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A reminder that "Les Hivernales", the rock and beat festival has begun and continues over the weekend in Nyon -see previous post her e for more details and listen to an  interview about the festival here Saturday March 2nd - Open Day at Lake Leman International School in Morges   Open Day  from 11:00 to 15:00 Meet the teachers and the LLIS management, discover the Primary and Secondary School and enjoy the day’s activities with your children. The open day starts at 11:00 at the school: From 11:00 to 12:00 Presentation of the website by the Secondary school students From 12:00 to 14:00 – Soccer practice From 13:30 to  14:15  - Story telling From 14:15  to  15:00 - Art workshop Snacks and drinks provided all day. LLIS School- Avenue de la Gottaz 34-36, 1110 Morges, Switzerland -  See school website here Business and Professional Women Switzerland - Networking dinner Candlelight Ceremony & Networking dinner -  Thursday, March 14 th  2013, at the Restaurant du Casino in Rolle This tradition is celebrated by all the BPW clubs around the world to remind them of the international solidarity and resources of the global association. It is  an  opportunity to discover what BPW has to offer. More details click here  Host families required for "Up with People"  March 18-25  Up with People is a global education and service programme focused on bringing the world together through service and music. The international cast of 120 students from 20 countries will be travelling to Geneva on March 18 for a one week stay. During their time in the area they will live with local host families, volunteer in the local community and perform 2 international shows at the Salle Communale de Versoix.  Homes needed for 120 cast members Can you provide a place to sleep, breakfast and dinner and give limited transportation (outside of the centre of Geneva) in the mornings and evenings from March 18-25?   If so, you’ll receive 2 complimentary tickets to the show for hosting. Photo above  - the cast from a previous show - courtesy "Up with People" The 120-member cast is between the ages of 18 and 29 years old and represents 20 different countries. Cast members are out of the house during regular business hours, volunteering, rehearsing or taking part in educational workshops. Sunday March 24, is a ‘host family day,’ you may choose to show them , include them in a family event or simply relax at home. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Advance Team: Contact Katie Baudler at 079 155 37 13 or Katie.upwithpeople@gmail.com with questions or for more information. See the show  ‘Voices’ Salle Communale Lachenal à Versoix à  19:30 the 20th and 21st March. Tickets available now click here

Here are four film reviews from film student Fanny Leyvraz. The first, "Muchachas" comes highly recommended from both Fanny and Living in Nyon.  This film focusses on the relationship that household maids in Mexico have with their employers and the families they work for. Yesterday, at the Nyon film festival, one of the maids was given the opportunity to speak to the audience as the film's director Juliana Fanjul had flown her in from Mexico to attend the screening of the film and to answer questions. A rich an interesting discussion ensued. The next three short reviews are from the "First Steps" film selection. These are short films out of film schools presented in world or international premieres. Fanny warmed to two of the films, but not to the third.  Read on for her reviews. Muchachas  - screening tonight Thursday 23rd at the Cinema Capitole Fellini Capitole Fellini at 20:00 A film filled with whole-hearted and honest exchanges  In the city of Mexico, almost every single wealthy family has an employee doing the household chores. They clean, cook, answer the door, do the laundry, and take care of the kids. is about three women, Lupita, Remedios, and Dolores, who have spent their entire life as house-workers. Wide hands and robust arms, wrinkled faces, they wear their hair short or tied up. Their every move is done with the precision of a watchmaker, energetic and with minimum effort. They are always active and quiet, always standing yet discreet, but the camera reveals the courage and strength these three women, and imposes our respect. Using the technique of conversation, Juliana Fanjul and her camera are able to obtain genuine thoughts and opinions of those who are usually silent. Asking simple questions, and letting time loosen tongues, the process of sharing grows as the minutes go by. The house-workers have memories about their childhoods, they comment on how they consider themselves in relation to the family they work for, their intense reactions can be touching, amusing and sometimes troubling. The film raises many questions - the culture of young female house-workers coming from small villages (where they usually didn’t have any access to education), to questions on Mexico itself. The documentary addresses the separation between economical classes, and the nature of the relationship between the boss and the employee, or the employee and the children of the family, issues that encourage an evolution. Filled with whole-hearted and honest exchanges, gave these incredible women the time and space to speak up about their side of the story. Info and tickets here  Three first steps films by film students - Usine a Gaz  Friday 24th April at 10:00.  Note: all First Steps films will be shown in a mammoth screening session from 10:00 onwards. See timings of the following three films here  Mars Closer Paul and Pauls not only share almost the exact same name, but also the same dream. They long to be a part of the first expedition to Mars, to be the first men ever to set foot on another planet. We follow each man in his earthly dwellings. Paul walks the busy and rainy streets of Tokyo, in an atmosphere recalling In Latvia, Pauls plays in the garden with his two small children. Mixing very blunt addresses to the spectator, and dreamy scenes, does not seem to be real, but wonderfully fictional. Economic Forecasters The blurry and colourful lights, the hullabaloo of radio transmissions, and the swirling of newspapers lure us slowly but surely into an absurd and amusing world. There are two men that see economy as predictable. One looks up to the planets, walking in the dark streets of Helsinki, the other in his newspaper-crammed office, answers calls from hesitant house-buyers or investors. Funny and eccentric, will make you smile. On vénère bien les chevaux In a small café, somewhere in France, there is a cult, betting on the horse-races. If the analogy made with the frenzy of horse-racing bets and the story of the Buddha, and his twelve animal tournament is surprising and smart, it fails to move deeply the spectator. This small window to the horse-racing bet world is probably authentic, but unfortunately not so enchanting.

