Frontier magazine Issue 5

AUSANNE

GENEVA - L 13/2014

WINTER 20

FRONTIER MAGAZINE

ISSUE 05 -

- NEIGHBO

HELI-SKIING! BASTIAN BAKER COMMUNITY COPS WINTER GIFTS ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

S

T BORDER

E WITHOU

NCE | LIV URING FRA

PLUS... DAY TRIPS - GREEN WINTER WARMERS - FESTIVE WINE & MUCH, MUCH MORE!

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contents

CONTENTS

FRONTIER MAGAZINE Published by

Directors Editor Creative Director Publication Manager Illustrator Designed by

Advertising & Promotion

Print Run Distribution

Anglo Media Group SA Images Building, 1st floor 9, rue de Veyrot, 1217 Meyrin Switzerland T +41 (0)22 989 53 10 Peter Sibley & Mark Butcher Bill Harby Matt Martin Sarah Over Valentina Shapiro Media Frontier www.mediafrontier.ch WRS T +41 (0) 22 989 53 10 E - advertising@worldradio.ch 20,000 International Organisations, NGOs, Multinational companies, Hotels, Geneva Airport, Shopping Centres, International Schools, Tourist Offices All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All prices listed are correct at time of going to press but may be subject to change.

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AIRWAVES NEED TO KNOW BSCC AWARDS BADJ NIGHTLIFE POLITICS FLAVOUR WINE COMMUNITY PAGES STYLE FILE SKI GUIDE WEALTH PROPERTY HEALING HANDS & STRANGE FAVOURS HEALTH MATTERS KIDS IN MIND COMMUNITY PAGES GLAS ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY PAGES GENĂˆVE FUTUR HOCKEY

IN THIS ISSUE...

WELCOMING OUR NEW BABY In the previous issue of Frontier we welcomed you to the new WRS radio station. Now I invite you to welcome another new baby. As you turn the pages, you’ll see that Frontier magazine has been re-imagined and redesigned.

You’ll see new regular columns from some of your favourite WRS presenters. We’ve got “Dig It!” with Hester Macdonald, “Style File” with Hansine, “The McKay Interview” with Michael McKay “Gadget Guru” with Ian, “Health Matters” with Dr. Michelle Wright, and “Wine” by Simon Hardy.

18. DIG IT!

20. FRONTIER TALENT BASTIAN BAKER

We also have a delicious restaurant review column, “Flavour”, by Danielle Sidders, whom you can also hear on WRS. And another new column, “Borderlines,” in which I will be taking you along to interesting corners of the Lake Geneva area of some odd adventures. This time: curling in Lausanne.

You’ll see that right up front we have a fun, informative new section called “Need To Know”. Here, every issue, you’ll find a potpourri of short, interesting, quirky news items and notes on cool places to check out, with photos and art. This issue: ideas for panic-stricken last-sec gift buyers, cool free apps for the slopes, what the correct name of our lake really is – and lots more.

This issue of the new Frontier also has a serious feature article, “Community Cops”, about a behind-thescenes street unit in the Geneva Police Department.

36. THE MCKAY INTERVIEW

46. HELI-SKIING!

And center stage: heli-skiing! It’s not as expensive as you probably think. And yes, serious shredders say every centime is totally worth it.

Does some of this pique your interest? Then come along and turn the page. And please tell us what you think. I welcome your comments.

And finally, an apology to photographer Jean-Luc Pasquier, who took the charming photograph of Hester Macdonald and Tara Lissner in the previous issue of Frontier. We left off his photo credit line in Hester’s story, “Gardening Golden Rules”. Sorry about that Jean-Luc! Cheers, Bill Harby, Editor bill.harby@anglomediagroup.com

68. DAY OUT LAVEY LES BAINS

76. BORDERLINES - CURLING FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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REASON

CONSUMPTION : 3,6 l / 100 kM – CO2 : 94 g / kM TRUNk CAPACITY : 1378 l ENERgY EFFICIENCY CATEgORY : A

EMOTION 120 hP / 300 NM POWER & EFFICIENCY ThE NEW CIVIC 1.6 I-DTEC

DIPLOMATIC SALES – Wir sprechen Deutsch – We speak english – Hablamos espanõl Falamos português – Parliamo italiano – We spreken Vlaams / Dutch

Honda automobiles Genève-Centre

Rue de la Servette 30, 1202 Genève, Tél. 022 748 14 00, garage-geneve@honda.ch

Honda automobiles Genève-vernier

Route du Nant-d’Avril 50, 1214 Vernier, Tél. 022 341 00 77, garage-vernier@honda.ch Civic 1.6 i-DTEC Lifestyle, 5 portes, 88 kW / 120 ch, 1597 cm3 : prix catalogue CHF 32 600.–. Consommation mixte (80/1268/CEE) : 3,7 l / 100 km. Emissions mixtes de CO2 : 98 g / km (moyenne de tous les modèles neufs 153 g / km). Catégorie de rendement énergétique : A.

honda_Frontier_185x250_civic_septembre2013_V1.indd 1

28.08.13 09:53

AIRWAVES

TUNING IN

Which DAB+ car radio do you want?

By Mark Butcher, WRS Co-director

S

hundred francs. The more expensive models may have cool bells and whistles, but if it’s mostly just good reception you require, we It looks like Julian has become the go-to recommend the mid-range models that cost guy for DAB+ info. “I’ve had calls from major around CHF100. This will ensure a strong dealers asking for advice on DAB+”, he says. signal that reaches farther than the old FM “They’re getting more and more requests signal. DAB+ covers the entire Lake Geneva Julian Jenkins, owner of JJ Enterprises from customers”. region – and beyond. (many will know Julian for installing Sky TV in the region for the last 20 years), saw the Unfortunately, some garages are also giving More and more stations will become available opportunity with the change to DAB+ and wrong advice, suggesting that converting on DAB+ over the next few months. Thomas decided to launch into the car DAB+ radio the car radio to DAB+ is extremely expensive. Gilgen, CEO of a new DAB+ transmitter Julian has had customers telling him that network, Digris, says that around 20 stations business. their garage has said it will cost thousands will be starting on DAB+ by the summer.

He’s glad he did. His team based at the ICC to upgrade. Not true. It should cost no more Some will be existing stations that are looking building near the Geneva airport is fitting than CHF 500 for the unit and installation. And to expand their broadcast footprint, others radios as fast as they can. There was an there are also far cheaper options available will be new stations offering a wide variety of initial rush when the FM frequency was that can be easily self-fitted. music and talk. switched off, and there’s still a steady stream of customers. “People are calling or emailing We’ve also heard from electronics retailers Some people have asked us if DAB+ will prove all the time”, says Julian, “and they’re chuffed who have seen a surge of interest in DAB+ to be a fad. No chance. In our conversations at the results – great sounding radio, and it’s radios for the home. That reflects what many with the government regulator and ministers of you listeners are telling us – that you’ve over the past few months, they have all very neat and easy to use”. upgraded your home FM radios. confirmed that they are making the move to Julian offers several different units. The digital radio across the board, and all stations best-selling is the DABmotion that’s tucked Getting a DAB+ radio for the home is simple. will be required to change. away and operated by a small remote control Almost all radios for sale are now DAB+. attached to the dashboard. But self-installing Prices range from about 60 to several WRS is simply ahead of the pack. ince WRS re-launched on DAB+ broadcasting at the beginning of October, hundreds of car owners have bought conversion kits to upgrade their old – and eventually obsolete – FM radios to a DAB+.

units like the Pure Highway and the Caliber are also proving popular.

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NEED TO KNOW

NEED to KNOW

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NEED TO KNOW

slopesAPPS

New smartphone apps make it easy to get the latest info on ski slope conditions. Check out iSKI Swiss, available free on both Apple and Android. Tap any of the long list of resorts in CH, and you can access weather reports, ski conditions, the number of lifts open, places to rent and buy gear, ski schools, map displays and more. There are even links to live webcams, so you can watch yourself waving to the world. Other iSKI apps available for France, Italy, Germany and other countries. http://www.iski.cc.

DRONE

prone?

Don’t want to be the last kid on your block to own a drone quadcopter, but not sure whether you want a tiny one to harass your cat, or a pro model like the scary-looking black Bumblebee with 8 motors and controllable camera platform? Quadcopter prices range from about 70 francs to 1000. We like the Ideafly Apollo, (about CHF 800) with built in programmable GPS so you can send it off on a mission to your favourite politician’s office window and take video of what he or she is up to.

Well, actually, no you can’t – not in Geneva, where it’s now illegal to take photos or video from a remote-controlled aircraft. But there’s no law (other than aerodynamics and gravity) against sending your quadcopter to the corner grocer with a note to pick up a case of wine.

free GSTAAD!

We once got scolded by a Gstaad public relations person for saying that this diamond-studded, fur-lined, resort town is geared to the rich and famous. So we challenged her to name 5 wintertime things you can do in Gstaad for free. Voilà:

You can see the Apollo and lots of other remote-control flying models at Multi-Modèles on Rue des Eaux-Vives.

Owner Anne-Marie Mottaz has been in business 40 years, ever since her late husband discovered it was cheaper to support his RC model airplane habit by selling planes and parts. Madame Mottaz loves the new interest in drones, but clearly has a tender spot in her heart for the airplane and helicopter aficionados, who must develop greater flying skills, and who can be delightfully nerdy in requiring exactly the right part to repair their aircraft.

Whether you’re drone prone or ready to soar (and crash) an RC airplane or helicopter, you can see Multi-Modeles’ air force of options at www.multi-modeles.ch.

1. Hiking: www.gstaad.ch/en/page.cfm ActivitiesWinter/Winter/WinterWalking 2. Snowshoeing: www.gstaad.ch/en/page.cfm/ ActivitiesWinter/Winter/Snowshoeing 3. Ice skating: www.gstaad.ch/en/page.cfm/ ActivitiesWinter/Winter/Iceskating 4. Free ride days: www.freeridedays.ch 5. Be a spectator at the Snowgames or Audi Skicross: www.snowgames.ch FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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NEED TO KNOW

DRY FEET =

happy feet SPICE YOUR

life

You’ve probably spent a small fortune on your ski boots, but when they get wet inside, they’re temporarily worthless. So consider the DryGuy Widebody, a boot dryer capable of drying two pairs at a time. Place a boot over each of the four nozzles and 40-degree (C) air will dry them in less than an hour. Works for shoes and gloves, too. OK, so you will have to import it from the US and you’ll need a voltage converter, but your toasty feet will say it’s worth it. www.dryguy.net

by Ian, the Gadget Guru

We can hear you already, “Bassins? A little off the beaten track, isn’t it?” Well, yes and … no – not if you’re looking for that gift “with a difference”. But if you are, head out to Spice your Life.

A couple of years ago, local Scandi, Tamara Martyn, converted her barn into a funky shopping experience with a Nordic twist.

Come along and have a browse. Enjoy the eclectic mix of household goods, jewellery, fashion items, kids’ toys – it’s a real Aladdin’s cave.

If you fancy having a go at some home crafts, why not sign up for one of the popular workshops?

And during the cold winter months, enjoy a glass of vin chaud before you start on your rounds. www.spiceyourlife.ch

where

THE SKI GUIDES GO This winter, the official Swiss tourism website, Myswitzerland.com, is featuring insider tips by top Swiss ski instructors. Christophe Simeon offers his Top 10 Tips for the Lake Geneva area.

1) Rougement: La Videmanette for Top Piste 2) Leysin: Funky freestyle park 3)Villars-Gryon: Super-family-friendly 4) Sainte-Croix/Les Rasses: Walk above a sea of cloud 5) Les Diablerets: Total toboggan fun 6) Lavey-les-Bains: World of wellbeing 7) Vallée de Joux: Lovely Lac de Joux 8) Villars-Gryon (again): Atmospheric mountain hut 9) Vallée de Joux (again): Cross-country heaven 10) Les Diablerets (again): High on Glacier 3000 For details go to mytop10.myswitzerland.com/en/ Christophe

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Lady Icon F eel t h e pu l se oF seduct ion

Stainless steel case and bracelet, red gold bezel set with 72 diamonds, Ø 37 mm, mother-of-pearl dial with paper-cut design.

From CHF 1’495.– www.jordiwatches.com

78_JORDI_Annonce_FRONTIER-MAG_186x250_LADY_ICON.indd 2

19.11.13 14:47

NEED TO KNOW

f

ive ascinating PEOPLE

(OTHER THAN CALVIN, VOLTAIRE AND ROUSSEAU) … who once made the Lake Geneva area their creative backdrop and temporary home.

by Daniela Norris

A BROKEN HEART Edward Gibbon – author of masterpiece The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, first published between 1776 and 1788 in six volumes, and still in print – spent his youth on the shores of Lac Léman. Born in the UK, he studied Law, Language and History in Lausanne, but returned to the UK broken-hearted after not being allowed to marry Suzanne Curchod, a pastor’s daughter.

A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT In May 1816, a scandalous group of writers arrived at the shores of Lake Léman. Amongst them were poet Lord Byron, a married man fleeing England following several wellpublicised extramarital romances; struggling poet Percy Bysshe Shelley advocating atheism and free love - and his 18-year-old mistress, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (whom he married later that year).

Byron and Shelley rented adjacent houses

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near the lake, and that summer several literary masterpieces were produced – of which perhaps the most well known is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

his first wife Elizabeth Hadley Richardson in 1921, the couple moved to Paris, where Hemingway pursued his writing career.

His wife travelled from Paris to Geneva to meet him, and lost a suitcase filled with his It is told that she came up with the plot during manuscripts. He was devastated at the loss, a dark and stormy night, when the group and blamed her for it. engaged in a ghost-story competition, fuelled by wine and laudanum.

… AND A KIDNAPPING

POLITICAL CONTRABAND

Belgian George Rémi, better known as Hergé and author of dozens of Tintin books, Vladimir Lenin lived in Geneva from 1903 first discovered Switzerland as a teenager to 1905, after his three-year-long period during a visit with the Boy Scouts in 1922. of Siberian exile. He used Geneva He became a regular visitor, and set much as a base from which he initially edited Iskra of the action of his 1956 book, The Calculus (The Spark), the newspaper of the Social Affair in and around Geneva. The plot centres Democratic Labour Party. Copies were on the kidnapping of Tintin’s friend, Professor smuggled into Russia, where it advanced the Calculus, and the fight by Cold War rivals for Marxist revolutionary cause. possession of one of his scientific inventions.

