Of all the English books I’ve read on Switzerland this one has been one of the most enjoyable. Be it from a brief and concise history of the country – with which the reader will be armed for many discussions with native Swiss people – to a discussion of the Swiss red shoe fetish, Mr. Bewes’ writing style is informative, attentive and witty. These features make the book a pleasure to read and will help many to better understand the Swiss mindset and their, at times, odd behaviour. The book is marked by a degree of British irony and sarcasm, which should bring a smile to most readers’ faces. Page 243 might have you swallow hard or laugh out loud. I did the latter.

I rather enjoyed the amount of actual experienced research that Mr. Bewes details his book with. Together with his taking on less traditional topics of discussion makes Swiss Watching stick out from the pile of books written by foreigners about Switzerland. When it comes to taboo topics, Mr. Bewes tackles them in an informed way providing historical and cultural context and allows the reader to make his own opinion. On the whole he writes in a very neutral manner.

My one concern in the book is the language information offered. Where a great deal is painted with a brush of “Swissisms”, they are actually general German issues. By this I mean the same thing applies to German spoken in Germany and Austria. The word “Handy” for instance is actually the German word for mobile telephone and does come from the never actually established English term “handie talkie” which was also a synonym for “walkie-talkie”. In Switzerland mobiles are generally called Natels, which comes from the establishment of Switzerland’s national wireless network in 1975 (Nationales AutoTELefon).

The book is well worth a read for anyone interested in understanding Switzerland and it’s people. Having taught at a Kantonsschule, I would go so far as to suggest that this book be used in either a history class or advanced English class, as reading it would help the Swiss to better understand themselves.

For new comers to Zurich, I would also recommend Zürich For Newcomers The Complete Guidebook for New and Longterm Residents by Barbara Milne. (ISBN: 978-3-280-05161-0)

Swiss Watching Inside Europe’s Landlocked Island by Diccon Bewes. (ISBN: 978-1-85788-548-4)

Looking for a good English Bookshop in Zurich? I’ve recently discovered Pile of Books – Great selection, friendly service and the best prices.

(Written by Christian Langenegger, co-founder of Marathon Sprachen in Winterthur www.marathonlanguages.com)

Book Review – Swiss Watching is a post from: Zurich Expats

Travelling back from Lucerne the other day, I was witness to something that would have played out much differently in Italy. Many might find the following incident tragic others as quite funny. For the sake of the protagonist, I hope that he will look back in five years and laugh.

I was on a class trip with students all around 15 years of age. Having boarded the train we patiently waited for the train to depart. Outside the train was a man with two monsters for suitcases with a little twitch in his hand and a bead of sweat rolling down his face. Then the rail attendant made the last call to board the train. In a panic the man tossed his two suitcases onto the train and followed rescuing his foot from a closing door in true Indiana Jones style. Seconds later the train rolled into motion and a look of fear struck the man’s face. Quickly he ran to the window where I was sitting and frantically tried to open the locked window. The other teacher and I looked at each other and wondered what was going on.

The rail attendant seeing the panic-stricken man running around the train tried to explain that she had given the final call and announced that the man had to either be on the train or off the train, but that the train was departing. Furthermore, once the train is in motion it will not stop until it reached the next destination. The man with an Italian accented Swiss-German then explained that his wife was still on the platform. Adding to the problem of leaving his wife behind, was the fact that neither of them had mobile phones on them. After twenty some minutes on the train the man deboarded the train in Zug after apologising for his frantic behaviour.

This little story illustrates a fine point about Switzerland. In fact it is one of the paradoxes of this tiny country, especially for Expats: Ask most Expats to list three things that they like or even love about Switzerland and the rail service will surely be listed. “It’s efficient and punctual” is a praise often quoted by Expats from the UK and Ireland, whereas most Americans and Canadians are simply amazed that trains can transport more than goods. However, these are the same people who find it terrible and cold hearted of the SBB to give such little regard to travellers racing down the platform with a suitcase trailing behind them trying to make the train as the last call is announced and the little green light encircling the open button disappears for the last time and the doors shut leaving that poor traveller to wait for the next train.

