Thoughts while "cocooning" ...

While today is not quite as gloomy as yesterday, it is still a good moment to celebrate the pleasures of hearth and home -- even though I am without a hearth these days.  So I don't need to use the services of the local chimney sweeps, sad to say, as they sound like interesting people to meet.  HWMBO, who like the overwhelming majority of the US male population, is preparing for the Super Bowl game Sunday, spent yesterday stocking up on groceries and on gas in anticipation of the snowstorm that is plaguing the DC metropolitan area at the moment.   From all reports, the snowstorm is a massive one, with general disruptions to travel, but one still likes to know that the gas tank is full.  The storm is also a major disappointment to elementary and secondary school students in the area.  "Snow days," in their opinion, are much too valuable to be "wasted" on weekends.

Here by Lake Geneva right now, we merely continue in a soggy state.  Indoors, it's nice and cozy and I am most happy to stay right where I am.  But thinking about family and weather has brought memories of the winter of 2004-2005.  At the time, we lived so close to the lake that we practically had our feet in the water (les pieds dans l'eau).  That winter, the wind, water and cold weather colluded in ice creations and "sculptures" that were quite spectacular.  They showed how Nature's artistry can be, and often is, unparalleled.  Here are some magic scenes from the waterfront.

The view into our back yard resembled the Snow Queen's enchanted domain.  But it was much more comfortable seen from the inside of the apartment.  Outside, it was like living in a refrigerator.  And the ice was so dangerous that we couldn't even walk outside.

The experience was unforgettable, but very difficult to describe to those who were not here at the time. So I am very happy to have the photo memories.

Gifts from the sea

The view outside today shows a thoroughly water-logged world.  There is snow at higher elevations.  It's a wonderful day to "cocoon" and sip hot chocolate or tea while wrapped in a blanket with a good novel to read, or to "surf the Net" to see what else is happening in the world.  This assumes, of course, that one is retired, as I am, and has such luxury and leisure.  For me, this very interesting video from The Guardian, depicting about four minutes' worth of a day with "The Last Horse Fishermen of Belgium" fits right into the soggy ambiance.

According to Greek mythology, the sea god Poseidon created the horse.  His Roman counterpart, Neptune, was also worshipped as a horse god.  Under the name "Neptune Equester," he was also the patron of horse-racing.  It is fun to think of horses, animals I have always felt passionately about, as gifts from the sea.  And what wonderful gifts they are!  There are many myths, legends and even true stories about horses and humans and their interactions together throughout history.  Where those stories and water mesh, there can be magic.  Although the story is more contemporary, a favorite movie of mine is the Albert Lamorisse classic "White Mane" (Crin blanc: le cheval sauvage) about a wild stallion in the Camargue who is tamed by a young boy.

Another favorite is "The Black Stallion," where Alec Ramsey and The Black spend enough time together on an isolated island that their destinies are forever entwined, as is made clearer by the Walter Farley series than by any of the movies, however beautifully filmed.  

I recently saw the movie "Nights in Rodanthe" on
cable TV.   You may be forgiven if you think, as I at first thought, that "Rodanthe" is somewhere in Greece.  The word apparently means "rose blossoms" in Greek.  But even if there is such a village somewhere in Greece, it is not the "Rodanthe" of this film.  Rodanthe in this context is a small seaside village on Hatteras Island in North Carolina in the US.

I will not discuss the movie, which falls about as far short of "White Mane" or "The Black Stallion" as it possibly can ... and isn't even about horses for the most part.  But in the last scene, there is magic.  As the female protagonist is taking a solitary stroll along the beach, in mourning for her lost lover, a herd of magnificent wild horses streams by, racing in the surf and sand, manes waving in the wind.  While I loved that imagery, I was somewhat startled.  Western-born and bred as I am, I had not been aware that there were wild horses on the East Coast of the US other than the Chincoteague ponies of Maryland and Virginia.  So, after some time spent in research, I learned that yes, there are other wild horses known as "Bankers."  Those shown in "Nights in Rodanthe" are "Bankers," named for the Outer Bank islands where they are found.  There are two principal groups, the Corolla Wild Horses and the Shackelford Banks Wild Horses.

It is generally believed that the horses originally arrived on the islands from Spanish vessels as early as 400 years ago.  While the early Spanish explorers mapped the eastern coastline of North America, either the vessels were shipwrecked or the horses escaped and were left behind when the explorers left the area.  It is generally accepted that most originated from Spanish and Portuguese Barb (after the Barbary Coast of North Africa) stock.  They were bred for their stamina, size, temperament, ease of gait, longevity and their ability to survive and work in a sandy, harsh environment.  It is also believed that they are related to Arab horses found in the sandy deserts of the Arabian peninsula.

These lovely gifts from the sea, like many of us, wandered far from their origins. These gifts also keep on giving. They are a source of tourism revenue for the areas where they roam free, at one with the wind and the sea from whence they came.