This weekend (on Friday 8th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May ) it's the Jardins en Fête which will be held in the park and grounds of the Château de Coppet. This event is dedicated to plants and the art of the garden and brings together gardening professionals all in one space. With over 130 exhibitors it is one of the biggest garden events in the region. Hester Macdonald from the Swiss Gardening School will also be at the show. Hester runs gardening courses in English throughout the year. See our post from 2014 when Living in Nyon attended one of her courses. On Sunday 24th May, it's the annual CGN Naval Parade and this year it will gather in Rolle from 10:00 - 19:00. The main choreography of boats will take place between 14:00 and 14:30 and can be seen from the quayside in Rolle. It's an impressive sight when all the lovely Belle Epoque boats gather together in one place! See photos from last year. On Friday 29th May it's Neighbours' Day in both Prangins and Nyon. If you have just arrived here and don't yet know your neighbours, this event is an ideal time for neighbours to get together. Look out for posters in your building or community to see if anything is being organised in your area, if not, why not take the plunge and invite your neighbours over for an apéro to say "Bonjour!"  If you don't live in Nyon or Prangins, click here to find out when and where the event is taking place in your area.   The outdoor swimming pool in Nyon has now opened. In May, June and September it is open from 09:00-20:00 and in July and August from 09:00 to 20:30.

Whether you have a small balcony at 400 metres in Nyon, or a big plot of land at 1,000 metres high up in St Cergue, if you are in need of some excellent gardening advice for this part of the world, then look no further than the Swiss Gardening School. The school's tag line is "Lessons in English for amateur gardeners by professionals" and classes are run throughout the year on a variety of subjects by gardeners Hester Macdonald and Tara Lissner. The school's next course will be held in Nyon on the 1st April from 09:00-13:00 an will be "Design - On a Budget - Creating a beautiful outdoor space without spending a fortune". Below are a selection of photos taken by Living in Nyon at one of the school's gardening course back in September 2013. Despite the editor of this site having  decidedly  non-green fingers, she learnt the best way to pot plants into containers, how to plant bulbs the correct way up, what to look for when buying compost, how to design and plan around colour schemes, and she also got some good recommendations on local nurseries, garden centres and online gardening sites. Nearly six months later, the box of  bulbs that the editor planted is still going strong and in bloom!    As class sizes are small there are plenty of opportunities to ask the gardening experts one-on-one advice on anything and everything to do with gardening based on personal requirements.   Classes are fun and informative  - See here for full details of upcoming courses   h eld  i n both Nyon and Founex. Photo above - sensible, practical advice given to students Photo above -which way up do I plant these? Photo above - recommended reading material. Plant Pots made out of coffee tins!  Photos below - Living in Nyon box of bulbs and flowers planted September 2013 (top left of photo) and the same box March 2014.

