 | | | 
02.07.2011, 21:34
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: La Cote
Posts: 17,488
Groaned at 414 Times in 275 Posts
Thanked 20,435 Times in 10,578 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring? | Quote: | |  | | | It's all about what you consider important to you. If you make a real friend of a yankee, and I've known a few, you'll have a friend for life as well. | | | | | Same here.
I miss that warmth. Not a friend of chummy, but good mood, nice spirit, smiles.
I also think it is hard to compare this generic idea of a "friend" here and there since it really does not exist. People are people, different all over.
It depends why we make friends, what our criteria are, too, how intense one wants the friendship to be, etc. If one tries super hard with somebody who at the end of the day isn't a friend at all, one can't just say local friends suck. There are plenty of flaky friends everywhere, and good ones too, one might have to only try harder here to find good ones, for a number of reasons, private culture, language bariere, locals being used to expats taking off after a short stint here, etc.
I remember nagging to my folks years ago, sad that one really can be quite isolated here and was told to quit expecting things instantly. We take decades to carefully apply our sophisticated selection process to find meaningful friendships, things get tested by going through hardships together and time, and now we want find deep friendships uber fast..
It's true. Our desperation to bond fast is sometimes motivated not to discover other human beings but mere survival here. We need the bonds, info. I can see why that might make people here not open up so fast. It's just a thought, though.
__________________ "L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi “The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman "Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein
Last edited by MusicChick; 02.07.2011 at 21:47.
| The following 2 users would like to thank MusicChick for this useful post: | | 
05.07.2011, 22:59
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Zurich, West-side
Posts: 2,199
Groaned at 8 Times in 7 Posts
Thanked 1,341 Times in 708 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring?
You're right about the "desperation to bond fast" idea ...
Just reminded me that, if you grow up in a place in which your parents also grew up, you inherit a heap of social contacts from them, which are then built on with your own (childhood) socialisation, and so on ... so you start with a 'foundation' of strong social contacts, then don't feel the rush to add to that ...
| This user would like to thank araqyl for this useful post: | | 
06.07.2011, 14:10
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: La Cote
Posts: 17,488
Groaned at 414 Times in 275 Posts
Thanked 20,435 Times in 10,578 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring?
This is very true...When you grow up with a circle of wider family around you, not only you have them as "friends" you often feel close to their buddies since you see them often, or more often than random aquitances. I miss that here, but one cannot really super speed this, since really good friends happen over some period of time. It is normal that we get tested, just like the way we forget about testing new friends here, since we are in the "survival" mode, ie as long as we get some human interaction, some bond, practicing local lingo, practical info and kids get to play with kids instead of lego. Laying off a tiny bit is healthy, since one bumps to human beings anyways, and trying to control the air of desperation is good. I have met ton of people through work/hobbies/location, still get sad over expats leaving, but can look back and really see it's a matter of time and being happily independent. I like the difference over friends elsewhere and here. Both quirky and sweet, though.
__________________ "L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi “The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman "Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein
| 
06.07.2011, 16:57
| Newbie | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Zurich
Posts: 9
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring? | Quote: | |  | | | Yep Switzerland is so boring I've been asleep since I got here. 29 years and not a wrinkle. | | | | | Good for you my friend, Switzerland might be the place to have a baby face for a long time.
Anyway, I dont get bored easily in Zurich :-) And if you enjoy beautiful landscapes and lakes, then Switzerland is the best. People can be a little bit reserve and it takes time till you can really get close to them.
| 
06.07.2011, 16:58
| Member | | Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Zurich (Uetikon)
Posts: 225
Groaned at 4 Times in 3 Posts
Thanked 195 Times in 57 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring?
I have been here 3 months, although mostly in a small village near a small town (Chur)and I must say most people here are very friendly and will go out of their way to smile and greet total strangers in the street, forest or mountain. The number of good mornings I get from old , young and children is sharp contrast to some of my colleagues in London who would walk into the office, sit opposite to me, drop their bag and switch on the PC like a total zombie/robot and wouldn't even sometimes notice/respond to my good morning.
Another astonishing experience, the other day my Swiss neighbour who must be in her 70s and doesn't speak a word of English, brought me a box of fresh cherries when she learnt I had just moved in. I never experienced this level of warmth and generosity from a new neighbour in UK or US. May be an exception?
| This user would like to thank Mr. Happy for this useful post: | | 
06.07.2011, 17:01
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: geneva
Posts: 1,476
Groaned at 29 Times in 16 Posts
Thanked 1,508 Times in 695 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring? | Quote: | |  | | | I have been here 3 months, although mostly in a small village near a small town (Chur)and I must say most people here are very friendly and will go out of their way to smile and greet total strangers in the street, forest or mountain. The number of good mornings I get from old , young and children is sharp contrast to some of my colleagues in London who would walk into the office, sit opposite to me, drop their bag and switch on the PC like a total zombie/robot and wouldn't even sometimes notice/respond to my good morning.
Another astonishing experience, the other day my Swiss neighbour who must be in her 70s and doesn't speak a word of English, brought me a box of fresh cherries when she learnt I had just moved in. I never experienced this level of warmth and generosity from a new neighbour in UK or US. May be an exception? | | | | | More likely on "action" in the nearby Migros
| 
06.07.2011, 17:04
| Member | | Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Zurich (Uetikon)
Posts: 225
Groaned at 4 Times in 3 Posts
Thanked 195 Times in 57 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring? | Quote: | |  | | | More likely on "action" in the nearby Migros | | | | | probably, but still doesn't diminish the gesture in anyway
| 
06.07.2011, 17:06
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: geneva
Posts: 1,476
Groaned at 29 Times in 16 Posts
Thanked 1,508 Times in 695 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring? | Quote: | |  | | | probably, but still doesn't diminish the gesture in anyway | | | | | Oh absolutely
| 
06.07.2011, 17:12
| Member | | Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Zurich (Uetikon)
Posts: 225
Groaned at 4 Times in 3 Posts
Thanked 195 Times in 57 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring? | Quote: | |  | | | Oh absolutely | | | | | How did you know I live practically next door to Migros lol and I have seen cherris on 'action' every now and then there.
But they tasted good  and even after 3 days!
| 
06.07.2011, 17:14
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: near zurich
Posts: 1,196
Groaned at 29 Times in 22 Posts
Thanked 1,051 Times in 427 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring?
and you get the additional protein from the wriggly things | Quote: | |  | | | How did you know I live practically next door to Migros lol and I have seen cherris on 'action' every now and then there.
But they tasted good and even after 3 days! | | | | | | 
06.07.2011, 17:15
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: geneva
Posts: 1,476
Groaned at 29 Times in 16 Posts
Thanked 1,508 Times in 695 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring? | Quote: | |  | | | How did you know I live practically next door to Migros lol and I have seen cherris on 'action' every now and then there.
But they tasted good and even after 3 days! | | | | | Spooky......
| 
06.07.2011, 17:18
| Member | | Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Zurich (Uetikon)
Posts: 225
Groaned at 4 Times in 3 Posts
Thanked 195 Times in 57 Posts
| | Re: Is Switzerland really that boring? | Quote: | |  | | | and you get the additional protein from the wriggly things | | | | | Knowing how expensive protein/meat is here, I guess that must be the icing on the cake !
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Thread Tools | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT +2. The time now is 16:05. | |