Zurich - Busy Schedule

An Autumn Stroll in Basel

And wham, that’s two weeks already gone.

I’ve hardly had time to think while trying to pack everything in I wanted to do.

Much to my joy, the Zurich Film Festival went on until 8th October this year, so I was back in time to see some films there. I don’t get the chance to go to the cinema when I’m in Egypt, so it’s a luxury I enjoy while I’m over in Europe. And, of course, at the Film Festival, you get the chance to see some non-mainstream films that in any case you might not usually get to see.

I saw one documentary about a rinpoche (reincarnated Buddhist monk) waiting to be recognized as the reincarnation he was, although it was as much about the relationship between the young boy (the rinpoche) and his uncle. The other two were films, one called Custody (apparently the word in French also means something like “kill by strangulation / stifling” or something) about a custody fight over their son; the other one was weird (I like weird!) and called Animals and blended the distinctions between space, time, dream, and reality with a basic story about a woman who thought her husband was cheating on her. I wished I could have seen more films but there are only so many hours in a day!

I also went to Cirque de Soleil’s Ovo, which, as ever, made me marvel at what the human body is capable of (not mine, though!) and how amazing it is that we are equipped with this wonderfully flexible tool!

It’s also been busy at work, which is why I’m over in Zurich, and I’m blaming the fact that we had to start a meeting at 7.30am, and the dinner out the evening before, for the fact that I’ve got a cold (which is also why today’s blog is a little bit late). I’m just not used to working these long hours any more!

As for food, well, I’d lost my appetite a bit when I returned to Egypt. I think it was the heat. But as soon as I arrived back in Zurich, I just couldn’t seem to stop eating. I’m sure I’ve eaten more than the two weeks of less food that I had when I was in Egypt. And I’ve had plenty of opportunities to eat – whether catching up with people at work over lunch, eating out in the evening before a film or show, going to a friend’s place for dinner to see her new flat which overlooks the lake, having a lovely bit of cake before embarking on a walk…

This last week it’s been unseasonably warm, but wonderful. The trees are all looking amazing this year, particularly when the sun shines, and I feel privileged to have been able to experience this again. I was a bit disappointed, but also happy, to discover that the plants on my balcony had actually fared better in my absence than when I was tending them. Several are still in bloom even though it’s mid-October. My neighbours will have to get the benefit of that.

And now I need to pack up and leave. It’s been a wonderful , if short, two weeks.