Dinner at Les Halles

_MAL8722, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

On Saturday, Lilian joined me for dinner at Les Halles with some of my colleagues, including Gregory, Kubilay, and Franz-Stefan & Caroline (pictured above). Caroline is from Sweden, so I take every opportunity I get to speak Swedish with her. Gregory and I were roomies in Hotel Friedegg during the ZRL ski weekend in Wildhaus.

_MAL8754, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

Most had the specialty of the house, mussels and fried potatoes. Gregory (pictured above with Lilian) comes from Belgium, and I asked him how the mussels here compared to the mussels from Brussels. They are almost as tasty, but not as big, apparently. I opted for the steak. It was quite tasty, but also small by the Texas standards to which I am accustomed.

The restaurant was a funky place with eclectic decor. It had the feeling of a converted warehouse, with rough concrete pillars and walls. Bicycles adorned the wall in one corner of the restaurant. Here are all of the photos from the dinner.

2009 ZRL ski weekend in Wildhaus

_MAL8481, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

This weekend it was time for the annual ZRL ski weekend. I joined my colleagues and their partners, friends, and family for two fun days of skiing in the Alps above Wildhaus, just nintey minutes' drive from Zürich. I made several friends and had an absolute blast on the slopes. Sunday we were treated to an entire day of good snow and glorious sunshine. I cannot wait to return to the mountains for more skiing soon. Take a look at my photos from the weekend.

Housewarming party in Zürich

_MAL7329, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

Friday night, after just a couple of days back in Switzerland, I threw a housewarming party at my new place in Zollikon. I invited a mix of folks from work and friends I have met since moving to Zürich several months ago. About thirty people came, and it was a lot of fun. Andrew & Gordana were there, as well as Anke & Rupert, Lilian, and Franke & Martina. Gordana helped a lot with the party, preparing snacks cakes the day before. Thanks, Gordana! Here are more photos from the party.

A week with Ethan & family in the Bay Area

_MAL6781, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

I just returned from a very enjoyable week in the S.F. Bay Area with my brother Ethan and his family.

I flew out there on the fifth of January, and stayed with Ethan & Kelly at their home in Santa Clara. While in the Bay Area, I met with my Swedish friend Rebecca, visited the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, worked for a couple of days at the Almaden Research Center in San Jose, walked among giant redwood trees in Big Basin park, stuck my toes in the Pacific Ocean on the beach in Santa Cruz, and visited San Francisco with Ethan & family. However, the part of the trip I valued the most was having the opportunity to spend time with my adorable niece Evelyn! She turned one just a few months ago, and is really beginning to develop a personality of her own. It was simply wonderful to get to know her a bit better.

San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the world. Should I ever move back to the 'States, it would be near the top of my list of places to settle.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

DSC_0391, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

It’s been a while since my last post, so I’ve got some catching up to do. But lest you think I’ve disappeared or become a missionary in some distant corner of the globe, I shall make a post right now, even if it is almost entirely lacking in content.

I’m in the U.S., and have been for two weeks. I arrived on Christmas Eve and spent the holidays in Texas with family. Then on the 5th, I flew out to the San Francisco area to spend some more time with my brother and his family.

I have begun to catch up on my photos. I took the above photo at Heimat using my uncle Ollie’s new D700 and my 14-24mm f/2.8 lens—an amazing combination. My Christmas 2008 in Texas photo set has more photos.

Nina’s 30th birthday party

_MAL4843, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

Gordana’s friend Nina turned 30 this week and Lilian and I went to the party. We started at Valzer, a bar near Kreutzplatz with subdued brown decor, dim yellow lighting, and loud music. The place lacks a sign outside so I guess they depend on word-of-mouth for business. After a few hours we continued the party at Diagonal, a subterranean club behind the Baur au Lac hotel. The music was loud there too, and before long, everyone was letting loose and having a good time. We met some fun people there too.

Lucia 2008 in Stockholm

_MAL4843, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

I just returned from my first trip back to Stockholm since moving to Züruch two months ago. I was in town on business for a couple of days, teaching a TWS course for IBM. I extended my stay to include the weekend and Monday so that I could spend a bit more time in my old home and visit with friends.

