Easter in the city of Lugano

Join the festive atmosphere of Easter in the City and explore the numerous intriguing and entertaining activities for young and old.

Every year Easter draws a myriad of vacationers and travelers to Lugano. In order to add some zest to the picturesque city center, the City of Lugano and their tourist center organize an event called "Pasqua in Città" (Easter in the City), which will take place from Friday, April 14th through Monday April 17th, 2017.

THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, THREE CUTE RABBITS WILL HAND OUT CHOCOLATE CANDIES PROVIDED BY MIGROS TICINO.

Here is a peak at the programme:

ENTERTAINMENT
14.04-17.04 / 10:00-18:30 / Piazza Manzoni
Wooden handmade games for all the family, creative workshops with recycled materials and face-painting.

FOLK MUSIC
14.04-17.04 / 13:30-18:00 / Centro Cittadino
Musical animation with Tacalà, Duo Nostranello, Tirabüscion and the Bagiöö.

EASTER MARKET
14.04-17.04 / 11:00-18:00 / Centro Cittadino

Over 100 stands with handicrafts, food and wine.

EGGS CHASE
15.04-17.04 / 10:30 - 16:00 / Piazza Manzoni
Treasure hunt for the whole family in the city centre, leaving from Piazza Manzoni. Those that find all the clues along the way will be given delicious chocolate eggs as a prize.

CONCERTS
14.04 / 14:30 / Piazza San Rocco
JUGENDMUSIK SCHWANDEN

15.04 / 15:00 / Piazza Luini - Piazza Dante
CORO CHIESA DI GESÙ CRISTO DEI SANTI DEGLI ULTIMI GIORNI

15.04 / 17:00 / Patio del Municipio - Piazza Riforma
FILARMONICA DI CASTAGNOLA - CONCERTO DI PASQUA

15.04 / 17:00 / Sala Teatro LAC
CONCERTO SPIRITUALE DEL SABATO SANTO
Con Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana e Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera

EASTER CELEBRATIONS
14.04 / 20:00 / Centro Cittadino
Via Crucis (start from S. Nicolao)

15.04 / 21:00 / Basilica del Sacro Cuore
Easter Vigil

16.04 / 09:30 / Chiesa Sant’Antonio
Easter Mass

Facts about waste water

World Water Day is held on March 22nd to raise awareness of the importance of freshwater. It helps bring attention to a crisis faced by millions around the globe – limited access to fresh, clean water.

This year's theme is 'why waste water' and focuses on getting people to stop wasting the valuable resource.

It is estimated that 663 million people live without access to safe water close to their homes. Instead, they must travel long distances or queue for hours to get it. Many also have to cope with contaminated water – and the associated health problems.

The United Nations General Assembly officially designated March 22nd as World Water Day in 1993. Since then, campaigns have focused on improving water quality and access to freshwater for people around the world. In 2015 – and as part of the Sustainable Development Goals – a UN Initiative set a target to make sure everyone on the planet has access to safe water by 2030.

It is estimated that by 2030, the demand for water will have increased by 50% – most of which will be from people living in cities. As a result, World Water Day organisers are calling for new approaches to wastewater management.

Facts about waste water:
- At present, more than 80% of wastewater produced is pumped back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.
- Despite most of the world's population being expected to live in cities by 2050, most – especially in developing countries – do not have the infrastructure or resources needed to manage wastewater.
- 1.8 billion people (more than a quarter of the world's population) use a source of drinking water that is contaminated by faeces. This places them at risk of a host of deadly diseases including dysentery, cholera and polio.
- It is estimated that unsafe water and poor sanitation kills 842,000 people every year.
- An area of land roughly equivalent to the size of Sri Lanka is irrigated with wastewater or polluted water. This causes health problems in the farmers working on the land, and eventually the people who consume the products they produce.
- Water, sanitation and hygiene could prevent 9.1% of the global disease burden – and an estimated 6.3% of all deaths.
- Improved water sources reduces the number of deaths from diarrhoea by 21%, while improved sanitation can reduce it by 37.5%.
- According to the USGS, the average person uses up to 100 gallons of water per day. 95% of this goes down the drain – meaning each person wastes between 76-95 gallons every day.
- Despite most of the planet being covered by water, most of it is not available for human use. If the Earth's water fitted into a four litre jug, just one tablespoon would be available freshwater.

