Motherhood I'm Coming

I've been to Switzerland for two days and I'm already getting the feeling that I'm being forced into motherhood - Imaging, me with a bairn.

First, I was told by my health insurance, what the implications of the new paid maternity leave are (we call this motherhood insurance - Switzerland did not have something like that, even though, the ferderal constitution promised it since 1945).

Then yesterday, I made some strawberries with sour creme. Apparently, fresa con crema is the favourite dish in Mexico while carrying a developing offspring within the body. How was I supposed to know?

The Season Tasting

I've told it here many times: I like season! - that is, I advocate for buying product in season and not out of it. I've just arrived from Malaysia, which is truly a beautiful country. However, they have more or less only one season throughout the year. The Malaysians say that right now, there is more haze until the end of August, but that's only because the blokes of Sumatra are burning forests.

My first shopping trip in Switzerland led me to Migros, my favourite groceries store (among the affordable ones - I loaf the other major one [Coop] because it has far too many organic stuff). I was delighted to discover that the three summer season yogurts have arrived:

• lime & green tea
• kiwi & gooseberry
• peach & passion fruit

This morning I went straight for the tasting and the result was devastating. I could not decide for a winner. I like them all. Everyone is unique and matches perfectly with summer. I reckon that my current mood will have to decide. Do I want to have it pleasantly zestful (lime & green tea), cross-grained acidulous (kiwi & gooseberry) or passionately fruity (peach & passion fruit)? Hey, it's good to have summer season!

Make Cheaper Love

Do you remember the commercial that Michel Gondry did for Levis? It was about the watch pocket. In it a teen goes to a pharmacy to buy condoms (this is in the 30s, all black and white). He gets some looks, but later goes to pick up his date, and is met at the door by her father... the pharmacist.

Finally, Migros preserves us from this kind of embarrassment and Migros helps to save some quid as well. The new M-Budget Condoms are available in the traditional M-Butget design. They are hard to be distinguished from a pack of anchovies or chewing gum. Only GSOA's* Make Love Not War design was better.

* GSOA: Group for Switzerland without army.

Things Change

I’ve thought that I’m on a kind of cruise in the Strait of Malacca by now but things changed quite rapidly after my arrival at Lumut last Friday. I was swimming in the pool when the word came through that the sailing has been postponed by about a couple of weeks, because there is no fast enough plane available for certain tests.

Now I’m sitting again in the lounge at Kuala Lumpur’s airport. This time, I’m waiting for the flight back to Zürich. Swimming in Malaysian pools is dangerous anyway. The other day, my colleague Hugo was almost hit by a dropping coconut.

This change of events allows me to spend some time with Gatín in Zürich, before I’ll heading to Siberia to participate together with Tigresa in a river rafting. I'm looking forward to both events.

Laid Back Cruising

My first brief visit to Malacca will be over in half an hours. I've been here to support an Organisational Level Maintenance course in the fancy subject Computer Based Maintenance (CBM). Unfortunately, the development of CBM for this project is not quite completed and I'm only familiar with parts of it. I did kind of a night flight with closed eyes. However, the customers seem to be happy with the result.

Luckily, Malaysia is far more laid back than Shanghai. Hence, I could kind of recover from my ordeal in Shanghai.

On the Chinese shipyard I had to sign a paper which confirmed that I've read the safety regulations. E.g. I agreed that I will not show up at work after heavy drinking on the night before. I soon learned that I was in peril on this yard. On the vessel, I was exposed to welding, sanding and painting on a daily basis. One day, a man’s shirt caught fire right next to me. The fire alarm was on anyway most of the time. One shirt (scratches) and a pair of trousers (paint and a strange oily substance) got destroyed during this setting-to-work.

But most important thing is, they have pools in Malaysia. Since I arrived here last Saturday, I've been swimming for 6½ hours at my average cruising speed of 1.3 knots. Do the math yourself.

However, this noon I'll travel up north to do some real cruising on a real vessel.

Shanghai and Me

There hasn't been an entry in this blog for quite some time. I have been to Shanghai to do some work on a shipyard. Shipyards are good at cutting and welding steel in order to build vessels. They are not the best place to go for internet access and I could not find an internet café. Maybe I did see one, but I have no idea how the sign for internet café looks like in Chinese. At least at the end of the stay, I could decipher "China" and "Shanghai". Luckily, Jackson Lim had taught me how to count to 9 with one hand in Chinese (this is different to the European way, e.g. if a European orders two beers using his fingers, he will get seven in China). I always got the number of merchandises I wanted.

Shanghai is not the best place to go for tourist purposes. Within a couple of days one has seen what’s worth to. The huge amount of new skyscrapers is amazing, I have to admit. Although, only a few are interesting from an architectural point of view. Surprisingly, there were some Art Deco buildings. On one of my long walks through the city, I discovered a breathtaking Marine Hospital in a small side street. However, the general tendency in the construction business is towards the sky:



Another surprise was the huge number of green areas. If there is the possibility to make 2 square meters of park, the Chinese build one and they keep the city clean like Zürich once was. This is me in one of the bigger parks - that is, the People’s Park:



Zürich’s car drivers like to complain about the urban cyclists (although, Zürich’s cyclists obey the traffic laws as far as reasonably possible). Zürich’s car drivers should try two survive in Shanghai’s traffic for more than five minutes without a scratch on their precious tin can. Shanghai’s traffic is hideous. Everyone - that is, zillions of cars, busses, lorries, two-wheelers, cyclists and walkers (I haven't seen inline-skates, skateboards and kick-boards) - behaves as reckless as possible. Even on the Huangpu River is rush hours 24/7 (without navigation radars and position lights). This is a snapshot of Xuijahui Square on a lacy weekend:



As it could have been expected, all the world brands have already arrived in Shanghai before me:



Yesterday, I arrived in Melaka at the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia. I'm not yet quite sure what my task here will be. Nevertheless, I reckon I'll find out on Monday. Until then, I'm enjoying the pool.

2nd Stopover

I've just arrived at KLIA airport in Kuala Lumpur. It's my second (after Amsterdam) and last stopover on my way two Shanghai. The flight was a bit humpy but apart from that business as usual. That is, meals at odd times and detached off any season. The flight entertainment toy was broken at my seat, but I did not change because I’m reading the new Tom Wolfe (I’m Charlotte Simmons). Hence I got not distracted from my read by a movie with bad picture and sound quality. The most sensational thing was that on the last leg, I was sitting on the upper-deck of a 747 for the first time in my life. There it has nice little compartments between the seats and the windows - very practical indeed.

I’m hope that my colleague Holger will be on the flight to Shanghai (as planed). I have no information whatsoever on my stay there apart from my return ticket to Kuala Lumpur on the 18th of June. That is, now hotel reservation or business contacts.

The weird thing about this trip is that in the end it’s all paid by Thailand, a country I haven’t been to apart from another stopover at Bangkok airport last year.

By the way, I got distracted form the book on the flight despite of the broken entertainment system. I could not stop thinking of Gatín. I miss you already.

Big Mistake

I had to learn that one of the big mistakes in my life has been to show a cold shoulder to lamb shoulder. This evening, Gatín surprised me and my brother with an exquisite version of this meal.



Tigresa missed not only this dinner because of a strange romance with a wary and shy bloke, but also a Penfold Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2000. Someday, she will learn to set the priorities right.

Start Breeding Now!

If you haven't got children, you should start breeding right now. But before that you have to buy Blinking Lights And Other Revelations by Eels.

Why do I command this? It all started with a blog by Stoipi, where he recommended this new record. Stoipi is an nice bloke with an excellent music collection. Nonetheless I did not rush to the shop at once, however I did put this record on the watch list. Some days later, a journalist called Philippe Amrein wrote in WOZ MUSIC: "Blinking Lights is a reason to set children into the world in order to one day tell them and the grandchildren what a great band Eels were." I was still not quite convinced, but I bought it anyway.

Today, to recover from a shopping stampede, I listened to the entire double record for the first time and I'm flabbergasted. It's like standing in a rain of diamonds - painful yet wonderful.



Even though you shoud consider it, I don't insist that you start propagating. But if there is one thing one has to do this year, it's buying Eels' Blinking Lights And Other Revelations.

Shop 'Till I Drop

I like buying groceries, however, I loaf shopping everything else. But today, it had to be. I needed:

• shoes
• a suitcase.

To warm up, I went with Gatín to the market in Oerlikon. We bought strawberries from Thurgau, chanterelles for a salad and a lamb shoulder and all the veggies necessary to roast it for a candlelight dinner on Sunday evening. Still and all, the best buy was the bunch of flowers Gatín bought for me:



At eleven o'clock, we headed downtown together with Tigresa for the essential things. We did not know it yet, but it turned out to be a long (6 hours) and a difficult (I behaved outrageously) experience.

