Bill of Health

In the US, health insurance is a hot button topic.

Here in Switzerland, it is a matter of due course.

When we moved here to Switzerland we were on an expat contract that provided us with international insurance. But when we switched to a local contract, we had to get local, Swiss insurance.

By 'had to', I mean it is required by law. Health insurance is not a benefit offered by employers.

"Healthcare in Switzerland is universal and is regulated by the Swiss Federal Law on Health Insurance. There are no free state-provided health services, but private health insurance is compulsory for all persons residing in Switzerland (within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country). 
 
The whole healthcare system is geared toward the general goals of keeping the system competitive across cantonal lines, promoting general public health and reducing costs while encouraging individual responsibility.

Health insurance covers the costs of medical treatment and hospitalization of the insured. However, the insured person pays part of the cost of treatment. This is done by means of an annual deductible (called the franchise)."

For us we have a 2,500CHF (comparable to USD) deductible for Joe and I. Maureen has no deductible until she is over 18. But we only pay a 670CHF family premium for all 3 of us per month.

Does this insurance model remind you of anything? Yep, it is the same as the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare.

Weird, right?

Now, the Swiss are not ones to let things go if you don't follow the rules. A couple of months ago I told you about the local newspaper whose news stories are generally cautionary tales. Recently they published an article about "a so-called blacklist of people who fail to pay their health insurance premiums or the fees for treatment they have received". Incidentally, in Canton Zug, the number for 2018 was 437 people.  No misdeed goes unnoticed....

Today's poem is a glimpse at what could have been:

Swiss health insurance 
you are now aware
is what the US would have
if they kept Obamacare

©2019, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.

Sink-y Stinky

The Swiss are BIG on waste management.

I have blogged here before about the elaborate systems the Swiss have for dealing with household waste and recycling.


The Swiss have thought of everything except what to do with the sink waste. You know, the scraps of cooked food that are left on plates or in pans after eating and cooking.

In the US, one would usually just run it down the garbage disposal, but here, no way. Swiss law prohibits such devices from being installed in sinks.

The reasons are three fold: one, the sink hole and adjoining pipe are simply too small.

1CHF for scale (about the size of a quarter)

Two, the underside of the sinks here physically have no room to accommodate an InSinkErator-type device.

No room.

The trash and recycling system only fits here.

And the third reason is they do not have the infrastructure for the treatment of such wastewater like in the US.

I do have to say that I love the Swiss bio waste system. Any raw bio waste we generate is immediately disposed of in our green bio container under the sink.

When it is full, we bring it to the bio waste container that our building provides.

The truck should be coming soon..

Then once a week, a bio waste truck comes and picks it up for regional composting.

But then the question becomes, what to do with kitchen scraps that are not bio waste?

For example, this gunk was left in our sink after dinner/dishes one night this week:

Our solution is seasonal.

In winter, when the world outside our door is a freezer, we keep a bag with all the potential stinky waste that can not be recycled: meat containers, chicken bones, and of course, cooked food scraps.

Outside on our balcony.

Waiting to be put in the trash.

And in the summertime, we use precious freezer space to freeze our stinky kitchen scrap trash (a practice that was inspired by Joe's late Grandma, Martha :)

Martha would be so proud.

Today's poem is a reflection of different parenting styles depending where you live:
U.S. Mamas always say
"no fingers down the drain"
for if you do
you risk potential pain

Swiss Mamas have 
no need for alarm
wee fingers will not fit
thus risk no such harm

©2019, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.

Burrito Crawl

I have lamented here before about how much we miss burritos.
US burritos.
US, cheap burritos.

On our recent trip to the US we decided to challenge ourselves to eat a burrito a day for the entire time we were there. We even rated them.

(All ratings are out of 10 possible 🌯 's. Many were shared with Joe or eaten over the course of two meals.)

Warm Up Day 1: Chicken Burrito from Chipolte
(doesn't count as a real burrito because it's from, uh, Chipolte).
No Picture Available
Rating:

🌯🌯

Day 2: California Burrito from Over the Border

Rating: 
🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯

Day 3: Smothered Chicken Burrito from Ztejas

Rating:
🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯

Day 4: Beer Battered Fish Burrito from Illegal Pete's

Rating:
🌯🌯🌯🌯
(Some things shouldn't be put into a burrito.)

