Valentine's Day is not celebrated with the same energy as it is in America. This is one of the very few Valentine displays we have seen. Although, now that I think of it, there are small bouquets of flowers and discrete collections of chocolates at the cash registers of grocery stores for the occasion. 

We did manage to find a few special items to celebrate in our own way. Lindt chocolates are made in Switzerland. Many of you have probably had their truffle balls wrapped in red, blue or white shiny packaging. Sprungli is one of the high end chocolates sold here. There is a Sprungli chocolate shop in the train station and one with the fancy shops downtown. I look forward to having my first taste of Sprungli chocolate tonight. 

We are conducting our own chocolate bar taste test. We've compared prices at several markets and have bought ones that have been on sale in search of the best tasting, affordable bar. So far my favorite is the Frigor Noir by Cailler. The 70% cacao Lindt bar is one of the mildest of the Lindt dark chocolate bars sold here, and I think it tastes a little like dirt. I must admit I am enjoying this venture. Besides, I think by running this taste-test early in our trip, we will be informed consumers and buy what we really enjoy in the months to come. 

Gruezi (pronounced Grertsi) means hello in German. We are having a wonderful time in Zurich, Switzerland, but we miss our friends and my students in Rockland County. 

I intend on writing in this blog periodically to inform you of life in Switzerland, but specifically Zurich. Please feel free to write questions and I will try to answer them. If I don't respond to your question in my next blog post please be patient. I might need to do research or maybe your topic will be addressed in a long blog about the topic. 

We arrived two weeks ago and have been settling into life in Zurich. We spent our first week overcoming jet lag and trying to get a few vital systems in order like opening a bank account, enrolling in a cell phone plan, registering as residents and enrolling our daughter in school. We hit a few snags along the way but are moving in the right direction. 

This photo was taken from a bridge in Zurich near the main train station. In the photo you can see one of the many church steeples in Zurich. As a matter of fact, our apartment is in a building very close to a church with a bell tower. I absolutely LOVE hearing the bells ring. The sound of the bells is a constant reminder that we are in Europe. They are ringing now, reminding me that I must go to pick up my daughter from school. I will write again soon.

As I watch the crazy holiday infomercials, day after day and night after night, I start thinking about the thousands of new products that became available this year. The video below showcases five of what Time considers the top 25 inventions of 2013, but I think there are others that should be added to this list!

What do you think was the most important invention of 2013? What evidence do you have to support your nomination? Nominate an invention to add to my Top Inventions list. Post it below.

Los Angeles Times article

Students workin in pairs had a chance to apply a few of the concepts we learned in our bridge design unit to the analysis of the most famous bridges in the world. View at least three presentations made by your peers and reply to them. What struck you most about the bridge or the presentation? What did you learn from the presentation? Did you notice similarities between your bridge and another? Did something about the design of the bridge appeal to you or make you wonder? You should each write three quality responses.

Ms. O’Brien’s Science Classes’ Thinglink  Bridge Presentations