Every two years the International Women's Club of  Nyon holds a charity bazaar in the Salle Communale in the centre of Nyon and this year it will take place on Saturday November 6th from 10:00 -16:00. This event is a big money raiser for Nyon, local and International charities. These charities include La Maison des Enfants à Nyon which provides after school care  for children aged 6-12 providing them with a safe place to stay until their parents return home. Many low income families depend on this service and the charity relies on its donations to operate throughout the year. The bazaar itself is a humungous affair and preparation for it begins many months ahead. On the day itself there is lots on offer for the general public.  There are stalls for second hand English books, DVDs CDS, toys, jewellery, brocante, homemade cakes and jams, sport articles, textiles, hats and handbags ,a special Christmas stall with decorations etc . You name it you will probably find it there on Saturday! Come and say hello to a friendly face at the Bazaar There will also be a bistro with sandwiches, salads and quiches on offer,  it's a good opportunity to sit down and have a bite to eat in between all that shopping.  If you are a newly arrived expatriate come and say hello to the ladies behind the stalls and to meet new faces from around the world. You can find out more about the charities the club supports while stocking up on gifts and supplies from all the stalls. Serving food at the Bistro at the last Bazaar Every year there are a raffles  at the bazaar and various items and paintings are offered as prizes, such as this  painting  below of Terre Sainte by Lalita Rochanakorn. Raffle for paintings Or this one by Jackie Boult At the last bazaar there was a stall dedicated to blue and white items, this year it's pink! blue and white items, this year there will be a "pink" stall!

There's a big demand for places in International schools in the Lake Léman area, so for parents that are looking around at the schools available, here is some info on St George's School in Switzerland . It has been in Montreux in Switzerland since 1927. It began as an exclusive all-girls boarding school and now the school has developed into an international co-ed day and boarding school catering for close to 500 students from 45 different countries aged between 3 and 18. The school offers the IB diploma, end of school certificate for US College entry, IGCSE and the opportunity to follow bi-lingual programmes in English and French. The school has just opened a new campus in Neuchatel for students aged 11 to 18. Summer Camp The school also operates a summer school with French and English as a Foreign Language taught in the mornings, and activities and excursions organised such as sailing, mountain climbing archery, walking and horse riding in the afternoon. The summer camp can cater for approximately one hundred boarders and as many day children whether they attend St George’s School during the year or not. See their site for more details.

Torches, Lanterns and Candles in the Plâce du Chateau in Nyon for two very different events. Over the past seven days, the Place du château of Nyon has been at the centre of two events in which the local population took part. The first event on the 6th January was a happy occasion: The Three Kings Parade saw families and children gather outside La Combe shopping centre on Tuesday night to light torches and lanterns and then parade through the old town following the three Kings.They arrived at the castle square and were given a slice of Three Kings cake and a chocolat chaud. The adults warmed up on vin chaud!  The first three photos in this photo essay were taken by Jarek Sikora, a Nyon resident. The second event on Sunday 11th January was a more sobre affair. This was a gathering of residents for a vigil following the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris earlier this week. The weather was chilly and the atmosphere subdued. There was a minute's silence in the square, candles were lit and placed on the cobbled square and it was a time to reflect. Photo below: Elia, a young local resident holding a torch at Three Kings Night Photo below: Walking through the old town with torches and to music. Warming up by the fire! A foggy Place du Château Below: The giant Three Kings cake baked by the local bakers and offered to the public by local societies Photos below: Je Suis Charlie Vigil in Nyon on Sunday 11th January. bb bb

