Re: damn i hate this country
 

Thanks for that Dougallsbrecky (what is dougalls brecky anyway?). We just moved from San Diego, California after 5 years there, to Landshut, Germany for a 6 month contract, and the plan to remain in Europe, Munich or somewhere similar. Admittedly we were very spoilt after living in SD and to say getting used to Landshut has been tough, is an understatement. We knew what we were getting into, though we needed a change. The area is beautiful, but the people are tough to get through to, my wife is also German and she has found it tough. We're moving to Zürich next week as our jobs have moved there, luckily. I feel Anthony's pain, though in an cosmopolitan city like Zürich will be heaven compared to here. One has to take the rough with the smooth, that's life eh? Your thread was informative and reassuring, Anthony's thread was funny though, I feel his frustration, Anthony, try Landshut out with a bunch of Bavarian carrot crunchers!

Re: damn i hate this country
 

@ Kittster, BertrandinGeneva and others:

The man is miserable, angry, frustrated and clearly homesick.

Any chance we could cut him some slack?

If you're Swiss, I'm sure you can cope with one foreigner hating you just this week?

If you're not Swiss, surely you've been there yourself at some time or other?

Must we always take everything personally? :rolleyes:

Re: damn i hate this country
 

There there Anthony1406, (cyberhug and a cyberpat on the back) we understand. Leet some steam out and remember "hey I will be here tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow......etc.:msngrin:

Re: damn i hate this country
 

I admire Anthony for writing how he feels, that's the best way to get it out!

Re: damn i hate this country
 

You're suffering from the "two-and-a-half year itch", that some ex-pats seem to suffer with - I had the same in California (I only had to cross the street, and I was on the set of Baywatch - almost - and I was still fed up) - and here (and still do from time to time).

At that time, the novelty and newness has worn off, and what were previously little niggles, have now become major annoyances - it's a mindset that becomes self-perpetuating and difficult to get out off.

You need to do one of two things:

1) Embrace your situation and immerse yourself more in the people and culture of where you are - which will mean some personal compromise and adaptation, and possible minor changes in identity (Swissify a bit); or if this is not an option:

2) You have to get out or continue to be miserable.

From my experience, these symptoms are only part of a circle, and by considering the above and riding it out, it shouldn't last forever.

In the meantime, why don't you have a drive up the valley to Charmey for a bit of R&R.

http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/navpage....yFR&id=115074&

[after all Bulle has been a bit of a building site for the past few years]

Re: damn i hate this country
 

Yes, if you want to leave you leave. There are no shackles on anyone here. I suppose it is an attitude and it is that is the one I chose.

Re: damn i hate this country
 

It's true isn't it? Switzerland would be better without the Swiss. Oh well.

Re: damn i hate this country
 

The guy hates it and he needs to take it out. Let it be. I had some days like that and I will have them again. I had those days in Istanbul too.

The first year I hated every single day of being there. It was terrible. After that first year, I was able to speak a bit of Turkish, I began to understand how things works and I began to stop thinking like a North American but like them.

I began to love it! I had the best time of my life, made plenty of friends (expats and local) and I became Turkish in heart myself.

Here I find it much more difficult. Not because people are not nice but because I am bored to death. I am someone who like to live outside, love the sun, the beach, water, people and having tons of things to do just outside of my door. Not something I can do here.

I need strong culture shock and integration and I love the feeling of being in vacation everytime you get out of your house. I can't find this here. I love to go to the corner store and people having a chat and knowing your name. I don't have that here.... Not in a small city like Basel while I had that in a big city like Istanbul. It is cultural. This culture doesn't fit with me. It is not a bad culture, not a wrong one, it is just me who doesn't fit in.

That's all.

Re: damn i hate this country
 

'swiss love is in the air, every sight and every sound' na na na na na...(after a day at La Gruyere Baths)

Re: damn i hate this country
 

Yeah, you're right. I would certainly be like him if I was living in a foreign country (other than the UK, of course).

