08 | November | 2013 | Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss

Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life. Write about that.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us a CONNECTION.

Fixing the blinds

A photo from the old days when I was a working woman: we had a blind fixed into the ceiling of the office and only with strange ways could it be closed and opened. Here we see one of the male colleagues doing his best with the connecting instruments and me with the camera ready at all times, decided this would be photo of the year. It was not, but it was fun.

And now for news of the day: just imagine a small village somewhere in Switzerland, where I live, and we have famous people living there. Actually not all are famous, but some are quite wealthy. Doctors, lawyers, solicitors, bank managers – you name it we have them all. The Angloswiss family do not really belong to this category. Mr. Swiss being a good jazz drummer and Mrs. Angloswiss being housewife, slave to three felines, gardener, sometimes chauffeur, and generally bring me and get me person.

Now to the story of the day: in this small village there is a sort of personality. Her name is Eliana Burki, is a young lady and ….. an expert Alp horn musician. Her daddy is doctor and they live in a nice big house. As a teenager she made her name playing the alp horn (do not forget she is Swiss). She took lessons on the instrument where others were still battling with the recorder, piano and guitar, but she managed to achieve a descent tone on the instrument. Playing alp horn is not easy. Mr. Swiss and I once had the opportunity to try this instrument. My result was almost an asthma attack and no sound, but I must say Mr. Swiss really managed a little tune, nothing special, but who knows, somewhere deep inside an internationally successful alp horn player was lurking.

As time went by, Eliana Burki grew into a young lady and managed to spice up her alp horn performances with mini skirts, high heels and modern hair style, not quite Miley Cyrus, but on her way. Not the normal yodel similar clothing that we are accustomed to in our little country somewhere in the middle of Europe.

So now to the news: has anyone ever heard of the Eurovision song contest? It happens every year. Europe is growing larger, with countries such as Azerbaijan, Belarus and Lithuania. Normal country names like Germany and United Kingdom still participate but it has become a free for all. Anyone can participate no matter how difficult your language is, the more the merrier. Ensure that your singers are dressed for the occasion, bright colours, transparent material, short skirts and above all sexy. Men make sure that you really look the part with silk suits and glistening shirts.

So Eliane Burki, our expert alp horn blower, has made her application. This is what she said to qualify her effort “I am on my way through the whole world with music and the alp horn and represent Switzerland. If you look at it in this way, my participation in the European Song Contest is a logical consequence”. Whether she will achieve international stardom or recognition remains to be seen. The Swiss record in this international singing competition has not been brilliant over the past years, actually almost non-existent and I believe in the last contest they fell out in the preliminaries.

I am not a fan of this talent competition. When it begun many years ago, the winning song was a song to sing, that you could hum, a memory that followed throughout the year and some of the winners are still played today. Since Europe became larger and the contesting countries increased the whole thing has got a little out of hand. I remember in the earlier years the Yugoslavian singer appearing in a black suit with bow tie and singing his heart out. Today it has become many more countries that used to be Yugoslavia and the groups appearing resemble more carnival figures. This pertains to many countries, even my surrounding neighbours seem to have forgotten the music and depend more on the sensation than the singing. The songs they sing are incomprehensible, forgotten the day after, even if they win.

I did see Eliana Burki once live. She appeared at our annual Christmas celebration when I was working. It took place in the village hall and she was the star of the evening. She was good, but it is a matter of personal taste, alp horn is not really my thing.

So that was Mrs. Angloswiss reporting from a country with banks, cows, watches and alp horns with the latest news. Those that might see this programme on the TV (I believe it appears at the beginning of the year) keep your fingers cross for Eliana Burki, if she succeeds in being selected. The decision on who will be the lucky person representing Switzerland will be made on 18^th November through a TV programme.

After a few requests found a video of Eliana Burki on YouTube playing jazz

Daily Prompt: Connect the Dots