Warmer weather has now arrived in Nyon and the Spring newsletter of Living in Nyon is now out. On it there is a round up of what has been featured on the site for the past three months, there is also exciting news about Nyon's cinema!  If you would like to receive this free newsletter, just susbscribe by registering in the box on the right hand side of this site. Living in Nyon on Facebook Did you know that Living in Nyon now has a Facebook page ? Posts from this site are automatically fed to the page so check it out, click the "like" button and join in the discussions on the site. Events coming up  in Nyon The Funambule is a small but intimate theatre space situated next to the Beau Rivage hotel in Nyon. Along with running theatre, singing  and composition workshops for musical and theatrical students (it has its own in house recording studio), the theatre also runs a full programme of  professional shows ranging from theatrical plays, comedies to musical evenings.  See the Funambule's own website for more details.  Comedy in English The next event at the Funambule  in English  on the agenda, is the one man show  "Caveman"   which will be performed on the 16th April at 20:30 and 17th April at 17:00.  You can buy tickets in advance for this production either online or at  the service desk at Migros. There is a bar at the theatre to have a pre dinner drink.   27th March - Journée Proxité - Family day out and a day to discover Nyon   On Sunday 27th March there are lots of activities organised to discover the local farms and the local heritage buildings.  The full programme of the day can be found here   adn more informantion on the Nyon town website here . Glocals have a Nyon group .  Glocals now has a Nyon social group. The group organises activities and social outings to many of the events that are mentioned on this site. Link here to find out more about the group. Note this is not a Living in Nyon group, this group was formed under the umbrella of Glocals. English Reading Group at Crans près Celigny library Next meeting 14th April from 15:15 to 17:00 The group will be discussing  "The space between us"  by Thrity Umrigar. For more info contact Mally Packham 022 7766084 or email mally.packham@bluewin.ch Volunteers Needed ICV Volunteers are needed for the following conference  " Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction ", this is  a volunteer opportunity taking place from 8-13 May 2011.  Volunteers are need  to fulfill the following responsibilities: 57 Volunteers for Welcoming Services Welcome; provide assistance; oversee the setup of session; prepare bags; liaise between staff etc... 16 Reporters, 2 Editors and 2 Photographers   Write, proofread and/or edit session reports; Document conference events. 4 Translators  Translate documents during the event; Languages: Six U.N. languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian). Click here to view more information about this volunteer opportunity. If you are interested in volunteering for this project, please submit your CV to volunteer@icvolunteers.org and, if you haven't already done so, register for ICVolunteers here .

A quick reminder that the documentary film "Cleveland against Wall Street"  will be shown tonight in English at Nyon cinema at 20:00 .  The director of Visions du Réel film festival will be present at the screening and will be speaking to the director Jean Stephan Bron (from Lausanne) about the making of the movie.  The film’s storyline is about the victims of the subprime crisis in the U.S who fight it out with bankers in a court case. This film has been very successful in Switzerland and audiences have turned out in big numbers.  The cinema in Nyon is now linking up with Vision du Réel to show documentaries throughout the year and not just over the festival period. Photo above from yesterday's Naval Parade in Rolle. More photos of the day coming up on this site.

Photo above taken at the Bol D'or in 2007. This famous yacht race will take place this year from the 15 -15 June 2012 News - Living in Nyon was featured in the 10 May issue of the Swiss magazine l'Hebdo in a four page article called "Les Expatriés, Absurdes Boucs Emissaires" . In it, the article discussed the continued growth of the Lac Léman region and the attraction of the area to the many multinationals that have chosen to base themselves here.  It also discussed the subsequent problems and difficulties that have arisen because of this growth (shortage of housing, high rents etc ). It questions the value of bringing in any more expatriates to the area, particularly when some of them don't attempt to integrate or speak French.  The magazine then interviews a variety of individuals on their thoughts on the subject from the Mayor of Nyon, Daniel Rossellat to Nir Ofek from Glocals, to the Living in Nyon editor.  The editor gave her views and you can read them, and those of the others in terviewd in the article here  A selection of events  coming up in the Region Tonight Friday 19 May, it's the last ever concert of the hip hop slam group "Trip In" in their current form. They will perform in the Usine a Gaz from 21:30 onwards (doors open at 21:00)  Details here Morgan Cars in Nyon Approx 25 English Morgan cars will be in and around Nyon between the 25 the and 27th May in an event called NyonMog   organised by the Swiss Morgan Owners Group Also next weekend 26 and 27 May it's " Caves Ouvertes in Vaud"!  Over 300 wineries and  caves will be open to members of the public to taste and buy wine. See site here. Photo Exhibition Focale, the photography association based in Nyon has a new exhibition called "Neptune - Squats 2002 -2012" by Julien Gregorio.  The exhibition will run from 6 May -17 June and can be seen in Focale's gallery just near the château of Nyon. See details here on the Focale website Swing Jazz  There's Swing Jazz at the 1306 Club on Friday 25 May at the 1306 Club from 20:30 onwards. More details here Tourist office now open by lake   Nyon Tourist office has now opened its summer pavilion. This is siutated next to the ferry embarcation point on the lake side to cater for the thousands of tourists who visit the area in the summer months. It will be open seven days a week from 10:00-16:00 in May June and September and from 10:00- 18:00 in July and August.  For all tourist and other local events coming up in the area see the list here on the Nyon tourist website Further afield - Beer Festival next weekend in Vevey     Beer festival - Fri 25 May to Mon 28 May  This beer festival will take place at the market square in Vevey at Vevey "Beach". Wide range of beers, concerts and more. For more information - see site here.

