Tag: Switzerland

The Hospice of Grand St. Bernard

Posted on by lauraanneayres

Written at 2AM on June 29th at The Hospice of Grand St. Bernard

High on the mountain, just next to the official border between Switzerland and Italy, which is in a lake, sits the Hospice of Grand St. Bernard.

This weekend celebrated a great many things: the Treasury, the Collège Chapittet, the renovations underway to save the Hospice from dilapidation and decay. Read it clearly: complete closure. After 1000 years of service. Because that will happen someday soon if the Hospice is not saved. (PLEASE donate: Hospice du GSB- Union de Banque Suisse-1920 Martigy- IBAN CH50 0026 4264 6946 8001 X – BIC UBSWCHZH80A)

Moving on, I think it is safe to say, many of those who gathered this weekend did not know each other. Many people who crossed the threshold of the Hospice of Grand St. Bernard this weekend were strangers to each other. It’s just normal. What is not normal is the outcome.

They left as part of a family: the ever-growing, all-loving Hospice family.

Even for those of us, like me, who are veterans – it’s always a new family, you see? New faces, new stories, new names. Every day, the Hospice family is re-energized by “newness” and it is through this heart that the Hospice will always give warmth and light, even when it is a time of darkness or cold.

Pilgrims (like Brian) embrace physical endurance testers (like Mr. X from Vaud). Canons, deacons, and oblates break bread (or cheese) with Switzerland’s in-the- valley-working folks. Others are seeking peace and encounter someone in direct service (like Jackson). At the Hospice, we all fight for the same thing: peace. Peace not only for ourselves in this moment. Peace for all who are in need.

Because we are family. We are all the Hospice of Grand St. Bernard family and now we have new additions in Jackson and Alex, who contributed so much to make this weekend’s concerts happen. Hospice angels.

God bless José, Frédéric, Anne-Marie, Raphaël, Pascal, Jean-Michel, L, Anne-Laure, Christophe and the Campaign committee, Raphaëlle, Annick and Stefan, and many others. We all use our gifts to support the Hospice. That’s what we do.

I wish everyone could be lucky enough to join this family. It is a family that will never let you fall.

http://www.gsbernard.net

Opening notes of "Snow"

On a personal note:

It’s hard to point to a favorite moment, but I think the moment José laid eyes on me when I arrived was one of the best moments in my life. No one has ever been so happy to see me and let me know it. HUGE smile, eyes dancing, big bear hug. José – ich bin deine Schutzengeli und immer so.

Jackson Henry at the Hospice is too much goodness to handle. Seeing his feet walk out of the Customs door after over a decade of geographical distance is something I cannot explain. Jackson is one of my top five favorite people on the planet – he is my soul’s twin brother.

 

“I Don’t Want To”

Posted on by lauraanneayres

At least 20 times a day, I am faced with the internal answer, “I don’t want to.” I usually ignore it. Why?

I’m an adult.

“I don’t want to” is a selfish answer. It is rarely, I’ve found, the right answer. Here’s my example.

Yesterday, I had the entire day planned from sun up to sun down. The crucial hour was the one between physical therapy and home. I needed to catch my train to get home to bake the birthday cake. I am in Switzerland. My train comes on time, two times an hour. Punkt.

After PT, I got on the tram. I put on my headphones and started my NYC streets focus. I would have 7 minutes to get my little orange train. This young guy kept making eye contact with me and it looked like he was trying to talk. “I don’t want to” was in my head and I kept listening to Van Morrison’s Plan B album.

But, the guy came over to me. I removed the earbud and trying to find out what he was saying even though I didn’t want to.

He was sick. Really sick. In fact, he almost passed out on me.

He was only trying to tell me that he needed some water.

I helped him off the tram and into a seat, fetched some water and crackers, and sat with him. He’d just had a long day, not enough water, and got dehydrated. It was simple.

I thought about it a lot this morning. My initial “I don’t want to” almost hindered me from doing exactly what I want to do with my life…help people in need of help. This is the rather quiet way I “Catholic Buddhist” in the world. I save the bible beating and “mean Messiah”-ing to others. I sort of do my own thing.