Friday night I went the Klättercentret’s fifth anniversary party. The evening began with a bouldering competition. I enjoyed it very much, especially when I surprised myself by completing not one, but 4 black-graded problems—and this after months without any regular climbing to speak of! After the competition, the climbing came to an end and the real party began. Thai food and beer were served, and later in the evening we toasted to KC’s success with Champagne. Around one o’clock in the morning, a bunch of brave men took turns leaping from the central tower to try to grab a trapeze hanging at eye level about two meters out from the platform. I managed to grab the trapeze with one sweaty hand; but did not manage to hold on. The guy after me was the first one to nail it. It’s not easy to jump straight off a platform fifteen meters up in the air, even if one does have a rope to catch one’s fall! A live band consisting of several fellow climbers provided entertainment throughout the evening, and I saw so many of my old friends there. Being back at KC was bittersweet. I really miss the place. In the evening, I caught a ride from Helena back to her place. She was kind enough to let me crash at her apartment for the weekend.

On Saturday, I had dinner with Shahyar and Farzhaneh, the couple who are leasing my apartment in Bergshamra. Farzhaneh is an excellent cook, and prepared seveal tasty Persian specialities. In return, I helped get their internet connection up and running.

Later in the evening I met Lotta on Gamla Stan. We went to the Lucia concert at Storkyrkan. It wasn’t as good this year as in years past, but I still enjoyed the concert very much. This time of year, and Lucia in particular, will always remind me of my first visit to Stockholm in December of 1999. After the concert, Lotta and I had cake and coffee in the cellar of Chokladkoppen, a hip and cozy little café on Järntorget located in a building that must be at least five hundred years old.

Saturday night after the concert, I joined Helena and went to O’Leary’s in Sundbyberg, where Salsaakademien was throwing a Christmas party. I had an absolute blast at the party, dancing with so many of my friends from the Stockholm salsa scene. It felt just like old times, and everyone seemed glad to see me. Some of the best dances of the evening were with the ever-lovely Alexandra. The Sacuye gang delivered some great dance performances too, including one by Ibi and Marina that left me with a bewildered grin on my face for the next ten minutes. Those two have talent!

Sunday morning I met a couple of friends for brunch at Café String, and in the afternoon I went to Karbin for a bit more climbing. There, saw Emma and Bobo, and I made two new friends, Michaela and Alex.

Monday morning before my flight back to Zürich, I met Åsa downtown at the main train station. After a quick coffee, we took a walk in the brillinant morning sunshine. It was cold and windy, but we endured the cold with ease, soaking in the light and warmth of the sun. We walked down to Stadshuset and to the edge of Lake Mälaren.

I’ve lived several months now in Zürich, and I am finally beginning to feel like it is a place I might someday call home. However, Stockholm is stil home, and this trip was reassuring, if a bit bittersweet. It’s nice to know that the city and friends that I know and love are just a few hours away, and ready to welcome me again any time I choose to visit.

ZRL in snow and sunshine

ZRL in the snow. Hover over the photo with your mouse pointer to see ZRL in the sunshine.

Polyball 2008

_MAL3800, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

Last night I attended the 2008 Polyball, a big fancy dress ball put on by the technical university ETH here in Zürich. Thousands of guests were there—it was by far the grandest ball I’ve ever attended. There were many live bands playing: an orchestra playing waltzes in the main hall, a big band playing swing and foxtrot tunes in the sports hall, and a terrific Latin band playing in a vast, open foyer flanked by stairs with large landings.

I went alone but that didn't prevent me from dancing. I met several nice people through the course of the evening, including a group of architecture students including Tian, Sara, Nicholas, Christian, and Johanna. Tien and I danced a bunch of dances together including several waltzes. The experience reminded me that I need to take a Viennese Waltz refresher course! Sara is from Denmark and her mom lives in Stockholm, so we had a lot to talk about.