On the 9th, 10th and 12th May, over 120 students of COV (the Conservatoire of West Vaud) will perform "Marco Polo and the Princess of China". This is a family friendly opera, at just one hour and quarter long, it's a great introduction for all ages to the world of opera, live orchestral music, fabulous costumes and scenery. Living in Nyon recently spoke to Anastase Démétriadès, the director of the school who said; "This is a massive opportunity for all the students to get together and perform. The youngest member is 6 years old, there are adult students too, three choirs involved, 45 in the orchestra alone, it's a big event! It is also a good opportunity to see the work of this prestigious music school". Photo below - The COV orchestra in rehearsal Living in Nyon has 12 free tickets on offer for this event . 2 pairs for the performance in Morges on Saturday 9th May, 2 pairs for the performance in Nyon on Sunday 10th May, and 2 pairs for the performance in Aubonne on Tuesday 12th May. To be in with a chance with winning, email info@livinginnyon.com by Sunday 3rd May, title the email "Marco Polo" and state which venue you would like tickets for ( Nyon, Morges or Aubonne) For more details of the concert and and to purchase tickets see here (click on the word "representations" to buy tickets online)

Whether it is at Paléo , Caribana ,  the Usine a Gaz , Javal or Longirock, Nyon residents are very lucky to have a rich seam of music festivals and venues on their doorstep.  Two years ago, Living in Nyon spotted a Geneva based band called Mama Rosin perform at the small 1306 club in the old town in Nyon (so called because the house the club is situated in, dates back to 1306) . We wrote here on this site about what a great concert it was, and then again when the group performed at Paléo and Caribana ( see " two bands to watch out for "). Living in Nyon is delighted  to  discover that  the band will be performing on "Later with Jools Holland" on the TV channel BBC2 on Friday 1st October. This prestigious programme showcases  many new bands and familiar names in all music genres and is shown around the world. Mama Rosin are not the first band to have been discovered here in Nyon, many others have started off in a small way in local venues or at summer festivals and have gone on to bigger things, so next time you attend a music concert here in the area, keep an eye out for upcoming singers and groups, as you never know where they will end up!

"I've been coming to Paléo since I was a few months old, my dad works here, many of my friends too, so it's part of my life, I also love discovering all the different kinds of music and bands that play here " Jonas Parson - writer and volunteer ar Paléo. Living in Nyon is delighted that this year Jonas Parson will be writing for this site all about his experience of Paléo from the atmosphere, to the music. Jonas is 17 and has just finished his studies at the Gymnase of Nyon. Whilst there he was part of the editorial team of the school magazine called "La Herissé". Jonas also works at Paléo as one of the thousands of volunteers, this year he is there in the capacity of "Aspirator" (Vacuum Cleaner). The Aspirators keep the place tidy and the loos clean for the festival goers.  There will be more about these Aspirators on this site later on in the week. Jonas himself says he has an eclectic taste in music; " I like lots of stuff, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young etc.     Ialso like the Artic Monkeys and the Fratellis. Last year at Paléo there were three particularly good French bands; La Rue Ketanou, Les Ogres de Barback and Debout sur le Zinc, it was a good year. However there are some years when I go not really knowing much about the performers but end up liking them and then maybe making the effort to see them elsewhere. For example last year the group Caravan Palace came to Paléo and it was such a good night I went to see them again at the " Docks" (Ed note: See review of Caravan Palace on last year's Living in Nyon). As for going to other local music venues, Jonas likes to go to the Parenthese in Nyon or the Usine a Gaz or L'ecurie (a venue in a building behind Geneva railway station). Why the barefoot writer? Jonas says from the month of March onwards he ditches his shoes, he even did this while studying at Gymnase. Most of the time he alternates between barefeet or Doc Martins, just like his choice in music, an eclectic taste. Here is Jonas's impression of last night "After a beer and sweat laden Tuesday evening with the bearded villains of Mötörhead, on Wednesday it was way time for some gentler – but none the less "full of punch" type bands.   The evening started off to the tune of Olivia Ruiz’s mushroom pancakes. (Oh, please come back ! If you do, I’ll make you some crêpes aux champignons …). Dancing and whirling about on stage, this girl really knows how to make a show ! With her magic rotating mirror, about three metres high,  her musicians just made you want to dance, Ruiz had the crowd singing away at some moments, and swinging away all the time. Even under the burning sun of the Paléo festival, the « femme chocolat » did not melt away in front of the crowd ! The concert ended just as it started pouring down, the timing perfect to the second. It rained just enough to moisten the grounds and keep the dust where it should be (not in our eyes and throats, but on the ground…) Finding something to eat - The national sport of Paléo y, Before the next show of the evening, Charlie Winston the handsome "hobo", it was time for one of Paleo’s national sports : finding something to eat. Over the years, you tend to stick to one or two favourite stalls where you know you won’t be disappointed, but discovering new food is also part of the fun. My personal favourite is the Paprika, (one of) the Indian stalls in the oriental district of the Paleo, where you can get gorgeous plates of Daal- lentil stew- for ten francs, and chicken for about fifteen. It’s worth a try ! Then off to Charlie Winston barely digesting the meal, but who cares, this is Paleo! What a show that was ! The Cornish dandy, was here to spend a quality moment with us on the grounds of l’Asse. Corresponding with the crowd in quite  good French-(he lives in Paris)- he delivered a pop folk performance of top class. Everybody at l’Asse became a hobo for a few minutes, singing away with him with gusto. And after a concert filled with class and energy, we were granted the surprise visit of M on stage. Barely recognizable without his sunglasses and his super-hype haircut, he was invited to riff away on his guitar with the band for their final song. Now that was something worth seeing ! Allthough big bands, loads of excellent artists play one after the other at Paléo, it’s not often that you see one invited on stage for another concert than his. We could see they were having fun on stage, and their pleasure just leaked out onto us, for another wonderful show. After that, it was time to wonder about in the Village du Monde, the place devoted to World Music, this year’s host being South Africa. The decorators had done quite a good job, with three big brown structures, in a mix between a hut and an anthill, giving you room to sit down and have a chat or a morsel with some friends in a relatively calm atmosphere. Then off to the Dome, to see a bit of the Mahotella Queens. We’d been told it was worth it, and it was ! Even at nearly seventy, the three majesties dance about on stage as though they were twenty, in their nice yellow ‘bafana bafana’ t-shirts, the south african football team. Joking about on stage, you could see they had loads of energy left, I was particularly impressed by some of their moves, which showed an agility most people of that age have lost, if they ever had it… It was then time to chill out a bit, watching a bit of M from afar, in the place to be when it starts getting dark,  and even more so when it starts getting chilly : by the fire installations in the Quartier des Alpes, to the right of the main stage and just beneath the Village du Monde. The atmosphere there is magic, and it’s perfect to spend some time just chatting with some friends. The more adventurous of the festival goers will then head towards the campsite, where a lively atmosphere is guaranteed, between the fire light music jams, the rockets going off over head, and the nice people everywhere. You can simply come up to a fire, sit down and start talking to anybody, everyone is really nice and friendy it’s the perfect place to make new friends. Banner photo at top - The lively and engaging Swiss group Carousel performing for the press early in the evening. Photo below - two members of British band the Foals (they performed at the chapiteau last night) spotted around the Paléo grounds

