Language confusion in Switzerland is nothing new

By Chantal Panozzo

Language can be a tricky thing in a country like Switzerland. After all, the tiny country with a population of 7 million has four official languages and many more unofficial dialects. In case you find it confusing, here’s a little guide to help you understand what region you’re in:

Here’s how you know you’re in the German-speaking region:

-People from Germany are as confused as you.

-They write in one language and talk in another.

-There is a lot of fog.

-People don’t understand the people from the next town over because the dialects are that different. But this is on purpose. Secrecy is big in Switzerland—not just in banks.

-How you say “hello” is analyzed to determine what town you’re from.

-If you are not on time you are not worthy.

-Everyone’s eating either wurst or wurst.

Here’s how you know you’re in the French-speaking region:

-The written language is exactly like the spoken one.

-The French-speaking Swiss don’t understand Swiss German and this frustrates them. The Swiss Germans like it this way.

-Everyone speaks French or French.

-Almost every town is on a lake.

-The French Swiss make the watches. The German Swiss obey them.

Here’s how you know you’re in the Italian-speaking region:

-People talk with their hands.

-The buildings are colors like pink, yellow, and orange.

-People eat pizza or pizza.

-Many speak German as a second language. The German that the actual Germans can understand.

-You can actually see the sun.

Here’s how you know you’re in the Romansh-speaking region:

-You think you hear Italian. You think you hear German. You think you hear Latin. But you don’t understand anything.

-There are no young people around.

-You are in the Alps.

-There are a lot of cows.

-Everyone speaks at least one other language.

How about you? How do you determine what section of Switzerland you’re in?

Chantal Panozzo is a writer in Switzerland who has written for a variety of publications on two continents. She’s the author of One Big Yodel, a blog about life in Switzerland and moving abroad, and also discusses living abroad as a freelancer at Writer Abroad.

by Chantal Panozzo

Loneliness. Even the most outgoing expat is going to have their moments. One of the hardest things about living abroad is being far from former support groups like family and friends. Here are five ways to help you fight isolation abroad:

-Write a blog. I’ve written about the benefits of blogging before, but writing a blog can make you feel like you’re part of a larger community and can also lead to making friends.If you live in Switzerland, Swiss Expat Bloggers is an organization of over 100 expats that blog. All you have to do to join is start a blog.

-Join a club. Maybe you don’t speak the local language so joining a local club, music group, or sports team may be difficult. But there are plenty of expat organizations that welcome new members. For a good list of clubs in Switzerland, visit the the Swiss News listing on their website.

-Invite your neighbor over. Many Swiss people will wait until you come to them first. They might be secretly hoping to meet you, but you’ll never know until you go knock. And don’t worry about your language skills. When my neighbor and I get together, we keep the German-English dictionary close by. Getting to know the people you live near is key to feeling more at home.

-Take a language class. There are many ways to learn a language without spending money on a class. But if you take a class you’ll meet a group of people and feel a sense of belonging. This can help with fighting isolation while also allowing you to gain the skills necessary to make you feel less foreign in the long run.

-Get a job or volunteer. Getting a job—even a part-time one—can help you become part of the community in a way many of the above just can’t. Most likely, you’ll meet international people as well as locals and gain insights into a culture that only a foreign office can provide.

How do you fight isolation abroad?

Chantal Panozzo is a writer in Switzerland who has written for a variety of publications on two continents. She’s the author of One Big Yodel, a blog about life in Switzerland and moving abroad, and also discusses living abroad as a freelancer at Writer Abroad.

Photo by Kathy of Two Fools in Zurich Blog

By Chantal Panozzo

Living in Switzerland can be challenging when it comes to learning a language—especially for those in the Swiss-German speaking region. And like most things in Switzerland, language classes can be prohibitively expensive. So what’s an overwhelmed expat to do? Actually, there are many ways to learn a language—without spending much money.

One. Watch TV. Pick a show that will use language in a way that’s not overwhelming. A good example in German is Bauer Sucht Frau. This show is all about farmers looking for love. The language is simple because people are meeting each other (think Chapter 1 of a German book with a little more spice) and subtitles often sum up what people are saying. Many reality shows are good for this reason.

Two. Rent a movie. Another way to learn is to rent or buy a movie that you know well (think a movie you can practically quote—for me, this would be The Sound of Music) and watch it in the language you’re trying to learn. Just try not to be thrown off by the unfamiliar voice coming out of your favorite actor’s mouth.

Three. Language exchange. There are always locals that want to improve their English and will gladly speak their language with you in return. Message boards are often filled with people looking to swap languages.

Four. Don’t switch to English. This sounds obvious, but it is easy to do, especially when the person you’re trying to speak German or French to switches to English first. While the cashier, train conductor, or storekeeper changes to English, continue in their language. As a native English speaker, sometimes you have to fight to speak foreign. Don’t give in.

Five. Read. Some of the best things to start reading are the local freebie papers like 20 Minuten or Blick am Abend. These are like the German equivalent of Star Magazine. Lots of photos and graphics to help you and your comprehension out. And a little gossip never hurt anyone. Especially when it’s being used for educational reasons.

What has helped you learn a language in Switzerland?

Chantal Panozzo is a writer in Switzerland who has written for a variety of publications on two continents. She’s the author of One Big Yodel, a blog about life in Switzerland and moving abroad, and also discusses living abroad as a freelancer at Writer Abroad.

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My husband likes to use our chalkboard to express his appreciation of our experience.

Gah, I really hate the term “Trailing Spouse”.  I am not a card carrier for the “I am Woman Hear me Roar” club but this particular term implies so much, while describing so little about who I am and why I chose to become an Expat.  Yes, I chose this lifestyle so there is no use in complaining about it, but in reality there are pretty strong emotions that come with choosing not to work.  In American culture your career is one barometer gauging your success as a person so when that one measurement is taken away it feels sorta weird, almost like you are living in some strange alternate reality or universe.  There are a whole slew of emotions that a Trailing Spouse must reconcile and I have a few tips I would like to share so hopefully you make it through the transition unscathed:

1. Throw Your Guilt into a Frying Pan- Guilt is Mental Ebola which seeps into all of your thoughts and comes out of all of your pores.  Even though my husband and I decided together that I would trail while he worked, I couldn’t help but feel there was an inequity stemming from who contributed what and how.  Imagine your partner is a frying pan, talking to your partner about your guilt is the heat source and your guilt is some really tasty bacon.  I found great comfort in talking to my frying pan which made my guilt sizzle, subsequently allowing us to eat the hell out of it, leaving no trace of the its existence.  When you talk to your working partner, you may find out what I did: You gave up a lot to be here, you do all the other things that contribute to the success of your partnership, your partner appreciates what you have sacrificed and without you, there is no Expat experience.  You add value and even though it can’t be deposited into your UBS account, it is deposited somewhere- in the bank of Expat Success.

2. Get Connected- I found what I missed most about working wasn’t the paycheck, rather the feeling that I was part of something.  Originally I had planned to take a couple months to get acquainted with my new city, get the apartment in order and enjoy my free time.  I quickly learned solitary living wasn’t for me as I found that my very white apartment walls started to feel like a giant straight jacket, I began to speak in tongues and cried hysterically during German narrated nature shows…those animals are so damned cute.  As a result, I started intensive German class a month early. Find a club, a class, volunteer work, something that will enable you to connect with others on a consistent basis and you too will feel like a part of society again.

3. Do That Hobby or Thing you Never had Time for- I realized the other day that somehow I feel busier without a job.  How did I manage this?  I got off my butt and started doing things I have always wanted to do but never had time for.  I love to cook so now I experiment a lot more, I spend tons of time with my doggies, I BLOG, I read other people’s blogs, I meet people for lunch, I just do stuff.  Once you get past the guilt of not earning an income, it frees you up to explore other valuable things life has to offer.

4. Embrace your Inner Expat- I mean, really hug the living poo out of it…every single day.  You and your partner worked hard to get here, but with any opportunity, you can forget how special it is and take it for granted.  Inevitably, your host country doesn’t have that new car smell anymore and life is life again.  It is up to you to remember why you are here and to appreciate what an amazing opportunity it is.  Just look at the picture above for some inspiration.

