I hope that you had a happy and restful holiday season and that you are refreshed and ready for the roaring 20’s. That said, this year kicked off with grey, foggy skies and I know how depressing that can be. So…to cheer all of you lovely Ronsters up I will be giving a prize away every week throughout the rest of January. But that’s not the only reason to be cheerful. There's some great events coming up throughout the year. Scroll down to check it out, have a great week and remember…

 

Give my love to the city

The foundation Ferien im Baudenkmal rescues buildings of historic value throughout Switzerland and provides a new future for them as holiday homes. There are many beautiful properties, for example the Flederhaus in idyllic Wegenstetten. The farmhouse, constructed in 1803 sits amongst the rolling hills and open fields of the Aargau. Interestingly, this listed house was named after the bats that have taken up residence in the attic. With a little luck 5 of your friends (and perhaps a few bats,) will spend three unforgettable nights in the Flederhaus. Write to me now to win.

Are you finding it hard to fit into your clothes after a month of over-indulgence? Haven’t moved your ass from the sofa for three weeks? Well, Sportactiv are going to do their best to motivate you by allowing you to take part in their city fitness courses for free on Thursday and Friday. If you prefer the pool they are offering a free Aquajogging lesson on the 10th of January. Click here for a timetable of their courses.

There is an abundance of fantastic photographers in Switzerland and it’s no surprise with stunning vistas and beautiful people round every corner. This week PhotoSCHWEIZ takes over the Halle 662 and Stage One in Oerlikon with over three hundred photographers displaying some of their favourite works.

As I said previously, January can be a pretty depressing time so what better way to keep the dopamine flowing than by checking out some comedy. This Friday, The Big Comedy Kiss are taking over the home of Swiss comedy, Labor5, to present top UK comedian, Fern Brady as well as an «undercard,» of great local comics. Check her out here or click the buttons to see her performing live at the Apollo

Musically we all have our guilty pleasures. For some reason I love 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton. This week Exil will give you an opportunity to shake your money maker to the tunes that you may be (slightly) embarrassed to say you enjoy with their Trash Pop night. I hope they play Wannabe by the Spice Girls…

From Trash Pop to Urban Art. This Sunday Werk 21 in Dynamo is the venue for Hypocrat's live hip hop & graffiti event. If you are a lover of urban art and hip hop (and let’s face it, the two go together like a horse and carriage,) then get down to it.

Hey, Sprichst du Deutsch? No? Well perhaps would be a good time to jump on it as the Swiss authorities are tightening up the rules for B and C permit holders. In short, they have an expectation that you have a qualification in one of the three main Swiss languages. I have attached a link to a more comprehensive article here. If your new years resolution didn’t include signing up for a German course perhaps you should consider including it...

January: Photo Schweiz / Veganuary

February: The Oscars

March: Fribourg International Film Festival

April: Sächsilüüte

May: Ice Hockey World Championships in Zurich & Lausanne / Food Zürich / Zürich Tanzt

June: EUFA Euro 2020 (In 12 different countries/cities.)

July: The Summer Olympics in Tokyo

August: Street-Parade / Theater Spektakel / Züri Openair

September: Knabenschiessen / Zürich Film Festival

October: Expo 2020 in Dubai

November: Presidential Elections in the USA

December: Great Conjunction (Astronomical phenomenon that happens every 20 years.)