Walking Through the Universe

I can't remember when my liking for organizing events and bringing people together started. Probably it was pretty early, when I realized that every time I thought I had found something cool, I felt the need to share it with everyone around me. 


I guess being a Couch Surfer has helped me a lot, too. By hosting people, I got confronted with so many questions and stories that I started exploring my surroundings anew, often realizing for the first time in ages how beautiful Switzerland and especially Zurich are. 


A while ago, I had two couch surfers from the United States and when they asked me about a nice hike for a Sunday afternoon, I recalled a pretty cool little walking tour, called "Planetenweg" (Planet trail), which starts at the Uetliberg train station and goes all along the hilltops until Felsenegg, which is above Adliswil. From there you can take the gondola down and the S4 back to town. The whole walk takes about 1h 20min and leads you through nice meadows with cows on them (sadly they don't have horns, which gives them, although useful, still a pretty dumb look)... What makes this way special is the fact that it is a true to scale miniature of our solar system. You start at the sun which is about 100m away from the train station and you end at Pluto (yay, it's still part of the Planetenweg!) near Felsenegg. So also if you have children visitors, this is definitely something worth doing if the weather is nice yet not too hot and you have a couple of hours to spend.


Unfortunately I have no pictures of the Planetenweg itself, but check out here to find some more information.


I know, there's more to write about and I've been very busy organizing the b-day event lately (and helping others organize events, too), so I'll hopefully soon catch up with a few cool news including pictures :). Hope this one is at least somewhat useful :)


Cheers!

Paintball injuries and bartering review

First of all, the first week of my bartering game was so successful that I somehow managed not to exceed the budget without having to barter. Maybe 30.- is too easy in that case. I should rename the game. But the point is: I saved some money. The funny part about this is: I didn't even have to change that much! Partly because I managed to squeeze all the fun parts in group activities such as barbecues and potluck at my place etc. whereas the aim originally was to avoid bars and restaurants. Turns out it's not only better for the wallet but also offers a great deal of possibilities for being creative. 
(In any case I also thank the kind souls who once or twice invited me to a drink :))


Headaches and bruises
Now about Paintball. The 16 of us made our way to the paintball arena in Unterägeri, here you can find all the necessary information. (if you work in an open office while reading this, you might want to turn the volume down first. It has background sound).

before the bruises

After we got all the protective clothing, the overalls and our gloves on, the fun began. It was my first time in a paintball arena and I was scared to death when I saw with what power those weapons shoot their bullets around!


Nevertheless I did my best (but sucked anyway big time) and I thank the responsible shooter (name known to the author) for waiting until the last game with his multiple headshots that almost knocked me out. (you could have shot on each side of my head so I would have had two horns instead of this awkward lopsided hump! Well, next time, maybe...)

So final balance: Some of us looked like dalmatians, some had just minor bruises, some participants will remember to wear a jockstrap next time, and I got a hump on my forehead. And still I wouldn't have wanted to miss that, not for love or money. 

after the massacre

Thanks many times Markus for organizing this event!