This morning, I also remembered Moni. She was just about to finish a triathlon last year when a man fell in front of her. Instead of listening to an “I don’t want to” because of exhaustion, self-determination, desire for a good time, etc., she stopped. When she realized he was very ill, she stayed with him. He died. Imagine if she had listened to all the reasons she “didn’t want to?” God bless my Moni. She’s one of my heroes.

I didn’t get the cake done because I didn’t make my train.

I made brownies instead. Is Martha Stewart going to give them a prize?…uh, no. But, we all ate them (not me, don’t like sweets) and had a great laugh. At a table full of good friends, everyone ate one of these “charming” brownies…even the people that probably “didn’t want to.” 😉

The "I Didn't Want To" brownies

 

 

 

Freddie Mercury, Switzerland is wicked expensive, and losing Pop

Posted on by lauraanneayres

Everything crashed on my head last week. May 16th – big IN party that night, didn’t feel well, Lion was here (which was the only good part)…but it was the first day of hell week, which begins on May 16th and lasts until my birthday on May 21st.

In 2004, I threw a surprise party for my mom on May 15th. The most nervous guest was Pop because he had a special note for Mom, he didn’t really like big parties, etc. The more nervous he became, the more nervous I became. I didn’t want a repeat of Pop’s collapse. I told him it would be okay. I put Pop right across from me this time and watched him like a hawk. We made toasts to Mom, food came. Everything was going smoothly.

Until it didn’t. Looked at Pop. Face was grey, mouth hanging open. Ambulance called. Dad is performing CPR on his father. Chaos. Pop made it through the night. The next week was looking okay. Pop was in the hospital and I rarely left his side.

Then came May 20th and a “routine” procedure. One tiny slip, one tiny mistake. His heart wall was punctured. Surgery didn’t work. He was dead before we got back to the hospital at 12:30AM on May 21st – my birthday.

I will never wake up on May 21st and want to celebrate. Instead, I go and do something, on that day, that I know would make Pop proud.

Pop and I both loved music. We actually had “music appreciation” together. We would sit together for hours, living in music. One of my favorite bands is Queen. I love everything about it, especially THAT voice. Queen’s last recording studio was in Montreux and there’s an exhibit there. So, for my birthday this year, I went to find it. It was something I did, in part, because I miss my brother. I liked it when he sang “Pressure” driving down the Tollway one day. He sounded just like Freddie.  “Pressure,” by the way…came to life on May 21, 1982. I had a cast on my arm and ate a cake with Strawberry Shortcake on it while David Bowie and Freddy Mercury were snapping and clapping?! So cool! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-vJGUYHesU

Next, I went to Chillon Castle. I thought of Pop (who loved poetry) and the poem by Lord Byron. I started crying a bit as I looked at the lake and then I heard this guy say to his buddy, “Switzerland is wicked expensive.” I laughed. He took a great picture of me and we had a nice talk about poetry. Pop would have been proud I talked about Switzerland, poetry, and made a nice moment come from a sad one.

Losing Pop because of a party I planned? Worst feeling. I will never be the same. But I had a choice on May 21, 2005. How am I going to handle it? I’m going to honor him on that day. I’m going to choose to laugh, to smile, to cry. To feel all that I need to feel and be, well, Pop’s Princess Wawwy.

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Rowe Jackson Ayres, Sr.

 

 

Switzerland doesn’t want your Grand Big Mac, Ronald.

Posted on by lauraanneayres

Color me red and white in prideful appreciation for the current Swiss backlash against the Grand Big Mac.

God bless your cholesterol-heavy heart Ronald, you knew that wouldn’t be popular here, didn’t you? You’re little tag line on the advert “only for a limited time” almost seems like “I am really sorry to have to advertise this in your exercise/recycling/good health-focused country. They are making me.”

Page two of the daily paper yesterday (this is the paper everyone reads, for free, while utilizing public transport, which the vast majority of us do) had this to say, “Criticism about the new jumbo burger.” The article then went on to tear the not-so-Grand Big Mac to shred(ded lettuce…ha ha, I couldn’t help myself). First attack was not on the ingredients or daily fat intake or anything a bit intangible.

They attacked the size. Simple, concise, efficient attack. The Grand Big Mac is 45% bigger than the regular one.

