In this age of digital overload, the idea of going to see black and white silent movies may not seem like the most riveting thing to do but the IOIC (which stands for the wonderfully named Institute of Incoherent Cinematography) may have something to say about that. From tonight until Sunday they are having a Marathon of Adventures at  Kunstraum Walcheturm, essentially a 4-night silent movie festival. Before the advent of Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park or Interstellar, silent filmmakers were exploring the outer reaches of the imagination with these films. Each evening runs for around twelve hours (you see why they've called it a marathon), but each film is relatively short. Along with the silent films you'll also get to listen to live music being played as an accompanying soundtrack, from folk to classical to electronic artists and bands. You'll also see live dance, acrobatics, arts and magic performances. Now if that isn't enough to keep you entertained, you may be a lost cause.
Thursday & Friday 6 pm to 4 am, Saturday & Sunday 4 pm to 4 am, Kunstraum Walcheturm

If music be the food of love, you’d better learn to cook. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to play an instrument, or are looking to improve, the best place to find a teacher in Zurich is on the instrumentor.ch website. They have a selection of great teachers, who don’t just teach but are musicians and band members in their own right, and a choice of various instruments. This Friday Instrumentor are celebrating their 3rd birthday with a concert at Moods. There’ll be three bands, made up of instrumentor mentors, playing ambient trip-hop, art-rock and indie-pop, this will be followed by an open jam session (bring your instrument along) with a dj party closing the evening.
Friday 7.30 pm, Moods

Gird your loins, dear Ronster, for the Porny Days Film Festival, a three-day celebration of all things passionate, pulsating and yes, pornographic. But please don’t be thinking cheesy 70’s funk guitar and extra-keen pizza deliverymen, this festival looks at the art, not just the arse, in porn. The films will be shown in Riff-Raff and include 55 films and documentaries from 25 countries (either spoken or subtitled in English) that celebrate the humorous, sensual and strange desires around sex, as well as exploring the politics, social taboos and feminine concerns that go along with it. To accompany the films, Amboss Rampe will be hosting the opening party on Friday, performance artist Manuel Scheiwiller and his troupe (plus guests) will be putting on a special show on Saturday, and as a finale to the whole weekend, Sunday they play host to the Porny Brunch.
Friday to Sunday, see programme for times, Riff-Raff & Amboss Rampe

Nightmares on Wax has been a UK dj and producer at the forefront of the chilled and mellow end of the electronic music scene since the beginning of the Nineties and has had a huge impact on the direction and mainstream crossover of the music. Even if you’re not into the genre the chances are you’ve heard his Nights Interlude track playing as the sun sets at a beach bar or a lounge somewhere . He recently issued a 25-year retrospective album of his own music and will be playing the best of it, plus a selection of the tunes that made his name, at Stall 6 on Saturday.
Saturday 10 pm, Stall 6

I think Tom Waits is the true definition of a cult musician and artist. If you’re in, then you’re in deep and for life, if you’re not then you wonder what all the fuss is about and think it all a little strange. On Sunday it’s his 65th birthday and to celebrate, Theater Rigiblick are having a Tom Waits Birthday Tribute concert. There’ll be talks about his life and readings from his texts (which I can’t guarantee will be all in English) but there will also be, of course, a number of singers and musicians playing his songs. If you’ve ever wanted to see life from the dark and dirty but truly romantic side of the tracks, the cult of Waits is ready to take you there.
Sunday 8 pm, Theater Rigiblick

It’s not often that strippers and America’s Supreme Court Justices are mentioned in the same breath, at least not in public, but in the new play at Schauspielhaus Schiffbau, Arguendo, these two things are all that’s discussed. The play follows the case of Barnes v. Glen Theater, in which a group of exotic dancers challenged a state ban on public nudity, but this is no dry courtroom drama. The Elevator Repair Service are a New York based group of actors who have taken this raw material and transformed it into a poetic, energetic and exiting show that explores and reveals the intricacy and idiocy of certain laws and moral outlooks.
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, 8.15 pm, Schauspielhaus Schiffbau

Next Thursday I’ll host my Xmas special: Ron’s Wichtelión. What is it? «Wichteln» is the Swiss equivalent to «Secret Santa». We’ll meet at Kanzlei (outdoor) and you bring a self-made, funny, practical or ugly present for another Ronster along. We start at 7 pm straight away with the present exchange, so make sure you’re on time. Afterwards it’s all about mingeling with other Ronsters and sipping Glühwein. See you there, Ron
Thursday 11th December 7 pm, Kanzlei

Reservé is a pretty little restaurant voucher book that just published its second edition. It’s available for four regions - Zurich, Basel, Aargau and Central Switzerland – where twenty to thirty restaurants offer you the second main dish for free. The golden look, the beautiful design as well as the careful selection of the venues make it the perfect gift. Also for you! I have three Reservé to give away for free. Just send me an e-mail with your address and your preferred region.

Phu, December is always a hectic month and my holiday spirit gets buried in an endless to-do-list. I barely manage to get my grocery shopping done. So I’m very grateful that there are a few Sundays coming up, when the shops and malls in the city centre are open: 7th and 21st December from 11 am to 6 pm, as well as 2nd of January from 9 am to 8 pm. On the website of «Shopping in the city» you find the list of the shops that take part.

With 325 pages, the latest city Guide « Zürich – Welcome Home» is not for the weak. But if you love Zurich as much as I do, you’ll appreciate the comprehensive volume. Peter Bührer, the man behind the master piece, compiled a well-designed book with up-to-date information. Additionally to the 1000 tips, more than 90 QR link to travel schedules, event calendars, offer intriguing stories and deliver more than three hours of entertainment in the form of music, film, and concert clips. What more could you wish for? Ahh, maybe your own copy? I have three books to give away for free. Just send me an e-mail with your address and tell me I should give this city guide with vouchers worth more than 500 francs to you. I only have three copies to give away but all Ronsters can order the book through this link with a special Ron discount of 13 francs (standard price 38 francs, plus postal fee of 10 francs).