Photo above and in banner: Copyright - Hester Macdonald Gardening school in English Got green fingers and want to find out more about gardening?  Hester Macdonald, who presents the popular gardening programme "Dig It"! on World Radio Switzerland, has now launched her own gardening school offering day courses in English, for amateurs, by professionals. She and her team have put together a wide range of courses, to run over the whole year from September to June 2013.  Many of these courses will run in the village of Prangins just a short distance from Nyon. For more details see here. Do you live in Prangins or are planning to move to the village? If so, did you know that Prangins has its own international club, that meets on a weekly basis?  The main aim of Prangins International is "to create a support network for foreigners living in Prangins, to exchange information about what’s going on in the village and area. According to their website; one member put it, “This isn’t just a clique of Anglophones: it’s for anyone living in the village who wishes to converse in English". Living in Nyon featured this club a few years ago on this site, see post here and we'll be checking in with them in the not too distant future to see what's been happening in the club, and the village since then. Photo above: The Château de Prangins - Copyright C. Nelson-Pollard Introduction to Swiss wines - Short course and tour in English this Saturday . Swiss wine expert, international wine judge and GenevaLunch.com editor Ellen Wallace will be offering a seventy minute introduction to Swiss Wines and guided tour of the Vinea Swiss wines fair in English this Saturday the 1st September in Sierre. Photo above: Copyright - Ellen Wallace This is a first for Switzerland’s largest outdoor wine event. The mini-course and visit to six winemakers’ stands under the white tents that line the main street of Sierre, canton Valais will cover the following: Swiss grape varieties, how to read Swiss wine labels and why Switzerland is one of the most environmentally-minded wine-producing countries. You will also learn more from Switzerland’s hundreds of mainly small and often artisanal but highly professional wine producers.  There will be samplings of wine too with the background on where they fit into the bigger Swiss wines picture. Fee: CHF 60, which includes the CHF40 entry fee to Vinea (valid until the fair closes at 19:30 Saturday).  For more details and to reserve  see here

Whether you are setting your sights on a gold medal or simply want to try out a sport for fun, this weekend's Fête des Sports in Nyon will give you the opportunity. There are heaps of activities going in different areas of Nyon, such as handball and capoeira in the gym, to rowing or diving down at the lake on Saturday morning. There are going to be over 85 sports societies represented in different venues in Nyon, Gland, St-Cergue, Genolier/Begnins, Prangins and Terre Sainte, so you should be able to find a sport that suits you. There's even an open day over at the Aérodrome in Prangins if you fancy taking to the sky and want to learn about getting your pilots licence through the Swiss Aéroclub! There's mountain biking from Chéserex up to La Barillette on Saturday, and in the opposite direction from La Barillette to Chéserex on the Sunday. Somehow I think the latter will be a tad easier.... If Tai Chi interests you there will be demonstrations in Le Rocher (note, this has changed from the programme, it will not be down by the lake) and there's petanque going on between 10 -17:00 in Perdtemps, both on Saturday. If you live in the Nyon district you may well have received a leaflet in your postbox with details of the weekend. It probably was snuck in amongst all the other mail. It's white with Fête des Sports written on the front, but if you can't find it, here's the link to the tourist board and the Fête des Sports details. The tourist office in Nyon in the centre of town have brochures too. If they are closed there will be information in the window to read. Finally, you might like to know that the outdoor pool will close on September 7th so just one more week to swim in this fabulous setting, after that it will just be the lake if you want a dip with the mountains as a backdrop. The weather is set to be gorgeous until around Tuesday so make the most of it.

