By now the whole world is watching Thailand struggling with its epidemic floods, inundating a third of the country. To the rest of the world who thinks entire Bangkok is under water: “I am in the dry, got plenty of water and beer and I am doing fine!” Still, Bangkok’s inner city center is still unaffected by the huge floods other suburbs do endure and this is because of very rich and powerful sources but even those sources cannot withstand the power of nature; the floods are coming to town!

We all know, and speculation aside, the west and east of Bangkok is flooded and in order to get the water faster into the sea parts of Bangkok, if not all had to be sacrificed and get the waters through their streets and soi’s, all of us need to bite into the apple and not only the poor villagers out there. Blame the government for not intervening earlier and keep the dams drained when it was still possible. All other previous governments did not take this issue too serious and by allocating Billions of Baht the issue is not solved alone. Tens of agencies failed in previous years to establish proper measures to keep flood ways in check. Greedy developers paid millions to officials to build resident estates in flood plains and even the government it self was building an international airport in such a danger zone and natural flood area.

Thais themselves take all this as a reoccurring event, just this time it is much larger than other years. Many of my work colleagues have their houses flooded and entire families displaced to higher grounds. Millions of sandbags were carried into the city and at times two meter walls were built to protect shop fronts and entire estates. Business in the entire city has slowed down but when visiting larger shopping malls in down town it seems business as normal. Reading all the messages in various news outlets and following  Twitter it seems invertible that central Bangkok will be flooded soon; question remains by how much and for how long.

There has been a lot of discussion about the causes of Thailand’s floods: environmental degradation; forest clearing; filled-in water ways; the inauspiciousness of a female Prime Minister; a hydrological plot to destabilise Yingluck; dam management; the revenge of Mother Nature for the excesses of modernity; etc. etc.

Some of these deserve further discussion, in particular the vexed issue of managing water releases from dams (a particularly complex issue given that dams serve multiple purposes) but we don’t want to lose sight of the fact that the primary cause of flooding is very high rainfall. The following graphs, which compare the 2011 monthly totals (January to September) with the 30-year averages for those months are revealing. In Chiang Mai the nine-month total was 140 percent of the average; in Lamphun 196%; in Lampang 177%; in Uttaradit 153% and in Phitsanulok 146%. These are only a few locations (and all of them from lowland sites – rainfall is heavier at higher elevations) but they give a clear indication that 2011 has been an exceptionally wet year and that this has been widely spread across the Chao Phaya catchment.

Thailand’s worst floods in half a century reached the edge of downtown Bangkok on Friday. About 20 percent of the capital is now submerged in floodwater contaminated by rubbish, dead animals and industrial waste, raising fears about outbreaks of disease in the densely populated metropolis of 12 million people. Aid workers say at least two people have died from leptospirosis, a bacterial infection often spread through rat urine, and the risk of other diseases is expected to rise in the coming weeks whenever floodwaters recede, leaving standing pools of water behind. As many as 200 new cases of diarrhea are being reported daily, along with a total of roughly 100,000 fungal infections and widespread infections from cuts, according to Thailand’s Ministry of Health. Illnesses, including the flu, are appearing in evacuation centers, which now house 100,000 people at 160 locations and are likely to be occupied for weeks. The slow-moving water is now just a few kilometers away from business and tourist districts, despite reassurances from the government that central Bangkok would be spared. The floodwater arrived at the Lat Phrao intersection on the northern edge of the city centre early Friday, prompting the closure of the Central Plaza shopping mall. A spokesman for the Bangkok metro said that three subway stations — Lat Phrao, Phahon Yothin and Chatuchak Park — were at risk and might have to be shut down if the water rose to 40 centimeters (16 inches) outside. The floods — caused by unusually heavy rains and failure to release enough water from dams in the early part of the monsoon — have killed 442 people and damaged the homes and livelihoods of millions around the country. The authorities have issued an evacuation order for eight Bangkok districts out of a total of 50 in the capital, and for certain areas in four others. The 12 districts have a combined official population of 1.7 million people — far more than government shelters can accommodate. Worst-hit residents have complained that their homes are being sacrificed to save downtown Bangkok’s shopping malls, luxury hotels and the houses of the wealthy elite, triggering protests and the destruction of some flood barriers

Thailand’s prime minister has expressed optimism that central Bangkok will be mostly spared from the city’s flooding, as defences held despite high tides. Yingluck Shinawatra told residents in the capital that the country would “recover soon”. Floods have inundated over than a third of the country’s provinces since July, killing more than 370 people. Correspondents say Ms Yingluck, who came to power in June, has appeared at times overwhelmed by the crisis. Whole towns have been submerged, with some two million people affected across the country since the flooding began, following heavy monsoon rains. 
 