I had to buy a suitcase, because my beloved GLOBE-TROTTER suitcase had been damaged on my last trip to Asia somewhere between Malaysia, Vienna and Zürich. My suitcase is made of vulcanised fibre board, which is light as aluminium, yet as hard wearing as finest leather. We are talking about 300£ per case. It had been damaged on the base side. Something hard and sharp must have hit it. The suitcase is usable, but I prefer not to take it along on a flight anymore.

Obviously, it was not an easy task to find a replacement. The least I wanted, would have been one of these Tupperware on wheels. We could find something, that was suitable and practical, although, it will never be as good as the GLOBE-TROTTER. See the sensible on the left and the beloved on the right:



The next task were the shoes. The requirements were:

• black
• elegant, yet not too fashionable
• useable on a bike with click pedals.

As I have anticipated, the only shop that was able to satisfy these requirements was Schuhhaus Gräb. This is probably the most antediluvian shoe shop in town. The salesladies are self-conscious yet highly competent. Never before, I experienced such an endeavour to find the best shoes for me. At the end, I took the bull by the horns and bought two perfectly fitting pairs:



At first, Tigresa was shocked by the unsensual selection in the woman's section of Schuhhaus Gräb. But suddenly, she found a jewel that will make her score tonight. I, on the other side, am unable to move my old carcass out of the house anymore. I'm far to exhausted.

A Way To Burn In Hell

Even though, I haven't got a car and use public transport and my GT all the time, I'll probably burn in hell for excessive fuel consumption. These are the scheduled flights for the next couple of months:

1. Zurich - Amsterdam
   07.06.2005 LX724 ZHR-AMS 07:20-08:55
   
2. Amsterdam - Kuala Lumpur
   07.06.2005 MH017 AMS-KUL 12:00-06:05*
   
3. Kuala Lumpur - Shanghai
   08.06.2005 MH388 KUL-PVG 08:05-14:10
   
4. Shanghai - Kuala Lumpur
   18.06.2005 MH387 PVG-KUL 10:15-15:30
   
5. Kuala Lumpur - Zurich
   07.07.2005 MH010 KUL-ZHR 23:45-06:15*
   
6. Zurich - Moscow
   13.07.2005 LX1326 ZHR-DME 09:50-15:10
   
7. Moscow - Yakutsk
   13.07.2005 E3-191 DME-YKS 20:15-07:40*
   
8. Yakutsk - Syrjanka
9. Syrjaka - Omuliovka (MI8 helicopter)
10. Omuliovka - Syrjaka (MI8 helicopter)
11. Syrjaka - Yakutsk
12. Yakutsk - Moscow
    24.07.2005 E3-192 YKS-DME 12:00-13:50
13. Moscow - Zurich
    24.07.2005 LX1327 ZHR-DME 17:45-19:10.

Unfortunately, only the first five will be business class.

Cosy Teddies

Last Sunday, I was dragged into some teddy business. To my defence I can say that there have been quite some teddy bears in my life already, as one can expect from someone, who's first given name means bear and who's combination of all given names means divine bear. E.g, these seven bears, who were cought in Gomad Bed, were all purchased to support Zürich's Lighthouse:



Get your own teddy bear right now - it's never to late to adopt an ursine lifestyle.

Prepare Yourself

Tigresa & I are planning a trip to Siberia this summer (i.e. this mosquito season), which includes 4 domestic flights within Russia and Siberia (and two by helicopter). As usual, the Internet is rather helpful for preparation. That is, I've found some tips on expat.ru that brought back some memories:

• Some domestic flights still have Unreserved Seating, which often results in pushing-and-shoving battles to get onto the plane first. You may have to participate in order to get your chosen seat.
• Forget any notion you had that you are a "customer". On Russian domestic flights, passengers - along with their views and their custom - are seen as slightly less important than hunks of meat, and are treated very much the same way, despite the high price charged for tickets.

Swiss Innovation

I spent the last couple of days on a business trip to Copenhagen and had the change to see the changes introduced since Lufthansa took over Swiss International Airlines. Obviously, the former system (Champagne in the front seats - thirst in the back) did not prevail. Yes, drinks and a warm snack were handed out (labelled "discover the taste of Italy"), however, it was a wee bit tiny. Hence, a carry-on lunch is still no bad idea for a Swiss flight.

But the most striking discovery were the dual-use vomit bags. They cannot only be used to collect parts or all of the contents of one's stomach, which was ejected through the mouth (usually in a series of involuntary spasmic movements). They can also be used to send the films with the holiday pictures to a photo lavatory. How clever and innovative.

Teddies Prefer To Tour II

Read Teddies Prefer To Tour fist.

Before the Teddies could go on their Tourist Trip, they had to have a proper breakfast. Somehow, they knew that there is hardly a better place for it than Gomad Balcony.



Right now, the teddy family seems to be on their way to their next of kin at the Bärengraben in Bern.

Teddies Prefer To Tour

Zürich is trying to boost tourism by putting 630 life size teddies all over the town. Today is a lovely sunny Sunday and the shop owners try to boost their profit even more by starting one of the rare Sunday sales. Of course this means that the sales personal has to work as well (Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy).

Labour union Unia is not pleased at all about this and tried to make a symbolic but clear statement by freeing some of the bears in the wee hours and sending them on a relaxing tourist trip around lovely Switzerland. Here is their first stop at Luzern:

FANTASTIC!

Life is really good to me right now. I'm feeling FANTASTIC! There is no particular reason. It's just a general feeling. Though, I wouldn't call my life GLAMOROUS - but definitely FABULOUS.

Chris Lowe's selection of 'songs about love, friendship, sex, religion, hope and despair' scores the feeling FANTASTIC! perfectly:

• Savage: Don’t Cry Tonight
• Mr Flagio: Take A Chance
• Klein and MBO: Dirty Talk
• The Flirts: Passion
• Matia Bazaar: Ti Sento
• Justice vs. Simian: Never Be Alone
• Queen: The Show Must Go On
• Celestial Choir: Stand On The Word
• Carl Bean: I Was Born This Way
• Dusty Springfield: I’d Rather Leave While I’m In Love

Just buy, Back To Mine selected by the Pet Shop Boys. I can't guarantee you FANTASTIC! However, I'm playing it thin and transparent - as we said back then in the good old vinyl age.

Hot Summer

My swim teacher is fabulous. She does not only scrutinise my strokes and tries to direct me to improve them, she has also provided me with four different hot chili peppers and a rare tomato plant.



She did not only once held a Swiss swimming record but seems to be a horticulture expert too. Let's hope, the plants will flourish like the daisies. Where does this plant always find new spots for the blossoms?

Some Progress

I love Wikipedia, however, sometimes it's just not in the vanguard of actuality and then it does not quite knock my socks off:

A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human firing a weapon, for example, an archer or rifleman, but attempts to do so faster and more accurately.

As someone who fiddles with fire-control systems, I dare to say that there should be written "often electronic". There is some progress - slowly but steady.

Gomad Mansion™

It's about time that I secure the trade mark rights on the brand Gomad Mansion. Today, Tigresa showed up with her latest creation:



Forget about FCUK. Gomad Mansion™ is the new adornment of the twentysomethings' ripe bosoms.

How To Start A Weekend

I can highly recommend the Zurich Comedy Club, which we visited yesterday evening. They improved the selection of wines, which are served, remarkably. Now they just have to change the Hausordnung a wee bit. One is still not allowed to take the glasses into the performance.



After waking up this morning, I had to learn that life is no sugus. That was just after (or before?) I discovered that my blood pressure is at a low 108/56 mmHg. It seems that I'm not fully recovered from my illness. The dizziness seems not to be an imagination, though. Whatever, I decided to:

1. postpone any panic
2. forgo any sport for the weekend
   
3. go for a retail therapy to the market:

Can you see it? Strawberries from Thurgau are available. Not only the weekend, also the strawberry season has started!