I was going to list a #5- Get a Job- but I figured this post was about surviving as a Trailing Spouse.  At the end of the day, you are experiencing what people can only dream of, so get used to it and try to love every minute of it.  I assure you that if you try any of the tips mentioned above, you will not only survive but flourish during this experience.

Happy Trails!

When Zurich based Hausfrau Kristi isn’t busy stuffing her face with chocolate, she enjoys writing her own blog From A to Z.

By Chantal Panozzo

When you first arrive in a new country, it can be stressful for many reasons: language, bureaucracy, finding your way around. But it can also be stressful because it’s hard to judge costs. Yes, things are typically more expensive in Switzerland, but how much so in relation to your salary? Will you be able to save? How will you budget?

The average Swiss salary is about CHF 68,000 (or about CHF 5,600 a month). Full-time salaries under CHF 35,000 are considered poverty level for a family of four. But if you’re a highly qualified professional like many expats in Switzerland, you can expect salaries to be double the national average, sometimes even more. Salaries also vary from canton to canton and industry to industry.

Below is a run-down of what you can expect things to cost: (all figures in CHF)

2-bedroom apartment: 2000-4000/month (depending on canton/location)

Additional apartment costs (Nebenkosten—like heating the building, etc): 5000/year

Parking spot at apartment: 180/month

Health insurance (you typically must buy this independent of an employer): 300/month (with a 2500 deductible)

Apartment insurance: 500/year

Loaf of Bread: 2

2-liters Milk: 2

10 eggs: 4

Bag of Chips: 5

Yearly Resident Permit costs: 100

Liter of Gas: 1.65

Yearly Train Pass (GA, second class): 3000

Full-price ticket for a 15-minute train ride: 10

High-speed Internet: 45/month

Phone line: 20/month

Cell phone: 25-50 cents a minute (pre-pay)

Lunch at restaurant: 20

Dinner at restaurant: 40

Beer at restaurant: 5

Water at restaurant: 6

Movie ticket: 18

Value-meal at McDonalds: 10

Starbucks drink (small): 7

Language lessons: (3 weeks, intensive) 750

Daycare: 2000-5000/month

Tuition at an international school: 30,000/year

Anyone else have anything to add about the cost of living in Switzerland?

For more on living in Switzerland, visit One Big Yodel, a blog about expat life in Switzerland.

by Chantal Panozzo 

In Part One of The Life of an Expat, I talked about the expatriate phenomenon of feeling like your life is on hold. We’ll get that dog when we move back. We’ll have that baby when we’re in a place where doctors speak better English. Yes, we’ll have a house. Someday. When we’re somewhere else in the world that’s more appropriate for such a thing.

And sometimes those “somedays” turn into not just months, but years. And even though to outsiders, we’re living our lives to the fullest (heck, we’re living a life most can only dream of), we can’t help but think part of us is just waiting for a return to the familiar before we do those certain things.

Another thing that’s hard about expatriate life is that you learn to love more than one country. You learn new ways of doing things. Some you hate. But some you like better. In Sarah Turmbull’s book about expat life, Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris, she meets a man who tells her, “It’s a curse to love two countries.” I can’t think of a better way to sum this feeling up.

Even though I do my own fair share of complaining about certain things Swiss, the reality is, it will be hard to leave when (and if) that time comes. Hard to leave my neighbor, my Swiss friends, my expat friends, and a country that almost feels like home. Key word, almost.

Which brings me to the point. As expatriates, we often don’t know how to answer the simple question, “where’s home?” Your adopted country is just that—adopted. And while you’re adopting, your home country becomes more and more foreign.

When I go back to the United States now, I can’t help but criticize all the gas guzzling cars, the wasteful packaging on products, and the stores that stay open on national holidays. But at the same time I can’t wait to eavesdrop on conversations while I eat deep-dish pizza and drink bottomless beverages. I thought living abroad would make me a more educated and international person, but deep down, I think I’m  just more confused. Happily confused, but still.

What do you think? If you’re an expat, does your life feel like it’s on hold sometimes? Do you feel cursed loving more than one place? What do you love and what do you dislike about expat life? 

For more on this topic, visit Part One, over on One Big Yodel.