Living a double life has its advantages - back foot in Zurich, front foot in Sydney. Perception of everyday things around you can sharpen. I passed a junior school on a bright sunny day during the lunch recess and naturally, this being Australia, the children were all out in the yard playing noisily. What I noticed was that every single child was wearing bright yellow shirts and bright blue shorts AND a bright blue legionnaire hat (to be honest the girls might have been in short skirts but the point is the brightness of the uniforms and the universal hat wearing).
I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that in Switzerland you rarely see people wearing hats when they are out in the sun in Summer and that is in spite of the fact that it is possible there is a hole in the ozone layer over Switzerland. We observed that the response to addressing smoking and lung cancer in Switzerland was slow. Let's hope that slip-slop-slap gets to Switzerland before it's too late to alleviate the need for widespread and drastic cancer treatments among dedicated skiiers and hikers. Perhaps we need a campaign among our Swiss colleagues - c'mon Swissies c'mon though it would not be cricket exactly ... if you get my drift.
Meanwhile I am having difficulty convincing my husband - who already has regular skin cancer treatments on his face - that it is cool to wear a hat whenever he is out - including at lunch time during working hours. Even after I have discovered a fold up leather hat that can fit in his computer bag (his objection being that he would have to carry the hat to and from work???) I asked what was wrong with carrying it on his head, by the way. Coming originally from Africa, that solution should be close to front of mind for him. Why is it always easier to think up solutions for those who are not in our own backyard?
On the bright side ... I am now old enough to walk down the street covered by an umbrella - even though it's not raining - when I have left my hat at home ;-) How cool is that?
I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that in Switzerland you rarely see people wearing hats when they are out in the sun in Summer and that is in spite of the fact that it is possible there is a hole in the ozone layer over Switzerland. We observed that the response to addressing smoking and lung cancer in Switzerland was slow. Let's hope that slip-slop-slap gets to Switzerland before it's too late to alleviate the need for widespread and drastic cancer treatments among dedicated skiiers and hikers. Perhaps we need a campaign among our Swiss colleagues - c'mon Swissies c'mon though it would not be cricket exactly ... if you get my drift.
Meanwhile I am having difficulty convincing my husband - who already has regular skin cancer treatments on his face - that it is cool to wear a hat whenever he is out - including at lunch time during working hours. Even after I have discovered a fold up leather hat that can fit in his computer bag (his objection being that he would have to carry the hat to and from work???) I asked what was wrong with carrying it on his head, by the way. Coming originally from Africa, that solution should be close to front of mind for him. Why is it always easier to think up solutions for those who are not in our own backyard?
On the bright side ... I am now old enough to walk down the street covered by an umbrella - even though it's not raining - when I have left my hat at home ;-) How cool is that?
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