The Hotel Cornavin in Geneva’s city centre is where Tintin, and fellow adventurer Captain Haddock, start their search for Calculus after Chicago-born Ernest Hemingway came the professor mysteriously disappears. to Geneva in 1922, when he covered a Peace Conference as a reporter. Soon after marrying

A LOST SUITCASE

NEED TO KNOW

WE RECOMMEND

a detour

The top traffic accident spot in Geneva is the intersection at Rue François-Versonnex and Rue Pierre Fatio near the Pont du Mont-Blanc, according to a 2011 report. The study also shows that men caused 70 percent of the accidents in the city. Thank you, ladies.

ByJaimie Guerra

EXCERPT

From Global Mom: A Memoir Familius (summer, 2013)

By Melissa Dalton-Bradford Author Melissa Dalton-Bradford’s book, Global Mom: A Memoir, is the true story, told with eloquence and dignity, of her family’s life in eight countries, and the sudden loss of one member of the family.

“Of all the borders I’ve crossed, of all the addresses I’ve inhabited and of all the lands I’ve been privileged to call my home, there’s but one terrain that’s defined me more than any other: that is the land of loss. The very soil that no soul wants to visit. The one topography no parent ever wants to feel underfoot. The haunted land of loss has taught me more than any foreign land ever could. Unlike other geographies one might know for a year or two or even for decades, the landscape of loss becomes a kind of permanent overlay to whatever and wherever follows.

As much as I “know” France or Germany, and as much as I feel at times quite Austrian or deeply Norwegian or even a little bit Singaporean or Swiss, no matter where I go or what language I speak, I am always and primarily a mother who buried her firstborn child.”

The author currently lives in Prangins, outside Geneva with her husband and two of their three surviving children.

WHERE’S THE

wine?

Her next book, On Loss & Living Onward: Collected Voices for the Grieving and Those Who Would Mourn with Them, (Familius, 2014) is an anthology of writings across history, and includes Dalton-Bradford’s own essays. It will be published in May, 2014.

Romandie is thirsty. And busy. About 75 percent of Swiss wine is produced in French-speaking Switzerland, and Geneva is the country’s third largest wine-producing canton (after our neighbours Valais and Vaud). Just a matter of geography? Or taste? Whatever. Santé!

ByJaimie Guerra FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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NEED TO KNOW

move over BILL GATES

A LAKE

BY ANY OTHER

name

From the space station it looks like a lop-sided frown, but Geneva’s lake has no reason to be sad – unless it’s wondering what its correct name is. Most Anglophones call it Lake Geneva. French speakers either say Lac de Gèneve or Lac Léman. What’s correct?

The earliest recorded name for Geneva’s lake was Lacus Lemannus from Roman times, according to allknowing Wikipedia. “Lemannus” comes from ancient Greek, meaning “port’s lake”. By the Middle Ages, it was known as Lac de Lausanne, but as Geneva grew in importance, it became known as Lac de Genève. By the 18th century, Lac Léman had become common, and is still commonly used by those outside Canton Genève.

But for most Genevois it’s Lac de Gèneve.

Meanwhile, in the Swiss-German parts of CH, it’s Genfersee; and in Ticino it’s either Lago Lemano or Lago di Ginevra.

Take your pick.

by Bill Harby

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Want to see if your youngster has computer programming proclivities? Forget the Xbox, and buy him or her a Raspberry Pi computer. The credit-card-sized, British-designed bare bones computer is cheap – just US $25 or $35 depending on the model – yet powerful and flexible enough for most home projects.

You’ll still need a keyboard, mouse and screen to use it, but once these components are hooked up, young future IT geniuses will be on their way to learning basic programming. The Raspberry Pi website has a large selection of easy to follow projects for all skill levels. www.raspberrypi.org

by Ian, the Gadget Guru

OUR

favourite CLASSIFIED The WRS online classified ads recently had a handyman advert we like.

Not only does the gentleman speak Portuguese, Spanish, French and English, and have experience as a concierge and steward, not to mention as a gardener, painter and driver, but he is “honest, smiling, punctual and responsible.”

We like a happy worker. Who arrives on time.

To see more WRS classifieds, go to classifieds.worldradio.ch

BSCC AWARDS

photos ©point-of-views.ch

ABB Sécheron - Innovation 2013

Trans Data Management - Small Company of the Year 2013

Trans Data Management - Small Company of the Year 2013

Fir menich - Corporate Social Responsibility 2013

Phonak AG - Company of the Year 2013

All the winners FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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BSCC AWARDS

INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY – AND PROFIT British-Swiss Business Awards highlight commercial ties

By Jaimie Guerra

“W

e help keep the world moving,” said Olivier Augé, Global Product Manager for ABB Sécheron Ltd. The company won the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce (BSCC) Innovation 2013 Award for developing a flash charge battery for the first fully electric largecapacity bus. The small battery is charged in just 15 seconds between bus stops. “That 15-second charging time is a world-first”, said Augé. The battery proto-type is now charging buses on the route between Palexpo and Geneva Airport.

the quality of life”, said Maarten Barmentlo, The Firmenich family has run the company Group Vice President of Marketing, allowing since it began in 1895 and now the fourth generation of the family has taken the reins. its customers to “fully participate in life”.

Trans Data Management Ltd (“TMD”) won the Small Company of the Year Award.

“Our brand is well established in our core markets”, explained CEO, Geoff Vaughan “and our ambition is to nurture our customer relationships whilst pushing into new international territories both directly and with the help of our partners.”

Operating since 2000, TDM has become one of the largest suppliers and system The 3rd Annual British-Swiss Business integrators of communications and security Awards, organised by the BSCC, took place solutions for the UK National Railways, and is on 28 November, and honoured 12 finalists now expanding globally with an office in Bern. for their achievements in four categories: Company of the Year, Small Company of the Firmenich SA, the largest privately owned Year, Corporate Social Responsibility 2013, international producer of perfumery and flavour chemicals, was honoured with the and Innovation 2013.

Corporate Social Responsibility Award 2013.

Phonak AG, one of the main driving forces for “We aim to provide moments of inspiration evolution in the hearing aid industry, won the and happiness to billions of consumers all over Company of the Year Award. Headquartered in the world every day,” said Philippe Cathélaz, Stäfa, Zürich, Phonak has been operating for Director of Corporate Communication for 60 years. The company’s goal “is to improve Firmenich.

The company has been recognised for investing widely in research and development, and believes in environmentally responsible chemistry.

Firmenich was the first company in the industry to produce and publish a sustainability report, which has had an impact on other companies in the industry.

Five judges with expertise in the given categories selected the winners for the British-Swiss Business Awards 2013. They were led by Professor Thomas Hoehn, Founding Director of the Intellectual Property Research Centre at the Imperial College Business School, London.

The BSCC expressed their gratitude for their sponsors and partners who include Lloyds TSB International, British Airways, Aston Martin Geneva, Laurent Perrier, Bilan, WRS and So Money.

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DIG IT! photo CJB – D. Roguet – Ville de Genève

GREEN WINTER

WARMERS FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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DIG IT!

hibernate like a hedgehog? or get yourself some rosy cheeks, and really deserve that vin chaud later on? no contest

By Hester Macdonald, HM Garden Design, Swiss Gardening School Here are a few of my favourite haunts for there is plenty of space to park pushchairs and scooters at the entrance, and then head a dose of winter chlorophyll. indoors to soak up the heat and admire the plants. Until May 2014, you’ll find a year-long exhibition of palms, “Palmiers”, as well as a Established in 1817, the Jardin Botanique luscious selection of big-leaved, tendrilled, in Geneva is one of the gems on the green twirling oddities from all over the world. necklace of parks running from the Ile Rousseau, through the Perle du Lac and the If you visit at speed with an impatient toddler, Parc Barton. In summer, the less-trodden it will take about 20 minutes to look around, walkways round the alpine collections and but a leisurely amble will yield a good hour’s ponds are always worth a detour: but in enjoyment. winter, it’s the temperate and tropical glass If it’s a bright, clear day, stop to smell the houses that draw crowds. flowers. A panel at the entrances to the The Temperate Greenhouse is the garden’s garden tells you what is in flower right then best known glass house. It was constructed and where to find it; or check online. Over in 1913, although glass houses were a part the winter, you can expect to find the witch of the original garden in 1817, when it was hazels (Hamamelis) in flower with their still in the Bastions part of the city. The great spidery fragrant flowers braving the cold in European passion for all things exotic during tones of reds, oranges and yellows. Winter this period was marked by extensive building flowering plants are often very fragrant, in of ironwork glass houses. Magnificent feats order to tempt pollinators from far away, and of engineering in themselves, they were the winter-flowering Chimonanthus praecox, created to house the plant collections of great or Wintersweet, is no exception – sniff it out families and passionate collectors. near the tropical greenhouses.

GENEVA BOTANIC GARDENS

The Temperate Greenhouse is smaller and a bit younger than the glass structures at London’s venerable Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, but it is nevertheless a haven of warmth and tropical scents, especially in winter.

The most glorious of the garden’s collection of greenhouses, it can be seen from the Route de Lausanne, the arched cathedral windows winking in the morning sun. The opening hours can be a little peculiar, but

of that village, near the church and the Mairie.

The tree is a cross between two varieties of walnut, the common walnut (Juglans regia), seen in the surrounding the countryside, and the black walnut (Juglans nigra), native to eastern North America. It is called a Juglans x intermida var pyriformis, a reference to the pear-shaped form of the nuts. It was planted in 1863 and rejoices in the title of the “Largest Walnut Tree in Switzerland”. The trunk diameter is an enormous 6.4 m., with a height of 25 m, and a huge crown, stretching 40 m. across. The scars on the trunk are from a very cold winter in 1963 when many otherwise hardy trees were killed off. This particular tree doesn’t provide useful wood or even edible nuts – perhaps that’s why it’s been left alone for us to enjoy!

Other trees worth a visit include the sequoias in the Parc Barton, and the cedars in the Parc Beaulieu. The City of Geneva has an enormous number of specimen trees (trees of special note), with more than 229,000 individuals to admire. The project “Vive nos Arbres” has attempted to inventory these trees on a website, and the result is stunning.

You can search by species, with Latin or common names, as well as height, age, and If you fancy a bit more of a yomp than an whether the tree is “remarkable” (age, rarity amble, put on some boots and enjoy a or other value) or a “champion” (oldest, heritage tree or two. The canton of Geneva tallest, largest). These marvellous trees are is blessed with some grand centennial trees, everywhere. Search your own commune – and they are free to visit. On a snowy day with you might just be surprised. the right light, they are magical, and even an auto-focus incompetent like me can take Indoors or out, there’s plenty of green around great pictures. us this winter, so get your boots on and explore!

“Noyer de Meinier” can be found in the heart

GRAND OLD TREES

Hester Macdonald is a British-qualified, award-winning garden designer with her own practice in the Lake Geneva region. She founded the Swiss Gardening School in 2012 to provide gardening courses in English for amateurs, by professionals. www.hmgardendesign.com http://swissgardeningschool.com

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FRONTIER TALENT

BAKER ASTIAN

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FRONTIER TALENT

Tomorrow is already better for this Swiss singer/songwriter as his new album burns up the charts.

By Caroline Bishop Photos courtesy of David Olkar ny

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FRONTIER TALENT

“I really don’t need to look to others to do my thing.”

“W

hen I was young, Swiss music was shit,” says Bastian Baker, the 22-yearold singer-songwriter recently named MTV EMA Best Swiss Act 2013. “Now it’s changed. There are many Swiss acts doing well at the moment.”

only 7 when he first picked up a guitar, listened to British and U.S. groups like Muse, Nirvana and Radiohead instead. No wonder he says it “felt natural” to write his songs in English.

Belgium and across the Atlantic.

He’s also gained industry admirers. He had his pick of international talent for his second album, Too Old to Die Young, which entered But these bands didn’t influence his song- the Swiss charts at number one in October. It writing. “I really don’t need to look to others to was recorded in the UK studio of Jamiroquai’s keyboard player Toby Smith and mixed by do my thing”, he says.

Doing his own thing is proving pretty New Yorker Mark Plati, who’s worked with Luckily, Baker – real name Bastien successful. Since releasing his ludicrously David Bowie and The Cure.

Kaltenbacher – didn’t feel the need for any catchy first single, “Lucky”, in 2011, and “There’s a really cool evolution since the first Swiss musical role models when growing up album Tomorrow May Not Be Better, Baker’s album,” says Baker. “I was 19 when I produced in Villeneuve, the son of a teacher mother and career has soared, his folk-rock style that; this one I was 21 and had 300 more hockey player father. The singer, who was attracting fans in Switzerland, France, concerts of experience.”

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FRONTIER TALENT

word,” he says. “We tried to work with a producer and it really didn’t match. I wanted something and he wanted something really different. I said, ‘This is my music, I wrote it, so I’m going to do what I want.’”

gave Baker a festival slot there and then, recalls the singer: “He took the microphone and said, ‘ I don’t know who that young guy is but I can tell you he’s going to play Montreux Jazz Festival this summer.’ ”

Baker has good reason to let his music speak for itself – it’s worked so far. It was on hearing the unsigned musician play at a friend’s party in 2010 that Swiss entrepreneur Patrick Delarive offered to financially back him. And it was a performance at Zermatt Unplugged in 2011 that so impressed the late Montreux “Every decision that is made I have the last Jazz Festival founder Claude Nobs that he

It was a deserved showcase for this local boy, whose swift rise has demonstrated that Swiss popular music is no longer “shit”. As Baker makes plans to tour Japan and crack Germany and Holland, those with tickets to his sold-out gigs in Switzerland this December have the right idea: catch him now, before this home-grown talent conquers the world.

His look has evolved too. The rather shylooking teen in the video for “Lucky” has matured into a self-assured James Dean lookalike in recent hit single “79 Clinton Street”.

Baker clearly has a mature attitude, as well.

He’s gracious enough to consider his career a team effort – the “project”, as he calls it, “involves many people” – but he’s wise enough to maintain control. He not only composed, sings and plays guitar on both albums, he’s also his own sound producer.

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BADJ

GOOD

BADJ FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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BADJ

This hot WRS program puts music lovers on the air to play their fave tracks.

By Fanny Wandel, chief BADJ

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BADJ

E

very time I get in my car, I switch on the radio. If I’m lucky, a song I like is playing, and I turn up the volume to a less civilized level, and sing (actually, scream) along.

But more often than not I find myself wishing for a specific tune to play next. Then, control freak that I am, I start fantasizing about introducing other people to what I like to listen to.

At WRS, we’ve jumpstarted BADJ (Be a DJ), to allow music lovers exactly that opportunity. This is a show where, each week, we invite two new people to the studio to make their own radio show. They’re asked to prepare a playlist, which they bring on a laptop. When they come in, I give them a crash course in the controls of the studio, and they sit down behind the panel and record what they’ve brought in, getting a feel for what being a DJ at WRS is like. What they choose to play and talk about is out of my hands and entirely up to them.

