Finally – the winds of change are giving way to sunnier, warmer days. The air is fragrant with the scents of freshly mowed lawns, and a variety of flowers that radiate bright colours as they blossom. Hope is beaming back at us again as the Lockdown in Switzerland phases out slowly.
We hear about the “new normal” – and sense it, too. The handshake and three Swiss kisses have given way to awkward waves, eyebrow-lifting ‘hois’, and sort of uncomfortable ‘gruezis’ when meeting friends, colleagues and acquaintances. The new learnings are as varied and as personal as you can ever imagine.
As the country opens up slowly, knowing what’s open, what’s not, what’s allowed, what isn’t, throws a plethora of questions and confusions. Ritesh Sood provides us with some clarity. Aradhna Sethi speaks to women from various walks of life – mothers, professionals, locals to bring out some viewpoints – straight from the heart!
Lockdown brings along the concerns over the wellness of loved ones – parents, spouses and children, alike. This brings the matter of pure life insurance to the fore. A topic that is emotional for many, but a concern to be taken practically and seriously. Michael Klien realised this need to ensure a safety net for the family when he became a father. Later – along with Georg Liechtenstein – he set up of SafeSide AG, a simple way to pure life insurance. Read on to find out more.
The ‘work from home’ or the ‘stay at home’ situation led to many people picking up on old hobbies and learning new skills – and quite a few veered towards language learning. Samvidha Srinath shares some tips and tricks on learning new languages. Seeing the number of ‘crisis-chefs’ on the rise, Shinta Simon decided to encourage baking as a family activity. Her summer bread really impresses the senses of sight, smell and taste. And while we are on the topic of family activities, Nayana Chakrabarti shows us how she involved her children, Abhigyan Bhattacharya and Aryahi Bhattacharya, to pitch in for her review on ‘The Adventures of Dev and Ollie’.
Entertainment, art and culture have also seen a virtual shift. So when Opernhaus Zurich announced runs of ballets and operas on their site due to the lockdown, the question was: could it replicate the effect of a live performance? Sowgandhika Krishnan logs on to Romeo & Juliet by Christian Spuck – choreographed by Christian Spuck and shares the review.
Don’t forget to check out this month’s quiz. Take a deep breath. Soak in the sun. Stay safe and maintain social distancing and hygiene practices while you click through this issue and the other articles we feature here for you!
Illustration by Sharanya Mageshwaran
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