My Parisian blog hit the top 50!

What a way to finish the year?

Waking up this morning reaching for my phone, a little notification is telling me my French blog has been mentioned. Curious I tap the link and to my surprise I find my blog listed amongst the top 60 Parisian blogs published by blog.feedspot.com who choose the best ones from thousands of top Paris blogs using search and social metrics.

These blogs and websites are ranked based on following criteria:
- Google reputation and Google search ranking
- Influence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other social media sites
- Quality and consistency of posts
- Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review

It is the most comprehensive list of best Paris blogs on the internet. I am totally chuffed. I still have not quite come around to calling myself a blogger despite my many published posts and constant viewers' increase over the years. I am still convinced that only my friends follow me but I guess my Parisian adventures are being read by many more given that this is the second time I made into a top Parisian blogger list this year. Paris is after all the biggest blogger community outside of the US.

Expat with Kids in Paris grew out of my first blog Expat with Kids that came to life in 2010 when we were still living in Lugano. I have continued to feed my Swiss blog as a way of staying attached to my home country. I could not bring myself to just drop all my followers and readers. Expat with Kids in Paris began in 2011 as a fun way to account for my daily adventures with the Parisians and the French lifestyle.

Thank you to every single one of you who have enjoyed having Expat with Kids and Expats with Kids in Paris on your daily feed via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Mille mercis to blog.feedspot.com for listing me in the Top 60 Paris Blogs and Websites for 2016 and Bonne Année 2017 à vous tous!

Happy Holidays

Santa skiing on the Swiss slopes

Who said Swiss don't have a sense of humour? Just look at how much fun 1200 Santas can have on the slopes of Verbier.

Skiers in appropriate costume were invited to ski for free in the Swiss ski resort for one day only as part of a special event to celebrate Verbier's official opening weekend.

Held for the third year in a row, it proved more popular than ever this year as around 1,200 Santas arrived to claim their free day's ski pass – double the number at last year's event.

Free wine, croissants and raclette were offered throughout the day, as well as the chance to win a season pass in a prize draw. Now, all we need is a bit of fresh snow for the holidays!

Special Christmas Services at St. Edward’s in Lugano

The Anglican Church of Lugano warmly invites you to the St. Edward’s Family Christmas Service with Children’s Nativity Play this Sunday December 11th at 4 p.m. This Service is for all the family, young and old.

Another upcoming event is their Evening Candlelit Carol Service on Sunday December 18th at 6 p.m. A lovely occasion to get those voice cords going again... when is the last time you attended a Christmas Carol service? It will be a traditional Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in a candlelit setting. Not to be missed.

Please do join the St.Edward's congregation for Christmas refreshments served in Casa Benson after both of these special celebrations.

The Christmas service on Sunday December 25th at 10:30 a.m. will be a Christmas Day Sung Eucharist & Carols for the Nativity of Our Lord.

Venue: Christmas Service and Carols
Where: The Anglican Church of St. Edward, Via Clemente Maraini 6, 6900 Lugano
Date:
- Sunday December 11th at 4 p.m: Family Christmas Service with Children’s Nativity Play
- Sunday December 18th at 6 p.m: Evening Candlelit Carol Service
- Sunday December 25th at 10:30 a.m: Christmas Day Sung Eucharist & Carols
For more info click here: http://www.stedwards.ch

Christmas Countdown Calendar

This lovely calendar has been posted last year but I do believe it can be reinstated every year. It is a great way to ring in the festive season and volunteer for a good cause.

Even if my kids' favourite Advent calendars are the chocolate ones from Coop supermarket, this doesn't mean I can't add another one this December. She Lives Free has posted a lovely Acts of Kindness countdown to Christmas printable calendar.

Ideally, you'll be holding the door open to a stranger or giving out free hugs more than once a month but maybe doing these acts of kindness consciously might spark the impulse to do more.

And don't forget, you can always modify the acts that don't feel right and replace them with your own. So, go ahead and start making some space on your kitchen fridge to hang up this very sweet Advent calendar.

Happy Advent!

Annual Family Fun Fair 2016

Don't miss the biggest event during the holiday season in Lugano. It's happening this Sunday at the Hotel Pestalozzi!