On the salsa dance floor, I met political science student named Elisa. She hails from the the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, and was a terrific dancer. We had an absolute blast dancing together.

Despite the crowds, I somehow managed to bump into people I knew at the ball. After a few hours, I ran into Anke and Rupert, whom I knew would be there. I danced many fun dances with Anke, and spent a good deal of time hanging out with her, Rupert, and their friends.

Later in the evening, I saw several colleagues from IBM there too, including Tatiana, Luc, Samuel, and Conrad. Conrad and his date both come from Sweden, so I took advantage of the opportunity to speak a bit of Swedish with them.

Near the end of the evening (around 4:30!) I met an education student from Bern named Maria. She was a relatively new dancer, but was lots of fun to dance with.

The Polyball was a lot of fun and I can recommend it to anyone who loves dancing. Last night reminded me that I’m suffering from dance-abstinence. Bitten once more by the dance bug, I know I’ll return to the dance floor soon.

36th birthday in The Netherlands

_MAL3066, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

To celebrate my 36th birthday, spent a long weekend with my friend Kathrin in The Netherlands. I woke up at 4:45 in the morning on Friday in order to catch my flight. I slept on the very short flight to Schiphol Airport and caught a train to Leiden, where she lives. We took a walk around Leiden and had brunch at the Bagels & Beans cafe on Maarsmansteeg. Then we caught the train into Amsterdam for some sightseeing. After a nice walk around the center of the city, we ate a late lunch at Wagamama and then looked at the many masterpieces in the Rijksmuseum. We also looked at several photo exhibitions at FOAM, the Photography Museum of Amsterdam. Before returning to Leiden, we had a couple of beers at trendy Asian restaurant and then one more round at a tiny corner pub beside the canal.

On Saturday we saw some museums in Leiden, including the National Museum of Antiquities. The Egyptian artifacts there were simply amazing, and I posted some photos of a few of them. There was also an exhibit of aerial photos from Iran that was very interesting. In the evening we took a train to The Hague and ate dinner at Pastis, a charming French restaurant downtown. Then we took in a film, the latest in the Bond franchise.

On Sunday we went to the beach, where we were treated to sunshine for the first time in the weekend. It was there that Kathrin took the excellent photo of me above. After a long and eventful weekend, I flew back to Zürich late last night. I have uploaded photos from the weekend in a new set entitled The Netherlands, November 2008.

Lift every voice and sing!

Wonder, joy and hope!

I just watched John McCain concede defeat to Barack Obama. I’ve spent the past seven hours watching the election returns along with a few hundred other people here in Zürich: Americans, Swiss, and folks of many other nationalities.

In a few short months, Barak Obama will become the forty-fourth president of the United States of America. President Obama will be the leader of all Americans. The nation and world face tremendous challenges; here’s hoping that the supporters of John McCain will heed his call for unity.

Election party in Zürich

I’m with a group of Americans and others interested in the American election. We’re all gathered at a sort of community center that seems like the sort of place typically rented out for parties, conferences, and similar gatherings. It’s not too far from my new home in Zollikon, so I can walk home if I decide not to wait for the first tram around 5 o’clock. I think I will stick it out. In addition to a bar, there are two big screen TVs showing non-stop news of the election, in both English and German. There’s food, drink, company, and the most exciting political event in a generation. Fun!

ZRL in the snow

_MAL2414, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

Last week the rain progressed to slushy freezing rain and eventually gave way to thick clumps of wet snowflakes. What resulted was a record amount of snow for this time of year in Zürich. I took a few photos of the lab in the snow, including some shots from the roof of the main building.

My office is located on the ground floor of the K building, the three-story building most distant in the above photo. The Nanoscale Exploratory Technology Laboratory announced recently will be built in the field to the right of the K building. Groundbreaking is scheduled for early next year.

A busy week

_MAL2587, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

Today the moving company arrived with my boxes from Sweden. They’ve been sitting in a storage facility here in Zürich for the past few weeks while I sought a place to live. Before the whole place filled up with boxes, I went through and took a few photographs. Pictured above is the study on the East side of the house, facing the hillside.

