Friday, August 30, 2013

Sex Boxes in Zurich


The Frau almost made the international news on Monday night when an editor at The Wall Street Journal contacted her to discuss Zurich’s latest development in prostitution: the sex boxes in Zurich Alstetten. These opened for the first time on Monday night, giving prostitutes a legal place to do their business. If you haven’t seen photos of them, imagine a bunch of Swiss bus stops made out of wood and put in a line back to back. Or see a photo and read more about them here.

Anyway, why The Frau of all people was contacted to talk about prostitution in Zurich is yet to be determined, but in any case, she missed her chance since it was her “big mom night out” and she was swimming at Zurich’s Hallenbad.

But it got her thinking about Zurich’s new sex boxes and stark difference in the way the Swiss have reacted to them in comparison with the rest of the world.

On Monday, the topic of Swiss sex boxes was featured in about every paper around the world—with the exception many Swiss ones. Even Blick am Abend, the local Swiss tabloid that loves sex like no other newspaper, had no mention of the sex boxes in its Monday evening edition. Instead, Lady Gaga graced the cover.

The NZZ, the Zurich equivalent of The Wall Street Journal, had an article about the sex boxes—but it was regarding the rest of the world’s fascination with them.

Here’s the thing, Rest Of The World: For the Swiss, sex boxes aren’t a new discussion. They are a practical solution to an old problem.  While the rest of the world is making jokes or pushing taboo problems further under the rug, the Swiss are making both their own neighborhoods and the world’s oldest profession safer.

The Swiss are matter-a-fact and realistic. They engineer everything—even prostitution. While the rest of the world is tittering over this so-called “taboo topic” like teenagers, the Swiss have moved on to conquering the next one through referendums.

To the Swiss way of thinking—people will do “taboo” things no matter what. Better to legalize them and make them safe then pretend they don’t exist or spend millions putting people in prison for them. There's a reason there isn't much crime in Switzerland. It's because the Swiss give people safe places to do so-called illicit things. As a foreigner in Switzerland, The Frau can’t vote. But if she could, it would give a big “yes” to most of these progressive ideas. Yes- Give the prostitutes beds with policemen and social workers nearby. Yes- Give the druggies clean needs. And yes- Give the people who want to die access to the drugs to be able to do so. 

What do you think of Switzerland's legal activities?

Thursday, August 22, 2013

German for puzzle nerds


Hello fellow yodelers and Alex Trebek types. Welcome to The Frau’s German Puzzle Day for Nerds. It’s a language lesson and game all in one. See! German is fun again. Take these words below apart to figure out their meaning and you'll have fun. Because not having fun is not optional! Once you enjoy these words, maybe a language that uses verbs as afterthoughts will no longer render you mute.

Learning German: Puzzles make perfect
Dudelsack

Any guesses for this one? Let The Frau help. Think doodle. Think sack. Think doodle in a sack. Now take your doodling sack to Scotland and play it in a skirt because Dudelsack means bagpipe.

Osterglocke

Oster is for Easter. Glocke is for bell. Easter bell? Almost. An Osterglocke is something that resembles a bell and blooms around Easter: a daffodil.

Handschuhe

Another puzzler for you Alex Trebekers. Take a Schuhe and put it on your Hand. What are you wearing now (besides your Dudelsack)? Gloves!

Rathaus

There’s a rat in my house! There's a rat in my house! It’s obviously a politician. Because a Rathaus is the place where the government works. It’s the town hall.

Notfahrt

Not. Fahrt. Wow, it really must be an emergency if you canNot Fahrt.

Stinksauer

Give me a Stink. Give me a Sauer. What do we have? Someone very pissed off (or hopping mad, for you Brits). Now say it in a sentence everyone: Ich bin Stinksauer that The Frau had the nerve to make a Fahrt joke on her blog. How vulgar! How cliché! That’s why we have Stinksauer, yodelers! When no English word can describe your anger, you know what language to turn to.

Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän

The Frau can't explain it, but maybe you can! For those who want Extra Spass, please put your explanation of this word in the comments below. Winners will receive a big fat Danke Vielmal. Creativity is encouraged and possibly rewarded.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Biking in Switzerland


Switzerland has a 9,000-kilometer cycle network. Nevertheless, almost every Sunday during the summer, the country shuts down at least 30 kilometers of roads for cycling events known as Slow Up.

The Frau loves Slow Up events. Last week, Baby M experienced her first Slow Up on the back of Mister Frau’s bike in a Römer Jockey bike seat purchased for CHF 20 from the Yahoo Expat Group.

Switzerland always knows what time it is–
even on a bike route in the middle of nowhere.
Together, The Frau's family biked 39 km during the Brugg Slow Up. (Baby M even enjoyed it, if you don’t count the last five kilometers, when she screamed her head off.)

Anyway, along the route was the usual free Rivella (nice if you like Rivellla...), free granola bars, raclette tent, and entertaining atmosphere. Swiss biking outfits consisted of everything from people wearing jeans and dress shoes to guys wearing red snowflake sweaters despite the 75-degree weather. There were dogs in bike carriers, men in wheelchairs, and expats like The Frau feeling good about themselves because they actually passed real Swiss people on hills.

But the best thing on the Slow Up trail had to be this clock. Because this is a country obsessed with time. So you'll want make the most of it–even on a bike!

Friday, August 09, 2013

Why the Swiss are skinny


The Frau once got an email from someone in England wondering if she could explain why the Swiss were so skinny.

The Frau gets a lot of strange emails.

Still, The Frau thought about it. Pondered it. Too many mountains? Too many cigarettes? But she never came to a real conclusion.

Until she made her first box of non-imported brownies and realized something:

One box does not fit all, fellow yodelers.

An American box of brownies would fill a normal-sized baking pan.

A Swiss box of brownies (see photo) won’t come close. That's why they include their own paper pan inside the package.

So now The Frau can explain why the Swiss are so skinny. Or rather, she’ll let her Swiss brownie package, which is supposed to serve 16, speak for itself.

En guete, mitenand.

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Happy August 1st

In honor of Swiss Independence Day, The Frau would like to remind everyone to legalize their bratwurst.

Happy Birthday, Switzerland.

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