For the month of September, FREITAG is printing a daily newspaper, called THE DAILY REFERENCE. Above is the latest issue. (printed on a 200 year old letterpress machine) Find out more here.
swissgerman lessons via twitter
Here’s a twitter account that I just discovered that made me chuckle: @swiss-german teaches you a swiss german word a day. While I don’t fully agree with some of the words, as we say things a little differently in my Heimat corner of the alps, but nevertheless, it made me smile. G, this is for you!
FREITAG am Donnerstag
I am happy to announce «FREITAG am Donnerstag» (Friday on Thursday), a mini lecture series I am curating and partially moderating for FREITAG, to celebrate their new REFERENCE collection.
Three renowned international speakers are going to share their thoughts on the topic of journalism and media. The «FREITAG am Donnerstag» talk series will take place at the FREITAG REFERENCE editorial space in Zurich that the bros. have set up for the month of September. (read more here)
Space is extremely limited (50 spots max). 25 spots will go to a carefully selected group of people but 25 slots will each time be available for swissmiss readers. Maybe you? (No worries, for those of you who can’t make it either because you are too far away or you didn’t get a slot, we will tape the talks and then share here on swissmiss.)
SPEAKERS:
Khoi Vinh, former NewYorkTimes.com Design Director
September 9th, 8.30am – 10am
Moderated by swissmiss.
David Rowan, Editor WIRED Magazine UK
September 17th, 8.30am – 10am
Moderated by the FREITAG bros.
(We realize that the series is called Friday on Thursday but this event is happening on a friday. Consider this one talk ‘Friday on Friday’)
Peter Hossli, Reporter SonntagsBlick Magazine
September 23rd, 8.30am – 1oam
Moderated by the FREITAG bros.
HOW TO SIGN UP:
Get your name on the list of potential attendees by sending us an email with your preferred date/speaker in the subject line. These talks will be in a rather intimate setting and we anticipate a lively discussion after each talk. We’d love to have people attend with a serious interest in the topic of journalism and media.
Send your email to [email protected].
We will get back to you and let you know if you made it on the list.
FREITAG Reference Collection
I can’t get over how unbelievably cool this brand new FREITAG Reference bag collection is. They sure are starting a new chapter in their book. The Reference line is a collection of 14 horse-messenger inspired bags and accessories bags for medialites and urbanites.
My personal favorites?
FREITAG / The Daily Reference
FREITAG, the swiss truck tarp bag and accessories company is one day away of launching just launched a fantastic (!) new collection of bags called REFERENCE Line. They’ve chosen and unusual and superinteresting approach in celebrating this new launch:
More than 15 years after they started FREITAG, they finally know what they’re about: cycles. They cycle to work. They cycle tarps. And they think in cycles. So they are devoting one month (this month) to creating a newspaper called THE DAILY REFERENCE which cycles content:
How does it work?
1. They get newspapers
2. They cut them up
3. They transcreate, you transcreate
4. They manufacture a recontextualized print product
From September 3rd through 30th, daily at 8:00am a team with the Bros. and guests comes together for coffee and snippets at the REFERENCE editorial space in Zurich. They cut up newspapers like they cut up tarps – with an eye for visual junctures – and comment on them in 140-character statements. The same snippets are uploaded for your own 140-character transcreation which reach Grüngasse by means of a ticker. Best line wins.
The next morning at 8:00am THE DAILY REFERENCE is sealed: The ultimate commentary makes the front page. The others are collected on the B-side and printed on their lead press for distribution. This happens every day. For the finissage on September 30th, all THE DAILY REFERENCES are reunited and published simply as THE REFERENCE. A user aided, cycled content compilation that mimicks FREITAG, in thought, word and deed.
From September 3rd through September 30th, the REFERENCE editorial space is open at Grüngasse in Zurich (Mo-Fr 7.30am thru 7.00pm, Sat 11am thru 5.00pm). During this time, what used to be the two founders’ studio is turned into a newsroom and printing facility – with a two hundred year old bookpress, a coffee machine, the REFERENCE line on display and the Bros. (no promises, but yes, they are working out of Grüngasse in September).
The bros are asking for your 140 character input for their daily newspaper. FREITAG would like you to send them your transcreational commentary (max. 140 characters). Make sure to start your message with the number of the snippet you are commenting on. (check on their site and scroll down to THE DAILY REFERENCE section.)