What is like to live in the locked world of autism?  Trish Thalman reviews the film "A Still Jacket"  which explores the issue through the eyes of a 26 year old man called Roman living in the Jura hills. Trish says this is "a breathtakingly beautiful aspect of learning about the 'locked in life' of Autism with spectacular visuals". This film will be repeated tomorrow Sunday at the 14:30 at the Capit0le Cinema 1 Share the truth” Roman communicates, “I want to be known for more than just a person with autism” when he is asked how he would like to be portrayed in the film.  Thus begins the exquisitely beautiful, powerful and intimate film of a handsome, 26 year old man who has never said a word during his life, but understands every word said to him. He lives on a working farm in the Jura Mountains, along with other autistic young men and women, and the professionals who work lovingly and honestly with him, as they endeavour to help Roman touch the outer world. With his manual skills, he is able to ‘muck out’ the cowsheds, vacuum his room, and work in the forest splitting small logs for firewood to be used on the farm and for sale. Progress and new learning comes with an introduction to learn how to use a chain saw to cut larger logs from the fallen trees. This takes time, repetition, scolding, personal conflict and heartfelt patience by the Xaver, the instructor/ therapist, who eventually ensures that Roman is able to use the chainsaw correctly. Roman loves the video camera Roman has been given a video camera by the filmmaker as ‘part of the deal’ to making this film about his life. Roman loves the video camera and especially likes to ‘be filmed’. We see his captivating photography portraying the simplicity and often, the inner chaos of his life.  One sequence that he films at night, while in a fluorescent-lit train car, provides a surreal shambles of colour, light and sound, all topsy-turvy as the video camera is pointed in no particular direction. Is that what Roman sees and wants to communicate to us in his attempt to be socially connected rather than isolated? Perhaps Roman is not so isolated and lacking in emotional nothingness. At one point he is disciplined for not respecting the personal space of one of his chainsaw team members. When asked why he aggressed the young man, Roman replies that he “wants to have a boyfriend”, a close connection with another person. The constant noise and activity of daily life on the farm, chainsaw training, the repetitive sounds and patterned movements of Roman’s anxious, regressive moments, are captured in Roman’s own videos and Giger’s sensitive close-ups of him and the people surrounding his furious life. Perhaps a ‘Still Jacket’ would release the fury.  The sumptuous, realistic photography incorporating extensive use of natural lighting along with the serene shots of the snow-dusted, Winter-through-Spring season in the Jura countryside, brings a welcome calmness to the portrait of a young man living a life within himself.  This film is directed by Ramon Giger and is in the  "Helvetique category" of films A film of the highest quality and sensitivity, laced with humour, that provides a face-to-face openness with the little known, much less understood, life of one person living within autism. Trish Thalman is an American from California living  in Gland and will be reviewing films throughout the Visions du Réel festival.  Photo above: courtesy Visions du Réel

Rodrigo and Gabriela, Amy Macdonald, Alborosie. Around the world at Paléo. India is the theme in the Village du Monde this year at Paléo but the music playing in the tents each night covers over all countries, and continents. Music that often crosses and fuses different styles, giving the audience a unique listening experience. Rodrigo and Gabriela from Mexico define their music as fusion. "Latin rythms and harmonies with a rock structure". Whatever the title, they wowed a full Chapiteau tent on Thursday night with superb extraordinary acoustic guitar playing and energy. The stand selling CDs at the festival was swamped after their performance, with customers all queuing up to buy their music, such was its popularity. The duo have received rave reviews at other concerts and undoubtedly will receive many more after their Paléo appearance. The fusion theme continued later with Alborosie. An Italian from Sicily singing reggae and the first white artist to be distributed by the legendary label of Bob Marley. With dread locks flowing he brought a pulsating reggae rhythm to the evening and to reggae fans in the Chapiteau. Over in the Dome tent there was an extraordinary mix of music and dance with La Route des Fils du Vent. This show combined different musical traditions with over eighteen artists on stage. There was music from Andalucia, to India, to Romania all retracing the the journey of gypsy people throughout the world all through flamenco rhythms, fakirs, gypsy violins, and drums and dancers. One of the headline acts over on the main stage was Amy Macdonald . A young singer at only 22 she is petite but with a big voice and is an extremely accomplished performer. Accomplished also at pleasing the crowd. She talked about performing in the Barrowlands venue in her home town of Glasgow and how "It's a very special place" but then she stopped and went onto say "however it's not a spectacular as here. Should she ever stop singing she could equally find a career in the diplomatic service.

Rolle high street will be closed off on Saturday the 4th of June as the town celebrates the “Belle Epoque“ period. There will be music, games and a period costume parade at 16:00. See website here for full programme Caribana  The rain held off on Friday night at Caribana for the line up of K's Choice, Pony Pony, Run Run, Jungle and other bands performing on stage (see photos below from the night). There are still tickets available for Saturday night's concerts. Note - the grounds are muddy in some places   See programme here Above -  A friendly glass of wine from the staff at the Caveau bar Above - Pony Pony, Run Run on stage with fans from the crowd. Above - Jungle mid-concert Above - The veggie burritos are good at Caribana this year!

