Taup(e)date - Noël

At the foot of the European sapin de Noël and on the edge of a New Year, warm greetings from Switzerland! So what's been going on? Hope you are well.

Since last writing mid-year, I've changed apartment for the 5th time, returned to visit Montreal and have a new job in Geneva. Im now working at a multinational consumer products company and meeting lots of young people.  For Christmas, I'll be with my girlfriend again, near Berne, in a snowy and sleepy little village.  Will probably stay there for New Year and ski in-between.

It's certainly been a tremendous first year in Europe and in comparison to NZ, the main thing lacking is the beach but the best thing is the variety of languages here and how that can excite you.  The musical flutter of tongues (and body language to accompany) is quite a cacophony in the workplace.  The prices of your daily bread, your eggs and your yogurt comes in higher but the instant hit of euro/swiss-wages on your cost of living means you hardly notice it and can actually save generously, something that has insulated the fanatically industrious Swiss from recessionary reverberations.  That aside, I had the opportunity to see Sabine Meyer in concert (a world famous clarinettist) for only 10-francs. 

I took a 10 day trip in September to Montreal to re-visit McGill mates, (la Banquise too) and actually felt a bit home sick for Canada for whatever reason.  It was great to see my sister in New York in the middle and squeeze the most out of party-nights like in 2005.

Should you be travelling in Europe as I know some of you are, look me up, my new address is below.  As ever, I'll have the kettle on and may get out the tagine if you arrive near 7pm.  There have been 5 or 6 visitors so far and that's been great, especially with Geneva being more or less a transit town and new friends leaving after short spurts.

Well I hope you're kicking back this Christmas, many of you at the beach with the barbie, others in far off lands, deserts, or even in chalets with thick blanketed snow.  I wish you happiness and good laughs and hope you share the stroke of midnight with a good kisser.

Bon panettone haha - and send your news this way!  feel free to skype me too.

Kirk


Rue Jean-Dassier 5
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

mobile +41 78 884 6922
skype: "KirkHavelock"

Taup(e)date - Noël

At the foot of the European sapin de Noël and on the edge of a New Year, warm greetings from Switzerland! So what's been going on? Hope you are well.

Since last writing mid-year, I've changed apartment for the 5th time, returned to visit Montreal and have a new job in Geneva. Im now working at a multinational consumer products company and meeting lots of young people.  For Christmas, I'll be with my girlfriend again, near Berne, in a snowy and sleepy little village.  Will probably stay there for New Year and ski in-between.

It's certainly been a tremendous first year in Europe and in comparison to NZ, the main thing lacking is the beach but the best thing is the variety of languages here and how that can excite you.  The musical flutter of tongues (and body language to accompany) is quite a cacophony in the workplace.  The prices of your daily bread, your eggs and your yogurt comes in higher but the instant hit of euro/swiss-wages on your cost of living means you hardly notice it and can actually save generously, something that has insulated the fanatically industrious Swiss from recessionary reverberations.  That aside, I had the opportunity to see Sabine Meyer in concert (a world famous clarinettist) for only 10-francs. 

I took a 10 day trip in September to Montreal to re-visit McGill mates, (la Banquise too) and actually felt a bit home sick for Canada for whatever reason.  It was great to see my sister in New York in the middle and squeeze the most out of party-nights like in 2005.

Should you be travelling in Europe as I know some of you are, look me up, my new address is below.  As ever, I'll have the kettle on and may get out the tagine if you arrive near 7pm.  There have been 5 or 6 visitors so far and that's been great, especially with Geneva being more or less a transit town and new friends leaving after short spurts.

Well I hope you're kicking back this Christmas, many of you at the beach with the barbie, others in far off lands, deserts, or even in chalets with thick blanketed snow.  I wish you happiness and good laughs and hope you share the stroke of midnight with a good kisser.

Bon panettone haha - and send your news this way!  feel free to skype me too.

