My « Geneva » time

  The begining, I come to the « Ferrari's ».

It was June 27 ^Th 1971 when I took the train Meppel - Geneva, in order to go to a new position with the american compagny « Control Data », computer manufactuerer, who had an activity at the « C.E.R.N. » site, in Meyrin, close to the Swiss - French border.     It was the next day as I arrived at Geneva railwaystation Cornavin, and that without any usefull knowledge of french.     Luky enough that Geneva is was and still is an international town and I could make myself understand with some german and some english.     It was then the afternoon of the same day that I had phoned the resposible person of « Control Data » au « C.E.R.N. » who picked me up the day after.

After we have gone the the « C.E.R.N. » site for the presentation, one of the staff members helped out to look for a furnished room at the Ferrari's, who lived at the house shown on the right. The family Ferrari rented already other rooms to people of « C.E.R.N. », besides my room, there were three more rooms rented out.     I had the second room from the left side with the open windows. The fourth room was occupied by the couple Ferrari themselfs, even then when the husband slept frequently in a corner of his workshop on the first floor. The garage in basement was furnished as a room where the whole famaily lived during daytime, unless they had to work in thier workshop on the first floor, then they had there an high precision turning workshop. The second photo is taken from my window and shows a part of the city of Meyrin. Once I have asked them whether they had any family link with the famous Italian automobile constructor, but they answered that they would have liked that that was the case, but unfortunally NO. The third picture show the Ferrari's turning and macanical worksop, it there where they worked during the day-time, and as you can see on the pictures it was even for 1971 not very modern.

  Les years « 33 ».

This number is a little special, for those who did live or still do live in Geneva, this was the number of the trolly-bus line Geneva - Cointrin.     For me on the other hand, this means Hôtel - Restaurant 33.     Then one of our secretairies found for me an two room unfurnished appartment in the building next to Hotel 33, which became already quickly my meeting point for all the people living in the near.

This picture shown here is a more recent one, but this hotel had already the same aspect as in the time I lived next door.     

A lot of people, as well the ones who lived in the near, as the people working at the aeroport and the other people working at compagnies there, were getting thier noon dinner here.     I was working that time very often evening shift from 4.00 pm up to 01.00 am, and it was also here that I took usually my noon diiner with the other people.     I had a lot of friends there and knew also a lot of other people, and it is from this time that I have my best souvenirs of my Geneva time.

When it comes to souvenirs , then I do have a very special one.     One day I, August 16^th, 1977 I came as usual to take my “renverse” (read half milk, half coffee, in a big glas) and read the Swiss-German scandal newspaper “Blick”, did I find the waitress down in cries, what happened?, she just heared the announcement hat Elvis died.     Even when this was not so very good news, but this shoud not be a reason to break down in cries.

When I came very later back here to see a friend of mine, I have heared that the family « Dupont », where maman ran the buissines with her son and her daughter, had sold the hotel to a big holding.     The result; nothing left of the old times, no friends, nobody, nothing.     Since then I did not return to the erea where I once used to live.     What is left now, are the souvenirs, all the stories told by a man with a surname of « rocambole », the ladies haidresser surnamed « penelope », who came always to say us hello and to drink her thea with-ice (yes you read correctly, hot tea with ice cubes in it!!!) in a hurry.     And not to forget the afternoon card players, with of course « rocambole », who did not need to work all the afternoon, « Fritz » an employee of the aeroport postal service, the local postman from whom I have forgotten the name and « Patricia » a good looking representative in the tewnties, who lived with her boyfriend in the same building as I did.

  Week-ends in « Oberkulm »

It was during the period I was living aside « 33 » that I came across some Swiss-German magazine, wich had some strange questionary in it, it was a computerized partner seach thing, who was supposed to find you the ideal partner.     Ok so far, I have filled in this crazy thing, send it to the indicated address with a dozen swiss-francs, and than was nothing left than wait and see.

Yes indeed did I receive a list with a dozen names, addresses, and so on.     First I have contacted some of them, most of them were of the Zurich region and the surounding erea's, but nothing serious came out of it.     It was a lot later, when I did dicide to send the everyone of the list a new year wish card, the result was that with one of them a more and more frequent contact has build up.