For more information about wild horses of the eastern US, see here, here and here.

Chim Chim Cher-ee

Chim chiminey

Chim chiminey

Chim chim cher-ee!

A sweep is as lucky

As lucky can be

Chim chiminey

Chim chiminey

Chim chim cher-oo!

Good luck will rub off when

I shake 'ands with you

Or blow me a kiss

And that's lucky too [...] 

 
An article in today's La Côte discusses a local family of chimney sweeps (ramoneurs) which brought to mind the song sung by Dick Van Dyke as "Bert," the fun, agile, cheery and melodic chimney sweep pirouetting over the London rooftops with Julie Andrews in Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins."  There is a great photo with the story.  Dressed in their tophats and traditional black clothing, the father and his two sons look cheery enough to be Bert's companions, even though pirouetting over rooftops is hardly the Swiss style.
 

 
The father got a taste for climbing rooftops while accompanying his own father who was a carpenter (charpentier).  So when it was time for him to begin an apprenticeship, the profession of chimney sweep was a natural choice.  His older son initially began his career as a carpenter, but had difficulty finding work whenever there was a crisis in the construction industry.  So he became a chimney sweep and is now an independent contractor in Geneva.  The younger son, even as a child, preferred following his father on his rounds rather than staying home with his mother.  He now has his own business in Coppet.

The occupation of chimney sweep is considered to be one of the oldest in the world.  Even today they maintain a "thriving industry" in many parts of the world.  The profession has expanded from the maintenance of wood-burning systems to include venting for many types of heating and appliance systems.  An interesting historical footnote is that in 1937, Heinrich Himmler revised the chimney-sweep law in Nazi Germany.  His rules tied the sweeps to their districts and decreed that they needed to be German.  Part of the law gave sweeps the power to enter houses without permission or court order in order to check chimneys.  Himmler was not simply xenophobic.  There was method to his madness.  He saw this as an opportunity to use chimney sweeps as spies.

Apart from this limited sinister use during a very dark era, chimney sweeps have generally been considered signs of good luck in many cultures, especially when they are seen in traditional clothing.  They are favored ornaments at Christmas time and marzipan versions can be found in the local sweet shops (confiseries) around New Year.

Chimney sweeping where buildings have fireplaces is required by law in Switzerland.  Depending on the fireplace use, sweeps clean chimneys from one to three times a year.  According to today's article, the Vaud Chimney-Sweep Association (l'Association vaudoise des maîtres-ramoneurs) has thirty members and the prices here are standard.  In German-speaking Switzerland, the market is more flexible and prices vary accordingly.

[...] Chim chiminey

Chim chiminey

Chim chim cher-ee!

When you're with a sweep

You're in glad company

No where is there

A more 'appier crew

Than them wot sings

"Chim chim cher-ee

Chim cher-oo!"

On the chim chiminey

Chim chim cher-ee

Chim cher-oo!

The Promised Land

There is news today that Switzerland will accept two more refugees from the Guantanamo Bay prison.  The two are among the 20+ Chinese Uighurs who were captured after the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

The US authorities declared all of these prisoners innocent in 2004 and 2005.  Despite their innocence, the US has steadfastly refused to accept their release within its own boundaries.  On the other hand, the US will not return them to China where it is certain that they will face persecution.  For a crash course on the situation of the Chinese Uighurs, who are Muslim, see here.

The Uighurs at Guantanamo are among several cases where improperly imprisoned individuals have been literally in limbo for years because of similar impasses.  The Center for Constitutional Rights responds to a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about this situation generally here.

Several of the Uighur prisoners have already been repatriated to third countries such as Albania, Bermuda and Palau.  At least one in Palau has since received financial assistance for medical treatment from Amnesty International USA.  His story is devastating.  Swissinfo reports that one of those initially sent to Albania has since sought, and received, asylum in Sweden.  The same report mentions that the Swiss have been strongly pressured by the Chinese authorities not to accept these refugees.

Despite this external pressure, the canton of Jura confirmed yesterday to the Swiss federal government in Bern that it is willing to accept the two Uighurs.  Thus, the Swiss Justice Minister, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, announced today that the Federal Council had agreed to grant asylum.

It's been a very harsh, long and winding road for these two men.  But the Swiss "Promised Land" is now within reach.  May they be able to rebuild their lives and become productive citizens of their new country!

Groundhog Day ... the "holiday," not the film

Today is 2 February.  In the US and Canada, a furry little mammal called a groundhog emerges from its underground burrow on this day and so it is known as "Groundhog Day."  According to Groundhog Day tradition, if the groundhog sees its shadow, then we are "doomed" to six more weeks of winter.  According to Wikipedia, the tradition began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19h centuries.  It supposedly has its origins in ancient European weather lore.  But in the ancient tradition, the prognosticating animals are either a hedgehog, a badger or a sacred bear.  The groundhog is a North American variation.  The style of dress and the ritual around the events of the day, especially in Pennsylvania, are uniquely North American variations.  Guess which one is the groundhog in the photo below.

