Greetings all

I've been here 2 months and am unemployed and bored bored bored! Moved here for my husbands work. I'm not used to having so much time on my hands and no one to hang out with. I've got German classes twice a week which is good for a little intellectual stimulation and I've met a few people since moving here but they have JOBS! Anyone else with too much time on their hands during the day like to meet up and have coffee? drink too early in the day? do something? I'm up for some day time socializing
Cheers
Sue

That's why Zurich was voted the most boring city in Europe
2nd only to Brussels.

So you've already seen all the museums, devised some sort of healthy fitness routine, cooked/baked all the recipes you've ever wanted to try, sorted those family photos you've been meaning to since forever, caught up with old friends by post or mail, phoned that aunt that lives on her own, read all the books you've ever wanted to read, watched all the films and tv you ever wanted to watch, seen all the sights of the town, walked up the Uetliberg, trawled the internet, insert other inexpensive activity that one can do by oneself in TWO months. Wow.

Smart-alec comments aside, what do you like to do? There are so many clubs to join and things to do, I wish I was bored enough to do it all. But then I'm never, ever bored.

Easy; come to Basel!

It sounds like the original poster's problem is social circumstance rather than the city itself. As another poster has pointed out, there will be a lot to do in and around the city, and I'm sure there will be other people in a similar situation who would like to socialise.

Cheers,
Lewis

I think you have to sort out the night time boredoom first. If your nights were exciting then you would'nt be awake during the day to complain about boredom. Just my logical conclusion and suggestion.

Try this lot:

HHH

Hi sue!
Im in the same boat as you. My boyfriend moved here for work (zug) we live in luzern. I'm in the states now but will be back by end of February. I'll drop you a line when I return, we can get together coffee, lunch, chat either Zurich or luzern. Look forward to meeting you.
Talk soon,
Heather

This might help?
Tips for Trailing Spouses

Why not start a social event of your own? I am sure lots of trailing spouses will appear out of the woodwork and join you.

Alternatively, a fellow member on here, organises weekday afternoon drinks. Its weekly - mostly Weds, so look out for her next post on the socials events calender.
Late afternoon/early evening drinks

Lots of lovely ladies go. I made some really good friends from there. One final tip besides the social activities: ask yourself what you've always wanted to do when you were in the corporate rate race (charity work? write? get another degree which interests you? photography? bake? be a better cook? learn an instrument?) and do it. I did and I couldnt be happier

__________________
Remember when someone annoys you, it takes 42 muscles to frown, BUT it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and b****-slap the mother-f***er upside the head.

Stop taking newbies for a ride - they maybe believe you... If Zurich is boring, Basel is off the scale.

Honestly: The sun is shining right now and I would love to leave my office and go for a walk in the city... two more hours till I get out and then the sun goes down

How to meet new people? Join a gym and visit the mid-day courses... there you meet people who have time on the day and you do something good for your body. (You probably want to avoid the gyms in Kreis 4 unless you want to meet ladies who work night shifts...)

I have the perfect solution to boredom - with never a dull (or free) moment, in any location .... how's the biological clock ticking down?

I don't know if the groan was for misinterpretation, or if I touched a nerve (but the comment wasn't meant personally).

It was a tongue-in-cheek, way of saying, that with kids, you don't (one doesn't) have time for boredom - but obviously I don't know you or your personal situation.

EDIT: A final thought: I don't worry about thanks/groans, but I was concerned that through possible misinterpretation, my remark my have caused offence, which wasn't intended.

What about looking for a job though? I mean, even if you don't need the money (lucky you if so!) I actually find working is one of the best ways of meeting people. In big pharma/international banks/several other industries there is quite a market for English-only speaking people.

You could even set up some kind of small home-industry of your own. I know women here who make and sell pottery, and art, someone who set up a photography business, and someone who bakes and ices birthday cakes, people who make hand made cards, and bibs for babies, and who embroider logos on towels and sell them. These are all stay at home moms - so they don't have much spare time, and they certainly don't make much money out of this stuff (except the photographer and the cake baker - both of them have absolutely booming "proper" businesses now) but mostly they've done it because it's something to do and they like to.

I don't know the social life in Zurich, but here in Basel one joins centrepoint (or the BCT if you have kids, or both) and you go to some of their things and eventually you find some people you can hang out with.

Really? So, why is everyone going to Zürich on weekends especially from Bern? It's the most exciting german speaking city in all Switzerland.
Okay, nobody heard actually from the capitol city of Switzerland. Everyone outside is convinced it's Zürich or Genf!
No surprise.

I can sadly back that one up for at least some people; mentioned to a couple of people in the UK I was moving to Zurich, upon which received some excited comments including "ooh the captial of Switzerland, how does it compare to London" . . .

Similarly, I remember one pub quiz here in Aberdeen with the question "What is the capital of Switzerland?". Many people said Zürich or Geneva, I answered "Bern" of course but, to my teams despair, the quiz master wrongly said there was no capital city of Switzerland. A travesty... why do people get it wrong so often lol.

Learn an instrument? But is one allowed to make the noise involved during practising of the instrument??? I don't know what is actually written into my contract, but my landlord did ask if I played any instrument, told me of the "quiet hours - 12 to 2, plus after whatever, then commented that I would only practise at work.

Because the votes were on cities... the ones big enough and well-known abroad enough that people can have an opinion and vote on them. Places like Bern, Basel or Aarau did not make it on the list.

Sigh. Because technically there is no capital city of Switzerland. You can join this thread to learn more.

Are you familiar with Switzerland?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland#cite_note-0
"Berne: De jure "federal city"; de facto capital. Because of historical federalist sensibilities, Swiss law does not designate a formal capital, and some federal institutions such as courts are located in other cities."

ETA: Oh, I forgot what I was going to say about the original topic.
How about taking classes in something else besides German. Something you like maybe painting, stained glass, etc. Something that is hands on where someone an show you what to do, not just tell you. This will help you improve your German and you can meet some of the locals.

__________________

Technically there is: The parliament meets in one city which has all the lobbyists, governmental organisations and "bureaucratic infrastructure" that any other capital in the world has. To call it "Bundesstadt" instead of "Bundeshauptstadt" is more some sort of political joke to keep the central Swiss farmers calm, the attitude is known as "Kantönligeist". It does not change the reality of the central government being in one city and this is not Geneva or Zurich.

Funny enough does Bern.ch call itself "Bundeshauptstadt" in the first sentence...