5 on the Fifth - Lines

This month's 5 on the fifth theme is Lines.

I spent this week on business in Bangalore, India. The days were long and on the premises, taking pictures is prohibited. Thus, the lines pictures here were taken in-between on travel and commute.

Toy planes are lining up for taking off in Swiss' Senator Lounge at Zürich last Sunday... and yes, this is another of my fingers :/


Even double centre line of roads show little effect on drivers in India. The only way to break their dynamic interpretation is going into the third dimension with bricks and mortar.


Many moons ago at university, I learned to dimension power lines.


Our hotel was built in the 80s of the last century. The Art Déco touch of its lobby is rather fake.


Loads of silver garnished sweets are lined up nicely for me to bring home to my loved ones.

Saturday Fruits

Fight the Tyrans! Arm the People!?!

Switzerland has the highest number of arms per capita, with estimates varying between 1.2 million and 2.3 million, spread over a population of 7.8 million. However on February 13, we are called to a nationwide ballot to decide whether access to firearms has to be restricted.

Emotions are going high in our small country. Even my CEO (a German!) wrote me a letter to remind me of my patriotic duty to defend our national identity, which seemed to be based on the easy access to firearms.

Strangely, it took an extract from a novel published in 1860 to shaken my firm aye stand towards this initiative. Master tailor Hediger said in Gottfried Keller's novel Das Fähnlein der sieben Aufrechten:

The idea of founding a Swiss marksmen club could only evolve in a Swiss soul and take root only in Swiss territory. For who was born into a monarchy, the very idea of a club, which includes and arms all the people, must had been madness.

Me supporting monarchy? Never!! Nay it is!!!

Me defending our precious soil back in 1987.

5 on the Fifth - Reflections

This month's 5 on the fifth theme is Reflections, though we can also take 5 random pictures. I mixed a bit... while being in Kiev... in grainy black and white.

I spent this week on business in Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine. Adapting is essential when doing business. Thus a mirror shot with my mink ushanka.


Taken in the room, where most of the discussions were held. Carefree plants on windowsills are very popular. And I like the artificial frost pattern on the glass.


The Statues of Princess Olha, Apostle Andriy, St. Cyrill and St. Methodius; and some girls, posing for their friends.


Under the shower in my room at the Intercontinental Kiev. A hotel I can't praise enough. I like it there.


Vodka, unavoidable when doing business here.

恭禧發財

Sonntag

For once I can report a Martin like Sunday lunch:




We are at my sister's enjoying a veal hock, from a calf born and bred on my brother's farm. A real family affair.

Toño, my sister, my niece and I will be travelling to México in March and met to discus the details of the upcoming trip.

Location:Im Sedel,,Switzerland

Saturday Flower - Midwinter Edition

This is a Helleborus niger, commonly also called Christmas rose. It's actually blossoming on our balcony. Strangely it's blossoming in winter and enjoys temperatures around the freezing point. I have no idea how propagation works for them at this temperature.

We bought three of them last year, when I took the picture I use on my blog banner. As this picture shows, they made it through summer. Though, we had to put it in the shade.

The In-N-Out Experience

Our last meal in California was at In-N-Out Burger at LAX Airport. In-N-Out has been recommended to me only minutes after we passed immigration and it has been many times again during out stay. Have you eaten already at In-N-Out? was a common phrase. Such highly praised things should not be missed and so we squeezed in this visit. I don't know if it was because of us or or the burgers... we were a group of 11 who showed up together.



The menu is pretty simple: burgers, fries and beverages. the burgers come in three different basic types (hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger) with a few options. That's it and it tastes delicious - not only for a fast food place. The fries are made fresh by hand at the shop and for the patties, the family owned company has got their own butchery. No microwave, no heat lamp, and no freezer compromise the taste. I loved it.

5 on the Fifth - Fun and Games

This month's 5 on the fifth theme is Fun and Games.

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Gisel and Nallely are dancing into 2011


Eduardito driving a 1965 Ford Mustang


Stuck till grabbed for two quarters in a Denny's


Eduarditos games



Jacqueline enjoying a Coca Cola.

Farewell to America

We are heading home soon. Between us and the airport is only a visit at In-N-Out, who's burgers had been recommended to us during this visit many times.

