The Warmth Of Flames

Posted on October 11, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

The air is chilly. The handle of the thick hardwood door cold. Halfway open, the indoor warmth of a few dozen people and flickering flames begins to melt the ice crystals of my exhale. The romantic light blends with the golden ornaments. The people standing, facing East, seem to blend with the walls of the [...]

A Curious Detail

Posted on October 1, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Recently, I discovered a curious little detail about Finnish grading that seems to be true at least for the university at which I’m currently a student. The grading scale goes from 0 through 5 (best), integers only. Up to here, not a lot different to the Swiss system which goes from 1 through 6 (best) [...]

What Switzerland Is Known For: A New Chapter

Posted on September 9, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Forget about the times when Switzerland was known for chocolate, watches, cheese, mountains and the Swiss Army knife. Today the country is known for its bank secrecy, a term that is actually inaccurate. What in Switzerland in German is called Bankkundengeheimnis is more accurately translated with bank client confidentiality: The goal is financial privacy of the [...]

Ginger Tea. The Gap. Dwindle Away.

Posted on September 3, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Dear reader, you might have read the story featuring The Best Ginger Tea Ever & me, struggling to replicate it — rather unsuccessfully. One of the most delightful secrets of life is, I believe, how beauty is hidden in simplicity. My dinner. Couscous mixed with cherry tomatoes, onion, tuna, red pepper, spicy olives, some black pepper, [...]

The Best Ginger Tea Ever

Posted on August 28, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Around the turning point of 2008, in a somewhat turbulent phase, I was a regular customer at a neighborhood café of the city that was then my home. In the midst of a sense of loosing too much, there, I found something: The Best Ginger Tea Ever. Since then, I moved twice, across oceans and [...]

09/01 – The Nowhere District

Posted on July 20, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

La capitale di questa nazione si presenta immacolata, ordinata, raggiante e contrastante. I suoi Monuments e Memorials ricordano gloria quanto miseria umana. Abraham Lincoln, il grande presidente, primo ad alzare la voce contro la schiavitù, celebrato a Washington DC con un Memorial dalle colonne maestose. All’interno la statua gigante, lui seduto tiene nella mano sinistra [...]

Who Gets The Price Right?

Posted on July 10, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

The plot: The entrance to a small sized open-air concert. The actors: Two coordinated ticket buyer-and-sellers, individual buyers, individual sellers, the official box-office and, of course, tickets. The box-office ticket price for the event: 88 CHF. Availability of tickets at the box-office: Yes. This might be somewhat a post on “Economics 101,” a short — [...]

A Lady And Her Cellphone

Posted on June 17, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Recently, I was sitting on a train, reading the pages of a book, or perhaps just skimming through them. I don’t recall. I’m afraid, not even the book title. In front of me sat a woman in her late seventies, as I would have guessed. She held a cellphone with both her hands, the wrinkles [...]

Too Big To Fail. Too Dangerous To Release.

Posted on June 11, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Moon. Sister, I heard voices telling you carry things on your shoulders that are too big to fail? Earth. My darling, I’m sorry you got to hear the news. Please don’t worry. Indeed, some believe in infinite growth so much that others believe their mirage is too big to fail, or to let fail. We [...]

Job (Non-)Acceptance: Reactions – A Note

Posted on May 29, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

I believe, many are familiar with this situation: You are looking for a new job and write a ton of applications. Sometimes you get an answer, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes the answer is a friendly “We are sorry,” sometimes a blunt “No need.” Sometimes your application brings you to the next stage, sometimes it is [...]

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