I really miss back home, Australia. It is warm and fuzzy. We know how to hold our drinks. We say "how are you today?" when walking into shops. We can be best friends with someone and only have met them ten minutes ago. May not ever see them again.
You tell stories like this to the swiss and they have told me it is not honest. Small talk is not their thing...neither is being the most popular of places. Some are just lovely...but they won't invite you places...
The job issue I believe is terribly sad, and I doubt it can get better without the language. I have officaially been here 4 months (in two weeks time ^^) and my german is basic but the people are friendly. There are heaps of firms that only speak english, try and go for that! Thats my advice at least. Start low and work your way up.
The swiss work forever and a day...its boring...they go to school forever and thus mature slower. This country is so different it is different but that doesn't make it bad. Try and research what your rights are!! I don't know because I think Kanton Luzern is different but still.
I hope it gets better for you, don't quit on the swiss tho...they can suprise you!
Am newcomer here...
I know how you feel. My first year here, was a complete shock. And it is totally normal that you are feeling like you are going nuts!! The language barrier can make you lose your mind, and you haven't been here that long, only a year, I wouldn't think someone could speak the language after a year. I met someone who siad it took her 5 years to feel she was fluent! Also you have a little child which I know limits you in your ability to run around and do stuff, I know I have two small children. I arrived in Switzerland at 23 with a 13 month old son and I was pregnant. I left like a MASSIVE network of friends and family, and honestly I hated it here the first year too! I am 25 now, have two small kids and after the initial shock, things have totally calmed down and my German is picking up(but it needs a lot of patience and willingness to sound like a complete, well, wierdo). Anyway just wanted to let you know, that it is pretty normal how you feel, especially since you have only been here a year and a bit. Also you have to watch a baby all day, that alone can be isolating, let alone being in a totally different Country where all you here is Swiss German. It gets better, and don't worry about not speaking the language already, it takes a lot of time!
Elle, in Bern
They aren't like aussies (but I guess you come from somewhere else) I know some people say they get invited into homes and go places but the thing I hear and see a lot is auslanders that speak englsih (hence the people from here and my home town) being excluded. It isn't meant to hurt, thats the way things are.
Par example one man I knew was here five years, he recently moved back home. His best friend here, that he got along really well with and really liked never once invited him to his home. Had a wedding ad didn't invite him.
Not many swiss people will invite you out for drinks after work, and they tend to focus a lot on their work. My Hostparents own a butchers shop and work 6 days a week mostly 6:30 till 7 or 8 at night. Its crazy but it is what they do.
Also they study till twentyfive and thus (according to a swiss friend) tend to stay younger and appear younger then they are. Then the work and the age really fast.
Was that at all helpful?
Lauren
WHY? I used to live in Geneva, resigned my job, moved to Zurich with my fiance, to get married and find another job here. I've applied for a new permit for canton Zurich, they accepted my application, told me to come for a visa if I don't get the permit before my planned trip to england for the wedding. It turns out that not only they won't give me a visa, but I have to leave the country officially, and then go to Armenia, apply for a spouse visa in the swiss embassy and wait 6 weeks to maybe get it.. and that's all after booked flights and honeymoon plans.... Now, I decided to go through that but with double checking everything so that they won't create further problems.
I've just call the Swiss embassy responsible for Armenia which is situated in Georgia, talked with the COUNCIL (!) and asked what is the procedure. He said one million times, as if i'm stupid, that while i'm here i better check with the migration office in Zurich exactly what documents I need and in which form/language. I was there yesterday, the good old migration office. Not only they were extremely unfriendly to me, but also to the Kreisburo woman who called them afterwards for my case for additional questions she had.
Now after getting off the phone with the council I call the migration office. Wait for 9 minutes. Listen to some stupid music. Finally a woman picks up, I explain that I have a question concerning visa that I need to get as a spouse to come and join my husband. She interrupts me and asks what passport I have, I tell Armenian, she starts very dry and not friendly at all reminding me that I was there yesterday and that THEY CAN'T GIVE ME VISA (the latter being in the screaming form and repetitive 4-5 times). I got annoyed but was trying to catch the very short breaks to tell her that I-i-i do-o-oo not need a visa from You, I just want to know what kind of documents you need when you consider my application coming from Georgia. She screamed a bit more about how I don't understand that they can't give me a visa. But I guess by that time I managed to make her hear that it wasn't my question. So then she started literally yelling at me that I need to go to the embassy and ask them. I told her how I've just gone off the phone with their own council in Georgia and how neither he nor any of his employees had any idea what documents YOU will need to make YOUR precious decision. She yelled that she can't say that and asked me to wait for a second and banged the phone down.
Now it might seem ok when you read this, but when it happened to me I was in agony. I couldn't help hating this country for only their stupid nationalism and administration. I've never been treated like that ever, in any country...
that's why i HATE SWITZERLAND
Worse, the ingrained refusal to admit fault or lack of omniscience means that if you get the 'wrong' official when you are trying to get something done, you are on a hiding to nowhere.
Combine this with a general lack of initiative and willingness to take responsibility and you can end up being endlessly passed around between clueless (or just plain lazy) bureaucrats.
I think the language teaching option might indeed be a good option, especially once you move to Bern. Try applying at Berlitz ( http://www.berlitz.ch/front_content.php?lang=3&idcat=62 ) first. They have the crappiest pay rate (26.50CHF or so per 45min lesson) by comparison, but they don ́t require any special teaching quals or experience and they put you through a free Berlitz methodology training course before you start.
You poss won ́t get loads of classes to start with (maybe a couple a week, if at all, as and when they need you) but once you get in to it and they learn that you ́re available any time and do the job well, they start calling you lots.
It worked for me and I didn ́t have a working permit yet, so I hope it helps you too!
Meanwhile all the best to you and your family.