As regular followers of this blog know, I have two jobs: freelance teacher and part-time barista. I work as a humble part-time barista for the largest coffeehouse company in the world, Starbucks. And I can´t deny that this results in mixed feelings. I am older than this upstart of a company. In fact, I am… Continue reading Working for a giant
Beggars at the banquet
It is nine in the morning here in Landschlacht, Switzerland. It´s cold, damp and foggy here by the shore of the Lake of Constance. I have a headache, but have taken medicine from a bathroom stocked with medicines for any type of illness real or imagined, present or potential. The guest room of our four-bedroom… Continue reading Beggars at the banquet
What´s up, Doc? / Pier Pressure
Like many people, despite there being probably more years of life behind me than ahead, I have always been uncomfortable with the notion of my own mortality. Many years ago while browsing through a bookshop I came across a book called How We Die, which went to graphic, explicit detail of the exact bodily processes… Continue reading What´s up, Doc? / Pier Pressure
Canadian home sickness and the Excited States of America
As a Canadian resident in Switzerland there are many things I miss about life in Canada: I miss old friends and family. I miss the magnificent splendour of my home and native land. And I miss small things too: Food like Habitant pea soup, poutine, tourtiere, Canadian breakfast, perogies, microwave dinners, beavertails… Comedians like Lorne… Continue reading Canadian home sickness and the Excited States of America
Distant friends
Today, a rainy and grey day, I left the cave of home and took the train to the city of St. Gallen an hour away, just so I could have brief conversations with my work colleagues/friends. I like my co-workers, though very different from myself and one another, because they offer me human contact which a day… Continue reading Distant friends
After sunset
My thoughts this morning while waiting for sunrise is the question of male/female relationships. My visit to Freiburg last week and the discussions I had with friends remain strongly imprinted in my mind. One topic my closest male friends and I talk about after work, tech, movies, music and politics are our relationships with the “fairer… Continue reading After sunset
Snowflakes from Nazareth
Recently in my (far too) regular visits to Facebook I stumbled across a cartoon that made me smile so I forwarded it along to others without thinking too much about it at the time. “Don´t be absurd! Nobody made us! We evolved by chance from snowflakes!”, says one snowman to the other. “Sorry, but all… Continue reading Snowflakes from Nazareth
How to become (in)famous
The biggest problem with winter beside the Lake of Constance is that so often there are days of endless fog, a spirit-crushing blanket of grey that discourages one from emerging from the cave of home. On days such as these, when I am alone at home and am not required to go to work in… Continue reading How to become (in)famous
Jason: a phenomenon
I have a friend. To precisely define Jason is not easy, for he is quite unlike anyone I have ever hung around with before. I have known him since the beginning of this millennium and whenever I am in Freiburg im Breisgau I always ring him up and we will briefly get together for one… Continue reading Jason: a phenomenon
Allegiance to the Queen
Arenenberg, Switzerland – Today my wife Ute and I visited Arenenberg Castle for Advent Sunday brunch. “Arenenberg is an estate with a small chateau, Schloss Arenenberg, in the municipality of Salenstein at the shore of Lake Constance in Thurgau, Switzerland, that is famous as the final domicile of Hortense de Beauharnais. Today it houses the Napoleon… Continue reading Allegiance to the Queen