Cold and heartless would be one explanation. Mechanical and calculated another. Much can be said about Switzerland by looking at the rail system. The reason the trains are on time and why a 10 minute delay is front page news is because it has been calculated. If the train waited an extra 30 seconds at every station it would gradually delay itself more and more. Other trains would then need to wait for passengers needing to make connections and the entire system would descend into chaos like in Italy, where one travelling by train can merely hope that there will not be a strike and that the train will arrive that day.

While disorder and unpunctuality are frowned upon in Switzerland, so are limitations to mobility and personal freedoms. Therefore, most longer routes are travelled once an hour and many of the in-between-stops can be reached by taking another train. The other thing that makes train travel so convenient in Switzerland is that it is a “one ticket all trains service”; unlike travelling with the Deutsche Bahn where ICE trains cost more than regional trains.

The best tip for travelling with the train in Switzerland is to give yourself a few extra minutes to get to the station. If you’re on time, you should not miss your train.

If you’re travelling by train around Switzerland here are a few tips: Frequent travellers of longer distances or people who simply love sitting in trains should get a GA (Generalabonnement). This is a card that gives you unlimited travel in Switzerland for the year for 3100.00 CHF or 285.00 CHF/Month in second class. Less frequent travelers should at least get a Halbtax that gets you 50% off the price of all tickets for train and bus. The cost for this is 150.00 CHF for a year.

Both will save you money. As a reference a one-way ticket Zurich to Bern at a normal price is 46.00 CHF.

Have visitors coming to Switzerland? Tell them to get a Swiss Card for the time they are here to save money and hassle when travelling. There are different time frames from a few days to a month.

Are you on facebook? You can become a fan of the SBB and see their Sparbillette programme and see all the latest ticket specials.

For iPhone users the SBB Mobile App is great and allows you to check your connections anytime anywhere.

German – English Vocabulary for train travel:

das Gleis = track

der Zug = train

die SBB = Schweizerische Bundesbahn (Swiss Federal Railway)

die Bahn = railway / rail

der Fahrschein = ticket

der Nachtzuschlag = addditional fee for night trains (after 1 am)

die Verspätung = delay

die Gleisänderung = change of track

“Der Kluge reist im Zuge” = “The smart one travels with the train”

(Written by Christian Langenegger, co-founder of Marathon Sprachen in Winterthur www.marathonlanguages.com)

Traveling With The SBB is a post from: Zurich Expats

As hot as it may be, summer is when Zürich really shines and shows that it is truly one of the best cities in the world. Contributing to the high standard of living is the number of public swimming pools and “baths”. Zürich has more places to swim than almost any other European city, which is fascinating given the fact that it is still landlocked. These swimming pools (“Badi” in Swiss German) are mere minutes from every district in the city. There are 6 pools, 6 beaches/bathhouses on the lake, and 5 bathhouses on the Limmat, numerous areas to just swim at your own risk and 7 indoor swimming pools. That adds up to 24 public pools, beaches and baths that are also supplemented by 8 school swimming pools that open to the public at certain times. The baths are so well organized that men not wishing to be harassed by women’s goggling eyes can swim at the Flussbad Schanzengraben (for men only). Women also have a private bath at Stadthausquai. And if you live on the Gold Coast in places such as Herrliberg, you may have a beach for town residents only. Here you’ll have to put up with both men and women, but at least you can be socially exclusive.

Unlike many North American cities with lakes and rivers that post water quality hazards and closures of public swimming areas on a regular bases, Lake Zurich (Zürichsee) is renowned for its water quality, which is in fact so clean that many of the fish are dying as there is nothing for them to eat. This fact is welcomed by many swimmers as it ensures a degree of relief as they do not need to fear a Jaws-like fish devouring them while peacefully swimming at one of the lakeside baths.

