It's snowing!

Well, it's snowing for the first time today! It was snowing when we woke up, and its still snowing now, 12 hours later. It's a slushy, wet, cold snow, not much fun to walk or drive in, and I'm not sure what to think of it. Snow is an experience and inconvenience that I haven't had to live with for many years. Should I like it? I haven't decided yet, though it does make the city of Lucerne very pretty. It's like they built this place, and most of Europe, with the idea of how it would look like covered in snow, like something out of a fairytale. One strange thing, though, is that the city is acting like a disturbed bee's nest. Instead of the natural conclusion that many would come to, that it would cause people to stay indoors, it has in reality resulted in just the opposite; I have never seen the streets and sidewalks as busy as they are today! Go figure, because I can't.






(Scenes from our apartment)



I went to the casino/hotel employee Christmas party last night and had a pretty good time. I was very hesitant to go, seeing as how I haven't started work yet, I didn't know anybody, everyone would be speaking a foreign language, and I'm somewhat naturally anti-social, but I thought that it would be a good experience, and that I would be able to meet and get to know some of my future coworkers in a socially positive environment, so I forced myself. It turned out exactly that way, contrary to what usually happens. I met with Claudio Ferrari, the Argentinian casino manager, talked a lot with him and had dinner together. I think he likes me. I tried to speak as much Spanish as I could, and he loves Las Vegas, goes every year, so we talked about Vegas, Caesars Palace, Cirque du Soleil, and so on. He seems to really want my insight into making Grand Casino Lucerne more Vegasy, but I really don't know much that could be done. Lucerne is simply not Vegas and has too many limitations on what can be done. I also met with several of the dealers, supervisors and pit bosses. Everyone is really nice, and everyone speaks four, five, or six languages. Talk about an inferiority complex. Oh, and everybody absolutely hates George W. Bush! They cannot fathom how he could ever have gotten elected anywhere, not the least in America, and the fact that he got elected twice will forever be a taint on America in their minds. At least Bush brought the whole rest of the world together --- in their mutual hatred of him! He represented in full living color all the negative aspects of American culture rolled up into one ugly, disgusting package.

Back to the party. I had a better time than I thought I would, got to meet a lot of people, stayed later than I thought (about 1:30 am), and got drunker than I have in a long time. Oh well, it was worth it. Unfortunately, Timi had to work, but it was probably better for me because I was forced to socialize more, to put myself on the line.






Just some random shots of Lucerne!