Hey guys! Here's another post about Swiss culture intricacies. Enjoy! :-)
- Trash Day: Your first impression is probably, how is trash collecting interesting? This might not be weird for you, but I'm used to having a big black plastic trashcan that I put out on the curb and can continually put trash in during the week. That doesn't happen here. In Switzerland, regular trash is put in a large black trash bag with the drawstrings tied together. That makes no practical sense to me. Why would you choose a trash bag that can be rained in or easily attacked by the dozen cats that wander around here. Also, you have to wait until the actual trash day to collect all of your trash that at this point is either overflowing in the rooms or collected in a gross pile in the basement.
- Recycling: this is connected to the previous statement and as confusing for me. Just like there's no trashcan for regular trash, there's no container for recyclables. Instead, people collect paper and plastic containers and carry it to a recycling drop-off place, like at the grocery store, Migros. Also, unlike in Germany, people don't get a Pfand for their bottles which is really annoying when everything is already so expensive here. People are also, compared to Germany, pretty lax about making sure that everything that can be is recycled, mostly because they have to lug the stuff away themselves.
- Arms on the Table: This really isn't that strange of a cultural tic but it came to my attention after someone saw how I ate at the table. I had one hand on my lap and only used my fork instead of both my fork and knife. Apparently that's a no go in Switzerland. The Swiss expect people to have both arms on the table (no elbows!) and to always use the fork and knife together when eating.
- Cowbells: Okay, this might be common elsewhere, but I have never heard cowbells before. I've seen plenty of cows. They're not exactly rare in Florida, but I've never seen them with bells on. The bells make the cows look like Heidi is going to jump out from behind them. It's also a surprisingly comforting sound to hear the tinkling of bells as the cows move around pastures and you hear them while walking in a forest. It makes the experience of being in this country feel like a fairy tale.
- Cheese: Have any of you heard the stereotype that the Swiss are obsessed with cheese? Well, I'm here to tell you, it's true. Cheese is everywhere here. Like, everywhere. For someone who's lactose intolerant, it's annoying that most recipes involve cheese or other dairy products. One Swiss meal that heavily focuses on cheese is Raclette. Raclette is the name of the cheese, which is melted on a specific metal pan on a specific mini heating apparatus and typically eaten with potatoes. It's a very simple dish that's usually eaten when it's chilly out and it tastes amazing (I was able to eat some and cursed my lactose intolerance as I did so.) If you have the opportunity to travel to Switzerland, definitely try this dish out. You'll usually see it at a street festival as well.
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