A Humorous Guide to Switzerland

In this mini series I'll write about the five daily meals people eat in Switzerland:  Zmorge, Znüni, Zmittag, Zvieri and Znacht . What do we typically eat? When do we eat? What is the proper conduct at the table? Today, I'll write about breakfast in Switzerland. Zmorge - Breakfast in Switzerland Zmorge is the Swiss German word for breakfast. It is an abbreviated form of the two German words "zu" (to, at) and "Morgen" (morning) and literally means " in the morning ". This obviously makes perfect sense, since breakfast is almost always eaten in the morning hours of the day. During the week, most Swiss people have their Zmorge between 6.30 am and 7.30 am, depending on what time school starts or what time they have to leave for work. On weekends, breakfast starts much later but the actual time depends largely on the person and things planned. My guess is that on weekends the average Swiss breakfast time is around 9 am but there really aren...

There are few things that define a culture as much as the traditions and customs surrounding its food. While there is some sort of "international food" by now, the traditional meals are obviously different in each country or region of this beautiful world. Think of Asian food and chopsticks and eating while sitting on the floor. Or a big fat hamburger eaten at a bar while watching a basketball game at a local brewery somewhere in the USA. A Peruvian enjoying his Ceviche at the beach with loud latin music in the background. Very different food, right?! But also very different settings for enjoying a meal! Of course, those are ideas and images that aren't always real and plenty of people prove that. However, in most places of the world there are certainly customs and even unwritten rules when it comes to food and how we should prepare and eat it. It's not only about what we eat but also about how and even when we eat that define different cultures. This is certainly tru...

To be completely honest, I'm not very fond of hallmark holidays and Valentine's Day is probably the mothership of them all. In my home there will be no cheesy cards or flowers on that day and, personally, I'm happy about it. However, I know that there are many people who like to celebrate Valentine's Day and take it as an opportunity to show their love and appreciation to their loves. Even in Switzerland, there are plenty of people celebrating it nowadays. If you're short on ideas for this years Valentine's Day in Switzerland you might find some inspiration here: Valentine's Day in Switzerland . If you're already set and have the perfect date ready, how about surprising your loved one with a few romantic Swiss German phrases? You should know that the expression "I love you" has only recently made its way into Swiss German from the High German "Ich liebe dich". Swiss people used to simply say "I like you" or "I like ...

Apprentices - Paul-Georg Meister / pixelio.de Imagine the following fictional conversation between a young Swiss and a young American. (S = Swiss, A = American) S: What do you do for a living? A: I'm a consultant in one of the larger banks here in Switzerland. S: Interesting. How did you get this job? A: Well, after finishing grad school I worked for an American bank for a while before applying for this position. I wanted to get some international experience, you know?! S: Good for you! A: What about you? Where do you work? S: I'm an accountant. Small firm but interesting work. A: Ok. So, you got your bachelors degree at a local university and then started working? S: Not quite. Actually, I didn't go to university at all. I didn't even finished high school. Instead, I did an apprenticeship . A: A what? And you didn't finish high school? S: Indeed! Apprenticeships in Switzerland The concept of an apprenticeship is quite a foreign concept to peopl...

Zimtstern - Joujou  / pixelio.de  It's true, we Swiss eat cookies all year round but there are certain types of cookies that we only eat in December. Some of us might start eating Christmas cookies in November or others even as early as October because we can't wait for the Christmas season or - which is the case more often than not - we simply are looking for any pretext to be eating something sweet. Famous Swiss Cinnamon Stars Now,  Zimtsterne  (Swiss German: Zimetschtern, English: Cinnamon Stars) are on of the most popular Christmas cookies in Switzerland. A Zimtstern is a star shaped almond cookie with lots of cinnamon in it and a merengue on top. Although some Germans claim that Zimtsterne are in fact a German cookie, they are certainly very popular in Switzerland and have become an almost iconic Swiss item. So much that even a clothing company named " Zimtstern " was founded in Zurich. Their brand logo is a combination of mountain and a cinnam...

When writing (and talking) about the Swiss education system, there is one part of it that is fairly easy to explain to a foreigner: university and other higher education. This is mainly due to the fact that in the last 10-15 years, Swiss university education has been adapted to international standards and norms. How to Enter a Swiss University One of the biggest differences between Swiss universities and American universities (and universities in other places around the globe) is that t here is normally no entrance exam or the need to formally apply. If you successfully passed your Matura exams you are free to inscribe to any university in Switzerland. The big exception is the field of human medicine which requires an entrance exam called Numerus Clausus. Also, Technical Universities usually require at least one year of work experience in a relevant field before they receive applicants with a Matura certificate. Degrees Available at Swiss Universities A lot of university relat...

100000jobs.ch - You'll find your new job here!  In an older post I wrote about the job market in Switzerland and gave some recommendation on finding a job in Switzerland . In a way, the situation in the Swiss job market has changed and at the same time hasn't changed since then. Unemployment rates remain low The Swiss economy might not be in an all-time high but it is rolling steadily. This keeps unemployment rates relatively low which in turn allows a lot of employees to earn their living and to invest their earnings (i.e. consuming and buying) which again stimulates the economy. Capitalism at its best, right? Well, even in Switzerland there are people looking for a new job. Maybe they currently have a job they don't like, maybe they would like to advance their career and are looking for the next step on the career ladder, maybe they just lost their job and need to make a living or maybe they just recently graduated and are now ready to enter the job market. Peo...