Happy New Year! Caravan Palace performing at Paléo in 2009 A shorter version of this article below appeared in La Côte newspaper (18 December). Each Friday there is a column in English snuck on the inside front page under "Forum" (next to the readers' letters). The next column will be on January 15th.  Check it out! Defining a decade in Nyon The year has come to an end and newspapers across the world have reflected on the year that’s been: the highs, the lows and the big stories of 2009 and they have reviewed the past decade. Is it really ten years ago that we were all preparing to welcome in the new millennium? Back on 31st December 1999 during the day on the television, we saw the sun rise on the celebrations beginning over in the Southern hemisphere. Later on, fireworks exploded with abandon over many cities, from Sydney to Stockholm. It was a joyous occasion. It was also when we had that slight nagging doubt as to whether our computers would work when we switched them on the following day. Remember the “Millennium Computer bug” threat? What happened to that? I think it just crawled away, having fooled the lot of us. I have no idea of what it was like to celebrate the arrival of 2000 in Nyon because I hadn’t yet moved here. On December 1999 I was busy celebrating Hogmanay ( New Year’s Eve in Scotland). Over there it’s a BIG event. There are traditions involved, along with Scottish country dancing, singing the song “Auld Lang Syne” (which most people know only the first few lines of). I’d never heard of the night of "Saint Sylvestre" and I didn’t know much about Switzerland, let alone Nyon. However I relocated here the following summer so I too have been reflecting on Nyon’s past nine years. The first thing I realised is that Nyon is a great place it is when there is a major football tournament on, whether its the World Cup or the Euro, with Nyon's international profile there's lots of fun in the town when the fans come out in force. So far its all been good spirited with healthy competition between team supporters, young and old and a great atmosphere in Nyon's streets. Scenes around Nyon from Euro 2008 Nyon's Music, Film and Arts Festivals Over the past nine years I've seen how the two fabulous music festivals Paléo and Caribana have continued to delight music fans who come from all over Switzerland to hear great music and the Visions du Réel documentary film festival and FAR the arts festival has become bigger and better each year. Note:you will see that reviews of all these three festivals are now available to read under their own section (see sidebar). The other small events such as the regular Sunday concerts by the Roman Columns, the Rive Jazzy music keep locals entertained in summer weekends and the Conservatoire has continued to produce some wonderful concerts. There have been some changes around Nyon,the train that goes up to St Cergue used to wind through the centre of the town has now gone undergrpund, the chateau has now reopened, there is a new mayor and a fancy new underground parking by the lake. Thankfully some things have remained the same as they have for many years : the stunning view from the castle terrace over the rooftops of Nyon to the Alps and lake below, the Saturday market in the same cobbled square in the exact same place where the Romans also used to shop, the beautiful Jura behind us, the glorious vineyards nearby. Let’s hope Nyon remains like this for many more millennia. It’s a great place to be. Photos below: In and around Nyon Happy New Year to you all and Meilleurs Voeux pour 2010!