To some, what’s most important is clearly the music. Others jump at the chance to talk. After every recording session, I’ve walked away with an ache in my stomach from laughing, and a new song stuck in my head.

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BADJ

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ultural and musical diversity are always perks of living in an international community. Already, our BADJs have roots in Egypt, Italy, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Croatia, Pakistan, England, Denmark, Sweden, India, Switzerland, and the U.S.

For our first show, students Sven (Sweden) and Kabir (India) came in and played their own mix of dubstep and trap music. Both have been heavily influenced by the youth culture in Europe, where electronic music genres are so strong. Another session that stood out was Brigitte and Annabel’s. Both are from the U.S., but come from different cultural backgrounds. Brigitte brought Latin flavor to the table and Annabel offered alternative rock. But what was most special about these two was their natural presence in the studio, and their ability to let their personalities shine through in their choice of recordings.

Have you got some interesting music and personality to bring to the table? Want to see what it’s like to have your own show and have a shot at giving the listeners of WRS a taste of your music? Throw me an email at studio@worldradio.ch, come in to the studio, and we’ll get to work!

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NIGHTLIFE

NIGHTLIFE MOA MIX “This club is a dream for any DJ”, says Tony Malangone who regularly controls the consoles at MOA in Geneva. Malangone likes MOA not just for it’s cutting-edge DJ boards, sound and light systems, but because of the crowd. “It’s always a huge pleasure for me to mix here”, he says (in French) “because the people are very receptive – there’s this strong connection between the DJ and the crowd”. www.moaclub.com Photo by Lisa Lemée

LE LUTH TOOT Thirsty? Very thirsty? Or maybe you like to share? Le Luth, in Bonneville, France, offers this giant mojito – only €52. No charge for extra straws, says master mojito maker Mathieu Leherte. http://www.leluth.com Photo by Polina Bessonova

CHAT NOIR SWEATSHOP For 25 years Chat Noir has been bringing great live performance to Carouge. This winter, seductive rap-pop trio, Sweatshop, performed. www.chatnoir.ch Photo by Paola Henao

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F

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rsion ve

digital

© Author’s Image - Philippe GUERSAN

ee

Find all the tips

➡ on your bookshop ➡ on Internet More information on 185x130mm_Geneva.indd 2

➡ on your mobile ➡ on your tablet

www.petitfute.uk.com 12/09/13 12:10

POLITICS

INTO THE UNKNOWN

Canton Geneva becomes a political laboratory.

By Jordan Davis, Geneva correspondent for Radio Télévision Suisse

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or the next four and a half years in Geneva we’ll be living through a novel political experiment.

Voters have, for the first time ever, elected a member of a populist party to one of the seven seats of the cantonal executive, the Conseil d’Etat. A plebiscite, in other words, for the Mouvement Citoyen Genevois (Geneva Citizen’s Movement) or MCG, to try its hand at governing. And yet at the same time, this government will have to figure out how to work with a cantonal parliament that’s more balkanized than ever.

The results of the elections in October and November were not a total surprise. But they definitely shake up the traditional balance of power in the canton.

In the post WWII era, the job of governing

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His style is certainly compatible with the demands of a consensus-oriented governing culture. But will he be able to implement any of his party’s ideas? Its key demands are widely seen as either contradictory (more housing but protection of vast zones of single family homes from denser development), simplistic (fewer traffic jams by making life easier for motorists) or contrary to European The MCG is now faced with the task of fitting treaties (fewer cross-border workers). Indeed, into a government it has long denounced with it has yet to be seen just what influence he’ll simplistic and sometimes vulgar campaign be able to exert on these themes that brought slogans like “Vous en avez marre?” (“Are you his party political success. sick of it all?”) What’s notable is that voters rejected the party’s boisterous – and divisive If you’re eager for a crystal ball, look to – firebrand, Eric Stauffer, opting instead for Ticino. It’s the only other place in Switzerland the mild-mannered Mauro Poggia, himself where a similar political experiment is being a recent transplant from the Christian conducted. And they’ve got a head start.

Democrats.

They have an MCG equivalent, the Lega dei Ticinesi (The Ticino League), which surfs has been the work of the traditional parties on the left (Social Democrats, Greens and, from time to time, the far left) or the right (Liberals and Radicals – who’ve since merged into the Liberal-Radicals, as well as ChristianDemocrats). While the nationalist UDC is present in many cantonal governments, it’s quite rare for an upstart protest party.

POLITICS

on a wave of anti-Italian sentiment. And for two decades now, the party has pursued a two-prong strategy of simultaneously electing “respectable” and collegial faces to the government, while deploying divisive anti-Italian rhetoric to build up pressure on the executive, and shift the political culture.

We’ll see over the next four and a half years if the MCG indeed is borrowing from the Lega playbook.

In many ways, this new Conseil d’Etat has the makings of a fresh start for the canton.

Not the least of which because its members are mostly newbies. Only two of them, the Liberal-Radicals François Longchamp and Pierre Maudet are holdovers. And even Pierre Maudet was only in office for slightly more than a year. But the government also has the possibility of rebuilding bridges with Bern

But the seven don’t govern alone. They’ll have to contend with a Grand Conseil, the cantonal parliament, more fractured than ever. On the face of it, there are three broad blocs that each have a third of the vote. The left: Ensemble à gauche (an umbrella of left-wing mini parties), the Social Democrats and Greens. The center right: Christian Democrats and LiberalRadicals. And the populist-right: the MCG and the nationalist UDC. In the simplest of cases the government will have to rally two of the three blocs behind them to pass legislation.

Except when it comes to gender. Voters But these blocs have plenty of internal elected just a single woman, the Social disagreements. The most pessimistic among Democrat Anne Emery-Torracinta. But Swiss us fear that finding majorities will be akin to institutions demand, above all, a consensusherding cats. driven executive. So the ability of the government to transcend partisan lines will be key – even more so with the inclusion of the MCG. and the rest of Switzerland. It counts three former federal parliamentarians among its ranks: Mauro Poggia, as well as the Green, Antonio Hodgers and Christian Democrat, Luc Barthassat. Symbolically, the arrival of three ministers of immigrant origins, (Hodgers came to Geneva as a refugee from Argentina, Poggia and the Christian Democrat, Serge Dal Busco, are the sons of Italian labourers) means a government that looks more like the residents it represents.

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FLAVOUR

THE AUBERGE DE CHALET-DES-ENFANTS OFFERS A WELL-CONSTRUCTED BRUNCH WITH NO HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE.

By Danielle Sidders

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t’s interesting to see how different countries interpret that merging of meals that is brunch. Some focus more on the sweet offerings often associated with breakfast, whilst others lean towards savoury options that would not look out of place at lunch. The Auberge de Chalet-des-Enfants mixes both seamlessly.

I read about The Auberge on Twitter when a well-regarded British restaurant critic had raved about it. We headed there with friends and their one-year-old daughter on a wet autumnal Sunday morning.

After a warm welcome we were ushered to the cosy upstairs dining room already buzzing.

The alpine chalet style, with raw wood and the warm glow of soft lighting made us feel at home. But then we were told there were no high chairs left, so our little dining companion had to make do with a regular chair. This was surprising, as the website led us to believe children are ‘king’ at The Auberge de Chaletdes-Enfants, and high chairs plentiful.

friendly waiter took our orders for hot drinks and the chosen cooking method of our eggs - boiled or fried.

Artistically decorated brown paper sachets of cocoa powder arrived alongside steaming mugs of milk, and a large bowl of homemade bircher muesli was placed on the table. The mix of raw oats with other grains and dried fruits – first created by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Brenner around 1900 – can be an acquired taste, some loving the creaminess, others missing the crunch of a standard breakfast cereal. This one was delicious – velvety, honey-sweetened, and with added bite from the zingy, crunchy apple pieces scattered on top.

For the savoury enthusiasts, the arrival to the table of a platter of meats and cheese was welcomed: salami, a house terrine and waferthin smoked ham, as well as goat cheese and a runny Camembert. The terrine was the clear favourite, the heaviness of the meat lightened by the tang of the vinegary cornichons, and ideally paired with the crusty bread. The boiled eggs were perfectly runny (good for Already on the table were baskets of fresh dipping bread soldiers) and the fried eggs bread – a white sliced crusty loaf and cubes were offered with potato wedges to mop up of chocolate-studded brioche – alongside the bright orange yolks. a selection of miniature glass pots filled with strawberry, raspberry and apricot jams, The juices, however, were a disappointment – as well as the continental favourite, Nutella. neither the apple nor the orange were freshly The menu listed their brunch offering, and the squeezed, which seemed out of keeping

with the homemade ethos described on the website. Coffees and teas though were good (two cups per person included in the set price).

We enjoyed the simplicity throughout and the good balance of sweet and savoury, and we will return for either lunch or dinner.

The auberge is brilliantly located for woodland walks, and in the summer meals are served on the veranda, and children can play in the garden.

AUBERGE DU CHALET-DES-ENFANTS Monday - Friday 9:30 - Midnight (lunch and dinner) Saturday 9:30 - Midnight (Food served all day) Sunday and holidays 9:30 - 18h (Food served all day) Brunch Adults: CHF 29; Children 11 and under: 2.50 multiplied by child’s age Route du Chalet-des-Enfants - Lausanne 1052 Le Mont-sur-Lausanne +41 21 784 44 80 www.chaletdesenfants.ch

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WINE

wines FOR A FORTIFIED FESTIVE FINISH

By Simon Hardy, of Fitting Wines

A

accompany a moment of meditation, which (for some) might include a cigar. In fact, the French commonly refer to these wines as “vins de méditation”. As the old year gives way to the new, any celebration would seem incomplete without fortified wines, since they make such perfect seasonal partners.

is therefore higher than you find in a typical dry table wine and accounts for the naturally sweet taste of many fortified wines. It’s worth noting that the higher the level of alcohol, the longer you can safely keep the fortified wine – providing you have enough either space or patience (not to mention bank balance).

Fortified wines make some of the best pairings for blue cheeses, fruity and nutty desserts, Christmas pudding and all things chocolate (the darker, the better). They can also be enjoyed simply as a digestif after a meal or to

The fortification process not only accentuates the fresh fruit flavours of the grapes that go into these wines, but also results in alcohol levels of between 15% and 20%. The addition of alcohol stops the fermentation and prevents the yeasts from converting any more of the grape sugars to alcohol. The level of unfermented sugars that remain in the wine

Here is a short guide to several types of fortified wines, which range from lighter and finer to richer and heavier, along with some recommended examples to serve with your festive meals. Fortified wines are best enjoyed in small glasses, which help to moderate the alcohol kick.

great way to add flourish to this festive time of year is to indulge in the delights of so-called fortified wines. Port and sherry are the standard-bearers of the fortified style of wine, yet many of today’s wine drinkers have either never tried them or ignored them as being too sweet. Regrettably, therefore, it has become one of the less familiar styles in the wonderful world of wine.

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WINE

VIDAL-FLEURY – MUSCAT DE BEAUMES DE VENISE 2010 15.0% alcohol Drinking window: Now to 2025 though best drunk young Serve at 8° C

Muscat is one of the few wines that most people describe as actually smelling and tasting of grapes. This style of fortified wine, or “vin doux naturel”, as it is called in France, is made from the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, the finest of the many varieties of Muscat. Its exquisite and delicate aromas of dried apricot,

honey, lychee, orange zest and maple syrup lead to a full-bodied yet wonderfully fresh wine with great acidity that’s not excessively sweet. This lighter expression of fortified wine goes well with fruit salad, fruit tarts, walnut cake, crème brûlée, and ice cream, as well as foie gras and blue cheeses.

DOMAINE DE LA RECTORIE – BANYULS CUVÉE LÉON PARCÉ 2010 17.0% alcohol Drinking window: Now to 2040 Serve slightly cooler than room temperature

Banyuls is a hidden wine treasure from the Roussillon, the sunniest region of France, with its Catalan heritage, where the wine traditions are reminiscent of Spain just across the border. This youthful style of Banyuls is sweet, intense and rich in fruits (as opposed to the maderized style of a traditional, aged Banyuls). Made predominantly from 50-year-old Grenache Noir vines, the wine is a vibrant deep purple, and reveals aromas

of blueberries, blackberries, macerated cherries, dark chocolate and a nice touch of charcoal. A fabulous depth of flavour with fine-grained tannins delivers a rich, yet not especially complex wine due to its young age.

It is best enjoyed with chocolate desserts (dark chocolate in particular), profiteroles, red and black fruit desserts and blue cheeses. By keeping it in the fridge after opening you can enjoy it over many weeks or even months.

WINE & SOUL – 10-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT 19.5% alcohol Drinking window: Now to 2025 Serve lightly chilled

The tradition of making Port in the Douro valley of Portugal goes back more than 300 years. While many Port producers can boast proud histories, this particular producer is relatively young; it produced this port to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Made from a field blend of over 30 different local grape varieties and pressed in the time-honoured fashion by foot, this 10-year-old Tawny spent more than ten years in old chestnut barrels.

The colour is amber gold and the complex aromas combine nuts with figs and honey.

The gorgeous fruit flavours of this very rich and smooth wine persist on the palate long after each sip. It pairs nicely with chocolate desserts, dried fruits, apple pie, crème caramel and terrine of foie gras. Aged Tawny should not be confused with the light, bulkproduced Tawny enjoyed as an aperitif by the French.

LEACOCK’S – MEDIUM RICH BUAL MADEIRA 15 YEARS OF AGE 19% alcohol Drinking Window: Now to 2030 and beyond Serve slightly cooler than room temperature

There is no wine quite like Madeira grown on the small, volcanic Portuguese island of the same name off the Moroccan coast.

Made from one of the rare noble varieties, this Bual is golden brown, raisiny and medium rich, in other words reasonably sweet (as it is fortified early in the fermentation process).

The wine has been aged in large oak casks and deliberately heated by the sun under the eaves of the producer’s lodge, one of the effects of which is to give the wine an almost

limitless lifespan. The youngest component in the blend is 15 years old, though the wine tastes like a more expensive single vintage Madeira. Be prepared for pronounced notes of dried fruits, honey, walnuts, gingerbread and liquorice, all sustained by a lingering after-taste that goes on and on. Serve it with warm foie gras, blue cheeses, nutty desserts, bread and butter pudding and crème brûlée.

As Madeira can last for many months once opened there is no rush to finish the bottle.

TORO ALBALA – DON PX PEDRO XIMÉNEZ GRAN RESERVA MONTILLA-MORILES 1985 17.0% alcohol Drinking window: Now to 2035 Serve very cold straight from the fridge

Produced in Montilla-Moriles, a neighbouring region to Sherry in Andalucia, this sticky, bitter-sweet, yet very fresh-tasting wine is as dark and viscous as molasses, and best described as liquid Christmas pudding.

