Larry’s Birthday Yodel

On the eve of Larry’s birthday we went to a “Gold Coast” restaurant overlooking Zurichsee for fondu – outdoors style. We were wrapped in blankets with a hot water bottle nestled in our upper back and sat on a porch about 25 meters from the Lake. Delicious fondue, gluhvein, wine and kirsch all warmed us and my hot water bottle stayed warm all evening. Around the end of dinner, a group of 8 men and 1 woman dressed in traditional Swiss, sang a few sets of songs. The woman had a lovely, clear voice and veered from soprano to yodel style. I asked Larry’s colleague and our host, Thomas (a 40 something German who has lived in Switzerland for more than 10 years and is a cancer survivor) if he would ask them to sing Happy Birthday for Larry. At first he demurred saying it wasn’t the Swiss way, but then he did ask them and they were pleased to do it. They would not have liked it but I wished I had a recording device with me. Their version of Happy Birthday was about 5 minutes long and wished Larry much good will, pleasant days and life (at least that’s how it was translated to me.) Even though they didn’t know Larry, it was surprisingly personal and very moving.
After that the actual birthday was anticlimactic. I told Larry he should attend the Friday beer fest/TGIF which he did and enjoyed and we celebrated at home with sushi and treats from the fancy market Globus and talked with Alison just before going to bed.