Sunday Morning Thoughts – October 20, 2024

This is not funny!

So many things are not funny. I mean there will be another newsletter soonish about fact checking, the role the media play in spreading lies and the shitshow that is US politics. Our own biases don’t help either of course. I just need to sit down and write it.

I also wrote another one yesterday – you can find it here. Something that’s been bugging me because it’s just not helpful.

I’m annoyed that I got up late when I have so much to do today. Then again, I was hanging out on Zoom with a bunch of friends yesterday until late and I went down a rabbit hole of Michael McIntyre clips on YT. Excellent waste of my time, but oh so funny.

That brings me to comedians. Comedians in Switzerland. Here’s what you can’t do with a Swiss audience: that regular warm up routine where you ask everybody where they are from or what their job is or who they are there with. I mean some of it worked later on but initially people will be sitting there going “this ain’t funny – tell some jokes dude!”. And I mean that. Tough crowd. And I feel that that’s part of doing your homework.

I guess English-speaking comedians assume that the people who come to their gigs are all native English speakers. Nope, that wasn’t the case. People know English well enough here to follow and laugh – if the jokes are funny, but we’re not the enthusiastic crowd that pretend laughs at everything. You gotta work for it. We also don’t volunteer information or shout out stuff in a foreign language unless we have to.

Seriously do your research and read the room. He was funny, just had a rocky start. Oh, just remembered something else. Do NOT say that the doors will open at 7.30 and then make people wait until 7.55. That might be acceptable elsewhere, but you can’t do that in Switzerland.

It might not sound like it, but I did have fun. Next up I will go to this comedy club in Basel where comedians try out new material every Sunday – it’s free, all in English and sounds fun. Don’t think I’ll make it today though.

I had no idea that we had a cheese vending machine in Zurich. I saw one! I was very excited but only able to take a very bad picture out of the tram. Of course they snuck some other stuff in there as well.

Another first happened this week. I went to the art museum in Zurich. I don’t think I’d ever been there before. I have passed it hundreds of times. It’s on my way down to the lake where I sometimes go have lunch. And it has its own tram stop too.

It’s free on Wednesdays, so I figured I’d go check it out. I wanted to go see an exhibit that combined the works of Vincent van Gogh and Matthew Wong. That one wasn’t free but wow that really triggered something. Hence, the separate newsletter I’m working on.

Underground passage - Kunsthaus, Zurich

They expanded the museum into a building across the street and the two buildings are connected by an underground passage. You could also cross at street level, but this is more fun. Another fun thing happened on Wednesday. They have lockers and it looked like all were taken but there were plenty more you just needed to turn a corner. I pointed this out to an American couple.

So, because they heard me speak English they asked me a bunch of questions. And they really asked the right person. They might have regretted it slightly …

Maybe don’t ask a linguist about languages in Switzerland and what the language you are hearing is. Those who know me also know that I can talk about Switzerland and its languages for hours. I didn’t on this occasion, but I think my answer was longer than they’d anticipated. They were grateful though and said they’d asked the right person – which they did.

I’m definitely going back to that museum on a Wednesday. It’s pretty cool, nice collection. Of course, I was greeted by a cast of Rodin’s Porte de l’Enfer which sits right outside the museum entrance. It was commissioned by Hermann Göring (yes, the Nazi) and this Swiss arms manufacturer bought it after the war ended. He had been supplying the Nazis with cannons … and I’m now wondering why we’re exhibiting his art collection and also Swiss neutrality and such.

I’m sure I knew this. Maybe that’s why I hadn’t been to that museum before. Glad I quickly looked that up. I will have to go back there when my own art is on display I guess.

This week I also finally properly listened to Tim Grimm’s Broken Truth. My friend David does a beautiful version of it. Have a listen if you don’t know it and pay attention to the lyrics. Powerful stuff. Also, how cool is that video?!

Possibly more on that some other time or in the rant I mentioned above. Or maybe not, the lyrics say it all.

Guess who got a haircut this week too. My hair is now about four inches shorter. Some of you might know that I also get to see my little nieces every time I get my hair cut. This time was super cute. I mean my older niece has been cute for 6+ years already. Now the younger one is interacting more as well. We were having a ball. So, when I said I’d go home now after about four hours, she walked out the door with me and put on her shoes. She was coming with me. There was no doubt in her mind. She’s one and a half.

It was too cute to say no and it was only for like an hour or so. We took a push chair as it’s about a 20-minute walk and then we tried to find something to play with at my apartment. It’s not really made for kids but we did find a spirit level and my niece checked if my head was on straight. It totally wasn’t. We also painted a bit with crayons. I now have major baby fever. I’m sure she’ll be back. It was the first time we hung out together by ourselves. And we survived. That’s a win.

I had the most brilliant idea yesterday. So that package I was gonna send to North Carolina will have to wait another week, but it’s gonna be epic. I hope. I shared my idea with another friend. I’m so excited. Of course, I had to ride my bike to that art supply store yesterday because of it. Made it there right before closing because 16 minutes my ass Google Maps. It’s uphill. Plus, they should really have a setting to adjust for fitness level.

I love having brilliant ideas. Will share when I pulled it off. Could take a while. Two US states and two European countries are involved. But I promise it’s super cool.

Does anybody remember Roxette? They’re just playing one of their songs on the radio. Great memories. Something about making love in the backseat of a car.

Now they are talking about the local election that’s today. I voted ages ago. We’ll know all the results by mid-afternoon at the very latest. Not too bothered about this one. Just glad when all the billboards and posters are gone. It’s the cantonal (state) parliament we’re electing. Kind of important but not expecting a major shift or anything.

One last thought - remember to always choose the fun way if possible. I mean a friend just told me about pelvic floor exercises her physio prescribed. My reply was very appropriate for a Sunday morning – orgasms. They strengthen and help relax your pelvic floor muscles, because sometimes they can get too tense. Just thought I’d throw that one out there.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone.