The MANHATTAN SHORT film festival will be in Nyon's own cinema on Thursday October 4th at 20:30. Ten films will be shown in their original version with English subtitles and after the screening, members of the audience will get to vote on which film they think is the best. Each film is around 10-15 minutes long. Over 100,000 people in over 300 cities will also be viewing and voting on the finalists films this same week. The mission is to unite audiences across the globe for one week via the most compelling short films submitted each year.There are films from the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, the USA, Spain, Peru, Russia, Romania. See site here to see the films that will be shown on Thursday.

Woody Wade is a futurist and author. In his role as a consultant to Swiss organisations planning their future strategies, his role is to help them visualise how their business environment might change, depending on how trends and uncertainties unfold over the next few years. “I help managers of companies get ready for changes they might face in the future by first, recognising what those changes could be,” he says. “That’s already a big step.” Living in Nyon asked Woody, a native of Indiana, how he came to be living amongst the vineyards in Grandvaux (a village with a population just over 2,000), above Cully in the heart of the Lavaux wine-growing region. “The Reader’s Digest version of the story,” he says, “is that I came to work in Switzerland intending to stay ‘for three years’ – that was in 1982. As happens with so many people, Switzerland quickly got its velvet claws in me, so thirty years later, I’m still here, very happy and in no hurry to leave. For the first seven years, I lived in the German part of the country, but then I had a chance to move to Lausanne, and I’ve never looked back. Where I live now, in Grandvaux, I’m perched 300 metres above the lake with a panoramic view that is always changing, always energising. It’s a wonderful place to live and work, an easy drive to Lausanne, Vevey, or the Geneva airport. Peace and quiet, some good restaurants and caveaux nearby – I’m really very privileged.” In Woody’s new book Scenario Planning: A Field Guide to the Future, he explores several ways the world might be different a decade from now – and he makes the case for using a structured approach called scenario planning to try and foresee how the changes could arise – and how different the world may be if they do. What is an example of a trend that could change companies’ competitive footing in the future? “One of the biggest changes going on all around us, but so slowly we almost don’t feel it, is demographic,” Woody says. Birth rates have dropped. So a world with fewer young people than a generation ago could realistically change the “landscape” 10 years from now. This has huge implications for anyone that wants talented young people to join their organisation – and that means just about everybody. When Woody gives presentation to companies he often illustrate the challenges ahead by using the Swiss Army as an example of an organisation facing a shortage of human resources in the future – although he is quick to point out, we will all be in the same boat, not just the Swiss Army. “We will be living in a world where the pool of talent will be shrinking ,” he says. Simply put, lower birth rates mean fewer kids. A little further down the line, fewer kids mean fewer graduates, fewer apprentices, fewer new hires – and for the Swiss Army, fewer 19-year-old recruits. So what can the Swiss Army – and any organisation – do now to get ready for this situation? Woody shows alternative ways the army might address the problem, from forging rather unusual strategic alliances to outsourcing military bands. “I make light of it this in subject in my talks, but it’s a serious issue, and companies really do need to be thinking about it today,” he says. You can find out more about Woody's work and contact here via his own website.

On Saturday 6th October it's the Autumn fair in Nyon. It's always a colourful event with autumn produce on sale, special events and stalls placed around the centre of town ( Place du Midi, Rue Juste Olivier, Place Martin, Place Bel Air etc). Also on the same day, it's the Fête de la Vigne (the wine fair) this will take place in the Place du Château with a full programme of events and music into the evening. See here for more info Over in Morges, a reminder that it's the Classic Car show which also has a full programme of events see here. At the show there will also be the opportunity for members of the public to partake in a traditional English high tea from 11:00-17:00 in the band stand in the Park Independence in Morges. This is organised by the tea shop and tea room La Bôite a Thé in Rolle. Reservations recommended for this - Email morges@laboiteathe.ch or Tel 021 801 1286. La Bôite a Thé offers delicious high teas from time to time from its Rolle shop and tea room. Elegant sandwiches, cakes, scones, cream and jam, and more, all served in china cups and by a butler! The Living in Nyon editor can definitely recommend it!

Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, author of “Raising Multilingual Children” and five other books on the brain and learning, will be visiting various destinations in Switzerland in November to present her dynamic workshops. These workshops organised by Know it All Passport are very popular so book early to avoid disappointment! See details below. Also coming up on the agenda, is a Gala Dinner on the 31st October organised by "Friends of India". The guest speaker at this dinner will be Lord Paddy Ashdown, diplomat, humanitarian, international envoy and author. Details below. Raising Multilingual Children: Foreign Language Acquisition and Children by world-renowned specialist in education and neuroscience, Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D. Tracey is half Japanese-American, half Irish-Native American and is married to an Ecuadorian. Her 3 children aged 19, 17 and 15 speak fluent English, Spanish and German and some French. Tracey says there are ten key factors which influence every student’s success with new languages: 1) Timing 2) Aptitude 3) Motivation 4) Strategy 5) Consistency 6) Opportunity 7) Language Typology 8) Siblings 9) Gender 10) Hand-use. Each person will combine these “ingredients” together in their own unique “recipe” for learning. This workshop will familiarise teachers and parents with the factors and suggest tools for enhancing those which are shaped in the school context. Tracey will also explain how children learn languages and answer your questions. For example: * Is it OK to have 2, 3, 4 languages at the same time or is it better for children to learn languages consecutively? * When should your children learn multi-literacy skills? * Who should speak what in order to maximize the best language skills? * Should you learn a foreign language alongside your children? * Raising your child multilingualy has worked so far, but now your child is growing up and you have different questions about identity, literacy, strategy, etc. * Come with your own questions and be prepared to share your own concerns about the best way to raise multilingual children. 18:00 Registration and welcome drink 18h:30- 20:00 Ten key factors which influence every student’s success with new languages 20:00- 20:30 Break with drinks and food 20:00-21:45 How children learn languages and Q&A 22:00 End The workshops will take place in the following locations. VERBIER, November 13, LAUSANNE, November 14, GENEVA, November 15, ZURICH, November 16Reserve early as spaces are limited. See here Gala Dinner 31st October with Lord Paddy Ashdown as guest speaker, For full details see Friends of India

Next week Shakespeare comes to Coppet with a production of "As you like it" by GEDS, (Geneva English Drama Society) at the Thèatre de Terre Sainte. This is a lovely theatre with a nice bar for that pre-theatre drink ! Read on for a description of the play and for booking details. As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s light-hearted comedies -- a real fairy-tale (though without the fairies!). There is the expected well-stirred mix of poetry and philosophy in this much-loved play and everyone lives happily ever after, but not before going through a bit of mild torment. There is sibling rivalry, betrayal and banishment — but song and laughter too — and over all the dappled sunlight of the Forest of Arden…where things are not always what they seem. Frances Favre has assembled a strong cast of newcomers and familiar faces to bring this delightful play to life — a great start to GEDS’ 80th anniversary year — don’t miss it! Tickets: CHF 30 (seats numbered) Students CHF 20, ONLY at the theatre on the evening of the performance, subject to seat availability and on presentation of student card. Book now at Theatre in English, choose your own seats, pay by credit card or bulletin de versement or e-banking and print your own tickets. Special school group prices Wed. & Thurs. contact: webmaster@theatreinenglish.ch Book at a Swiss post office using a red bulletin de versement payable to Theatre in English,1214 Vernier CCP 12-20568-3. Give in the ‘motif de payment’ box the date and number of tickets required and your daytime phone number or email. Call from 29th Oct. on +41 22 341 51 92. Weekdays between 11.00 and 12.30. Buy tickets at the theatre (CASH ONLY) on the night from 60 minutes before the show (check seat availability by phone or on the website). Tickets neither changed nor refunded.