Day 5: Chicken Burrito from Taqueria Mi Casita

  
Rating:
🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯 (a clear winner!)

Day 6: Chicken Fajita Burrito from Frank and Lupe's

We're beginning to reach...

Rating:
🌯🌯🌯🌯

Day 7: Breakfast Burrito from Taco Rocco's

...our satiation level.

Rating:
🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯

Day 8:No Burrito

Day 9: No Burrito

Day 10: No Burrito

Day 11: Carnitas Burrito from Taco Rocco

We threw in the proverbial aluminum foil.

Rating:
🌯🌯🌯🌯


Days 12-14 No Burritos  - Burrito Crawl officially over. At that point we moved on to pursuing other culinary treats that we've missed since living in Switzerland. 

We had:

Cheerios

In-N-Out Burger

Sour Cream and Onion Chips

And HUGE turkey legs!

We came back from America with our burrito (and junk food) cravings thoroughly satisfied. Glad to be able to only indulge when we visit.


Today's poem is a shout out to our faraway floured friend, the US, cheap burrito:
warm fillings
spicy taste
causes cravings
tortilla embrace

©2019, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.

Celebrating 2019...

...by reflecting on 2018!

We've had many blessings, visitors, and adventures this past year, here are some highlights:

January

Fireworks in Luzern

February

Fasnacht parade in Zug

Visit to a Chocolate Factory

Snowshoeing!

March

Switzerland: Gnome Sweet Gnome.

We celebrated my mom's 90th and had a Uhlik Family Reunion in the US, but I somehow don't have pictures to document these events. :(

April

Celebrating Colleen's birthday in the US.

Gondola selfie in the Alps.

May

Euro FUZ-Moto visitors: Joe's brothers, Chris and Matt, Niece Nicole and Oliver, and Uncle Jerry.

Trip to Munich (and a German castle in countryside.)

June

Cherry Festival in Zug.

First trip to Prague.

Visiting with my brother, Joe, and his wife, Maria in Zurich.

We also had very special visitors, Joe's mom, Joan and her husband, Bernie, but somehow we did not get photo documentation of their visit either! Another photographic fail. :(

July

Knife making at the Victorinox factory. Warning on knife didn't help, I actually cut my hand the one and only time I've used my knife. It's hard being me...

Heat wave...ugh.

August

Second trip to Prague with Anna, Dave, ...

...Katica and Tim.

September

Personal tour of London by Dave and Anna which included a visit to the m&m store - my happy place.

Visit from my sister, Helen.

Selfie on Lake Zug.

October

Birthday lunch in Milan!

Mo's Halloween costume: can you guess who she is?

November

Move to our new flat in Hunenberg See

Celebrating Thanksgiving eating turkey flavored chips on a train to Zurich to eat overpriced burritos!

December

Trip to the US to see a lot of family, but most especially, Colleen!

We traveled to the US for two weeks and saw a ton of family, but again, my deficient ability to remember to take photos foiled me again! Arg!

I've mixed up a special Resolution Recipe poem for your enjoyment. En Guete!

Ingredients:    

1 cup goal

a dollop of optimism

a dusting of humor

a pinch of courage

​a heaping spoonful of resolve
and as much Swiss chocolate as necessary

 

Directions:

Mix all together,
simmer on low.

Take baby steps -

remember, go slow.

 

If you falter
and​ things boil over,

just recommit
and start over.

 

When others doubt

with their audacity,

focus on your goal -

keep your tenacity.

 

Serves: yourself. 
©2019, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I plan to bring you more news and adventures from Switzerland in 2019. Thanks for joining us on our journey.
xo,
B, J, M and S

 

Nutty Christmas

Merry Christmas!

I apologize for not posting for a bit, but we've been traveling in the United States to visit family as of late. 

We first visited Arizona:

 And now we are in California:

My favorite part of being in the US is seeing family - especially my Colleen!

My Co and Mo - sisters through and through.

 And as 2018 ends, the year would not be complete without our annual Magee/Uhlik Nutshell News. Enjoy!

*as written by Joe

Thank you for sharing our family's journey on this blog, dear reader. I appreciate every click and comment. From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

xo,

Bridget

Photo courtesy of Jeanette.