My wife and I have just moved to Switzerland and this greattown of Basel from shaky Christchurch. I have recently discovered thisfantastic website that has already given me much insight into what to do, whereto go and how to fit in. Fortunately my wife was the first to find a job (withBasel Stadt) and I am going to have to pick up my German skills so haveenrolled for an intensive German Language course. Dialect will just have tocome later.

Things have moved quickly in the last few weeks (Iunderstand that is not always the case here) and we are about to shift into asmall 2 room apartment in Grundeli. It looks like an alive area of town withlots of diversity. We have just arrived with a back pack so need to start acquiringfurniture and house hold items to make it a little bit more like a home.

I look forward to my time in this fantastic country.

Welcome to Basel - and to the forum!
Great that you are taking steps to learn German. I dont know where you have already organised your course - but Migrosklubschule is based in Gundeli and runs reasonably-priced language classes.

Thanks for the info on the Migro school. Yes it is very handy.
It seems easy enough to get by with English. I thought if I am going to be here for a few years, by not knowing the language, I would miss out so many on the small interactions that take place and which show so much more of Swiss people and life. In saying that, the reality of learning German may not be that easy.
Cheers

Hi and welcome to Basel! If you keep an eye on the for sale section here i am sure you can furnish your place quite quickly. Also there is an outlet furniture shop down one of the side alleys off the main road (Güterstrasse?) in gundeli. If you walk out the back of SBB and turn left- its accross the street towards the COOP and Migros- you might find some good deals (i forget the name sorry).

Let us know if you hae any questions!

Kia Ora! I like your name

Swiwi, lol, welcome to Switzerland and the Forum! RL or RU?

Hi, and welcome to the forum.


Bummer of a time to move here...... I would have tried to hold off until after the RWC, but hey


Basel is a fantastic city in Switzerland (my second favourite to Zurich) and there are stacks of Kiwi's living there.


I hope you settle in well

Kia Ora Swiwi!

Sorry I can't be any help about settling into Basel, as I'm over in Fribourg, but just wanted to say welcome to the forum, and wish you well.

Have to agree with billhardie about the RWC, but then again with all the shaking going on.....

I hope the earth only moves for you in good ways over this side of the world!!

Welcome to Basel! I am also new to the city, just a week or so in.

EF have a few meetings to attend so that you can establish a bit of a social circle.

Also keep your eyes on the http://www.englishforum.ch/free-stuff/ threads on the forum. When I was in Baden last year I got quite a bit of really good stuff from that forum in really good nick.

Hope you guys have fun and see you around Basel.

Welcome to Basel. If you want to know what to do in Basel and neighbouring France and Germany checkout www.TheEnglishShow.com . There is a podcast of the weekly show on the website, or tune into RADIO X 94.5 (Basel) or 93.6 (Liestal).

Cheers
Kiwi Jon

I think you talking about this http://www.remar.ch/Rastro%20Basel.htm

OP - Welcome to Basel and have a nice stay here

Thanks all for the great tips and all the messages. The support thru EF has been fantastic and helped us get more settled as well as more things for our wee flat.
I did not know there were so many Kiwis here.
Yeh shame about the RWC but Christchurch stadium is munted now anyway and all games have been shifted so I would be watching them on the box anyway.
Cheers again everyone.

Welcome to Basel! Hope to see you around sometime soon.

Kia Ora mate,

hows it going? I'm from Rotorua, currently in Grindelwald, Berner Oberland..How do you like the big smoke called Basel?

Cheers,
Mike

Kia ora Swiwi. 'Nother kiwi here, from Chch. Well, Rolleston way in the end.

I will go as far as to say that we didn't move because of the shaking, but because I promised my wife we would do one day, since she's from over this way. That is one of the first questions people ask, once they hear I'm from Chch.

What part of Christchurch were you in?

Do you guys know whats left of Melrose Street in Christchurch? I lived there...

Looking at a map of the red zone as of March 23, Melrose Street isn't in that area. I can't say how the actual ground or houses look like though.

My first house, in Avondale, on the other hand is going to be toast. The house itself is fine, AFAIK, but the services no longer run there and won't be restored in the foreseeable future. We had sold it just a couple months before the first quake, and I feel really bad for the people who bought it. Lots of good memories in that house, and now it will be demolished.

That counts. :-D

Hi Welcome to sunny Basel!
You'll enjoy it here!
People are educated and friendly.
The countryside is great!
Garry