The 4th annual Family Fun Fair will be the best yet! A great family outing worth noting in your calendars.

There will be activities for children all day including a visit from Santa, caroling, and some workshops of interest to parents and children alike.

Learn about local businesses, pick up some holiday gifts, and visit the Food Court for tasty treats.

Each family will be given a Goodie Bag with a children's holiday craft, information for parents, and special offers! It’s all free and open to the public.

A special thanks goes to the main sponsor The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) as well to the International Women's Club go Lugano for the great support.

Venue: Family Fun Fair 2016 - Christmas Edition
Where: Hotel Pestalozzi, Piazza Indipendenza 9, 6900 Lugano
When: Sunday, December 4th, 2016
Time: 10:00-16:00

Take a peek at the programme:

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

It's Thanksgiving week and it's a time to be thankful. The majority of dishes in the traditional American version of Thanksgiving dinner are made from foods native to the New World, as according to tradition, the Pilgrims received from the Native Americans. What is known as "The First Thanksgiving," the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony (an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691) contained waterfowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash.

A few Irish people decided to test taste today's American Thanksgiving dishes and here are their conclusions.

To all of you across the globe celebrating this day... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Christmas market at St. Edward's Church

Get ready for some Christmas spirit in the festive setting of Casa Benson these next two Sundays. Coffee and light snacks will be on sale after the service since the St Edward’s Church community love to socialise.

Enjoy a glass of mulled wine in a Christmas atmosphere whilst browsing amongst a selection of stalls with homemade traditional specialities such as cakes, puddings and preserves.

Venue: Christmas market of The Anglican Church of St. Edward
Where: Casa, Benson, Via Clemente Maraini 6, 6900 Lugano
When: Sunday 20th and 27th November
Time: 12:00 to 15:00
All proceeds go to the ministry of St. Edward’s Church

For more Information visit: www.stedwards.ch

100 faces of Switzerland

Remember my post from January 2016? The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) - who are in charge of promoting Switzerland's image abroad - wished to show the world who our country's ambassadors are. They were looking for faces of Switzerland abroad.

Well, here is the result highlighting the importance of the Swiss community abroad which by the way would be Switzerland's fourth biggest canton if all 762'000 of us were to be local residents.

One hundred people, from past and present, with extraordinary life stories, represent their home to the world and influence the image of Switzerland abroad. Their lives are multifaceted and their reasons for emigration diverse. Yet all of Switzerland’s citizens living abroad have something in common – their connection to Switzerland.

Participants were invited to speak about their social background and their professional career in the language of their choice. This created portraits of 90 people from roughly 50 countries and all five continents with different life stories, personal stories that also represent the history of Swiss identity. Furthermore, the lives of ten figures from past centuries are highlighted, figures who made a name for themselves abroad.

Get to know these 100 people on the website www.houseofswitzerland.org

A very long night ahead...

Are you among the 35,000 to 40,000 Americans living in Switzerland, or are you one of the 80,000-strong Swiss community in the US? Maybe you are a global citizen, with interests that connect you to the two countries.

Nearly half a million Swiss have emigrated to the US since the 18th century. Part of the legacy of many of the Swiss emigres are the 5,000 American towns that now bear Swiss names, as well as their influence on American culture: electric guitar pioneer Adolph Rickenbacker and car company founder Louis Chevrolet, to name just two.

A new Democratic- or Republican-led administration in Washington will take decisions that could affect your taxes, business or other binational affairs – or simply people’s perceptions of Americans living in Switzerland.

The New York Times is inviting readers to take advantage of its reporting, analysis and commentary from the lead-up through the aftermath of the 2016 election. Readers will have unlimited access to NYTimes.com for 72 hours from 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, November 7 until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 9.

I have been glued to CNN Tv since lunch time. It's gonna be a looooong night!

Halloween parties around Lugano

Halloween Party in Bissone:
The parents' association of Bissone is organizing a Halloween party at the Lido di Bissone on Saturday, October 29th starting at 17:30. It is free and is for children as well as adults. All that is asked of you is to bring something for the buffet table (aperitivo or dolce). There will be a DJ and he seems to be very good.

