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Dear, Baby Bunny, Please! Don`t Cry For.... Easter



If the " Fortunes of Lady Fate, and her Sisters " stay on our side, there is ( will be...)another Easter, Next Year.
So, Go-Go and Hop into Freedom, Little Furry Sweet One !

It`s all over, but, before we do leave this Year`s Easter Festivities behind.
Whilst, yes they do, put Unsold Easter Items, on Sale, in the shops, here in SWITZERLAND...
Going to Do a bit of a Cheeky  :)
as this is NOT OFFICIALLY in Switzerland, but in GERMANY.

What you are about to See, may well be, somewhat, of an, err, Extreme Version. Well - why not ??
Have all The Fun.

The point being :
that the Style of it, is much Copied here, in what is the : `German Part of Switzerland. `

As to what, or WHO, came first ?
The Hanging up of Eggs.. in `The` Germany....or `The`Switzerland...?

Take a Look at This, if you will : 



It started 40 Years Ago.
With 14 Eggs.

Now, on this tree in Germany.
There hangs :  9,800 Eggs !!!!!

What is NOT CLEAR, is errhm, whether or not these DECORATIVE HANGING EGGS, are taken down, and then put up again, every Easter...??

On that note, better go Check got some REAL EGGS, in the Fridge.
Ready for Tomorrow Morning.
Ready for a Brunch, in Front of The Television.
A " Wedding Breakfast ", if you will...?! 

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/occasions/royal_wedding

A nicely made : EGGS FLORENTINE, to go with :
Watching The British Royal Spectacle.

Telling myself   ;-)

Until Next Time.  Thanks For Reading.
Yours, CFC.

Breathe and Par-Ti

Switzerland is the HIGHEST CONSUMER of TOBACCO in Europe ...

(.... forget about the whole, Switzerland is not, officially a part of The European Union, bla-di-bla. )

This was, err, calculated....in 2007, and according to :
http://www.swissinfo.ch/

After Switzerland, came Hungary, Poland, and then, Ireland.
( So - not Spain or France...?? !!  Not criticising, simply observing....  :)


Okay, so that was 4 years ago, and A LOT CAN HAPPEN, in this time.
Fast Forward to Today....2011, and CHINA is BOTH, the Largest Consumer, and, Producer, of TOBACCO, in The World.


Rewind, back to these "Statistics" of 2007.
Nearly : 1 in 4 SWISS PEOPLE SMOKE.
Mmmm, time for some more numbers....
Within these 1 in 4, which in Swiss Society, made a figure of :
29 % of 14 - 65 year olds.
Of which,33 % were Men, and, 24 % were Women.


There are, also, Locally-Grown Tobacco Plants, which produce SWISS BRANDED CIGARETTES, one is called : Maryland.


Much like in many countries, of late, Switzerland did BAN Smoking inside Pubs and Restaurants, last Summer, of 2010.


Yet, ADVERTISING Cigarettes is not a problem, with teeny-tiny,aha, there it is....warnings at the Top, or Bottom.

In most of the Cigarette Advertisements, here in Switzerland; the inferred message is :
Smoking Cigarettes is Great for your Social Life.
Clever.
And, actually quite TRUE...

That Cigarette `Break` at Work, IS SOCIAL, and often where you do make friends.
The After Dinner Cigarette in a Restaurant.
The Coffee and a Cigarette.
The Drink and a Cigarette.
The Out Clubbing and, err, Loads of Cigarettes.
The Hanging Out at Home, with Friends, and Chatting...putting the "World to Right"....and Smoking.
All go hand in hand.

Whichever, the Swiss Emphasis, is on Having a Par-ti when you Smoke.

Lots of Big Social Events, are either Sponsored by Tobacco Companies.
Or, like the Current, Advertising Campaign of this Brand, in Swiss Newspapers, Magazines, and, Posters : "Winston".
One can win Tickets, to the Upcoming Summer, Open Air Festivals, if your Pack of 20, is a Lucky one.

Err, perhaps stating an obvious here....but Open Air...equals "Fresh Air"...??....and Cigarette....SMOKE !! ??  Bit of a Contradiction-Oxymoron, no ??!

On that note; I am an Ex-20-a-Dayer, have been Smoking...aha...Socially..yes... for some time now..
( just to get that Perspective outta the way :) 

By The Way :

Advertising has been around since the Dawn of Civilization.
Egyptians used to make sales messages, and wall posters, out of Papyrus.
The Ancient Greeks created signs for their theatres.
Pretty much, All Ancient Cultures, show evidence of Signage Advertising, for different wares, especially for the open-air markets they had.
Open-Aha-Air-Market....had to say it !

Let`s go to the 1940`s, and 1950`s....

 

If you wish to, and are able, to spend a Weekend, in Switzerland, on a CI-TY BREAK, in ZURICH, for example.
See how many Swiss people do Smoke.
And, not to make, a Somewhat Stale, and Terribly Trite, Automatic Association now.
This is what, the Big-Mama, and Big-Daddy of News, Surveys, and, Statistics said, in 2004.
You know the one :  REUTERS.


" Swiss Teenagers Smoke more Cannabis, than their peers, in every other European Country, a Survey has said, Casting a Pall over the Country`s PRIM and WHOLESOME IMAGE.  "


Pall = A Cover for a Coffin....blimey, had to look that one up !