Photo above: Ceramic pots on sale at the Nyon Spring Market in 2008 The weather has finally warmed up and there's lots going on here over the next few weeks in the Vaud area and a selection of events are listed below. Firstly though, Living in Nyon is delighted to announce that from time to time it will be collaborating with the website "Newly Swissed" with a joint exchange of articles and information. The logo of "Newly Swissed"  is now on the sidebar of this site for you to click on after you have checked out the Living in Nyon news!  There is lots of fun and useful info on the site, from "Cool Facts, Design, Language, and Oddities" to "Politics, Tourism" and more. The site is run out of Zurich by a team of writers and you can find out more and how it came about by listening to a radio interview with the founder Dimitri Burkhard on World Radio Switzerland here. Save WRS Incidentally, if you enjoy listening to World Radio Switzerland for its coverage of news, for the music and information it provides on all manner of subjects such as: business, features and interviews etc, then do read the section on the WRS website  called " The Future of WRS, The Facts, Your Comments" . You can leave your own comments about the station there too. As you will read, the station is threatened with closure , so you might like to know there is also an online petition for the public to sign to protest against this closure - note, this has been created by a listener, an individual who is independent of the radio station. See  savewrs.com  Local News / Events happening  this weekend On Saturday 2nd June, it's the Spring Fair which will take place in the streets around the town, the commercial shops will remain open until 18:00. There will be artisanal stands, live music, the opportunity to buy and sell second hand bikes (it is also Journée du Velo - Day of the Bike more info here) , a bouncy castle for children in Place du Midi and other fun events for the family. Then from 17:30 onwards in the Salle Communale, the  first event of the “Intercultural” weekend begins. The Fête de l’Interculturelle is an annual celebration for all the different nationalities that live in the region. On Saturday there will be a potluck supper from 18:30 at the Salle Communale in Nyon.  Take along a dish or speciality from your region or country, and share it with others from around the world. This will be followed at 21:00 by a Brazilian evening with samba music and dance. On Sunday 3 June there will be music and traditional dance and food from around the world at the Place des Fêtes down at the Rive from 11:30 onwards. Also, a reminder that on Saturday 2nd June there will be a big Caribbean party happening in Eysins near Nyon to celebrate 50 years of  Jamaican Independence. "Reggae, dancehall and Jamaican vintage music as well as calypso and Latin American beats will be provided by US based DJ team "Wyclef Refugee All Stars", flying in to Switzerland especially for this premiere event". Tickets will be available at the door. See link here  Sunday 3 June  - Archaeological event in the castle of Prangins - 10:00 -17:00 "Visit a Gallic village in the Roman times and watch a real battle between the Roman legionnaires and Gallic warriors. Lots of free activities for the family. Free entry".  This info in English on this event was provided by "Know it All Passport" a site where you can find details of lots of other events happening in the Geneva, Vaud and Pay de Gex area. Click on the logo of "Know it All Passport"  on the sidebar of this site. Caribana begins next week! Still on the music theme, also a reminder that Caribana, the first of the summer music festivals in the area begins next week on the 6th June.  There are still tickets available for this 5 day event, performers include Kasabian, Gossip, Lou Reed, The Specials and more. See Caribana here Finally, an apology to readers due the fact this site was temporarily unavailable for two days due to a technical and an admin hitch in the system!

