It's "Open House" at the Conservatoire of Nyon on the 16th March from 10:00 to 12:30.  Its a good opportunity to discover the courses that this prestigious music academy runs during the year for both children and adults. The Conservatoire is set right along Nyon's lake side. There are also courses run in Morges (open day on Sat 23rd March). See COV site.

August 1st is Swiss National day across the country and tomorrow you will see flags and bunting hung from balconies and windows to celebrate the occasion. Locally there is lots going, in many places when it gets dark you will see children walking in a procession carrying lit paper lanterns as part of  the celebration.   You can buy these lanterns in the major shops. Just put a candle inside them and the children will be ready to take part. There are celebrations arranged for Gland, St Cergue,  Morges, Rolle etc. Look out for the posters in your village or town. Tommorrow's programme for Nyon in French followed by approximate translation On the l'Esplanade des Marronniers (the square by the Roman columns) 19:45  Apéritif en musique avec la Fanfare municipale  -  Brass band and official apéro 20h20 Sonnerie de cloches - Rassemblement  -  Bell ringing 20h25 Présentation des drapeaux - Salve d'honneur de l'Abbaye de Nyon  Presentation of the flags 20h30 Partie officielle , sous la présidence M. le Municipal Claude Uldry :  Official ceremony  Lecture du pacte de 1291 par Mme Rita Murekatete , candidate à la naturalisation. Reading of the pact of 1291 Prière patriotique - Patriotic prayer Message des églises chrétiennes par M. Blaise Rochat , Président du Conseil paroissial - Message from the Chritian churches Allocutions de M. Guy Mettan , Président du Grand Conseil du canton de Genève et de M. Robert Borrel , Président d’Annemasse Agglo Salve de clôture The procession leaves (this is where the children take part) Formation et départ du cortège (itinéraire : place des Marronniers - Grand-Rue - rue St-Jean - rue de la Colombière - quai des Alpes en direction de Lausanne jusqu'à la place des fêtes de Rive) The procession leaves Other celebrations down at the rive 14h30-17h Animation musicale "Daniel thentz Swing Machine" (Jazz), buvette Dès 19h Bal avec "Nelly Olson Group" 22h30   Firework display  by the travelling group "Percutant" drummers and fireworks . This year the show looks to be a bit different than usual,  take a look at the Percutant website Minuit  1h Fin de la manifestation

Discovering great bands at Paléo The best thing at Paléo is coming across a band you'd never heard of before, and get totally blown away. This is what happened to me yesterday with Dubioza Kolektiv , a Bosnian band who mix hip-hop with ska and punk with inextinguishable energy. In a country ravaged by war and communitarian conflict, Dubioza Kolektiv got together to sing their radical view of freedom and brotherhood, supported by a mix of guitars, saxophones and heavy basses. The collective had everyone dancing and jumping around in the hot afternoon, and left them wanting for more, for what was one of the festival's highlights. You can find their whole album for free download on their website . Later on, it was Nick Cave's turn to sow his bad seeds on the grande scène. This cult musician delivered a classy musical show, packed with sombre and melancholic rock. With the dark elegance of a moody undertaker in a suit, Nick Cave made l'Asse a darker, more violent and miserable place, much to the pleasure of the crowd. An evening for Hip-hop fans Last night, Paléo was full of hip-hop fans, as this was the main musical style played across the grounds. From English hip-hop artist Dizzee Rascal on the main stage to politically committed French rapper Keny Arkana , the air was full of hip-hop beats and lyrics. Although this isn't my musical cup of tea, I enjoyed Keny Arkana's concert at Les Arches. This French rapper from the suburbs of Marseille grew up in foster-homes and started rapping at an early age to get away from her daily miseries. Since, she has created a collective that works with people whose voices aren't heard, made a documentary on globalization , and played a lot of great music. On stage, the music doesn't come out of a computer, but is played live by a drummer, guitarist and a Dj, making for a much full musical experience. Mlle Orchestra, hilarious to watch, great to listen to On of the highlights of the night was stumbling upon “Mlle Orchestra”, whom I mentioned in an earlier post. This all-feminine orchestra, clad in matching bright colours, play some great music, with