Swiss Culturalisms

Hey Everyone! :)

     This post is going to be a collection of specific things I've observed in Switzerland that makes the country different from the U.S. and Germany. I'm focusing on the Swiss-German culture as that is the culture I have the most contact with currently. (Zurich is kind of like the capital for Swiss-Germans.)

• Don't be late: Swiss people really don't like it if you are ever running late. To them, being on time is already late. If you're five minutes too late, you might as well not go. 

• Stores close early: This annoys me to no end. Most stores usually close around 6:30 p.m. or if you're lucky, 8 p.m. So forget about shopping at your leisure right after work or picking something up at night if you forgot it during the day. Also, I haven't found any 24/7 stores here, something that I find frustrating since I'm used to having at least one shopping option for all hours of the day.

• Swiss-German Dialect: This isn't that surprising, but what I have found to be really interesting is that some people who've spent most of their life in Switzerland and nowhere else would rather speak English to you than High German (if you can't understand Swiss German.) 

• Obsession with brands: This isn't necessarily a specifically Swiss phenomenon, but I've never seen so many people wear the same things and brands. No one here really has their own style either and most people blend in with each other.

• Everything is EXPENSIVE: The rumors are true. It costs sooooo much money to live here. Housing is ridiculously expensive but even stuff at the supermarket cost a lot. For maybe a pound of meat (which is nothing for an average family) will cost you about $13. Produce also costs about that much and products like toothpaste and hand soap usually cost at least $10.

• No Fast Food: This is a bit of an exaggeration, but after living in the U.S. I'm a pretty good expert on what fast food is. That doesn't exist here. You have McDonalds and Burger King but there's no dollar menu and the prices are so high that it makes more sense to just go to a regular restaurant to get some better food. The closest thing they have to fast-food options are Falafel/Kebab stands because there's a large Turkish population here. But a meal from them also costs at least $10. Without a drink.

      That's a good basic list for now. I'll write another post like this later on after I've spent more time here.

P.S. I have a Twitter account now! Check me out and follow me @EuroFrau

P.S.S. Guys, after writing this section, I'm craving a greasy burger and fries for only $5. It's the little things you miss. 

When you travel, what do you miss the most?