How you know you've been living in Switzerland 'too long'
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Loading... - Jordan Thompson
- 02 Feb 2023
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When you first arrive here, you may be so overwhelmed by the strangeness of it all, that you think you will never get accustomed to the local way of life. But then, something happens — you actually become “too Swiss.”
Let’s say it as it is: Switzerland is not exactly the easiest of countries to get used to if you are a foreigner.
This is especially true if you come from a place that has totally different customs, culture, mentality, and general attitudes — which is about everywhere else in the world.
But if you live here long enough (with ‘long enough’ being hard to define precisely), you will wake up one morning and realise, to your utter dismay, that things which seemed incomprehensible when you first arrived, are now totally normal.
Not only that, but the ways of your own country may now appear strange to you.
So how do you know when you crossed that invisible line and became too immersed in everything Swiss?
Some of the answers come from a recent thread on English Forum, The Local's forum for Switzerland’s English-speaking community.
We chose the most "telling" examples:
'You know you've been in Switzerland for too long when you cringe as your parents come to visit and don't realise how much noise they make after 10pm'
That is because tenants in Switzerland are sworn to the vow of silence between 10 pm and 6 am, so as not to disturb their neighbours.
'When you have a vacuum cleaner for cleaning the patio'
For many Swiss, cleaning is an art form and cleanliness a must, not an option, A regular vacuum cleaner would probably suffice for a patio and balcony, but not having proper tools for the outdoors, just wouldn't be...Swiss. Read More…
