Walking around my present neighborhood in Switzerland, I was reminded of her poem. Here are a few pictures of ordinary things that shine in an extraordinary light.
Enjoy! Wishing you a Happy New Year. May you "see" much beauty in 2016!
My Books
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Look and See!
There is a beautiful poem by Mary Oliver, one of my favorite poets, called Look And See (Why I Wake Early), in which she shows us through her beautiful language and vivid images how much richer the everyday things in our life can be, if we learn not just to "look" at them but to "see" them: Look And See by Mary Oliver.
Walking around my present neighborhood in Switzerland, I was reminded of her poem. Here are a few pictures of ordinary things that shine in an extraordinary light.
Enjoy! Wishing you a Happy New Year. May you "see" much beauty in 2016!
Walking around my present neighborhood in Switzerland, I was reminded of her poem. Here are a few pictures of ordinary things that shine in an extraordinary light.
Enjoy! Wishing you a Happy New Year. May you "see" much beauty in 2016!
Christa Polkinhorn, originally from Switzerland, lives and works as writer and translator in the Los Angeles area, California. She divides her time between the United States and Switzerland and has strong ties to both countries. She is the author of five novels and a collection of poems. Her travels and her interest in foreign cultures inform her work and her novels take place in several countries. Aside from writing and traveling, she is an avid reader and a lover of the arts, dark chocolate, and red wine.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Samichlaus - Sankt Nikolaus (Santa Claus) visits Switzerland on December 6!
Unlike in the United States where I live now, Santa Claus (or Samichlaus in Zurich dialect) is celebrated on December 6, in my original home country. He doesn't breeze in on a reindeer either, but walks at a leisurely pace next to a donkey, loaded with presents.In the United States, Santa Claus is the bringer of Christmas gifts. In Switzerland, this role is fulfilled by the Christkind (the Christ child), an angel who flies from Heaven with the gifts and puts them under the tree on Christmas Eve while the children have to wait in their bedrooms. They stand by the window, staring into the night, hoping to spot the Angel flying down from Heaven. Of course, they never see him/her, but they hear the bell ring. This is the signal that tells them that everything is ready. They dash from the bedroom to the Christmas tree in the living room, where the presents are stacked under the tree. At least, this is the way it was when I was a child. Of course, a lot has changed since then.
Accompanying Samichlaus on December 6, is his helper, the Schmutzli. His name, Schmutzli, comes from "Schmutz" (dirt) and refers to his "dirty" face (smeared with ashes). Whereas Santa Claus is the light and good force, his helper, originally Knecht Ruprecht in the old days, represents the darker side. While Santa Claus is the bringer of gifts for the childen, Schmutzli punishes them if they were disobedient during the year. There is a rich tradition (both secular and religious) around these two figures. Interested? Read this!
Nowadays, however, both Samichlaus and Schmutzli are kind men (although Schmutzli still looks a little scary in his black robe and his face smeared with ashes). Schmutzli's basic role now is helping Santa Claus distribute gifts--mandarines, peanuts, and the famous Lebkuchen (ginger bread).
Christa Polkinhorn, originally from Switzerland, lives and works as writer and translator in the Los Angeles area, California. She divides her time between the United States and Switzerland and has strong ties to both countries. She is the author of five novels and a collection of poems. Her travels and her interest in foreign cultures inform her work and her novels take place in several countries. Aside from writing and traveling, she is an avid reader and a lover of the arts, dark chocolate, and red wine.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Coffee, cake, chatting, and mulled wine with author Linda Huber in Zurich
For those who missed Linda's blog post last week!
One of the challenges of being an independent author is creating connections, but this is also one of its perks. Since I started my micro publishing business back in 2010, I have had the good fortune of meeting many wonderful friends on social media. The true pleasure, however, is when you have the chance to get together with them in person. I've met several of my author and reader friends for lunch or an outing and these occasions are always an inspiration.
One such opportunity I had when meeting Linda Huber, the talented author of books such as The Attic Room and The Cold Cold Sea. During my yearly stay in my original home country, Switzerland, this November, we met in the city of Zurich. We took a stroll through the old part of Zurich, visited one of my favorite coffee shops, the richly decorated Cafe Felix at Bellevue, which serves excellent coffee and cake. While enjoying a cappuccino and a delicious Aprikosen-Streuselkuchen (apricot crumb cake), we talked about books, about Scotland (where Linda is from), California (where I live), and tons of other topics.
To walk off some of the calories, we took another stroll, admiring the many small shops, the beautiful old buildings, and Christmas decorations.
Since the weather was rather on the cold and wet side, we needed to warm up at one of the many Glühwein stands (mulled wine) which, together with roasted chestnuts, are very popular at this time of the year.
It was a truly memorable time and I look forward to more such occasions!
Christa Polkinhorn, originally from Switzerland, lives and works as writer and translator in the Los Angeles area, California. She divides her time between the United States and Switzerland and has strong ties to both countries. She is the author of five novels and a collection of poems. Her travels and her interest in foreign cultures inform her work and her novels take place in several countries. Aside from writing and traveling, she is an avid reader and a lover of the arts, dark chocolate, and red wine.
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