One of my favourite baths is the Utoquai. Swimming here is like taking a trip back to 19th century Zurich. It was designed by William Henri Martin and built in 1890 as a bathing palace to accent the newly built quay along the lake. The original structure had four separate areas for men, women, boys, and girls. The sunbathing terrace on the roofs were added in 1908. In the 1950s the bath house was almost demolished during a craze of rebuilding and redesigning the city. However, the people of Zurich then as now cherished their baths and would not allow this. In 1973 the boys and girls swimming pools were covered and turned into sunbathing areas. In the 1990s a sauna and massage area was added, making the bath usable year round.

If swimming isn’t your thing, but you’re still looking for a way to cool down try on of Zurich’s 1200+ water fountains with drinking quality water. Not only an excellent way to cool down, but save money and the environment.

Here is a list of the 24 swimming places in Zurich:

Indoor Pools:
Altstetten
Bläsi
Bungertwies
City
Wärmebad Käferberg
Orelikon
Leimbach

Summer Pools, Baths and Beaches (Lake & River):
Freibad Allenmoos
Freibad Auhof
Flussbad Au-Höngg
Freibad Dolder
Seebad Enge
Freibad Heuried
Seebad Katzensee
Freibad Letzigraben (designed by Swiss author Max Frisch)
Strandbad Mythenquai
Flussbad Oberer Letten
Flussbad Schanzengraben (men only)
Freibad Seebach
Frauenbad Stadthausquai (women only)
Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen
Flussbad Unterer Letten
Seebad Utoquai
Strandbad Wollishofen
Freibad Zwischen den Hölzern

(Written by Christian Langenegger, co-founder of Marathon Sprachen in Winterthur www.marathonlanguages.com)

Summer’s Here, Bring On The Water! is a post from: Zurich Expats

We were fortunate enough to be invited to a basketball game at the weekend, it was our first sporting event in Zurich and the first time we had watched basketball.

The game took place at the Sporthalle im Birch, a school sports facility near Oerlikon.

The Wildcats got off to a great pace, scoring 18 points before Villars managed to trouble the scorer, but the visitors chipped away at the advantage and bang on half time, the score was 30-30. Momentum was definitely with Villars and half time came at a very good time for the Wildcats who needed to regroup.

Regroup they did and the Wildcats started the second half in the same way they did the first, building a crushing lead that Villars would never be able to overcome, the Wildcats finally winning 72-60, Castro responsible for 20 points.

It was a really fun afternoon and a decent atmosphere. I liked the way that kids run on to the court to shoot hoops during time outs and in between quarters.

If you are looking for a good way to see some live sport, I can heartily recommend watching the Wildcats. There will be at least one more game this season.

http://www.poly-rapid-wildcats.ch/

Enjoying Some Basketball In Zurich is a post from: Zurich Expats

You start to picture the situation of your wonderful luxurious apartment, inviting friends over and regaling them with the tale of how you picked up a wonderful bargain on Craigslist. The truth is, unfortunately, that the story you will end up with is one you will never want to tell anyone – of how you were totally scammed out of a deposit by a West African fraudster.

Take this ad for example:

I have two lovely bedrooms flat available for rent at the central heart of Zurich..It is available for rent presently.

DETAILS ABOUT MY APARTMENT……….
Address : Falkenstrasse 10, Zurich 8008, Switzerland.
Size of the Whole Apartment :85 m square
Number of bedrooms:2
Number of bathrooms:2
Floor:Ground floor.
Monthly rental price: 800chf for the whole apartment including all bills
Security Deposit: 1200chf
Pictures available:YES

AMENITIES AVAILABLE IN MY APARTMENT..
Equiped Kitchen,washing Machine,American Kitchen Fridge & Freezer Oven,Microwave Dish Washer Crockery & Utensils,Bath Shower Hair Dryer,Towels
Extra features
Internet Dial Up, Internet Broadband Cable/Satelite
TV,Stereo/Radio System DVD Player,DVD/Music Collection
Central Heating Air Conditioning
Pets Welcome

Amenities:
Appliances:
Dishwasher
Fridge
Washer
Washer/Dryer Hookups
Included in Rent:
Parking
Water/Sewer
Parking:
Covered Parking
Garage
Building:
Laundry Facilities
Interior:
Carpet
Internet Access
Storage Area/Room
Tenant Criteria:
Pets Allowed
Exterior:
Fenced Yard
Near To:
Bus Stop
College/University
Downtown
Hospital
Park
Shopping Center

This may well be the most well-appointed apartment in the world. Look what wonderful pictures!

