Break a leg – In Bocca al Lupo!

All the Best Wishes to our fellow Angelena-Ticinese, Claudia Laffranchi, for opening night at the Piazza Grande! We’re mighty proud of you, Carissima!

You ARE the Voice of the Festival!

AUGURONI!

63. Festival Internazionale del Film
Locarno

Vintage Festival, ca. 1970’s

We had so much fun!

Anne Marie, Thomas und Sarah

Anne Marie aus Schaffhausen ist zur Zeit bei ihrem Sohn und seiner Frau in Los Angeles auf Besuch. Für Thomas das typischste Schweizer Gericht ist eine Bratwurst mit Rösti. „Im Alpine Village gibts die beste Bratwurst in L.A.“, verrät der Küchenchef.

Ernest, Kristen, Dylan and Ernest Jr. (Mother Kuriko didn’t want to be in the picture)

Ernest, a father of three, was born in Los Angeles. However his parents, his mother was from Basel Stadt, his dad from Sankt Gallen, came to Southern California in the late 50s. They had a restaurant “La Petite Suisse” in Westwood between 1966 and 1984.

Chase (kid in Lederhosen) his mom Molly, Erika and friends Michelle and Fili

Molly, her son Chase and Erika are Swiss-Americans. They are dual citizens and carry Swiss passports, however, they have yet to visit the land their fathers came from. Erika’s dad himself hasn’t been to Switzerland since 1968 when he developed polio and found that his homeland is not very accessible to wheelchairs.

Austin, Clint and girlfriend Sammy and their mom Ally

This family from Malibu demonstrates their Swiss pride every year with a trip to the Whittier Swiss park for 1. August celebrations.  Their grandfather migrated from Switzerland to the US when Jack Warner, the head of Warner Bros., loved his cooking so much that he made him his personal chef.

Marlene Parker and Albert Wyss

It’s been years since Albert Wyss has been attending August 1^st celebrations at Swiss park. The massage therapist and fitness trainer to the stars is originally from Kloten and he and his German friend, the comedienne Marlene Parker, were looking forward to a Bratwurst, Rivella and Merengue glacé.

Karin Elsener, Andy Sekler and kids Lukas and Ava

Karen Elsener from Rheineck, SG, has been in the US for fifteen years. Like every year, her kids are looking forward to the crossbow shooting and face painting, the parents come for the Swiss food.

Steve and Christiane would have won the prize for most original costume, had there been such a contest. They’ve met 1974 in Los Angeles and one year later she moved to the US for love. This was their first time in Whittier since these Swiss Park virgins usually spend summers in Switzerland.

THANK YOU for playing the “roving reporter” and capturing the day’s Celebrity arrivals: the Swiss Families attending the August 1st Festivities, Gabriela Tscharner Patao, Former Radio 24 DJ and host of the talk show “Ziischtigs Club” on Swiss TV SF DRS.

Gaby has been living and working in Los Angeles as a journalist and foreign correspondent.

Sniffing Around Back In The Home Country

Where am I?
It’s extremely crowded, music roars out of loudspeakers, people sniff a powdery substance up their noses and they drink until they can’t stand straight anymore. No, I’m not tripping with the youth at the Street Parade in Zürich, but rather hanging out with 6300 mostly middle aged country folk at the 117^th annual Brünig Schwinget. Sure, there are alphorns and flag throwers, but your typical Edelweiss stereotypes don’t do this event justice: First of all, who would have thought that this Swiss Wrestling competition is the hardest ticket to get? Apparently the tix for seats in this Hollywood Bowl style amphitheater with a mountain view are handed down within the family, only a few standing place tickets are available at the box office on the day. Luckily, someone’s father-in-law couldn’t make it and I inherited a seat temporarily.

Just like me, everybody seems to smoke the Original Villiger Krumme cigars here, so I felt right at home. But I never had a sniff of the Swiss snuff which strangely is called McChrystal’s. (Where do you even buy that stuff? At the kiosk? Does the cigarette section at Coop carry it?). According to the box it’s addictive and according to my new friends Xaver and Roli it gives you a buzz. I tried it several times while wondering why this is legal and pot isn’t. I still can’t confirm a major buzz, but I’m sure it makes you woozy if you drink enough beer or wine with it.

Lunchtime is “Spatz” (sparrow) time. No, it does not taste like chicken; because it’s meat in a vegetable soup. Since the days I accompanied my Dad to Shooting Competitions (Schützenfest) as a child, they also added a sausage. Or I forgot about the sausage. I couldn’t stand “Spatz” then. Now, I think it’s yummy. I also think Swiss Wrestling and Yodeling events are cool now. Maybe because I always enjoyed learning about other cultures’ heritage and traditions and finally realized that that’s what Swiss Wrestling is.

Next eye-opener:  If you dress like a cowgirl and wear a long folksy skirt to blend in, you draw attention instead. Flirting Schwinger-style is not for the faint of heart. Tough guys require tough girls who can handle sexist jokes and domestic violence encouraging snuff poetry like this one:

In der Augenbläue,
liegt die Frauentreue.
Willst du eine treue Frau,
schlag ihr beide Augen blau!
www.schnupfspruch.ch

They dare to recite this stuff before a pinch of snuff because there are not that many women around here to complain. I try not to think about what all those rhymes say about the Volksseele, the soul of our heartland, but rather focus on the big bad guys (they’re called “die Bösen”) in the sawdust. Somehow it looks like all they really want is a hug, hanging on so desperately to each others shorts. Swiss Rapper Bligg devoted his latest single “Legändä & Heldä” to them. One of those “Legends & Heroes” will be crowned King on August 22 in Frauenfeld. I can’t wait. In the meantime, I treasure my very first McChrystal’s snuff box and a bunch of new friends – one of which turned out to be a distant relative! If that’s not a worthwhile homecoming, I don’t know what is…

by Marlene von Arx,
proud daughter of two Niederämter (Kanton Solothurn) who grew up as a Freiämter (Aargau). Freelance journalist for Swiss media (Mittelland Zeitung, Schweizer Illustrierte, SI Style, NZZ am Sonntag, etc.). In LA since Desert Storm, Golden Globe voting member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.