Walking with the President

“Dear Mr. President Come take a walk with me. Let´s pretend we´re just two people and You´re no better than me.” (Pink, “Dear Mr. President”) Landschlacht, Switzerland, 30 May 2016 What if the unthinkable actually happened? What if Donald “Duck!” Trump became the President of the United States? New York City, New York, USA, 1… Continue reading Walking with the President

Life and death through a lense

Zürich, 8 May 2016 “Conflict uproots people and forces them to seek asylum. Inequality produces injustice. Humanity´s impact on the environment threatens species (including humanity). Innovative technological advances disrupt established industries. In this world…there are so many stories that need to be told…because people deserve to see their world and express themselves freely. Freedom of information,… Continue reading Life and death through a lense

The Silence Between

Landschlacht, Switzerland: 9 May 2016 An email from an old friend, Sumit, asks: “Not writing blogs anymore?…I have not seen any new blogs in the last few weeks.” A daily journal, bought at a local grocery chain, has a leather cover that intimidates: “You don´t write because you want to say something.  You write because… Continue reading The Silence Between

Capital Be

Bern: 11 February 2016 / Landschlacht: Easter 2016 A while back, before silence dominated and clouds hung heavy over my head, I began to tell a story about Bern and its people, but much like a cyclist making a sharp turn and crashing onto the ground as his bike slips out from under him on… Continue reading Capital Be

Canada Slim in the Capital

Bern, Switzerland: 11 February 2016 13,000 people move to Bern, Switzerland´s capital, annually. Some tens of thousands commute to the city every day. Approximately 17, 000 students are enrolled at the University. Above: The main building of the University of Bern The Bern Tourist Office registered 686,967 overnight stays in 2012. Hundreds more tourists come for… Continue reading Canada Slim in the Capital

Festival of Fools: The Endless Silly Season

Landschlacht, 11 February 2016 Let us now praise the introverts amongst us and may the meek truly inherit the Earth. Every year, every damn year, my wife notes that every February I remark that we have entered “the silly season” once I spy the first celebrants of Carnival with their ringing bells and odd costumes… Continue reading Festival of Fools: The Endless Silly Season

Eternal Bliss and the Edge of Madness: Gaga over Dada

Zürich, 8 February 2016 “When the going gets tough, the great ones party.” (Bill Murray, Garfield 2) Granted this is an unusual source for a quote to try and sum up the phenomenon that was born in Zürich, spread around the world, inspired future cultural movements and is once again commemorated obsessively this year back… Continue reading Eternal Bliss and the Edge of Madness: Gaga over Dada