I lived in Switzerland for a period of about 3 months in 2011.
My reason for coming was to meet and get to know my girlfriend's family living in Basel.
I read a lot about 'strange swiss customs' or that they are not accommodating to outsiders.

Firstly, I should mention that when I got there, I neither spoke nor understood much of the German language.
I was a little worried that this would be a problem, but not a single person, my entire stay, ever seemed bothered by it.
Of course I never pressured anyone to speak English or spoke to them a lot when I knew they couldn't understand (they paid me the same kindness).

When I wandered the city on my own, I didn't find it hard to get around, just saying the name of the street on the tram was easy (even if my pronunciation wasn't perfect), a lot of the german names were similar to English anyway.
Buying things wasn't difficult either, it just involved either pointing, or saying the one thing I wanted.

Every single person I met across Switzerland, was warm and friendly. Even the people on a crowded tram in Zurich one afternoon (when there was no space to stand and we had several large instruments with us), laughed and smiled and made way for us.

Perhaps I just had a unique experience, but I felt truly at home in Switzerland, I was never judged for not being able to speak or understand German, French or Italian (though I am practicing my German now).

I see a lot of complaints about 'the way Swiss people are' but I never ran into anyone like that.
Does anyone else have any good stories of the kindness of the Swiss? (:

The kindness of swiss train driver

A lot more when searched ( using the Google powered option ).

Like I mentioned in the Aussie thread, it is very likely to be different once you are staying here for the long term ie a year or more on a permit. I think it is quite universal that visitors ( 90 days / 3 months ) are treated most favourably.

"Why would you move here from Australia?!"

EDIT: I added a screenshot of a report to the City Council ( I can communicate in German at B1 ) where I volunteer at an indoor Skating Hall. I normally do not rant on a public forum and on the whole I accept that there are very few bad apples in the barrel.

I suppose it could be different if I had stayed longer, but it's not like anyone outside of my partner's family knew how long I was staying. I'd think that at least the people I dealt with would not treat me much differently if I decided to live there, most seemed like genuinely wonderful people.

Like the kindness of the train driver, a tram driver waited for my girlfriend and I as I held the door open for her (having run ahead to catch the tram quickly before it left), not a single person complained and waited patiently for my girlfriend to catch up and get on.

That's terrible that someone would treat you like that, I hope that doesn't happen again anytime soon!

I take it you are originally from Australia? And Brisbane too? I'm from Auckland in New Zealand and am actually moving to around the Brisbane/ Gold Coast area in the near future.

I am from South East Asia and a person of colour, and my parents are Aussie, retired in Bundaberg.

The extended family in Australia treated me very well, just like your experience in CH. However, I have spent more than 3 years in Australia and in some ways, familiarity breeds contempt past those visitor days but one learns to let it go over the head.

Ah I see~

Bundaberg is a nice enough place.

I suppose the family might have got sick of me after a while too haha
though I didn't really spend THAT much time with them.
We'll see how it goes when I return to Switzerland.

I'd like to travel more to South-East Asia actually, I only spent a really small amount of time in Singapore.

Though when I lived in England, the people as a whole were pretty unfriendly.
100 times worse than the worst person I saw in Switzerland.
I'm not even quite a foreigner there, as I'm half english and am a citizen.
But I guess that's just how it is haha

On a happier note, my most memorable act of kindness was when I returned from Germany ( CeBIT ) to Basel, and then changeover for a train to Zürich HB very late possibly 1.55am. This train arrived 15 minutes too late for the final train to Wädenswil - home. It was the very first time I had seen Zürich HB in locked up mode, and was ushered by security to leave the station.

Most unfortunately, my ATM card did not work at Postfinance nor at any other ATM machines. There were funds but simply inaccessible. I had very little cash, all in Euros and mobile phone dead after being left uncharged.

A lone cabbie noticed me loitering ( a bit aimless never having been through something like this before ) near the Sihlpost street. He drove over and asked if I needed a cab. I mentioned I did but simply did not have CHF125 it took to get home. He offered me a ride back, for free. Naturally, I repaid him many times over since.

And in Australia, it was perhaps by a Swiss consulate officer in Sydney ( Ramona Borg ), who exercised Switzerland´s compassionate powers. Anything more would be TMI

Wow that's awesome about that cab driver! That was so very kind of him.
especially after such a series of unfortunate events.

And that's good that the Swiss were being nice even all the way out in Australia (:

Off topic - but is that not a highly offensive term today?

(Of course - you have the right to describe yourself however you choose - I merely ask because that term cropped up on a corporate document recently by somebody who was both out of touch and ill-advised and they have never been seen or heard of since!)

Hmm, never thought so as such.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_color