International Mother Language Day

UNESCO is celebrating International Mother Language Day (IMLD) today. 2017 runs under the theme “Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education”.

On the occasion of this Day, I launch an appeal for the potential of multilingual education to be acknowledged everywhere, in education and administrative systems, in cultural expressions and the media, cyberspace and trade. Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General  

Well, Switzerland represents the prefect example with its four National languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch. Multilingualism is an integral part of Switzerland's national identity, however, that does not mean every Swiss is multilingual.

It is important to know that there are three official languages in Switzerland (German, French and Italian) but there are four National languages (German, French, Italian AND Romansch). Although Romansh is spoken by only some 10,000 people in certain parts of Graubünden, it has five distinct dialects: Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Puter and Vallader.

Here are some more facts:

- German is the main language of around 64.9% of the population. However, they do not speak standard German but rather various Alemmanic dialects that are collectively known as “Schwiizerdütsch” (Swiss German).
- Swiss German is not a written language, although it is used sometimes in personal correspondence. Standard German is used for all formal, written communication.
- French is the main language of around 22.6% of the population.
- Italian is the main language of around 8.3% of the population.
- Romansch is the main language of about 0.5% of the population.
- Several cantons are multilingual: Bern (German-French), Fribourg (French-German), Valais (French-German) and Graubünden (German-Romansh-Italian).
- Swiss German is the most widely used language in the workplace (66%), followed by standard German (33%), French (29%), English (18%) and Italian (9%).
- Over 42% of the population over the age of 15 regularly use more than one language.
- Foreigners living in Switzerland also contribute to the country's linguistic diversity. English and Portuguese are the most commonly spoken foreign languages.
- Other commonly spoken foreign languages include Spanish, Serbian, Croatian and Albanian.

Happy Valentine's Day

This I Love You Map, shows the phrase “I Love You” translated into 130 different languages and positioned on the map based on the primary language spoken in that country or region of the world.

Here's wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day
wherever you may be in the world!

Ready for Switzerland’s annual siren testing

Get ready for tomorrow's emergency! It is a yearly tradition that takes place in Switzerland every first Wednesday of February. It is the day the entire country tests its emergency sirens.

Swiss being Swiss, the government maintains a network of around 7,200 sirens across the country as a public warning system that would be used in case of a national emergency. That could mean a natural disaster such as major flooding, or an imminent threat to or breakdown of a nuclear power plant.

The sirens were originally established to warn of bomb threat during World War Two. In particular Switzerland feared that its dams could be bombed in the manner that Germany’s Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams were bombed by the allies in 1943. The system endured through the Cold War when Switzerland feared being caught in the crossfire of a nuclear attack and has been kept ever since.

The general alarm will be tested at 1.30pm for around half an hour. The water alarm test follows at 2.15pm in applicable areas. The first, indicating general disaster, is a continuous oscillating siren lasting around a minute. The second, is a series of 12 bursts of 20 seconds each at ten-second intervals to warn people who live beneath dams of  impending water-related catastrophe.

Listen to the radio, follow instructions and tell your neighbours to do the same 

This is what the sirens sounded like from our balcony in Lugano back in 2011.  Some things never change!

Maintenant, il ne faut plus se trumper!

Every once in a while I get carried away... the Sister March in Paris to the Women’s March on Washington D.C was definitely one of those moments. I am not a political person but this movement struck a cord in me, somewhere between the human rights and women's lib I found a cause I identified with. It was nothing to do with Donald Trump... this was bigger, it was about personal conviction and fundamental beliefs.

I invited Expat Girl to join me in the March which was to lead us from the Trocadero Esplanade of human rights to the Wall for Peace Monument on the Champ de Mars. Rather sheepishly she declined because she didn't feel safe to walk with such a big crowd of people. I respect that. The terrorist attacks had had an impact on her young life and there were things she was not prepared to do.

As I walk towards the terrace where the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948 I was surprised to hear only murmurs and relaxed conviviality. Usually during demonstrations you can hear shouts and chants a block away from the Trocadero.

Sure enough, as I came around the Musée de l'Homme - ten minutes before the March was suppose to begin - I saw a little crowd, women of all ages holding various signs and flags. Were the Parisiennes suitably late or was this just not on the city's agenda I thought a wee bit disappointed?

True to French style, however, people were late, and half an hour later thousands had turned up and it was impossible for the tourists to even attempt to get a picture of the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero Esplanade.