The REFERENCE editorial space will also serve as reading room, where coffee, current international newspapers and the new product line are on display for your enjoyment.
You can go by the REFERENCE editorial space and hand deliver your 140-character commentary. And, if you’re lucky, you get to say hi to the bros. You can watch the editorial team in action and get your copy of THE DAILY REFERENCE if you show up after 5pm. And, of course, you get to check out their new bag collection and buy a REFERENCE bag.
And I’ll be at the editorial space sometime wednesday (september 8th) mid-afternoon myself. Why? I’ll let you know a little bit later today. Check back!
More info: Freitag-Reference.ch | freitag.ch
Map to REFERENCE Editorial Space
minimalist advertising
We all know, the Swiss are minimalists when it comes to their aesthetics. But, now, can any of my Swiss readers explain this ad campaign to me? Are the Swiss going über-minimalist and don’t even explain what an ad is for? Sure, it made me look.
5moms.ch
As I always say, I love when people get together and ‘do things’. The 5 swiss ladies behind 5moms.ch get my thumbs up. They sell all kinds of adorable hand-made stuff on their site. A few of my favorites are:
The “Pharmacy pouch” to keep bandaids, arnica creme and bo-boo-juice handy in your purse. The stuff we moms carry around, right?
A bicycle bag for your little one.
Reversible Beach Bags that come in all sorts of fun designs. Cellphone pouch to protect your phone and which also that let’s you hang it off your charger, when plugged in. Nifty. An adorable shopping bag for our little ones.
(They obviously need help with a more professional site, but they get my two thumbs up no matter what. It’s all about putting yourself out there, following through with an idea. Hope they’ll be successful. )
Crutch
So, you just moved into a new place and all you have is a big giant piece of wood but no actual table? Don’t you worry. There’s a solution: Crutch by Nicola Enrico Staeubli. Metal frames are put over the edges of a tabletop and contracted with lashing straps creating a highly solid linkage. Made me look. Not your usual solution, is it?
719 candles
Happy 719th Birthday Switzerland! I’ll be raising my Bratwurst to you all the way from Brooklyn! Yay Swiss National Day!
Jura Chrome Toaster
The Swiss Jura Chrome Toaster is one of the items I regret having given away when I moved to NYC. It’s a beauty of a toaster. I love its analog on/off button and that you have to move the handle down to flip the toaster.
(via Annabelle)
Back Home
After a three week stay in the swiss alps, I am back in the studio. Our Switzerland stay was absolutely fantastic, but I admit that I loved coming home to Brooklyn. While I’ll miss the soothing cowbell sounds, the amazing tap water, the luxurious houseswap house we stayed in and all that yummy Bratwurst, I am simply *happy* to be back in my beloved NYC.
I apologize for the lack of posts over the past two weeks. I am back!
Thorough Swiss
We are already one week into our Switzerland visit and I am amazed. This is where I grew up, this is where I have my roots. While I am Swiss at heart, I am no longer a true Swiss, the past 10 years living in NYC contribute to that, no question.
While visiting a Swiss farm I couldn’t help but notice with what diligence, care and thoroughness this farmer piled his fireplace wood. Do you see how much love went into this stack of wood? How he built a roof to protect it? There were about 5 of these on his property. Each one of them a work of art. And he is not an exception, the Swiss are thorough when it comes to how they stack their wood, or do anything, really.
The Swiss do it right or not at all. While I admire this mentality it also drives me crazy. We should be able to marry the playfulness and joy to experiment that Americans tend to have with the thoroughness of the Swiss. No?
Zopf
For the month of july I will be broadcasting from Switzerland which means I’ll be indulging in way too much Zopf. (pictured above) Zopf is a traditional swiss sunday bread, usually found twisted or plaited.
Zopf Recipy German / English (ther german link has instructions on how to get the Zopf into its typical shape)
This is not Brooklyn
swissmiss family is spending july on the swiss country side. We are waking up to cowbells. I kid you not. We are so amazed by our audio surroundings that G and I spent a good portion of the morning not only staring at our view (above) but also recording the cowbell-moo-sound (thank you iPhone). Here, please enjoy, our 24/7 soundtrack to our vacation! Yay Switzerland! And pardon my slower pace in posting in the coming 3 weeks.