Officials have been trying to protect the commercial centre of Bangkok after flooding spread to northern districts of the city earlier this month. City residents were urged to evacuate after the authorities warned them that Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River could burst its banks over the weekend due to high tides, which are expected to last until Monday. Prime Minister Yingluck said she hoped the sandbags protecting the city would hold up. “It depends on the level of the sea and sometimes it’s about the stability of the way we put the sandbags,” Ms Yingluck told reporters. “Hopefully, the sandbags are quite strong enough. So if the sandbags don’t fall over, it should be OK.” On Friday, the Bank of Thailand slashed its growth forecast for the current financial year to 2.6%, down from an initial projection of 4.1% growth. Bangkok contributes almost 41% to the country’s GDP, and analysts have warned that any substantial damage to the capital could hit Thailand’s growth further.

 http://helpforthailand.com/ for more information and donation!

 

First of all; my sincere apology to my readers for being absent for that long; this was out of my control. I had some serious issues with my hosting company Network Solutions but that has been resolved now. VIP Gold Member seems not much of worth these days as I was struggling for almost a month to get access to my site again.

Almost everyone I know likes Crème Brulee’s in all its flavours and size. Probably the most known one is the Vanilla Crème Brulee but I am sure there are Brulee’s around in all kind of flavours including savory and other weird combinations.
When I was introduced to the Prucia French Plum Liquor by Khun K. of CFF here in Bangkok I right away pictured a Plum version of this delicate dessert. I mean not using any plum puree but using exclusively the liquor made of French Plums. Making the base mixture and adding the liquor to an extend to get out the flavour was not a challenge but to retain the texture was. In the end I think I found the right balance.

Tomomi Murakami:

Q. What was your impression when you first tried Prucia?
Prucia has a rich, sweet flavor and aroma. I thought it would go well in cocktails.
Q. What do you think of the bottle design?
When I put the Prucia bottle behind me at the bar it stands out. Customers often ask me, “What is that?” Women especially. I suppose it’s eye-catching enough to be singled out among all the other alcohol.
Q. How do your customers usually drink Prucia?
As a cocktail, they ask me to mix it with champagne, or pour it Mojito style with a shiso garnish. Besides cocktails, many customers order it on the rocks. Many of them like it and order it again the next time.
Q. What made you decide to enter a Prucia cocktail in The Cocktail Award?
I knew from the start that I wanted to use Prucia in The Cocktail Award. I thought the flavor would go well in cocktails. I asked a lot of people for suggestions on how to name my cocktail. There were many suggestions, but in the end I chose “blossom” to evoke the image of a flower that bears fruit. That is how I decided on the name “Prucia Blossom”. I wanted to give it a beautiful color, so I used Yogurito Strawberry to create a soft pink. I plan to spread the word about Prucia cocktails.

Prucia French Plum Liquor Website: http://www.prucia.com/en/index.html

There are not many times I make my way “home” back to Switzerland, too many years I am living the world elsewhere, in countries far from old Helvetia. Nothing wrong with Switzerland and I am still surprised when people tell me of the beautiful country they never have been visiting and probably never will except on National Geographic. A family gathering of importance initiated my travel plans for this year to board a Thai Airways plane to Zurich and meet my family in “Weisslingen”, a small town in the Canton Zurich, not far from the city with the same name. I was not overly surprised to see that not much has changed in my town except some more houses, neatly tucked on the hill where we before as kids played in the high grasses in late summer evenings. Weisslingen, a village first mentioned in the year 745 and for many years ruled under the Kyburg ruling family currently inhabits 3000 plus citizens.

Situated on a ridge above the river Töss, Kyburg Castle was mentioned for the first time in 1027. Its original name “Chuigeburg” (=Küh- burg, i.e. Cow Castle) might indi- cate that the castle’s use was a refuge stronghold. It was Hartmann von Dillingen who acquired the castle by marriage, and henceforth called himself Count of Kyburg. This family became one of the most important dynasties in the area of the present-day Mittelland (North and Northwestern part of Switzerland) besides the Habsburg and Savoy dynasties. After the decease of the last of the Kyburg in 1264, Rudolf of Habsburg secured the Kyburg as his inheritance. After he had been elected German king, the Imperial Treasures were presumably deposited on Kyburg Castle.

