I thought about being smart and annoying and make a thread to celebrate my 1000th post in Daily Life to make the post count as the 1000th one and to point out that I am smarter than Castro and Swissotter, who both made a 999th post thread under General Off-Topic.
Since we just talked about trolling and how to make this forum better, I decided to find a better topic for my 1000th post.

I thought about creating a visual artwork with them of one thousand, but then kulchandra actually got me thinking with his post of How did you make a positive change to your life in Switzerland after a bad start? I didn’t want to reply to his thread though, since I and probably most other EFers didn’t really buy his story. And now the thread is closed.

So, I have decided to look back and see what has happen in my life during one thousand posts.

Summer 2007.
I fell in love. We spend some time together in my home country and in Spain. Everything was great until he went back to Switzerland. After few, very hard months of long distance relationship, I thought to myself that I would either break it or seek for my bravery and desire for adventures and move to Switzerland. The coin was flipped, tail was up; adventures it was! My loved ones begged me not to be stupid and think about this. I refused.

October 2007.
So, what does one need to do to move to another country? Dunno, a job?
Google: jobs english switzerland
Results: Englishforum.ch

An Englishforum? What’s that? Sounds fun! Register.

First post: Introduction.
Hello, my name is Begga, bla bla bla.
Followed up with 3 welcomes. 2 of the 3 posters I have now meet.

Second, third, forth…
What do I have to do before moving to Switzerland? – deleted by mod
Is it difficult to get an English speaking job in Switzerland? – deleted by mod
They do for sure have brown sugar in Switzerland, right? – deleted by mod

Alright I thought, I’m doing something wrong. I’ll just read without posting for now and maybe I get it. I didn’t get it. Everyone seemed to know each other, and I didn’t know anyone. I felt left out. Boring. Goodbye.

May 2008.
Time was up. My studies were over. Time to move. Now I really needed a job! What was that forum again? Ahh… The Englishforum.ch.

First post that didn’t get deleted after my intro post.
Title: Need a job.
No replies. Not one. Stupid forum.

June 2008.
Hurray, I had my plain ticked and that was all I had. My student life was just over, my bank account was on zero, but the plain ticket I had, a job interview waiting, 5 full bags of cloths and other stuff, and round about 100 franks in my pocket. I was ready!
The weather was beautiful when I arrived. Everything was perfect. The next day after my arrival I went to the job interview and was asked to start the very next day. Such a perfect world.

24. July 2008.
Money long time gone. Boyfriend a student with not enough money to support us both. But first payday was soon to come. Boss left that day for a 3 weeks holiday. He didn’t pay me my salaries before he left. Feeeeck. I was starving the most of the summer. I went to Coop and bought little breads for one frank for my lunch time. What had I done?

Hunger started to get me frustrated. I started to realize I was not in the best working position. So I started to look for a new job, in any field.
Englishforum.ch
Nannies wanted
Cleaning lady wanted
Dog-sh!t cleaner wanted
Wow, why did I spend years of studies for jobs like that? Stupid forum.

Humf, google jobs. Email. Email. Email. No replies.
Found a job agency in Basel, went to their office, did an interview in German, even though I didn’t even speak German. I had my dictionary with me and with pure stubbornness and strong, focusing will to get a job, I managed to impress my interviewer who provided me a temporary job at a pharma company. Awesome. Now we are getting somewhere.

I told my employer I had found a new job. He wasn’t too happy. He refused to pay me. Now what?
Englishforum.ch
Thread: No salaries!! [Title edit by a mod]
Hey, great. I actually got replies. Many replies. Wow, that’s awesome. I even got PM’s from complete strangers offering me help or even just showing support. How great are these people? I was so wrong about them. Gwad, I love this forum!

Exactly these reactions I got from other forum members taught me not to be too judgmental on newbie’s on the forum seeking help for all kind of strange problems, and I have many times PMed people in aid offering my help, because I know how big difference it made for myself to receive such a support.

So life went on for few more months. The big finance cries hit the earth, my own country came out badly and I was thankful for being in Switzerland and have a job. I was a little afraid of loosing it because of the cries, so I started to push myself even harder at work and managed to impress my employers. They changed my contract from a temporary to a full contract. They even gave me higher sallies.

