Dear Frau: Yodeling lessons in Switzerland?

Welcome to another edition of Dear Frau. It's kind of like Dear Abby, except with an international twist. If you have a question about life in Switzerland, don't hesitate to contact the Frau.

Dear Frau,

I am on a yearlong vacation here in Switzerland. Fabulous! (Well, my husband has to work, but it's a vacation for me.) Anyway, we'll be going back already in June and I have not yet learned to yodel! I cannot possibly face my friends in Colorado without a few good notes after having been here for a whole year. Seriously, I love to sing and have not been able to find any classes in Zurich. And I'm betting they'd be much more effective than my German classes! Do you know of any classes; have any contacts in this area; directions to point me, etc.?

Hoping for my own big yodel,

Yodeloo

Dear Yodeloo

The Frau has not yodeled in Switzerland, although her living room does have an alphorn in it. One step at a time, she thinks, lest she become too Swiss too fast.

In Zurich, the Frau has only run into two yodelers—and they were from Appenzell. Most Zurichers wear suits and a sour expression and don’t quite seem like the yodeling type.

So the Frau would probably go to Appenzell if she were really serious about yodeling. It appears to be possible to book a yodeling lesson through the Appenzell Tourism Office.

Another way to learn to yodel would be to join the Swiss Yodeling Association, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary on May 8. Its membership also includes flag tossers and alphorn players. Their next big festival is in Interlaken.

Or if you want to settle for alphorn lessons instead, the Swiss Alphorn School in Gstaad offers an intensive weekend course in June and welcomes beginners.

Has anyone else out there yodeled in Switzerland? Or know about the Swiss folk scene? If so, please help Yodeloo learn to yodelee by leaving a comment. Merci.

Balloon Festival in Toggenburg

I will never be as cool as my younger sister. Because I do things like get up at 6.30 am on a Saturday to go see cows. But give me a break. I’m in Switzerland. That’s what people do here.

Despite the whole sister stigma, I actually enjoyed the Alpabzug in Urnaesch two weekends ago. And I’d get up at 6.30 am for a bunch of dressed-up cows again. I think a few Swiss bloggers that I saw there would agree with me, right?

Anyhow, as we talk once a week, my sister couldn’t wait to hear what stupid thing I did in Switzerland this last weekend. So I told her it was the Balloon Festival in Toggenburg. The highlight of this balloon festival is the Night Glow where the hot air balloons sit along a lake in the middle of the Alps and light up to music. This was a bit cooler in her opinion. So maybe I’m not a total loser. Yet.

A lot of other people thought a balloon fest in the middle of nowhere was cool too, as evidenced by the hundreds of people I had to fight, up to an hour and a half ahead of time, to get a prime spot along the lake for photo taking.

Twelve balloons “danced” to everything from the theme to the Lion King to live yodeling to Johann Strauss. That combination alone in one 45-minute interval was something to experience. Personally, I found that the Strauss worked the best because of the upbeat rhythm, but the live yodeling was definitely more unique. Problem is, yodeling doesn’t have such a defined beat, and a rhythm sort of helps when you’re trying to light up balloons to music. But decide for yourself. Because what do I know? I'm the kind of person that gets up way too early to see cows.

Yellow Knickers, Live On!

On Saturday, I was transported to another world. A world where guys wear yellow knickers and don't rush home to take them off. A world where cows have the right away on roads. And a world where men young and old yodel with themselves--even when no one else is around. On Saturday, I went to the Alpabzug in Urnaesch.

Yes, it was exciting seeing the procession of cows and people come down from the mountains and yodel through town while all the tourists took photos of them like they were some kind of show. But the impressive thing is, it wasn't a show. It was just what these guys do.

My husband and I ended up following a group of them all the way back to their farm. We were the only foreigners for miles by this point (because no one else would be brave enough to endure so much cow poop), but the men continued on their way yodeling and and marching like they were doing it for a crowd. When they got home, they stood in the driveway of their farm in a circle and yodeled amongst themselves. They didn't rush inside to put on something more comfortable. They didn't change demenour when away from the tourists. They were just themselves. What the tourists saw in Urnaesch was really who these guys are.


I don't know about you, but I find this refreshing and somewhat amazing. It seems like so many things listed on tourist calendars these days are shows put on especially for tourists without having any real meaning behind them anymore. But the Appenzell area of Switzerland has really retained its authenticity--even if the rest of Switzerland tends to make fun of the traditional farmers from this area. But instead of making fun of them, we should congratulate them for keeping their traditions alive in a world that slowly seems to becoming the same.

Below you'll find a video of these guys at home, yodeling. It was taken from across a field as to not be too intrusive, but you can still hear their yodeling and get a sense that these guys are the real deal.


For some other great stories and photos of this event visit:
Twissted Swisster
Swiss Story
Swiss Family Mac
Peterthals in Zurich

Do you have a post on Alpabzug too? Let me know and I'll add you to the list!