East Eats West

Overhead airplanes

 Picture: A family having a close look at a landing airplane at Zurich airport.

Since 9/11 airport security around the world has been beefed up. In Heathrow for example it is virtually impossible to get close to a plane without authorization, be it while they are parked or while they are landing or taking off. Even the runway is widely fenced off and clearly off limits. But there are a few locations where airplane enthusiasts still can get a close, in fact a very close look at landing planes. At Zurich airport one is allowed to stand at the very end of the runway. This means that planes directly fly over ones head, 100m above your head that is. The airport authority even put up special parking spots with fast food joints lining the area. So airplane enthusiasts gather every weekend with their binoculars, cameras and walkie-talkie. The walkie-talkies allow them to listen in on what the pilots are saying to the tower. Flying is nice but seeing a plane land so close up lets you realize what a marvel planes are!

PS: I am sure that you are aware that every Swiss soldier has a proper assault rifle in his cupboard. With planes flying in at about 100m it would be easy to hit one with the rifle. Scary thought!

 

Need to touch

Picture: A sculpture by Katharina Fritsch

Spending a few hours at the Art Basel confronted me with the sheer size and scope of artistic expression nowadays. The visit left me bewildered and exhausted and I once again how I can judge good art? Then I remembered a definition of art I read recently: good art is about pictures that stick in our heads. Interestingly, the art historian on my guided tour atthe new Katharina Fritsch exhibition in Zurich said that the sculptures of this German artist exactly do that: they stick to the brain. Katharina Fritsch's sculptures are of such a physical presence and superior craftsmanship that one is tempted to touch them. The life-sized sculptors of elephants, skulls, religious sculptors and other animals are covered in one mat color, juxtaposed against a monochromatic print. The result is hypnotizing and a clear sign of an outstanding artist.

You can see the Katharina Fritsch exhibition at the Kunsthaus in Zurich: http://www.kunsthaus.ch/

 

I accept what I think

Have you ever tried to convince your boss about a new idea you had? Have you ever tried to persuade your parents to understand your unusual choice of job? And did you fail? If yes, do not despair, there is a psychological explanation for it. According to studies dating back to the 1960s psychologists have found that people are more accepting of ideas close to their own views and resistant to those that differ. This has also further implications for sales people. A successful sales person therefore can present a product in a way that is close to the client’s perception. Or put the other way around, the most persuasive sales person is that one who knows what his clients thinks and wants. 

Expats are leaving Zurich

According to the latest numbers eight percent of the people in Zurich are German expats. They work in banking, hospitals, hotels or as bus drivers. With the economic boom of recent years the Swiss economy was taking in foreigners in big numbers. But now with the downturn some of them are being let go. One clear indication for this trend is the sudden increase in apartments for rent in Zurich. Most of the apartments now coming on the market are multiple bedrooms and rents starting at 4.000 Swiss Francs, an indication that the expats now leaving actually had very well paid jobs.

A crisis of sorts in the art world

Picture: An impression from Art Basel. 

This weekend I went to the crowded annual Art Basel art fair in order to get a feel for the state of the art world. I was told by a friend that the preview was packed and also on Sunday plenty of visitors crammed the aisles. At the fair I talked to a few industry insiders and the general opinion is that things have cooled down but some sectors of the art markets are holding up okay. Apparently the formerly red-hot contemporary sector has cooled down considerably. A positive effect of the economical crisis is that art dealers showed some of their best works in Basel. The Zurich based gallery owner Bruno Bischofberger for example displayed only one gigantic art work by Andy Warhol called “Big Retrospective Painting” from 1979. It is almost 11m long and apparently was sold for a “competitive price” of $74m. So prices have come down since last year (the work sold four years ago for $80m). Another good sign is that apparently the very affluent still buy art as they have plenty of money in their banks and the look at art as a safe storage of value. At the same I heard stories of gallery owners firing staff and that some of the big name dealers are apparently sitting on a big pile of debt that they amassed during the boom years. The most uplifting note I heard was by David Signer, the curator of the Swiss Institute in New York. He thinks that the on-going crisis will affect the art world in a positive way as it will highlight craftsmanship and quality, again. 

Congratulations Zurich!

Picture: Zurich lakeside. 

This weekend I tried to explain to visiting Germans why Zurich has become such a popular destination for expats in recent years. After discussing the pros and cons we came to the conclusion that Zurich is just a very convenient place to live in. While this does not make for great advertisement from a tourist perspective, for expats it makes all the difference. Zurich offers all the amenities a big city has but without the hassle of big city, like endless traffic jams. As to proof my point Monocle magazine ranked Zurich in the July/August edition as the most livable city in the world. 
 

Live abroad and become more creative

 Picture: Live here and it will benefit you more than a MBA!

Master of business administration, or MBAs, have become all the rage in recent years. They promised being a fast track to the executive level of any respectable corporation. I have to admit that doing a MBA also crossed my mind but that I am not very keen learning more about management theories. Anyhow, with the current financial crisis in full bloom, I think it is much more interesting at the front line of the current crisis as compared to sitting in any class-room where outdated knowledge from expired books are being taught. However, a study by William W. Maddux of INSEAD and Adam D. Galinsky of Northwestern University came up with another way of investing in your human capital: live abroad. They found that living abroad helps in adapting to other cultures and even makes you more creative (not such a surprise anyhow). Living abroad makes individuals more aware of multiple perspectives and approaches. Unfortunately they also found that only traveling does not do the trick: one has to live abroad in order to become more creative. Read the study here: http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/psp9651047.pdf 

Flight for quality

After years of booming luxury goods market and ‘entry-level luxury’ the party has suddenly stopped. With the financial and economical crisis, consumers have become more value-conscious and ‘recreation-shopping’ has lost its appeal. According to Newsweek (6/13 of April 2009) consumers around the world “are trading excess for excellence, superficiality for substance”. There is a “flight to quality”: people buy less often but better quality. The author of the Newsweek article “A few good shirts” comes to the conclusion that now is the best time “to get rid of all that cheap, trendy stuff you don’t actually use” and go for quality, like a bespoke suit or handmade shoes. According to the Financial Times (11/12 of April 2009) the tailors of Savile Row saw a pick-up of business in the recent months: Huntsman, the oldest tailor on Savile Row, saw its business increase by 12 percent in 2009.The believe that “a desire for quality” are the reasons for this upswing. I fully agree. Read the Newsweek article here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/191499 

PS: With the cheap flights to London and a very low pound now is the best time to do some shopping at Savile Row or Jermyn Street!