April 2009.
The love was dying, but my carrier was on a full swing and I knew if I’d go back home I would only face unemployment. So I decided to stay. Only thing I need now was friends of my own.

Englishforum.ch
Hum, fights about muslims, religions, people looking for papayas… noooo, not what I am looking for.
Hey, but what is that? An Englishforum photoclub? Right on, that is something for me. My first RSVP.
I was shy though. These people probably all know each other, and maybe they don’t even want to talk to me. Maybe they think my English accent is funny and make fun of me. Oh no, did I really have to go? My bones were shaking, I was insanely nervous for that meeting. I came one hour too late. I peaked into Starbucks, secretly hoping they were just gone already and I didn’t have to face being the new kid.
But there sat a large group of people with their cameras. Slowly I walked to them and with shaky voice I addressed that bald guy and the skinny guy with their big Nikons.
‘Is…ahm, is this the photo… ehm, is this the Englishforum…?’
The bald guy took up a piece of paper with the names from the RSVP list.
‘Hey, are you Begga? I’m Andy and that is Ian.’
Oh, that was easy. I sat down and we chatted about our cameras. That was so easy. Imagine that I never had the guts to go to an Englishforum social event before. But there were many to come.

One year later, one hundred friends later, one thousand posts later, I sat in the grass in my lunch break with the sun on my back and felt grateful. My carrier is still on a full swing up the ladder. My colleges are smart, yet sexy. My friends are funny, yet supportive. My hobby as a photographer is offering me some awesome opportunities to grow even more. My family is proud and bragging of their girl kicking some asses alone over there in big Europe.
How has it come to this? How could my life gone from zero to hero in such a short time? Was I just so dam lucky? Whatever happened, I am thankful for it. And I think my life turned to positive direction after a bad start simply because I refused to give in.

That is a pretty damn good 1000th post. I doff my hat to ma'am.

I really liked reading this. It was sweet. I don't know you but am glad for your happiness.

I think this qualifies for the inspirational post of the year (even tho we're still in March).

Great stuff and even better to read.

Keep it up!

Definitely a better sort of 1000th posts...well played.

nice post. I liked reading your story....not so different from my own. I saw you at the last event, and even asked someone if you were begga, but I was too shy to introduce myself. next time.

Great post Begga. Except... what's it got to do with me again?



When the sun comes out in Switzerland, everything is perfect. Enjoy!

begga is the new fiona_liew!

I created a thread to celebrate my 200th thread and had it moved / closed / deleted by mods ( yes in that order ) and then got in a PM argument with a mod.

A great post Begga... well done on reaching 1,000 posts!

Really lovely post Begga...

Now, can we manage to get you 1000 replies for your 1000th post

You had some dark moments, as we all do, but when you felt some frustration you kept it to yourself. Not burning those bridges early on meant when you came back you didn't have a negative rep to overcome. And then, when you were ready to contribute, you could do so and integrate yourself more fully into this new world. This post should be required reading before someone posts an "Everybody's a w**ker" type post.

You are a class act, and I really like reading your posts.

great post!
you'll manage to get 1000 thanks by the end of the day.

Great post

Welcome to the club.

I need to print out this post and keep a copy close to me! My arrival time (to Basel) is getting closer and I am getting more and more nervous and going through the 'what the hell was I thinking' stage, especially as I am doing it alone. Flight is booked, flat is organised, packing is not, job is not!!

Thanks Begga for the encouraging post. I'll try to remain calm. Might see you at a Basel EF event later on.

Pam

I really enjoyed reading your post.

My experiences were very simular to yours except that I came to Switzerland before the EF was invented. This was a pity as it would have been what I really needed at the time, most of all to make some friends here.

Anyway you certainly inspired me to get to some of these events

you're still hurting over that? If it had been a fraction as interesting as beggas and relevant to life in Switzerland then it may have remained

Nice post, welcome to the 1000 club! A dubious honour.

Great post begga, had tears in my eyes!

Great post!!! Thanks for sharing your story