Banasch.

Among other wicked things in Switzerland, they tend to enjoy a drink called just like that here. It is a 50-50% mix of beer and lemonade, Sprite, mostly, and tastes like something Estonian men would name another liquid and definitely not consume. But when you have just finished your working day at 17h30 sharp, found your way through the crowds of Swiss heading towards their dinner, climbed up your good friend's balcony with the view on the Alps and other balconies with lots and lots of red geraniums – a Banasch is simply a bliss.

Mixes are curious things, actually, there are all kinds of them around and they cause mixed feelings. I was about to shut down my computer the other day to leave the office, and just before klicking the button I suddenly noticed I had Windows Messenger installed in my computer. I had been offline since Frankfurt, since I had left Estonia, really, and whoops. There it was after the computer update from Wednesday before. I logged in, and my blue and red fifty something contacts filled the screen. Online and offline contacts were mixed, and my feelings now got mixed, too, because it was like having a banasch in the Old Town of Tallinn – just would'nt mix... I realised I had logged back in to much more than a chatting program, there were people listed still sitting behind their desks, there was the Estonian ticking of the clock – going one hour later and at least twice as fast as in Berne – I could almost hear the sounds of deadlines the next morning, ringing mobile phones, starting cars, meetings-meetings-meetings, nightclubs after work, eating at night, high heels, killing feet, alarm clock at six thirty, busy-busy-busy... I stared at them for a while and realised I better have this Estonian-Swiss mix stirred but not shaken.

I logged out, put off the lights, locked the door and dialled Claudia. She said I should bring the lemonade and I said I would be there by six.