Thought I'd share a few thoughts/funnies about my first 3 months in CH. Some are very swiss!

1. When you ask for 500 CHF from the autoteller. You get 500 CHF...in 1 note*.

2. Taking 500 CHF from the autoteller no longer alarms me. 40 CHF for a coffee and cake for two is no longer price-compared to a reasonable meal out back home. 5.50 CH for a 500g loaf of stale toast bread you get back home for 99p doesn't have me spitting with rage anymore.

3. The cakes are nice here. So are the pastries, so is the coffee. And so is the chocolate. So that's all the essential food groups covered. My life expectancy is 3 years, my teeth 6 months, but I'll be happy. And buzzing.

4. Haircuts (the electric razor kind), are measured in mm, not 'grades'.

5. The driving has not improved, but mine has changed. If you see someone has parked their Espace in your boot on the A4, that'll be me.

6. The streets and pavements automagically clear themselves of snow. I think it's the fairies, because even at 6:30, they're clear.

7. Everyone is up before 6:30

8. The snow here is easier to MTB in than back home. Even if it does look like the attachment.

9. I clean up other peoples rubbish, apart from fag ends

10. And there are a lot of those. The swiss love to smoke...

11. The Swiss hate noise intruding their personal space. Unless it's a bloody church bell that ding every f*ing hour, regardless of the time of day. And it's the full ding-dong at 5am.

Stay tuned for the 6 month report...

* Duh..I should have said 10,000 - at least you'd know it was meant to be funny. But it would miss the lead into point 2.

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You mean you staying ?

PS Chf 500 notes went out about 10 years ago so i guess as the first point of your mail is untrue the rest follwos suit

..or you could re-read it and see if you pick up the humour bit.

Alpine Oompa Loompas clear the streets and sidewalks. You can't see them at night of course.

Brings back memories, even if the things I got used to weren't quite the same. Nice thoughts

On December 19, 2011...one of the happiest days of my life. We moved away from the church...no 6am bells anymore

Enjoyed it...nice thoughts...but nicer attitude

There used also to be a 1000Sfr. note which always raised suspicion, needing to be carefully examined infront of a strong light wherever you tried to change it.
I only ever had one, as a gift from my dear departed MIL, but I remember it well.
I felt compelled to get rid of it as soon as possible

Why would you buy that stuff anyway though, even for 99p ? There's some really nice bread here, even at the supermarkets.

It still exists - big mauve-coloured thing. I had a couple in December when I needed to pay a delivery man in cash.

I remember being very shocked when I first arrived here from France though - I had to move 3,000 CHF from my own bank to the one over the road for the deposit on a flat, and the bank didn't want to do a transfer. I was given three 1,000 CHF notes and felt very vulnerable walking across Place Pury in Neuchâtel with them in my pocket !

There still are. I have a couple of them right now. Yours for CHF 1100

I agree - we have a zumbach literally across the street, and I've been working my way along the rows of tastiness. The one that's got more muesli than a bowl of alpen is my favorite.

We get the overpriced square "toast" one, because it's the one my 2year old will eat.

I haven't seen one for years, so assumed they were no longer in circulation.
Which just goes to show that the only experience I now have of the high-life is living on the top floor of an apartment block

In the UK the biggest note is only £50 - and they always check with the light thingy, call a manager and look at you as if you are a criminal is you attempt to pay with one!

Yes, it's amazing in the UK how if you pay for something with four £50 notes you'll be treated with the utmost suspicion, but if you pay with ten £20 notes they'll be stuffed in the till without a second glance.

I wouldn't be surprised if forgers have noticed that too...

The good thing about the 1000 chuf note, is that you find a better quality of contamination ...... a cut above the rest.

Ok...I've been here for 18 months now.

I find it to be a very hard, cold place to live. I don't get the big fuss over Zürich, as most people just work here, and leave town on the weekends...either to the mountains or to a more exciting European city.

I don't think most people actually love "Zürich." They love the proximity to other things.

BTW, I get paid my stipendium in 1000 CHF notes...eek.

Interesting read ..... Wonder when the honeymoon period will end for you

Psssttt ... careful, you'll offend the Scots and Northern Irish! The largest denomination note in the UK is the £100 note. The largest in England is £50.

But just try spending a Scottish £100 note in London. You can't even use Isle of Man £1 coins without being branded a terrorist, let alone dodgy North-of-the-Wall notes.

actually, the largest denomination is a £100,000,000 bank note. there are 40 of these. there are also £1,000,000 bank notes.

fun fact: a forger in the US once created a fake note, something like a $10,000 note and went to a shop to buy something with it and get the change. the shop-keeper, unsurprisingly, didn't fall for it and called the police who arrested him.

The worlds stupidest criminals.
http://www.oddee.com/item_96624.aspx