“Mahragan”  - by Omar El Shamy  - 23 mins long   - The film will be screened for a second time on Friday 26 April at 13:00 at the Usine à Gaz  in a collection of 18 short films at Usine à Gaz at the Visions du Réel film festival . Review by Trish Thalman who say this is a " splendid film, a noisy and exciting visit to the musical 'street' of Cairo" Mahragan is the name of a popular Rap music group in Cairo. The three young, energetic musicians have taken the traditional Chabbi format of music and up-dated it to reflect the modern beat and musical freedom they now have since the revolution occurred two years ago. Rap music is ‘what’s happening’ as we are introduced to the boisterous opening scenes of a massive, street concert in Cairo.  It’s all about sparklers, flashing lights, a line-up of massive, full-blast speakers, vuvezuelas, dance circles of young males (only males!) wearing jeans, ‘hoodies’ and wonderfully garish t-shirts, who are able to hip-hop and yell along with the music from Mahragan. The fans know all the words to the songs, which are words of opposition from ‘the people’ to the authorities. This was not possible 2 years ago. Mahragan have a long list of bookings, in spite of the confusion with their booking agent who has put June dates before May dates in their diary. One of their musical gigs is a stylish wedding reception at The Swiss Club in Cairo, where Mahragan provide Chabbi-type music, a tradition at Egyptian weddings, but with their lively ‘rapped-up’ beat, and without the fiery political words. The lead singer and songwriter proudly confirms that Mahragan is from a working-class area of Cairo, and that the working-class people are the ones who have important stories to tell. His people are not yet free. The group refer to older and contemporary poets and songs for their on-going, political and musical education. Mahragan truly believes, writes about and raps to the tune that the Egyptian Revolution carries on, and that they will eventually be free. This is a splendid film by a talented, young filmmaker that takes us on a fun, noisy and exciting visit to the musical 'street' of Cairo, with warmth, humour and energy.

If last night's thrilling Wimbledon final has inspired you to pick up a tennis racket for the first time, or if you already play and want to keep up with your game, then did you know that Nyon has its own tennis club for players of all ages and levels? Just on the outskirts of the town, it is set amongst lovely countryside, and has three indoor and nine outdoor courts and it welcomes new members and visitors. This year it celebrates its 75th anniversary and many famous names have played on its courts including a young Roger Federer in a tournament back in 1995! The club has an annual programme of events, summer courses and tournaments. If tennis is not your thing then you can still go to the club for lunch. Watch others running around while you sit and stay cool in the shade on the restaurant's terrace. Check out the Tennis Club website for more details (their programme of events is in English)

If you are looking for a place to visit, either to entertain guests or for a short drive out into the countryside then the current art exhibition at the Jan Michalski foundation in Mont Richer is worth a visit. The Michalski building is devoted entirely to literature, has an impressive brand new library and currently has an art exhibition called "Manwoz", a collaboration of work by musician Manau Chao and artist Jacek Wozniak.  The building itself is an extraordinary structure high up in the middle of of the Vaud countryside! The exhibition runs until the 21st December. Opening times:  Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 14.00 to 18.00 Admission: CHF 5 (adults) 3 CHF (students, pensioners, unemployed, groups, IV)  Free for all under 18 years of age and residents of Mont Richer Parking available.