It was so Swiss and so brilliant. They go on to attack different aspects, but the crux of the argument is simple: this company is trying to make us 45% bigger like this burger. Eww. Gross.

Someone refers to the burger as “scandalous.” Someone else refers to the McDonald’s spokeswoman as representing “the calorie bomb.” Damn! The only redeeming component appears to be the half a head of lettuce we see in the Grand Big Mac’s debutant photo, but that is left out. No, every sentence is loaded with burger-busting explosives. Bravo.

This is why Switzerland has 90-year olds who hike in the mountains. This is why it’s fairly normal to see people on crutches throughout the year. These people are active and they are moving. They don’t want to add 45% to their meals. They want to be moving in a year, five years, fifty years. Also, they also like their meals; so they wouldn’t want to waste 3/4 of their daily food requirements in one go.

Go back and look at this blog post. Read all the things that contribute, daily, to the good health of the inhabitants in this country.

1) Utilizing public transportation – moving ourselves around keeps muscles functioning, oxygen flowing, and encourages social awareness (though some people fail miserably in this last area)

2) Recycling – keeps us from being a wasteful nation, focused on consumption without consequence. They don’t give us a choice here. You’ll recycle or you pay more because trash bags are expensive here…on purpose. Recycling is made easy and it’s just part of our daily lives.

3) Size control – ha ha. This is a bit of a sensitive subject. But, yes. Switzerland is hyper-conscious about keeping the, ahem, portions small. (Even of the portions of foreigners.)

4) Daily news – twice a day, we read the daily news. Why? It’s free. It’s presented to us not only via the web, but also in our hands. I cannot imagine Swiss transport without newspapers scattered here and there. This contributes to global, regional, and local awareness. It also makes for a well-informed society that is READING. Not bad.

5) Fresh vegetables and fruits – I have never seen people eating vegetables and fruits more in my life. Granted, we are spoiled. We have fresh veggies and fruits at our disposal all the time. You buy them on the run and you don’t even think twice. For example, I would never walk into a fast food place and grab fries for a train ride. I do, often, grab an apple and/or some carrots.

I’m not anti-McDonald’s. I am a huge supporter of the work done at the Ronald McDonald houses, by the way. But, what is the overall cost? For every Ronald McDonald house, doing amazing work, there are probably thousands of cases of coronary disease attributable to bad health habits encouraged by the first “McDonald’s Happy Meal.” Taking care of sick kids is really important. Keeping kids from getting sick…can I be so bold as to say it’s MORE important?

Nevertheless, I don’t think Switzerland was a great launch site for the Grand Big Mac, Calorie Bomb. Our golden bodies are a bit more important to us than your golden arches, in this case.

 

Am I disposable? Are you?

Posted on by lauraanneayres

I am profoundly struck by Pope Francis’ recent remarks, “Young people at the moment are in crisis. We have all become accustomed to this disposable culture. We do the same thing with the elderly…they are afflicted by a culture where everything is disposable. We have to stop this habit of throwing things away. We need a culture of inclusion.”

Have we all, young and old, become an “i-generation” that is focused primarily on disposing of everything easily?

Let’s think about things that are disposable: razorblades, diapers, tires. Yes, they are easy to throw away and that is convenient. But, where do they go when they’ve been disposed of? I mean, it all goes somewhere, right? One of the many things I love about Switzerland, they make it hard and expensive for you to dispose of “trash.” Well done.

As disturbing as our “I have to dispose of this thing easily” fixation is, the extension of this desire to toss that which is not immediately necessary is truly shocking: people are also disposable.

I get in a fight with someone? I delete them from my FB page, Twitter followers, contact list. I’m annoyed with another person? I ignore phone calls and emails. I am having a hard time, so I don’t ask a follow-up to the answer, “I’m alright, I guess.” I’m busily running to work? I cut through a crowd of people like a knife through butter…who cares if I ran into a guy with a broken arm. He’ll survive.

Because people are disposable. Their feelings, their pursuits of happiness, their future plans…their very lives. Look at a newspaper. In today’s newspaper in Zürich: a 3-year old was shot by the Mafia in Rome, a plane full of human beings disappeared in thin air, Ukrainians are fighting for their very lives, and five other awful stories revolving around human suffering as the world watches.

