REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST - PUBLICATION No. VBH 6369
MARCH 2012
SwissKids is for Swiss kids! The SwissKids group met last December for the traditional Santa get-together where more than 20 kids participated. Thanks to the many volunteers we were able to surprise the kids with the traditional ‘ChlouserBread’ baking. The kids learned how to create a bread shaped like a person with a head, arms and legs. Once the bread went into the oven the school kids were creative, finding ideas for our new logo. Thank you Roland for putting the ideas of our kids into this very cute logo!
The younger kids did craft activities and created snowflakes to decorate their windows. The Swiss choir then joined us and we sang a few traditional Christmas songs. I hope we will be able to keep this tradition and sing together again next year! We then had a special guest arriving with loud bells, a sack full of presents and big boots which made us think he came directly from the snow in
Meet Homo Helveticus
Switzerland! The kids loved our Santa! Thank you for coming all this way and surprising us! All these special events brought Christmas closer and everyone enjoyed the Christmas spirit a lot. The parents were able to chat and laugh with each other. Our next meeting is on the 3rd of March. Please come along if you have kids of any ages. We will be doing experiments, singing, craft, school, sharing fruit. Thank you and see you there. Esther Blaser-Tokarev When do we meet: First Saturday every month Covernor: Esther Blaser-Tokarev, Esther.Blaser@gmx.ch, 0424 220 523 Bring along: $5 per family, fruit to share
From Geissenpeter to Alpöhi. Have patience with the Swiss man and you will gain yourself a loyal friend. At first glance, Switzerland appears to be a motherland. It has a feminine article and – more importantly – the popular personifications of Swiss nationhood are distinctly female: Heidi and Helvetia, the two faces of Switzerland. One all sweetness and innocence, the other statuesque and scarily well-armed; together they make a rather accurate picture of how the Swiss like to see their country. The trouble is they are both fictional. To see the real Switzerland, you need to look a little closer and discover that the country is in fact firmly controlled by a very special breed of man: Homo Helveticus. Let’s meet him. First introductions might be rather formal, done because they’re expected rather than desired. But without them, you might never get more than a handshake from him; not only is he a bit shy with strangers but he’s also very protective of his own privacy. Even with introductions done, making conversation can sometimes be as uncomfortable for him as it is for you. Small talk is not his forté, personal details are only reluctantly revealed and leading questions are not welcomed – never ask about his marital status or the cost of his car. Patience is what’s needed, and it will be rewarded in spades: befriend Helveticus on his terms and he will open up and stay with you for life. Dependable and loyal, he’s most probably the best friend you will ever find.
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