My European identity

Swiss		63%
Belgian		63%
Irish		63%
German		63%
Polish		50%
Danish		50%
British		38%
French		38%
Italian		38%
Russian		38%
Dutch		25%
Turkish		13%
Spanish		13%
Molvanian		13%

Click here to try for yourself...Maybe you're more "molvanian"?
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Dog fight

I saw two poodles fighting and barking at each other today on the street in Lausanne, while their owners tried to pull them apart. If they were female, and we could understand dogs' barking like a language, I wonder what started it all?

Dog 1: Bitch!
Dog 2: Funny you should say that, 'cause technically, I am. So are you.
Dog 1: Am not! How dare you talk back to me, bitch!
Dog 2: Takes one to know one. And for the last time, I AM A BITCH! In theory...
Dog 1: Yeah and in theory you're also a *&$%#@^%&!
Dog 2: That's it! You're going down, bitch!
Dog 1: Ha! Got'ya!

P.S. This is just a joke so please don't take it too seriously...

I've been to 9% of the world...

More Helvetica + Swissness

The logo for the Swiss train service
Sample cover for my residency permit; not exactly Helvetica and not exactly THE permit that I have, but you get the idea...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HELVETICA!

Did you know that the Helvetica font celebrates its 50th birthday this year? Developed by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann in 1957 for the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland, it was originally called "Neue Haas Grotesk", before it was renamed "Helvetica" in 1961, Helvetica being the latin name for Switzerland.

It is a "neutral type", says Christian Larsen, the curator of the exhibition 50 Years of Helvetica at New York's Museum of Modern Art. There's even a documentary about it, which premiered in Zurich last month (www.helveticafilm.com). It's funny how such a plain font seems to encapsulate "Swissness": It's neutral, it's useful, it doesn't scream for attention...and the Swiss proudly use it on many things, such as the logo and pamphlets for its train service, the official guide to Lausanne from swisspassport.ch, and the residency permit that I just got a few days ago.

In one phrase, it's pure Swiss...

Why penguins?

Simple answer: there're cat people and dog people, but I'm a penguin person (but if I can only choose between cats and dogs, it'll have to be dogs). They look cute and cuddly. They're brave animals, too, especially my favourite species, the Emperor Penguins. They raise their (cuddly little) babies in the middle of the harsh Antarctic winter and walk over 100kms to get food for them. They're some of the most beautiful creatures you'll ever see, and it's my dream to see them live, one day, in Antarctica.

But most importantly, they're, for me, the perfect symbol of courage, strength and vitality. If I could live my life as half successfully as a penguin I'd be really happy...

Introduction...

Hello! I've been studying in Lausanne, Switzerland for just over a month now and decided to do a blog of things happening here; random thoughts; stories of troubles with French; and giving this blogging world a go. It'll be fun no doubt. I'll be staying in Switzerland until Feb next year, so there's a whole lot of blogging that I'm thinking of doing. I hope it'll be as fun for u as it is for me...