Liechtenstein luncheon, Winterthur dinner

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a tiny, landlocked country tucked away between Switzerland and Austria and with mountain slopes rising above the Rhine valley. It is the smallest German-speaking country in the world with a population of 36,000. Much of its wealth is based on its status as a low tax haven. Around 75,000 companies have their nominal "letter box" offices in Liechtenstein, where business tax rates are very favourable. With an area of 160 sq. km/61.8 sq miles, Liechtenstein is the fourth smallest state in Europe. Despite its size, the country can look back on a very eventful history of rapid development, from an agrarian country to a highly industrialized state.

Yesterday 15 August was Liechtenstein's National Day. I was invited to a traditional buffet luncheon in its capital Vaduz at a beautiful rustic restaurant atop an abundantly fruiting hillside vineyard with a lovely view of the landmark castle.Our hostess whispered to me that she has just spent a week's holiday in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu and she was aesthetic about it.

It was a hot sweltering day and we enjoyed the generous buffet and good company in the restaurant covered patio surrounded by rows of vines. I asked a young lady opposite me what she wrote as her nationality on embarkation cards during her travels and she gleefully said ' Liechtensteiner!' Quite a mouthful and there had been occasions when she was asked where and what country that was!!

The event lasted nearly 3 hours and I made my way back to Winterthur in that sweltering heat - some two hours drive. I was there the night before for dinner with Guna, a very successful Malaysian who had lived there some 30 years. Guna, his Swiss wife and two teenage sons (he had another son living in KL and one in Norway) lived in a nice house with a beautiful garden at Winterthur's highest residential; his house had on one side a sweeping view of the city and the other a beautiful hilly meadow leading to a forest. His charming wife Ursula loved white roses and the garden was full of them, as well as white hibiscus. I told Guna I could only dream of living in a place like that!

Guna took me to an excellent Indian restaurant, with Ismail who had come all the way from Denmark to cook Malay food for Guna's 50th birthday party the following night. Ismail had lived in Copenhagen for forty years, even after his Danish wife passed away eleven years ago.

Guna insisted I come back for his birthday dinner after my lunch in Vaduz. I had promised to join Patrick and Alfie for an early dinner in Zurich. And it would be a bit too much of travelling; I had a hotel room in Schaffhausen some 48 kilometres away, and would have to drive to Vaduz about two hours away next day and then return to Winterthur, another two hours drive! But I enjoyed Guna and Ismail's company and agreed to come for the dinner. I was also curious about Ismail's cooking!

It turned out to be a most pleasant event. There were were some 60 people, plenty of food (rather pedas for my taste though) and drinks, live music courtesy of another long-residing Malaysian, Edmund. And above all plenty of goodwill from the many Malaysian friends of Guna - those who had been living in this country for many years (and their family and friends). When it got dark Guna and Ursula led their guests to dance in the street. It was a first for me!

I was glad to spend almost four hours at the party. And then it was another two hours drive home. Thank God for Yocki's cool, steady driving and 70 minutes of Kris Kristofferson songs. I arrived almost midnight and one of my two boys was not even home yet from his outing in Luzern!