EN: Annual Christmas Bazaar by the Swedish Church of Zurich (Switzerland)

That the seasonal illuminations over Zurich's central shopping area was lit last Thursday, for the first time this year, felt completely right. By contrast, that the Swedish Church (SKUT) organized its Christmas Bazaar already last Saturday, was something which I actually experienced as slightly stressful. Okay, I know that December is a busy month because of all Christmas parties – also my own calendar is extremely full - but still...

Last year, I helped out with the preparations and committed to doing so again this year. Unfortunately, I could not live up to this promise, because on Friday evening we also had an event with the expat network InterNations, where I currently hold the position as one of the Ambassadors. Next year, however, I certainly intend to come back again - I really like the Christmas Bazaar as an annual, natural meeting place for us "Züri-Swedes" and thus want to support our community in maintaining this tradition.

Like last year, we were offered a great ambience, not the least thanks to the Nordic choir Nota Bene - where my wife is an active member - which performed Christmas carols on two occasions. After that we had a foretaste of our typical Swedish Christmas dishes: for my part sandwiches with meatballs and beetroot salad and egg-anchovy salad (gubbröra).

Having said that, our children were responsible for our biggest moment from a family point of view: due to the rehearsal of a Lucia-procession, they had to visit the bazaar venue twice during the same day and in between they went home by themselves, although that meant that they had to change trams on the way. This they had never done before without an accompanying adult.

Find here more videos of this year´s Christmas carols by Nota Bene: Jul, jul and We wish you.

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Deutsche Version ...kommt auch, aber zuerst später...
Svensk version

EN: My First Regatta with the Nordic Rowing Club of Zurich

After a few months as an active rower of the Nordic Rowing Club of Zurich, I have now participated in my first regatta. Okay, it was a club competition and the distance was only 300 meters, but still.

 As for the result, I have no reason to be satisfied. I took position as "stroke" in our four-man-boat - and thus set the rhythm of the oars - and thereby strongly contributed to our boat losing balance, since I was rowing at a too stressed pace. Of the two novice boats, we took the anything but honouring second place.

From a social point of view, I am all the more content. For many people from the Nordic Countries, the Nordic Rowing Club is in Zurich just a party venue, but this year we are a relatively large group of new members who actually practise rowing as well. And who wants to continue to competing in regattas.

Already in my second race of the day - in boats where we mixed novices and experienced rowers - the pieces somehow fell into place. I am a competitive person, so a start signal triggers an adrenaline rush. And that is exactly what you must learn to keep under control in a sport where faster movements are not necessarily better.

 

 

 

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Deutsche Version (kommt mit der Zeit...) 
Svensk version

EN: Birthday Party at "Badi Mythenquai" at Enge (Zurich)

Taking responsibility for the eight boys swimming and playing in Lake Zurich was not a task I had been longing for, but in July I had to accept it. Our eldest son had was reaching his eleventh birthday and his desire was to celebrate this at Badi Mythenquai together with his friends.

We had an absolutely marvellous afternoon, not least thanks to the warm weather. It did not take long before all the boys had swum to the inflatable raft, so my wife and I kept an eye on them from the landing stage and took turns counting them in.

Our new eleven-year-old was absolutely happy with his party and his younger brother also enjoyed it. While playing with the older boys, our eight year old son got over his fear and, just like them, started to slide on the raft although this meant falling into the water.

The question is how do we beat this next year?

EN: Learning to Row at the Nordic Rowing Club of Zurich

I have previously told you that I have started to help out organising parties at the Nordic Rowing Club of Zurich (Nordiska Roddföreningen i Zürich), but since a few months back, I am finally able to also participate in the main activity of the association, i.e. rowing.

The introduction course took place a late May weekend under the best possible conditions – we had a brilliant sunshine over Lake Zurich and I enjoyed this from the first moment. Sure, as a beginner you tend to get callused hands, but that just feels good if you, like me, have practised gymnastics in your youth.

