i came here from Canada 9 months ago to be with my husband until his immigration papers are ready so we can go back to Canada and live a normal life.i am a student there studying psychology in york university in Toronto.
i always had 2 jobs + i was going to school and i was doing just fine.
my university accepts any courses i take here but here you have to pass a German test to be able to get in !there is no such thing as a visitor student when i called them they laughed at me !!!!
everyone is rude to me when i go shopping they refuse to talk to me in English they give me dirty looks they understated me perfectly but they wont talk back.once this woman at the migros told me to go learn German if i feel uncomfortable .i tried to find a job as an English speaking babysitter there is nothing in Bern .there is nothing i can do here i feel useless and honestly i had so much bad experiences with german speaking people here that i don't even want to learn German .We are only staying here until January.We cant find a house mainly because only one of us works and i am not from here and that seems to be a problem for the people here .they are trying to send the non Swiss people out of the city.the place we could find for now is too small its in front of the university that wont let me in.
i know for sure that Canadian people treat Swiss people a lot nicer than this.is there any thing i can do to keep my self busy here? anything?
I don't know if your atitude is because of how you've been treated or if people here treat you that way because of your atitude.
Switzeralnd and Canada just aren't the same thing, and neither are the people. But I don't really think that Canadians are nessesarily nicer than the Swiss.
And there is PLENTY to do here. browse around the forum for a bit, if that doesnt help you, maybe you need to work on your atitude.
If German isn't really your thing, why not head over to Lausanne or Geneva for the weekend... it's said that the Suisse-Romands are much nicer... worth a try at least...
English grammar seems more of a priority to me. Do you not have to be proficient in writing when you do a degree in Canada?
Look, spring is here, go out, get your serotonin levels up, I WISH I was bored. Last time I remember being bored was when I was about nine and my parents rather uncharitably told me that "intelligent people can always find something to do". No pressure or anything!
Have you been to the Olympic Museum yet? Had a good look around Geneva?
There is an option where you can attend the classes but not the exams but I guess that is of no help to you. Did you check with just one university or many? I am sure if you ask and the courses are in English, which for many types of degrees there are then you could take a couple of them...look around really dont give up!
Although it's tempting to mock, it must be pretty hard - I have spent about half my time in Switzerland bloody hating the place for being populated by grumpy, xenophobic, rude, queue-jumping, pursed lipped Mitteleuropean knob-ends, because, let's face it, quite a lot of Swiss people are grumpy, xenophobic, rude, queue-jumping, pursed lipped Mitteleuropean knob-ends.
But my suggestion is a serious one: If the OP is so unhappy at being left idle at home, and is encountering frustration and harsh words on a daily basis as a consequence of her lack of linguistic ability, then the obvious thing is to do a German course. She'll get to fill her days, and she'll get some ammunition against the grumpy, xenophobic, rude, queue-jumping, pursed lipped Mitteleuropean knob-ends who are making her life a misery.
While none of us have witnessed the OP's attitude in Migros (and she may, indeed, be an obnoxious loud-and-slow let's-explain-this-to-johnny-foreigner-the-only-way-he-understands Anglo type), we surely cannot deny that there are quite a lot of grumpy, xenophobic, rude, queue-jumping, pursed lipped Mitteleuropean knob-ends employed by Migros all over Switzerland, and that the OP may well have encountered quite a few of them in her time here.
If a Swiss person went to Canada and expected to speak only Swiss German at everyone, I have a feeling that the Canadians would not be so welcoming or helpful....
A little 'Sprechen Sie Englisch?' goes a long way...or just trying a little bit in German even if it is terrible is usually appreciated. Of course there are genuinely some people who can't speak English and you may have to try somewhere else for whatever you want....
..now I'm the first person on this forum to agree that this place is backwards and all...but your attitude seems immature and ignorant. I agree that Swiss people can be weird and unfriendly...but expecting somebody to speak English to you I find a tad bit moronic....and to share a nice experience with you, when I used to live in Canada and I had to bring a passport to enter a club, where the bouncer explicitly told me "Oh, another one of these foreigners"....
Me too, but I came with a job offer. Life can be hard for people who come as the trailing spouse. My husband was lucky to ge t ajob after 2 months because, besides being an extremely nice guy and good at what he does, he speaks German
You should either go back to Canada or make the most of your time in Switzerland while you're here. It's a fantastic country really with beautiful scenery and culture. The fact that it's different to Canada can be seen as a bonus. I'd also do a German course even if you know you're not staying here. We've all been through it and you'll meet plenty of people in the same boat
I understand your frustrations, but I have found the Germans to be really nice and helpful, even though I don't speak the language. I have learned it is all about respect here. The Swiss are really great too. I came from florida where I dealt with tons of canadians, many French Canadians for the winter, you know "snow birds"... I really tried to be friendly to them in business, and they most of the time were very snooty to myself and my staff, so that being said, it's not everyone, just some. I'm not judging you just because your from Canada..
I have been here for 8 months, and have tried to learn some language, at least to greet and say goodbye, which I have found that in my efforts, the locals will understand and appreciate you for trying, and then will most likely speak in english to you. It is hard, nothing good comes easy, but if you change your attitude from anger to politeness, you may find the joys of being here.
well there are a lot of non Canadian people in Canada. Canada is a multicultural country may be that's why they are nicer to non Canadian people.my attitude might be like this because specially in Bern there are certain people ( older people) that some how like to give attitude to the ones that don't speak their language, as if we are ruining their city.some people say that only bern is more like this and other cities not as much.
may be my bad experiences some how effected my attitude toward this whole thing but so far as a non Swiss i had enough reasons to feel like this.
and there is a lot to do but for an English speaker?
is there really or does that limit the activities?
i met a lot of nice people here too but only the ones that some how knew my husband !
i hope im not offending anyone by this im just sharing my thoughts hoping for a solution !
Funny, if I go abroad, people tend to not like to talk German to me either! Not because they do not understand me, but because they are not good at speaking it! - But I call this normal and not rude. Just a thought.
Moving to Switzerland can be a culture shock if you were not really into the move in the first place or it is a totally new experience. My only advise is to try and enjoy the time you have in another country because frankly this kind of experience does not come along everyday. Do not take too much notice of the culturally different people as this analysis paralysis can send you crazy. Try and focus on those who are your friends and family and spend time with people who care about you. It is also a good opportunity to make new friends, see new places and better understand the culture you find yourself in.
Well if you're studying Psych it seems to me that you must have some understanding of "why" you are feeling that way.
Are you homesick?
How about trying to gain some control to get rid of the powerlessness feeling by teaching English privately to a kid that might need help or an older person that can't take a class?
Do you have any ex-pat friends here?
Maybe you could do a meet up with somebody from the EF?