Date: Saturday, October 29th, 2016
Time: 5:30 pm
Where: Lido di Bissone, Piazza Francesco Borromini 1, 6816 Bissone
Cost: free, bring a dish
Contact: Associazione genitori di Bissone

Come celebrate Halloween at All For Kids in S. Antonino:
On Sunday, October 30th find activities for the kids, and refreshments for all at All for Kids Showroom in S. Antonino. Parents can mingle and shop while children play games or make crafts in the new expanded Showroom space. Stop by for a short time or stay all afternoon. Open to the public so feel free to spread the word. Every child in a costume will receive a FREE gift!

Date: Sunday, 30th October 2016
Time: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Where: All For Kids Showroom, Via Cimitero 21, 6592 Sant'Antonino
Cost: Free
Contact: Robin Bognuda at 091 580 30 82

Halloween on the lake of Lugano:
How about spending a fun afternoon cruising the lake of Lugano? On Monday, October 31st leaving at 14:30 you can enjoy a two hour scary tour with your kids: Make-up and games are included. Make sure to reserve beforehand at sales@lakelugano.ch or call 091/ 971 52 23.

Date: Monday, 31st October 2016
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Where: Crociera Halloween, Lago di Lugano
Cost: CHF 22.- (adults), CHF 10.- (kids)
Contact: Società navigazione del Lago di Lugano at 091/ 971 52 23

SaveSave

The World's Biggest Eye Contact Experiment

On Saturday the 29th of October, 2016 hundreds of thousands of people from around the world – from Tel Aviv to Melbourne – will stand united in eye contact. It is the official date for the World's Biggest Eye Contact Experiment, a global event inspiring the world to share authentic eye contact and connection in public. Last year over 100,000 people from over 156 different cities were involved.

The Liberators International are the global organisers of this event. They are a peaceful international social movement founded in Perth, Australia and are passionate about creating participatory public demonstrations for peace and videos that allow us to see that beyond our differences there is love and humanity.

Why?
“Our global society has become thirsty for true connection and this experience allows you to be the change you wish to see in the world by creating an authentic, loving and respectful platform for human connection to flourish in public.”

Your participation in this global event demonstrates that beyond our differences there is love and humanity. You will be representing your country on this incredible day and what happens will forever change the social fabric of the present and future. Sign up here.

The only Ticino event is awaiting clearance for Locarno. Stay tuned with this list of participating cities: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dycjvpldFI8jhsgpkYO2CWBXCseKqRwnKLgQ_UQABRE/mobilebasic

For more info click here: http://www.eyecontactexperiment.com

Trump and Hillary made me smile today

We all know the American presidential election campaign is in full swing - whether you are following it or not - the media is having a field day. It is difficult to ignore all the coverage worldwide.

Here is a video that made me smile and I just had to share with you. I hope it makes you smile as well...

International Day of the Girl

In 2011, as the result of youth advocacy around the world, the United Nations declared October 11th as the International Day of the Girl. Its mission is “to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.”

It is a day when activist groups come together under the same goal to highlight, discuss, and take action to advance rights and opportunities for girls everywhere.

The challenges girls face differ across the world, but by ensuring data on girls is gathered and recorded, it is hoped that this year’s International Day of the Girl will support future progress by recording present facts.

Girls in numbers:
-  70% of the world’s poor are girls and women
-  62m Number of girls who should be in school but are not.
-  830 girls and young women die during pregnancy and childbirth every day
-  55% of the 20.9m victims of forced labour are girls and women
-  39,000 girls are married before they turn 18

Source: plan-international.org/because-i-am-a-girl

October 11 is not just a day; it’s a movement!

Swiss Expat Stats

The Swiss apparently do not find their motherland to be a particularly exciting country, since the most common (although not the most important) reason for their relocation is the search for an adventure or a personal challenge (mentioned by 28%). In addition, 24% of the Swiss report that they specifically wanted to live in the country they currently reside in, and according to a further 22% they simply enjoy living abroad.