A few images of Nyon over the past couple of days. Make a Smilebox postcard

There was the sound of Spanish music near Nyon railway station last Saturday night as a flamenco dancer entertained a group of customers outside "La Roulotte". This temporary café set up just behind la gare seems to have been a success over the summer months, with people stopping to have a drink on their way home from work,  an early breakfast (they open at 06:30!) or to meet  other friends for lunch. With reasonable prices and a varied choice of food on the menu let's hope this initiative will continue next year (the café will be closing soon for winter). It has certainly made a difference to this area which is normally just a throughfare for commuters. First Aid Courses for Parents and Carers If you are interested in learning first aid in English then you might like to know about two courses taking place in September in Lausanne and in Vevey in November. These courses will be taught in small groups by two British doctors, Dr Michelle Wright and Dr Penny Fraser, in a friendly, relaxed English-speaking setting. These courses are designed to provide practical advice and information for the expat community, away from their usual support networks of family, friends, GPs and other healthcare professionals. Note, if you would be interested in attending  a course like this in the Nyon area then please email Dr Michelle Wright If enough readers are interested then there is a good possibility that this can be arranged.  E-mail drmichellewright@gmail. Course 1: Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for Babies and Children This course is a hands-on workshop during which you can expect to: Understand the principles of infant and child CPR Use mannequins to practice the skills of opening an airway, giving rescue breaths and performing chest compressions Learn how to help a choking or drowned child Practice the safe positioning of an unconscious child Learn about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (cot death) and how to reduce the risk Course 2: First Aid for Child Injuries This course is packed with practical advice, hands on training, lively discussions and lots of information.  Along with other topics, you can expect to: Learn how to deal with burns, scalds and electrocution Understand the importance of head injuries and what to do Practice how to deal with major bleeding, cuts, bites, broken bones and sprains Get advice on what you should have in your first aid kit and how to use it Course 3: Childhood Illnesses: What You Need To Know Whenever we look after children, our own or someone else’s, it is helpful to know what important illnesses can affect them.  Children can become sick quite quickly and if we learn how to recognise the early signs of some important illnesses, we will be best placed to help them.  Amongst other topics, you can expect to: Learn about the danger of fevers and what to do about them Understand how to recognise an ill child and know when to call the doctor Recognise  the warning signs of meningitis Get advice about how  to deal with everyday common problems including diarrhoea, rashes, coughs and colds Lausanne, Saturday 25 th September 2010 Vevey, Saturday 20 th November 2010 Le Cazard, 15 Pré du Marché, 1004 Lausanne Rue des Bosquets 9, 1800 Vevey Course 1: 9am – 12.30pm or 2pm – 5.30pm Course 1: 9am – 12.30pm or 2pm – 5.30pm Course 2: 9am – 12.30pm Course 2: 9am – 12.30pm Course 3: 2pm – 5.30pm Course 3: 2pm – 5.30pm  Cost: Each course is 3½ hours long and costs 100 CHF per person. This includes a comprehensive course booklet. For more information and to register: E-mail drmichellewright@gmail.com or call 079 821 8027 Historic buildings weekend This weekend it's the "Journées Européennes du Patrimoines". On these two days many museums and buildings of historical significance throw open their doors to the public.  In Nyon the Château, the Roman Museum, the Musée du Leman and the Clinique la Métairie will all be participating in this weekend.  Opening times and more details here  Other towns and villages across Switzerland will be taking part too and you can see the full list of places here.  Brocante Sale in Gex in France. Tomorrow Saturday 18th September  09:00 to 12:00 Huge selection of brocante for sale in a French farmhouse setting in Gex.  Small items of furniture, paintings, mirrors, kitchenalia, ceramics, rugs, collectables; something for every taste - antique, vintage, shabby chic and contemporary must-haves  - both useful and decorative for inside and out.   Bring a friend and enjoy the occasion with coffee and cake. Contact Sian Sibley for directions on tel +33 6 81 36 67 23 or +33 4 50 41 92 30 at 485 Rue de l'Etraz 01170 Gex Email s.sibley@orange.fr Parking: on the road to avoid being blocked in and wear sensible shoes if muddy

Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais s’il vous plaît?  -  Learning the language to help integration into Switzerland Here is an excellent article written by Melina Hiralal on learning a language to help integration into  Switzerland.  She gives tips, hints and advice and recommends a good language learning website. Read on to find out how a recent trip to Australia made her reflect that language is more than a tool for integration, but is also a way of showing respect for the culture you are a guest of. Melina Hiralal is a cross cultural consultant and lives near Nyon and she works with companies, families and individuals offering training and assistance during both the expatriation and the repatriation process.  This is her second article in a series on expatriate issues  ( read her first here )and says that sometimes, ”living in an unfamiliar culture is like watching a foreign film without sub-titles”. If  you would like advice from Melina you can contact her at  hiralal.wolf@bluewin.ch Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais s’il vous plaît? We’ve all been in a shop or on public transport and heard variations of this sentence. Language is one of the primary tools needed to facilitate integration when you arrive at the new location which you will be calling home for the next couple of years. In the Lac Léman region, the answer will increasingly be “yes” and information can be exchanged and transactions made in a manner that is satisfactory to both parties. Language is also one of the keys to understanding the culture you are living in and a simple grasp of French enables you to participate in local, daily life. For many expats however, mastering the local language represents a real challenge as they often have no real need for it to accomplish the job they were hired for.  The Lac Léman area is filled with English-speakers and expats can definitely get by with little or no knowledge of French. However, on a recent trip to Australia, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with an Aboriginal in Sydney who started by telling me that in order to speak his own language and tell his own stories during the tour (he was not a native of Sydney) he had needed to ask permission from the elders of the Sydney tribes. From Aboriginal Australia to La Côte, I realised that language is more than a tool for integration but also a way to show respect for the culture you are a guest of.  Plunging ahead in your mother-tongue without asking permission to use it is just plain rude in both hemispheres!  Asking permission first (using the local language) does not need perfect language skills and can be reduced to one sentence learned parrot-style. Starting conversations with this one sentence is more respectful; it will result in a more pleasant interaction with the local population, and will generate a lot more goodwill than doing the opposite. The Swiss, more than others, have an understanding of linguistic challenges and many have faced similar difficulties on crossing the language frontier of the “Rösti fence” at some point in their lives. Therefore, most will empathise and be respectful of your attempts. So how can an expat, with little time to devote to learning a new language, learn enough to get by and participate more in local life? Benny Lewis from the website Fluent in Three Months strongly encourages immediately abandoning the mother-tongue wherever possible. This may seem daunting but he gives an easy example illustrating how this can be done. When visiting a restaurant, he recommends asking for both the English and the local menus. The layouts are often similar (sometimes there are even pictures) and the English menu will help you to choose what you would like to eat. When it comes to ordering, you use the local one and a combination of language and pointing will probably be enough to obtain what you want. Take language lessons : a true beginner will need to have a few lessons, and it can save time if you look for a course using teaching methods where language is taught in “chunks” or phrases that are useful, rather than those culminating in a dissertation on “Les Misérables”. Join a local association: a brave friend of mine joined the local fire brigade and ended up not only learning better french but meeting his neighbours which increased his sense of belonging to the village. Join a local club: pick an activity that you are already familiar with and instead of joining the expat one, join the local one; this can be anything from singing in a choir, playing bridge, sports-related, etc. Take up a course: instead of a language course, pick a creative course from the long list of the Ecole Club Migros for example. Don’t be tempted by their few courses taught in English, and endeavour to learn how to cook Thai food, sew your own clothes, or do Ikebana all in French.  This is true learning by doing and when you miss “the middle bit” of the teacher’s explanation, you’ll just need to look around at what the others are doing and follow suit. As well as increasing your language competence and possibly learning a new skill, another positive aspect of all these activities is that you will meet new people. You may not become best friends, but they can be helpful sources of information for you. Finally, as familiarity grows, you will begin to feel less of a newcomer and more at home and at ease in your surroundings. Photo below - Melina Hiralal

