Much like a scorched cervelat, the city is slowly opening and the bars and restaurants are filling up. More good news has come from the government this week as low infection figures means that there will be a further relaxation of measures and an end to the «extraordinary situation» by June the 19th. And the good news keeps on coming. This weekend is also Pentecost (or Pfingsten,) which means…yes…Another long weekend.

Don’t forget the sunscreen, have a beer for me, keep your hand clean and…

Give my love to the city

Hollywood, Bollywood…er Tehran. Iran is not a country that springs to mind when you think of film but there are some talented filmmakers there who can give a unique perspective of this mysterious and introverted country. This week the Iranian Film Festival showcases this talent. Obviously they are moving online but if you register you can participate for free.

With the relaxation of the lockdown rules the bars and restaurants have thrown their doors open, eager to entertain the weary (and thirsty,) people of Zurich. Hidden away in a peaceful square in Wiedikon sits Salut Salon, a lovely place to for a beer or a coffee or a fantastic brunch. I highly recommend it, not just for the comfortable ambience and good food but the incredible entrance to the bathroom.

Did you know that a good deal of sportswear is made up from plastics? Well, not Muon Ecofuntionalwear. They are using a sustainable model, without plastics to develop sportswear but forget all that. The t-shirts on their Crowdify page look supercool. Head over there grab one, and look awesome wilst giving a bit of support to a forward looking start-up.

I have championed Comedy Kiss in my newsletter a great deal. They bring high-class comics over to Zurich and, like all people in the entertainment industry, are struggling with the heartbreak of cancelled shows and loss of income. Through #JedesTicketZählt they are trying to cover the loss of income for the comedians whose shows have been cancelled. If you can help them out, please do. We really want them to come back stronger than ever.

If you want to enjoy the (very limited,) beauty spots of Switzerland then you probably going to need a few a bits and bobs. A good pair of shoes and a rucksack are a very good place to start. Well, you are in luck as Europaallee are hosting 2nd Peak, a pop-up that offers second hand outdoor gear. But that’s not all. If you (like me,) have 10 rucksacks hanging around the house they will agree a price and sell them on for you (giving you 1/3 of the proceeds.)

I found myself in a discussion on a social media platform that will remain nameless and was brutally shot down for not checking my facts and figures. Well, this ends here, because i found this incredible website. ourworldindata.org collates worldwide data and creates graphs and articles to explain the various data sets.

I know what you’re thinking, it sounds like a maths lesson but it does give a fascinating insight into our development as a species through a variety of measurements. But more importantly, it gives you the ammunition to win that niggling social media argument.