It is “available” for 800CHF.

Compare it with this list of actual places for rent in Zurich for 800CHF

The premise is simple. if it sounds too good to be true, then it is.

Amazing Zurich Apartment Scams On Craigslist is a post from: Zurich Expats

Cashflake is the iPhone application that helps you reduce your debt by introducing the concept of snowflaking to the iPhone (very appropriate for Switzerland!).

Every day, you have the opportunity to make tiny savings from making different buying choices. Not buying a coffee on the way to work, packing your own lunch instead of eating out, taking the tram instead of a taxi.

These small savings all seem insignificant but when organised together can make a significant dent in your debt. Many snowflakes eventually cover a mountain!

Cashflake allows you to record, store and report on these savings so that you can keep track of what you have saved and use that amount to make extra payments on credit cards, loans or just sweep into a savings account.

“Every rappen counts!” says Andrew Buonocore, “The cost of living in Switzerland can be very high but there are ways you can save money and if you do take advantage of deals and bargains then why not use the money saved over here to reduce any debt you may have back home?”.

Importantly, the currency symbol is configurable.

Used in conjunction with the Comparis Bargains application, a powerful set of money saving tools is developing.

Cashflake – the iPhone application that helps reduce your debt is available worldwide for the currency equivalents of $0.99. Click here to download it from the Apple AppStore.

Zurich Expat Launches Money Saving iPhone Application is a post from: Zurich Expats

Zurich officials have long (for 20 years) tolerated these 24/7 gas station convenience stores, but now the federal government has banned them from being open 24 hours a day. Specifically they must be closed between 1-5am.

For expats coming from more laissez-faire economic environments, these rules on shop opening times are usually easy to learn, but challenging to adapt to and difficult to understand.

What used to be easy can now seem daunting. Expats might ask “where should I t go if I urgently need some medication?” or “what if I want to pick up a last-minute missing ingredient for a Sunday meal?”

While all of your local shops are closed on Sunday, there are options  for Sunday shopping besides gas station convenience stores.

24 Hour Pharmacies

There are 2 24 hour pharmacies in Zurich. From experience, both have multilingual pharmacists that speak English well.

Bellevue Apotheke – Theatrestrasse 14

Bahnhof Apotheke – Bahnhofplatz 15

Sunday Shopping

For whatever reason, shops located inside SBB owned property are allowed to be open on Sunday so one can get some Sunday shopping done at both the main train station (Zurich Hauptbahnhof) and Bahnhof Enge.

Zurich Hauptbahnhof (aka ShopVille) – 9:00 – 20:00 Sunday

ShopVille has a wide variety of shopping from groceries, to clothes and electronics. Most of the shops are quite small so they have a limited selection. A full list of shops and a map is located here (German).

Bahnhof Enge – 10:00 – 20:00 Sunday

Similar to ShopVille, but with much fewer shops. The main shop here is Migros, the large grocery store chain, but there is also a copy store, an electronics store and a bakery. A list of shops and individual opening and closing times is here (German).

Holiday Sunday Shopping

As we are starting to get into the holiday season, it is important to mention that the rules regarding Sunday shopping are relaxed before Christmas for certain shops and shopping centers. The rules here are confusing, but it seems the shops can choose to be open no more than 3 Sundays.  For example, the large shopping mall SihlCity will be open Sunday November 29th, December 6th, skip a Sunday and then be open again Sunday December 20th from 11:00 – 18:00 .

24/7 Shopping in Zurich is a post from: Zurich Expats

The sheer usability of the iPhone and its apps make it a device to put at the very heart of your life and there are several apps that are especially useful in Switzerland. I use mine with a data-only sim card from Orange.

