I knew you had to be American.

Pretty much any book would do.

Vacuuming on a Sunday is rather inconsiderate.

to be perfectly honest with you CHF150 won't get you anywhere...perhaps you should look out for jobs before you arrive here. the airport offers a huge variety of jobs for especially english speaking people....good luck!

I thought it was illegal to vacuum in CH on a sunday. Or was that gardening? I also heard that i may not be able to get my minaret through customs.

Not gardening per se, just using machines, such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers. Since foliorose knows so much, she should know vacuuming on Sunday is really not on when you live in an apartment.

Americans wouldn't know what you meant in this context with the phrase "not on."

Wear your minaret as a hat and they won't notice.

Getting realistic, assuming the plan and resources haven't changed, if you fly into Zurich, here is a suggestion:

- Proceed from Arrival to the trains in the lower level

- Take a train to Dübendorf, half an hour ride (train changes, you will have to ask), won't cost much

- From the train station in Dübendorf, walk across the street and down to Bettlistrasse 22, about two minutes:

Soziale Dienste
Bezirk Uster
Bettlistrasse 22 · 8600 Dübendorf
Tel. 044 - 801 99 20 · Fax 044 - 801 99 30

- Walk into reception and tell them "I need help and would like to talk to someone. I have no home, no money and no job" and hand the receptionist your passport. You might add "I only speak english", I think Verena Schär, a social worker there does.

- Let them take it from there. No need to compose a speech, just answer questions. Their motto is "We won't leave anybody standing in the rain", and they won't leave you standing in the snow. Just make sure they understand that you have nowhere and no means to go anywhere from there.

http://www.sdeu.ch/

You will find the Swiss pragmatic and to the point, but you needn't take that as unfriendly or hostile. They don't wear their hearts on their sleeve, but they have one buttoned up inside their shirt.

Daboy: When you get here, there's at least one hot meal headed your way for starting one of the most entertaining threads in weeks.

PM me when you're settled.

Thanks. In return I will provide a burned copy of the television show of your choosing.

What a sweet guy, this J T. Thanks. It's like google directions for my life.

Pragma happens to be my favourite kind of tism (I challenge anyone to think of a better -tism).

Actually daboy, JT did you one better. If you go to the Sozialdienst website (http://www.sdeu.ch/) and look at the "Arbeit" link and then click on "Job Bus -Teilnehmer" link you see that they offer day jobs which pay you cash in hand by simply showing up at 8:30 AM and doing the work. Hell, they even throw in a map so that you can find the place you need to show up to (look at "Lageplan" link) although the place is just across the street. They will ferry you to and from work as well. Hey you might even get a "Gipfeli" (Croissant) and a "heisse Tasse Kaffee" (Coffee) before you set set off to work. JT I wanted to thank you for the post but did not know how to since I am an englishforum "newbie".

Many think 150.-- is not much to get you around in Switzerland. And from an expat view living life with a certain standard this is completely correct. Still there are many here - I know some of them - who would say that 150.- is a lot of money.

One came a long time ago with exactly CHF 20.-- in his pocket and a blue collar job contract in hand.

So even in rich and expensive Switzerland there are humble backgrounds.

OP: Did you get your girlfriend pregnant or something?

Yeah. It was your mom. hahahahah

Wasted, I think you are now entitled to 18 years back-payment of child maintenance payments...

I challenge you to get a job.

No need to tease guys! If you can help with something ok, otherwise don't make him feel even more uncomfortable. He is trying to make a life in another country and he didn't ask for nothing else than opinions concerning his situation. Didn't ask for money, food whatever from your pockets or for friendships. The OP even showed more decency than some of the previous commentors here.

If having a swiss passport is his luck, than hell yes he should try his chance here, its his right.

And by the way, this is a fact, a life story not a troll. He could actually consider write a novel inspired from this story.

You might consider spare the OP from the useless suggestions as staying where he is now for some more time, since he already said a few times that he has the flight ticket and he is coming in short time.

Write a novel because he's broke?! Stop encouraging such behaviour, please! If this is novel material..then I should reconsider my line of work and start writing books.

Hmm. Autism?

You'd need a very patient editor.