This is a busy time of year in the area, the grape harvest is in full flow, la Chasse is now available in the restaurants, and on Saturday it's the Autumn market in Nyon with fruit and veg, music and artisanal stands galore. The Roman museum in Nyon reopens today the 2nd and also today Friday at 20:30 there is a jazz concert over at the Conservatoire of Nyon. Maliza N and Ornelle Ponnaz Duo will perform in the Salle Mingus at 20:30. Over at the Usine a Gaz on Friday there's rock with the group Red Castle Addiction. The Desalpes takes place on Saturday in St Cergue, this is when the cows are brought down from the high ground ( see previous post ) Over in Morges there's a major event this weekend As on Saturday 3rd October it's the The Swiss Classic British Car Meeting which will be held on the quayside in Morges from 10:00 to 17:00. In 2008 the event attracted more than 20,000 visitors and saw over 1200 classic British cars and motorbikes turn up, from not only Switzerland, but many from France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Everything from MGs from the 1950s, Austins from the 1930s, racing Jaguars from the ‘60s, and old Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, including a few classic Triumphs and Royal Enfields from the golden age of English bikes. MG's of all ages, from the 1960's MGB in the foreground to the 1930's MG TA at the end of the row. Above: An Austin Seven. This small car completed the Route 66 in the US, ( 2,400 miles) The car was then driven from Los Angeles to Terra del Fuego via the Andes! This year at the show there will be three invited makes, Lots of Austin Healey 3000s (the car is celebrating it's 50th anniversary) These cars will be coming from all over Europe and will be on display in the chateau grounds. The Morgan (celebrating it's 100th anniversary) will turn the central road in the Park d'Indépendance into "Morgan Street for the day" and there will also be Minis galore (the car celebrates it's 50th anniversary this year) these will fill the pedestrian promenade to the Hotel Fleur du Lac Attendance is free for participants and visitors, plus souvenir prizes for all drivers, and special awards for the oldest car and motorcycle on view. See site for full details. and finally don't forget that on Sunday it's the "Pink Ribbon" trail over in Jussy, a great walk and a great way to end the weekend. If you time it right, you might be able to catch some or all of the above events!

Living in Nyon is taking a short winter break and will be back at the end of January. In the interim if you would like to know what events are happening this month around the area, the best place to check in the first instance is Nyon Region Tourism Office (link here) .   Alternatively check the "agenda ", the monthly page published by the tourist office, this is also published weekly in La Côte newspaper. You can also check out "Know It all Passport",  and the "In Any event" site (both links on bottom of this site) for more information.  Anglo Info, Geneva Lunch, and Glocals are three other good resources of news and information. Photos in banner and in post are of the cosy  "Bains de 3 jetées "café ( this is to be found by the lake side with the sauna next to it and is open from November to April )  Link here

Merry Christmas from Living in Nyon! This Christmas message was photographed by the lake in Prangins, however, two swans in the water became very curious to know what was going on. The Christmas message was trampled on somewhat. So it's Merry "Christas" to all Living in Nyon readers! n Th