a clarinet, saxophone, tuba, trumpet, accordion, flute, electric guitar, etc..., mixed with a lot of humour and wild feats. From the unsmiling drummer, to the rocker who plays the bass, the shyer saxophonist or the orderly trumpeter who seems to get out of hand extremely easily (an impromptu strip-tease was avoided by pouring a bottle of water to calm her down, leaving her slightly embarrassed, while a second bottle was poured over a member of the public who was encouraging her to continue). Seeing the punkish bass player swap her Doc Martens for a pair of high heels (a birthday gift!) was pretty hilarious too, but one of the best parts of the show was probably when the flirting couple from la cie Tonne came waltzing through the crowd, danced to the music for a few minutes and cantered off again. This great collision of two different shows is part of the magic of the festival, where you never know who you are going to meet. Make sure to try and catch Mlle Orchestra on the grounds, their show is really worth it!  Eating at Paléo! Coming to Paléo is also about getting to eat some good food from the hundreds (nay, thousands!) of food stalls all over l'Asse. Here are few that Living In Nyon has tested just for you. The Village du Monde offers a mix of food from all along the east African coast and islands, and you can find lots of great food there. The Abyssinia serves really tasty Ethiopian food. Try the vegetarian dish, for two different types of lentils with some kind of Ethiopian sour unleavened bread. Right next door, the Koeksisters serve South African sweets. The “koeksister” is a ginger, cinnamon and cardamom fritter, served with ginger syrup and coconut flakes. If you're looking for some Asian food, then head to the Quartier de l'Orient . No need to present a great favourite of the festival, the Paprika , a delicious Indian food stall. This year's discovery of the festival and great favourite is a small stall in the Quartier Latin , (near the Détour),called “ La Gallette de la Paix ” (the cake/bread of peace). This Israeli-Palestinian food stall serves the most amazing falafel I have ever tasted. The bread is cooked on location, and then topped with hummus, tomatoes, tahini and falafel balls, for a very tasty treat. It's great to be able to find good home-made food with an super ethical background to it. So I can only urge you to go and have a great serving of peace and chickpeas. If you're looking for the ultimate indulgence, then head to Rapp (the confectioner from Prangins)'s stall, for a “ doigt de fée ”, an éclair that comes in several flavours. If your craving for sweet and sickly food is really strong, then ask for an extra topping of melted chocolate (milk or dark chocolate). Did you miss a show you really wanted to see, or want to relive a great musical moment? Some of the concerts are filmed and broadcasted live on the internet. You can also watch the full concerts here .   The weekend will be very hot, so remember to drink enough when wandering around the grounds. Look out for the free fountains across the festival.

House for Sale in Nyon . Three storey house (60m2 floor on each of the three levels) with 800m2 garden. Near to the shops and train station. For an appointment to visit - Telephone Marie José Joly on  079 882 82 02. Price : CHF 1, 560,000

By the time the rain had stopped falling on Saturday, just in time for the beginning of the festival, the grounds were covered in the largest amount of mud since the start of the week. A mix of wet straw, wood shavings, mud and water turned the ground into a swamp with a delicate smell of stables (the award for the worst smell probably goes to the camp-site drying out, the heat making the smell absolutely unbearable).   Mud, mud, mud.... Despite the (very) muddy situation, people came prepared, arming themselves with wellies (or plastic bags tied to their shoes), others took the radical opposite of bare feet for the very satisfactory feeling of mud oozing between your toes. The heavy rain having turned l'Asse into a swamp, all the car parks have been closed (this goes for Sunday too!) and most of the train stops above the festival turned into impromptu car parks, as people left their car there before taking the train down to Paléo. The trains coming down, having no extra carriages or even extra trains (they only run once an hour on the weekend, and the extra trains only run between Nyon and l'Asse) were bursting with people. If rain can some times dampen spirits, mud tends to have the opposite effect, and the mixture of mud, dry weather and general festival-related motivation made for a great vibe on the grounds. People jumped in puddles, skidded through the mud, slipped and slid up the slopes, to the great amusement of onlookers.  