Oh Lordi
A Finnish metal band in monster garb and platform shoes stole the hearts of pop music fans across Europe last night. Yes, it sounds outlandish, but it's true.


Last night we tuned in for the annual Eurovision song contest, a major pop culture event here. It's also a showcase for some very cheesey music and lots of cleavage. Few Americans have heard of this televised contest, but it's a pretty big deal over here. It launched the careers of both Celine Dion and Abba and, I'm guessing, was the inspiration for American Idol. I actually caught Eurovision by chance two years ago on a trip to Germany. I was an instant fan.

This year 24 countries, from Spain to Latvia, competed for Europe's votes. I was rooting for Romania, who sang a catchy dance tune in Italian. Something you might expect to hear emanating from a bar in the Castro or in an Italian discoteca. (Sadly, Italy itself doesn't particpate in Eurovision. I have no idea why.)

My other favorites were Lithuania and Germany. Lithuania was great for its pure absurdity. The all-male group, older and dashing in elegant suits, simply chanted the same lyrics over and over: "We are the winners of Eurovision. Vote for us." The longer they went on the more comical it became.

Germany's band, Texas Lightning, was more earnest, and their imitation country western was better than what you hear on most country stations back home. Viewers didn't go for it though. Germany ended up with one of the lowest scores.

The winner, by a landslide, was Lordi, the band from Finland, with their head banger anthem Hard Rock Halleluja. The band caused an uproar in Finland, where many people were mortified by them. But Lordi got its "day of Rockoning" (yes, that's a line from the song). I was actually glad to see them win. They were so outrageous, the fact they won shows Europeans don't take all this (or themselves) too seriously.

Breaking Brot
I stumbled on a wonderful thing last week -- Zurich's annual baker's festival. All the major bakeries in town set up stands on Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich's main shopping street, and were handing out samples and selling their mouth-watering goods. I dropped all my other plans and parked myself there for a good hour or so, and just in time for lunch!

Bread and cake hold a special place in German (and thus Swiss German) culture. I think it has something to do with cold winters and the coziness of a something baking in the oven. At any rate, baking is something of an artform here, and they hold the artisan baker in the highest esteem.



The bread tends to be pretty hearty, with lots of wholegrains and nuts. But the variety is huge. It comes in special shapes too - like hearts and turtles. There are also cakes, pasteries and cookies aplenty. Those are of course an important component of Kaffeeklatsch, a tradition that's alive and well in these parts.

I went for a bag of macaroons, fresh out of the oven, and a long crusty loaf of olive bread. My cousin, who was visiting from Italy over the weekend, even approved. A culinary nod from Italy. I can't think of a compliment much higher than that.

A night out in Zurich West
Zurich is supposed to offer some of the best nightlife in Switzerland, and Christoph and I finally got out and sampled some of it last Saturday. We were home by midnight, so it hardly counts as a night out by local standards. The clubs here stay open til the wee hours, and the one I had my eye on didn't even open its doors until 11.

But we made the most of our time. We spent the evening in Zurich West, the old industrial quarter of the city that's now ultra hip and trendy. We headed first to Maag Music Hall, a warehouse-turned-theater, to catch Steps, an international dance festival taking place this month across Switzerland. I just started a modern dance class for beginners, so I was looking for inspiration.

The venue itself was super cool. It's tucked away among still operating warehouses and a major train overpass. Inside, in addition to the theater, are two bar/lounge areas, big expansive spaces where a chic crowd gathered before and after the performance. A refurbished shipping container serves as one of the bars, with the bartender mixing drinks from inside.

I really liked the show too. The dancers were from Tel Aviv, and the title of the performance was "Three: Messages about sensuality." It was modern dance, so it was a little out there at times and slow in parts. But the music got more interesting in the second half and then the "sensuality" part really kicked in. At one point, the dancers took turns exposing themselves. There were some nice mid-air BAs, followed by some below-the-waist, frontal nudity. The guys tucked their thingies between their legs, which was shocking in a Silence of the Lambs sort of way.

My favorite part though was a partner dance involving two fantastic (fully clothed) male dancers, who managed to be incredibly masculine and feminine at the same time. They were like a visual poem.


By the time we left the music hall, the streets were bustling with club-goers and cruisers. After bouncing around a few different bars looking for an interesting scene, we found a great spot called Les Halles. It was a very relaxed, casual crowd surrounded by a jumble of old euro movie posters, pinball machines, mismatched tables and chairs and marine-themed kitsch. It was a nice contrast to the ultra-modern, sleek vibe so many places are going for here. What made it even more homey was the fact that there's an Italian deli in the back and it was still open at 11. That's unheard of in this country, where store hours are strictly regulated.

Christoph and I finished our drinks, browsed the deli, bought some cheese (just because we could) and headed out in time to catch the last tram.

Death (or Disfigurement) By Chocolate
Some of my friends back in San Francisco thought I was too skinny, so they may be gratified to know that I've been gorging myself on Swiss chocolate. I read somewhere that the Swiss eat more chocolate per capita than any other nation. So, when in Rome, I say. All you have to do is take a look at the chocolate selection at the grocery store to know it's a national addiction. This is just half the chocolate aisle...



The chocolate itself is on a whole other level. Hershey's, by comparison, tastes like the sole of an old shoe. When I really want to indulge, though, I head straight for Spüngli, the chocolate shop in Zurich. Just today, I snagged a baggy of dried apricots covered in dark chocolate with dark chocolate goo in the middle. It's bascially an oral orgasm. I also picked up a box of these little Maikaifer (May bugs) a couple weeks ago, and they were a hit with the in-laws.


I'm a little worried though that I will soon need whatever it is they're selling in this ad. I find this image very disturbing by the way, and it's been all over Zurich. I mean, cellulite is one thing, but human upholstery? That is just creepy.

Adorabe nieces!
I spent last weekend in Germany visiting my in-laws. One of the highlights were Christoph's little nieces. Emilia, pictured above with her dad, is not yet 1 and she has recently discovered her index finger. She's in a definite pointing phase. It's very cute, until she tries to point at your eye at close range. And even then, it's still cute.

It was really sweet to watch Emilia interact with her cousin, Katja, who is almost 3. She was very calm around Katja, and Katja was very gentle with little Emilia, patting her softly and hugging her head. Almost makes you want your own, doesn't it??

This is the place where these sweeties live. There must be something in the water or air that produces such happy, rosey-cheeked babies.