Raisins, liquorice and tobacco aromas are followed by an explosion of dark chocolate, roasted coffee and fruitcake flavours.

Please contact Simon at simon.hardy@fittingwines.com if you wish to order any of the wines listed here. Prices range from under CHF 18.00 per half bottle to CHF 50.00 per bottle.

Simon Hardy

It is hardly surprising that this wine, whose Pedro Ximénez grapes (known as PX) were left to dry in the baking sun of southern Spain, is the ideal match with Christmas pudding.

Or try pouring it over ice-cream, especially vanilla. You will never be able to thank me enough! It also goes well with dark chocolate fondant and brownies.

Simon loves wine and knows an awful lot about it. He has been awarded the Diploma in Wines & Spirits, the top qualification at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in the UK, and is an Associate Member of the Institute of Wines & Spirits in London. He is the founder of Fitting Wines, offering a range of personalized wine services. Contact Simon for a free consultation. He also presents a weekly wine show ‘“On the Grapevine”’ with Mark Butcher on WRS. FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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THE MCKAY INTERVIEW

THE

McKay INTERVIEW

with Jacques Mayer FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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THE MCKAY INTERVIEW

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FOR A 5-STAR HOTELIER IN GENEVA? MICHAEL MCKAY TALKS TO JACQUES MAYER, OWNER OF HOTEL BEAU-RIVAGE IN GENEVA. This condensed, edited interview can be heard in full on WRS online at www.worldradio.ch/the-mckay-interview.

The hôtelier is one of the iconic figures of both the myth and history of Switzerland.

It was the late-Victorian British who invented Swiss tourism, but tourism could not have prospered without Swiss hospitality. The Swiss welcomed these visitors into their homes, their chalets and, of course, their hotels. Hotel Beau-Rivage, right beside the Geneva’s tranquil lake, is one of the few grand hotels in this country still run by the family that founded it. Jacques Mayer is the great-grand-son of Jean-Jacques Mayer, who opened the hotel in 1865.

of the industry has changed, the demands have changed. There’s a great competition nowadays around the world. And Geneva, even though it has many assets, has to face competition. And we have to bear in mind that the larger majority of our clients do not come here for leisure, for pleasure; but they do come for the business, for professional reasons, whether it’s for visiting the bankers, for visiting the multinational companies they deal with, the lawyers, or because they’re related to the UN World. So the context has changed, definitely.

MM: So how on Earth do you essentially MICHAEL MCKAY: Jacques, how would you improve on what is supposed to be the best? describe the current state of Geneva’s and Within your own high standards that you set Switzerland’s hotel and hospitality industry? for yourself, how do you keep on striving to make the best even better?

JACQUES MAYER: The face of the hotel business has changed quite a bit – particularly in the JM: I would say the best is not the name of the five stars, in the upper class – in the past, I game anymore, because the standards have would say, 5 to 10 years, and particularly in reached a point that you cannot easily make Geneva. As you know, many hotels have been them higher. But I think that we are back to purchased by foreign investors or foreign basics, and every operator, every hotel, every companies. enterprise in Geneva or elsewhere have to show their real nature. And we see around MM: Tell us about this change, because it’s a the world new concept hotels that are coming curious fact of the hospitality industry, that on the market. It means that they’re catering by definition you have to make people feel at to people who are searching for something home and comfortable, and at the same time very specific. So you have to have your own that’s quite difficult when things all around personality, not only your quality but your you are changing. Your father, or your grand- own personality, and you have to attract the father: what would they see that are the big people, the clients who would enjoy what you differences? do and who you are.

JM: It’s much easier today to make yourself known through multimedia. The public nowadays has direct access to the homepage of the hotel. Before they were only going through operators, to travel agencies. Travel agencies did not know always what the specificities of our hotel were, they knew… which hotel had a good reputation, they new through the codex what kind of services they would have offered. But today it goes much beyond that. So today, one hotel might be more oriented to one’s culture, another one would be offering other services related to health or different specificities MM: When you look ahead as best as you can, 5, 10, 15 years, what are the threats out there that are going to make it even tougher for the Swiss hospitality and hotel sector?

JM: The level of investment is tremendous, the new services that have been implemented in the hotels – for example, fitness, spas and different types of restaurants that could cater to different tastes – shows that the hoteliers are very much aware that they have to give an answer to the specific needs of the clients they want to acquire, and not only give a good quality to everybody. … And we have to compete not only with what we offer as hôteliers, but what Geneva as a destination has to offer. … We’re very lucky not to have a majority of tourism; we have 80 percent of business people that are coming in Geneva.

So it means that not only we have to do our JM: In the old days … I heard my father MM: But doesn’t that put you in an impossible job, but the Swiss government has to do its telling me always, you know, if you run your position to offer something specific when job … When I say “Swiss”, it’s the country, it’s hotel properly, if you give the best possible you have such a variety of visitors coming in? the canton, it’s the city. food, the best possible welcome, the best How on Earth can you keep up with that kind possible work, you’ll be always successful. of request?

Nowadays it’s not enough, because the face

THE MCKAY INTERVIEW www.mckays.ch Michael McKay, based in Founex, Switzerland, is an international communications, public affairs and management strategies consultant with over 40 years experience. He is also an experienced master of ceremonies, event moderator and broadcaster who is heard regularly on WRS. FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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COMMUNITY COPS

C

ommunity

OPS

This small police unit helps resolve disputes and keep cases out of court.

By Daniel Johnson Photos by Evi Zoupanou

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COMMUNITY COPS

HEADLINE HEAD

More than most other units in the police department, it’s the job of the community cops to stay in close touch with residents, workers and others on their beat.

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COMMUNITY COPS

Pool hall owner Jalel Matri, a long-time pâquisard, wants police to

“show themselves” to drive away drug dealers.

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COMMUNITY COPS

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t’s dark, cold and pouring with rain in downtown Geneva as community police officer Brigadier Olivier Gaillard sets out on his beat around Les Pâquis.

“Each time we went round to check her building there was never any noise, but we were convinced she was being bothered by it,” he explains (in French), “so I put her in touch with SABRA, the canton’s noise pollution unit, which has the equipment to show if there’s a problem, and take steps against it. Prostitutes need sleep too.”

Inhospitable as it is outside, and despite the neighbourhood’s reputation for sex workers and drug dealers, the cheery-faced fatherof-two insists his job gives him “enormous The story seems to be at odds with Les satisfaction.”

Pâquis’ edgy reputation. But while Brigadier Gaillard concedes to “a certain level of crime Geneva has 10 or so uniformed community here,” he notes that “it’s not Chicago”. Feeling police officers like Brigadier Gaillard, one for unsafe and actually being unsafe aren’t the each of the city’s gendarmeries. Their official same thing, he says. title in French is ‘îlotier’.

For him, sex workers encounter the same With the emphasis on crime prevention rather problems as everyone else, and it’s his job to than crime fighting, the îlotiers are expected resolve them. The first task is gaining their to anticipate potential flash points and resolve trust. Many are “too scared to come to the disputes. police station to ask for help,” he says, adding that his job is to “maintain confidence by explaining who I am, what I’m doing, and by That’s easier said than done, however, given being their point of contact.”

GAINING TRUST

that Brigadier Gaillard’s patch takes in Les Pâquis’ “carré magique” (“magic square”), the part of Les Pâquis that’s famous – or As Brigadier Gaillard walks briskly around infamous – for its vibrant red-light district. his beat, he explains how “it was a personal Come rain or shine, les filles line the street at choice [to become a community officer] after regular intervals. spending a number years on emergency callAfter speaking with one sex worker, Brigadier outs. He adds that “all police officers do what Gaillard explains how he had helped the I do, but only up to a point. The difference with woman resolve a long-running dispute me is that I have time to focus on a particular with a noisy neighbour by using hidden case, listen to the people involved and try to resolve recurrent problems which take up a microphones. lot of police time.”

MEDIATION WHEN POSSIBLE

“The main issue is drugs”, he says. “We have a loose estimate of around 80 to 100 dealers here.”

The officer stops outside two primary schools on his patch, and points to the pavement just yards from the playground. He explains how dealers dislodge the paving stones to hide their stash.

To deal with the dealers, Brigadier Gaillard explains how a team of undercover officers now has them in their sights, because the dealers “tend to disappear when they see me in uniform,” he smiles. The officer works alongside four other plain-clothes community officers, non-armed municipal police officers and specialist crime squads.

Drug problems aside, Geneva’s community police officers clearly have their work cut out dealing with a range of other problems.

Only last week, at the request of a school principal, Brigadier Gaillard had to stop a fight between two children escalating into something more serious involving their parents. It’s a typical part of his job, he says, adding that his role “is to advise mediation as a solution to any disputes; what we don’t want is this to drag on. We, as police, don’t get involved in mediation but can steer people in the right direction. These issues are best resolved quickly; after all, these students have to see each other every day.”

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COMMUNITY COPS

Community groups and city government officials meet regularly with police at the offices of Unités d’Action Communautaire des Grottes/Pâquis/St.-Gervais to discuss neighborhood issues.

M

eanwhile, when warring neighbours require his attention, Brigadier Gaillard explains the îlotier’s preferred approach: “I look for situations where the patrol car has been called out twice or more for the same type of complaint. It’s usually enough to get everyone round a table and provide a link between them so they can talk.”

WORKING WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS In addition to these diverse challenges, îlotiers have to maintain lines of communication between the authorities, residents and businesses. The officers do this by attending regular meetings with Geneva’s four publicly funded community development groups, the Unités d’Action Communautaire (UAC).

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It’s at these UAC meetings that Brigadier Gaillard gives updates about police operations – including one to shift drug dealers away from schools – or offers advice about plans to install security cameras in public areas.

extortionate rents, says spokesman Michel Felix. “Just because you’re a sex worker, we’ve found that you’re forced to pay up to three times the normal rate,” he says.

With so much expected of him, Brigadier Gaillard says he enjoys being seen as the community’s “barometer” by others on the force. Although he describes himself as “no police chief”, he says his opinion counts when it comes to deciding which operations to launch in coming months.

What can community officers do to help?

Felix shrugs and says simply that the police “only do what the politicians tell them to do”, before insisting that the îlotier’s role is “fundamental and effective”. Whatever the current consensus about crime levels in Les Pâquis, the situation on the street is certainly less menacing than it was five years ago.

While the softly-softly approach to policing Les Pâquis is clearly popular with some, others appear less convinced about their results.

Back in 2008, newspaper headlines likened Les Pâquis to the crime-riddled Bronx in New York City following a summer-long crime spree here.

The sex workers’ association, Aspasie, which set up monthly meetings between îlotiers and sex workers, paints a darker view of the area’s problems. One of the main abuses is

Jalel Matri, a long-time pâquisard, recalls the bad old days when attackers wielded a baseball bat during a burglary at his pool hall, America, on the Rue de Fribourg. “For the

COMMUNITY COPS

Brigadier Olivier Gaillard has a word with a businesswoman in his district.

last two years it’s been calmer,” he concedes, “though the drug dealers are coming back.”

Demanding that the “police show themselves”, Matri also regrets that the locals have “never made the effort to reclaim our streets”.

That could be set to change, he insists, as the Rue du Fribourg’s association goes ahead with a series of outdoor events to force the dealers away. It’s typical of the community spirit that Les Pâquis is less well known for.

Crime “is spoiling our lives here”, continues Matri, a Swiss-Tunisian, before adding that even his son’s friends back in Africa “ask him why he has to live” in such a dangerous area.

Listening patiently, Brigadier Gaillard concedes that “there aren’t always enough officers on hand” but maintains that current legislation leaves the police powerless to act.

“We can take the dealers off the street but they give false names,” says Brigadier Gaillard.

At the UAC meeting, Philippe Sprauel, Director of Point Jeunes, explains how his organization gets its message across to young people.

So when foreign nationals get out of jail, the authorities have no idea where to send them.

“That’s why they’re back on the street before long,” he adds.

And if there are dealers in Les Pâquis it’s not the only place in the international city to find drugs, bridle supporters of the area, wary of painting a negative image of what they describe warmly as Geneva’s “special” As well as having to cope with encroaching quartier. dealers, Brigadier Gaillard says one of the area’s biggest issues at night is alcohol- For one Geneva resident who knows the related crime. “Nine out of 10 fights involve area well – and who chooses not to give her people who’ve been drinking,” he says. name – “it’s because there’s a demand for it.

And why’s that? It’s because you’ve got these He blames the many convenience stores that totally stressed white guys working all week have mushroomed in the neighbourhood in in a bank, so they drive into Pâquis to buy their recent years. While the stores are in theory fix. But you’ve also got some users who’re prohibited from selling alcohol from 9 p.m. to hassling the dealers and sure, that creates a 7 a.m., many do so “discreetly”, Gaillard says. bad atmosphere.”

“You’d need a lot more police to control it”.

But she adds: “Les Pâquis is a place where there’s always something going on, and thank God for that; everywhere else in Geneva shuts Those who love Les Pâquis, warts and all, down at 9 p.m.” say that such anti-social behaviour is just part of the pick’n’mix life on offer in the neighbourhood.

ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON

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ski chic Can you get a fashion high?

By Hasine Johnston

E

ach season we are bombarded with images of everyone from Kate Middleton to Kate Moss looking effortlessly chic on the Swiss ski pistes. Apparently, celebrity types can whizz down the slopes streamlined from top to toe in Prada or Ralph Lauren with freshly blow-dried hair and delicately rosy cheeks. I‘ve been unconvinced that achieving a cool look is that easy for the rest of us, let alone looking on trend. However, the advice of style and ski guru Clarissa Brooke Turner, and news of an innovative new brand that’s finding clever fashion fixes, have given me hope. Looking good on piste is possible, and even fun. Here’s how:

a black snood over the ears. Choose blacks CHALLENGE THREE: APRÈS-SKI and whites as much as possible, and keep a fun Nordic ski hat to hand for when you can The challenge. How to look funky and feminine pull up the balaclava and down the vin chaud. or even just on form as you slide from bar to bar to fireplace to bar again.

CHALLENGE TWO: THE HELMET

SOLUTION

Be yourself. Keep your style and work around it. Don’t morph into Mrs. poloneck/ jeans/ sturdy boots if you usually live your life in print and chiffon. Layering is your friend, and let’s face it, every bar in every ski resort is seemingly over 50 degrees, so too much SOLUTION cashmere can be a girl’s worst nightmare.

