Hi guys,

I'm another English "newbee" who's found this site by accident (I was doing a Google search, trying to find a decent Indian restaurant in Zurich !)

What can I tell you ?

I'm 33, I moved over here a month ago to be with my Swiss girlfriend (awwww...) and already, the language is confusing the hell out of me. Six weeks ago, I hadn't spoken a word of German.

It's starting to come together (the Michel Thomas Teach Yourself German CDs are excellent, and I've enrolled in the Migras Language Schule, starting Monday, gulp !) but it's baffling.

My main problem: you learn a few German phrases, feel nice and proud that you can remember them (and pretty come close to being able to pronounce them without being frowned at).. then you go into Baden or Zurich, and hear nothing but Swiss German. Even the words for the numbers changes completely in Swiss German.

But hey, the life here seems fantastic, it's ridiculously safe (I seem to be the only person in this town who locks up his bike..) and I've almost adjusted to not being able to watch English TV or go shopping on a Sunday.

Oh, and I was very amused to hear that the Swiss are so fond at recycling that they dig up graves after 25 years and re-use the land. [from the book "Living and Working in Switzerland."]

I'm currently suffering from that "I know nobody in this country !" stage, so it's good to find this forum, and hear that... well... I'm not the only one.

Take it easy, y'all...

(Come on, you didn't really think that I was going to finish my first posting on here by saying "Tschuss" did you..? )


Mike
Baden

Howdy UncleMike!

Welcome to the Forum

Hello and welcome,

I'm going to Migros school too! but on Saturdays (I'm too tyred after work to go in the weekdays).

ah! and about recycling graves, we do the very same in the Canary Islands, but we just wait 5 years !!!!

I thought it's 20 years usually? Anyway, there's a jewish cemetery here in Zürich for those who need them longer (eternally).

Is it me or we're being invaded by way too many Uncles.

Anyway, welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the EF and welcome to Switzerland, but at least you have your girldriend beside you, and I have nobody.

Good luck with everything.

Welcome to the EF man? If you are 33 years old and call yourself uncle then me who turned 34 today must call myself uncle too... (or grandpa )?

Don't worry you will start to speak this strange language soon... remember ''zwei'' sounds something like ''zwoy'' !

Hey, Uncle Mike!

Welcome to the Baden area. I recently moved here myself, but have the advantage of having learned this impossible dialect years ago. So let me know if I can help you out; you may ultimately find it easier, and more useful for other purposes, to learn High German well - and only after that start tackling the dialect. We could meet for a coffee at Cafe Himmel, and do
a mini-conversation course or just converse virtually.

J.

Welcome to Baden !

quick tip: lock your bike, it's safe but some thieves don't know it.

Ehm vvv... You've welcomed somebody who has left the forum last November.

That's us "Badeners" - Friendly, but not too bright...

Why are all Badeners awake?

The noise from Zürich makes it impossible to sleep

this vvv person is quite funny... does it not take some effort to dig up and old post, and welcome that person???

i was watching Hellboy the animated film. baden is nice and cool tonight, good for sleeping. g'nite!

Well, if you have a "granny bike" with two shopping baskets like I do, no one wants it . It's not cool, though I always lock it. Better safe than sorry.

In villages outside of Baden, like where I live, people are very friendly and stealing someone's bike is just not the done thing.

Did I leave ?
When ? What did I do ?

Nope, I'm still here, still alive, kicking, and going along to the fab
Tackaler drinks out, given half a chance (and when my 4-month old
baby lets me).

So, thanks for the welcomes.
They are gratefully received !!!


Mike

I noticed that when did reply, just want everybody felt welcomed, because when I just joined I felt very happy if somebody welcoming me.

But not only me welcome the 'gone case' here, but it seems that he is coming back.

So welcome back here!!!

This is supernatural... or then UncleMike988 had the notification feature activated for this thread. I am confused.