The most useful iPhone app by far is the SBB Mobile application. You can do pretty much everything you can at a ticket machine, as well as view timetable information. If you set a Home location, you can just press the Take Me Home button and it will calculate a route and timetable to get you home based on your current location and the nearest train, tram or bus stop.

You can even buy a ticket on your iPhone with the ticket image stored locally on the iPhone. You must have the iPhone with you for the ticket inspector, and make sure your screen is set to high brightness. The inspector scans the iPhone screen and it works very well. I have used it six times without fail.

Again in the transport arena, Wemlin gives access to all transport in Zurich, offering great route planning and timetables.

AroundMe has a surprisingly good database of amenities in Switzerland, for a US-focused app.

Again, using the iPhone’s GPS, AroundMe will tell you the nearest Banks, Bars, Coffee Shops, ATM, Petrol station, Hospital, Hotel, whatever! I have found it especially useful for petrol stations and post offices. You can set your favourites if there is a place you use regularly.

The Skype iPhone application works really well and coupled with a Skype Unlimited subscription, you can make all the calls you need to make back home. I use it to make those unavoidable calls to utility companies etc, as well as keeping in touch with family. The Unlimited subscriptions give you unlimited calls to landlines either within Europe or Worldwide and can really save you a good amount of money.

A really useful application is the Bargains application from Comparis which every week is updated with the special offers from the main retailers in Switzerland. You can find the deals by the largest reductions, category or by retailer. It is a real little nugget.

For keeping track of daily savings and then applying them against debt back home, try Cashflake.

Finally, there is a good application called Swiss Events which offers information on what events are coming up soon.

That’s my list, if you have any of your own that you find especially useful in Switzerland, please feel free to add them in the comments.

The Best iPhone Apps For Expats In Switzerland is a post from: Zurich Expats

So, in no particular order, here you go…

• Always make sure you have a valid ticket when you use public transport. If you get used to buying a particular type of ticket (eg a 9 O’clock Pass) and you are traveling at a different time than usual, make sure your ticket is valid. If you get this wrong, you might get out of jail with the SBB iPhone application.
• When you are sure you have the right ticket, double check! The SBB inspectors are clinically efficient. In the last 24 hours I saw a penalty fine being given to a blind disabled woman.
• Don’t obsess about buying a car or importing one. With a few minutes planning, the train system and Mobility system can cover any journey.
• You will inevitably go to IKEA. You can rent a van from them for a few hours if you don’t have your own way of getting the packs home, or you can get them delivered. If you have to go on a Saturday, wait until after lunch.
• If you can, explore the local area on foot or by bike. You will see and experience things that you do not pick up in a car or on the bus.
• When you use one of the automated petrol payment systems, make sure that the pump you have selected is the one you are using. Some stations have more than one diesel pump but only one is actually usable. When you have finished, check that the pump resets to zero.
• When using a local company for any service, make sure you know exactly what their charges are. For some reason, it is acceptable for a company to charge you for their time traveling from their base to your home. They will charge in distance and time.
• The benefit of learning the language cannot be overstated. It may be easy enough getting by in English but speaking (or attempting to speak) the language is better for you and sometimes gets you better service.
• Timekeeping is extremely important. The transport system is reliable enough that you can accurately plan how to get around.
• When you have an administrative task to perform, like arranging healthcare or a driving licence, asking five people what to do will give you ten different answers! You can usually get a good idea of what to do at the English Forum.
• You live in a wonderful country. Respect it and respect its people.

It’s a fairly arbitrary list but is based on experience.

Feel free to add your own experiences in the comments.

Lessons Learnt From A First Year In Zurich is a post from: Zurich Expats

The national holiday status means that pretty much everything is closed but this year (2009), it falls on a Saturday which means a fairly dead weekend if you are looking at doing any shopping or going out.

We can expect the usual celebratory set up in and around Zurich, particularly in and around Bellevue although with the current roadworks it might be worth wearing some builder’s boots!

There will also be a fireworks display in the evening so despite the “down” day being on a Saturday when you can usually at least do some shopping or go out to dinner, get out and enjoy the city.

August 1st Is Swiss National Day is a post from: Zurich Expats