Many Swiss expats have previous experience with life abroad. Almost a quarter (24%) has lived in four or more countries before, excluding Switzerland and their current host country; globally, only 16% of participants can say the same. Planned lengths of stay do not deviate as much (e.g. 27% Swiss vs. 25% overall plan to possibly stay forever). However, in contrast to the worldwide trend, stays of 3–5 years are somewhat more popular with the Swiss than those of over five years (20% and 10%, respectively).

Luckily, the Swiss passport seems to open many doors, as an exceptionally high percentage of the Swiss expats (59%) mention that getting a visa for their host country was very easy, an opinion only 41% of their global peers share.

Switzerland's most beautiful village is in Ticino

More than 31,000 Swiss took part in the competition organized by the country’s four public television stations and the magazines Schweizer Illustrierte, l’Illustré and il caffè.

Out of 12 finalists, Morcote won hands-down. The runners up were Ardez in Lower Engadine, Binn in Lower Valais and St Ursanne in the canton of Jura with its medieval centre.

Situated a few kilometres from Lugano, the village of 770 inhabitants actually belongs to the Paradiso administrative district. Who knew?

The most beautiful village competition has been going since 2011, last year’s winner was Soglio in the canton of Graubünden, and in 2014 the canton Fribourg village of Gruyères scooped the prize.

Take a minute to enjoy the pictures of Switzerland's four most beautiful villages and click here: http://www.leplusbeauvillage.ch/it#accueil

Get out and vote!

I am good to go.

I have never voted in the United States before but the time has come to change that!

The process has been surprisingly easy even for someone like me who had never registered to vote before. It took filling out a form online, two e-mails to the Board of Elections in my county due to some doubts about my last address of residency - you don't want know how many decades ago - a phone call to a very kind clerk on the other end of the pond and a week later my ballot arrived in the post this morning.

So, wherever you may live in the world: are you ready to vote?

My personal absentee ballot received this morning.

To New York with love from Paris, France

Who is the OSA

This year, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) is celebrating its centenary. Yes, that would be 100 years of working on behalf of the Swiss Abroad. Taking the title of "Switzerland – part of the world" the anniversary year is looking back at the OSA's history with the aim of focusing on the current and future needs of our fellow citizens worldwide.

The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) devised and created SwissCommunity.org in 2010. Its aim is to strengthen the link between the Swiss abroad and Switzerland.

SwissCommunity is a free, high-quality platform serving the Swiss all over the world. It is a “club” for international Switzerland, designed and tailored to meet the needs of Swiss people worldwide. You can find and exchange current information, news and events, discuss, ask questions and get answers as well as explore Switzerland online.

One of the tasks of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) is defending the "Fifth Swizerland" and is, in effect, one of the raisons d'être of the OSA since its creation in 1916.

The theme of this issue of the Swiss Community magazine is to look back at the centenary celebrations that took place in Berne on 5-7 August 2016.

Swiss Community online magazine 3/16

I wish you happy reading and sign up if you live abroad and wish to stay in touch about what is happening in Switzerland.


The Swiss Abroad were asked to shoot a video greetings message to celebrate 100 years of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA). The resulting video with all the messages that were sent in was shown during the jubilee festivities on Bundesplatz.

Switzerland through the eyes of an Expat

It is true that the Swiss can be a little private, reluctant to become friends with foreigners but once they DO become your friend it is for life!

For more info click here.

Mondo Bimbi a Lugano

Given the weather forecast which does not bid well, why not check out play areas, arts & crafts activities, labs, workshops and commercial stands for children and family at MondoBimbi?

MondoBimbi is for parents-to-be, Mums and Dads, Grannies and Grandpas as well as for everyone who is looking for new ideas about children.

At MondoBimbi you can find all you need to know about pregnancy, babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and school age children.

Venue: Mondo Bimbi
Where: Centro Esposizioni Lugano, Via Campo Marzio, 6900 Lugano
Date: Friday, September 16 10:00 am - 8:30 pm
Saturday, September 17 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday, September 18 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Price: Ticket Fr. 10.-, Children under 12 years and AVS free of charge
For more info click here: http://www.mondo-bimbi.ch