From pop hearthrobs to stylish tango and hip-hop Music-wise, their was a clear separation between the line-up of the Grande Scène and that of most of the rest of the stages. The main stage was the temple of pop and French “variété” on Saturday night, Vanessa Paradis starting off the evening, before a double serving of pop heartthrobs, Julien Doré then James Blunt. This kind of music not exactly being my cup of tea, I only saw a couple of songs from James Blunt's concert (out of the most serious professional sense of duty), who played in front of a giant screen with animations directly linked to his songs, incorporating lyrics of the songs as they were being sung (impressive visual shows seem to have become the norm with famous bands) The Arches and the Détour hosted a groovier night, with a series of world-class hip-hop artists. The Coup delivered their socially and politically engaged texts with about as much class and punch as is possible. The American sextet who have been playing for the past twenty years are still just as impressive and passionate. Following up at the Détour, poetess Akua Naru , American hip-hop artist who has settled down in Germany, made the whole of the tent move to her incredible cocktail of top quality jazz and energetic hip-hop. Critically acclaimed by jazz connoisseurs and the hip-hop scene since she brought out her breakthrough album out three years ago, Akua Naru delivers her message of love, justice and female empowerment with style. Dreadlocks flowing down to her waist, she engaged with the crowd, saying she reckoned the 10 hours it had taken to get to the festival (thank you traffic jams!) were worth each and every frustrating second for the amazing moment she got to share with us. “Do you realise, that right now on stage, I am a woman, and I am making hip-hop?” she called out to the crowd, before listing a list of all the women who have shaped the landscape of hip-hop, and launching into an homage to Lauryn Hill from the Fugees. Akua Naru gave a performance reminiscent of the best 80's hip-hop concerts, making the crowd go crazy, with the added value of a series of very good musicians for one of the best concerts of the week. Tango awesomeness But if one might think that more class and style would be impossible to find, the band playing at the Dôme showed that it was. Plaza Francia , the new tango project led by Catherine Ringer,ex-member of the Rita Mitsuko, in collaboration with two musicians of Gotan Project was a moment of pure magic. The sleek and racy class of Gotan Project's special brand of tango, mixed with the utmost elegance of Catherine Ringer delighted the crowd that had flocked to see this amazing concert. Dancing to the music in an incredible red dress, the 57 year old rock icon was as stylish as ever. The band played mostly original scores, but finished the concert with cult songs from their respective repertoire, including the cult “ Marcia Baila ”. Straight after the concert, the place to be was definitely l'Escale. This tiny stage situated in a tent in the Village du Monde hosts intimate sets by some of the bands scheduled under the Dôme. La Yegros , an argentinian singer who plays a amazing electro-cumbia was on after her earlier concert at 17:00. The intimate setting was perfect and the small enthusiastic crowd danced to the sexy groovy sound of La Yegros' voice. You can find today's program for l'Escale here . Migrant music Che Sudaka , a band of argentinian ad columbian musicians based in Barcelona, where they started off as illegal migrants and street musicians, were the next band to rock the Dôme. Their electrifying mix of ska, punk and cumbia delighted the crazed crowd, their energy and joy communicating with everybody under the tent. In between messages of solidarity with the Palestinian people and migrants all over the world ( they have great parody of Sting's Englishman In New York about illegal migrants ), the quartet jumped up and down with their guitars and accordion (quite an impressive feat actually), before one of the singers sang an entire song whilst crowd surfing. If you want to check their crazy show, they are playing again on Sunday at 16:00! Finishing the night with a DJ set at les Arches has become a tradition at Paléo, and the French Monsieur Oizo was responsible for some serious body-shaking as people moved as one large, rather muddy entity.

