The January blues give aways are Ron’s answer to the cold January and how it affects city life. So I found something nice to give away every week. Something that makes you happy and doesn’t add pressure on your stressed out credit card. Today I’m giving away 10 Prozentbücher for Zurich which includes vouchers for restaurants, bars and clubs etc. So you can still go out despite being skint.Take part in the draw and find the next surprise next week…
Happy 2011, Ron

Happy Christmas! No, this isn’t an old entry that’s snuck through from last year and you’re not experiencing déjà vu. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its own Christmas day this Friday, and on Thursday evening a Russian Christmas Eve party is happening at Hiltl. 30 different types of vodka, an amazing 10-year-old boy balalaika player and Russki-house djs from Moscow will give you the Christmas spirit one more time. With the added bonus of not having to buy anyone presents.
Thursday 10 pm, Hiltl Club

Photo 10 is the largest showcase for Swiss photography and I’m happy to be a partner with them. This Friday, one of the worlds most sought after celebrity portrait photographers, Marco Grob, will show some of his photos with accompanying stories. Marco has  benefitted from his recent move from Switzerland to New York in his new collection entitled ‘Stars Unlimited – from Barack Obama to Lady Gaga’. Unfortunately, he hasn’t taken any photos of me yet but I do have 2 pairs of tickets to give away to Marcos presentation, which will also get you into the Photo 10 exhibition.
E-mail me.
Friday 8 pm, Maag Event Hall

Hive is being taken over by P//Arty Now this Friday, who take combining art and music to a new level. Six visual artists will transform the club into their own optical playground as Margaret Dygas leads a merry band of djs from Berlin through the mayhem. Techno and house are the sounds on offer but the visuals are from another world.
Friday 11 pm, Hive

As we enter a new year it only seems fitting that a new club night is introduced. The Electro Swing Club has its opening night this Saturday at Revier. Taking the swinging sounds of the 20’s and 30’s and mixing with 21st century beats this gives you a chance to experience the first Great Depression whilst we’re still going through the second. If burlesque dancers, feather boas and electro-swing don’t get you into a Great Gatsby mood try some of the bootlegged hooch they’re selling.
Saturday 10 pm, Revier Club

The Irish have a grand tradition of poets and singers, and Maria Doyle Kennedy is no exception. Originally a member of Hothouse Flowers, she has been a part of the Irish music scene for many years, even appearing in the film, The Commitments. Her last album was, strangly enough, called Mütter. She is now bringing some of the magic of the Emerald Isle to El Lokal as she and her husband play the folk music of their homeland. Make mine a Guinness.
Sunday 8 pm, El Lokal

January, or rather work, took me a bit by surprise after forgetting the time between the years. Catbird is a good way to get back into relaxation. The duo from Winterthur play their folk/alternative songs at Henrici this Tuesday introducing their debut album Easy as pie. You know Henrici? It’s where Franziskaner used to be. The family run locale serves wonderful coffee (they even have a barista) and Tarte Flambee.
Tuesday 8 pm, Henrici

I’m very sceptical if a restaurant offers Swiss and Indian specialities. But visit Mundial and be surprised. Both taste good. Very good. I chose Indian and had one of the best curries ever. The friendliness of the staff stands out by far, compared to other places, even though service overall improved a lot in Zurich over the last years. It’s located just next to RiffRaff and definitely worth a visit. They also offer take away.
Neugasse 76, 8005 Zürich

I’m not expecting a chaos today, though 1.5 million people will reign as kings and queens over Switzerland this Thursday. Eh? It’s 6 January, the Three Kings Day (or the three wise men as you tend to call it). Traditionally you buy a Kings Cake (Dreikönigskuchen) on that day and share it with your friends, colleagues or family. Whoever finds the plastic figure in his bun is king or queen for the day. This bread speciality is a custom in Switzerland since 1390. You can get Dreikönigskuchen in every bakery as well as Migros, Coop and alike. It’s a soft, sweet bread with raisins – and comes with a golden crown for the one who becomes king or the queen.

For once not a shopping but a selling tip in this section. Jenseits at Viadukt 11 hosts your flea market in their window so you can bring your Gameboy, Christmas light, favourite books, dresses and everything else you’d like to sell, and they’ll sell it for you. These mini flea markets will take place every Saturday.  You get half the money if your item is sold; the other half goes to charity. Just go by and ask details. This project wants to support young people – so you can sell if you’re under 26, but there is no age limit to buy…
Saturdays 11 am to 4 pm, Jenseits

The 23-minutes-long short film Butterfly Circus was awarded with several prizes. Beautiful images and a touching story turn this short into great cinema. This is also the goal of the film – to grow into a proper long film. I’m already looking forward to see the whole movie and to stay longer on this world of wonder. Watch the film here on vimeo.