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Monthly Archives: February 2016
Cakes and Women’s Rights
Supporting charitable organisations with baked goodies: the International Women’s Institute Basel is collecting for good causes, and has already been quite successful. By Isabelle Wanner If anybody mentions the words “cake” or “cookies”, only very few will think of charity organisations. What rather springs to mind are sugar, butter and chocolate that, mixed together, will deliciously melt on your tongue. However, not only can baked goodies create moments of sheer bliss, they can also bring in money. This was what the International Women’s Institute Basel (IWIB) had in mind when organising baking competitions. Last year there were three of them;
A Little More than “Sprechen Sie Englisch?”
In 2014, the people of Basel ordered change: they voted for the government to help newly-arrived expats feel welcome. As an expat myself, I was pleased to hear this, but not everyone – locals or foreigners – supports these attempts. By Ella Revitt With Switzerland ranked sixth in the world for the largest proportion of the population born abroad, 35% of those living in Basel are non-nationals. The overarching group of foreigners include refugees and asylum seekers, blue-collar workers (once known as “Gastarbeiter”) as well as white-collar business professional “expats.” Amalgamation for the latter has been difficult in recent years
Universal values, shown by Shakespeare’s women
Catherine of Aragon, Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, Titania and other women in Shakespeare’s plays transcend political, social and geographical barriers, as the “Theatre of Eternal Values” shows on 25 February. By Shirley L. Kearney Basel is a capital of culture and music with something on offer to suit every taste. This is obvious by the announcements posted at every turn throughout the city. Other media, including online links and news broadcasts on some trams and buses, crowd our eyes. But one group transcends barriers: “The Theatre of Eternal Values” (TEV) is an international theatre company founded in 1996 by a group of
“Morgestraich, and on we march!”
Basel Fasnacht, 2016 edition, is soon upon us. What is allowed, what is to be avoided – www.basel.com has a concise summary. It’s so good, The Basel Journal is not even trying to top it. https://www.basel.com/en/portrait/dos-don%E2%80%99ts (Picture courtesy of Wikipedia)
City library goes digital
Bookworms among locals and expats alike are already aware that the “GGG Stadtbibliothek Basel” has a huge selection of books and other media in English – and now membership to the city’s library allows access to digital media. By Anne-Lise Hilty and Martin Pütter The locals in Basel are all aware of what “GGG” stands for: The “society for the good and the common benefit” (the unofficial English translation according to Wikipedia) is a very active private non-profit organisation – and among many other things it is in charge of the “Stadtbibliothek Basel” (the city’s library), with the main library
Basel’s Brits and the Brexit
By the end of 2017, or already by the end of this year, voters in the United Kingdom will decide whether their country remains in the EU or not. Many Brits living in Basel and the surrounding area would like to know whether they are allowed to cast their vote as well. By Martin Pütter To start chatting with a Brit in a pub has always been quite easy, actually: Just make a remark about the weather, and you have broken the ice. This applies both for pubs on the British Isles and for any of the pubs in Basel