Local Politics

There seems to be an election every week in this part of the world, and that means one thing: Bas gets balloons at the local market!

So far he's enjoyed the generosity of the Greens, the Radical Liberals, the Christian Democrats and the Socialists. We spotted a nice red balloon with a white print of the Swiss cross on Saturday but couldn't bring ourselves to ask for it when we noticed that it was for the UDC (the far right). I am embarrassed to admit that I barely understand what's going on here with all these elections and am a little relieved that I am unable to vote here and therefore not compelled to keep abreast of the majority of Swiss political issues.

I still follow politics back home in Australia, despite this being an exercise in frustration, but I'm feeling the pressure to be better informed about Swiss politics for when the day comes that Bas stops being interested in just the balloons that come with the elections.

How much time do I have before he starts asking me about politics? How do I explain to him that the fascists always have the best balloons?

The Hockey Sweater

To think that a mere five years ago I knew nothing about Hockey (on ice) and now I know...a little more than I used to.

A friend and colleague who is quite possibly known as Mr Hockey where he comes from (Canada) sent a lovely book, The Hockey Sweater, to young Bas recently. The pictures are gorgeous and based on the above animation. It's such a great story -- and I can see why it's a favourite of pretty much every Canadian child.

When Bas was still tucked away safely inside my belly, I would often spend my nights knitting on the couch while Denis (a hockey nut) watched hockey on TV. Bas never failed to kick up a storm during a match and even though I suspect he will never be hefty enough to be known as The Wall, The Hammer, The Widow Maker or The F@cking Cheating Psycho, I do hope that he might have the speed to one day become The Rocket, even if only in his own lunchtime. He is cunning, quick as a flash and just a little nuts -- surely that will help?

Thank you AA -- it's a wonderful gift and incredibly thoughtful.

Confiserie de l'Étoile Blanche

There's a handful of cafés that I go to in Lausanne, but this little one is fast becoming my favourite, partly because it reminds me of a little place I used to frequent in Elwood, Melbourne. It was a couple of doors down from my apartment and run by a lovely guy from W.A. named (if memory serves) Adrian. This new place, an offshoot of the popular Bar/Café Étoile Blanche just next door, does lovely soups, sandwiches and snacks, and the shelves are stocked with the sort of Anglo food staples I know and love: Worcestershire sauce, baked beans and HP sauce.

It's a tiny little spot, no bigger than a pocket hanky and very welcoming, plus it has character, which is often missing in these parts.

Find it at Avenue du Tribunal Fédéral, 3, CH-1005. Website here.

International Women's Day

It's International Women's Day and I wanted to post this beautiful interview that Mia Freedman conducted with her Mum, Kathy. It brought back all sorts of memories of the 1970s for me -- my Mum's hairy armpits (mortifying at the time, but I totally relate now), us walking through the centre of Sydney holding hands on the IWD march and all those important feminist icons, such as Germaine Greer, who changed the way we live.

It's hard to imagine today, but the idea of women doing whatever job they wanted to do was radical not so long ago. Here's a pic of me in the 1970s, getting ready to go to my school's fancy dress party/firecracker night. I wanted to be a jockey, which was a little bit radical back then. Today, it just looks a bit odd, given that I am not what you'd call a horsey type.

Thanks Mum, and the generation of women like you, for making me a feminist today.

Happy International Women's Day everyone.

Swiss Train Bonanza

It's been just over five years since I moved here, and I'm sorry to say that I've not made a lot of friends In Lausanne. I'm saving that particular sob story for later, when I tackle the subject of Swiss playgrounds, but I will say this for now: I think I need to make more of an effort. 

I have a few mates here, but circumstances have made it difficult to consider anyone as the sort of friend I got used to having around back home. 

I've been in a real funk about it all for some time, and almost missed the chance to acknowledge the kindness that one of our neighbours recently showed us in the form of a train set for Bas. She and her husband have had it for a while, for the use of their nephews when they come to visit, but it has now been handed down to Bas. 

He is beside himself when he sees it in the morning, and even grown men (hi Denis and Jez!) have been known to get down on the floor and lose a good chunk of time thanks to its magic powers.

Merci Laurence, for the lovely gift and for (unwittingly) reminding me that I need to pull my head out a bit more and see that good things are all around me.

Adventures in Op-Shopping

I've written before about the challenges of op-shopping in Switzerland. A lot of stuff in the second-hand stores is well and truly clapped-out or still quite expensive (case in point: we went to buy a replacement Nespresso machine last week and the second-hand one was going to cost more than a new one -- better model and all, but why would we do that?).

Yesterday I felt the urge to go and check one of the better purveyors of vintage fashion and came away with this baby.

A Chanel leather skirt. Just my size. A little bit pre-loved (so I won't feel too scared to wear it). And just what I need (I found myself thinking recently that I require more items of clothing that can be wiped down, thanks to Bas).

Ain't she a beauty?

A Quick Guide to Zürich -- Capital of Cool

I love Zürich -- it feels like a mini-Berlin but also has a uniquely Swiss flavour. It is expensive, that's true, but you get high standards and good quality with those sky-high prices -- the museums, the food, the rough-and-ready nightlife in Züri-West -- all are a cut above.

This is a piece I recently wrote for a website all the way down in New Zealand. I shudder to think what the exchange rate is like for those poor Kiwis, but I hope as many as possible start thinking of Zürich as a suitable starting point for a big European O.E.