September 2018
Wednesday 19th September 2018
When my lessons finished at lunchtime today I got on the number 3 tram and made my way towards the Interlingua bookshop in Zürich to get some language books. As I was travelling along, I began to notice how hungry I was, and I also remembered that I would soon be passing close to the fish stall in the Main Station. So I got off the tram and went down into underground shopping centre and bought myself a Bismarck sandwich.
A Bismarck sandwich is a long bread roll containing a tasty piece of pickled herring seasoned with gherkins; one of my favourites.
I climbed the steps back into Zürich’s Bahnhofstrasse and continued my way to the bookshop on foot, eating my sandwich as I went. However, I hit a problem: the more I bit into one end of the sandwich, the more the herring squeezed its way out of the other end. In the end I found that I had eaten all of the bread roll, and the piece of herring was lying in the bottom of the paper bag.
I realised, of course, that a paper bag can only hold a piece of moist herring for so long before it falls apart and lets the herring slide out onto the floor, which would be such a waste of good fish. So I turned round and went back down the steps into the shops and bought myself a bigger and better bread roll, put the herring firmly inside it and this time ate it successfully.
I climbed the steps back into Zürich’s Bahnhofstrasse and continued my way to the bookshop on foot, eating my sandwich as I went. However, I hit a problem: the more I bit into one end of the sandwich, the more the herring squeezed its way out of the other end. In the end I found that I had eaten all of the bread roll, and the piece of herring was lying in the bottom of the paper bag.
I realised, of course, that a paper bag can only hold a piece of moist herring for so long before it falls apart and lets the herring slide out onto the floor, which would be such a waste of good fish. So I turned round and went back down the steps into the shops and bought myself a bigger and better bread roll, put the herring firmly inside it and this time ate it successfully.
25th September 2018
Keep it simple, stupid
Perhaps you’re familiar with the KISS principle - Keep It Simple, Stupid - the principle that things should be as complex as they need to be, but not more.
I rather like the idea of this kind of simplicity. In fact it’s never far from my mind when I’m writing an article.
Recently, however, I have discovered that some businesses find that throwing in a handful of unnecessary complexity can be a useful strategy.
Read more
I rather like the idea of this kind of simplicity. In fact it’s never far from my mind when I’m writing an article.
Recently, however, I have discovered that some businesses find that throwing in a handful of unnecessary complexity can be a useful strategy.
Read more
Front page story
Look back to 1665: the Plague Year
Contact
If you’re interested in English lessons or translation and checking services, please feel free to contact me in the language of your choice - English, French, German or even Lingala!
Here are my details:
Here are my details:
Mobile
078 609 56 51
+41 78 609 56 51
+41 78 609 56 51
Location
Tödistrasse 9, 8634 Hombrechtikon
(New address from 24th March 2018)
(New address from 24th March 2018)
If you are travelling from Rüti / Wolfhausen, drive past the Hombrechtikon place-name sign for about 300 metres and turn right into Tödistrasse, just before the Tobel bus stop.
Approaching from Hombrechtikon
If you are approaching from the centre of Hombrechtikon, follow the signs to Rüti. At the Tobel junction (the Methodist Church is on the left) turn left. Tödistrasse is the next turning on the left, just past the Tobel bus stop.
The entrance to our new flat is about 100 metres from the junction with Rütistrasse, on the left-hand side of the road.
The house number is number 9 and we are on the first floor.
There are a few visitor’s parking bays a short distance beyond the entrance, on the left.
There are a few visitor’s parking bays a short distance beyond the entrance, on the left.
Arriving by bus
If you arrive by bus from Bubikon, get off the bus at Tobel and follow Tödiweg until you get to Tödistrasse. Our house is on the right.