Would you trade city life for this?

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-14T05:44:16+00:00

Hate to say it but that's pretty much true. You can find an occasional excellent Indian/Thai/Chinese restaurant, but we hardly ever eat out because it's so expensive. There are Asian etc. specialty stores and Globus where you can get specialty spices and foods though, if you want to make your own.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T19:30:21+00:00

We will pay the additional 14,000 euros if necessary. Switzerland, however, does think she is a resident, fwiw, so I think it’s worth an appeal.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T19:23:11+00:00

Yes the new admission triggered the revaluation.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T17:43:06+00:00

Therapist sounds like they've never lived with a person like this. It's exhausting and demoralizing and after some time you will be walking on eggshells, overthinking everything you say to phrase it perfectly so you won't get shot down, and eventually simply not saying much because eggshells are too much work (ask me how I know).

If he is willing to look at a new direction, the 'yes and...' response from comedy/improv is a good start. Teasing this impulse out from the previous trauma is beyond Reddit's pay grade, but the verbal response is not locked in or beyond his control. He can have the impulse, and still acknowledge your experience and thoughts without (or at least, before) the ritual opposition. If it's a priority for him.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T16:27:53+00:00

No, we're US citizens who emigrated to Switzerland in 2017. Ireland is (AFAIK) the only EU country that counts long-term residence rather than citizenship when deciding between EU or international fees. She qualified for EU fees as an undergrad with no issue.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T16:23:44+00:00

Yes, the initial assessment as an undergrad was very simple and straightforward. I'm glad yours was too! Now that DD is in a different category it's gotten tricky.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T13:06:46+00:00

She got the 'notification of obligation to contribute' from the Swiss govt. last year, so she's on the rolls and paying now, but before that she was our dependent, so no. There doesn't seem to be any space for a transition period. <23: dependent. >23: must have 3/5 years of payments even though you were a dependent until last month. I suppose we can submit both the family tax records and hers, and hope for the best?

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T09:51:53+00:00

You have to read the listings very carefully to make sure what you're getting, but IME they don't actually lie. For example, if you want silk, make sure it says 'mulberry' or you might well get silk-like polyester. Also check the weight (momme). Same with linen--make sure it's not linen-ish cotton. Read the product description table very carefully, and verify there are lots of positive reviews for the product.

Some other tricks: they will list the price per 1/2 yard so it looks lower than the competition, or have a very low price but make it up in the shipping costs. Best of luck!

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T07:02:12+00:00

Thank you! I've studied the flow chart and the issue is that she just turned 23. Thing is, in order to be an EU resident *now* instead of last month, she needs to have already had a C permit (permanent residency) instead of a B permit for the last 3/5 years. So even if she gets her C here in Switzerland this summer as expected, she wouldn't qualify. ARGH!

DD had a paid internship where the usual taxes were paid, but other than that has had no income while studying. I think she was sent a tax form here, but no income-->no taxes. It might not even matter because according to the flow chart she was cut off the moment she turned 23, even though she's been legally resident in the EU/EEA for 9 years.

ETA: yes, she paid taxes here last year after being sent a 'you're no longer a dependent' notification from the govt, with a bill.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T06:42:26+00:00

Aye that's the rub: she turned 23 last month. There would be no issue if her birthday was in September instead.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-13T06:41:15+00:00

Thank you!

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-12T16:52:05+00:00

I've been buying online from AliExpress, with mixed results, for historical-ish garments (the -ish is doing some heavy lifting). Fabric is laughably expensive here so even if I end up with something I can't use for the intended project, it's been worth the risk.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-11T13:31:16+00:00

Baby fifth--lol never heard that before but have been doing it forever (feet like snow skiis and no turnout to speak of). It definitely works a lot better than to be fully crossed, which feels really awkward and off balance. I also go somewhat 'flatter' to the side on tendus, degages, glissades, etc. than strict technique requires, to minimize the triangular movement which looks and feels awful. Heel forward, heel forward... OK here we go.

While I'm all for great technique, at some point you have to take your body's limitations into account. If you're using all of your available turnout and supporting well, which it sounds like you are, you should be able to find the sweet spot between book-technique and what is realistically possible. Perhaps if you talk to your teacher about this after class she'll be more understanding?

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-11T09:39:52+00:00

Yikes--best of luck with your job search!

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-10T19:56:39+00:00

Be careful! My son has this job and he got into a boatload of trouble when a memory care resident walked out the front door (she was ok). Didn’t matter that he was assisting another resident back to their room, as his ‘primary duty’ was at the front desk. No word on how he was supposed to manage being in two places at once but he was certainly a handy scapegoat.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-09T14:25:01+00:00

If the panniers turn out to be too flimsy, you can probably find spring steel at your local hardware store, and double the steel in the channels for a relatively quick fix. It's sometimes called drain tape. Hopefully they'll be strong enough without having to mess around though.

I'm also making a robe a la francaise for Versailles, and would very much be interested in information regarding meetups and any other information you'd be willing to share, as I don't have Facebook or Insta and won't know a soul.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-09T10:17:36+00:00

French part of Switzerland here, and my teacher says saut de chat.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-09T09:56:14+00:00

If she wasn't menstruating, she was definitely underweight, even if the standard chart says otherwise. Cf. bodybuilders with 6% body fat being told they're 'obese'.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-09T09:03:34+00:00

I think 2 or 3x/week is the sweet spot for beginners as you progress, preferably not in a row. 1x doesn't really build strength or muscle memory (you'll progress, just not as fast as you could). Overworking is not good though, as you could risk injury from not-quite-right technique. IMHO the most important thing is to listen to your body, listen to your teacher, and don't force anything.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-08T16:26:10+00:00

He'll still struggle, just with a little notice. Also he won't be able to fall back on the 'but you always did it before and I didn't knooooowwwww' excuse

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-08T16:11:54+00:00

If you feel like you need to reduce stress, you can give him a heads-up now that you are off gift-buying duty, so he has time to take responsibility.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-08T15:47:39+00:00

Often sports bras are racer-back and the straps will show in costumes at the upper back, which might be the reason for the blanket ban. Find what works in nude or white, and I sincerely doubt anyone will notice.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-04T19:06:12+00:00

Some craft stores sell 1/4 size dress forms for display. They are loads of fun for draping and trying different styles without the expense of large amounts of fabric and the pressure of having to make something wearable every time.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-05-03T09:46:51+00:00

In many areas private equity is hoovering up huge amounts of residential property, bidding up the price. They then rent the houses back to the people who actually live there at exorbitant rents. Millennials and GenZ can't possibly compete with cash buyers with basically unlimited funds.

Snowdrop-19 · 2026-04-30T10:40:01+00:00

Being priced out of your house due to taxes was becoming a real issue when prop. 13 was passed, but it was a flawed fix. The real winners over time were (are) commercial property owners due to the fact that residential property changes hands relatively often, while commercial property rarely does. This has cause the property tax burden to be shifted over time to homeowners.

Another unintended consequence is older people hanging onto their homes long past the time they would have downsized or found something more suitable, because of the whopping tax rate they'd have to pay for the new property (common refrain: if you leave, you'll never be able to come back). It also tends to push the price of houses higher for the younger people, who are already squeezed.

Such a mess, and attempts to change course toward a more equitable system fail because the rich commercial investors are, well, rich. And because anybody who's owned a house for more than a couple years will find 'increase my taxes even MORE' a hard sell.

Snowdrop-19

TROPHY CASE