The Music Meme Thing

mr. mac has passed me the stick to do a meme about music. He says that I'm a music buff. I think I would know more about movies than music, however, I don't want to be a party-pooper. Here we go:

1. Total volume of music files on my computer?
   Very small: 803 songs, 205 days or 3.29 GB. I deleted most of my music files some weeks ago and started to store only to-go or to-work music on my PC and iPod. That is, no Tom Waits, Atari Teenage Riot, et al.
2. The last CD I bought was?
   Back To Mine by Pet Shop Boys (actually only selected by the Pet Shop Boys). I know I'm totally old fashioned. I buy CDs. I like to have the whole package in my hands. I still think it's a shame that the covers had to shrink from LP to CD format.
3. Song playing right now?
   The Poem by Massive Sounds feat. Mutaburaka. Produced and arranged by Bobby Konders in 1989. My boyfriend Gatín loves to dance to this track. It's a way of getting him here virtually.
4. Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me (in no particular order)
   

• YMCA by Village People.
  I bought my first LP (a sampler) because of this song. Actually a song to be ashamed of, whatever, it was my first time.
• Get Ready by Rare Earth.
  I had to buy a CD player, because the live version of this song recorded in Switzerland was only available on CD (I've got the original on LP too). It's a song of the time when one song filled up a LP side.
• Burning Down The House by Talking Heads.
  There is no record that I played more often than Stop Making Sense (the movie version was over two years on screen in Zürich). Burning Down The House was my favourite song on it until I discovered the beauty of Once In A Lifetime.
• When Doves Cry by Prince.
  This list can't be without a song by the Dawn. It still makes me tremble inside.
• Blue Monday by New Order.
  It's my favourite song of the eighties and there was no song is this list, which is younger than from the eighties anyway.

1. I am going to pass the stick to
   Stoipi, who has got a huge collection of true beauties & Tigresa, who seems to listen to a lot of R&B.

Bad Idea

I was ill for the last couple of days and had not eaten anything. This evening I plan to go to a show of Zürich's Comedy Club. My boss is a member of this institution and he might be there. That's why I showed up at work and hence went to dinner with my colleagues. This was a bad idea:

• Bernd left without clearing his tray (it's a self serving canteen)
• Günter Adolf explained his haemorrhoid surgery and the following reconvalescence in detail.

By the way: The spring show of Zürich's Comedy Club is Bold Girls by Rona Munro. It will not be easy for the girls, because yesterday I saw a breathtaking performance of Moliere's L'Avare at Zürich's Schauspielhaus.

I'm Intolerant

Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford farted while swearing loyalty to Queen Elizabeth I, and consequently went into self-imposed exile for seven years. After his return, the Queen was reported to have reassured de Vere: "My Lord, I had quite forgotten the fart."

For good reasons, in many cultures, excessive human flatulence is regarded as embarrassing and impolite, even to the point of being a taboo subject. I consider smoking far worse than farting. Smokers do not only stink to high heaven they also

• make my eyes itch
• make my clothes stink
• make my skin stink
• are far from kissable (excpect if one likes liking ashtrays).

Why is smoking no embarrassment and not considered impolite? Which smoker would have the decency to go into exile for smoking in the presence of a queen?

Tu Discoteca Te Necesita, Señorita

Devastating news arrived this morning at Gomad Mansion. Kylie Minogue has postponed her tour of Australia after being diagnosed with breast cancer. My concern is not that the Australians will miss the enchanting of the decade but that this amazing Australian is in deep trouble. Be strong Kylie!

Nunca estas sola, sabes lo que tienes que hacer
No vayas a tu pueblo, tu discoteca te necesita
So let's dance through all our fears, war is over for a bit
The whole world should be moving do your part, cure a lonely heart
Your disco, your disco, your disco needs you!

Touring the Alps

This weekend was devoted to being a tourist in central and eastern Switzerland. Funnily, most tourists go to Lucerne when visiting Switzerland, but Swiss hardly do such a thing. Or at least I have not visited this place more than twice so far. All it took was a frantic crew.



We also made it to the Rütli, where Switzerland was founded. It was very stereotyped - a farmer was distributing liquid manure on this blessed meadow.



This weekend full of discoveries ended in Solis high above the Albula river in Grisons.



The picture credits go to stoipi.
[All Pictures]

The First Step

I admit that I am powerless over newspapers and coffee.


The picture credits go to stoipi.

Tourist in Lucerne

I'm with Gatín, Tmd, Stoipi, Obelix, Kaag und Chräbel on a project called "Tourist in Lucerne". Today we will go by a paddle steamer to the famous Rütli. This is a lovely meadow at the banks of the Lake of Luzern. It's also the place where Switzerland was founded on August 1, 1291. This will be my first visit (I'm kind of a bad Swiss, though). Hence, I'm quite emotionally aroused.

Lame Resumé?

Question: When should I use XML?
Answer: When you need a buzzword in your resumé.

No idea what XML is? Then forget about your resumé and play some Buzz & Honey.

About Her- And Himicanes

Here in northern Switzerland, we are enjoying a couple of sunny and rain free days. When one can belive the local centennial calendar, these will be only ones in May.

But we can be lucky, other parts of the world have to face far worse, i.e. tropical cyclones. These violent storms originate over tropical or subtropical waters, and are characterized by violent rainstorms and high-velocity cyclonic winds. There are many weird words for it:

• Hurricane in the North Atlantic Ocean, North Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, and the South Pacific Ocean east of 160°E
• Typhoon in the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline
• Willy-Willy in Australia.

The word hurricane comes from Spanish huracán. The Spanish took it from the Taíno hurákan. This is quite simple compared to typhoon:

The history of typhoon presents a perfect example of the long journey that many words made in coming to English. It traveled from Greece to Arabia to India, and also arose independently in China, before assuming its current form in our language. The Greek word tuphōn, used both as the name of the father of the winds and a common noun meaning “whirlwind, typhoon,” was borrowed into Arabic during the Middle Ages, when Arabic learning both preserved and expanded the classical heritage and passed it on to Europe and other parts of the world. Ṭūfān, the Arabic version of the Greek word, passed into languages spoken in India, where Arabic-speaking Muslim invaders had settled in the 11th century. Thus the descendant of the Arabic word, passing into English (first recorded in 1588) through an Indian language and appearing in English in forms such as touffon and tufan, originally referred specifically to a severe storm in India. The modern form of typhoon was influenced by a borrowing from the Cantonese variety of Chinese, namely the word taaîfung,Taaîfung, meaning literally “great wind,” was coincidentally similar to the Arabic borrowing and is first recorded in English guise as tuffoon in 1699. The various forms coalesced and finally became typhoon, a spelling that first appeared in 1819 in Shelley's Prometheus Unbound.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

This is not yet the end of hurricane trivia. Did you ever wonder, why it's not "himicane"? On this date in 1978 the US Department of Commerce had the chutzpah to declare that hurricanes would no longer be named exclusively after women. Why has this been done by the US Department of Commerce? What could I declare today?

Tigresa Is Back Twice

This evening, Tigresa returned from her six day (or so) trip to Scotland and is already back at work for a late night meeting. Nonetheless, we at Gomad Mansion hope for a detailed report on the Scottish soul in due course.

Weighted With Gold

I'm wearing ashcloth and ashes and will have to eat humble pie. I've missed my brother's fiftieth birthday! It will not be cheep to make up for this slackness. I reckon, it could work with some bottles of pretty good wine.

Last Thursday, at the confirmation dinner of a niece of mine, I could serve wine from Hans Bosch in Boltshausen (I was the waiter). My great grandmother had been an offspring of this Bosch family and Hans Bosch's grandfather was my father's godfather. This makes Bosch's wines kind of family wines for us.

Although, these wines are connected with my family, they are not the best choice for this purpose. It has to be something really special. However, I prefer a Swiss provenance. My brother is a Swiss farmer and one should honor one's soil.

Luckily, Gatín is a wine specialist and could recommend me a wine from the Bündner Herrschaft by Annatina Pelizzatti from Jenins. But, you should not halloo till you're out of the wood. This wine was sold out everywhere. A small wine shop in Zürich sold 1500 bottles within a few days. People seem to weight Annatina Pelizzatti's wines with gold.

Fortunately, Gatín is not only a wine specialist, but also a man with excellent connections. He could find another wine specialist, who is willing to sell me:

• 3 bottles of Jeninser Pinot noir Barrique, 2002
• 3 bottles of Sorso 2003, Annatina Pelizzatti, Jenins.

Annatina Pelizzatti is a member of the Artisanes of Vines and Wines. Artisanes are skilled female manual workers or craftswomen. Truly, Gatín made the right choice.

My First Damselfly

I've thought, I saw a dragonfly on Gomad Meadow this morning at 7 am. But Wikipedia told me that it must be a damselfly. They are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact their wings are held along the body when at rest.



Whatever, I'm pretty proud to have found a damselfly on Gomad Meadow, which is on Gomad Balcony and therefore in a city (ok - at the edge to suburbia, but I pay urban tax rates and rent). I've seem many wild animal in Zürich, such as many foxes, a badger, a marten and hedgehogs. But this is my first damselfly.

