Evendays

Even though there are only a million French-speakers in Switzerland, we’ve got our own national television station. One of the monthly shows brings musicians and singers from all over the world to Geneva to record before a live studio audience of several hundred music lovers.

Alain Morisod hosts the show. Last Saturday night he had Micheline Calmy-Rey as his guest and she sang “Les trois cloches” (The three bells).

Now you’re thinking: No big deal. Except that Micheline Calmy-Rey is the current president of Switzerland. The Genevoise by adoption has the top spot for a year and is the second femme president we’ve ever had.

The lady has guts and brains. Not known for her singing ability, and with a bit of a Cruella Deville look (the political cartoonists often depict her with a fried egg on her head, or even a bird-dropping… thus imitating her hair color), this did wonders for her popularity and the Swiss very much enjoyed seeing her on the show.

While watching the youtube.com clip, the question popped into my head: What would recent presidents / prime ministers sing if they had the chance to perform? What do you think?

Well, there was Clinton on the sax…

The last time Chicago was in the Big Game, I went to a buddy’s house here in Lausanne and we watched the Bears clobber the opposing team (no, I don’t remember who it was). It was great fun because the buddy and his buddies were all Bear fans and I’d only been out of the USA a year so I knew all the players.

Now I’m 21 years older, so going to bed so I can get up at 1 am and watch the game in French without the commercials until 4 am just doesn’t cut it, especially with Prince at half-time.

Oh yes… I did watch some last year. And there was a really old band at half-time…

I’m picking the Colts by a couple of touchdowns. Let me know if you recorded the game. WITH commercials…

Nothing in this post will be news to you. But it’s all new to me. We still have rabbit ears on our Sony, picking up 2 Swiss stations and 3 French ones. We watch about 5 hours a week, unless it’s World Cup week or Federer is playing in a major.

Difference between here and there are plenty. In Lausanne we can watch 45 minutes without one commercial break, here you’ve got, well, almost as much commercial time as story time.

And what has happened to sports? On ESPN-4a, there were these really big, big guys… throwing darts!

Then a bunch of guys were sitting around a table playing cards and the guy commentating sounded like Vin Scully commenting the ninth inning of a close play-off game. It was so exciting I had to wait for the commercial to go and get my DP. I didn’t want to miss any of it.

And who’s the programming guy putting shark attacks on the Discovery Channel? The kids have learned valuable information that has really spiced up our dinner time conversation!

I had never heard of the Food Channel (did it exist 3 years ago?), but from coast to coast, my relatives know the latest way to BBQ a chicken breast or make that fresh green pea sauce, just right for chilled salads during the summer months. 

The first few weeks, I thought I was immune to the TV programs. But this morning after my run and yard work, I found myself watching on ESPN-15 the Dutchess of Doom taking on the Striking Viking. No, it wasn’t women’s mud wrestling, but trick-shot billiards. I missed the end. Who won?

We have enjoyed the cool weather of Malibu. It only got into the 90’s yesterday. Sister 3 and her husband, both faithful readers of Even Days, have put up with 8 of us relatives for the last 4 days. It’s been great (for us).

Malibu is world famous thanks to Baywatch. In French it’s called Alerte à Malibu. In German, Dummer im Sand. My brother-in-law told me the Spanish version is called Vigilantes de la Playa (sp.). 3/8 of the world has learned what Southern California’s like thanks to David Hasselhoff. Comforting.

What I’ve seen of the place, I love. Son 2 and I were at Zuma beach this morning with the in-law and we boogy-boarded till our ribs were sore. In-law almost collided with 4 dolphins, or perhaps dolphines, who surfed a big wave showing us how it was done. It was magnificent, and more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen on Baywatch.