Living  with an electric car in the canton of Vaud Back in March, thousands of visitors visited the Geneva car show to gaze upon the new offerings of the motor industry. This year, the “Green Pavillion” at the show created a lot of attention from both the press and the public and in this area  it was possible to test electric cars from Citroen, Opel, Nissan and Renault amongst others.   Living in Nyon recently interviewed Christian Frutiger who lives in the canton of Vaud and is a bit of a pioneer of the electric car himself , so we spoke to him to find out what living with, and driving an electric car, is really like. Photo above - Christian in his Citroen C- Zero Christian has been commuting to work in an electric car for a year between his home in Borex on the outskirts of Nyon, to his office in Vevey 65 kilometres away.  A couple of years ago Christian had already been investigating the choices of electric cars on the market with a view for a future purchase but then a motorway accident  in October 2010 resulted in his existing car being  written off. This speeded up the hunt for an electric car that would suit his needs for his daily commute. He chose the Citroen  C-Zero which in ideal conditions can be driven for 130-140 kilometres on just one charge.  Christian says that the first thing to notice about the car is that it is very quiet – “it has no noise and with no combustion engine and it doesn’t smell either. The acceleration is good, it can go from 0-100 in 9 seconds which is faster than some petrol cars and it’s nice to drive.” Driving techniques However he goes on to say - “you always have to drive in anticipation – firstly in terms of the range and the need to charge the battery”. Christian has a special charging unit at home and his employer has made a charging point available in the car park at work. But it is possible to get caught out. Thankfully this has happened to Christian only twice, once when the plug was not connected to the socket correctly, (so the battery did not charge fully), and secondly when he purposely let the battery discharge completely to see what would happen. He found here that the car went into “hibernation mode”  or “turtle mode” (an orange turtle lights up on the board display),  so all non-essential power is switched off such as the radio and heating.  "At this stage it is really necessary to drive economically by reading the road and traffic ahead to avoid braking if acceleration is needed shortly afterwards. In this situation speed should also be reduced. Christian also says in general “anticipating other road users, to be able to drive smoothly and conserve battery power in fact becomes second nature with an electric car”.  As does watching out for pedestrians – the lack of noise from the car can catch people out! In winter using the heater also reduces the range – in a car with an internal combustion engine, heat is drawn from the engine, but in an electric car the engine does not produce any heat, so the heater needs to draw from the battery. The same goes for the use of the air conditioning in the summer.  Charging the car With a regular 220V16A plug , similar to those on camping sites, a full charge takes 6 hours (9 hours with a domestic 220V 10A plug), though a fast charge is possible with a special 400v 125A connection when it is possible to charge up 80% of the charge within 30 minutes. Photo above - No queues at the petrol station - just fill up at home! So far as Christian knows, there are few other private owners of electric vehicles in this area, most electric cars are used by organisations for use “about town”, and so there aren’t too many options if you want to make a long trip  for example, to the south of France. There is however a charging station at Geneva Airport and another in Lyon. You can find fast charging stations in France, but you’re well advised to map the route first. These don’t exist in Switzerland, but there are camping type charging stations at the La Côte and Villette motorway rest areas and in a couple of car parks in Geneva and Lausanne. The cost of owning and running the C car Christian says that the down side to owning an electric car is that initially it was expensive to buy, about CHF 50,000 (including cables and home charging device), but the upside is the cost of “filling up the battery” is  minimal, – just a few CHF. A complete battery charge of 16kWh costs about CHF 3.20 (at a tariff of CHF 0.20 per kWh) although you never completely discharge the battery, otherwise the car stops. Thus the average cost of a “fill-up” is about CHF 2.50. Christian also adds "you also want to make sure that you use electricity from a renewable source to charge your electric car". Christian changed his subscription with the local electricity provider and says, “you should do this anyway, even without an electric car”. The charging station itself was actually offered to Christian by the electricity provider, what he paid for was the adaptation of the electricity system in the carport (which meant laying a new 16A cable from the main outlet in the basement across the garden), this cost as much as the charging station itself. If the vehicles on show at the Geneva Motor Show are anything to go by it seems certain that electric cars will increase in importance. In 2008 the Department of Transport in the UK carried out a survey that showed that the average car journey was 13.6km and 93% of all car journeys were less than 40km. Christian has shown that over the last 12 months, with a little planning it is perfectly possible to commute longer distances. He has travelled more than 30,000 km with his electric car, since he purchased it. Perhaps it’s a little early to forecast the demise of the internal combustion engine, but for a second car, or if most journeys are just around the region then it’s perfectly possible to live with an electric car.

