Those working conditions are illegal, you can't exactly judge working conditions by them.
In relation to the original post, as far as hunting goes, I see stands and hunters all the time in the Zürich Unterland. And as a fisherman, why bother using live bait when you can flyfish.
I grew up in a house in the country in the US, and I love seeing my daughter grow up here. Currently she's in waldspielgruppe learning to love nature, and I'll enroll her in some SAC classes when she's old enough, I think the exposure to nature here is far more encouraged despite there being less of it.
OP, ask yourself what matters to you the most at this point in your life - and also as a long-term plan - and choose accordingly. I think both US and CH have lots of pros and cons, I can't really say I dislike or was unhappy in either country.
At this point in my life, I want to:
1. reach the top level at my chosen career within the next few years
2. within a similar timeframe, buy a house with land which is both affordable and modern, and possibly not kms away from civilization
3. deal with a service industry that structures its schedule around the needs of customers, and not vice versa
4. space, and innovative ideas
With a very good (IMO) negotiated benefit/vacation/perks package, I am very happily soon relocating to the US. I chose a city - Washington DC - that has great nature/surrounding areas, history, tons of international people and different cultures to deal with. I am aware that it's very different from where I lived before in the US (several years in Northern and Southern California, and a year in Tennessee), but I figured that after the West Coast and the Deep South I should try the capital!
If you ever move back to the US and want to go deer or turkey hunting, give me a shout!
Reference here was given to the Ticino. Many Ticinesi go "hunting" accross the border, and overthere purchase whatever required and then bring home their "bounty" the same way they went there. Ticino, Valle Mesolcina, Valle Bregaglia and Val Poschiavo are a bit different from the rest of Switzerland, and have their very own rules
Yes, but children in Switzerland are much more mature. For example, you don't have the problems of teenage pregnancies in Switzerland as in America. In addition, children in Switzerland are given apprenticeship at a certain age, hence, the very low youth unemployment in Switzerland. American children are left with the disease of "college education" while going into debt due to student loans, and no jobs to pay the money back. In fact, this is the next big bust to happen in USA, the student loan controversy. Yes, US kids can become cheerleaders, play football after school, etc...but what are they learning? I don't find them any smarter than Swiss children.
It should be difficult to get a hunting license, what's wrong with that? It should be difficult to get a gun period! Get used to the idea of being in a country where "you have to be more responsible." People in Switzerland are not into the brooh-ha-ha like the states, where you say you can do something and people believe it. In Switzerland you have to "prove you can do it." How about your former American vice-president Cheney shooting his friend in the face while hunting...I think he thought he shot a deer or something?
Well, one thing i really like, is we actually read books (classics like dracula, lord of the flies, othello, brave new world, etc) and actually talked about the meaning of it.
We read a total of 0 (zero!!) books at all in the mandatory school time here in switzerland.
The 10th grade algebra i had there was the same level I had in BMS (berufsmaturitäts schule, a non mandatory school).
I learnt some spanish as well. We had PE every day, so i lost weight and gained muscles.
All the other classes were at least the level they would have been here in switzerland or higher.
So, i gotta say, i swiss schools are good (whih i really do believe), then that was a pretty kick-but one. But as mentioned, the one i went to was private, but i know that some public ones are just as good.
Yeah, i know there are hunters, and i gotta tell you, i think they're worse then in the US! Here's a true story: old guy goes for a walk in the woods with his dog. Deer runs streight past him. Split second after he hears a shot... And feels a couple of shotgun pellets penetrate his upper body. Now, the best part of it is that, when asked how it happend, the captain of the hunting party said: i'm really sorry that it happenened, and it shouldn't, but the old guy really could have made himself noticed as to not get shot.
Good grief, the guy was walking on a gravel road!!! So i guess that goes to prove that the hunters here are not better educated.
It's not just about live bait, it's about all the rules. Like no barbs allowed in the hook. Or the fact that, if you catch a carp for example (or any ither disgusting fish) which is legal to keep, you MUST kill it and bring it home with you, no matter if you'll use it or not. And why, so that the poor fish doesn't suffer! Ridiculous.
I'm up in Boston and 'many hours drive' simply isn't true. In 1 hour or less, I can go to the beach or to the mountains or, a little longer, get to the Berkshires or upstate NY. And you don't need 'vast' wilderness to experience it or enjoy it. I can walk to 3 nearby protected areas which are rather large and untouched. And there is also a working farm nearby that I can walk to as well for local produce and meat. Granted, I don't live in the inner city, but I live well within route 128 which is considered very urban. There is quite a lot of green space around Boston...you just have to look for it. I also don't think Boston is terribly unusual and many of the west coast cities do even better than we do.
Oh, and because the job will be academic, most positions in academia offer 4 weeks paid holidays to start since the salaries are a bit lower. I remember when I left many moons ago, I had managed to accrue a large amount of holiday time since I hadn't taken it all while I was there. They also tend to offer, at least the private unis, free or reduced tuition for your children, excellent health benefits and just the culture surrounding the university is often like an oasis. I still regret leaving academia way back when.
It seems to me like there are more things in the US i like. All the nature, friendly people, great weather (especially in the south), freedom, space, can afford a house and some land, etc. but if the work is shitty and if i don't work 60h per week and take the two miserable weeks off i would get, i get fored right away, then all that is worthless because i can't enjoy it.
Switzerland has a lower quality life (at least for me i guess), but more security in the job/working hours, better work-life balance, more vacations, good pay, etc. but what is that worth, if you can only really enjoy life the 4 weeks i'm on vacation?
well, i have to be honest, seeing everyone i know and love in the u.s working hard, not so much vacation and going through a crisis, weather issues etc, they seem much more happy than most of the people i see here (i'm talking swiss and expat- no difference). my family and i are happy here, but i will say i see an awful lot who have a ton to be happy for and just seem miserable. i don't see that so much in the u.s.
They learn things that are harder to quantify than numbers on a test. Examples: teamwork, leadership, the ability to fail and learn from it, negotiation, conflict resolution, and how to form friendships.
They're 2nd to last in high school graduation rates, right after Mississippi. (which is incidentally dealing with a mob of a few hundred students at Ole Miss yelling racial slurs who aren't so happy about the election outcome)
Sorry, "education" and "deep south" don't go together too well..
I see, the mass shooting in Aurora by the University of Colorado Denver graduate was all about his learning of teamwork, leadership, and the like. Or the student body called "Student for Concealed Carry" can now carry firearms on campus. Failure and learning from it does not seem to be an option anymore for US students. It's more like "if I fail the rest of you bastards are coming with me!" Now that's some conflict resolution for ya...We won't mention the other school shootings. However, I do agree with you to the extent that "it used to be about teamwork and leadership. But now it's all about Snooki, tatoos, and reality TV. By the way, those things, leadership etc..., should be learned at home as well. In Switzerland school teachers are not considered "uber babysitters." There are some good US schools left though, but good students are another story...