Tomorrow night, I’ll go to a party with a bunch of Americans. We’ll stay up and watch the results of the U.S. presidential election. Wednesday I’ll rest and unpack. I have already unpacked my computer and some clothes, but there’s a lot more to go.

First evening in Zollikon

I’m spending my first evening at the house in Zollikon.

The dining room.

The office.

The kitchen.

And finally, the living room.

I’ll take more photos tomorrow. Now I’m off to bed.

A bit of exercise

Last night I joined Anke at her health club, Holmes Place in Oberrieden.

There, we did a “body combat” class—essentially a martial arts-inspired aerobics workout, with lots of punches, kicks, blocks, and jumps. It was exhausting and fun. Afterward I was glad to sit in the sauna for a while, and I slept like a baby once I got home.

Today I’m feeling the aftermath of that workout. My back and shoulders are sore. I think I might be out of shape! I must return to a regular regimen of exercise. I’m not sure whether I’ll sign up for Holmes Place though. It‘s a very nice place, but it’s a bit out of the way. Maybe it won’t be so far out of the way once I am living closer to the main train lines.

Speaking of that, I will rent a car tomorrow to facilitate moving into my new place. I plan to move my stuff there after lunch. My belongings—all seven cubic meters of them—will be delivered on Monday.

A quick update from Zürich

_MAL2335, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

The big news is that I have found a place to live. I found a charming house in Zollikon, the ground floor of which I will share with a woman and her husband. They spend much of their time abroad, so I’ll often have the place to myself.

This past weekend I finally got out and saw a bit of the city. I joined new friends both Saturday and Sunday night, dancing on Saturday, and taking a walking tour of the old city on Sunday. The photo above was taken on that walk.

I’ll move to the house on Friday and have my belongings delivered on Monday. Exciting times!

Whassup 2008

The incomparable Peter Sellers

I wanted to share a couple of videos that made me laugh.

Peter Sellers sings “Cigarettes and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women” on The Muppet Show.

Peter Sellers plays both the U.S. president and the title roll in this scene in the war room from Stanley Kubrick’s classic, Doctor Strangelove.

Buy Nothing Day

A friend recently invited me to participate in Buy Nothing Day, which this year falls on Saturday, 29 November. Normally I would be a supporter of campaigns like this, just out of sheer rock-the-boat rebelliousness. However, this time, the idea got me thinking:

How much trouble would it be for me truly to buy nothing for a day?

By the end of November, I will probably have been in my new flat in Zürich for a while. So I suppose I won’t need to buy furniture or furnishings on that particular day. I can easily forego entertainment and luxury items. It’s a Saturday, so I can prepare my own food. But that means I’ll have to buy the food and kitchen supplies ahead of time. And of course I’ll still need to use water and electricity. I can’t very well ask the utility companies to take one day’s worth off my bill. Lighting my apartment with candles and cooking over a campfire in my backyard would be worse for the environment than simply purchasing electricity from the grid.

And what about the people paid though my taxes, to send a fire truck, police car, or ambulance in the event I should need one? Can I decline their services for a day and request a refund? Clearly, the idea can be taken to ridiculous extremes.

Conspicuous consumption is obviously destructive in some ways. But I wonder to what counterproductive lengths people will go in service of the idea of buying nothing for a day. I wonder too, what the unintended consequences would be if everyone took the idea to heart? If buying is an evil to be thwarted, then the the perfect world would be a world where not much gets done.

As a symbol, Buy Nothing Day is a useful tool. It helps us realize how dependent we have become on things that we don’t really need. But interdependence between people on the goods and services offered by their neighbors is also the way the world works. It is thanks to the free flow of people, ideas, and things that so many have been able to lift themselves out of poverty.

In order to change the world for the better, we must move beyond theatrical demonstrations of our concern. We must be cognizant of our impact on our world and our neighbors, and must put this knowledge into action on a daily basis, not just once a year.

Food for thought. Speaking of which, it’s close to dinner time here. I think I’ll go buy a bite to eat.