Become a modern day Alice in Wonderland with this invitation to the Bellwethers Royal Tea Party. Held, appropriately enough, in the Gardenlabyrinth you can indulge in the fine teas and delicious cakes on offer, as well as a selection of live music and readings. The soirée is weather permitting. Just follow the white rabbit for directions, or click here.
Thursday 6 pm, Gardenlabyrinth, Zeughaushof

A friend of mine has suggested that Funny Laundry is to Anglo stand-up comedy what drug mules are to illegal substances.  And whilst one is clearly funnier (and more legal) than the other, both act as carriers of much needed relief. This week, Jo Caulfield and Trevor Lock have been graciously shipped over to entertain. Both comedians are very funny, original and bring a dose of surrealism to their acts. Actually, maybe I should have a word with my friend about his dubious metaphors…
Friday 7 pm, Mascotte

Bart Hoevenaars, the singer and guitarist of the Holland indie rock troupe Mono plays solo at Mikro, under the name Sir Ian. At the beginning of the year his debut album Apathology was released showcasing songs from introverted and melancholy to orchestral, rock pieces. The sound has elements of Neil Young crashing with Elliot Smith and the Beatles.
Friday 9 pm, Mikro

After a couple of location changes and 13 wonderful, banging years, Rohstofflager is closing its doors for the final time this weekend. Having established itself as one of the best electronic music venues in Europe, this weekend sees many fine djs come to pay their respects and make sure the place goes out with a bang, a drum and a bass.
Friday/Saturday 11 pm, Rohstofflager

Happy Birthday! Rote Fabrik is 30 years old this weekend. Started as a cultural experiment in communal and social living, you might imagine that, as it has matured, it may have lost sight of those youthful ideals, but nothing could be further from the truth. Its anniversary program has many events over 3 days including music (Little Dragon), film (Seh-Tank), theatre (Miguel Gutierrez) and even a radio broadcast. All of which are free to attend. Yes, you heard me right…free! It seems as if the ideals of youth, do not have to be dampened by age. A lesson for all of us, perhaps.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Rote Fabrik

You may notice that the Swiss like to gather mushrooms in autumn. To do that yourself, you need to go to a place a bit outside of the city, mostly borders of forest and try your luck. I’m not able to tell you may favourite spots. That knowledge was handed down from generation to generation and my family would never speak to me again if I made this information public. So you have to try your luck. But if you’re not familiar with mushrooms, get a book memorize the most common one and go search for them. And then, and this is the important part, get them checked afterwards.  Make also sure to read the guidelines for mushroom gathering beforehand. In the canton Zurich, for example, you may only gather them from the 11th until the end of the month, and you’re not allowed to collect more than one kilo per person.  Have a look at the overview, the first column tells you when it’s forbidden to go, the second how much you’re allowed to take home.  Mmh, mushrooms on a creamy white wine sauce with toast bread – great!

When I was travelling in Japan this summer, this country fascinated me with its indescribable charm. Now I've come across a great video clip called Dear Japan, a few minutes filled with details from the land of the rising sun.

If it is one of those days when you feel the urgent need of escaping your mad office crowd, then you should relax a little with Dub Rockers. Put on your headphones, dub up your songs and let yourself be drawn into Jamaica's 70ies. Play!