Here is a an eclectic selection of events coming up in the Nyon and Geneva area. Free writing workshops for teenagers offered by the Geneva Writers' Group. See poster below. Dates of workshops are: Feb 6th, March 5th, April 9th, May 14th, June 11th. Click here for more details  Note - registration is now open for the Geneva Writers' Conference which will take place from the 18-20 March. Click here for more details Music events coming up in Nyon Thursday 21 January at 22:00 Indie/ Folk Music from Canada at the Parenthèse with bands Twin Bandit and David Vertesi. See video below. Friday 22nd January at 20:30 Los Ratones  (Cuban music band) will be playing at the 1306 club . Details here  Sunday 24th January at 17:00 Classical music at the Conservatoire de l'Ouest Vaudois Details in poster below or  click here Saturday 23rd January 21:30  Rock at the Usine a Gaz with the Chikitas . Free entry - see video below

The Jval rock and pop music festival begins tomorrow Thursday 25th and continues until Saturday 27th August. This festival is the last of the local outdoor music festivals and take places amongst the vineyards above Begnins. It's a great venue for music lovers to end the summer season and to soak up both the lovely scenery.  There is a variety of music concerts on the programme this year including that of Lausanne funk and soul band Professor Wouassa (see Living in Nyon's review here of when they played at Paléo this year). Free transport is provided by the festival from Nyon and Gland railway station to and from the festival. For full details and programme of Jval, see site here Slow down for children.  No more free parking in central Nyon at midday. This week saw school children return to school in the public system. Most private schools open their doors next week.  Here in Switzerland, many children walk to school or take public transport and drivers may have noticed the posters along the roadside in the public information campaign "Merci de t'arrêter pour moi" - " Thankyou for stopping for me".  This is a reminder from the police to drivers to slow down and take extra caution.  On Monday in Morges, a local police officer was handing out car screen wipes to the public to remind drivers to take extra caution and to ensure they have clear visibility and to keep a safe distance from children walking and cycling to school.   Note: Parking in Nyon - From the 1st September there will be no more free parking over the lunch time period at the Place Perdtemps car park in central Nyon. Parking fees will also be increased.  Below - Interview with artist Christine Collet. Here is the first in a series of interviews with local artists who either live in the Vaud or Geneva area. These interviews are being held by Stephanie Fonteyn, an artist herself who lives in Duillier and who runs creative art classes (see previous post on Stephanie here ). Stephanie begins this series with an interview on artist Christine Collet . Christine will be exhibiting her work at the Clinique de Genolier from the 5th September to the 5th November 2011.  Christine is Swiss (born in Bern) and lives in Montreux. She lived in South Korea and Mexico before settling back down in Switzerland. She has a studio in Montreux and gives art courses to adults and children.  Christine entered the world of painting at a very young age thanks to her grandfather, a painter, who she lived with during part of her childhood. For Christine, the paintbrush is a magical tool that allows her to enter into her imaginary world. She is like a storyteller who uses a paintbrush and colour versus one who uses words. Stephanie: “Could you describe a little bit more about your work?” Christine: “ I use two different techniques; Stucco (a material made of an aggregate, a binder and water) to create organic looking coloured abstract monochromes, and acrylics to create dream-like imaginary worlds. I both mediums I am searching for a sense of harmony.” Stephanie: “How would you describe your style?” Christine: “Free, figurative versus abstract, metaphoric, expressing a personal vision that is suggestive rather than imposing.”  Stephanie:  “What made you decide to use Stucco as a medium?” Christine:  “I like the organic feel that stucco can give. I saw a painting in a gallery that used stucco and I knew that was the material I wanted to use in my paintings, and so I trained in this technique. Stephanie: “When did you decide to become an artist?” Christine: “I knew I wanted to paint at the age of 8 years. Due to various circumstances, I started painting later on in life and didn’t have the possibility to study art at school as I would have liked.” Stephanie: “When did you decide to become an artist?” Christine:  “A friend gave me my first box of paints in her garden in 1997.” Stephanie:  “What’s your strongest memory of your childhood that has influenced you as an artist?” Christine:  “My grandfather was a painter, and I was fascinated by his studio and his paintings. We were not allowed to touch anything, just watch, and for me it was a magical world. The theme of houses and imaginary worlds in my acrylic paintings are influenced by my childhood association to home; which is a place where you receive love, a place of exchange, where you can grow physically and emotionally. It’s about the heart of the home rather than the appearance of the home.” Stephanie:  “What do you like about your work?” Christine:  “It’s like a sound coming out of my mouth, I don’t know what sound is going to come out, but it comes out. There is a feeling of happiness and freedom of expression,” Stephanie:  “What do you dislike about your work?” Christine:  “The impression that I sometimes cannot transmit on canvas the feeling I want, it is as if the canvas resists. This sensation is very frustrating.” Stephanie:  “How do you overcome this? Christine:  “I put the painting aside and later on, try again and again. Using with time, or a maturation process, I can later get to the expression I was looking for.” Stephanie:  “Where do your ideas come from? Would you tell us something about your artistic process?” Christine:  “My paintings are stories, colours and imaginary worlds. My ideas come from all the things I have seen on my travels, living in different countries.” Stephanie:  “What is your greatest ambition as an artist?” Christine:  “I would like to paint an enormous painting that is bigger than me, at least two metres by two metres. It would be an abstract painting that gives me the sense of entering a story or another world.” Stephanie:  “Like Alice in Wonderland?” Christine:  “Yes!” Stephanie:  “Have you won any artistic awards?” Christine:  “Yes, I won the second prize for a metaphoric painting in May 2011 at the Forum in Hotel de Ville, Lausanne.” Stephanie:  “What are you working on at present?” Christine:  “I have two upcoming exhibitions that I am preparing a series of stucco paintings called “Aspects végétales” one of which will be at the Montreux Art Gallery in November. Stephanie: “When and where can we next see your paintings?” Christine: "At the Clinique Genolier from the 5th of September until the 5th of November 2011 or MAG (Montreux Art Gallery) from the 10th to the 14th of November 2011".