For the flight back we upgraded to business :) See you tomorrow evening in Zürich... and hopefully soon back in California :)

Location:S Grand Ave,Los Angeles,United States

Fixies FTW!

Fixes (or fixed-gear or fixed-wheel bicycles) are extremely popular here in South Central Los Angeles. According to Toño's primo Héctor, they have replaced skateboards as the main aid to attract girls.




A Fixie is a bicycle that has no freewheel, meaning it cannot coast. It's pedals are always in motion when the bicycle is moving. Due to the few parts required they usually look much more elegant than a coasting bicycle.

Sadly, if you are caught riding a bicycle without two independent brakes in Switzerland you are facing an initial fine of at least 258 Swiss francs plus about 300 Swiss francs for the paperwork. The fine doubles the second time (source: Tages Anzeiger, 27.10.2009)

Location:W Slauson Ave,Los Angeles,United States

Between the Festivities

For the days between Christmas and New Year we travelled to Las Vegas...




.... to meet Toño's cousin Sonia.




We were a party of 11, fitting more or less into a couple of hotel rooms. I was a tiny bit crowded...

Toño managed to turn 20$ I gave him into more than 1000$ at the slot machine :) though he did not manage to stop right there :( well, there is some left.

We also paid the new resort The Cosmopolitan and the flash City Center luxury shopping center a visit. I loved it and somehow managed not to flash my credit card. Eg, this is a part of the 3 story bar Chandelier:

Location:Las Vegas

Back to Normal

The festivities went well and I ate more beef tongue than so far in my life up to December 24, 2010.




Later today we'll be heading to Las Vegas to meet the. Daughter if Toño's late godmother.

Location:W 57th St,Los Angeles,United States

Merry Christmas!

Preparing for the Festivities

The day was mainly dedicated to preparing for the festivities - that is, we drove to numerous Mexican tiendas to get ingredients for tamales and ponche. For the latter, a fruit named tejocote was needed, which was difficult to get for a reasonable price. They also bought a box of tongues. I have no idea what they will make with them. However, I haven't seen as many piñatas in my entire life as today. The ceilings of all shops were covered with them.

But now, we are relaxing by enjoying margaritas :)

Location:W 58th St,Los Angeles,United States

A Warm Welcome with Frijolitos, Carne de Res y una Cervezita

Although in coach, the flight to Los Ángeles was uneventful, which is always good. Though, Toño was a bit peeved, because the maître de cabin dropped by to greet me personally and let me choose my lunch before they started serving to ensure I get the choice. These perks were not granted to Toño. Being a frequent flyer is not always easy, but I reckon we got the exit row seats with more legroom thanks to my seniority.

At LAX we had to wait an entire hour on the tarmac. BA was blocking our gate. They were probably not keen at all to return to snow messy Heathrow.

Immigration was then a bit of an ordeal as well, Toño's Swiss passport is without biometric features and he had to use his Mexican, for which has a visa. This cause some intense scrutiny. An upgraded passport is definitely on the to-do-list.

The welcome by Toño's relatives was then more to my liking. They served us frijoles, carne de res and cerveza :)

We are staying with Toño's aunty Chica, her husband Héctor, and their teenage sons Héctor and Alfonso in a nice house in south central Los Ángeles. Aunty Chica is actually younger than Toño. Three siblings of Toño's father live here nearby. For Christmas, siblings of Toño's mother will come from Palms Springs. It will be huge :)

Location:W 51st St,Los Angeles,United States

Heading for a Navidad Americana

We are heading to Los Angeles to celebrate Christmas and New Year with Toño's relatives. There are many of them. I've counted presents for 10 families.

However between us and Los Angeles are 13 hours of *cough* coach *cough* :/ well, at least we can prepare ourselves for this in the lounge.

Location:Gates,Kloten,Switzerland

Big Chill

I'm on business in India and it's unusually chilly here. Today, the Bangalore edition of the Times of India featured the headline Big chill leaves Bangalore shivering on the front page. Today's high temperature forecast was 21.3°C. I'm starving for sympathy here.

5 on the fifth - Faces

This month's 5 on the fifth theme is Faces.

Since we are in the middle of Advent season, I took portraits of the figurines in our nativity scene.

Cookies Delivered

I was a good boy today, travelled through the heaping snow and brought my mother the Christmas cookies. She was already worried and thought with me having to travel to India this weekend, there will be no time for the cookies. She's relieved now.