Crispy Peking Duck in Zurich

 Picture: A rare sight in Zurich.

On my recent trip to Singapore friends invited me to an amazing Chinese restaurant that specializes in Peking Duck, the famous Chinese roasted crispy duck. So I was wondering if I could find some mouth-watering Peking Duck in Zurich. Luckily I did. The best thing to do in order to find any particular Asian dish is to ask a local, this is what I did. I asked a Chinese waiter in a restaurant and he pointed me to “Naga Sui” restaurant in Zurich. The restaurant is an upmarket Asian fast food place run by a Malaysian and a Swiss. They offer Peking Duck à la minute, meaning that you do not have to order it one day before (should you get this immediate craving). And boy is the duck good! It comes with the traditional sweet brown sauce and thin tortilla-like rice paper wraps. Yummy! Here is the restaurant's website: http://www.nagasui.ch/

PS: I introduced some friends who lived in Beijing to the restaurant and they agree that the duck is first class.

How to save costs in a downturn

For every economic situation America seems to have a hero ready: what Paris Hilton used to be for the leveraged shopping boom years, Stephen Economides is for the financial crisis. Mr. Economides became famous on being extremely thrifty and living on 35.000 USD a year (with a wife). Here is his list of top ten money saving tips in a down-turn:

1. Plan your shopping trips in advance (write a shopping list)

2. Buy used furniture (tick, as I bought my furniture at Designermöbelbörse http://www.designermöbelbörse.ch/ )

3. Pay in cash and never ever use a credit card (I just dumped one card)

4. Do everything yourself (tick again as I started to clean my apartment myself)

5. Ask the doctor for free samples (nope, haven’t been sick in a while)

6. Do not go on holiday during the main season

7. Watch the telephone costs

8. Switch the light and appliances off at home (not only on standby)

9. Bargain hard for mortgage and the like

10. Choose the cheapest insurance

Read an article in German by Stephen Economides here:  http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/wirtschaft/aktuell/die_lehren_des_economides_1.2384446.html

Or buy his book here: http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Cheapest-Family-Right-Money/dp/0307339459/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239822793&sr=8-1

A print magazine for the discerning reader

 

When was the last time you loved a print magazine so much that you wanted to re-order it (one eager reader even built a shelf in the library for the copies)? I am sure that not many magazines have their own little market where ardent readers sell and buy past issues. The Swiss “Du” culture magazine is such a rare exception. Since the re-launch by the new publisher, Mr.Oliver Prange, and with a new editor-in-chief, Mr. Stefan Kaiser of former GDI Impulse magahine fame, the magazine has achieved a quality level that surpasses all of its competitors by light-years (for example “Intelligent Life” magazine by “The Economist”). The quality of the print of “Du” is so high that I simply adore just touching the magazine! Isn’t that how a monthly magazine should feel like: a pleasure to hold and look at, sometimes to collect and have it displayed on the living-room table? “Du “also features visually outstanding cover designs and the magazine draws from a wealth of high-calibre writers. So give your senses a big favour: instead of reading the for-free commuter newspapers get some valuable information from some outstanding people and read “Du”. Read about other high-intellect magazines here: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/east_eats_west/2008/01/the-good-things.html

And order "Du" here: http://www.du-magazin.com/

Arming up for the recession

 Picture: Some people are staking up self-defense kit for the recession.

I recently met a lady who works in finance in London. She just bought a house and told me that her London house has bullet-proof windows and that her boyfriend bought a shotgun with ammunition in order to defend the house. A bit later I met a young Swiss tax-advisor who just bought some pistols because he feels unsafe in Zurich. Before I thought people odd who put cash into bank vaults and store gold at home!

PS: Luckily I am still in the Swiss Army and I have access to ample ammunition (please do not call me for some extra supplies)!

What comes after the brand as religion?

Picture: Mr. Lindstrom knows a thing or two about simple marketing messages.

In mid March this year I went to a presentation by the Danish neuromarketing researcher Martin Lindstrom at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut near Zurich. In his very media-savvy presentation he proclaimed that in modern consumer-societies brands like Apple or Marlboro achieve a quasi-religious status. The consumers become faithful to their product communities and the community makes the consumer special. And the leading communities, like for example the Apple-community, help their followers to share experiences and thoughts via their products (think iPhone or iMac). In a time of self-fulfilment and the over-extension of egos, brands give guidance and the feeling of individuality.

Visit Martin Lindstrom’s website here: www.martinlindstrom.com. 

Dim sum for breakfast

 Among my favorite Asian breakfasts are noodle-soup and dim sum. In Kuala Lumpur I got treated twice to yummy dim sum from food-stalls. It is cheap but delicious!

Gifts for the afterlife

In George Town, Penang, I found this shop that produces motorcycles, houses and other goods out of paper and bamboo. Those replicas get burned at a Chinese funeral and shall be gifts for the afterlife.