The sky is grey - time to head over the clouds into the mountains. To escape the city, I give away two overnight stays from Sunday til Friday for two people at Kurhaus Lenzerheide. This package includes breakfast, a welcome drink and access to their pool area. It’s a cool hotel, full of character. So, if you need some mountain air, e-mail me to win this prize.
Give my love to the city, Ron

Zurich’s University of the Arts has many outlets for its students to let the world see what they’ve learnt - a theatre, performance spaces and the Mehrspur Musikklub. This Friday at the Mehrspur they have the Jazz Output Festival, an evening of jazz, pop, soul and latin with all bands and performers of the line-up being students. Go see the future of performing arts. It’s free entry also. It all makes my role as ‘Sheep no.2’ in my school Nativity play seem rather diminished.
Friday 6 pm, Mehrspur Musikklub

I think the idea behind CHAostage (Chaos Stage) is great. They have an open stage, you have 5-10 minutes to…well, to do whatever you like. Recite poetry, read a book, sing, dance, play an instrument, show a film, paint. The audience are the performers and no one cares if you’re good or bad. It’s free to get in whether you get on stage or not. Now, where did I put that trumpet?
Saturday 8 pm, Theatre Neumarkt

Everyone enjoys a good conspiracy theory and Cabaret Voltaire is giving you the chance to let your conspiracy freak flag fly high. Spend an evening in the presence of the fabled Illuminati leadership to warn of the impending Extra Terrestrial invasion. This is, of course, accomplished via the ancient ritual of PowerPoint presentation. If your mind isn’t already blown, they also have a carcass of bigfoot. Yes, that bigfoot.
Friday 8 pm, Cabaret Voltaire

I don’t know what it is with the north but, starting with Abba, the Nordic countries have produced some of the best pop, indie and dance music around.  It now seems their governments have caught on and, with Mascotte, the embassies of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland have sent us a little export package of bands to enjoy. The festival is called ‘Nordic sounds - sounds good’ and has Saybia, Sivert Hoyem, The Amplifetes and Sweatmaster on the line-up. I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away.

E-mail me

Sunday 5 pm, Mascotte

The community B12 owes five billboards in Seefeld. For two weeks these boards will present art work by six Zurich based artists – two will share a board if you’re wondering about the maths. The opening of this street gallery takes place on Monday. After the two weeks, standard commercials will be glued over the art pieces.
Monday 6.3o pm, Hammerstrasse 43

On Tuesday, Xenix presents Winter Vacation, a Chinese film and the winner of Locarno’s film festival 2010. The producer Alex Chang will be present and talk about film making in today’s China after the show. The film comes with English subtitles and Alex Chang will talk is in English. A film about rural life, teenagers, holiday, boredom and of course China. I have 3 pairs of tickets to give away.

E-mail me for tickets.

Tuesday 9.15 pm, Xenix

Restaurant Greulich is known for its fine kitchen. From now on, their delights should also be more affordable. Every Tuesday you can get a three course dinner including water and coffee for a set 52 francs. The evening is horribly called U30 im Greulich (under 30 at Greulich). Just ignore that, the food will certainly be better than the name.
Tuesdays, Restaurant Greulich

Did you also receive a large envelope by the city regarding recycling and waste in Zurich? The diary of when paper, cardboard etc. is collected in your neighbourhood hangs – i assume – in most kitchens in towns. If you don’t understand German you can order it in English (or Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish and even one language I don’t recognize) for free. One improvement I really like is the E-Tram. It’s not an electronic tram (well, actually all trams run with electricity) but it’s where you can bring all your electronic waste. The enclosed calendar shows when it stops where. It saves you a trip to the store you bought the product from, or a trip to one of the larger recycling centres. And it’s for free. So, as a new year’s resolution, lets’ keep saving the planet.

The guys from Gorillaz are on tour at present, but they keep producing new tracks. During their North American tour 2010 from Montreal to Vancouver they recorded 15 songs in 32 days. On their website you can listen to all songs – you just have to sign up. But it’s worth it.

If you grew up in any modern suburban town then you’ll think this video is hilarious. If you grew up in Newport, Wales then surely you’ll want to make it your new city anthem.  I don’t know who they are but they have a touch of genius. All together now… ‘Newport. Twinned with Guangxi Province in China…there’s no Province finer’.