" Maria "by Claudiu Mitcu -   Next screening:   Sunday 21 April, Capitole 2, 18:00   Film reviewed by Emma Johnson.   Note: This film will be screened before the film "Tevas"  ( reviewed here in a previous post ) Buy an online ticket for this film here  is a moving and highly personal documentation of Maria's last moments in life. This eighteen minute film takes place in one small room, where Maria lies on her bed, still and frail. Yet life is in full force all around her - women come and go, paying their respects to her, looking after her and sharing memories. Maria is a tender account that reaches far beyond the particularities of Romanian customs - it captures the end of one life, while reasserting life's enduring strengths. While keeping vigil in this intimate space, the women reflect on children, age, life and the rites surrounding death. A discussion over how many masses one should do for someone who has passed away (various priests had recommended anywhere between 6 and 40 in a year) soon moves onto laughter regarding what another dying friend had said in relation to her inevitable end: 'I am moving on with my life'. This humour is one example of what makes this film empathetic and wonderful – laughter and life are literally juxtapositioned with death, as the frail Maria sleeps beside them. There are more considered and philosophical moments, where the women ask themselves who will take care of them when they arrive at a point so close to death. In this depiction of a very specific time and place, under very personal circumstances, there is universal reach. All of us will reach this end, all of us are bound to ask questions about it. But the warmth of this one room, filled with giggles, scolding, love and the other various manifestations of life, provides reassurance. It touches us and shows humanity's strength. In addition to the candles, prayers, incense and other rites, the camera also serves as part of the vigil. The filmmaker Claudiu Mitcu maintains the fine balance between being part of what is happening in Maria's room and documenting it – sometimes the women speak to the camera, sometimes they are observed. It is a respectful rendering of this woman's last moments. The end of the film comes abruptly, as the women list the things they will need for the burial and subsequent rites: a clay pot, a coffin ('This is the most important thing' one of them reminds the others), plates, garlic, tomatoes . . . This unexpected end, a black out, is a striking and poignant end to a film that provides a warming insight into an intimate life event.

"Trading Paradise" - next screening Sunday 17 April 20:15 a t the Théatre de Grand Champ in Gland. Tickets here   There was a packed theatre in Nyon on Saturday afternoon to watch the world premiere of   "Trading Paradise" , a film that took the director  Daniel Schweizer over three years to make. The film focusses on the practices of two high-profile commodity trading companies that are based in Switzerland. One of them,  Vale based in St-Prex a town a few miles from Nyon and the other, Glencore  situated in Zug. Glencore one of the world's largest traders of raw materials, controls 40% of world copper production, dominates the African oil industry and also trades in coffees and cereals. The director travels to Peru to find out how Glencore operate in the field. He films communities that live alongside one of Glencore's mines, he interviews Ivan Glasenberg the head of Glencore, he shows how the company works and how NGOs are trying to improve the transparency and liability of these commodities giants. We see the contrast of the glitz and elegance inside the Beau Rivage palace in Lausanne as the FT Commodities Global Summit takes place, to outside in the street with armed police in riot gear amongst a group of demonstrators. The director then heads off to Brazil to find out about the activities of Vale. He also films Joseph Stiglitz (Nobel prize winner in Economic sciences) speaking at the Public Eye awards. These awards are given out to the world's worst companies in corporate irresponsibility. (Vale was given this award in 2012). The film asks if trading companies can continue operating in the same way in Switzerland. Swiss politician Dick Marty and former state prosecutor to the Ticino, thinks not. He says; "The risk to Switzerland's reputation seems obvious to me. I think we are siting on a case of dynamite and I don't know when it's going to explode. This is all similar to the UBS case, Swissair and banking secrecy. There were warning signs with all of these problems. They were ignored".