True. But how far is Ohio from Texas?

You know there's a civil war breaking out about a thousand miles from here? I don't see many people wetting their pants about it in Switzerland, though...

Yet you've never been here, haven't yet told us if you know any Swiss people, have no idea how politics and business actually work here. Check out Meloncollie's post about your lawyer a couple of pages back. She can say in one sentence more than most of us can with half a page.

Inanity? You've never lived abroad before, have you?

Wait till you get here before you tell us that our experiences are 'inane'.

You tell us all this, and yet believe you'll fit in in Switzerland? Do you know how much the Swiss enjoy listening to Americans - or any other foreigners, for that matter - telling them how rich and successful they are?

Switzerland isn't Texas. You'll find that out for yourself soon enough, no doubt.

Like I said: good luck.

With your attitude, you'll need it.

so whats happening here?

Bashing a fellow countryman for giving up on the US? Booing to another while being frustrated about your own "country-betrayal"?

just ridiculous

1. Switzerland is the place for business
2. living here is another story

@Dougals Breakfast
I dont get you. In another thread you make an American girl go crazy about dreaming to move to Glarus? ... and whats happening in here?

She asks questions and doesn't mock those who respond. She isn't trying to tell us all about the country in which we live. She isn't yet another tiresome Yankee libertarian who builds castles in the sky, but will never really be happy wherever she lives.

And most importantly, she isn't an arrogant, culturally-retarded snob.

With his attitude, he'll fit right in with the Swiss.

Lol...wow.

You must be either quite old, quite obtuse, or some magical blend between them.

Anyhow, thanks for the input.

Yup. That's me in a nutshell.

You can add "sick of being told all about the country in which I live by politically obsessed Americans who have never been here".

You're not the first, and you won't be the last.

Whatever happened to Morgannon, anyway?

Ahem,

By "old" I mearly mean "set in your ways/thinking," as I respect my elders who are of sound mind and amicable disposition.

I meant no offense to anyone advanced in years...merely those of menial mental state after many years of little advancement.

..soooo, how old are you?

And you want to move to Switzerland?

For those on here who might not be entirely familiar with American geography, here is a map:



Dayton, Ohio and southern Texas (give the OP the benefit of the doubt and call it San Antonio) are about 1900 km apart.

For comparison, here are some news stories about things happening this week 1900 km or so away from Zürich:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13925376
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...of-Athens.html
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...-16015862.html

__________________
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Y'know, another poster here much more socially in tune than you very accurately pointed out that every FACT I've enumerated here about CH is right in line with why I want to emigrate.

I'm beginning to believe you're simply a disaffected immigrant who couldn't make friends or fit in with the locals, and now you use this forum as marksman's range for your impotent frustrations.

I'm almost beginning to pity you.

Go out and have a beer and try to strike up some conversation and make some friends, Sir. If you speak the language, of course.

Certainly someone as well versed in the finer points of living abroad made sure to be conversant in the native tongue before moving in, yes?

Because I certainly will be.

Yes MathNut,

And we're connected by a common language, media and press, and cultural relativity.

Your "point" is completely moot and invalid.

Cultural relevance supersedes any geographical distance, as evidenced right here on these forums.

And the little fact that Police in Texas are pretty much exactly the same in training, philosophy, and agenda as in Ohio, California, or Florida.

But interestingly...cross the border into Canada and what? Wow, their mounties are actually quite different from ours...hmm, who would have thought it!?

And let's not even talk about crossing the border into Mexco, shall we not?

But crossing the border into Oklahoma? Well then, look at this...

Just like back home.

And it's not just police, it's most things. Especially governmental things, but also most cultural things too.

But, thanks for the input MathNut, hope you made someone proud.

My friend please ignore all of the seemingly negative tone. People here are trying to help you wake up. If you live in a posh golf resort will your wife REEEAAAALLLLYYY be willing to move into a 100sqr mtr apartment in Switzerland, WITH NO YARD? Because from what your finances are I dont know if you can even afford this. If your neighbors are so bad then why no move to the next town?

Two Caddies? I have a couple of SUV's and in CH I pay $170 each to fill them. Unless you wish to be a hermit living in a small apartment with no yard I am guessing you will be driving to nice places for so outdoor activities with the family. Lets pretend you fill up both cars twice a month. Thats $680 per month. That doesnt seem like much to us because we are used to it. But for some one with take home pay of $50k? Thats +16% of all your income mate.