With grace, dignity and conviviality women AND men from France, the USA, Mexico, Spain, New Zealand and many other places walked the walk side by side, each with their own belief and their own cause at heart. There was no aggressiveness, no arguments, no shouting or screaming. People were talking with their neighbours, smiling at one another, kids were asking each other where they were from in English, journalists were taking snapshots to capture the serene and peaceful mood of the colourful crowd blessed with sunshine and a wonderful and rare blue winter sky.

A unique and unforgettable afternoon in the French capital born of a solidarity movement with the Women’s March in the USA which will go down in history and in my memory as a very special moment of this complex, modern world.

As one of the signs said: "Maintenant, il ne faut plus se trumper!

Some say we were 7000 at Trocadero today!

A sign that sums it all up

Il faut du tout pour faire un monde

Best script board

The beauty of this march is that everybody can have their own agenda!

Recognise this Spanish sign?

Every person has their own personal reasons to participate

The French are part of the party as well!

An impressive view

Ready to march the March 

The beauty of this sign is that it was carried by a man!

Arriving at the Wall of Peace with police escort

Greeting our sisters in Washington DC

A peaceful Saturday afternoon march comes to an end

The Wall of Peace, a favourite site of rendezvous for militants of human rights

Picture of the day: "Je suis une femme"

Meet the Swiss Federal Council 2017

The release of the Swiss Federal Council's official photo for 2017 on New Year’s Eve caused quite a stir in the media, even becoming a trending topic on twitter. Creative minds were quick to publish inventive versions of the original portraits taken by photographer Beat Mumenthaler.

The original version

An adapted "nice" version

The Swiss government comprises seven members to form the Federal Council. The president is elected for a one-year term of office and is regarded during that time as ‘Primus inter pares’, or first among equals.

The Swiss Government has revamped its official website where you can find information about the Swiss Government and a restricted amount of news in English. Personally, I do think this year's photo is a great deal more stylish than in past years. So let's look at the bright side, the Swiss Federal Council are definitely making an effort.

Someone decided to adapt the official photo into a video showing the Federal Council singing ‘Bernhemian Rhapsody’. See the result for yourself:

To start off 2017 with a giggle...

Who knew Ireland has a vibrant animation industry? Thankfully comedy plays a big part. Grintage was launched in 2015 to develop and celebrate the best of Irish comedy. It’s a work in progress as these Irish Youtubers continue to grow and gain support from the wider comedy community and industry.

The video dates a few months back but I thought you might to like a giggle to start off the new year.

New Year's Resolutions 2017

Time for New Year's Resolutions... Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? Why not find a unique New Year’s resolution that can actually transform your life? And, maybe you’ll even have a chance of sticking to it? Something that is more interesting will naturally keep your interest.

So, here are a few unique New Year’s Resolutions that you chould try. Pick one, two, three, or all four.

A Daily Act of Kindness
One of the best new year resolution ideas is to resolve to make at least one person’s life better each day. It can be as simple as buying someone’s coffee in line behind you to donating something to the local food bank. These happen a lot during the holidays, but not much afterwards.

Learn Something New
Can you design a web page? Want to play the guitar? Wish you could be an author? Always hoped to speak Italian? We all have things skills we wished we had or things we’ve always wanted to learn. The coming of the new year should remind you that you aren’t getting any younger. Resolve to actually learn a new skill or develop a talent. Be specific about what you want to learn and write down concrete steps to achieve it. For example, if you want to write a book, research the publishing process and maybe take a class on writing.

Get Involved In A Charity
Was your old year primarily focused on yourself? There’s nothing wrong with making yourself happy. However, selfish people rarely live meaningful and truly happy lives. That’s why, if you’re not already involved in charitable work, it could be a unique year’s resolution.
If you’re unsure what to choose, find what you care about. Maybe it’s mental illness, the homeless, animals, or another topic. Whatever it is, find a reputable charity and donate your time and energy to making a difference. You’ll help others and feel better yourself.

Make time for your physical health first
You spend many hours at the office or running around for others and there’s so much on your plate that you can’t even think about taking care of yourself? That needs to stop! No matter how busy your schedule gets or how much you want to accomplish in this world, you have to make time for your own physical health first. Eat healthier meals (and eat regularly), get enough sleep every night and exercise at least a few times a week. Keeping yourself in better physical shape will keep you in better mental shape.

Which resolution will yours be in 2017?

Happy New Year 2017