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Working & Living In Switzerland


The Masked Tulip

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HOLA441
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HOLA442

Have had a call this morning that it will be Zurich and not Geneva - if that is any difference?

Yeah, that's quite different. In fact, everywhere in Switzerland is different, the cantons vary a lot, almost like different countries sometimes.

A lot of the good stuff still applies, and the city has a livelier appearance than Geneva, but the language is fecking horrible. If it was real German it'd be OK.

Geneva is the home of many global organisations (WHO, Amnesty etc etc) whereas Zurich is mainly banks and industry.

Still a lovely city with topnotch lifestyle though, and the girlies are less snooty than Genevoises and just as beautiful.

If you're accustomed to the trogs of South Wales, if you walk around in Geneva or Zurich there will be so many good-looking women you won't know where to look.

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HOLA443

Yeah, that's quite different. In fact, everywhere in Switzerland is different, the cantons vary a lot, almost like different countries sometimes.

A lot of the good stuff still applies, and the city has a livelier appearance than Geneva, but the language is fecking horrible. If it was real German it'd be OK.

Geneva is the home of many global organisations (WHO, Amnesty etc etc) whereas Zurich is mainly banks and industry.

Still a lovely city with topnotch lifestyle though, and the girlies are less snooty than Genevoises and just as beautiful.

If you're accustomed to the trogs of South Wales, if you walk around in Geneva or Zurich there will be so many good-looking women you won't know where to look.

Hmm, I like European women...

Language... oh dear... I am not good outside of my google language apps....

Thanks....

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HOLA444

Hmm, I like European women...

Language... oh dear... I am not good outside of my google language apps....

Thanks....

I've lived in Zurich for 9 months without knowing a word of conversational German.

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HOLA445

I've lived in Zurich for 9 months without knowing a word of conversational German.

Was this because so many people speak English or because you, for example, speak French? Or did you not go out and relied on air drops of pot noodles?

My languages are pretty lousy. All the places I have worked globally have been places where English is very well-spoken - sometimes better than here in the UK.

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HOLA446

Was this because so many people speak English or because you, for example, speak French? Or did you not go out and relied on air drops of pot noodles?

My languages are pretty lousy. All the places I have worked globally have been places where English is very well-spoken - sometimes better than here in the UK.

95% of the people in Zurich can speak perfectly reasonable English (Swiss or otherwise) and a large proportion are non Swiss, its an international city

the local languages is Germanesque and theres quite alot of Italian (more than froggy) if you wish to learn them, its really not hard learning a language if you live there even if the Swiss dont actually speak High German

Edited by Mary Cassatt
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HOLA447

95% of the people in Zurich can speak perfectly reasonable English (Swiss or otherwise) and a large proportion are non Swiss, its an international city

the local languages is Germanesque and theres quite alot of Italian (more than froggy) if you wish to learn them, its really not hard learning a language if you live there even if the Swiss dont actually speak High German

Thanks - that is really useful info.

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HOLA448

95% of the people in Zurich can speak perfectly reasonable English (Swiss or otherwise) and a large proportion are non Swiss, its an international city

the local languages is Germanesque and theres quite alot of Italian (more than froggy) if you wish to learn them, its really not hard learning a language if you live there even if the Swiss dont actually speak High German

That's a major understatement. I lived in Germany for 10 years, speak fluent German, and have no problems understanding Berlin, Rhineland, Bavarian and Austrian accents, but I find Swiss German totally incomprehensible. It may be written the same, but they might as well be speaking a different tongue. Swiss German speakers are usually subtitled on German TV.

Edited by snowflux
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HOLA449

That's a major understatement. I lived in Germany for 10 years, speak fluent German, and have no problems understanding Berlin, Rhineland, Bavarian and Austrian accents, but I find Swiss German totally incomprehensible. It may be written the same, but they might as well be speaking a different tongue. Swiss German speakers are usually subtitled on German TV.

That is really interesting.

Sounds similar to the different kinds of Welsh spoken in North, West and South Wales plus the so-called academic Welsh.

Many friends of mine who are fluent Carmarthenshire Welsh speakers from childhood find it almost impossible to understand the academic Welsh spoken by those who perceive themselves as the Welsh elite.

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HOLA4410

My boss lives in Switzerland. He owns a huge house just over the border in France and rents a much smaller place in Geneva. Saves umpteen fortunes in uk tax. Visits the uk when he needs to. Often picks up boxes of his favourite Richmond sausages (Marmite) and other items to take back that they just don`t do over there.

I love visiting the place.

I only know the truly wealthy side of Switzerland but luckily it don`t cost me a bean. Christmas party in the Geneva office every year, free ski trips for my nearest and dearest and use of his beautiful home in France in the summer. Looking out from the patio at his huge swimming pool with the distant back drop of Mont Blanc.

Lucky *******. Took his family a good five years to settle though as they missed shit from home. Now, I don`t think they will ever come back.

No help to this interesting debate I know. Just fancied a chat :)

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HOLA4411

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