One summer, I could hardly sleep because of a couple of mating hedgehogs. Hedgehog coupling seems to last a fortnight, includes high-pitched noise and has to be performed when decent citizens are supposed to sleep. Hedgehogs don't know quickies and don't suffer from premature ejaculation. Beware of lecherous hedgehogs.

iTMS Goes CH

One of the major injustices in a allegedly globalized world has been rectified. The iTunes Music Store is now also open (since midnight) in the land where milk chocolate has been invented. The bad new is that they have got DJ Bobo.

Out Of Season

In the 15th century, French poet, thief, and general vagabond François Villon wrote I am crazy for your strawberry lips.

I fully understand the longing for this divine fruit. However, all pleasure should be consumed deliberately. Especially all fruits that are accustomed to the Swiss climate and soil should be consumed in Switzerland in their Swiss season.

I know, the magazines are already packed with strawberry recipes and deluding pictures, the shops' fruit sections are covered with strawberries, and the restaurants promote strawberry deserts. I can only beg you to bridle your desire. The strawberries, which are now in the shops, are either imported or produced in greenhouses, both by wasting far too much resources. Domestic fruits can be picked when they are ripe and the transports can be kept reasonably short. Or do you want yourself make a collaborator of the war for oil that easily?

Just as a reminder, the Swiss fruit seasons:

• Strawberries: begin of June until middle of August
• Cherries: middle of June until middle of August
• Apricots: July and August
• Raspberries: July until middle of October
• Currants: July and August
• Blackberries: middle of July until end of September
• Plums: begin of August until middle of October
• Quinces: October until middle of November.

Added later:
It's quite easy to find out when the Apricot season starts, because the prices are raised significantly. That's because it's forbidden to import Apricots during the Swiss season and Swiss fruits are more expensive without the competition.

The Joy Of A Blossoming Balcony

Since the beginning spring, I've studied how to enrich Gomad Mansion's balcony by choosing different kind of flowers, spices, teas as well as meadow flowers. Now after many weeks of hard investigation and work, this venture is close to fulfillment. Let's have a look around this beautiful spot:



These flowers are on the ground because of the terrifying storm that has blown forcefully around Gomad Mansion. In the background behind the fence is Gomad Meadow. It has approximately the size of 1 m² and is supposed to blossom throughout spring, summer and autumn. On the left and in the middle are the 16 new geraniums, which I've planted yesterday. The empty pot will be for the tomatoes. But there is no point to plant them before the middle of May. Next to the tomatoe pot are the forget-me-not, which actually belong to Tigresa. The daisies in the corner are a constant source of pleasure and water supplying duty.



The green section consists of basil, parsley, chives, sage, English peppermint, Moroccan peppermint and lemon balm. The small one on the right is a Cobaea, which is a rapidly growing, perennial climber from Mexico. Let's give it some time to grow. It can reach the lenght of 10 m and will bear large, bell-shaped, purplish flowers. The rest of this section will not be allowed to blossom in order to not to loose their powers.



The flowers are supposed to blossom and bring joy from dawn to dusk. The lovely tulips are a present from Gatín. He has picked them on a muddy flower field. After that, he had to wash all his clothes and shoes. It's far too rainy in Switzerland right now.

Running Out Of Options

Back in March, I had to quit my business relationship ship with UBS because they did not care to treat me nicely enough. Now it seems that I have to do the same with Credit Suisse, because they push the last 100 Western Pacific Gray Whales to extinction! (read about)

15 years ago, I obeyed Bertolt Brecht's advice (What is a bank robbery compared to setting up a bank?) and co-founded the Alternative Bank of Switzerland (ABS). I'm running out of options and it looks like I have to put my money there. Although, ABS refuses to invest into weapons, which is my single source of income due to the lousy stock market.

Stormy Sturmfrei

The literal term sturmfrei (storm-free) is used German, when the parents are not home for at least one night. I have a kind of storm-free condition because my flatmate Tigresa is off to Scotland until next Tuesday.

Tigresa will have the opposite of sturmfrei. The weather forecast for Scotland can be summarized with cool, breezy and showery.

I've been there once with a friend in November. We could not afford to go to a sunny & cosy place and we believed in the prejudice that it rains in Scotland anyway. Hence, it would not make any difference to make a visit in November, when it rains at every affordable spot. It was indeed cool, breezy and showery. Without a doubt, Tigresa will confirm our rain prejudice in due course.

However, what the heck is the use of sturmfrei, when it's cool, breezy and showery in Switzerland too. We can't celebrate dirty parties on Gomad Mansion's balcony under such conditions.

Cool Picture

I've thought, it's time to modify the header design of this humble corner of the WWW. The spanking new header picture has been taken by acclaimed photographer Louis Brem on February 23rd, 2003 at N 63° 12´21.7" O 142° 36´33.1". This location is in Siberia, close to Oymyakon.

Oymyakon is known as the Northern Pole of Cold, because on January 26, 1926, a temperature of -71.2°C (-96 °F) was recorded there. This is the lowest temperature ever recorded in any locality on Earth that has permanent, year-round human habitation. It is also the lowest temperature recorded for the Northern hemisphere.

Here are some more pictures, we had taken on this trip:

Farha Means Hapiness

This morning at 8:55, elephant cow Ceyla-Himali gave birth to Farha. See how the cute wee lass discovers her cage on Zürich Zoo's livecam. Mother and baby are fine and healthy.

Caught In The Act

As an engineer, I see myself as a product of the age of Enlightenment. But OMG, I caught myself reading stuff of the age of Romanticism and it even touches me. What on earth (or heaven) are Gatín and Tigresa doing with me?

Der Glückliche

Ich hab ein Liebchen lieb recht von Herzen,
Hellfrische Augen hats wie zwei Kerzen,
Und wo sie spielend streifen das Feld,
Ach, wie so lustig glänzet die Welt!

Wie in der Waldnacht zwischen den Schlüften
Plötzlich die Täler sonnig sich klüften,
Funkeln die Ströme, rauscht himmelwärts
Blühende Wildnis - so ist mein Herz!

Wie vom Gebirge ins Meer zu schauen,
Wie wenn der Seefalk, hangend im Blauen,
Zuruft der dämmernden Erd, wo sie blieb? -
So unermeßlich ist rechte Lieb!

(Joseph von Eichendorff)

Vanquished Again

One of the things I force myself every spring is to vanquish my inner swine and to go by bike for the Lägern.

The Lägern is a small ridge close to Zürich. It's summit is 856 m asl. That is an elevation of 424 m from where I live. Riding up there is hard for the first 4 to 5 times every spring. After that, my body is used to this kind of exercise and it's poor fun again.

If I'm in good shape, it takes me exactly 1 hour to get there. Today, I had 1 hour 1 minute. That is 1.67% above my own benchmark. I never had such a good start, especially considering that my swim performance has been significantly below my expectations lately and that I'm 9% above my I were take my top off on a dancefloor weight. I reckon that good start is because:

• The conditions were perfect (slightly warm, overcast, light breeze, last rain a couple of days ago)
• Crawl is the better preparation for cycling than breaststroke
• I had an excellent and strengthening dinner yesterday.

Lido Longing

One of the biggest mistakes on can do in Zürich, is not to swim. There are:

• 7 indoor pools
• 7 outdoor pools
• 6 seaside lidos
• 5 riverine lidos.

Temperatures are already above twenty degrees Celsius but unfortunately, the outdoor facilities will not be open until the 14th of May.

Some years ago, I took the opportunity to take an outdoor swim on the opening day. After half an hour, I had to leave the 17 degrees warm/cold water urgently to have a pee.

Gilded Discovery

Gonzalo Pizarro and Francisco de Orellana may had failed in their quest for El Dorado. At least, I have found a little one by trying to find out more about TACOS DORADOS.

While looking it up on the web, I found this great article on the regional differences in tacos in Mexico and even the Origins of the taco (Aztecs). There are morning tacos and night tacos. Discussed are TACOS DE CANASTA, TACOS DE BARBACOA, TACOS DE CABEZA, TACOS AL PASTOR, TACOS DE CARNITAS, TACOS DE FRITANGAS, TACOS DE CAZUELA, TACOS DORADOS, and TACOS DE PESCADO. It discusses ingredients, preparation, which regions serve these and the regional differences for each type.

TACOS DORADOS, also called taquitos or flautas, differ from other kinds of tacos in that they are rolled around a filling and fried until hard, rather than being made with soft tortillas folded around the filling. TACOS DORADOS are usually filled with shredded, cooked chicken or beef. They are topped with shredded lettuce, salsa, crema and grated cheese.

Spotless Labour Day

Breakfast supposed to be the most important meal of the day. However, one should not underestimate dinner. I reckon that thanks to Gatín, I had the best dinner possible to end this marvelous first summer weekend of the year. This meal was even a quite international one. Well, at least from a Swiss farm boy's point of view.