“We’re saying wear a helmet, be safe, but Get some clever heels with tracked soles. See look smoking “says Lilly Milligan Gilbert, Ugg’s range for inspiration. Alternatively, wear CHALLENGE ONE: THE COLD the founder of new brand Tallis. A Tallis ski snow boots, and carry heels in a handy bag. band is a fur accessory you can tie on your If we’re not talking snowdrifts, then wedges So, it’s -20 with a wind chill and the temptation helmet or flip over to your jacket to make a with grips can work with dresses over thick is to put as much on as possible. But how to luxe fur collar for après ski. It also works as leggings layered under heavy coats. And the avoid the abominable snowman look? a headband to cover up helmet hair. All the final touch? Heavy smoky eyes that improve Tallis ski bands are made from responsibly with any snowstorm smudging.

SOLUTION sourced fur. There’s even a style called the Listen to Style File with Hansine Thursday “Verbier”. At €249 (CHF307) starting price, Fabric choice is key, says Clarissa. Layers of mornings at 10 a.m. on WRS, repeated on they are an investment buy, but the Tallis breathable Merino wool will mean you can Saturday at 11 a.m. P. For past Style Files team promise you will fall in love with your still look sleek and slim. Go for brands like shows, go to www.worldradio.ch/shows/ furry fashion friend and keep your Tallis not Icebreaker, which wash and wear very well. daytime/daytime just for Christmas, but for every snowy trip Styling wise, channel a retro vibe by keeping you go on.

For safety they are a must but it’s not easy to look good in a helmet. The puffed up hamster style cheeks combined with bad helmet hair make for a scary combo.

HELI-SKIING!

and skis HEAD

IN THE CLOUDS

For the well-heeled skier, after heli-skiing, it’s all downhill.

By Daniel Johnson Photos courtesy of Adr enaline

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HELI-SKIING!

It’s not a mission to the moon, but it might as well be ...

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HELI-SKIING!

I

carry an exclusive price tag. The “cheapest” high-mountain adventures begin at around 220 francs per person (based on four skiers in a chopper). It doesn’t end there however, since the pilot won’t fly unless there’s an ultraFortunately for them, Switzerland looks qualified and heavily insured mountain guide favourably on the sport; in neighbouring on board too.

France it’s banned, after former President You can safely say that finding a nice mug Valérie Giscard d’Estaing’s Mont Blanc heli- The guide doesn’t come cheap either, but of vin chaud is not what these high-altitude ski jaunt in 1980 was met by protests that they won’t fly at all unless they can justify dropping skiers into a sub-zero land of hidden downed the sport over there for good. explorers are after. crevasses and potentially unstable snowfields With such a long list of mountain essentials And despite the odd regulatory tweak here at 4,000 metres. it’s a wonder no one forgets the most and there by the Swiss authorities – there are essential item, namely the widest pair of skis only 48 drop-off points in the whole country – High mountain guide Gilbert Crettaz notes heli-skiing thrives here from January to April. that you can call off an expedition when you’re you can lay your hands on. on foot, “but it’s not so easy when you’ve been These supersize planks are affectionately No wonder, given the thrill of discovering dropped off at the summit”. called “fats” or “fatties” in heli-ski lingo, and and being able to hog heaven-sent off-piste their great girth (around 13cm at the waist) powder snow for a breathtaking 2000 metres, Crettaz, from Adrenaline Guides in Verbier (canton Valais), reels off a mind-boggling gives high altitude powder hounds the all- all in one go. number of factors guides have to weigh up important floating sensation that narrower It’s no surprise that elusive conditions like this before they agree to a heli-ski expedition. skis can’t provide. t’s not a mission to the moon but it might as well be, judging by the amount of gear involved in the average heli-ski mission: radios, avalanche probes, shovels and emergency transceivers, self-inflating airbag rucksacks, helmets, goggles and face masks.

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Throw a Eurocopter AS 350 B3 into that basket and you have all the ingredients for a heli-ski adventure that adrenaline junkies can’t get enough of.

HELI-SKIING!

“It’s all about the thrill of discovering and being able to hog heaven-sent off-piste powder snow for a breathtaking” 2000 metres, all in one go.

These include recent weather and snow conditions, the group’s skiing ability, their level of fitness and even how handy they are with an avalanche transceiver.

Fresh snowfall makes everything much more complicated, or dangerous, depending on your viewpoint. “Everyone’s on edge the first morning after it’s snowed and we’ve decided to [heli-]ski,” says Crettaz.

While he only takes skiers up in “ideal” conditions, “no one can say when an avalanche will go in a certain spot”.

Scottish ski instructor Ian McKellar, who’s a director at the Avoriaz Alpine Ski School in the Portes du Soleil ski area near Geneva, underlines the sport’s dangers. “If you fall, where will you stop?” he asks.

Heli-ski regular Frank Hollenbeck knows the dangers all too well, having narrowly escaped

death after falling down a crevasse during one descent high above Verbier.

Clearly, it’s no simple up-and-down air taxi operation.

Explaining how he saved himself by sticking his arms out to stop himself falling farther – not to mention the guide who pulled him out of the void by his rucksack straps – Hollenbeck is under no illusion about how lucky he was.

But expensive and potentially dangerous as the sport may be, enthusiasts still go to the ends of the Earth for their powder fix, says pilot of 30 years Roland Brunner.

“Heli-skiing’s all about doing great runs, but people have to realise it’s also more dangerous,” says Hollenbeck, who teaches finance and economics at the International University in Geneva.

“If the crevasse had been half-a-metre wider, I’d be dead,” he adds.

Fortunately, the heli-ski community is closeknit. Verbier guide Crettaz says that “we all share our information about the snow; where it’s good, or where there’s not enough to get to the bottom.”

The world’s heli-ski operators are flying in 15 countries, including Canada, Greenland, India, Austria, Italy, Turkey, India and Russia.

“People who do this are willing to travel,” says Brunner, who works for Eagle Helicopters in Sion, canton Valais. “Often, they stay for a week” at a time in their pursuit of powder.

He’s flown many celebrities, including Juan Carlos, the King of Spain, but is always too busy flying to spend time star-gazing at whoever is behind those goggles. “When you’re told in the evening that it was so-andso, you don’t even know who it was,” he says.

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HELI-SKIING!

Today’s fat skis designed especially for pristine powder help intermediate heli-skiers enormously. before recent advances in off-piste ski plus metres, and with both feet strapped in a snowboard, the same manoeuvre requires technology. a lot more puff.

Heli-ski guide Crettaz agrees that today’s oversize skis help intermediate heli-skiers Encouraging as these advances are, the enormously “even if the snow is a little bit overall cost means it’s likely to remain beyond the reach of most. xplaining why people who’ve heavy or not totally perfect.” tried heli-skiing rarely come away without a huge grin These improvements are also part of the Critics say that’s a good thing, lambasting the on their faces, Brunner reason why skiers, rather than snowboarders, noise and impact on the environment. says simply: “What you get dominate heli-skiing. “There are more and up there is what you don’t get on the slopes more skiers,” confirms Crettaz, because Unsurprisingly, that argument doesn’t hold in a resort, where it’s all easy runs. In powder, today’s fat skis give you “the same feeling” with Crettaz. He says the aim is not to heli-ski as a snowboard. Even more important, “to excess”, and that his company’s 10 or so it’s a totally different experience.” he continues, “with skis you can move around helicopters are usually far busier doing air-taxi Mind-blowing it may be, but for many, skiing more easily if you see some powder, and service or ferrying provisions to snowbound off-piste powder is a turn too far – or was you can use your poles to push.” At 3500- mountain refuges.

Carlos, the King of Spain, but is always too busy flying to spend time star-gazing at whoever is behind those goggles. “When you’re told in the evening that it was so-andso, you don’t even know who it was,” he says.

E

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HELI-SKIING!

HELI-SKI OPERATORS Pilot Roland Brunner also notes that modern helicopters “are quieter than in the old days”.

Brunner, who’s 52, says he flies “many more hours in the summer” transporting materials to build avalanche barriers and ski lifts “and yet no one complains. Even the tourists like seeing helicopters helping to build things”.

Crettaz continues on the same theme, adding that it’s important to “respect the mountains ... and have work too”. He defends the eyewatering prices, saying “they’re comparable with Canada” and based on the 45 francs a minute it costs just to keep a helicopter airborne.

Crettaz, who has recently finished a book on heli-skiing, says “the price is not going to put off clients” like the “Russian oligarch” who hires a helicopter for two to three weeks at a time. “With him, we could go much farther away, such as the Bernese Oberland or Zermatt, which is 15 minutes away by air, but hours by road.”

But you don’t have to be a zillionaire to treat yourself to a day of heli-skiing; many clients use the choppers to drop them off high in the mountains, saving hours of arduous trekking.

With Adrenaline, this kind of outing starts at CHF 375 per person.

Adrenaline Guides Verbier adrenaline@verbier.ch +41 79 205 95 95 Eagle Helicopter Sion +41 (0)27 327 30 62 Air Glacier Gstaad Saanenland +41 (0)33 744 55 50 Swiss Helicopter AG Gstaad-Grund +41 (0)33 755 13 21

Start saving.

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PROMOTION

ADRENALINE T: +41 (0) 79 205 95 95 | +41 27 771 74 01 WWW.ADRENALINE.CH Heli-skiing gets you up that untracked mountain and away from it all in a helicopter the easy and oh-so spectacular way. And if you thought that was fun, just wait for the run back down in pristine backcountry bowls nestled between the ice-falls and sheer granite cliffs of spectacular scenery. Best of all: you’ll have it all to yourselves. Whether you’re into extreme skiing or just a quiet alpine morning’s tour, we’ve got the heli-ski run for you.

Or keep your skis on the ground and go wild off-piste with Adrenaline’s expert local guides. Verbier is known worldwide for extreme skiing, and there are lift-assisted runs for skiers of just about every level. If you aren’t ready for steep and deep

EUROPA-PARK T: 0848 37 37 37 WWW.EUROPAPARK.DE Europa-Park is the most popular theme park resort in Europe and Germany’s largest. The attraction is located approximately 50 minutes by car from Basel, across the border in southwestern Germany.

Europa-Park is a must for families and theme park buffs alike.

There is something for everyone. If you’re into roller coasters, then this is adrenaline heaven! There are over 100 attractions and shows and there is also a winter circus.

Come and enjoy the spellbinding atmosphere with 2.5 million lights that glitter at every turn.

powder, start slowly and learn off-piste skiing at your pace with

Winter opening hours are 11:00 am until 7:00 pm. The park

Adrenaline’s patient but fun instructors and guides.

opens early for hotel guests staying on-site. Tickets start

CHF 375 per person for a private group of seven skiers, and CHF 460 to join a group on Wed. and Sat. Fat skis and full safety equipment available in our office. http://guides-verbier.com/en/heliskiing/private-verbier-arolla.html

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at € 28,50 with special offers for additional days. Numerous tour companies in the Lake Geneva region also have discounted packages to Europa-Park.

Don’t forget to take your passport and be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Have fun!

PROMOTION photo by David Casartelli

ALPES CHALETS

CHALET CORVUS, ANZÈRE (VALAIS)

T : + 33 (0) 4 50 53 01 86 WWW.ALPES-CHALETS74.COM

T : +41 (0) 27 398 31 82 | +41 (0) 76 388 89 58

Imagine spending weekends in the mountains with incredible views from your balcony of the dramatic and unspoilt natural environment. Imagine a high-quality traditional chalet or apartment built by local craftsmen using the finest new wood or carefully reclaimed original planks and floorboards.

Combine the practicalities of the new with the charm of the classic Alpine retreat with Alpes Chalets at Samoëns.

WWW.CHALETCORVUS.CH // INFO@CHALETCORVUS.CH CHALET CORVUS in ANZERE is a new luxury chalet in central Valais. Newly-built CHALET CORVUS offers year-round luxury accommodation and full catering service for up to 10 guests.

The chalet, of traditional alpine style with modern furnishings, has superb panoramic views, large en-suite bedrooms with dressing rooms, and generous shared spaces. Conveniently

With two new projects currently available – at Praz-sur-Arly and

located next to the free ski shuttle, it gives direct access to and

in the village of Samoëns – it’s easy to see why Alpes Chalets

from the Télécabine in just a few minutes. The new Anzère Spa

is a leader in smart mountain developments. The ski-in-ski-

& Wellness complex with its gym, pools, saunas, and Jacuzzi is

out apartments at Chalet Erine des Alpes in Praz-sur-Arly, near

only a short walk from the chalet.

Megève, are spacious, flooded with light – and close to the lifts.

Using vintage timber and exposed stonework, the developer has recreated an authentic Alpine chalet ambiance. At Chalet Himalia in the centre of Samoëns, there’s also classic Alpine styling, with a high standard of finish. See the website for details, availability and upcoming projects.

Anzère, a family-friendly south-facing gem of a ski resort is only 20 minutes from Sion. For snowy winters – 60km of skiing and ample off-piste, plus snowshoeing and sledging; for hot summers – marked hiking trails, cycling and paragliding.

For your luxury catered holiday for the whole family look no further!

Visit us on www.chaletcorvus.ch

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PROMOTION

ESF FLAINE

ESF MORZINE

T : +33 (0) 4 50 90 81 00 WWW.ESF-FLAINE.FR

T: +33 (0) 4 50 79 13 13 WWW.ESF-MORZINE.COM

Learning to ski with the ESF Flaine will put you on top of the world.

Share a passion for the mountains with ESF experts of Morzine;

With 75 experienced instructors (fluent English-speakers available

a warm and welcoming village where learning to ski is second

on request), the team will coach you through the beginner phase

nature. With experienced English-speaking instructors guiding

and on to intermediate. Keen to progress further? There’s one-

you down gentle tree-lined slopes, your confidence will build;

to-one training or small groups for off-piste, as well as moguls

and with no more than nine adults in a group*, you’ll soon

and powder for advanced skiers and snowboarders, plus racing

relax and discover new talents – or take existing skills to the

and freestyle.

next level. Choose from downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-

Located at Flaine-Forum (1600m) and Flaine Forêt (1700m), the ESF Flaine will take you on a voyage of discovery around this extensive resort, which links seamlessly to the huge Grand Massif domain. Downhill not for you? Try snowshoes, cross-country or guided hikes. For children, there’s the famous ESF Club Piou-Piou and the Rabbit-Club, offering all-day childcare (including a lunch option).

At the summit of the Grand Massif, and with all the benefits of a car-free resort, Flaine has imposing views and remarkable snow levels all season.

Book online now and look forward

to a great season.

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country skiing, telemark or snow shoeing – with individual or group courses tailor-made for you. For advanced skiers, it’s vital to learn the correct techniques safely, enjoying Morzine’s challenging off-piste and high mountain runs. Children also love to learn. Under 6s are grouped by age, while older children ski or board at the level that’s right for them. Ready to get started?

