2007 Northern Italy = Food and Truffles !

Michelle kindly tkaes photos as Shari, Seanm Maggie and I pose next to delicious Italian treats.

Sean looks like he knows what he is doing at the truffle market...
while I do not.

I was not expecting it, but the food in Northern Italy may have been the best Western food I have ever tasted.

Cindy visits Switzerland

After Amsterdam we had the pleasure of hosting Cindy for a short visit. Look how much fun she is having! If you were to visit Switzerland, you could have this much fun too!

Amsterdamage!

A few weeks ago me, Michelle, Cindy and Sandy met up in Amsterdam for a short vacation. Amsterdam is a great city. To plan the perfect Amsterdam trip, start with a traditional pancake breakfast; continue on to a nice meal and lots of wine. Enjoy the night scenery including lamp lit canal views and the local porn shops. If you plan your evening right, by the end of it, the Monkey with the Toilet Paper on his head will make perfect sense to you.

Venice

You know, Venice is not just Canals, Churches, and Boats men singing that "Moon hitting your eye like the big pizza pie" song. It is also home of a thriving art scene. Renaissance women giving me the finger. Bugs Bunny sculls. Commie cars. I like it.

Viv's Visit

One of the nice things about living in Europe for the year is receiving visitors in Europe! Soon after Michelle, Maggie and I settled into our apartment in Arth, Switzerland… Vivienne arrived!

Having braved the long flight from Singapore and having never visited Europe before, Vivienne was eager to explore not just Switzerland, but italy as well.

Cinque Terra (Riomaggiore)

Pisa!

Making friends in Zug, Switzerland!

Hotel Berggeist we barely knew you...

June 1st, 2007

After three months in quaint little Penzberg, Germany, Michelle, Maggie and I are joining the 10,000 residents of Arth, Switzerland full time! Arth may be a significant distance from San Francisco, both culturally and physically, but it sure is pretty! As you can see, Maggie is quite the happy Swiss Miss!

Paris bound.

Just because I am stuck in Penzberg, Germany with Roche, there is no reason that Michelle should not take advantage of living in central Europe, right? Michelle thought long and hard about this, wrestled with the decision, then decided to go to Paris for a week without me. From the picture on the right you can tell how much she missed me while she was gone.

Croatia and Slovenia

Michelle, Maggie and I were able to get away from Roche, NewGen and the Penzberg - Arth shuffle long enough to visit Croatia and Slovenia.


First stop Pula. On the tip of the Istrian peninsual in Northern Croatia.


View of the Adriatic Sea from the hotel room.








Roman Coliseum from the 2nd century BC in Pula, Croatia.

















Dragon guarding one of the many bridges in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Roche! Switzerland! Germany! Oh my!

After a short discussion with Michelle (do it! do it!) we have decided to accept a reassignment by Roche and to live in Switzerland and Germany for one year. Packed our bags, said our (temporary) goodbyes, shoved the dog in the crate and away we go!

As soon as we were out the door Jon and Sarah booked their flight to visit. Apartment in Arth, Hotel Berrgeist in Germany. Roche in Penzberg Germany. Roche in Rotkreuz Switzerland. NewGen. Sample Prep. Blood Screening.

Mountains. Lakes. Snow. Spring. Autobahns. Trains. Gruzzi!









Arth, Switzerland
















Penzberg, Germany














Gender bending on Mt. Rigi, Switzerland.