The dinner served on Gomad Mansion's balcony consisted of Spanish Gazpacho, followed by Mexican Tacos Dorados, both accompanied by Norman Cidre Bouché Fermier. Yes, I know that I'm a lucky marten.

Vocation

Yesterday evening, my brother called to ask if I could spare tomorrow to help him plant gherkins on his farm. Unfortunately I can't, because this Saturday will be devoted to vocation - not mine, though.

Early morning (10:30 is early on a Saturday) it starts with wine - that is, whether wine is much more than a job. I could grab a couple of tickets for a free preview of Mondovino. This French documentary by Jonathan Nossiter is supposed to be an entertaining examination of the impact of globalization upon the international wine industry. The critics are not totally enthusiastic but

• I'm interested,
• Tigresa will be at my side,
• it's free &
• with an apéritif afterwards.

After that, I've to rush to Kiesen Castle between Bern and Thun. The new book Work with Wood about the art of sculptor Urs Twellmann will be presented to the public. It also an occasion to meet friends, with whom I've travelled in Siberia. On one of those trips to Oymyakon, Urs Twellmann was our expedition artist. These is one of the pictures he took:

Minutiae

Le Mot du Jour is minutia or as Jerry Seinfeld has said:

I am so busy doing nothing... that the idea of doing anything -- which as you know, always leads to something -- cuts into the nothing and then forces me to have to drop everything.

Surprisingly, I did achieve some small things this week, both at home and at work. But I reckon that in hindsight, they will be nothing but minutia. However, maybe I just don't honor the work of labor anymore (at the eve of Labour Day!), which leads me to another question: Is it unethical to read Max Weber's Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism at work?

Obey The Trend

My beloved flatmate just turned 25 and she refuses to obey the trend.

Michèle Roten, a journalist highly esteemed by Tigresa, declared breeding, producing offspring, giving birth, or hatching (I reckon, you get the picture) THE trend of the twenty-somethings. Despite this clear sign, she still refuses to produce one of this must have accessories called child.

I will forgive her (at least this time), because she just said that if I would be a horse, I would be of noble breed (long eyelashes!).

Fantastic Man

FANTASTIC MAN is the spanking new gentlemens style journal from the editors of BUTT. According to this new bi-annual fashion magazine life begins at 30. Targeted at a more mature group of readers, FM's aim is to re-invent the 'gentleman's style journal'. The magazine contains, as the name implies, interviews and fashion features with inspiring men and interesting personalities. It features men in clothes rather than models in fashion. Check out the website for a preview.

By the way, BUTT is looking for a boring homosexual for a short interview about the most mundane things. If you consider yourself a quite boring person, send an email: jop@buttmagazine.com

MAQ: Muckraking Compromat

I've found new items on My Amaranthine Quest (MAQ) to improve my vocabulary useful for exposing scandals and failures:

Compromat is an abbreviation of the Russian words for compromising material.

Compromat is essential for muckraking, which is searching for and exposing misconduct in public life. President Theodore Roosevelt coined the term muckraker during a speech in 1906 when he criticized the writings of some journalists as being excessive and irresponsible. He disliked the attitude and lack of optimism of muckraking's practitioners. In his speech, Roosevelt likened the muckrakers to the Man with the Muckrake character in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (1678):

A man who could look no way but downward with the muck-rake in his hands, who was offered the celestial crown for his muckrake, but would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake the filth of the floor.

His speech nevertheless strongly advocated in favor of the muckrakers:

There are, in the body politic, economic and social, many and grave evils, and there is urgent necessity for the sternest war upon them. There should be relentless exposure of and attack upon every evil man whether politician or business man, every evil practice, whether in politics, in business, or in social life. I hail as a benefactor every writer or speaker, every man who, on the platform, or in book, magazine, or newspaper, with merciless severity makes such attack, provided always that he in his turn remembers that the attack is of use only if it is absolutely truthful.

Happy Birthday Tigresa

On this date, 110 years after Vladimir Lenin, Tigresa was born.



Con tantas ganas de vivir, de amar, de experimentar, de descubrir. Sonriente y a la vez capaz; sin dejar de ser femenina y seductora. Hermosa mujer moderna, porque no compararte con Helena de Troya. Sí, es así, tu eres una "Deidad moderna".

¡Feliz compleaños capullo!



Gatín and I have tried to honor the occasion by assembling 25 wines that match the wide range of Tigresa's personality:

1. Barolo Parussi 1998, Conterno Fantino
   Dieser eleganter Wein passt zu fein zubereiteten Teigwaren. Trinkreife: 2005-2010
2. Valpolicella Classico Ripasso 2001, Buglioni
   Samtiger Wein aus dem Veneto passt hervorragend zu Rissotto, aber auch zu Geflügel. Trinkreife 2005-2007
3. Chianti Classico 2002, Fontodi
   Dieser rustikaler Chianti ist der perfekter Begleiter zu Pizza aber auch zu Tacos. Trinkreife 2005-2008
4. Roero Arneis Trinità 2003, Az. Agr. Malvirà
   Feiner Sommerwein geeignet zum Apèro, aber auch zu einem pochierten Süsswasserfisch. Trinkreife 2005-2006
5. Moscato d’Asti Bricco Quaglia 2004/ 75 cl, La Spinetta
   Aromatischer Apero Wein mit einer wundervollen Restsüsse. Ein Frauen-Liebling. Trinkreife 2005-2006.
6. Soave 2004, La Cappuccina
   Feines blumiges Bouquet, durch seine Finesse nur für Apero geeignet. Trinkreife 2005-2006
7. Barbera d’Alba San Michele 2003, Malvirà
   Gut balancierter Barbera, der zur mediterranen Küche geeignet ist. Trinkreife 2005-2008
8. Ercavio Blanco 2004, Mas que Vinos, Castilla VT
   Exotischer Wein mit ausgezeichnetes frisches Bouquet, zum Apero und Meeresfrüchte geeignet.
9. Quivira Verdejo Blanco 2004, Bodegas Nostrum
   Verführerische Citrus Nase. Dieser Wein passt ausgezeichnet zu grilliertem Meerfisch und zu Langousten. Trinkreife 2005-2007
10. AN/2 2002, An Negra, Illes Balears
    Betörender Rotwein, der perfekt zu Paella aber auch zu Cabrito passt. Trinkreife 2005-2010
11. Riesling Seeberg 2003, Fred Loimer
    Aromatischer fruchtiger Riesling, passt zu einem Egli + Forelle Meunière. Trinkreife 2005-2008
12. Grüner Veltliner Käferberg 2003, Fred Loimer
    Schöner Säure betonter Wein. Passt zu geräuchertem Lachs + Forelle. Trinkreife 2005-2006
13. Eiswein Welschriesling 2003/37,5 cl, Hans Tschida-Angerhof
    Süsse Verführung. Passt zu Rübli + Nuss Kuchen (nicht zu Süsse Desserts). Trinkreife 2005-2012
14. Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Anura
    Komplexer Cabernet mit angenehmen Holzaromen, passt zu gebratenes Steaks mit schweren Sauce. Trinkreife 2005-2010
15. Chenin Blanc 2003, Anura
    Diskretes, feines blumiges Bouquet. Perfekter Sommerwein für zwischendurch. Trinkreife 2005-2006
16. Chenin Blanc 2004, Boschendal Wines
    Zeigt auf eine gut gelungene Art den Barrique-Ausbau, schönes diskretes Vanille Aroma. Perfekter Begleiter zu Geflügel, aber auch zu Süsswasser Fische. Trinkreife 2005-2009
17. Grande Reserve Premium Blend 2000, Boschendal Wines
    Ausgezeichneter Südafrikaner, der die Grösse eines Bordeaux zeigt, mit ein Hauch exotische Düfte in der Nase so wie im Gaumen. Trinkreife 2005-2012
18. Shiraz, Bin 128, 2000, Penfolds
    Leidenschaftlich, samtig und opulent. Geeignet zu Rind- und Schweinsteaks sowie Lamm. Trinkreife 2005-2010
19. Cabernet/Shiraz, Bin 389, 2001
    Traumhafter Australier, der Nektar für die Götter ist. Passt zu Lamm, Rindsfilet mit kräftigen Sausen und zu kräftigen Käsesorten. 2007-2015
20. Basa Blanco Cosecha 2004, Selección Telmo Rodriguez
    Charmant und feingliedriger Spanier. Unbedingt zum Apero im Sommer 2005 geniessen.
21. Cava Reventós i Blanc Brut Reserva 2000, Josep Maria Reventos i Blanc
    Beeindruckender Cava zu Apero, perfekter Tapas-Begleiter. Trinkreife 2005-2006
22. Humagne Rouge de Chamoson, J.Disner, 2003
    Schweizer Walliser der 1. Klasse, passt zu Saucisson Vaudois. Trinkreife 2005-2007
23. Château Poujeaux, Moulis AOC, 1999
    Ein grosser Bordeaux, der durch seine Harmonie in der Nase und Gaumen einem zum Bordeaux Liebhaber macht. Trinkreife 2005-2015
24. Domaine Maris, Syrah La Touge, 2001
    Eleganter Syrah aus Südfrankreich, der perfekter Begleiter der mediterranen Küche ist. Trinkreife 2005-2009
25. Champagne Bonnaire, Prestige 1999, Grand Cru - Blanc de Blancs
    Erstklassiger Champagner für grosse Momente. Trinkreife 2005-2015

Commit Yourself

In Talk Talk's It's my Life, Mark Hollis sings the line I've asked myself how much do you commit yourself. This led to a discussion about relationship and how many things I try to put into my day. At least I could cite a line out of Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.