The Habsburg shifted their sphere of interest to the East (Carinthia and Lower Austria) and at the beginning of the fifteenth century Zurich acquired the Kyburg count’s land which became a Landvogtei. Until 1798 noble Zurich citizens resided as Vogts on Kyburg Castle. For six years at a time, the Vogt was in charge of the judiciary and administered the various sources of income.

A fine lunch

The “Ritter Saal” and Prison of Kyburg Castle

A trip to the mountain city of Davos and lunch on a mountain pass while in heavy rain brought us to the ancient city of Chur, a small but beautiful small city in Canton Grison.
The name “Chur” derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning “tribe”, or from the Latin curia.
Archaeological evidence of settlement at the site goes back as far as the Pfyn culture (3900-3500 BC), making Chur one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland. Remains and objects from the Bronze and Iron Ages have been found also in the eastern sector of the current city’s center. In Roman times it was a fortified camp, called Curia Raetorum; it has been suggested that under Emperor Diocletian (late 3rd century AD) Chur was the capital of the province of Raetia.
In the 4th century Chur became the seat of the first Christian bishopric north to the Alps. Despite a legend assigning its foundation to an alleged Briton king, St. Lucius, the first known bishop is one Asinio in 451 AD. After the invasion of the Ostrogoths, it was rechristened Theodoricopolis; in the 6th century it was conquered by the Franks. The city suffered several invasion, by the Magyars in 925-926, when the cathedral was destroyed, and the Saracens (940 and 954), but afterwards it flourished thanks to its location, where the roads from several major Alpine transit routes come together and continue down the Rhine river. The routes had been already used under the Romans but acquired greater importance under the Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Otto I appointed his vassal Hartpert as bishop of Chur in 958, giving the bishopric numerous privileges. In 1170 the bishop became a prince-bishop and kept a total control over the road between Chur and Chiavenna.

Capuns

Capuns is a traditional food from the Graubünden canton in Switzerland, predominantly made in the western part of Grisons.  They are made from Spätzle dough with pieces of dried meat and rolled in a chard leaf. They are boiled in a gravy of bouillon, milk and water and served covered with grated cheese

Zürich is probably my best loved city in Switzerland, knowing the side walks, small streets and its treasures. Visiting a famous bar with a good friend of mine and dinner in a traditional Swiss fare restaurant close to the Lake of Zürich was just another highlight of my trip to Switzerland. Of course I had to visit those famous Chocolatiers on the Bahnhofstrasse like Sprungli, Lindth and Laederach.

Old and famous restaurants and side streets in the old part of Zürich

Sprungli

Zürich (German: Zürich, Swiss German: Züri) is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. While the municipality itself has approximately 380,500 inhabitants, the Zurich metropolitan area is an urbanised area of international importance constituted by a population of nearly 2 million inhabitants. Zurich is a mixed hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Both Zurich Airport and railway station are the largest and busiest in the country.
Permanently settled for around 7,000 years, the history of Zurich goes back to its founding by the Romans, who, in 15 BC, called it Turicum. During the Middle Ages Zurich gained the independent and privileged status of imperial immediacy and, in 1519, was the place of origin and centre of the Protestant Reformation in German-speaking Switzerland, led by Ulrich Zwingli.
Zurich is a leading global city and among the world’s largest financial centers. The city is home to a large number of financial institutions and banking giants. Also, most of the research and development centers are concentrated in Zurich and the low rate of tax attracts overseas companies to set up their headquarters there. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zurich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe.
An impressive number of museums and art galleries can be found in the city, including the Swiss National Museum and the Kunsthaus. Zurich also hosts one of the most important theatres in the German-speaking world.

Old part of Zürich

The blue and white coat of arms of Zurich is attested from 1389, and was derived from banners with blue and white stripes in use since 1315 . The first certain testimony of banners with the same design is from 1434. The coat of arms is flanked by two lions. The red Schwenkel on top of the banner had varying interpretations: For the people of Zurich, it was a mark of honor, granted by Rudolph I. Zurich’s neighbors mocked it as a sign of shame, commemorating the loss of the banner at Winterthur in 1292.
Today, the Canton of Zurich uses the same coat of arms as the city.

Breakfast Swiss style

Stein am Rhein is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.
The town has a well-preserved medieval centre, retaining the ancient street plan. The site of the city wall, and the city gates are preserved, though the former city wall now consists of houses. The mediæval part of the town has been pedestrianised and many of the mediæval buildings are painted with beautiful frescoes.

Old town

Family

On a sunny Saturday afternoon we all boarded a river cruise ship who took us to the town of Stein am Rhein, a pictures medieval town on the river Rhein. Walking the small streets of this town I was amazed of the beautiful houses which where kept like in a picture perfectly maintained.