Yesterday the weather seemed to abandon festival-goers, as the sky was grey and it started raining in the evening. People looked slightly less high spirited - you can see a week of wild merry-making starting to exact its toll on some and the rain, falling quite heavily by now, seemed to dampen everybody's spirits. A damp start but the spirit of Paléo carried on But the dampness and general drabness of it all didn't last for long and after all, Paléo without any rain isn't really Paléo as Rodrigo y Gabriela came jumping on to the main stage, putting smiles to people's faces and chasing the rain away. Accompanied by C.U.B.A, a Cuban ensemble, made of a drummer, a bass player, a pianist, a saxophonist and a trumpeter, they gave an explosive show. Although they have made themselves known for their guitar duo-with nobody else playing with them, the addition of other (very talented!) musicians was really welcome, as it let them revisit their music and offer the audience something more than what they were used to – which is really what concerts are really all about. If you wanted to listen to the same exact thing they did on their album, you might as well stay at home and listen to it in front of a photo of them! It's strange to think that these two met while playing trash metal; they have come quite a way from such music, developing a unique style of music, but the overflow of energy is still there. When the musicians left the stage, leaving Gabriela and her rhythm guitar alone in front of 35, 000 people, it didn't seem to be a problem, and listening to her, it was amazing to think she was alone on stage; the combination of strumming and drumming making it sound like there was a band and not just one person playing. Mind blowing solos from the bass player They managed to find the right balance between playing with the band, with mind-blowing solos from the bass player and the pianist (not to mention the drummer!), but also playing alone, with the energy and skill that have become their trademark. They had the public clapping to the music, and although they weren't very talkative, they did stop to say how they were happy to be here and thank everyone. One last fun fact about the concert, that people paying attention might have noticed, was the recurring appearance of the same song- with which they started the concert- always in a different form, throughout the concert (I counted at least seven versions!). See video below taken from the Paléo festival blog site of both backstage and of the Rodrigo and Gabriela concert. Paleo 2012 - Concert frontstage avec Rodrigo y...par paleoThe Paléo Installations You might have seen the installations above the Quartier des Alpes. Similar in a way to what the Cie Carabosse did for six consecutive years, this year Monic La Mouche has set up camp on the grounds. Big corrugated iron structures and rusty sculptures that look like they have come out of some old abandoned factory, illuminated from the inside, give a very poetic touch to the area. The slope is a favourite spot for a lot of people, and although yesterday's slightly damp weather wasn't the best day for that, there are always lots of people sitting down among the sculptures, having something to eat, chatting with some friends or listening to the concert on the main stage. Finally if you are interested in photography, you can go and see the work of Paléo photographer Pierre Descombes, who took the photos that you might have seen in the book issued for the festival's 35th edition. They can been found in the Galerie, held by Paléo veterans, right next to the sunflower fields. His photos of the festival are amazing, and really worth checking out! Note: Reviews of Lenny Kravitz and other Friday and Saturday night concerts on this site soon.

Masts blown up in Prangins The photos on this page were taken yesterday near the village of Prangins. The two radio masts (each weighing 70 tonnes!), have been a landmark in the area for many years and were blown up on Thursday by a special explosives team. You can read all about the masts' history here. Alistair Scott, a professional photographer living in Gland was there to capture all the action. Alistair is the author of 'The Greatest Guide to Photography' and runs photography courses in English for beginner/intermediate photographers. Further details click here September is a busy time of year in the Nyon, Vaud and Geneva region and there is lots going on this month with events for expatriates and locals alike. Here are a small selection of some of these - more to follow. Firstly, this weekend it's the Morges Book Fair which takes place along (and on!) Morges lake side. There will be English authors present, readings, and more, see below, details here Job hunting? If you are job hunting or your partner is job hunting, then the International Career Fair, taking place on Tuesday 11th September in Lausanne will be a good place to start. This Career Fair is for everyone, but it is particularly aimed at the spouses and partners of relocated employees here in Switzerland. It's an opportunity to take along a CV, meet potential employers and learn about the local business environment. Entry is free however registration is required. Click here for more information. You can also hear more about the fair and its aims in a radio interview with Laetitia Tierny, head of International Link (the organisation organising the fair) on World Radio Switzerland. Click here Independent Schools Fair There will be an Independent Schools Fair in Geneva on the 13th and 14th September. See below

