The sad news of the World Health Organization’s Glenn Thomas being one of the 298 victims killed in the downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 has once again brought it home how embedded the international community in Switzerland is in world affairs. Glenn, a former BBC producer who represented WHO as a press spokesman, and hence […]
So … how about this weather?
Funny you should ask. I’ve been thinking about winter a lot, lately. This may seem a strange time, what with all the blue skies and sunflowers, but it’s best to be prepared: what Switzerland lacks in poisonous spiders and man-eating potholes, it more than makes up for with deadly weather. I don’t want to sound […]
World Cup won – FIFA $4 Bn
Switzerland’s embarrassment: FIFA, Qatar and Blatter. Now that the world can breathe again with Germany’s win at the 2014 World Cup, the Zurich-based Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) will need to start considering what soccer is supposed to be about. And what kind of message it should be sending to young people, who hold […]
Foreign taxes – the big lose lose
Last week’s piece in Le News on US double taxation and the growing number of Americans relinquishing their citizenship has produced different reactions. These range from “exaggeration” by those who say complaining Americans are simply those who wish to “hide” their assets to “sadness” that US nationals should be obliged to hand over their passports […]
Up, Up and Away – horse balloons and sport – by Robyn Goss
I’ve never understood sport. I don’t mean the rules – although, quite honestly, whoever invented cricket must have been insane. No, I mean I’ve never understood the appeal of sport; never understood why supporters go so far out of their way to have their hopes crushed and their hearts broken. Take the World Cup for […]
Identity and the cost of living abroad
The Independence Day celebrations for Canadians (1 July) and Americans (4 July) are reminders about identity. This is not always easy, particularly if one’s family consists of different nationalities with kids born in places such as Nairobi or Singapore, or attending school in Switzerland or France. How does one explain what it means to be […]
Robyn Goss explores her husband’s efforts to get their kids interested in sport
With all the football fever in the air, my husband has been fantasising about – finally, finally – getting one of the children interested in sport. He gave up with me just after we met, but with his daughters … well, he might still have someone to watch the rugby with; to go to cricket […]
Pet peeve – there is a lot of talk about pets in Robyn’s family this week
So we’re talking a lot about pets again, in our household. It seems the children are not content with four fat goldfish, three layabout guinea pigs, a geriatric cat and a Furby that will not shut up (I’d take the batteries out but what if it goes all Chucky on me and keeps talking?). No. […]
Mountains, bees and books
As long as the Swiss and many expats have their teams (German, English, Spanish, Portuguese…) still in play, the World Cup is impossible to ignore. So it’s refreshing to have outdoor enthusiasts, such as the two Lausanne women, one who climbed Everest, the other who base-jumped off the Matterhorn, remind us about other things, notably […]
Home and away – the consequences of going camping as a family
“We’re going to need a bigger tent,” my husband said, with some surprise. The last time we used his three-man tent, it had been more than big enough. We didn’t take up much space in those days, back in the first flush of romance, when we still fell asleep in each other’s arms. Also, we […]