CreativeMornings in Zurich, Switzerland
CreativeMornings is crossing the Atlantic and will take place in Zurich, Switzerland on July 9th 2010, from 8.30am-10am in the courtyard of the Swiss National Museum. (picture below)
S P E A K E R
Rolf Hiltl will be our July speaker.
In Europe the name Hiltl is well-known for the famous vegetarian restaurant located in the heart of Zurich.
The original restaurant opened 112 years ago (!) and is considered a gastronomic highlight in Zurich. Representing the fourth generation, 45-year-old Rolf Hiltl took over the family business in 1998, exactly 100 years after Europe’s first vegetarian restaurant was founded. Rolf Hiltl admits that his approach on running the business has always been both American and Swiss. He works on the trial and error principle: try something out and then improve on it.
Today the Hiltl brand includes a cooking studio, cook books, a bar, a club, take-away outlets and a catering business. Rolf Hiltl is also co-owner of tibits with 4 restaurants in Switzerland and one outlet in London.
– About Rolf Hiltl
– swissinfo article: Where vegetarian cuisine is making history
– Hiltl Vegetarian Cookbooks
H O S T
This month’s event will be hosted outdoors at the Hiltl WM Lounge in the impressive courtyard of the Swiss National Museum , across the street of Zurich main station. (Scroll down to see an image of the courtyard)
Swiss National Museum
Hiltl WM Lounge
A T T E N D I N G
Click over to eventbrite to R.S.V.P for the event! Please let us know if you r.s.v.p’d but can no longer make it. Our events fill up quickly and we usually keep a waiting list.
BREAKFAST SPONSORS
Breakfast will be generously sponsored by our main sponsor MailChimp, and Switzerland based companies Tube and Binary Design:
MailChimp is a fantastic service that makes it easy to send email newsletters to your customers, manage your subscriber lists, and track campaign performance. A big yay-hooray to the team over at MailChimp!
Tube Products are almost entirely made out of recycled bicycle tubes. The Switzerland based company turnes used tubes into unique, handmade products such as belts, iPhone cases, key chains and USB sticks.
Switzerland based Binary Design creates custom made, modern and sustainable internet solutions. webdesign . onlineshops . webapps”
ABOUT CREATIVEMORNINGS
CreativeMornings is a monthly speaker series and morning gathering of creative types. Each event includes a 15-20 minute lecture, followed by a 20 minute group discussion. The gathering begins at 8:30am with the topic presentation starting at 9:00am and everyone taking off for work at 10am. CreativeMornings are free of charge!
Be the first to know when r.s.v.p’s open up, follow CreativeMornings on twitter!
Check out pictures of previous CreativeMornings over at Flickr.
View all the taped CreativeMorning talks we’ve put up on the web so far over at Vimeo.
This is a picture of the WM Lounge in the Landesmuseum Courtyard. Pretty darn cool, no?
Hair
Just discovered this photo over at iam.curiousabout.ch and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Renato Soldenhoff, writer behind curiousabout, discovered the photo in a window of an office on the Sihlfeldstrasse in Zurich. Now, let’s see if we can find out what the story is and who’s behind this. Any of my swiss readers know?
Arnold Odermatt
Swiss police officer and photographer Arnold Odermatt became famous in his retirement on the publication of Karambolage, his photographic journal about the traffic accidents that were part of his professional life in the Swiss canton of Nidwalden.
Arriving at the scene of an accident, Odermatt would take one set of photographs for the insurance or police reports, and then take another for himself. His reasons for doing so are mysterious, but the results are often strangely beautiful.
Swiss Institute Exhibition Info
Write up over on LensCulture
Cow-Trekking
Ok, so are you ready for this? There’s a farm in Hemishofen Switzerland that let’s you ride on cows. Yep. For real. We are talking about the beautiful swiss-brown-fluffy-ear-haired cows.
Trekking tours last half a day, so you have enough time to really bond with your cow. If 4h seems too much, there’s also a short-bonding version of 1.5h.
I can’t stop smiling and looking at my calendar, trying to find a date to schedule one of these in july when this family will be spending some time in good old Switzerland!
(via HowdyHeidi)
swissmiss on swiss radio
I just listened to a short segment on DRS 2 (swiss radio station) covering swissmiss the blog. In case you speak german, here’s a link to the MP3 or you can listen to it online here. Thank you DRS2 and in particular Christian Gebhard!