The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania where large crowds have gathered for the holiday since 1886.   The most famous resident of Punxsutawney (from the Delaware Indian term translated as "town of the sandflies") is "Punxsutawney Phil," a groundhog who obligingly goes through his paces on schedule every year.  YouTube shows this year's event where Phil duly made his prediction of "six more weeks of winter" with help from his human handlers and to accolades from the crowd.

While Punxsutawney Phil's big moment and close interaction with human crowds generally takes place with grand fanfare on Groundhog Day, this particular groundhog doesn't even live underground as one might reasonably believe.  No, he lives in an enclosure next to the children's section of the Punxsutawney Memorial Library with his "wife" Phyllis (of course!) and a couple of other groundhogs.  After his prognosticating is finished, he generally spends the rest of the year eating, sleeping and whatever else groundhogs do when they are not in the wild.  It's not bad work if you can get it.  "Phil" also either has incredible "longevity" genes or is more likely a succession of groundhogs.  His handlers claim that he is 124 years old.  Contrast this with the normal life span of six years in the wild and ten years in captivity.

According to a recent article (and I can't believe that I am actually quoting Fox News here), "[t]he legend of the groundhog's forecasting powers arguably dates back to the early days of Christianity in Europe when clear skies on the holiday Candlemas Day, celebrated on Feb. 2, meant an extended winter. The tradition was then brought to Germany, with the German twist being that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas, a hedgehog would cast its shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather. More specifically, the legend states: 'For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May....' "

This explanation has cleared up something that has always bothered my linear-type logic.  It always seemed to me that the groundhog could only see its shadow if the sun was shining. 

Wouldn't sunshine generally indicate warmth and the imminent advent of spring?   The legend "explains" the fallacy in that logic.  The prediction has nothing to do with the shadow, but everything to do with the legend ... and with the fact that winter often continues after the so-called spring solstice.

"Butterfly" moments

O' frabjous joy!  I heard from and saw Princess Butterfly and her mom again, thanks be to Skype.  Princess Butterfly proudly announced that she is now "potty" trained and thus ready to be accepted into the school day care program in September 2010.  She will now be able to "go to school" ... just like Big Sis and Big Bro.

While the first is a welcome milestone, the second is a reminder that time is flying by.  I remember her three years ago like this.

I remember her two years ago like this.

And then there was last summer -- when we spent a few days at the ocean in Oregon and she got to meet some of her cousins.  She was particularly enchanted by the painting lessons offered by Artist Sis, especially because she got to be with the "big" girls:  Sweet E (#1 Niece), Sweet B (#2 Niece) and her own Big Sis.

Big Sis is also known as Ice Princess because of her skating talents.

Princess Butterfly loved painting so much that she couldn't stop with paper.  She also liked body art.  And no one's cosmetics were safe.  Lip gloss was a special favorite.

But some of her favorite times were her moments of zen.  She loved to use her jumper swing, from which she "graduated" long ago, and spin to the music.  Especially to music like "Lollipop."

Princess Butterfly brings enthusiasm to everything.  Here she's getting a mild scolding from Momma M for her overly enthusiastic brushing of teeth.  The water is supposed to stay in the sink!

I love you, Princess Butterfly!  But you are growing up too fast!

"Eat, drink and be merry ..."

Last Wednesday, I went shopping with a friend at Migros and spotted some of the seasonal delicacies known variously as fasnachtschüechli - merveilles - fritelle di carnevale (German, French and Italian respectively).

These pastries are among the harbingers of Lent.  Generally, they can only be found during what is loosely described as Carnival season, occurring at different dates around Switzerland.  These light and crunchy delicacies flavored with powdered sugar are traditionally sold from the day after Christmas until the morning of "Morgestraich" (the best translation I can find is "morning call").

Two of the most famous carnivals in Switzerland are the Basel Fasnacht, which runs from the Monday after Ash Wednesay to Thursday of the same week, and the Lozärner Fasnacht in Lucerne.  The Lucerne carnival dates for 2010 are 11-16 February and the celebration in Basel runs from 22-24 February.   While there can be smaller celebrations from canton to canton, the dates usually fall either the week before or the week after Ash Wednesday.  The roots of the carnival tradition are disputed.  According to some, carnival was inspired by a mixture of pagan spring festivals, Christian rites and secular folk customs.  In some cantons, the celebration is based on pagan traditions of using fearsome masks to chase away evil spirits.  Carnivals as they are celebrated in Switzerland today usually date back no further than the 19th century even though they were previously celebrated in medieval times.  The medieval carnivals were often considered subversive by the authorities.  So, for some centuries, they were banned altogether.

As in many areas of the world, carnivals in Switzerland are full of fun, noise, masks, costumes and music as the "last hurrah" before the Lenten season sinks in.  These tasty little pastries are a reminder that the season is nearly upon us.