Indeed. 

The Ever-Lasting Beauty and Tragedy of Smoking.

Until Next Time.  Thanks For Reading.
Yours, CFC x

Comics Cartoons and Monsters

Two Swiss Major Cities, and Two Cool EXHIBITIONS, in the run up to Easter !!
We are talking about Lucern, and, Zurich.

Only 45 minutes, extremely efficient, and, reliable Inter-City (IR) Train journey between them.
Or 60 kms (37 miles) by Car.

Let us Start in Zurich.....

At: GALERIE VILLA MAINAU 34, in Zurich.
Since 24th March, and ending, in one week, on : 21st April.

There is a Restrospective Exhibition of, The Graphic Works, of probably SWITZERLAND`S, most Notorious, and Oscar-Winning, Artist....
H.R. GIGER.

( If you go back to Posts 2 - 5 of this Blog, written in September last year, there is MORE about H.R. Giger, and his Permanent Museums, which are here, in Switzerland.  If you are interested. )

At this Current Exhibition, Mr.Giger is pictured above.  All Periods of his Work are Represented.
Including Sculptures, LithoGraphs, and more.
There are also a selection of Limited, Signed Editions.
And - from this Visionary Artist of Fantasy Realism - there is a NEW WORK !
Called : "Playmate".
There are 190 Copies, of which those who visit this Gallery, get the chance to buy, at a reduced price of : 700.00 Swiss Francs, instead of, 900 Swiss Francs.


http://www.kunzstueck.ch/kunzstueck.ch/Herzlich_willkommen.html


If you have enough left over....
Errhm,

Then onto Lucern......

At THE LUCERN ART MUSEUM - KunstMuseum - which is located about 5 minutes from the Main Train Station, is the Jubilee, or 20th YEAR of THE INTERNATIONAL COMICS FESTIVAL.  Sponsored by the Fumetto Association.
Since the 9th April, and up to, and including, this Sunday, 17th April, a MAJOR COMIC BOOK ARTIST, the American : DANIEL CLOWES.
Has his FIRST Comprehensive Exhibition.

One of his works, is as above.

Daniel Clowe, like his Contemporary, DAVID LYNCH, is Famous for mixing elements of The Kitsch and The Grotesque, in the Comics, that he not only illustrates, but also, writes.
Clowe`s Comic : "Ghostworld" was one of the First GRAPHIC NOVELS, to be sold in a `conventional` book shop.

Well, only hope that in reading this Blog, you ain`t A gettin` You-s Eyes, goin` Something like This Guy, above !! ?? !
( From the comic : " Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron " , By Daniel Clowes. 1993. )


And, that I, don`t get Visitors, err, like this, tonight.. in my sleep....

Until Next Time.  Thanks For Reading.
Yours, CFC x

INTEGRACION

We are now into The 3rd Generation of SPANISH people, who have made, and are making : A Life, in SWITZERLAND.
40 years ago the first Spanish people arrived into Switzerland, and they now make up more than 90.000 of a 7.8 million Total population of this country, where this, erhm, here BLOG is coming from....
There is even an HISPANIC MAGAZINE, which comes out every 2 months, in the Big Cities here, including CFC`s location-e : ZURICH.
LatinoMagazin, as above.

The Spanish Language and Culture, is alive, and well-preserved, in the whole of Switzerland.
THE SPANISH MINISTRY OF EDUCATION has well-established, and popular, Spanish LANGUAGE and CULTURE CLASSES organised in Swiss Education Centres, over 6 Swiss Cities :
Basel
Bern
Geneva
Lausanne
St. Gallen
and Zurich.

Zurich has more than 1.011 Students enrolled in these courses, which can last up to 10 years, starting at Level A1, going to Level C1.
Boys and Girls participate for 3 HOURS A WEEK, all over SWITZERLAND.
Considering.....according to, err......Statistics......that over 90% of the Children, Teenagers, and Young Adults, who are the DESCENDANTS of the first Spanish IMMIGRANTS go to these Language and Culture Classes,
this is quite some Integration of 2 Cultures whom " Begin " with an - `S`.
: )


It goes without saying, but, is being said....that of course there are Latino and Latina :
" Let`s go Party and Dance " venues and nights in restaurants, bars and clubs.
One of which is called : "LATIN PALACE" in Zurich :

Could not possibly close, before paying Hispanic-o Respect to Puerto Rican : RICKY MARTIN.
Who had a Private ShowCase Concert of his new Album, in February of this year at The Plaza Club, in Zurich.
An EXCLUSIVE 45 minute, 2 Part Show, to which the Tickets could only be Won, and not, Bought.
: (

Hence the intimacy of a : 100 only Crowd !!!!
The first half of his Show was dedicated to the Album, released at the end of January 2011, entitled :
" Music + Soul + Sex "
The second half included Ricky Martin`s Classic and Iconic : " Livin` La Vida Loca "
and " Maria ".

Senor Martin is currently on TOUR in Canada and USA.
Check out his very recent, and very short time, in Zurich, Switzerland :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVV7811LIuc&NR=1


GRACIAS POR LA MUSICA !!!!


Until Next Time.  Thanks For Reading.
Yours, CFC x