Yes, I'm aware that sleep deprivation can result in reduced productivity at work, irritability, diminished capacity in driving, less intimacy and a variety of health problems.

Moskow That Does Not Exist

Moscow is one of the busiest construction sides, maybe only beaten by Shanghai. Unfortunately, the mayor Yuri Luzhkov never had the intention to please the architectural critics. Therefore, a lot of historical valuable buildings have been torn down and replaced by constructions of a rather questionable style mixture.

It's far from a relief. However, the web page www.moskva.kotoroy.net (Moskow that does not exist) lists the lost.

Birthday Without Points & Stars

The fact that I'm partial to epicurean repasts does not imply that I'm willing to pay any price for a mouthful. Especially, when it's kind of compulsory and the chef waves with 1 Michelin star and 16 Gault Millau points.

I've been invited to a birthday party of a good friend to such a restaurant by SMS.

If people want to show off with parties at fancy places they should at least...

• ...pay for it (the SMS listed the own wallet as a to bring item). I don't mind going to a party where some cans of beer and a pot of spaghetti are offered to the guest. I don't need langoustes and foit gras to congratulate to someone's birthday and meet some nice people. A birthday party is the wrong place for a Dutch treat.
• ...put some effort, class and style into the invitation. An invitation to such an event asks for handmade paper, fountain pen writing and witty phrases.

My reply was rather brief and blunt, nevertheless, appropriate to the invitation.

I Want My Bento Too!

Japan is in trouble again because of their ignominious past. It might not be appropriate to speculate how the world would be when Japan had succeeded with their imperial war of aggression. History is written by the victors. However, I reckon the world would be better-off in respect to single-portion takeout meals. For sure, America's hegemony did no good to public health (read Fast Food Nation for the details).

Why does it come that I praise Japan's takeout meal Bento? Last Saturday's issue of NZZ run a feature about Bento by Christoph Neidhart. I read everything by Neidhart I can get hold of, whether I'm interested in the topic or not. He's the best journalist I know besides of Ryszard Kapuściński.

A traditional Bento consists of rice, fish or meat and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Bento are readily available at convenience stores and Bento shops throughout Japan.

A Bento is traditionally made in a 4:3:2:1 ratio:

• 4 parts of rice,
• 3 parts of the main dish, either meat or fish,
• 2 parts of vegetables, and
• 1 part of a serving of pickled vegetables or a dessert.

However, basically anything can be used to make a Bento.

Several precautions should be taken when making a Bento. The most important thing is to avoid food poisoning, especially in summer. Foods should be cooked well and the Bento must be stored in a cool, dry location. If sushi is a part of the Bento, it should be prepared with more wasabi than normal. Foods covered with sauce should be carefully packed, or avoided altogether, as sauce may spill over on to the other foods. When cooked rice is a part of a Bento, it should be cooled by leaving the Bento open first. If a Bento is closed before it is sufficiently cooled, the steam from the rice will condense inside the Bento and make the food soggy.

It is still considered an essential skill of a Japanese housewife to be able to prepare an appealing boxed lunch. Her problem is that the perfect Bento cannot be achieved. It's never more than a serious attempt.

Cute but Cruel

This is just another entry in the section of unnecessary knowledge. However, it's also an entry in the cute but cruel section:

The scientific name of the Chinese Painted Quail is excalfactoria chinensis. Excalfactoria means something that heats. The tiny little bird got this name because the Chinese used to put this quail into their pockets to warm their hands.

Seasoned Balcony

One of the best things one can do on a sunny Spring Saturday morning - besides of the obvious and naughty ones - is to go to the market. Strolling between the stalls is retail therapy at its best. Now, even Jamie can be envious of Gomad Mansion's balcony. There are seven spanking new pots containing:

• Basil
• Parsley
• Chives
• Sage
• English peppermint
• Moroccan peppermint
• Lemon balm.

Hour of Tolerance

On April 17, 1905, Tsar Nicholas II promulgated the Edic of Tolerance, which allowed freedom of religion in Russia for a brief period. Reading about this, I realised that the Russians use the same term for sectarian as we do in our Alemannic dialect.

We call it Stündeler, the Russians штундист. Both words are originated from the German noun Stunde (hour). This is, because some religious groups have bible lessons, called Bible hour in German. Stündeler is quite derogative, though. Be careful, using it.

Powerful & Full-Bodied Aussies

I have no idea why the forbidden fruit is most likely associated with an apple. Since recently, I know that I must have been the Shiraz grape. Wines made from it are powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. This grape thrives passion.

I've learned this lesson from the wines which arrived yesterday at Gomad Mansion:

• Penfolds' Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2000
• Penfolds' Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2001

We led seduce us right away with a bottle of Bin 128. The Bin 389 is not quite ready. We will have to give it some time in the cellar. Passion should not be wasted too young.

Flooded

Zürich's wine lovers were happy that the weather was not so good over the last couple of weeks, because we had two wine exhibitions in a row. This can be explained with Shakespeare's Othello, where Iago says: "O! beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."

Zürich's most successful wine exhibition are the wine ships in Autumn. At the end of the shipping season, the tourist ships are moored alongside the jetties. The wine dealers' stalls are on these ships. This show is running since 1953 and the ships are always crowded.

Another exhibitor started with the Wein04 exhibition last Spring, trying to get a share of the cake with an annual exhibition. Of course, the wine ship exhibitor had immediately succumbed to the green-eyed monster and launched his own show called Expovina Primavera this Spring.

The result was that both shows seemed to have had only a mediocre number of visitors. However, due to the less crowded exhibitions, one had not to use the elbows to taste the wines.

MAQ: Authority Matters

I've found two new authority related items on My Amaranthine Quest (MAQ) to improve my vocabulary:

• Bustin' Chops
  to "harass by the forcible exertion of one's authority," often by insisting on obedience to pointless rules or orders. Army recruits, for example, assigned by their sergeant to clean their barracks using only toothbrushes, are having their "chops busted." The phrase is of relatively recent origin, first appearing in print only in the 1950's. "Chops" in this case probably harks back to its original 16th century slang meaning of "mouth" or "lips," a "bust in the chops" being the equivalent of a punch in the mouth.
• Backchatting
  Making snippy replies to someone on a higher authority level (e.g. parents).

Black Teeth Sunday

Last Sunday was devoted to Dionysus. Gatín and I spent eight hours on the Wine05 fair in Zürich tasting wine.

Everything started at noon with a Concert del Vino. A selection of nine top Italian wines were proffered. Australian pianist Peter Waters had selected nine pieces of music, which describe the wines musically. Peter Waters interpreted the selected composition on the piano, while we were tasting the wine accompanied. This tasting cost a worth CHF 150. Thanks to Gatín's excellent connections, we'd got a couple of seats for a smile.

We kept tasting the whole afternoon until our teeth were black. Even with making notes, this was far to hard work for the seventh day. One has to concentrated really hard to not loose track. Despite our hard effort, time run out before we were able to taste any French wines. However, close to the end of the day, we were able to grab some cream of the crop Champagne. It was accompanied with Fossier's delicious Biscuits Roses de Reims.

Although, we had a beer after the fair, I was dreaming of wine and nothing but wine.

Only a Short Relief

Temperatures dropped this week. We'll be close to zero degrees this weekend. Hence, the spring bliss has cooled down as well. However, there are positive aspects. One of which is that the confrontation with the two main Swiss summerly fashion crimes is delayed:

• Men: short sleeved business shirts with tie.
• Women: older than and BMI over 21 and still sporting navel free tops and G-strings.

