With Mother's Day coming up this weekend, you might be in the market to buy a unique piece of art for someone special! If not, maybe for yourself? We love Helen Shapiro's attention to detail and passion, not just for her artwork, but everything she does and what she stands for!
Helen is one busy lady! Not only does she still make her delicious jams and chutneys (see article we published about this a few years ago entitled: Which jam tickles your fancy: Pomegranate/Plum, Apricot/Ginger, or Wisteria Petals?), but she also makes beautiful wall art and jewelry!
Using resin along with her statement 3D cold porcelaine flowers that she crafts herself, Helen incorporate found bits in nature such as sticks and pine cones to add 3D effects.
What if I told you can buy, in the canton of Geneva, Migros and brand products, fresh vegetables and fruit, meat, frozen produce, pet foods, fresh bread, cut flowers, basic hardward, first aid, beauty products, and more on a Sunday? Well, you probably would have to go to Cornavin or the airport to satisfy your needs.
A new Migros shop, Voì Bellevue, hosted as a franchise by Migros, opened last week in Bellevue. It is situated at the new Champ du Château neighborhood next to the Les Tuileries train station. It is very convenient for those in the neighborhood but also for anyone not able to make it to the shops before closing time or on a Sunday. They even are open 1/2 hour before regular Migros opens.
Fleur de vie
The laser cutting of this stamp allows the color of the envelope to show through. Make sure to get some brightly colored stationery when using this one representing the "Fleur de Vie". You will have the impression of fusing stamp and paper into a harmonious work of art!
200 ans de navigation à vapeur en Suisse
The William Tell was the first steamboat in Switzerland and made its first crossing on Lake Geneva on 18 June 1823, thus inaugurating the new era of machines. Although there are hardly any pictures of this boat, a special stamp depicts it 200 years later. The special stamp is 80 × 33 millimeter.
Versoix River
The Versoix is a river in France and in Switzerland. Its source starts in the commune of Divonne-les-Bains, crosses the communes of Grilly, Sauverny and Versonnex. Or in terms of cantons, it has its source in the canton of Gex and crosses the canton of Ferney-Voltaire before continuing in Switzerland. In the canton of Vaud, the Versoix flows along four communes of Terre Sainte: Bogis-Bossey, Chavannes-de-Bogis, Commugny, Chavannes-des-Bois. Then in the canton of Geneva, it crosses the commune of Collex-Bossy and the commune of Versoix, where it flows into Lake Geneva.
Read to bottom to enter the competition to win a copy!
We recently heard of another local expat who has published a book! We had to find out more so we caught up with Chris Baball to explain what the book is about. He explained, "It is a collection of short stories and a few poems, set in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1960s. It also contains 19 tailored, colour images. Many are based on snippets of experiences, others totally imaginative. Some stories of innocence, most are presented through the eyes of a boy around 6-10 years old."
He continues, "The book covers several topics not well known now or remembered, I think, such a making laglee (a substance used for catching birds), old-time movies and the first time an X-rated (not triple X) movie was shown in a small town and the havoc it created. Some themes are universal, such as predation, confusion over religion, family challenges…. A few poems are also included, some intended to be light, others quite sombre and reflective.
"Some stories are written in the Trinidad and Tobago dialect, and the spoken word is usually in the local dialect too. A glossary is also added.
"I think some stories will make the reader laugh, while others may even cause some sadness."
What is the meaning of the title: COMFORT FOOD AND BREAKIN’BICHE; Tall Tales, Short Stories and Poems from the Rio
The title refers to two of the stories in the book. Comfort Food we know provides a feeling of well being, even happiness, and maybe fond memories. Breakin’ biche, however, is an expression used in Trinidad and Tobago meaning sneaking away from school, but is now more widely used to also mean avoiding work.
Rio is the short name for town of Rio Claro in Trinidad and Tobago, the setting for the stories in this book.
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
I retired from the United Nations in 2015. I prepared a bucket list of things to do during the next 10-15 years, and one of the top projects was writing for my children and relatives, portraying life in the 1960s in Trinidad and Tobago, a small developing country. Those were days before many of the things common now seemed like science fiction, colour TV, 3D, 4D, computers, not to mention WIFI, emails, and social media!
This second-hand charity shop, La Frip’, is a team effort of 7 volunteers who sort out items that are donated from people in the local area. All profits are donated to children’s charities including Compassion International, orphanages, and schools.
They have 3 objectives:
- To reuse items therefore reducing waste
- To be a nice place to have a coffee and meet up with friends
- To donate money towards charities serving underpriviledged children
Drop by for tea/coffee in a relaxing environment or conversation. You won't be disappointed.
