I've joined Brütten Choir!

I've somehow allowed myself be talked into joining the local choir. Now, I love singing - especially in the shower and the kitchen - but I'm not sure how this actually translates to singing in public. I am also pretty used to my wonderfully musical husband describing me as tone deaf! Nice, huh?

But I have never agreed with him. And now I have recovered from the shock of suddenly having to sing in tune, with others, and sometimes with an audience :-O I am determined to prove him wrong.

There has been lots written about the benefits of singing in a choir and the BBC's amazing Gareth Malone has made it a pretty funky and very accessible thing in his series of addictive programmes. So I'm smitten. And I hope the reality of it all doesn't disappoint. 

Brütten Choir gathers at the village Gemeindesaal each Tuesday evening from 8pm.

Community show raises the roof

Bebe is part of a gymnastic club for the Kindergarten kiddies and  she LOVES it. I mean really loves it. She asks if she is going every day and despite being shattered after her only full day of the week at Kindergarten she can't wait to go.

And last night I saw the amazing culmination of her few months at this club. It was in a show at the primary school gym which brought the entire community together in performing and being entertained.

The annual show brings together all the clubs in the village, which essentially are the various gymnastics clubs for various age ranges and the multi-sport club which is open to all. And I mean all. The theme of the show 'Die Wette im Olympic' told a very funny version of the story of the first Greek Olympic Games which was put on for the Greek Gods, so of course bringing in a wealth of dancing and incredible gymnastic performances, including a human pyramid topped by a guy no less than 60 years of age! As I said, the show (and of course the clubs) are open to all.

There were a huge amount of (incredibly fit) young men and women in the 18 to 25 year age range which I imagine is the hardest sector of any community to involve in a thing like this. It was so lovely to see the little ones acting alongside teenagers, alongside pensioners. And it seemed like anyone in the village who wasn't in the show went to see it. The gym hall was packed out with people on both evenings and for the matinee (the only show when those below 16 are allowed - we were informed it was a little more risqué in the evening!)

A friend was telling me that this particular communal organisation is a very special feature of Switzerland. And long may it continue.

http://www.tvbruetten.ch/

Pumpkin appreciation with fellow villagers

We enormously enjoyed a jaunt to Rudolfingen for its recent Pumpkin Festival which truly was amazing. The website wasn't giving a lot away so I really didn't know what to expect - half a dozen nicely carved pumpkins, a roaring fire and a big cook-out at the most - but I was completely unprepared for the magic that these wonderful villagers have served up at this time of year - as well as over 1000 carved pumpkins!

The Rudolfingen website gave me great info on arriving there from Winterthur by public transport (the S33 to Schaffhaussen and the 621 bus to Ossingen, taking 30 minutes or so) and of course the transport was there as we expected on time (sorry, being English - a year on this is still a huge novelty for me) and we got off the very crowded bus to be confronted by firstly a trail of carved pumkpins (one featuring a rather fetching steaming turd) to the WC (always a first call for my 7-year-old going anywhere) and then a gloriously pumpkin spangled banner declaring 'Wilkommen.'

What makes this event so spectacular is that all street lights and lights in houses have been turned off so the entire village is lit by candlelight - mostly from oversized tea-lights glowing in creatively carved pumpkins providing a beautifully eerie ambience.

The displays were packed with imagination and flair - squash-carved elephants and hippos basked in the water fountain, there were trees housing parliaments of charming owls, a pumpkin spangled rotating mobile, a hidden corner of tiny star-carved pumpkins on high plinths - there were pumpkins at floor level, knee level, eye level and high on rooftops. And there were plenty of fires blazing, the Gluwein was flowing, there was a wealth of culinary pumpkin treats to delight in - including even pumpkin pizza!

I would highly recommend this event to anyone - it runs on two nights, the first Friday and Saturday in November I think.

http://www.rudolfingen.ch/

I love Swiss binmen

It's bin day and the trusty bin wagon is always heading up my street like clockwork as I walk with the kiddies to school (yes, I still accompany them, I'm struggling to be Swiss about this particular issue) And the binmen always smile and say hello, even the one driving the wagon waves to us as we pass.

And this morning I got to witness an entire sofa going in! I stood and gawped as the grinder chomped it up, thinking it was never going to go. But it did, it was chomped right down with not more than a crunch and a big bin of rubbish went in right behind it. Now, that's efficient. Once again I found myself comparing this to UK practices. Both Binmen and wagon would have a hernia to find a sofa put out for them on binday. I remember a neighbour finding her black bin hadn't been emptied one morning because the lid was slightly open meaning too much rubbish.

But of course, all the rubbish is paid for here - the sofa was sporting its required Apfellmarken like all bin-bags must do. So more money means more efficient ways to dispose of the rubbish I guess - like the mega guzzling, swallow anything Swiss bin wagon!

Flea market at the library this weekend

There will be a flea market taking place at the Gemeindesaal across from Brütten Library between 9am and 11am on Saturday morning. This is a great community event, it is always popular, with lots of coffee and homemade cake on offer - and the library sells off a lot of its older stock cheaply, which includes great films and books for just a couple of francs or so each.

The library will be closed for most of its regular hours throughout the Autumn holiday (6-19th Oct) but will open on Saturday mornings (10-12am)

Calling all bat fans

There will be a bat walk taking place with Peter Klaus on Saturday 20th September, subject to good weather. Bat fans can meet up at the parking place at Birchwil (Cross Street) from 6.30pm. Bring a good torch.

For further information, contact 078 973 5774 or email info@nbn.ch

http://www.nbn.ch

A Swiss military wake up call

On Wednesday I was awoken with the sudden thought at 6.30am that the world was coming to an end. There was a thundering roar coming through my open window and when I looked out I saw the cause - a convoy of tanks and other Swiss military vehicles were rumbling through the village. Although sleepy  and rather bleary, I managed to grab my phone and snap a picture - see below.

This is not the first time, they first came through late afternoon a couple of days before but despite the intimidating presence of a tank rolling towards you, the Swiss have a way of allaying any nerves - a soldier chucked a packet of biscuits out of the window to the daughter of my friend as they passed. 

After the shock of an abrupt awakening it made me chuckle - yet another thing that would be outlandish in the UK but just seems to be the norm here.