It all points to a bigger issue – one that is truly terrifying in 2014 (we should be well-educated, well-aware) – we are disposing of other people.  It’s medieval, a human as a pawn to get me what I want or as a shield to protect me from something that’s scaring or attacking me. That chess piece? is a person – someone’s son or daughter. Let that sink in.

I used to have a weekly visit with a homeless man that lived in under a bridge in Luzern. I called him “Herbert” because I never could get him to clearly state his name and it was one of those “Shit, it’s been months now and I’m too embarrassed to ask him again” scenarios. 8 times out of 10, Herbert was asleep or passed out, but I’d always leave him a coffee and croissant. When he was awake or semi-sober, he called me his Engeli. I think “Herbert” is in my book, by the way. Anyway, he disappeared one day. After a year under the same bridge, living on the same bench. I think he must have felt disposable, but he wasn’t disposable to me. That was 3 years ago and I still think of Herbert at least three times a week.

It’s inhumane to think of another person’s life like we think of a piece of trash or to call someone’s death “collateral damage.” It is a slippery slope between the decision to ignore a person’s suffering and the decision to disregard that person’s life entirely.

What if the person you’re ignoring could be made better by one chat over coffee? What if the iPhone you just threw away could be refurbished and sent to a small village in Africa? Is that a huge imposition? What if a weekly “hello” to a homeless man ends up being the last time someone said “hello” to him? Still think it’s okay to consider another person as “disposable” or have I convinced you that people and things are not disposable yet?

It’s not a Christian or Jewish or gay or straight or black or white issue to me. It’s a humanitarian one. People are not disposable and neither are razorblades or iPhones or books. Anything that has been created is a part of creation and has a space on this Earth. As the Pope said, we must start to reflect on and acknowledge the intrinsic value of creation. Maybe that’s a start.

 

Switzerland’s February 9th vote, one expat’s opinion

Posted on by lauraanneayres

I’ve taken a few days to gather my thoughts together.

I take the vote very seriously, I take Switzerland’s future very seriously. I do not mean to offend anyone with my opinions below. I hope I haven’t done so. Okay, I’m fine with offending Sarah Palin, to be fair. I’ll ask forgiveness at Mass on Sunday. In Luzern. Who voted “yes.”

By the way, many of my Swiss friends did vote and they voted emphatically “no.” Monday morning, I received a rose in my mailbox that said, “Kanton Zürich- definitiv NEIN.”

The vote in question was another SVP (basically Switzerland’s version of the Tea Party) initiative to limit the presence in Switzerland of working foreigners. Just to be clear, the SVP is more than pleased to have traveling foreigners (with documented dates of departure) spending tourist money. Swiss people vote on initiatives throughout the year and this was not the first, nor will it be the last, such initiative in the past few years.

Everyone blames Blocher (he’s a smart version of Sarah Palin) and calls this blatant racism. They question why in the hell the more liberally-minded people didn’t vote in Cantons like Bern, Schaffhausen and St. Gallen. Some Swiss think the constant initiatives and anti-foreign/Muslim ads are creating a sort of disgusted apathy amongst liberal voters. It is something I hear over and over again from Swiss people, “There is no way this will happen, I don’t need to get involved.”

Yes. Yes, it will. Yes, it did.

Is it racism? Is it clear-cut xenophobia? Look at the attached poster put forward by the SVP. It was defiled by “no!” and Nazi symbols. Why? It is telling Switzerland to stop the “mass immigration,” the “healthy tree of immigrants” is seen eating our beloved Swiss flag and map, and it is doing so in the colors of red, black, and white. IMG_1412

Last night’s dinner with one of my favorite Germans was difficult. “Racist Nazi propaganda…even the colors,” he said with his big, beautiful head in his hands. I just wanted to give him and all Germans and Austrians working and living here an apology. Wie peinlich und grausam mit diesen Farben zu manipulieren. Mehr als “Schade.”

Swissies and expats say “Sorry LA” because they know how deeply it affects me. These posters and this initiative killed me. There is no one who loves this country more than I do. Every day, I have fought like hell to support it. I am a foreigner and I would never “eat away” at Switzerland. I would do anything for this country and I sacrificed a great deal to do so. The same can be said for the expats I know living and working here.