The signs and posters for Visions du Reél are up around Nyon, the programme is out and the town is now ready for a week of documentary films which will be shown at various venues in both Nyon and Gland. This festival is for both film professionals and the general public.  There are different categories of films: Long Métrage, Moyen Métrage and Short Métrage, "first films" by new film makers, there are films about Switzerland and "Grand Angle" films, this year there will be a selection of films from Chile, there will be workshops and the invited guest for 2016 is film maker Peter Greenaway. Many of the films are in English or subtitled in English  and vary completely in subject matter from films such as "Trading Paradise" about the practice of trading commodities in Switzerland, a film called "Wild Plants" on urban gardeners in post-industrial Detroit, to "Like Dew in the Sun" by local film maker Peter Entell which was filmed in the Ukraine (review coming up of this film),  a film called "Foreign Affairs" about Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs to the new Michael Moore film “Where to Invade Next” . Tonight the 14th April, there will be a free “avant-première”screening of the film "Jesus Town USA" at the Théatre de Marens at 19:30. See trailer below.

A mix of music to cater for all ages and with an African feel to it is the line up for this year's Paléo Festival. From Jamiroquai to M to Diam's to Indochine to the John Butler Trio to Johnny Clegg and Hugh Masekela, once again Paléo has brought out an interesting and eclectic mix to the music for the festival this year. Check out the programme here At least a quarter of the bands that will be playing are Swiss bands, so good news for Swiss rock and pop music. 80% of the bands that have been chosen to be on the programme have never played at Paléo before either. If you have never been to Paléo before then you are in for a treat. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 21 April at midday and there are tickets to win on the Paléo website, look at some of the tongue in cheek questions to win tickets..... More on Paléo and the line up and buying tickets here on Living in Nyon. "Afrique Australe" is the theme of the music that will be played in the Village du Monde section of Paléo. Bands include Ladysmith Black Mambozo, Mahotella Queens, Ben Sharpa and more. Spiced fish from Durban at the Paléo press conference

Living in Nyon spoke to expatriate Sandra Wilmer who moved to Rolle in July 2009. Sandra, originally from Johannesburg in South Africa, tells us why she loves living in Rolle. "Rolle is a magical and charming town. Even though it has a population of just *5,000 people, it has everything one needs to go about one's daily business, with a butcher, baker etc. Rolle has the most beautiful waterfront that is set away from the road, making it a quiet place to go for a stroll. The Chateau is a working chateau, there are administrational offices that are run from within the building. There are also exhibitions held in a gallery space in the castle and a wonderful market at Christmas too. Art Exhibition held inside the Chateau Rolle is peaceful which I love even though it is still very close to the other towns of Nyon and Morges.  Lausanne, Coppet and Geneva are a short drive or train ride away. We have wonderful wineries on our doorstep and we are within walking distance to Mont sur Rolle. We often go to Fechy for wine tasting, lunch in St Prex or Perroy, which is just around the corner from us. There is an international feel to the place due to the A1 Business centre, but there are still many Swiss people here, although you don’t hear as much English spoken as in our neighbouring towns. I have always found everyone to be friendly and when I try to speak French, people are very helpful and patient. We often take our bicycles in the summer and just ride around the apple orchards and vineyards and we stop to pick apples that have fallen on the ground, there are also opportunities to pick grapes in the Autumn season too. There is a local gym in Rolle and a beautiful conference centre along the lake side. The local Rolle Green Bus travels around the town regularly and picks up people at designated spots and takes them to the train station in a very timely fashion so it's all very convenient. The train station is very clean too and very accessible to most everywhere. If there was just one thing I wish for, that would be that were more trains from Rolle, the frequency could be improved. We have a very well known fish restaurant called Café du Port which has an excellent reputation. There are many other nice restaurants too. Rolle also has a shop called the Tournesol (sunflower) which is an organic food store and there is also a market on Tuesday and Friday mornings, with fresh produce, pasta, cheese, meat, olives, fish, flowers all on sale. However my favourite shop of all has to be La Boîte à Thé which is a very special shop indeed.  