Book online for great deals and explore the picturesque Portes du Soleil from Morzine – just an hour from Geneva. *Max. nine adults outside school holidays.

PROMOTION

GSTAADSNOWSPORTS T: +41 (0) 33 744 18 65 WWW.GSTAADSNOWSPORTS.CH Located in the heart of town, the Gstaad Snowsports team of professional ski instructors are looking forward to welcoming you and helping you make the most of your skiing holiday.

Specialising in children’s group classes and private tuition, Gstaad Snowsports instructors ensure that everyone progresses at their own pace. Lessons are available to children from the age of 3, and small groups (max. 5) means that everyone gets plenty of attention and a medal at the end of the week!!

There are also a number of special programmes available, including the James Bond 007 course. Yes, there is always room for improvement, even for experienced skiers. Let one of the instructors put you through your paces – race, carve, off-piste, freestyle, moguls, ski safaris, jumps and tricks – there are no limits with this option.

Call or visit the website to book your lessons now and turn your visit into a great learning experience.

OPTIMUM SKI & SNOWBOARD SCHOOL T: +41 (O) 27 957 20 39 WWW.OPTIMUMSNOWSPORTS.COM Optimum Snowsports was established in 2009 in the charming resort of Saas Fee. We are a small and friendly, independent British Ski and Snowboard school offering a variety of lessons taught by qualified English-speaking instructors. We offer both private and group lessons to children (3 yrs+) and adults of all ages and abilities from beginner through to expert. We have a maximum of 6 people per class, ensuring everyone’s individual needs are met.

Located in the Canton of Wallis, Saas Fee is a stunning resort town sitting at 1800m and surrounded by 4000m mountain peaks, including the awe-inspiring 4545m Dom. Come and join us in the Pearl of the Alps.

SPECIAL OFFER: Present this article and receive a 10% discount when booking 3 or more private ski or snowboard lessons.

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PROMOTION

ESF AVORIAZ 1800 T : +33 (0) 4 50 74 05 65

WWW.ESF-AVORIAZ.COM

THYON 4 VALLEYS T : +41 (0)27 281 27 27 WWW.THYON.CH

Discover skiing or snowboarding this winter – or build your

Thyon is a special resort that, once discovered, will bring you

confidence to the next level – with the experts at the Avoriaz

back time and again. One facet of this quiet village is charm and

1800 ESF. In just a few hours their team of experienced English-

ambiance – the other is access to the dynamic and challenging

speaking ski and boarding instructors will be guiding you through

Four Valleys region.

the magnificent Portes du Soleil, alone or in a small group carefully

everyone, that really is the case!

matched to your level.

So when Thyon says enjoyment for

Children love playing with Snowli in the snow garden while

Maybe this season you’ll learn cross-county skiing in a tranquil

teenagers seek thrills in Switzerland’s premier snowpark. Fancy

environment. Or convert basic snowboard skills into Freestyle

a break from skiing? Thyon offers husky dog sleds, picturesque

Freeride talents. This year try the new Biathlon or Nordic Walking

snow shoe trails, ice skating in the village and spectacular

options. Whether you choose private or group lessons, the ESF

paragliding. There’s also a well-respected ski school to help

team Avoriaz 1800 will develop your technique quickly and safely.

improve your level in skiing or snowboarding.

Children also make fast progress – Minis (6-9) or Top Kids (9-12).

Little ones (4-6) are kept busy by ESF Snow Buddies at the snow garden, where fun and games increase confidence on the snow.

With all this family entertainment on hand, it’s no wonder that ESF Avoriaz 1800 is a popular choice. Half or full-day classes available.

The Four Valleys is the largest ski area in Switzerland. With 412 km of pistes and 92 lifts, it links Thyon with neighbours Veysonnaz, Nendaz, La Tzoumaz and Verbier. Thyon is easy to reach by road or rail via Sion. With fantastic scenery and a range of pistes, it’s clear why Thyon is a popular choice. * See the website for special offers/early season discounts.

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PROMOTION

SKI SERVICE VERBIER T: +41 (0) 27 771 67 70 WWW.SKISERVICE.COM Ski Service offers the cheapest and most complete ski hire in Verbier.

Starting this season, everyone can save 20% on their ski hire in Verbier by claiming a free discount code!* The discount applies to our whole range of equipment and if you are skiing in Verbier this winter you will not find a better deal! We offer complete

THERMALP – LES BAINS D’OVRONNAZ T: +41 (0) 27 305 11 11 WWW.THERMALP.CH If spending a day on the slopes is too energetic for you, why not recharge your batteries in the in the brand new Panoramic Alpine Spa at Les Bains d’Ovronnaz.

Just take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the magnificent alpine

flexibility – any equipment can be added or extended at the same

panorama from all 3 indoor and outdoor pools.

great online rate, and if you need to return anything early we will

Water is a natural healer and one of the most beneficial elements

reimburse you in the shop.

for your health. Your body will feel strengthened and revitalised

Ski Service also provides home delivery and collection so that

after trying one of the nine water-based treatments.

all your equipment can be at your chalet or hotel waiting for you

Re-energise your body and mind completely with one of the

when you arrive, giving you more time to ski! If you are arriving in the evening or are off ski touring at the crack of dawn, or even if you just prefer to shop and rent your equipment in peace, you can book a personal shopping session and have the shop to yourself! *www.facebook.com/skiserviceverbier (click on 20% discount coupon.)

12 different types of massage on offer, including the exclusive deeply relaxing massage with hot stones and organic argan oil.

And if it is beauty you are after, choose from one of the 17 treatments available - they will really make your skin glow.

All treatments are available as part of a programme or they can be selected individually on an “à la carte” basis. See the website for details and offers.

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WEALTH

LUMP SUM OR REGULAR SAVINGS? The type of investing you do will determine the best strategy.

By Gavin Pluck, European Director, Guardian Wealth Management

A

s an international IFA (Independent Financial Advisor) we find ourselves advising many different clients with varying needs. However, if I had to pigeonhole I would say that they generally come in two guises.

1) Those who have money and need to invest a lump sum in order to receive an income or make their capital work harder.

2) Those who don’t have a large sum of money, but need to invest through regular savings to accumulate it.

The key investing principles for these types of investors are, of course, different.

The options available in the past of saving without having to invest are long gone. Bank

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deposit interest rates are now so low that to making knee jerk decisions on a long-term savings cannot keep up with inflation, and investment. this isn’t likely to change in the near future.

Most savers aren’t seasoned investment In order to see savings increase in value, these professionals and will usually make their days some type of investment is necessary. decisions based on market sentiment. When But what kind? Unfortunately, this question markets are moving nicely for a number of is very much down to opinion. So rather than years a confidence builds up which will inspire attempt to offer up any thoughts on what the masses to make a judgment that the time investments to make, let’s look at some of the is right to invest. key principles involved when investing.

Similarly, when the markets fall and Two major concerns surrounding most confidence is low, human nature will follow investments are the level of risk versus sentiment and the masses will pull away from the markets. reward, and the timing.

It’s imperative to understand that longer term investing is not the same as day-to-day stock picking and trading. Whilst maintaining a healthy interest in world events and trends is important, it should in no way lend itself

This tends to create a “buy high, sell low” herd mentality that often leads to losses, and leave negative feelings towards investing.

Imagine if we could buck human nature and

WEALTH

do the opposite: buy at the lowest point and 3. Diversification sell at the highest.

What sector do you want to invest in? Stocks, To quote Warren Buffett, the world’s best bonds, commodities, property, emerging known investor, on his main investing markets, structured products? And what philosophy, “I choose to be fearful when about geographical considerations? The US? others are greedy and greedy when others are The UK? Europe? Africa? Asia? fearful”. So that’s what the investment gurus attempt to do – and many of them struggle The reality is that no sector tops the investment charts year in and year out. Of to get it right. course it will depend on your attitude to The fact is that even though we know there risk but Asset Allocation, a strategy that is little other choice than investing, it is often divides your portfolio amongst different uncorrelated assets to give the right balance, difficult to get the timing right. is a much more important consideration than picking individual stocks or funds. The more diversified and balanced your investment portfolio, the less volatility you are likely to experience.

1. Timing 4. Understanding the Investment As important as this is, timing risk is often reduced over longer investment periods.

These days there are so many cleverly structured investment proposals on the Without a crystal ball we will never be in a market, it’s easy to get confused. There is position to time the market, and the worst no such thing as a stupid question when it mistake that can be made is holding back for comes to investing money. so long that the investment boat is missed.

Thus, the old saying, “it’s not the timing of My advice is, if you can’t understand it, then the market, it’s the time in the market that best to steer clear. counts”.

5. Biased or Independent?

If investing for shorter periods of less then 2 years, then timing will be paramount and risk Although advice should always be sought, it’s important to ensure that the advice you will increase significantly. are receiving is independent. If this is not the 2. Risk Profile case, it would make sense to shop around to get a bigger picture of what’s on offer.

It’s important to understand your attitude to risk and what you are looking to achieve from your investment. Any investment should match this and provide a return in line with your risk profile. If you will have sleepless nights worrying about daily market Many of the principles that apply to investing movement, then you should be considering a lump sum are very different from those low-risk options. There are currently a number when investing regular savings. Regular of investments available where the financial investment over a longer term can take many institution will assume much of the risk of of the timing problems out of the equation. loss in exchange for lower returns.

LUMP SUM INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES

REGULAR SAVINGS INVESTMENT

If a regular investment is made over the longer term, then one can generally afford to take a longer-term risk approach. Market volatility will not affect the investment as it would in a lump sum scenario. In fact, a dip in market movement can often have a positive effect. For example, if a stock or fund that’s being purchased on a regular monthly basis with the same amount of money, were to take a sudden drop by 20 percent, then the next regular amount that is purchased will buy 20 percent more of that stock. This is known as ‘cost averaging’ and can be an ideal way to remove much of the worry that can come with investing.

When applying cost averaging, the investor needs to decide on three key parameters along with the above investment principles: the fixed amount of money invested each time, the investment frequency, and the time horizon. The longer the time horizon, the less the strategy behaves as a lump sum investment.

As with any investment professional advice should always be sought through a fully regulated financial advisor.

Gavin Pluck European Director Guardian Wealth Management Tel: +41 22 710 7864 www.gwm-intl.com

PROPERTY

THE GENEVA PROPERTY MARKET – Should I Buy In?

By Simon Swycher, real estate consultant

A

Credit Agricole study last year highlighted that from 2007 to 2012 there were considerable property price rises in Geneva with apartment prices having risen 35 percent and house prices 20 percent.

However, the market over the last year has slowed down considerably in Geneva and the French border areas. Transaction levels are low, and there is a scarcity of buyers, meaning that properties are remaining on the market longer.

Several different factors have a defining influence on the local market, most notably the economic climate, and supply and demand. Although the Geneva market is very segmented and has very different levels of demand, these factors are prevailing across the whole market;

ECONOMIC PRESSURE Economic confidence is a key factor. Whilst Western Switzerland has previously been fairly insulated from the global economic crisis, the last year has changed that. There is now significant pressure on the local Swiss economy – a strong franc, a weakening labour market, pressure on banking and

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financial services, the tightening of residency priced assets, particularly those which are laws and a lack of new companies relocating around the 2 million franc level. Investment to Geneva. appetite is prompted by the secure, stable nature of the Swiss economy during times of After the shockwaves of the Merck Serono crisis, and the continuing uncertainty of the closure, UN cutbacks and P & G headcount Eurozone. reductions, the local economy has taken a knock in confidence. Many multinational Well-priced properties are still being sold, companies are looking to downsize or share particularly where there is scope for upgrade premises, and the percentage of office space and development, and in attractive areas available is increasing. We have received where there are good schools and transport many demands for international clients links. A house for around CHF 2.1 million looking to assign or sublet their leases as recently sold within days in Veyrier due to its the strong Swiss franc and high wages mean upgrade potential. Due to planning restrictions that their Geneva office is often the most and the small market, developers are still expensive one on their balance sheet. scrambling to find development property to renovate, and well priced land to build on.

The residential letting market has also weakened. It was very difficult a few years Along the French border there is strong ago to find good quality apartments and appetite for investment property where yields houses, but now the demand has eased off. are around 4 percent and there is good capital One of our clients recently negotiated almost growth. Many Middle Eastern clients are still a 50-percent discount off a long-term letting investing in Pays de Gex, and on the French on a lakeside apartment in Geneva. border next to Hermance. New properties requiring little maintenance are well priced and can be bought off plan (pre-construction).

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The market is very small, (over 85 percent of people rent), and despite weakening, demand far outweighs supply for good quality, well

A substantial disparity in price remains between French border areas and Geneva outskirts; €850,000 – €1.2 million would buy a small family house in neighbouring

PROPERTY

Ferney, Prevessin or Ornex. These areas are easily reachable from Geneva, only 15 to 20 minutes from the International Quarter, and have excellent transport links and open space. However, you would have to at least double or triple that budget to buy something comparable on the Swiss side.

sell. Or take your time, wait for the right asset to come up, then negotiate. The last quarter of 2013 and 2014 look like there will be little change and we expect prices to be stable or even decrease by around 10 percent with further discounts being able to be negotiated.

It is now a “buyers market”.

SHOULD I BUY IN 2013/14?

FINANCING

Low interest rates with loans available under 2 percent that can be fixed for 10 years or longer make buying an attractive proposition.

The market is quiet, so prices can be negotiated. The outlook is subdued with little activity, so for the medium/longer term, hold buying can still be attractive. Due to residency restrictions, tighter lending and the lack of supply, the market has been relatively stable.

The Swiss also see property as a more longterm asset class, and property is held and passed on to family members.

The banks in Switzerland and France offer very different rates depending on your status, employment, income and requirements.

Prepare your dossier in full and be clear about your requirements. It is advisable to speak to a number of different banks and lenders to compare rates in the market. An independent adviser can help with this. Most banks are now looking for at least a 20-percent deposit plus 5 percent for purchase costs. Many bank valuations are very conservative and coming in lower than market price, meaning banks will lend less.

One of the major factors that has stagnated the market is that there is often a disparity between what owner’s think a property is worth and what buyers are prepared to pay (and what the bank’s value it at).

Our advice is to wait and look for interesting assets where the owner is under pressure to

WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF BUYING “OFF MARKET”?

Buying “off market” means buying a property before it comes to market and is advertised.

Many of the high value exclusive properties in

central Geneva and around the lake are bought off market. From the seller’s point of view, this is preferable, as the sale is confidential and discreet, and he or she can meet the buyer and do direct business without agents being involved (nor do his friends or neighbours need to know he is selling). From the buyer’s point of view, he can obtain a property confidentially without competing with other buyers.