To make long story short, her name was « Susi » and she lived in a village called « Oberkulm » (map on the right), where she helped to take care of her parants farm.     Her father was that time a catle-merchand and had himself also important catle too.     Their farm looked a lot like the ones we usually see on postcards.

It is like this that I was spending during nearly a year very often the week-ends in « Oberkulm », to be with her.

She did leave me a souvenir that I will not easely forget, than one day our postman knoked at my door with a very urgent parcel, coming from the “canton Argau”.     Inside this parcel I found, after opening it, a fresh baked bread, like the ones she used to make.     So she made me a bread and did sent it by expess mail, so I could get it the same day!     That she could do this, that surpassed me comletely and still does now.

After a while it became slowly clear that certain incompatibilities existed, specially the fact that even then that I was a farmer sun, I was not a farmer and I did not feel like becoming one.     Besides the fact that her parants prefered rather a local farmer instead of me.     We decided then to stop this relation, we promised to keep contact, but I stayed without any news from her, and I did not do any better, she stayed without news from me to.

  A house in « Chamoson ».

It was in the same period of time that I and some other colleagues started more or less seriously looking for some house for sale, some for permanent living some others just for the week-ends.

One day I have got accross an add in a specialized newspaper, offering a “chalet” (mountain-house) to be finised (picture on the left) in “Chamoson” in the “canton du Valais”.     It was rather expensive for me, but one could finish it either immediatly, but of course also finish it later.

So the decision was taken, and after al lot of financial struggle I finaly succeded in buying this “Chalet”, now I had to finish it somehow.

On the moment I have bought it, most of my colleagues thought that I have become crazy, but time showed that this decision has been the right one, especially when the house was finaly finished in 1980.

I lived up there from 1980 to 1985 only the week-ends, and full time, since 1985, the time I have taken a job as systems analyst at E.P.F.L. site in Lausanne, up to the time I have left Switzerland for “La Normandie” in France in 1995.     In other words from 1985 to 1995, making up a total of 15 years.

But « Chamoson » remains a story on itself who has the merit to have it's own web page, but for the moment being the first priority was to gather enough money to finish my house litle by litle for so far the finacial situation would alowed it.

For a rather long period I have been working nearly exclusivly the evening shift, my colleagues from whom I had taken over the evening shift prefered in fact to work only dayshift, and I prefered the evening shift because of the shift allowance. (I did not need to get up early!!!).

Anyway what was looking to be, at least in the eyes of my colleagues, a big mistake, showed to be a good investment, wich was good to have when I badly needed it.

  An appartment in « Meyrin ».

After 6 years I did quit the appartment aside « 33 » and changed for an other appartment a little further on for a couple of years, here one day I accidently visited a show room appartment in a building under construction at « rue des Bugnons ».     There still were some two room appartments left, wich I could offer myself with my modest budget.

It is like this that I have bought a two room appartment on the 12^Th floor, But unfourtunally did I not live there for a very long time, then the time to work in Lausanne as system analyst was about to come up.

I have still lived in my « Meyrin » appartment for some time, but I was most of the time already physicaly living in « Chamoson » where live was (and still is) more pleasant as it is in a 13 stories building.

The building was initially ran by an “sindic”, as sort of representative of co-owners, but after lots of strugle of any kind with those people, we the co-owners decided that we would do this ourselfs, and that with considerable money savings.

It was a lot later, somewere in the year 1986, that I rented this appartment out to « Petra », a colleage's daughter, who needed an appartment at that moment being, I was living in « Chamoson » for most of the time anyway, wich became hereby my permanent residance.

This situation remained until a had to sel my « Meyrin » appartment, around the end of 1989, the year « Control Data » decided to close his agencies in the French part of Switzerland.

It was with the sale of my « Meyrin » appartment that my

« Geneva »

time has ended.

  Some important events of that era (de 1968 à 1986).

• First man on the Moon.

• Elvis Presley died.

• Egypte attacs Israël by supprise.

• No car driving at sundays.

• I.B.M. announces a « Personal Computer »

• Sadat goes to Israël.

• Camp David.

• The killing of Sadat.

To know more about:

Geneva

Oberkulm (Or the way of live in Central Switzerland)

Chamoson

The cantonValais

Hôtel « 33 »

E.P.F.L.

C.E.R.N.

Click on the links.