But now, I appreciate to write what I wrote, it's one of my little selfish pleasure on this forum (where I'm a guest as I'm a native)

:)

Re: damn i hate this country
 

What DB said :)

I have yet to meet an expat who doesn't at some time or another go through periods where they loathe their host country, the work environment, the people, the weather etc etc with a passion. It can become all consuming, we spend hours thinking of ways to get out of this 'hellhole' and complaining to all who will hear and hopefully understand what we're going through. Most of us go through cycles of it until we acclimatise and this can take many, many years.

None of this is a reflection on Switzerland or the Swiss people. Comments like 'if you don't like it, leave' are not helpful in this situation. In this mindset we honestly and truly really would leave if we could!

I've met expats who have beachside apartments on the best beaches in Sydney, surf almost every day, work hard but play hard and they too go through periods where they loathe everything about Australia and the Australian people, mentality etc. Then they go home, get an adjustment in perspective (Christmas in England will generally do it :D) and come back to the flies, over work, heat and place they loathed 2 weeks ago declaring they love it and will never ever leave :rolleyes:;)

Expats here are just the same. It is a symptom of the lifestyle that many now have in a global working environment.

Four months ago if you'd told us we could leave; my husband and I would have packed our bags and would be impatiently waiting for you at the car door before you finished your sentence. Our mindset changed and we ended up fighting to stay here a little longer.

But I can't say that in another 6 months I again wont be trying to leave and detesting the place. Please be patient with us... we're new here:o:)

Re: damn i hate this country
 

Following all the "my God this place is awful" comments I did an experiment a while ago. I decided I was going to be British only for a few days. So I didn't speak any German to any of the strangers I encountered in my daily life. I was still my friendly, helpful self, just in English.

Guess what, people were STILL nice to me, still smiled when I smiled first, still helped me when I asked them something. So I REALLY don't get where all this nastiness is happening because it's not where I am. Sure, some shop ladies are quite rude but they are rude because they know they can't sell me anything, it's all too small. Of course that's annoying but it's not a REAL problem. And compared to French shop ladies, ours are truly charming.

As for economisto's comment, well, I'd expect more than colonialist, racist attitude from a mod and question the decision to make someone who so overtly hates this country and it's inhabitant a mod on this forum.

Re: damn i hate this country
 

The forum is what I used to have in Istanbul. A bunch of expats (with locals) to bitch about the place. It is therapeutical, but sadly on the forum, many don't see this bit...

Anyway, we used to meet to our friends house who had kids in bed in the evening....

It was our Bitching It Out Evening with alcohol and cards playing Ass Hole and complaining about the job, life, people, etc.

:D

Re: damn i hate this country
 

I don't think you will have fooled your fellow countrymen for long if you are not even able to recognise good old English irony.

Re: damn i hate this country
 

...and stop trying to advise him what he can do to change his life when something like a long walk in the country might turn things around for him?

Re: damn i hate this country
 

Well, then he speaks mostly in irony because economisto has both publicly and in personal messages made it very clear that this is his actual attitude. He would prefer this country not to have Swiss people in it.

Re: damn i hate this country
 

Awww honey, I can see why you'd want to but it isn't all that easy.


See what I mean?

Re: damn i hate this country
 

I don't have bad attitude from people here either and I don't speak german at all. But I don't have any bad experience with french shop ladies either. They chat to me even more!

If you want to complain about Economisto being a mod, you should do it in the proper forum. But I think his attitude and opinion about the country has nothing to do with the quality of work he can do on this forum. This forum is not about Switzerland but about english speakers living in Switzerland. Our hate or love about the country, the language, the fondue has little to do with the way the forum is run.. Best exemple? Editor Bob who probably never been in this country before...

Let's not mix things here.

Re: damn i hate this country
 

Im a brit from essex .........im used to people hating me :D

Re: damn i hate this country
 

I thought that you writing about Ireland :) I could match every word what I encounter in Ireland ,and add:
miserable weather
poor infrastructure
not much to see (unless you think that piece of land with wind blowing rain horizontally is magnificent)
TAX for paying someone else's debt over 50% for people who make at least 32 800 a year
"Sweet place to live" :)