By Simon Swycher, Hg Real Estate © 2013 Simon Swycher qualified as a UK real estate lawyer in 1996, and has been in the Geneva area since 2005. Hg Real Estate is an independent real estate consultancy established in 2006 advising clients on real estate investments, including property search, financing, legal issues, development, asset management and structuring.

If you are looking to buy, finance or develop property in Geneva, la Cote or the mountains, you can contact Simon for independent advice at Hg Real Estate; simon@hautgamme.com http://www.hautgamme.com +41 7936 88773

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TRADITIONAL HEALING & STRANGE FAVOURS

TRADITIONAL HEALING & STRANGE FAVOURS

By P.K. Read

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y Swiss friend Lisa Lindsey was looking for volunteers who were in pain. She’d been training as a traditional healer and needed practice.

Since doing strange favours for friends is one of life’s great distractions, I volunteered.

out the moment Lisa unrolled a red velvet mat, “interwoven with copper wire for conductivity.”

She instructed me to lie on the mat, and then laid minature crystal barbells into each of my hands like I was a knick-knack weightlifter.

or on velvet mats, whether they work or not.

When I woke up, Lisa was sitting quietly. The muscles in my back felt worked over, hot, like they did after a physical therapy treatment.

How had I managed to sleep through all that?

I was groggy with gratitude.

I wanted to be supportive and accept this as serious training my friend had dedicated Traditional Franco-Swiss healers are known herself to, yet the searing pain in my shoulder Then Lisa explained that she had never in the Suisse-Romande as faiseurs de secret, wasn’t enough to distract me from the actually touched me. And indeed, I realized I was still flat on my back. The area in question literally, “practioners of the secret.” This is silliness. was out of reach in that position. a popular alternative for those who suffer from anything from asthma to dermatitis. Perhaps My exploratory cynical side-eye found only “That was a bad spot of pain you had there. the best-known are the fire-stoppers, who deal Lisa’s calm, professional gaze. “You’ll need to It took me a while, but I think we got it,” she with burns. A Geneva-based pharmacist told close your eyes.” said, gently removing the crystals from my me she gets regular requests for referrals, and hands. some local hospitals keep the names of fire- Okay. So she was genuinely serious about all this. stoppers on hand for burn victims.

The needle on my scale of scepticism wavered.

Then, without warning, the soporific qualities If the scale of belief in this kind of healing runs from “utter flimflam” to “better than Western of the velvet mat and the crystals had put me I won’t ever be replacing regular visits medicine”, my pre-volunteer needle landed into a deep sleep. to a doctor with regular calls to a faiseur at “why not? – just not for me”.

Many of the practioners who only practiced de secret. But: within two days of Lisa’s visit, the recurring back pain was gone. Completely Many French and Swiss practioners of the healing in their free time have seen demand gone. rise so much that they now work as fullsecret work by telephone or mail. The practice time healers.

While some French and Swiss is usually transmitted down through families, health insurance policies cover some It was one of the best strange favours I’ve though exceptions are made. complementary therapies, as far as I know, ever done for a friend.

On the day of my treatment, I wanted to back none cover spells performed over the phone

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PLACE DU CASINO 4 , CH-1110 MORGES T +41 21 802 62 15 WWW.CASINOMORGES.CH SUSANNA.PONTET@CASINOMORGES.CH

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A-Level Programme

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The British School of Geneva is situated in an exceptional, modern setting, 2 minutes from the motorway and just a 10-minute drive from the United Nations.

Today, BSG students represent over 40 nationalities and we are proud that our alumni have been accepted in universities in the UK, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia to study their subjects of choice.

Our highly-qualified and experienced teachers achieve excellence in our

Primary, Secondary and A-Level sections, challenging and guiding students through the coherent programme of the English National Curriculum.

Your child will benefit from the nurturing environment and individual attention that a

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Schedule a visit to experience our unique qualities for yourself.

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HEALTH MATTERS

SAVE A LIFE IN 45 MINUTES DONATING BLOOD IS SIMPLE – AND IMPORTANT.

By Dr. Michelle Wright, Medical Director, HealthFirst Sàrl

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HEALTH MATTERS

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y father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (a type of blood cell cancer) 10 years ago. His chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant treatment left him very unwell on a number of occasions, and he needed numerous transfusions. Without the generous people who regularly donate blood, he might not be healthy today.

or have lost a lot of blood. Plasma also donate. They include people who have had contains clotting factors that can help major surgery or given birth within the last 12 months, have visited certain tropical someone with haemophilia. countries recently, have had a piercing or Clearly, one unit of blood can do a great tattoo in the last 4 months, or who are taking deal of good. And without enough blood, lives certain medications. can be lost. So we can’t rely on a small generous proportion of the population to donate.

Next week, it could be you, a relative or a close friend that needs a transfusion.

Will the stocks be sufficient?

The whole process takes around 45 minutes.

WHAT DOES THE PROCESS OF DONATING BLOOD INVOLVE?

WHO CAN GIVE BLOOD IN SWITZERLAND?

Every day, Switzerland needs around 1250 people to donate one unit (450 mls.) of blood. In 2012, the amount donated was barely enough, and the need continues The Transfusion Service of the Swiss Red to increase with advances in medical Cross coordinates blood donation. Healthy treatments and an ageing population. volunteers between 18 and 60, and weighing over 50 kg are encouraged to donate. People The best part about your one unit of donated who are over 60 and who regularly donate blood is that it can benefit several others. blood can usually continue up to age 75, provided they remain healthy.

Red blood cells are given to people who have lost a large amount of blood during surgery, Certain groups are not able to donate. after trauma or around childbirth. Red blood They include people: cells are also given to correct severe anaemia • who have received a blood transfusion since after chemotherapy.

1980.

• who are injecting drug users (current or Platelets, essential to helping blood clot, are past). given to people undergoing chemotherapy • with a sexual partner exposed to risk-taking or organ or bone marrow transplant, behaviour. or to those suffering life-threatening bleeding. • who lived in Great Britain or Northern Ireland for a total of 6 months or more between Plasma, the substance left behind when 1980-1996. (This is due to possible all of the cellular components of blood are Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease contamination.) removed, contains the protein albumin, which is given to people who have severe burns Others may have to wait before they can

First comes a confidential questionnaire to ensure that you are healthy and medically suitable. To repeat: this questionnaire is entirely confidential. Then your pulse, blood pressure and perhaps your temperature are checked, and a finger-prick blood test is taken to make sure you’re not anaemic. The blood donation itself only takes about 10 minutes.

Blood is withdrawn via a simple puncture of a vein in your arm. There is almost no discomfort. After you have donated, you are given a light snack and asked to rest for up to 30 minutes under supervision.

WHERE CAN I GIVE BLOOD? Visit the Swiss Red Cross Transfusion Service website at www.transfusion.ch, and type in your postcode to find the next dates that blood collection will be taking place in your area.

DON’T LEAVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE. HELP SAVE A LIFE!

Dr. Michelle Wright is a British-trained general practitioner, who lives and works in Suisse-Romande. Along with Dr. Penny Fraser and their colleagues at HealthFirst, she has a passion for delivering health education and First Aid training to the English-speaking community in Switzerland. HealthFirst provides a range of dynamic, interactive First Aid courses to members of the public, businesses, and the humanitarian sector.

Their native English speaking trainers also deliver the obligatory First Aid course for the Swiss Driver’s Licence to anyone from the age of 14. See www.healthfirst.ch for more details.

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. All reasonable care has been taken in compiling the information but there is no legal warranty made as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.

HealthFirst and Dr Michelle Wright are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any form of damages whatsoever resulting from the use of information contained in or implied in this article.

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KIDS IN MIND

IS ALL SCREEN-TIME BAD FOR KIDS?

Guidelines and tips for parents about screens and child development

By Rebecca Weber, Child Psychologist-Psychotherapist

KIDS IN MIND

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or children and adults alike, screen-time has modified our relationships, behaviour and time organisation. A wider cultural message of efficiency and performance encourages all of us to turn to screens, and yet the media often relay only extreme cases of harmful behaviour caused by screen-time. This leaves parents with contradictory messages about omnipresent technology.

Screen-time raises important questions for parents, notably in terms of the impact on children’s intellectual and social development, and the fears of social isolation. It is important to remember that it is not the technology itself that is problematic but the behaviour associated with it.

To begin to understand a child’s use of screens, we can ask ourselves about the meaning of their use: are they a means to creatively express themselves, or rather, to avoid social interaction? Social media amongst teens can be considered as an extension of other relationships, revisited through a virtual lens. Some of these aspects can be harmful for child development, while others can be positive. There are as many answers as there are children.

social videogames favour mutual aid in real life, whereas violent games could increase aggressive thoughts, lower empathy and increase behavioural problems amongst children who already present multiple risk factors. Psychologists agree that daily aggression in relationships – verbal or physical – is the most significant factor for making a child at risk, more than violent crimes displayed in video games.

WHAT ABOUT THE IMPACT OF SCREEN-TIME ON LEARNING? In school, kids need to have a longer attention span than that which is developed through playing video games or from the constant stimulation from social media. In this way, screen-time increases their capacity to switch between stimuli rather than stay focused on one subject. However, the time spent on video games has shown a tendency towards decreased academic performance. This is mostly due to the fact that the time spent on video games is time not spent on activities that favour intellectual development. There are two principal regulatory factors of wellbeing for children: authentic social interaction – which for kids translates into creative play - and physical activity. These factors can include some screen-time in addition to other non-screen orientated activities.

WILL MY CHILDREN BECOME VIOLENT FROM PLAYING VIDEO WHAT CAN PARENTS DO GAMES? ABOUT “TOO MUCH” SCREENScreen-time has been shown, by the TIME? Academy of Sciences in France for example, to favour harmful and compulsive behaviours amongst youth – but not necessarily. The context of a videogame is important. Pro-

the television programme. Role-playing scenes from the video game can also help children experience being both a victim and a perpetrator which can increase their capacity for empathy and therefore prevent violent behaviour. We can educate children to selfregulate their screen-time – for which parents are the best role models. Finally, if there is a problem, the first step towards a solution is sharing, discussion and reflecting with other adults.

Rebecca Weber moved to France in 2005 to pursue her doctoral work in Clinical Psychology. Her research with the University of Lyon focuses on gender issues, immigration and school violence. Rebecca settled in Geneva in 2011 to specialize as a Child and Adolescent Psychologist whilst receiving postgraduate training with the local Office MédicoPédagogique. She currently works in French and English in her private practice in FerneyVoltaire. For more information please visit www.rebeccaweber.net.

DISCLAIMER Please note: any psychological advice or information provided during the Kids in Mind shows is general information and should not be used to evaluate, diagnose or treat any specific concerns. Always check with your medical-care provider if you have questions about your own children. WRS or Rebecca Weber are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage resulting from the use of information contained in, or implied by, Kids in Mind shows.

In order to foster healthy screen habits, parents can implement restrictive rules whilst critically discussing the content of

Kids in Mind is sponsored by The British School of Geneva

DAY TRIP

COLD DAY,

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DAY TRIP

A day floating in thermal baths – relaxing, right? Don’t you believe it.

By Bill Harby

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DAY TRIP

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ou’d probably think that after a languorous morning consisting of a massage, then immersion in naturally heated hot pools, then wafty interludes in scented saunas and a “serenity room”, you’d be unavoidably relaxed. And you might think that this relaxation would be further enhanced (even though your hair is still wet), by a nearby chalet lunch of seafood salad, grilled lamb, a local Pinot Noir, apple strudel, coffee and Cognac.

springs in Switzerland, says the sign), staring up at blue sky and the huge grey cliff flecked with snow in winter, your mind becomes not a tabula rasa of relaxation, but an Etch-aSketch of creative shapes and ideas.

It can make you dizzy. To refocus, redirect your gaze to the outdoor pools around you. They’re like an amusement park, except, instead of rides, there are various hydro-gizmos where the warm water plays with you in marvelous ways. Two areas in the pool have hotter water.

You’ll have fun searching them out. And you’ll have more fun deciding which is your favorite water feature.

the whirlpool, where tiny jets in the slick floor tickle your feet?

Or the little cold bubbly jets tapping your tummy at the water lounge chairs?

Or the fire hose shoulder massage? Or maybe the indoor pool where the recorded songs of whales play 15 minutes each hour?

No. Not them either.

My research analyst and I agree that the absolute best, stimulating/relaxing fun station at Lavey-les-Bains is the giant rain You would be wrong. mushroom. Appropriately in the center of the After recent gruelling research at Les Bains 130 cm-deep pool, the circular stainless steel de Lavey, I can tell you that a visit to this fine The circle whirlpool? Angled underwater jets structure rises from its center trunk a couple Swiss thermal bath establishment is not at all of water push you around the circle of shiny meters above the water, where its cap delivers relaxing, but rather stimulating in, admittedly, tile walls like an ant going down the drain – a big, fat, circular cascade. Standing beneath not unpleasant ways. except there’s no drain. I like diving down and this warm waterfall is like standing in the getting propelled along underwater. world’s sweetest rainstorm. Your shoulders First of all, there’s the setting. Lying on your back at Les Bains de Lavey, floating in Earth- But that’s not my favorite waterwork at Lavey- and head are massaged, not too soft, not heated 34-degree water (the hottest natural les-Bains. Maybe the place at the center of too hard. Lift your arms, palms outward like FRONTIER MAGAZINE ISSUE 05 - WINTER 2013/2014

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DAY TRIP

you’re beckoning the heavens and you receive another lovely kind of massage. Bend your knees so the top of your head is level with the pool’s surface and listen to the roar of tumbling water on your head.

You might even feel relaxed.

If so, you can turn your day trip into an overnighter at the Grand Hotel des Bains.

There’s something wonderfully decadent about donning your bathrobe in your room Some Swiss thermal baths are geared more and walking to the pools without ever going for therapeutic healing, others are geared outside. The hotel restaurant offers a good more for recreational users. At Les Bains buffet. Or go across the street to the Chalet de Lavey the two philosophies (marketing des Bains Restaurant for traditional fare. strategies?) comfortably blend like hot and Just make sure you leave time the next cold bathwater. morning for an invigorating swim, perhaps This is exquisitely apparent when you step a cold plunge, and a session with the rain out of the pools and explore the saunas mushroom. (wearing a swimsuit – or not), Turkish baths, hammams, cold plunges, massage rooms LES BAINS DE LAVEY – and “the serenity room”, a dark chamber furnished only with rows of lounge chairs, lit Sun. – Thurs. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. only by dim “chromothérapie” mood lights Fri. - Sat. 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. that change color through the day. This room Limited Holiday hours may be a little too New Agey for some, but 3 hours: CHF 25 others will love getting their ommm on in here. 4 hours: CHF 32

Discounts for children, students, AVS, AI and local residents Route des Bains 48 1892 Lavey-Les-Bains www.lavey-les-bains.ch 024 486 15 55

LAVEY MÉDICAL S.A. Adjacent to the public pools and hotel, this rehabilitation clinic offers physiotherapy, ergotherapy, hydrotherapy and other treatments. Inpatient and outpatient. centre.medical@lavey-les-bains.ch 024 486 15 30

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DAY TRIP

Other Thermal Baths Not Far from Lake Geneva The (Re)Discovery of Les Bains de Lavey

T

hose sweaty Roman invaders probably first discovered the hot springs at Lavey (Lavetum from lavare, “to wash” in Latin), but, mysteriously, make no mention of them.

