Hi everyone - it's me again. I've spent yet another few hours reading the forums, and I'm starting to wonder whether moving to Switzerland would be likely to cause me more trouble than it's worth. Allow me to explain :

I'm a lifestyle Goth - I dress almost exclusively in black, I have long hair, the music is really important to me, I play in a couple of bands and I'm happy wearing a kilt in public. I'm also a former pro juggler, I ride a unicycle as my preferred mode of transport, and I spin fire at friends' parties. On the whole, I'm a pretty fun-loving, free-spirited person, I take a few risks, the world is a bit of a playground for me.

In the UK and most places I've lived, South Africa, California, Netherlands (not so much Greece...) I've not had much trouble. I might get the odd funny looks, and if people give me a bit of stick for the way I dress I can give as good as I get, with good humour on both sides. I get appreciative audiences when I go down the park and spin fire on rollerblades, and no one's ever complained when I've been out unicycling around town, even though I have to use the pavement. There's usually a juggling club somewhere, I can find my own people without a problem.

Reading through the forums, I just get this awful feeling that I'm going to run into trouble if I stand out too much in Switzerland. Possibly with the police not appreciating that unicycling is almost exactly the same as cycling, or considering juggling to be a breach of the peace. Maybe because the way I stand out will make people more likely to look for ways to complain about things I do. If people complain about cars not being parked precisely between the white lines, how bad would it be to paint my front door black and hang up a spider-shaped door knocker? I'm not overly bothered about mixing with the locals and integrating myself into the community, but if I'm going to have to deal with constant "hating," suspicion and mistrust, I might have to think again.

Any input is appreciated - my experiences with the Swiss have been brief, and I'm well aware that living there is not the same as visiting. Are there alternative people around? What are people's experiences with other subcultures?

Not another one! Sunshine, I wouldn't be able to pick you out from a crowd of my mates (who are all fire-twirling, juggling freaks) by the sounds of things.
Not an eyelid will bat, should you uni-cycle your way around the lake. There are far too many truely freaky people here that, you will hardly be noticed.
Sorry if that disapoints you.

exactly. I was just going to say, all depends where you'll stay in CH. Zurich is used to all sorts of so called weird things.

What's weird about being a goth? There's hundreds of the buggers infesting railway stations and park benches all over Switzerland.

It looks to me like a way for white middle-class kids to experience the modern luxury of 'victimhood', but with the option of backing out when the going gets too tough.

If only black people could have a haircut, buy a suit and 'fit in' once they got tired of being discriminated against...

It's true. Zurich is a veritable melting pot of people making a statement. Punks have made a come back here, there are goths and people who choose to rollerskate around town in the middle of winter in their skimpy shorts for example.

Incidentally, I had never seen anyone with a Unicycle until I came to Switzerland - there's even a guy who is dressed in a business suit who seems to use his for the daily commute round by ours.

Here in Zurich you are more likely to be commented on if you DON'T have a look - my scruffy jeaned, T-shirted and trainer-look must send a shiver down the spine of every primped and processed passerby.

If you live in Switzerland's equivalent of Llanddewi Brefi you may find yourself the only goth in village. But in most Swiss towns, you would blend in very well, maybe too well for your liking...

I'm really weird....I wear a suit and tie everyday and carry a briefcase
I fit in too...!

The words nail, hit and head spring to mind here...

If you can manage around Aylesbury, Switzerland should be easy.

In Switzerland even the cows are dressed up with bells and flowers!

I thought that Emo was the new Goth?

OP, you should in the meantime explore a new look and new acts. Say, unicycling with your hands and juggling waterballoons (not simultaneously though, I understand). Wear a Ching Dynasty brocade suit matched with an oversized moustache. (Ooops, sorry; that look is already taken by EF member Louis Wu.)

Black door? What's the biggie? Spider door knocker? *shrug* I've seen worse; I've seen peach guards and banana guards.

In short, be whoever you are or want - as long as you don't break the law and get caught. You'll be feline-fine in the cities.

Zürich already has the roller blade dude and the old lady at the main train station, so a kilt wearing, juggling unicycle rider might go unnoticed. You will have to paint your door back to the original colour when you leave though.

the OP should be aware, though, that there's an ongoing war between alternatives and leftists and hip-hopers and ultra conservatives. They usually beat each other silly on weekends and on random demonstrations. You might get caught in the middle. But it's not as bad as the movie "Underworld". Otherwise just dress normally.

That answers the question quite accurately, thank you to all who have taken the time to reply. And to those who have taken the time to "have a go" at me.

It is nice to see that there is acceptance and a vibrant subcultural scene in some places - Aylesbury has actually been one of the tougher places to live, with people shouting abuse at me simply because I wear a top hat, so if it's a bit more relaxed over there, all well and good. Bigger cities tend to be easier - is there a "scene" in Basel? To be fair, the general tone of what I've been reading on here has been that the Swiss people are all unpleasant when you're discussing your own experiences amongst yourselves, and the most wonderful people in the world when someone else is asking about them. Clarification was needed.

As for my own culture and the various opinions and prejudices that appeared within a post or two, I make my choices and I live with them, and it's precisely the reaction I've just got that makes me wary of interacting with people. Same as the number of people who decide I'm a racist because I'm South African - says a lot more about them than it does about me.

Thank you again for your time!

Nice that you have choices.

I would say if you go onto any forum of this subject nature you'll be hearing from people complaining about neighbours, the locals, this and that etc.... it's not uncommon anywhere in the world - and has been mentioned many times on here that people like to complain more than praise. So all these complaints that you have read about 'some' swiss are just people letting off steam. Just because one or two or even three people have had a bad neighbour experience or other bad experiences it doesn't mean that those experiences apply to all Swiss.

The Swiss do have a reputation of being very conservative, a bit anal and stuffy but then it's a bit of a contradiction when you see Street Parade, Zuri Fest and all the other various festivals that they seem to have every other weekend. I had never seen so many excuses to erect a beer tent until I came here - so that to me laughs in the face of the typical 'conservative' image of the Swiss

I have also never seen so many 'barking' people until I came here, Zurich has many resident weirdos and nutters so I am sure you dressed all in black wearing a top hat whilst riding your unicycle and juggling with fire will fit right in

Maybe if you did this down a village high street up in the mountains it wouldn't be so inconspicuous but then that can be said for any small town/village anywhere in the world could it not?

crystaljuggler: to be noticed here you have to try harder. Sorry to disappoint you there . Try cycling backwards on your unicycle, that might help attract some appreciatve glances

In short you will be quite fashionable here, at least if you have your lodgings in metropolitan aereas.

I'm really perplexed by this OP's post. Chrystaljuggler, you are obviously an out and out exhibitionist, (by your own admission of what you wear and what you do) so surely, I can only assume that you would be very disappointed if you didn't create a reaction and you must be a tad miffed to find that even conservative Switzerland has other people that go to extra ordinary lengths to be noticed. Fair play to you mate, live and let live and it takes all sorts to make the world go round, etc etc, but why are you surprised at some peoples reaction to you?