When you think of Switzerland food, perhaps Swiss cheese or chocolate immediately comes to mind. While the Swiss are certainly known for these two foods, they also have much more to offer.
Various types of breads are served with nearly every meal, often accompanied with cheeses. Important vegetables such as spinach, beans, cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes and various types of meat are served as well. Some of the locally grown fruits include apples, pears, grapes, and many varieties of berries. Of nearly every fruit growing in Switzerland the Swiss are making fine alcoholic liquids, which are used in pastries, food preparation or with a cup of coffee. Two special coffees are the Luz,mainly drunk in the canton of Lucerne, and Kaffee Fertig, translated “Finished Coffee”.
Much of Swiss cuisine has influences from Italy, Germany, and France.
From Italian influences come the popular dishes, polenta, and risotto. Switzerland food also consists of varieties of many foods that Americans know and love, such as pasta and pizza. Tarts and quiches are also traditional Swiss foods. Cervelat is the national sausage and is well loved all throughout the country.
In the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, unique restaurants can be found called Grottoes. This is a rustic eatery usually built near a forest or rocky backdrop. Grottoes are often remodeled ancient wine caves. The façade, benches, and tables are usually fashioned out of granite block.
Most grottoes don’t have a written menu card. You have to ask what is the dish of the day and the quality is very good – I’ve never been disappointed when I ate there. They serve sausages such as Luganighe and Luganighetta as well as other popular Italian dishes.
Breakfast in Switzerland usually consists of bread with butter, honey, or jam. Lunch and dinner will consist of one light meal of bread, cheese, and dried meats and a heavier meal of perhaps pasta, meat, and vegetables.

Älplermagronen
The name simply means Alpine herdsman’s macaroni. It consists of common ingredients—macaroni, potatoes, onions, bacon bits, and melted cheese. It is usually served with applesauce. It dates back from times when most people in the countryside still had physically hard labor.
Birchermüesli
This is a breakfast cereal consisting of rolled oats, fruit, and nuts. It is often used as a light evening dish. Its was invented by Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner (1867-1939).

Brotzopf
Refined bread eaten on special occasions like birthdays and wedding days.

Emmental
This is another name for Swiss cheese. Emmental means valley of the Emme which is a river accross the canton of Bern, there is the origin of the Swiss Emmental.

Fondue
A very popular dish of melted cheese – this is Switzerland food as people know it worldwide. Cubes of bread or small bits of potato are then dipped into it. According to tradition, should you lose your bread cube, you have to pay the other a bottle of white wine.

It is recommanded to have a good digestation afterwards by drinking tea and a little bit of Swiss white wine, and for those who like to try strong alcoholic drinks, a small glass of Kirsch is recommended, which is made with cherries. In the french speaking part of Switzerland this is called le Coup du Milieu which means the middle hit.

Fotzel
This is a dish made from stale slices of bread. Never ones for wasting food, the Swiss make use of everything.

Papet vaudois
This dish consists of leeks with sausage and maybe some potatoes. Other variations include smoked liver with cabbage.

Raclette
This is hot cheese dribbled over potatoes and is usually served with gherkins or pickled onions.
Rösti
This is similar to hash browns and considered to be a Swiss-German favorite, but you can have it all over Switzerland. Rösti made of potatoes. All over the world cooks have tried to copy this menu, but the best Rösti is still served in Swiss countryside restaurants. Emmental Rösti is made with apple.

Zopf
A typically shaped type of bread that resembles Jewish challah. In earlier time girls prepared their hair like a “zopf”.

The Swiss are very proud of their native cuisine and as a result, you will not see many ethnic restaurants in this country. Switzerland food can satisfy almost any palate all by itself.

 

 

Could I ever live in Switzerland again? I am not sure; yes, Switzerland is clean, well organized, safe and refreshing. It is quite, almost too quite for my taste even in big cities like Zurich. The Swiss do live a good life and therefore I am puzzled to see and hear that almost all are complaining about very little things they have not much influence off. They live a life almost isolated from the rest of Europe; they do not need EU, Euro and all the problems other states in Europe have right now. They don’t need all the foreigners in their country unless they come with their cuisine or building their roads. Sumer? What Sumer in Switzerland? I thought I have lived all four seasons in one week! From 32°Celsius one day to rain and storm with 12°Celsius the next day! Snow on 1800 meters in July, I was on 2400 meter the day before!! No snow.
Switzerland is nice, I am proud of it but I am happy to be back in Asia.