Leave that to a gabby Swiss fisherman. One February day in 1831, a Monsieur Landry noticed while casting for his dinner that a spot in the Rhone river which separates the cantons of Vaud and Valais near Bex, was pleasantly warm. Apparently, he told everyone who would listen, and before long a Monsieur de Charpentier, geologist and the director of salt mines in Bex, came to investigate. He dipped in his toe and gave thumbs up.

THERMES PARC VAL-D’ILLIEZ www.thermes-parc.com/en‎

OVRONNAZ www.thermalp.ch

BAINS DE SAILLON www.bainsdesaillon.ch/en/

CENTRE THERMAL YVERDON-LES-BAINS http://www.cty.ch

LEUKERBAD

Soon came a hotel, then medical facilities.

www.leukerbad-therme.ch

We now know that these naturally heated waters are about 52 degrees (C) at their source between 200 and 600 meters beneath the Lavey-les-Bains. The public pools, said to be the warmest in Switzerland, are normally between 34 - 36 degrees.

THERMALBAD BRIGERBAD http://www.thermalbad-wallis.ch/index.php

BREITEN www.breiten.ch/wellness/relax/wellness.en.htm

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COMMUNITY PAGES

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COMMUNITY PAGES

Geneva Literary Aid Society

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By Sarah Fransen he Geneva Literary Aid Society (GLAS) was created in 2004 to celebrate the fictional centenary of the date – June 16, 1904 – when the story of James Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses took place. The Society was also partly inspired by the memory of Joyce’s stay in Geneva a month before his death.

However, everyone had so much fun during this time, that GLAS decided to keep going, and to provide the Anglophone community of Geneva with a handful of memorable cultural nights out each year.

GLAS provides “social occasions with a strong feel-good factor at the same time as raising money for worthwhile causes”, says GLAS founder Denis McLean.

Whilst GLAS does have a bias to theatrical events, the Society aims to cater to all tastes. Over the past nine years there have been music, comedy, poetry and prose evenings. Aside from some well known thespians, other recent illustrious visitors have included the first woman English Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy; honoured Middle East war correspondent, Robert Fisk who is based in Beirut; and wellknown Palestinian journalist Abdel Bari Atwan, who spent three nights in a cave with Osama Bin Laden!

Funds raised from these outings are donated to charities devoted to the care and treatment of people living with HIV and AIDS. Many of these funds are channeled through the Global Network of People living with HIV (http://www.gnpplus.net).

Among other beneficiaries of GLAS is the Edith Wilkins Foundation in Darjeeling, India, which supports hundreds of children in terrible situations of potential abuse, street children who risk being trafficked, and children needing shelter and medical care. GLAS is helping to establish an office for the Foundation so they can reach out to other supporters.

The Society is run by a close-knit group of volunteers who take care of the ticket office, bar and catering at the evening events.

The next event will be a theatrical evening in January 2014.

For more information please see the website www.theglas.org or contact info@theglas.org.

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BORDERLINES

UnCurling SOME CALL IT “CHESS ON ICE”. OTHERS CALL IT RIDICULOUS.

By Bill Harby

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BORDERLINES

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irst, a word of warning: if you plan to do as I did recently and venture onto the ice and try your hand, feet and other body parts at the peculiar sport of curling, you might want to wear a helmet. On your butt.

I wasn’t the first of us first-timers to fall down that evening at the Curling Club Lausanne Olympique, nor the last, but I might very well now have a place in the annals of anal curling history for the most frequent posterior contact with the ice within one match.

My form was always quite beautiful upon pushing off to slide on the ice, but as soon as I released the stone, everything collapsed like a broken pretzel.

Curling is a combination of boules and shuffleboard, except you’re on ice and actually travelling with your projectile a little ways, though not always in the direction you desire.

I attended one of the Lausanne Curling Club’s regular sessions especially for people like me who always thought curling looks ridiculous but secretly knew it is a highly skilled sport demanding strategy, teamwork and athletic prowess. I can ice skate, but wearing sport shoes with the required super-slick sole made of zero-traction material on only one shoe, I wondered if I’d even be able to stand up on the ice. By the end of the evening, my thigh muscles quivering, I wondered if I’d be able to stand up the next morning.

“Curling”? Even the name of the sport invites ridicule, sounding like something teenage girls do during a sleepover. But no, curling is far more serious. Peering back through the winter fog of time, we learn that the sport was created in 16th-century Scotland on frozen lakes.

STOP!” as if we have any actual idea what should be done.

Curling has traditionally been called in English “the roaring game”, supposedly because of the sound the stone makes as it rumbles down the ice which has been sprinkled with water drops to form an even more slick, pebbled This heritage continues in more comfortable surface. But I think it’s called that because surroundings at the Lausanne Olympique everyone gets to yell at the top of their lungs.

Curling Club, the only curling piste in Europe But please don’t mistake this yelling for what on the second floor of a building. On the wall Americans call “trash talking” in their ruffian in the spectator area is a photo of the 1998 sports. Courtoisie and humilité are absolutely Nagano Winter Olympics Gold Medal winning expected and practiced in curling, even team – from Switzerland! They trained here. on the lowest amateur levels. Well, maybe not Imagining how this team’s members must the very lowest. Because my team, Equipe have perfected their counter-clockwise superJaune, was a little light on the politesse that slow reverse-anti-gravity curl on the very piste night. We shouted our success when we won where I am about to make a fool of myself, the first match, 1 - 0. Whoops and hollers and I shiver with icy excitement. Plus, I’m cold. high-fives all around! Equipe Rouge won the Where’s my pullover? other two matches, scoring lots of points, but Our able instructor, Jacques Jeanfavre, who’s counting? shows us the fundamentals: how to bend By the end of the evening, we were pretty down and push off with one foot from the impressed with ourselves. Then, one of the little rubber “hack”; how to control our slide experts slid a stone. Almost prone, dressed along the ice as we aim and release the pierre, in black, he looked like a beautiful uncurling a 20-kg piece of round polished granite, serpent silently gliding along the ice, gleaming curling it right or left as need be by turning eyes locked on his target. And of course his the handle; how to speed its path to the throw was brilliant, knocking out 2 opponent target by yelling at our teammates with their stones and leaving his own nearly in the long-handled brushes down the piste center. to furiously brush the ice in front of it: “BALAIS! (BROOM!) STOP! STOP! BALAIS! Not at all ridiculous.

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DISTRIBUTION

LA PRAILLE SHOPPING & LEISURE T : +41 (0) 22 304 80 00 WWW.LA-PRAILLE.CH RTE DES JEUNES 10, 1227 CAROUGE, GENEVA Relax over coffee or lunch, enjoy bowling with friends or update your fashion look – at La Praille the possibilities are endless.

Check out the choices: Ten restaurants & cafes, (including Da Giovanni, Coop, le Panetier, Molino, Martel, E-wok), hair styling & wellbeing, beauty & nails, a bank, the largest Coop hypermarket in Geneva and a

traditional bakery serving delicious bread from a wood oven.

La Praille also offers great family leisure: a 26-lane bowling alley, solarium, fitness club (with heated pool), and children’s nursery. La Praille is open 7/7 (until 9pm Thursdays). Ample parking/public transport.

SIGNY CENTRE T : +41 (0) 22 363 67 00 WWW.SIGNYCENTRE.CH 300M FROM THE A1 AUTOROUTE, EXIT NYON Easy parking, great shopping and a relaxing experience – Signy Centre is all about convenience! With 50 top-name stores (including a giant Coop supermarket for wonderful fresh foods), you can shop for fashions then relax with a coffee or lunch while the children play at the supervised nursery. Or why not enjoy a workout at

the fitness club? Check out hair salons, a post office, pharmacy, travel agency and dry cleaning. Life is convenient at Signy Centre!

Monday to Thursday: 9am - 7pm, Friday until 9pm and Saturday until 6pm. Free parking.

BLANDONNET SHOPPING CENTRE WWW.BLANDONNETCENTRE.CH ROUTE DE MEYRIN 171, 1214 VERNIER Ideally located south of Cointrin Geneva airport, at the crossroads between route de Meyrin and rue du Pré-Bois, Blandonnet Centre offers easy access to a choice of shops and cafés. Thanks to its indoor parking of more than 1000 places, free for 3 hours, and public transport connections right at the door (tram 14 and 4 bus lines), the Blandonnet Commercial Centre has the largest Coop store

in French speaking Switzerland, the only Interio store in canton Geneva and other shops such as Dosenbach, Interdiscount, Mobilezone, Yendi, dry cleaning, hair dressing and a pharmacy, not forgetting two restaurants (Coop and Aux bonnes choses). The centre is well laid out in a bright and airy environment.

See website for opening hours and animations.

VITAM SHOPPING CENTRE T: +33 (0) 450 84 65 65 WWW.VITAM.FR 500, ROUTE DES ENVIGNES, 74160 SAINT-JULIEN-EN-GENEVOIS Located at the heart of the Vitam Centre for leisure and well-being, the Vitam Shopping Centre is the perfect place to browse and buy; to seek out original gifts or to treat yourself!

More than 20 individual stores offer fashion, decoration, well-being, beauty and sport – representing more than 90 famous brands.

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And what will really set the shine on your retail therapy? A spectacular setting, restaurants and a hotel!

Five minutes from Bardonnex. Free parking.

TPG Bus D Bel Air – Vitam (Wed, Sat, Sun).

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DISTRIBUTION

OUTLET AUBONNE T : +41 (0) 58 853 75 20 WWW.OUTLET-AUBONNE.CH PRÉ NEUF, 1170 AUBONNE (NEXT TO IKEA, JUST OFF THE A1).

OUTLET AUBONNE - A strong concept in one of the biggest commercial locations between Geneva and Lausanne. For top brands in fashion and sports, such as Lacoste, Desigual, Diesel, Levi’s, Mango, Navyboot, Boggi, Lee Wrangler, Ecko Unltd, Nike, Adidas, Puma and more – with up to 70% off all year round in more than

50 stores.

There’s free parking and easy access with public transport, (Allaman station only 3 mins walk!)

Open Mon-Wed 10 am – 7pm, Thurs-Fri 10am – 9pm, Sat 9 am to 6 pm.

See website for latest news.

CENTRE COMMERCIAL ST-ANTOINE - VEVEY T : +41 (0) 21 925 76 89 WWW.ST-ANTOINE.CH AV GENERAL-GUISAN 15, VEVEY Easy to access and easy to enjoy – that’s the St Antoine Centre at Vevey. With covered parking for more than 350 cars, and both trains and buses directly in front, St Antoine is all about convenience. Thirty big names and boutiques are present – offering hair care, beauty, fashion, homestyling, electrical, flowers and travel – as

well as places to enjoy a coffee or lunch.

Children love the garderie and who can resist the fresh foods and quality labels at Manor supermarket? See website for location and hours.

CHAVANNES CENTRE T : +41 (0) 22 960 86 99 WWW.LES-CENTRES.CH OFF THE A1 AUTOROUTE AT THE COPPET/DIVONNE EXIT. Relax over coffee or lunch, enjoy bowling with friends or update your fashion look – at La Praille the possibilities are endless.

Check out the choices: Ten restaurants & cafes, (including Da Giovanni, Coop, le Panetier, Molino, Martel, E-wok), hair styling & wellbeing, beauty & nails, a bank, the largest Coop hypermarket in Geneva and a

traditional bakery serving delicious bread from a wood oven.

La Praille also offers great family leisure: a 26-lane bowling alley, solarium, fitness club (with heated pool), and children’s nursery.

La Praille is open 7/7 (until 9pm Thursdays).

Ample parking/public transport.

VAL THOIRY COMMERCIAL CENTRE T: +33 (0) 4 50 41 20 20 WWW.VALTHOIRY.COM ACCESS: Y BUS FROM GENEVA – BLANDONNEX DIRECTION. The Val Thoiry Commercial Centre is located just off the D884 at Thoiry, only 5 minutes from Swiss the border at Meyrin.

In the centre, there are 66 shops, several restaurants and cafés and a Migros Hypermarket. There are also a number of large stores in the adjoining commercial zone.

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Shop opening times: Monday to Friday from 9.30 a.m to 8.00 p.m. and Saturday from 9.00. The Hypermarket is open from 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. Monday to Friday and from 8.30 a.m. on Saturday.

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COMMUNITY PAGES

ASSOCIATION GENÈVE

FUTUR HOCKEY

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By Sarah Fransen o you have a budding ice hockey player at home? The Genève-Servette Hockey Club (GSHC) can help hone your young one’s skills – and interest.

Perhaps you already know that GSHC is the local professional ice hockey team. But did you know that they also have a junior development program for boys and girls?

The Association Genève Futur Hockey (GFH) is the Academy created by GSHC to promote and develop ice hockey in the region. Emphasis is put on increasing the number of junior players, and raising standards of play through highly skilled training.

The Association is also making a big push to develop hockey programmes for girls. Called “Just for Girls”, this program will be in its third season this winter. Girls and women from 6 to 50, and of all abilities are welcome. Hockey equipment can be borrowed from GFH. The emphasis is on making the hockey experience positive, safe, friendly and fun. There’s plenty of socialising – many of the girls who participate have become good friends off the ice, too. The girls programs take place weekends from November to March at the Grand-Saconnex outdoor ice skating rink.

The GFH is involved in running other community programs for children 4 years old and up.

These take place November to March on the various outdoor rinks around Geneva. GFH also hosts many school outings, so if your child comes home telling you they will be learning to play hockey with their class, this will likely be with GFH. Hundreds of children are involved in these programs during the winter season.

For those boys and girls who wish to play very competitive hockey, GFH has close ties with 3 other minor hockey associations in the area, and can direct boys and girls to a nearby club well suited to their ability.

For more information on the hockey academy, and to register for their programs, or to get general information on hockey and skating in Geneva, visit http://www.genevefuturhockey.ch.

Or write to info@genevefuturhockey.ch.

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