What everyone here is trying to tell you is that you are not just in for a culture shock, but you are in for a lower quality of life. Home schooling in CH is for Muslim families and religious freaks who dont want ti integrate into society. Not only will they reject you application for citizenship (after the 13 years) when they see this, but you will be put on the Swiss National Polices' watch list for suspicious residents. (they think all Texans have affiliations to cults anyway)...... When the Italian police need info on fishy people, who do they ask? Not the DST, Not MI6, But actually the Swiss National Police..... If you come in and do wierd stuff they are going to stalk you mate. Please believe that.

So youre scared of police? I thought Americans cared about America? I guess you dont as you seem too lazy and superior to try to be the one to fix the system. The activist isnt the one who posts trash theenglishforum.ch about how bad the police are. The real activist is the one who tries to do what he can to better the system. Why dont you become a fukkeen cop and do the job right?

CH has lots of problems. Americans and Aussies try to fix that. I see it every day. Expats smile the most, they say thank you and please, they EVEN OPEN DOORS for Swiss people (Swiss people never say thank you they just assume you work as a door man).... We generally try to fix the rot.

So if youre not into fixing the rot (which is what youre telling us) then why come here where you will have twice as many problems in your face. As opposed to some wanker cop allllll the way in Dayton who you read about?!

You are telling us about stuff you read and we are telling you about personal experiences.

I repeat what Ive said before. Please come out here for a couple of months. See how the system works. Save some money. And then you can see just how out of line our assessments really are.

WOW! All of a sudden youre the worlds expert on police!!!!!

Not bad for a guy who has lived in TX his ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!

Youre like a marriage counselor who has never been married (or divorced 7 times)....

I all fairness Dougal, the OP started quite polite and staied with the facts in most of his posts.
Just because someone is richer than you and can afford to move to his favourite place to bring up a family doesnt really make him an arrogant retarded snob ... meanwhile ...

btw - what lucky guys we are sitting on your desk and getting paied for pickin' on ourselves ...

But he makes $50k a year.... $120k if you include his company.... Its not being snobby if youre rollin high on the hog. Dont hate the playa, hate the game baby.

You couldn't be further from the truth. I love living in Switzerland. I love the way of life here, I love the fact that I know my neighbours, I love the fact that there is hardly any crime where I live, I love the fact that the country is still embedded in the 1950s.

You see, unlike you, I'm a conservative kind of chap. I believe in law and order. I don't have a problem with my neighbours checking my rubbish bags and leaving notes in the washroom, because I have nothing to hide, and am prepared to accept that this is the way things are in Switzerland.

Earlier in the thread, you declared that you are something of a social libertarian. If that means you value the Anglo-Saxon notion of individual liberty, then you are going to have a very hard time here, as Economisto and others explained above. I don't care about individual liberty, as I'm quite prepared to abide by the (very, very extensive) rules of conduct in Swiss society.

I'm old fashioned like that. Are you?

I will put up $500k of my own money to make a Reality TV show starring this guy. We will call it Walker Texas Ranges Moves To Schwyz.... E! Will love it!

Posh golf resort...lol. Thanks for the upgrade, your assessment just drove up my property value immensely.

I like my neighbors. The little trifles don't particularly bother me. I was just using it as an example where the CH cultural attitude espoused ehre would be advantageous to me.

There's more than a few people here who's reading comprehension could use some work, as I never said I make $50k salary a year. If you had any modicum of business sense (or indeed, reading comprehension) you would have seen that I only "pay" myself $50k out of approximately $120-130k of business income a year, for TAX PURPOSES. The remaining $70-odd-grand doesn't just dry up and disappear. It's still my money!

Then there's the fact that everyone's cost of living calculations here are outrageously inflated. Blame your psychology on that one, but at any rate, not everyone in CH is a blazing tycoon making hundreds of thousands of USD worth of CHF. From reading other, much more level headed and dare I say much more sapient, sources, it's actually quite possible to live in CH with $50k USD a year.

In Zurich? no. Not in any of the main cities. And y'know, even if I did ONLY make $50k/yr, I'd welcome a Swiss commute if I had to live some distance from the city.

The fact that I run my business from a home office also means I really do not have any worries about the location, as long as it appeals to me.

And activism in America?

Heh, you've been gone too long. Too, too long.

Come back here for a year or two and spout off about activism and it's usefulness in the USA...