If I thought Sunday’s vote would make for a stronger Switzerland, I would keep my mouth shut. Switzerland, Blocher, even ME…we all want to protect the culturally-integrity of this land. I am 100% in favor of protecting Switzerland, the Swiss, the industries, etc, which is why Sunday’s vote is difficult for me to stomach because it does not protect Switzerland. As an American, I can say three things without hesitation. Pissing off the EU = not good. Being seen as a racist country = not good. Myopic political agendas blatantly ignoring the economic and social implications of their mandates = toxic.

Al Gore wrote a brilliant book, The Assault on Reason, examining the use of the brain’s emotional response to advance certain political agendas via images.

If you are a devout Catholic farmer in a small village in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland and you saw this poster…

                                        bald-1-million-muslime-mit-islamophobem-inserat-gegen-eu-einwanderung-127604316

                                                                                                                                                                          …how would you have voted?

I love Switzerland. I like Blocher (I agree with him more often than not). I continue to love, through gritted teeth, all my beloved Swissies that keep telling me “this” isn’t going to happen. Why? Because we all want the same thing: a strong, healthy life for Switzerland and the people living here.

Swissies be clear. “This” is going to happen. There just might be a day when this beautiful, resourceful nation becomes a living version of “The Prince.” The expats you want, ones that will really acclimate and help grow your economy, will be replaced by expats coming with one sole purpose: making millions and getting the hell out of Switzerland. The majority of expats I’ve talked to for the past few days feel personally insulted by this vote. It’s hard, even for me and I can make almost ANYONE love Switzerland after 5 minutes, to speak up in favor of what happened.

Both the US and Switzerland really have enough wealth and resources to manage immigration issues with a bit more humility and acknowledgement of what the foreigners do to make the economy thrive.

SWISS Snow, P!nk doesn’t hate on other women!, and more Snow

Posted on by lauraanneayres

This blog is a bit random, I’m giving you fair warning.

I woke up to Swiss snow. Is the country-code necessary? Yes. Why? Because everything is better in Switzerland. You think you’ve seen snow? You haven’t. Come here when a landscape that is so majestic, so picturesque, so heart-breakingly glorious is bedecked in white.

Then, you’ve seen Swiss snow.

*   *   *   *

Last night, one of my favorite gals in IN (expat group here that I run with my buddy Bubs) told me, “LA, they’re not after you and Chris, they are only after you.” Question: why women gotta hate on other women? Shortly after informing me not to wear a white toga and walk alone on the Ides of March, my gal pal pondered this idea, “Men attack women and women attack other women.” What’s wrong with that equation? Men are being supported by other men and other women. That’s great.

WHO’S PROTECTING THE WOMEN? The two best friends of Emily in “Before You” are based on two of my best friends here. When I was encouraged to cut one of them by an early editor, I cut someone all right…the freaking editor. Are you kidding me?

I like women. I don’t see them as competition. I’m more guyish in a lot of ways and perhaps that is another one. I LOVE my girlfriends, including the ones I’ve yet to meet. I’m serious and I’m not going to put a stupid little tag on that because I couldn’t care less if the women is red, purple, hetero, homo, transgendered, questioning, certain, uncertain, unstable or what. I do care if she’s wealthy or struggling because I want to make sure both women know their concerns are shared. I also care if she’s happy or sad. I care about that very deeply.

P!nk should be our role model. She chooses her girlfriends over dudes, promotes being a good girlfriend over being popular, and she’s strong & smart. Ever listened to “F-in Perfect” (http://www.metrolyrics.com/fuckin-perfect-lyrics-pink.html)? Women, stop hating on other women. Especially when the other women might be doing something you wish you were doing. Best thing to do in that situation? ASK IF YOU CAN JOIN. Duh. Envy is so stupid and it is hard to find the perfect shade of green.

*   *   *   *

Now, back to one of my favorite things about living here: snow.

I have never met anyone who welcomes the first snowfall more than I do. I welcome it in spite of the fact that I know it takes a lot of my weekend activities with my buddies off the table (not so much the skier am I). Oddly enough, I welcome it more because I know they are all (well, one of “them” in particular) so thrilled to see snow.

Snow blankets everything in a new start. It puts to sleep things that need a rest.

Ah snow. Cover this girl up for awhile.

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