Oct

6

Copper-Crazy

Filed Under Consumer Concerns, Home Management, Life & Leisure | Leave a Comment


That would be me.

I don’t know why, but of late, I’ve been a bit obsessed with copperware — from copper sauce pans, copper roasting pans, and copper ice buckets to copper plant holders, copper watering cans, copper wall decors, and even a copper coal holder (to think we don’t even have a fireplace).

Since they are a bit pricey — a set of handcrafted 2.5 mm copper pots and pans, for instance, may cost between USD800.00 plus and USD1,900.00 plus (depending, of course, on the copper products and the number of pieces included in the special package) — I buy my copper cookware and garden stuff in secondhand shops, flea markets, and antique fairs.

At the recently concluded Fete de la Brocante Le Landeron, reportedly the largest outdoor antique fair in Switzerland, I bought a secondhand copper coal holder (see photo) from a friendly Dutch couple for CHF40.00/USD35.00. I now use it as a flower pot holder. I also bought a rectangular plant holder worth CHF35.00/USD31.00 from them (partially seen in the photo), which now serves as our “mini herb center.”

In Le Landeron, I also purchased a medium-sized copper sauce pan from a French-speaking Swiss lady, who generously gave me a CHF7.00/USD6.00 discount — original price was CHF25.00/USD22.00 — after telling her that I’m a ‘mere’ language student in Switzerland.

At a huge brocante shop (a former hotel which now houses probably one of the largest Swiss secondhand shops I’ve visited since 2003) situated in a village near Interlaken, I recently bought two copper sauce pans — among other things, that is — for only CHF25.00 (what a bargain).

Because of this recent copper mania (it’s fast rubbing off on my husband), space has become an issue — again. We live in a rather small apartment, and it’s not the place for a collector like me (I need rehab…fast!). Some things have to be put in boxes and stored in the communal attic. While the other items, which eat up too much space in our cupboards, have to be donated to Salvation Army (we already delivered the first batch of kitchenware to the Heilsarmee Brocki in our town).

In the meantime, the sight of copperware in our balcony garden and kitchen makes me happy. Copper rocks my world in this phase of my so-called Swiss life.

Sep

25

Theater Treat

Filed Under Language, Life & Leisure, Migrant Life, Society & Culture | 7 Comments


When I first heard that Andrea, my Colombian classmate in my Monday and Friday morning German class, would have a stage performance in our town, I got really excited.

I love watching plays and musicals. But somehow, since I migrated to Switzerland as part of a ‘big romantic adventure’ (i.e. to fly to a strange land to be with the Swiss spouse and “suffer” the consequences of displacement later), I’ve never really sought out the Swiss theater scene.

I think part of the disinterest had something to do with the language barrier. Most theater plays, as is expected, are staged in either German or French — and most probably even in Italian — depending on the Swiss region they’re being shown.

At any rate, I told Andrea I would be watching Hairdreams, which she had explained to me would be presented in French and Spanish. It had an interesting theme: it tells the story of a Colombian hairdresser named Clara who struggles with integration issues in a European country with so many rules. So I texted a message to the reservations people last Friday morning for a guaranteed front seat. Two of my Mexican classmates, one of whom is a good friend, did the same a few days before.

So there we were, my Mexican classmates and I, at the cellar theater on a cold Friday night, watching Hairdreams. The show started at 8:30 p.m. with a soulful saxophone performance by a talented Swiss musician, the sole co-performer of Andrea, at the right side of the stage.

Andrea appeared on center stage soon afterward, delivering angst-inspired lines in French, and then Spanish, and sometimes, even a mixture of both — with a comic flair. To be honest, I didn’t understand 70 percent of the monologue, but I kind of expected that. It was a good thing that the theater show was a highly visual one, as aptly described by the Swiss husband of the lady director.

What I really liked were the song and dance sequences. Andrea was a great dancer who fully uses her body to express herself well — be it on the floor or on top of a mini table — without the use of words. The Swiss musician was equally top-notch with her saxophone playing and singing (what a powerful voice).

I went home feeling satisfied with my theather treat (it was worth my 50 minutes and CHF25). However, there was this part of me, wishing I had not stopped my French language lessons in the past (well, I’m taking refresher courses now). Being fluent in French could have eased up the understanding process. Oh well.

Overall, it was inspiring to see a fellow migrant — she’s also married to a Swiss and has been living in Switzerland for approximately seven years — who’s confident and well integrated in the community, doing the very thing she loves best.

Next Page →