T̶w̶o̶ One p̶e̶r̶p̶e̶t̶u̶a̶l̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶a̶t̶s̶ immigrant settling into home country number five.
In an effort to get to know my new home country, I’ve been diligently checking out German TV. On of the shows currently on is The Next Uri Geller, a show in search of Germany’s top mentalist. I can’t bear to watch this show. It’s just too stupid, even for my relatively low standards. All … Read more
If you hang out with any foreigners in Switzerland these days, sooner or later the conversation is likely to turn to the SVP’s current ad campaign. You know, the one where the white sheep are banishing the black sheep from their country. The posters are up all over Switzerland, and the ads are featured in … Read more
OK, actually I’ve never read a single Harry Potter book, nor seen a movie, nor bought his albums (surely he has albums too, no?) What I do know is that Ireland has gone mad for the new book, which was apparently available starting at midnight. Despite the rain, costumed teens and families were out waiting … Read more
Never fear, there’s a whole line of toys in Switzerland designed to fix that: I’m not sure I know what this one is (a fake cell phone, maybe?), but the offerings also included make-up sets and princess tiaras. Sweet.
Lest I leave you with the impression that it’s only Americans who are out there dreaming up stupid products, I offer you this: Sputnik Vodka Flavoured Beer (notice how the ‘u’ in ‘flavoured’ precludes this from being an American creation). We came across it the other day while shopping at a Coop that is not … Read more
American grocery stores are totally overwhelming – so many food-like substances that we don’t have in Switzerland! It’s really fun to explore, but sometime I’m a little, um, disturbed by what I find. Here are some products I’ve discovered in the past couple days that I don’t think existed last time I was in this … Read more
Walking around Padua (Padova in Italian) last week, Ali and I happened across the graduation celebrations of a few university students. The first indication that something was up this day were the big signs plastered up along one side of a piazza. These each displayed a crude caricature of one of the graduates, along with a long and detailed narrative written by the grad’s so-called friends.
The Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung printed a new Gucci ad last week featuring an unknown male model – so unknown that not even Gucci had heard of him. Turns out the ad was a fake, and this guy just wanted to sneak a naked picture of himself into the newspaper. This isn’t even the first time … Read more
Who thought it would be a good idea to use this particular picture in promotional material for the country of Liechtenstein?
Often, it’s a good idea to watch some local television in your host country. It can help you pick up the language and its idioms. It can teach you something about the culture in which you are living, and even help you assimilate. But sometimes, you turn on the TV and are greeted with things … Read more