You can sip tea or drink coffee at the back of the store, while looking through all the photos of the owner’s travels. The owner Ursula Selig, sources many products while she is travelling in other countries and there are teas and interesting products for sale from all over the world in this shop. I have spent hours here as it is so peaceful and interesting too! Rolle also has a ferry dock, and the ferries cross over the lake to the main towns and villages in the summer. All in all, I think Rolle is a very special little place and I love living here." Editor's note: Rolle is also home to Le Rosey the prestigious international boarding school (said to be one of the most expensive schools in the world) See previous post about the A1 business centre in Rolle * The population of Rolle (December 2009) was 5,686   The official website of Rolle also incudes the communes of Allaman, Bursinel, Bursins, Burtigny, Dully, Essertines, Gilly, Luins, Mont-sur-Rolle, Perroy, Rolle, Tartegnin and Vinzel. Rolle also has a tourist office in the centre of the town which has its own website Rolle High Street

The lovely sunny warm weather continues here in the Nyon area and with it, many people are out  and about appreciating  the lovely autumnal colours in Nyon's parks and gardens. Photo above - the gardens just below the Chateau.  Some news from Nyon Latest news in Nyon is that the Roulotte (the temporary café  behind the station) will close this Saturday (there will be a little party from 15:00 onwards). It will then move down to the lake where it will link up with the association of  les Bains de Trois Jetees . This  Sunday the association begins a new winter season and the sauna will be in operation. The dutch tub/ jacuzzi will not return, however La Roulotte will be offering massages as an alternative. Events coming up this weekend  -  Expat fair in Geneva on Sunday, Circus school performance, Concert at Conservatoire, Sauna reopens by the lake on Sunday, Jazz concert in Nyon on Friday night . Expat fair There are two expat fairs twice a year in this area, the first one is Expat Expo which takes place this Sunday 10th October from 11:00-17:00 at Palexpo in Geneva. With over 160 exhibitors under one roof there is lots of opportunity to  find out about the clubs, societies on offer here for expats.  (the second fair is Léman Events on 31 October  in Lausanne, more details of this in the coming weeks on this site). Know it All Passport at Expat Expo Know it all passport the book that is the essential guide to living in Geneva, Vaud and neighbouring France will have a stand at the Geneva fair  (see sidebar logo). This weekend Know it All will have a special offer on the latest book, if you trade in your last edition you will get a new one for just CHF 25. All you have to do is find your old green copy at home and bring it to Lisa on the stand (L1) who will trade it in for the new edition for just CHF 25.  As the normal retail price is CHF 38 in shops, this is a great incentive to upgrade. Circus school performance this weekend On Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the L'Elastiquecitrique (the circus school  in the centre of Nyon) François & Nini Pythoud, founders and directors of the circus school, will perform "Histoire de l'amour" . This performance will tell the story of how the couple got together, had four children, and lived their dream of creating the circus school, the trials and tribulations along the way, a story told with love and humour. The performance will last an hour. Performances - Friday 20:30, Saturday 19:00, Sunday 17:00  Adults 20 CHF, Students/AVS 15 CHF ; children  from 3 years old 10 CHF . A bar with snacks is open an hour before the perfomance.  Tickets on the day or reserve on  022 361 95 46 Classical music concert on Sunday Sunday afternoon  classical concert at the Conservatoire   at 17:00 - Trio de Vecchi, Baggi, Pozzini playing Schubert, Spohr, Strauss, De Pablo, Mosca.  The Conservatoire is in a beautiful building  and the Sunday afternoon concerts are a wonderful way of ending a weekend! Reservations 022 994 2360 Monday to Friday 14:00- 16:00 or at the door  See COV for details (link also on sidebar)    Jazz tonight Friday 8th October at 1306 club .  Swing Jazz and Co at 20:30 at the 1306 club . This is a small private venue that is open to the public, entry is free but a contribution to the artists is requested on the night. Lake party On Sunday there is a programme for the party for the opening of the sauna again for winter. Music, swimming in the lake etc!