Photo above: First early concert of the evening at 17:30  by Swiss Band Mama Rosin performing on the new "Les Arches" stage Here are few images of the first night at Paléo. A reminder to those that have children that you can bring them along to the festival, it's a festival for all ages! Children under the age of 12 are admitted free to the festival, provided they are accompanied by an adult. You can read all about the facilities for babies, children and teenagers here . Also, see a 2009 Living in Nyon article about the special  children's area here.  Check out the Paléo website for up to date info on this area. Reviews of last night's concerts coming up soon.  The spectator profile at the festival is the following 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%

There will be a Winter Fair on Friday 7th November and Saturday 8th November at the Hotel Beau Rivage in Nyon from 10:00-17:00 Free entry  - Winter gifts galore, tombola, homemade gifts, food and more.

On Sunday November 1, the 9th edition of the Léman International Fair organised by Léman Events will open its doors to the public from 11:00 -17:00 with free entrance. This annual event, with over 100 exhibitors and around 2,000 visitors offers a large scale of products and services in English. Nine years ago this “international” day started in Morges in order to help the expats with their integration. The Fair expanded each year, moved to the Beaulieu Exhibition Centre and evolved into an informative day for the entire international community with the aim to connect people and businesses. Each year a new focus is added to the initial setup to keep the fair interesting and fun. In addition to the annual setup, this year an “Excellence Area” offers a choice in financial services, watches, real estate, skin care, interior design, special sports, clinics, etc. The Beau Rivage Palace will host a free champagne bar and a café area. A book exchange will also be organised by the Scots Kirk to finance one of its charities. Treasure or Trinket? Another special novelty at the fair this year. Visitors can bring their Art items, jewellery and other objets d’art to the Fair and have them valued by specialists of Bonhams Auction House Geneva. They will answer the question: Is it a Treasure or a Trinket? Note: Living in Nyon will not be at the fair this year, however " Know-it-all passport" will be there on stand number 67.   Why not go along and say "Hello" to friendly, fellow podcaster Lisa Cirieco, founder of the Know-it-all-passport book and website?