I am new to this forum, from what I see the people here seem friendly and helpful, keep up the good work. Only thing, too many complaints about this beautiful country! (Yes I see the irony in complaining about complaints) I hear alot of complaints about the people, the culture, the 'backwardness' : Dont like it, leave! I dont speak any official languages (not good anyway), and maybe things are a bit tricky when i must fill in some official forms but hey its their country and their language, we must integrate to their lifestyle, not vice verca. If it bothered me so much i would leave, not live here and complain about it like i was a prisoner of this land. No country or goverment is perfect, but i am very grateful to be living here!!
Hello,
welcome to the forum
It is more usual for a first posting to be an introduction
Nationality: Australian / Swiss
Languages: English
I guess then, when your honeymoon period is over, you'll go back to Australia?
Welcome to the forum. keep on mind that this is an open forum and people is allowed to post about anything(in most cases) so if someday I feel like ranting about here I will. It does not mean we dont like it here, but we just had a bad day in a foreign land.
I complain about how exhausting being a mother is and it does not mean I care less or dont love my kids
im not married, my dad is swiss.
and ive been living & working here almost a year now... i work in service although i cant speak much german.. amazing where a smile an a positive attitude can take you
Sometimes the most helpful threads of all are found in Complaints Corner, where others who have experienced the issues of an OP can offer advice/alternatives/sympathy/whatnot.
If reading others' complaints bothers you, you can simply avoid that section of the forum. The description does, after all, say, "If you are easily offended, please look elsewhere."
So I'm guessing you're not going to be posting any helpful information then. Australia is a lovely country, too. I lived there for three years. I don't see why liking a place should preclude you from having a bit of a whinge when, say, the bureaucracy is doing it's level best to be about as stupid or nonlinear as possible. Or the people are cold and distant. Lived in Sweden for a year and people would just say "Oh, they're just like that when you meet them. Once they get to know you they're as warm as can be." I knew people who lived there a lot longer than me and basically gave up trying to make friends with the Swedes. I've heard the same thing here. Everyone has something that bothers them about a new country. You have to admit, Switzerland can be very hard for expats from very gregarious countries. If you're more of a self-entertaining type that doesn't need to meet people then I can see why you might think it paradise.
Gday mate, so you're Aussie ay ? An Aussie mate of mine has family in Interlarken I think he's going there to work soon.
Dude I hate to say it but the complaints corner is a good little place for people to get stuff off their chest. I've been here four years now and really like it but some days I'm ready to rip the head off the next person that says 'Ebe gal' Thankfully those days come along seldom.
I will also state that in the honeymoon period all is rosey red. It may (and I'm guessing it will) happen that in the future you will also want to vent a thing or two, especially if you move out of heidiville and into one of the me, me, me, me, me, cities...
Anywhos if you're ever down Zurich way and keen for a beer chuck me a PM ay....
This argument (very naive, imo) has been done to death on this forum and in the press generally. Basically, Switzerland encourages multinational companies to set up here to get the tax revenue. To do this they need to create an environment which encourages foreign workers (as the Swiss economy can't provide all the necessary staff or expertise).
So while you, as a new expat might say "if you don't like it leave" (let's dismiss the pure selfishness of your comment and ignore all the people here who will find it hard to leave, such as trailing spouses or those in niche jobs), the Swiss government is actually keen to do the opposite. They didn't bring down the value of the Swiss currency to keep the locals happy, for example.
nAgreed Adrian. As a Swiss living in a very multicultural town in the UK, I always hated this 'put up or shut up' argument. And yet- always agreed that one should be able to keep one's roots an culture, etc, and AT THE SAME TIME, make the effort to integrate (NOT assimilate) somehow, learn the language and try to comprehend the culture, history, etc, of the country you've chosen to move to.
Having a good old moan is natural and healthy, of course. And yet, some people just complain day in, day out, but everything and anything. And for their sake, as life's too short to be so unhappy, they should either make more effort to see the positive things and maybe accept that learning some basic communicative language may well help with relationships with neighbours, colleagues, etc, and make friends - or re-assess the situation and make a positive decision for their future, and move if that is the only perceived positive way forward for them. Staying and constantly moaning and hating is no good, not for you, and not for anybody around you. That of course applies to anywhere in the world, not just CH.
Again, for their sake, there are a few people here I wish would find a way to go back asap, as it seems clear that they have no intention, ever, to make the effort necessary to enjoy it, and seem just 'allergic' to Switzerland. Fair enough - no place is for everybody. But if you've come to the conclusion that you hate (you = one, nobody in particular) with a vengeance, honestly, go. Back home or wherever. Life's too short, honest.