Infected With Noble Rot

Tomorrow will be the birthday of a good friend's girlfriend. She's an energetic, dedicated and charming woman, a wonderful host and has fascinating eyes. One cannot lie to these eyes. It's far from easy to find an appropriate present for a woman with such qualities. Fortunately, she is not averse to epicurean pleasures, thus, Gatín recommended a Sauternes.

Sauternes is delicate sweet white wine from the Bordeaux region of France. It's made from Sauvignon Blanc or Sémillon grapes that have been infected by a beneficial mold called Botrytis Cinerea, which causes the grapes to shrivel, leaving a sugary fruit with concentrated flavors. The desirable form of the grape mold is also known as noble rot. The best Sauternes come from vines that have been hand-picked (as many as 12 separate times) to ensure that the grapes are not removed from the vines before reaching the perfect degree of ripeness required for these wines. Sauternes are most notable as Dessert Wines but, because of their high acidity, they also make excellent partners for rich dishes like Pate, caviar and Foie Gras. Be careful, Sauterne without the ending s usually refers to an inexpensive semisweet California wine.

A bottle of the flagship estate Château d'Yquem would be nice. The prices for one of those can exceed the range of 300-600 Swiss Francs. But, I do not want to show off more than really necessary. In the still excellent but not to show off too much range, Gatín has recommended Château Rieussec or Château Suduiraut. Unfortunately, non of these were on stock in my wine shop of choice (Baur Au Lac). Therefore, I decided to go with a Château Raymond-Lafon, 1999. Neither Gatín nor I have ever tasted this wine, but its reputation is almost flawless:

The Raymond-Lafon vineyard is owned by Pierre Méslier, who had pressed wine for d'Yquem for 29 years. It is made from 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon from grapevines with an average age of 35 years. The vines are picked 3 to 10 times. The wine is ached in oak barrels for three years. It is golden, with an spicy and exotic nose, and a taste of fruits like grapefruit, pineapple, banana, litchi and melons; remarkable fruity and delicate, with already enormous complexity; concentrated sweetness, well balanced with a notable overall acidity.

I reckon, this wine is the perfect match for our birthday girl. However, I hope it will not excel my friend as her perfect match.

Leading Engineers

Sometimes one should not ask the Internet but a senior engineer to find the answers one is seeking for:

The art of planning for the future has always been a human trait. In essence a project can be captured on paper with a few simple elements: a start date, an end date, the tasks that have to be carried out and when they should be finished, and some idea of the resources (people, machines etc) that will be needed during the course of the project.

When the plan starts to involve different things happening at different times, some of which are dependent on each other, plus resources required at different times and in different quantities and perhaps working at different rates, the paper plan could start to cover a vast area and be unreadable.

In the late 1950's, Admiral Raborn of the U.S. Navy needed the Polaris missile program up and flying as quickly as possible due to the perceived threat of a "missile gap" between the U.S. and Russia. Traditional project management wasn't enough to ensure the safety of the nation. The problem was solved with the help of Willard Fazar's PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique). PERT became the mandatory requirement of all US Navy projects.

That is the background of the book Project Management by Victor G. Hajek. Thank you, Martin.

Misleading Project Management

I was searching for some background information on a project management book by Victor G. Hajek, which was published in 1965. One of the top listed Google links led me to one of these countless worthless link pages with useless moneymaking link collections. This one was divided into the following section:

• Project Management
• Naked Preteen Boys
• Books
• Health
• Movies Free
• Music

Amazon thought that I might be interested in Jewelry Design and Fabrication Books that Don't Suck; and last and definitely least make the world more user friendly.

Worthless Word For The Day

I've mentioned my struggling with the immense vocabulary of the English language in this hidden corner of the Internet. A pointless but interesting way to extend the personal vocabulary are the various Word For The Day services. I made a small collection of todays choices with no claim to be exhaustive:

• Worthless Word For The Day
  writhen - being twisted or contorted
• Dictionary.com
  shibboleth - 1. A word or pronunciation that distinguishes a particular class or set of persons from another. 2. A word or saying identified with a group or cause; a slogan; a catchword. 3. A saying or belief identified with a particular group and usually regarded by outsiders as meaningless or untrue. 4. A custom, practice, behavior, etc. regarded as distinctive of a particular group.
• NSA Word of the Day
  oleander - flowering shrub (with the anagram: reloaned)
• OneLook® Word of the Day
  basilica - 1. a Roman building used for public administration 2. an early Christian church designed like a Roman basilica; or a Roman Catholic church or cathedral accorded certain privileges.
• OED Word of the Day
  dunce - A stupid person; a dolt.
• A.Word.A.Day
  cyclopean - 1. Of or suggestive of Cyclops; one-eyed. 2. Huge. 3. Formed with large, irregular stones closely fitted without the use of mortar.
• Merriam-Webster's Word of the day
  aborning - while being born or produced
• Buzz Word's Word of the Day
  carat - a unit of weight for precious gems (as diamonds) equal to 200 milligrams
• Answers.com
  boreal - northward, named for Boreas, Greek mythology's god of the north wind

Disclaimer: use of the term worthless should be considered to be either smart aleck or ironic, depending on your level of involvement and sophistication.

Postponed Odyssey

Fischerspooner's new work Odyssey was released yesterday. But there is a limited edition with additional tracks to be release on the 18th. Should I put off the investment in Odyssey?

For all off you who somehow missed the hype, Fischerspooner are both famous and infamous for:

• the electroclash anthem Emerge
• giving Kylie's Come Into My World club credibility
• sharing a performance with Kylie at Top Of The Pops
• letting collapse the Ministry Of Sound label with a £2m deal that, well, did not emerge.
• Casey Spooner being Michael Stipe's ex-boyfriend.

At Swim, Two Boys On Stage

Finally, some good news from the UK: My favourite novel At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill will find its way onto stage by the end of this months. It seems to be quite an adventurous undertaking. The novel is brought to life by theatre company earthfall, which is known for forging radical choreography with live music and strong visual imagery.

I reckon that will be a spectacle I must see. The performance will be touring the UK and mainland Europe from April 2005. However, so far only dates in UK and Éire are published.

Raising Restlessness

One of my scruples colleagues has had some catalogues about holidays in the Aegean Sea laying around in his office. Careless as I am, I started flicking through them and was caught by a sentimental restlessness. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. However, I just can't concentrate on anything commonly designated by managers as important. These are the two reasons:

• My sailing trip in the Aegean Sea
• My sailing trip in along the Istrian and Dalmatian Coast.

Piensa En Mí

Some weeks ago, I wrote about the song Un Año De Amor as it was performed by Luz Casal in Pedro Almodóvar's Tacones lejanos (High Heels). In the meantime, I've patched things up and saw the movie. There is even a song more important than Un Año De Amor in this ardent film - that is, Piensa En Mí by Agustín Lara.

Both Piensa En Mí and Un Año De Amor are extraordinary fervent and were performed passionately. I can't and won't take sides.

Piensa En Mí

Si tienes un hondo penar
Piensa en mí
Si tienes ganas de llorar
Piensa en mí

Ya ves que venero tu imagen divina
Tu párvula boca que siendo tan niña
Me enseñó a pecar

Piensa en mí
Cuando beses
Cuando llores
También piensa en mí

Cuando querias quitarme la vida
No la quiero para nada
Para nada me sirve sin ti

Piensa en mí
Cuando beses
Cuando llores
También piensa en mí

Cuando querias quitarme la vida
No la quiero para nada
Para nada me sirve sin ti

No puedo vivir
Si me faltas tú
No puedo vivir
No puedo vivir
Si me faltas tú
No puedo vivir
Si me faltas tú
No puedo vivir


Think of Me

If you have a deep wave of pain
Think of me
If you feel like you're going to cry
Think of me

You know that I worship your divine image
Your childlike mouth
Taught me to sin

Think of me
When you kiss
And when you cry
Think also of me

If you want
Take my life away from me
I don't want it for anything
It's useless to me
Without you

Is The Sun Rising?

Our department, known for decades as the Rose of Jericho, seems to be considered as the saviour of the company. That is, according to our boss we are to supply the market of the future and will be an important cornerstone of the company's new strategy.

So far, we did hardly exist from the company's point of view. I reckon, the situation is worse than expected.

Packing Note

Yesterday, I caught a slight sun burn on my nose. This always rings the alarm bells. Some years ago, I've received a shot in front the bow - that is, I had to remove a Basalioma from my forehead (scar number three in my face). Basalioma is the most common skin cancer in humans. Luckily, it is rarely life- or limb-threatening.

From now on it's again compulsory for me to have a high protective sun creme in my messenger bag.

