A Humorous Guide to Switzerland

There are times in the expat experience when you feel very far away from your home country. Even I get a little homesick now and then. Things are going well but at any in some moments there is a tiny voice piping up asking for a little bit of Switzerland. I have found that the best remedy for those cravings is a bit of nostalgic youtube-ing which basically means watching my childhood favorite " Fascht e Familie " (a Swiss 90ies sitcom) or listening to Swiss German music. Another childhood favorite of mine that I keep visiting on youtube is the singer and songwriter Mani Matter. Songs that still matter today His songs are not only funny but also rich in Swiss German expressions and phrases. More than 40 years after his death, the songs of Mani Matter are still meaningful - maybe even more so today than ever. Look at " I han es Zündhölzli azündt" and think of the wars raging around the world. If only more people would pick up their cigarette butts from the carp...

The shortest day of the year is approaching fast. This not only means that the days are getting shorter and the nights longer but - at least in the northern hemisphere - the temperatures are dropping quickly. Thus, it's nice to stay inside in the evenings and enjoy a cup of hot tea possibly accompanied by a nice warm fire in your fireplace or oven. It's also a season where people enjoy lighting a few candles and enjoy their warm shine. They simply make your home more cozy!  Wax Paper Lanterns to Light your Home Usually, candles are put on a candleholder or in a glass - for decoration and for safety! Another option to light your home with a subtle light are little wax paper lanterns . Of course, you can also buy a lantern made from glass and metal that looks just perfect but - and that is the better option in my opinion - you can also make a simple lantern yourself.   The main thing with lanterns is that they need to be made from heat-resistant material . For...

The initial years of public schooling in Switzerland - kindergarten and primary school - are still (fairly) straightforward and probably very similar to what exists in other countries. The whole things gets more complicated for older children. Education Differences in Secondary and Middle School As you may know, Switzerland is divided into 26 districts called cantons . According to Swiss law it is the cantons, and not the federal government, that are responsible for a functioning public school system. This leads to a few interesting differences from canton to canton. For example the years it takes a student to reach the Matura (Swiss university entrance qualification) vary significantly from canton to canton. In some places of Switzerland it takes 10 years and in others 12 years. However, it is not only a difference in years but also in the structures and names of the schools a student passes through on his way to the Matura or before starting his apprenticeship (which is a grea...

kindergarten -  birgitH  / pixelio.de Every country has it's own schooling system. Some countries may have fairly similar systems such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland or the US and Canada (correct my if I'm wrong here!).  Almost all countries do by now have some law which requires children to attend some kind of school. Needless to say, that the years of actual schooling and the quality of teaching vary greatly in different places around the globe. Early Education in Switzerland Switzerland is well known internationally for its high quality public schools. However, in Switzerland there are also quite a few quirks when it comes to public schooling. Here are some examples: The Swiss constitution stipulates that every child has the right to education but not that every child must attend public (or private) school. This decision is left with each canton which means that there are some cantons in Switzerland where homeschooling is permitted and s...

It's cold in Switzerland and it's not even November! As always, weather changes in Switzerland are a great topic for conversation at work, when doing shopping or when running into your upstairs neighbor. 'It's cold today!' or 'What a beautiful sunny day!' are common conversation starters. It's what we Swiss call a ' Lückenfüller ' (lit. a gap filler) that people use to avoid uncomfortable silence in conversations. The Weather - A Safe Topic I believe talking about the weather is something that people do all over the world and in all different languages. It is a "safe" topic and you can feel free to join the comments about the cold or heat or rain or whatever the day brought along. Little anecdotes about similar weather or totally different weather in other parts of the world can be shared as well. However, keep in mind that this is usually a short and rather shallow kind of conversation so you are expected to keep it short. After a...

I know, I know. I might be a bit early with this fall themed dictionary but you never know how fast the seasons can change. Even after a long and hot summer like the one we had this year, we must accept that fall and winter will come eventually - like it or not! And of course, many of us love these seasons just as much as spring and summer! I mean, what's not to love about beautiful colourful forests and snow covered landscapes?! But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, we'll enjoy fall. Winter is still a good while away! Swiss Fall has it all! If you're living in Switzerland you must know how grey, wet and foggy fall days can be. However, many times they are followed by sunshine and beautifully colourful days afterwards. We complain about the days getting shorter and wetter but we also relish the sound fallen leaves make when we walk over them or the typical autumn foods that appear on our plates. Food-wise fall is the mushroom and venison season and chestnut salesmen s...

While visiting family in Switzerland we had the chance to go watch a soap box race in the neighboring village. I hadn't seen a soap box race since I was a child and it was great fun to watch. What are Soap box Races? A soap box race (translated from German 'Seifenkistenrennen') is a car race where drivers race down a hill on an obstacle course in their homemade race cars . Most drivers are children aged 5-12. Now, these cars obviously have no motor and every driver must wear a helmet, so these races are generally very safe. Also, racers start one after the other so there is no danger of two cars crashing. Only the reckless drivers cause the occasional accident but usually they walk away laughing. Soap box races are a typical summer activity in Switzerland and many small towns an villages will have one scheduled over the summer. There is even a national championship held every year . BTW: the name soap box race or soap box derby comes from an American journalist wh...