I saw the sea-gulls heading south, a sign that winter is lurking around the corner. Time for me to take off and get some heat into my bones before the dark months begin. I’ll be gone for two weeks but don’t worry, I’ll be back!
Take care and give my love to the city, Ron

Today marks the start of the international literary festival «Zürich liest'14» (Reading Zurich). But I couldn’t find any events in English. Therefore ignore it and head to Rote Fabrik instead, where Bonaparte present their latest album. Instead of words, get a fill of music and you'll still stay in the literary world: their concert will transport you to «Alice in Wonderland». Techno tunes combined with costumes, everything is possible when circus director Jundt leads his band to the stage like his namesake monarch. The difference, they are not French, Switzerland is already a democracy and everyone attending is a winner. 
Thursday 8.30 pm, Rote Fabrik

«Switzerland‘s architecture is boring», was the title of an article in NZZ three years ago. It hit Zurich like a shot of a starter’s gun and became the cause to start a work exhibition with Swiss architects. This year «Architektur14» goes into its third round and shows more than 80 innovative architects. Let me know, if you still believe that this country’s architecture scene is boring after visiting the fair. Entry 18 francs
Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 10 pm, Maag Halle

The Zurich University of the Arts celebrates its new campus with a festival: fine arts, design, film, music, installation, acting, dance and much more await you at Toni Areal. The former milk factory will be transformed into a creative city where you can drift from one party to the next, watch shows, interact and enjoy the spirit of young talents. Entry is for free
Saturday 5 pm to 2 am, Toni-Areal

Clothes swapping is popular amongst friends but «Annabelle» takes it a step further and hosts a public event at Kaufleuten where everyone can bring shoes, trousers, jackets and tops they don’t want anymore and exchange them for new favourite pieces. The team will select the items prior the event (drop off from 9 am to 1 pm) for which you’ll receive tokens in exchange. The dropped of clothes have to be in good condition, clean and there is a max of 8 pieces per person. Entry is for free
Saturday 5 pm to 7 pm (4 pm to 5 pm swappers only), Kaufleuten

If Ben Harper says about his friend, the singer/songwriter Tom Freund, that he is one of the best musicians that he knows, then this means a lot. If you trust Ben Harpers opinion,  El Lokal is your place to be this Sunday. From folk to jazz and from straight rock’n’roll to sweet pop, I’m sure your ears will like what they hear. Entry 20 francs 

Sunday 8.20 pm, El Lokal

To jazz or not to jazz is not a question the festival JazznoJazz poses. That’s the advantage of the darker months, so many concerts to see, so many festivals taking place, transporting you to beautiful places while staying warm and dry indoors. From Wednesday to Saturday there are various jazz bands playing Gessnerallee, ewz-Unterwerk Selnau and Theater der Künste Zürich. Here you find the full programme online. Tickets 25 to 75 francs
Wednesday to 1st November

Piccolo Giardino is not a new kid on the block. But I just realized again last weekend, what a great location it is. It’s situated perfectly for a drink or a bite to eat if your night’s plan includes Langstrasse. It’s just around the corner but devoid of the crude crowds. Instead it comes with an unpretentious atmosphere, a tasty menu and friendly staff. I like their covered beer garden where you can still sit outside, to keep warm, I suggest grog or a carajillo - and ask for a blanket. They show all games by FCZ live as well as the qualifying games for the European Cup that include the Swiss National Team. If you prefer music to sports, head there on the first Saturday of the month.
Piccolo Giardino, Schöneggplatz 9, 8004. Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 11 am - 0.30 am, Friday 11 am - 2.30 am, Saturday 2 pm - 2.30 am, Sunday 2 pm - 11.30 pm

You know that I like to discover hidden gems around town, away from the well-trodden paths. On one of my excursions I came across Balboa Garage, a gym that specialises in functional training. Balboa has three bases: I trained with Angel at Ghetto Gym just behind Kino Roland, was taught by Andrea at Amboss Rampe and I’m curious to see what their latest venue at Steinfels Areal will look like when it opens at the beginning of 2015. What makes Balboa special? The venues are located, where I usually go out, so it’s nice to do something healthy there for a change. Personally, I find gyms very soulless and avoid them at any cost, so the friendly and social atmosphere came as the biggest surprise. From the start I felt like I’m training with a group of friends. The schedule changes slightly each week, so you get a chance to try out various work-outs form Calisthenics and Planet Venus to Kettlebells to Cross Yoga. Subscriptions are 150 francs per month and you can join as many lessons as you like. If you fancy having a look at their Amboss Rampe venue, drop in tonight as they host the finissage of Paul Sieber's sculpture exhibition.

How do you see yourself? That’s the question photographer Scott Chasserot tried to answer with an experiment. First he took pictures of the participants. Second he created more than fifty versions of the original. Then he showed the versions to the participants and scanned their brain activities. In this way he found out which version perceived the most positive reaction. And this is what it looks like.