Pleasant Anticipation

Some weeks ago, Gatín and I had the pleasure to enjoy one of Christine's dinner invitations. Christine is both a wonderful host and a first-rate cook. Gatín brought along a bottle of Viña Satre Pago de Santa Cruz, Tinto Cosecha, 1998. Bodegas Hnos. Sastre, Ribera del Duero. Obviously, Christine has found the right occasion to open the bottle. We've received the following note:

I think I've never had such a good one in my life!

The Viña Satre Pago de Santa Cruz consists to 100% of Tinto Fino. The vines have an average age of 58 years. The vine had been maturated in American and French barrels for 16 months and its characteristics are amazing: deep purple colour, alluring nose of yellow peaches, cherries, cassis, blackberries; a palate full of spicy-fruity aromas, wholehearted and substantial; soft and skillfully integrated tannins.

Christine's bottle is gone. Lucky me, I still have mine on the shelf and I'm looking forward to the right occasion to come.

Old Mates?

Friedrich Nietzsche must have known my boyfriend Gatín:

"We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh."

About Choices & Connectedness

It was a lovely Sunday and after the Marathon freaks left the town one could saunter along the banks of the Lake of Zürich. We did this in order to get to the Museum Bellerive. They are hosting an exhibition with the title Luxuskunst about unique specimen, prototypes and reproduction.

One room was dedicated to KOhZO DENIM by Shauket Imam. Forget what you ever have known about jeans and how they have to be made:

all of KOhZO’s fabrics are 100% natural. unlike most of today’s jeans that are made of cotton with synthetic and sulfur dyes, KOhZO uses exclusive, rare, and totally pure ingredients. these include washi, a traditional japanese paper, as well as hibiscus, bamboo, pineapple, cannabis, and much more. KOhZO dyes consist of pure indigo, vegetable, natural mud, fruit, and charcoal. and KOhZO fabrics are semi-hand woven on traditional shuttle looms. so you won't find the artificial treatments and unnatural finishes that exist on most of today’s jeans. this is how we keep our promise to you: beauty and comfort, never at the expense of the environment.

Unfortunately, prices start at CHF 500 and end close to 1000 for a pair - for Xmas maybe.

Rose of Jericho

My flatmate Tigresa has been called Rose of Jericho by one of her admirers. I have no idea why, but the funny thing about it is that my department at the office is also unofficially known by this name.

The Rose of Jericho is the common name for two plants belonging to different families in the plant kingdom:

• One, an annual desert plant (Anastatica hierochuntica) of the family Cruciferae (mustard family), is native to Asia Minor. It is a resurrection plant. The branches curl into a ball at maturity, after which the plant, in its native habitat, is blown about by the wind and the seeds are dispersed.
• The other, Odontospermum pygmaeum, is native to the same region and also called rose of Jericho because of its similar properties. It is a member of the family Asteraceae (aster family).

My department is called Rose of Jericho, because it shows a similar behaviour as a resurrection plant.

Resurrection plants grow in arid regions. They may apparently be brought back to life after they are dead. In reality they have hygroscopic qualities which cause them to curl up when dry and to unfold when moist. They are frequently sold in the dried condition as a novelty.

Our department has been announced dead several times. Employees have been made redundant, but somehow it always managed to survived by acquiring just enough contracts that it would have been to much trouble to close it down for good. So far we have not been sold as a novelty either. Touch wood.

However, that does still not explain, why Tigresa is supposed to be a Rose of Jericho.

Monastrell Serendipity

That old image of Murcia vines from southeastern Spain being robust, harsh and with high alcohol content is now history. Nowadays, the different denominators of origin (D.O.) in this region bet on the fruitness and potent aromas of their famous young vines and the proper cask assembly of their aged wines.

Thanks to the new production system and changes in harvesting methods, some great wines are now being obtained in D.O. Jumilla, in which the Monastrell variety is showing off its great potential. The Monastrell grape requires a hot climate to ripen. The grape is capable of producing high-alcohol wines with a high level of tannin.

Today's Monastrell choice was an Altos De La Hoya, 2003. The wine's tannin was well balanced with its acids. It is palatable, with an opulent body and an intense sweetness with dried plums.

Monastrell has an outdated reputation of being uncapable of producing world-class wines. Hence, Monastrell wines are still underrated. E.g, the Altos De La Hoya is available at the renowned Baur Au Lac Wein for only CHF 15.00 (www.bauraulacwein.ch).

Papas a la Mexicana

Gatín is in the kitchen cooking brunch. He mixed and salted:

• boiled, peeled and chopped potatoes
• chopped tomatoes
• onion rings
• some chili peppers.

The mixture is frying in a pan. It will be served with a couple of fried eggs. In Mexico they serve this with a hot chocolate or a glass of milk. We will have it on the balcony of Gomad Mansion with a Riesling.

Dear Kyle,

If in the infamous StockAitkenWaterman days somebody had told me that I would ever go to a concert of yours, this would have ended in a tough fight - no doubt. However, as soon as your unforgettable duet Where the Wild Roses Grow with Nick Cave emerged, the world was never as before. In 2002, you definitely enchanted me by giving this fantastic Fever concert. This show sent me on a five day high like freshly fallen in love.

On the eve of your Fever concert in Zürich I realised that I had no idea where the ticket was. Usually, I put them under my vintage telephone (one that still looks and sounds like a telephone is supposed to). But there was nothing at all. Four hours later, I had moved all furniture at least once, had been through the waste paper three times and had emptied and put in order all drawers. Still no sign of the ticket. Depressive feelings and self-pity had taken control over my usually quite stable personality hours ago. My fingers were trembling when I wrote a panic SMS to Jeanpi, who supposed to go with me to the concert. At noon on the day of the concert, Jeanpi entered my apartment and found the ticket within 30 seconds in a cupboard in the bath. I have still no idea why and when I put it there.

Yesterday, you had the generosity to requests the honour of my company again. I was a lucky boy, because I was accompanied by my boyfriend Gatín, flatmate Tigresa, and best mates Jeanpi. I would have taken Ms.Mac with me. But unfortunately for her, since I bought the ticket and your concert, I fell in love like never before and already longer lasting than ever (Gatín and I agreed upon at least 20 years). Hence, the open ticket went to Gatín.

The target was high. I will not compare the show with others, like the critic of Tages-Anzeiger did (who wants to be compared with Madge, the stakhanovite of Pop Music, anyway). My measure is the Fever show, which took me absolutely by surprise, because back then, I expected to be a bit entertained and have a pleasant evening. I was the last to anticipate a complete enchantment.

The letter is getting a bit long and I reckon your a busy lady, hence I switch to notes:

• Apéritif
  Roxheimer Berg, 2001, Riesling late vintage by Prinz zu Salem-Dalberg - a present by Gatín's boss for the occasion.
• Stage
  More symmetric and less bold. much more light - that is, lights everywhere. the band was not hidden anymore.
• Art work
  A bit more reserved, therefore, let you more space.
• Choreography
  I guess it was Raphael Bonachela' work. He could keep up with his own standards.
• Dancers
  This was the biggest danger for you, because they kept distracting my eyes, mind and attention all the time. Where does one find men like that? I hardly saw anything as astonishing as that: spotless bodies, agile movements and breath-taking presence.
• Costumes
  I lost count, there were to much changes. But most of them were frocks. I hope Tigresa got the hint. I like women in frocks, especially in Summer. It makes the sun shine more lovely and brighter.
• Songs
  There were about 27 or so, even one from Pet Shop Boy's musical Closer to Heaven. And most charming Somewhere Over the Rainbow on a crescent hovering aloft. The rest was a collection of your best work.
• Title
  Showgirl. How could you (or William Backer) choose that? Show is right, definitely. But you are not a girl, not even a princess. It must be Showqueen.

The bottom line: I'm grateful that I was admitted. You could keep up with Fever. I can hardly remember any concerts that made me randy as a dachshund. Yours did.

With all my love,
Gomad

158 & Still Raising...

My pulse is rapidly quickening. There are only eight hours to go until I will be enchanted by La Minogue. I Believe in You!

Wisdom of a Haircut

My colleague Eberhard just shared some wisdom with me. This exchange of sageness happened, because Eberhard is sporting a spanking new haircut:

1. A fresh haircut makes one feel better.
2. Long hair makes one depressive, because the excess of hair is so heavy.

I'm not going to question Eberhard's eloquent astuteness. However, there are a couple of unanswered questions, because Eberhard's action did not fully comply with his well founded reputation to be an unshakeable skinflint:

1. Why does Eberhard abandon a day's wage in order to get a bargain haircut in Germany for 15 Euro? (see opportunity cost)
   
2. Why does Eberhard has to pay for a haircut, when his Lebensabschnittspartnerin (German for "significant other for a period of one's life") works as a hairdresser, lives in his house and does not pay a cent of rent? (see marginalism and homo economicus)