Nowadays I row regularly and am absolutely grateful for how fortunate we Scandinavians and Finns are. Just imagine that we can approach a sport which is typical for Zurich and its surroundings and at the same time get to know and socialize with people from our own small countries. On top of this, our Rowing Club has a long history - it was founded back in 1878, before the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved - and that is the spice on the cake. Access to Nordic beer and a genuine sauna forms part of its cultural heritage. I promise to preserve it well. ;)

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Deutsche Version (kommt bald)
Svensk version

EN: Guilds of Zurich Celebrate Sechseläuten and Burn Böögg

A few weeks ago, on April 28, I experienced my first Sechseläuten (Sächsilüüte in Swiss German) – the big annual historical folk festival of Zurich. The name means "the six o’clock ringing" since, back in the olden days, the bells of the church Grossmünster marked the end of the working day, and from the third Monday of April and for the rest of the summer this time was set to six o'clock. During the months preceding Sechseläuten people had to work until the sun went down, so no wonder this was a reason to celebrate.

Every year on this day, some 3,500 participants dress up in classic formal wear and parade, at a high pace, through the streets of the city under the banners of their guilds (die Zunft,-“e). The guilds were originally trade-related, but in our days they can be described as social clubs preserving the cultural heritage.

The first Sechseläuten parade can be traced back to 1818 while the children’s version, in the Sunday afternoon, was first held in 1896.

The public celebration is rounded off in the late Monday afternoon with the burning of Böögg. This giant snowman is not just made of combustible material, but also put on a pyre loaded with firecrackers. Popular tradition has it that the time it takes for Böögg’s head to explode is a weather prediction. I hope that this is true. Despite the rain on Sechseläuten this year, this took just seven minutes and that would indicate a hot summer.

A big part of the festivities related to Sechseläuten can only be experienced if you are a member of a guild and thus welcome to the parties taking place inside the guild houses. Being a foreigner obsessed with my integration, possibly I had better approach a guild already. But I still do not feel comfortable doing so... Fortunately, next year's celebration is still far away.

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Every year, one of the other cantons is invited as a guest to Sechseläuten. This time it was Obwalden adding a “typically Swiss” atmosphere to Lindenhof, with local culinary delights and alphorn music.

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Deutsche Version
Svensk version

Spring Photos from Mythenquai in Enge, Zurich

English: Suddenly we had a very warm spring in Zurich. Here are a few photos from a walk last weekend through the park at Mythenquai, in the town district Enge.

German: Plötzlich wurde der Frühling in Zürich sehr warm. Hier gibt es ein paar Bilder von einem Spaziergang am vergangenen Wochenende durch den Park am Mythenquai im Stadtteil Enge.

Swedish: Plötsligt blev våren i Zürich väldigt varm. Här är några foton från en promenad förra helgen genom parken vid Mythenquai i stadsdelen Enge.

EN: Wine Fair 'ExpoVina' at Bürkliplatz in Zurich

It rained quite heavily last Friday evening when I, along with a group from the network InterNations, visited ExpoVina, a regular wine fair here in Zurich.

The concept is quite interesting: you pay a CHF 20 entrance fee and can then stroll around and taste whatever you please. This time, all in all some 120 wineries, wholesalers and importers participated and jointly presented over 4.500 different wines.

But it tends to get crowded. The fair takes place on twelve boats anchored next to each other down at Bürkliplatz and, true, that is original, but the aisles are absolutely jammed so if you arrive with a larger group - as we did - you must necessarily split up.

Well, I had a nice evening anyhow, but next autumn, when I return to ExpoVina at Bürkliplatz, I will make sure to do so with only a few friends and, on top of that, after having made an advance selection of which stalls to visit.

The next round of ExpoVina, however, is due already in the spring – from March 27 to April 3, 2014 - but on that occasion the wine fair will be held at Puls 5, Giessereihalle (Zurich West) .

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Deutsche Version
Svensk version