Nyon is a little quieter now that the majority of the fans who came to the town for Paléo have gone home. The signs for the festival are being taken down around the town, so that's it for another year. 2013's Paléo will take place from the 23rd to the 28th July, and the music featured in the Village du Monde will come from the Indian Ocean part of the world. This year's highlights This year's Paléo, (as promised at the initial press conference), was indeed a "grand cru" of a festival with almost perfect weather conditions for the six days, apart a few hours rain on the Thursday night and slight windy conditions on the final night. There were many excellent concerts this year. For the Living in Nyon editor these were: Franz Ferdinand, Sting, Holly Cooke, a band from Fribourg called mmmh! and the Egyptian Project concert, (there was a great moment when the group left the stage to mingle with the audience whilst continuing to sing and dance!) However, the main highlight for the editor was definitely the Caravan Palace concert. To get a glimpse of what this was like, scroll to near the end of this hour long video below (from around 55.45 minutes), despite the heat of that day you can see the energy and charisma behind the group and the crowd's enthusiasm and appreciation. Caravan Palace, Paléo Festival Nyon 2012... par paleo For Jonas Parson who wrote for Living in Nyon during the festival, there were also many good concerts, in particular that of Rodrigo and Gabriela (see his post here). Trish Thalman, (who has has previously written for this site during the Visions du Réel film festival), particularly liked the Lenny Kravitz's concert - see her review below. Lenny Kravitz At midnight on Friday, the damp, cool weather at Paléo was instantly dismissed from everyone’s state-of-being, when the dynamic, hugely gifted, ‘hot’ Lenny Kravitz appeared on the Grand Scene with his formidable musicians, and immediately warmed up the shivering masses with the opening note from his guitar and the accompanying strobe lights. My ‘Inner Rock-Chick’ was rejuvenated at that moment of musical explosion that flourished into a ravishing concert for the next hour and 20 minutes. Lenny pulled out the stoppers and gave it his all, for which he is well known, being generous toward his audiences with his music and charisma. He looked good too: stylish and elegant, wearing his body-hugging, black leather jacket designed to emphasise his finely honed, upper arm muscles. The play-list included many of his great hits: old, new and classics. Sure, they played ‘Believe’. Lenny’s voice seems to improve with experience and age. At one point, he gave it over to his superb horn section, which regaled us with a taste of jazz-funk-rock style of music. It was noted that one of the premier bass guitarists in rock music, Gail Ann Dorsey, accompanied Lenny with her usual brilliant playing and sublime back-up vocals. There were some ‘take-a-break moments’ without music and lights on stage and at one point Lenny stopped to have a cup of tea, or similar-type liquid. OK. The penultimate tune was ‘Fly Away’ with the audience loudly joining the sing along. ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ (with one of the greatest opening riffs in funk rock music history) closed the show. No encores. The energy and performance of the star and his enduring music rocked the evening….and, he looked sooo good. So a great year for Paléo and a thank you to all Living in Nyon readers who followed the festival via this site and who emailed the editor with your comments and own experience of the six day fest. Lots more on the agenda Despite the festival now coming to a close here in Nyon, there is a lot more to look forward in the town, there is always something going on, the Far arts festival begins soon and in the meantime, don't forget the outdoor cinema is now open and has a full programme of films to last until the end of August many of these are in English. Just a few hundred metres from the lake and set against a backdrop of the back of the old town, it's not a bad place to watch a film on a warm summer's evening!