Multinationals and taxes, well yes. And again - in Vaud for instance this argument falls a bit short at the mo and causes great resentment. Rents are going though the roof for instance due to the numbers of newcomers on large salaries and re-location packages, and the knock-on effect from the Geneva accom shortage (taken over from Zurich as the worst in CH currently). Traffic is up, lovely areas are being built-on, subtle cultural changes are taking place which makes people uncomfortable, etc. Novartis have had HUGE tax reductions in VD- and used this as 'blackmail' to keep the business open there. And other foreign companies, like Vale, a Brazillian company with head offices in St Prex, declared 35 million for tax purpose- whilst it transpired that their profit was closer to 5 BILLION (so 4 billion 965 mio not paid tax on!!!). Not a recipe to keep the locals happy.
Disagree, if you don't find this place any good, move on and give us the extra space, because we're running out of it.
I think this forum also is a place where you can speak your mind freely about this country and the people living in it.
Most of the expats don't mind living here at all and are fairly integrated. But there are certain things where some of them get their nose in a knot about and need somewhere to let it out!
Haha good point to stay away from the complaints section, i shot myself in the foot there!!
I understand its not perfect here, but if i didnt like the way the people/country were i would move, instead of visiting/immigrating to their country abd then complaining about it!
i guess im lucky to have the oppurtunity to live in 2 beautiful countries, alot of people in the world would give a lot to have a chance in either, so appreciate that your here in switzerland, alot of other people would gladly swap with you!!
But ive taken on board what you all said, all good points.
And Chrisso sounds good mate, always up for a beer!!
You do understand that whinging about not being able to find brown sugar, or proper sausages, or some asshat banker that just about ran you down in his 150K CHF car is just having a whinge and none are really considered valid reasons by anyone for pulling up the stakes and leaving, right? That's 99% of 'complaints corner'. Now, go put your big boy pants on.
Yeah ok, but its a bit different complaining about not finding the right groceries and complaining about the people of a land YOU HAVE CHOSEN to move to."
Not my words, but a valid point:
"Again, for their sake, there are a few people here I wish would find a way to go back asap, as it seems clear that they have no intention, ever, to make the effort necessary to enjoy it, and seem just 'allergic' to Switzerland. Fair enough - no place is for everybody. But if you've come to the conclusion that you hate (you = one, nobody in particular) with a vengeance, honestly, go. Back home or wherever. Life's too short, honest."
and am now looking forward to your introduction.
Must I? Righteo then. Well i'm trying but I just can't get used to the no shops open on sunday thing
It's like this. Switzerland will never be the country for you, unless you find something here that supersedes it i.e. I don't give a shit - my life is good fu and your neighbours too etc etc.
I can see where you are coming from, as I also appreciate the value of smiles - being normal etc. I'm probably venting, but I've been here nearly 11 years now - not because of choice, but my ex gf was pregnant and wanted to return home. I supported that but after maybe a year or two, things went pear shaped and I was asked to move out.
On that note - any wit who thinks we just come here to make money - go blow yourself. There are some of us here doing the right thing, by all moral standards and we don't lie when we say that the swiss need to loosen up a bit. ffs - I see how you talk about each other on the 'stammtisch' and then you stfu when that person walks in.
But... Switzerland has a lot to offer... and you have to make it yours. That means.. pff .. make your own bubble. The only way you will get your own buzz - is by meating ex-pats. No other way to say it - but that is the god honest truth.
Deep down.. Swiss people are nice.. but they have a hard time showing it. It comes naturally to us (Irish) for me it's normal. So nevermind the groceries and all that crap - improvise and go with what you have.
The hard thing here is the "making friends issue". ex-pats sort that out nicely
There are quite a few Swiss mix folks here, who actually belongs in Switzerland AND belong somewhere else.
Complaining is the first step to get things different. Had you been in Switzerland 30 years ago, you would have seen a country much more closed to foreigners, where English was rarely spoken, and where finding imported foods was quite difficult if not impossible. I remember when the first McDonald opened, it was a curio thing that people tried out to taste "exotic" foods.
People were often amazingly rude with foreigners, and integration was a lot more difficult than now.
Now, Switzerland is quite a melting pot. You can find almost anything you may want - sometimes at 3x the price you would want to pay, but that is the price of variety. What happened? complaints. People arrived, complained, and tried to get things better. So what you are liking today is the results of all of us, complaining.
Folks, keep up the whining.
The good old Irish vs. Condom Problem...