Bem-vindo, Brasília! The Brazilian capital is the latest city I've added to my worldwide newsletter network. My on-the-ground assistants keep me up to date on the latest happenings there, but I visit as often as I can – especially in February, when temperatures reach 28°C (are you jealous, Zurich?). For a taste of the South American city, I recommend checking out architect Oscar Niemeyer, artist Athos Bulcão, and surf life in Lago Paranoá.
Give my love to the city,
Ron

The presale of the Playhound by Greyhound 2010 Spring and Summer Collection is being held today at Opia. Look for Eva Babuschka, Ceremoni Feather Headdresses, Scharfmacher glasses, necklaces from your grandma and hot underwear from Lyn Lingerie. Shopping, drinking, dancing and meeting friends, all in one.
Thursday 6 pm, Opia

You might not be able to make it to Brazil (sorry to keep rubbing it in), but you can take a trip to Bar Rio, right here in Zurich. It hosts MikroDisco, the city’s smallest disco party, on the last Friday of every month. This week, djs Manu (aka Mr. Funk) and Roger and Tom spin the turntables.
Friday 10 pm, Bar Rio

After last Friday’s success at Cabaret, more burlesque is coming to Zurich. If Miss Fancy Chance and her friends aren’t enough to bring you to St. Pauli, the guys from The Heat will also be there, playing their trademark swing, soul and rock and roll.
Friday 10 pm, St. Pauli

DJ John Player joins forces with special guests baritone Igor Morosov, Anne-Catherine Vonaesch (violin) and Alexander Ionov (balalaika) to deliver party tunes with a Russian touch. If that’s not enough flavour for you, this party at Valzer is brought to you by Russian Standard Vodka. Da, comrades? This event is invitation only, but I have three pairs of tickets to give away.
Saturday 7 pm, Valzer

Happy birthday, dear Rakete. Four years of Rakete has meant a lot of parties, the best djs, many happy people and headaches on Sunday. Hive celebrates with Swiss djs Manon, Animal Trainer, Tony Smash FX, Fucking Stupid Idiots and Piratenkind. Into the bargain there is also a surprise for you. You will enjoy it.
Saturday 11 pm, Hive

Heavy topics for a Monday evening, but that’s Damien Hirst for you. I’d recommend catching his show at Galerie Caratsch before it closes on April 30. Hirst, famous for his works involving dead animals preserved in formaldehyde, is a leader of the Young British Artists movement.

Monday 10 am to 6 pm, Galerie Andrea Caratsch

I’m a man of arts and letters as much as gadgets and gizmos, so I’m intrigued by Electric Literature: a quarterly literary magazine that publishes on paper, Kindle, e-book, iPhone and audiobook. The first line of Pasha Malla’s “The Slough” gives you an idea of the quirky and provocative fare you’ll find at EL:  “I should probably tell you,” she said, swallowing coffee. “I’m about to lose my skin.”

I’m also reading online at Joyland, a hub for short fiction that features writers from San Francisco, New York, L.A. and more. Of course, I like to read local, so I especially like this story by writer Laura Boudreau, a Zurich-based Torontonian.

Fashion or fetish? Zentai are skin-tight bodysuits that cover the entire body – hands, feet and face included. Zentai as a practice often involves going out in public, like in this video here. Not exactly my cup of tea (I prefer to leave a little something to the imagination!), but fascinating, nonetheless.