Kirk


Rue Jean-Dassier 5
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

mobile +41 78 884 6922
skype: "KirkHavelock"

ta(up)edate - july - makkara

buongiorno

ok cominciamo.

cosa fai quest'estate? for some of you, its the cold season, of stroganoff and potatoes, rich Boldorino followed by apple pie. here, its risotto milanais with crunchy vege and a crisp white. 

just returned from Suomi, otherwise known as Finland, land of the Lapps. that was a soulful experience, reindeer and canned bear meat included. the finnish summer brings joy and mosquitoes with the prick of cloudberry jam and a cold Olvi by the bonfire. the naked lake jumping and sadomachinistic birch (not bitch) whacking at sauna time brough smiles and glee to sweaty bodies. 

host Johannes Penttinen really shined, planning the whole adventure and even dropping two fine young finnish lasses back home to their mothers post-hike. Hike? Yeah 60kms of mosquito laden trails, wooden beds and red strawberry stuff for breakfast. and to think the trip started out innocent enough with searching in rubbish bins for food around J's home town! quality. better than the KKK supermarkets even... (no white hoods found in the bins though). must add that this MISN reunion (for whom reunions are a part of life) was not in the most exotic of places, but nor did it need to be, when you have makkara being tortured in the fire and moose for dinner, what's better than a light hearted round of Mölkky (pron. mueyllkkoo) in the chaleur of a lakeside cottage? (that had its own island for god's sake).

must say the Finn's do quite well with their expert approach to the outdoors and penchant for salty licorice.

 

wherever you are, good tucker!

regards to your pets, also.

 

körkki

taup(e)date - mars

hey, hope youre in good shape. tutto a posto? hows things!?

 

recently experienced stuff in cheeseland:

went skiing in crans montana with sarah a few moons ago, what a blast! pristine (pre-10am) white desert, glacial pistes and black runs for the suicidal weak hearted.

celebrated her birthday and checked out some barabaric/cheesefest/slosh up called fastnacht out in the wops (Murten, near where sarah lives) had to dress up as a fisherman

decamped the old abode after issues with steaming letters with a kettle and moved into sarahs, but will move out end of month and then move somewhere else in may. that will be the 5th move in as many months. should have just hoteled it this whole time.

joined the UN music group for soul purposes, a quaint but spirited group of 5, sometimes less, practising in the substratum underbelly of building 40, palais des nations, directly below salle des assemblies

cheese romande orchestra (Orchestre de la suisse romande) one of the finest here, heard playing in lausanne  last night.

geneve auto salon on at the mo, mammoth display of both imposing and minute automobiles, including world's cheapest car. comes in yellow.

off to paris for easter, e milano in mayo to practise my newly acquired italian (slang mainly).

look forward to welcoming amy baker yaaaay , cella, frank and daniel R also (?) for visits + shenanigans

 

benvenuti a tutti, write soon

 

snaps http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2021984&l=a385c&id=217700232

 

k

 

note "swiss" is replaced by "cheese" in this email

 

 

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taup(e)date - Bärn

yo comrade, hope you're in good shape.

 

so, here i am in Le Bankland, the little island lost in the middle of Europe, unique with purple cows and hot air balloons shaped like giant screwdrivers. recent events involved flying in a balloon above the alps last weekend, with my girlfriend who wasnt actually aware we were going in one. the reaction was mixed.

 

the general assembly of the UN Orchestra/amalgamation of chamber groups is taking place soon so hopefully my licorice stick and I will be accepted. coming up is more skiing and italian courses in feb.

 

pics of buggering around in the alps, including a balloon special and the Interlaken "Austrian hole" race:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=108089&l=e6f3c&id=217700232

 

off to berne this weekend, for the Toblerone celebration. Berne is known more for its bear pit than the Federal Palace and Einstein. the inhabitants are apparently infected with Miuchmöesterlikrankiiiit, rendering them incomprehensible to the outside world.

 

send me your news; a few juicy titbits will go with almost any kind of cheese.

 

à très bientot. kirk

 

p.s. Je te donne toutefois mon numéro de portable cheese: 0041 78 884 6922

 

 

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