La Parenthèse, Château de Crans, Guided Tour of Nyon, Introduction to Japan La Parenthèse (the small underground music club in Nyon), starts a new season of music in September and has released its full music programme through till December 2016. Bands from Switzerland, the UK, Australia, Canada, U.S.A and other countries will all perform at the club.   Programme here The season kicks off with Swiss rapper, singer and pianist Fabe Gryphin on Thursday 1st September. See video below. Château de Crans - Caves Ouvertes It's Cave Ouvertes on Saturday 3rd September at the Château de Crans from 10:00 to 20:00. Wine tasting, snacks and music. Visits to the wine cellars and the grounds. Note - the grounds of this private château are usually only open once a year to the public so this is a good opportunity to visit them.  Details here New to Nyon? Would you like to know a bit more about the town of Nyon? The local tourist office is offering a 90 minute guided tour of the town on Saturday 3rd September. The tour begins at 11:00, meet at the ferry embarkation point. No need to reserve, the tour costs CHF 20 and includes a glass of wine and a Malakoff (the local food speciality!) Pay cash on the day. For more info, email info@nrt.ch or call 022 365 6600. Another tour coming up includes a "gourmet" tour on the 29th September. Initiation course to Japan  If you are planning on taking a holiday to Japan, you might be interested in an initiation course to learn about the country. This course will be run in English or French and will introduce you to the etiquette of Japan, from what to do when staying in a Japanese Ryokan (hotel), what not to do in a restaurant or on public transport, it will also teach you some handy expressions and useful tips.  The course is run by Yoshiko Kuwata Luebke, a Japanese resident living in the Nyon area. Courses take place at La boîte à Thé cafe in Nyon on Mondays from 19:00 - 21:00 Contact: infoyoshikons@gmail.com Tel - 079 563 3779

Kafka au Congo this film will be shown again on Tuesday 20:00 in the Salle Communale The wheels of justice turn very slowly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, very slowly indeed, particularly for Gorette Mawazu who has resorted to jurisdiction to evict a squatter on her land. She has been trying for 15 years. At the start of the film we see Gorette having her shoes polished outside the court room before going inside to have her case heard. What follows is an instant entry to another world, watching this film from the well ordered, organised life of Switzerland, we are thrown in the chaos of a Congoloese courtroom, we hear all the noises of life inside and out as we watch the postponement of cases, documents produced from worn and tatty files, seemingly indifferent or apathetic court clerks and judges, files lost, lawyers deliberately misrepresentating facts.  Kafkaesque indeed. When Gorette is back at home her daughter ask her; "Why it taking so long Mum, why do they hate you?" "It's not hate daughter", she says, "It's about money. The longer the case drags on, the more money the lawyers and everyone else can get out of me." We have already seen her pay a deposit of 20 dollars to a court clerk to enable the judges to visit the land in question. No receipt is given to her even though she ask for one. It's not suprising that the visit never materialises and she never sees her money again. You can only assume that this kind of thing has happened before, many times. There is a phrase that goes "pot calling the kettle black", meaning we can't really criticise others before we look at our own mistakes. So for a British person to comment on the corruption  particularly amongst the politicians that is seen in "Kafka au Congo" would indeed be a like a pot calling a kettle very black in the light of the expenses scandal amongst some members of parliament in Britain. However, the sheer amount of corruption that goes on in society in ths film, from the bribery in the courts to bribery in electioneering is astonishing. What is even more astonishing is that it all happens so blatantly in front of the cameras. This excellent documentary, like many films at this festival immerses us in the life of others abroad and here often in humorous scenes. From the small minutaie of daily village living; the monkey painstakingly picking the fleas out of a pet dog, to the frequent power cuts back in Kinshasa. Then there is the sight of a sports programme on TV blaring away in a minister's office during meetings, his brother in law coming to him to ask for money to pay for his daughter's wedding. Later on in the countryside, the repeated scenes of a minister putting his hand into the inside pocket of his smart suit to give out dollars to villagers (many of them barefoot) before getting into his 4 x 4 car are all very telling and speak for themselves. When Gorette the main protogonist in the film goes to a tribal leader to find a different way of solving her legal problem, she asks for his advice. He says; " There are three ways of doing this, the legal way, the amicable way and the ancestral way". She continues with the legal way and during the course of filming we see the final verdict after 15 years of legal action. As this film is being shown again on Tuesday at 20:00 at the Salle Communale. I won't reveal whether Gorette wins her case. Go see for yourself. A superb documentary.