Weekend work and Christmas list completed (11/28/1981)

Thursday, November 26, 1981
Sunrise in Biel:

Saturday, November 28, 1981

Train day pass

Left the Personalhaus/staff residence at 8:00 to lug three packages to the post office. Had to fill out 2-3 forms for each of the larger packages. The smallest weighed less than a kilo/2.2 pounds and fit through the letter-window rather than the package-window behind the postal worker (?)

Went to the train station to meet Ermanno B and his mother at 9:00. I was expecting them to come by train from Grenchen, but they came through the front door of the station. They had a friend drive them, and we went out to the car to drive to Nidau. The driver had me ask for directions, and I had a hard time switching from Italian to German! Actually these Italians who live here have picked up enough of the dialect that they could manage better than I could. The orthopedic shoe store was only a couple buildings farther down the street. We met the proprietor/shoe specialist, who wanted to engage in shop talk when he learned I was a therapist from the U.S.

Finally got to Ermanno and decided a shoe insert will be made to better support his feet. The mother then brought up the problem that his teacher wanted him to learn to tie his own shoes. The proprietor said we did not have to cater to the teacher, but I suggested it would help Ermanno and his mother if he could don his shoes independently. How about Velcro straps? The shoe order was made and we drove back to the train station. Mrs. B treated us to drinks; she had coffee, I had tea, the driver had a beer, and Ermanno had hot chocolate.

After goodbyes, I caught the 10:14 train to Bern to finish my Christmas shopping.

Grandma: Bracelet with a flower in which you put a drop of perfume (Inspire, a perfume from Köln/Cologne, W Germany), handkerchief with genuine St Gallen embroidery, a bottle of Neuchâtel wine, Suchard deluxe milk chocolates, Suchard hot chocolate mixes, and a camisole.

The whole family: Cuckoo clock, Suchard deluxe milk chocolates and Suchard hot chocolate mixes, and Tobler chocolate truffles. Also a German Christmas carousel of a Nativity that uses candle heat to turn the whirly-gig on top. I looked for the proper sized candles, but only found the kind they put on their Christmas trees.

Dad: The Munich S-bahn/U-bahn map T-shirt, model of a Swiss Post, Telefon und Telegraph (PTT) bus, and a poster calendar of Swiss scenes (with trains).

Mom: Ceramic cake pan, ceramic candle-holders with a matching pen box, and a camisole.

Terry: Hummel figurine and camisole.

Phil and David: Each a stein from the Oktoberfest and a can of Swiss beer (hope it doesn’t explode enroute!)

Frank and Paul: Each a beer stein and a Swiss knife.

Kathy: A real cow bell, a little wooden carved cow with its own bell, and a Christmas ornament cow bell that plays “Silent Night“ when you wound it up. (The sales lady wound it up to test it, then wrapped it up for me. I put it in my canvas tote and it kept playing while people looked at me strangely. As I walked down the crowded streets of Bern, I could still hear the music! A young boy in front of me kept looking all around for the source.

Returned to Biel on the 13:41 train. At the Personalhaus I found an empty box and managed to pack everything inside. I had just enough wrapping paper, tape and string. I hope the post office accepts such a large and heavy package!