There are four free invitations for readers to join Lloyds TSB Private banking for refreshments and canapés on a London double decker bus at the Classic Car show on the 6th October in Morges. This gathering of classic cars in a the lovely lakeside setting of Morges is now in its 21st year. In 2011 the event attracted more than 20,000 visitors and saw over 1600 classic British cars and motorbikes arrive from Switzerland, 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. Plus a number of motor bikes, including classic Nortons, Triumphs and Royal Enfields. There are three anniversary celebrations at this fair this year. The MGB will be celebrating its 50th anniversary and the MGR V8 will be celebrating its 20th, These cars will be in a reserved area in the ornamental Park. The pre-war MG Midgets will be on display in the Chateau grounds. All other MGs will fill the ornamental Park. The LOTUS Elans will be celebrating their 50th anniversary and will be displayed on the Quay Igor Stravinsky. Motorbikes will be grouped together on the quay next to the Port. The first two readers who email cnp@bluewin.ch (please title your email "Classic Car Show") will be sent two invitations each to join the Lloyds TSB stand for canapés and refreshments on the double decker bus at the fair.

Apologies to readers for the lack of news over the past few days, the Living in Nyon editor has been over in London cheering on various teams at the Olympic Games including the Swiss rowing team at Eton Dorney! On Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th August, the village of Gingins near Nyon will be cheering on resident and athlete Ellen Sprunger as she competes in the Women's Heptathlon event at the Olympic stadium. You can read Ellen's own blog here see photos of her and read more about her in the Swiss press, here and here. The latest news on her performance (from La Côte newspaper) is that on Friday morning she had already beaten her personal best in the 100 metre hurdles. On the 5th August it is also her birthday, so let's hope she comes away from London 2012 with a medal for a birthday present! A reminder that the Open Air Cinema in Nyon continues until the 26th August. Tonight's film (Friday 3rd August) will be "On the Road" based on the novel by Jack Kerouac. The film starring Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, and Kristen Stewart begins at 21:30. The bar and restaurant at the cinema is open at 19:00 for a pre-film drink and snack. See the website here for the full programme of films over the next three weeks.

There are five free invitations up for grabs for readers to join Lloyds TSB Private banking for a round of Golf and to take part in their golf tournament on Wednesday 3rd October at the Golf and Country Club de Bonmont in Cheserex. To enter, simply email your name to cnp@bluewin.ch before 15:00 today the 27th September. Names will be put into a hat and drawn and winners notified on Friday am 28th September.

Paléo 2012 came to an end last night having attracted over 230,000 festival-goers over the six day period. There will be more reviews and photos of some of this year's concerts coming up on this site, in the interim, here are a few facts and figures about the festival itself. Since 1976 there have been 36 festivals, 2,586 artists, 3,246 shows, and a total of 5,016,154 spectatorsIn 2011 the festival involved the following: 211 shows on 6 stages. 4, 405 volunteers and 55 salaried staff (43 full-time employees) were also involved. 8,000 campers each day, 207 stall- holders and 48 bars,609 journalists, photographers and media representatives.222 newspapers, websites, magazines, record companies TV and radio channels, 24 Swiss and International Television and 20 record companies.The festival is held in an area of 84 hectares (this includes the camping and parking). Spectator Profile Origin Nyon district 30% State of Vaud (without the district of Nyon) 20%State of Geneva 29%Other French Speaking States 8%German speaking part of CH and Ticino 2%France 10%Other countries 1%Age Under 20 years 17%Between 20 and 29 years 43%Between 30 and 39 years 15%Between 40 and 49 years 10%Over 50 years 15%Average age of the spectators is 32 years. Half the spectators are younger than 28 years of ageLoyalty 10% discover Paléo for the first time79% of the public have already taken part in more than 3 editions of the festival.98% of the public is considering as a certainty (85%) or a possibility (13% of coming back the following year)Respecting the environment985,000 washable cups produced by Paléo since 2009 Over 50% of those present used public transport to get to the festival (in 2011) 43% of the waste was sorted in 2011 (15% in 2000)Paléo uses 100% green energyThe 2012 Paléo budget.Expenditure - CHF 23.5 millionBars, Restaurants and Stalls 13%Concert Costs 27%Construction Costs 16%Part of operating costs 19%Volunteer Staff 11%Promotion and Press 8%Reception and Security 6%Budget 2012 - Receipts CHF 23.5 millionStalls and Merchandising 7%Ticket Sales 45%Sponsors and Advertising 18%Miscellaneous receipts 10%Bars and Restaurants 20%