12 Great Resources for Expats in CH, Part Two
If there had been an Expat Expo when I arrived in Switzerland a few years ago, I would have been in heaven to find so many English-speaking resources in one place. But since I have now been in Switzerland for over three years, I didn’t so much need information as I needed confirmation that people still really do give things away for free. (Yes, I am bitter over having to pay for ketchup packets at McDonalds).
Anyhow, the Expat Expo is a fun thing to go to whether or not you think you’re a know-it-all like me. The event was free. I got a free issue of Inside Switzerland magazine, a free issue of Swiss News, a copy of the International Herald Tribune, a cool reusable bag from Swiss Info, and a cherry Jolly Rancher. One cherry jolly rancher may not seem significant, but if you had been craving this sour candy like I had for the last month, it would have been worth the trip alone (thanks to xpatxchange for that).
And get this, I even learned about some resources I didn’t know about. Imagine that. So in this, Part Two of a two-post series, I’m going to share some great stuff about Switzerland (some that I knew about, some that I didn’t) that I think you’ll enjoy. You can find Part One on One Big Yodel.
Web Resources
7. www.outandabout.ch This is a going-out guide to Zurich written by a group of travel writers. It includes English-language movies and events as well as recommended restaurants, bars, and clubs.
8. Mamizeit is a web magazine with a focus on international moms living in Switzerland with children of all ages. It shares information on how Swiss daily life works and tries to help foreigners make the most of their time in the country.
9. Swisster is an online English-langauge magazine for expats. It covers topics like news, people, business, education, culture, and more. Users must pay for a subscription to read most of the content, but you can try a free subscription by emailing webmaster@swisster.ch. It seems like a content-rich site, but I don’t know if I’d read it often enough to justify a price of SFr 300 a year to use, especially when there are good sites like www.swissinfo.ch that are free.
Radio Resources
10. World Radio Switzerland If you don’t live near this Geneva-based English-language station (88.4 FM), you can still go to the website and listen online and download podcasts. WRS is the only English-language radio station in Switzerland and it offers a diverse range of shows that cover everything from news to culture to how the heck to make your garden look more Swiss.
Bookstores
11. Bergli Bookshop is an English-langauge bookstore in Basel that also holds Talk Parties, book discussion groups, and other events. Bergli is also a publisher of books that focus on living in Switzerland. Some of their titles include Hoi, your Swiss German Survival Guide and Beyond Chocolate, a guide to understanding Swiss Culture. To get 10% off and free postage within Switzerland on your first internet order, write ‘EXPAT EXPO Zurich 09’ in the comments box when ordering.
More
12. For even more info on Switzerland, visit Part One of this series or stop by the next Expat Expo near you. Upcoming expos:
Geneva Sunday, October 11, 2009
Lucerne Sunday, November 15, 2009
Zug Sunday, April 18, 2010
Basel Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tags: expat, expat life, Switzerland