سوئٹرزلینڈ فورم < Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??

  • جائیں اس یوزر کےRoger B's پروفائل پر

    good to hear your story

    پوسٹڈ بايئ  Roger B انرر سوئٹرزلینڈ فورم 

    Hi alexander, it's really good to hear your story for a change. I personally think that Chur is a quite charming place to live. It's like the enterance point to the Alps (good in the winter), from Chur you're in Zurich within an hour and there are plenty of cool places to go in the city.

    So what's it all about people talking about the Swiss as cold, narrow minded and unfriendly? Well, first I don't think one should mistaken a certain personal distance as unfriendlyness, the Swiss can be quite reserved and sport a "mind-your-own-business" attitude (ok, that probably qualifies somewhat as "narrow mindedness"). As said though, this kind of behaviour does not mean that they are unfriendly or racist, it's just that they generally require a healthy dose of effort if you want to get to know them really. Most Swiss are very proud, but are raised in a way not to show this overtly (says something about the reservation I'd say), unlike say for instance the Americans, but nonetheless, most people appreciate if you show some interest about our history and culture (personally, I sure do). This however does not mean that you need to be an expert in every single aspect from Swiss history to politics, but take some time at least to look into it (I think this is a common mistake especially expats make when comming to Switzerland. Often, at least from what I can observe, they show a certain lack of interest which then translates into reservation by the Swiss - we are not just low tax and internationality). If you know something about history and politics, do however try to stay neutral and don't delve into thorny issues (probably this is the same in Belgium... I probably shouldn't talk outright politics right?).

    I think the fact that your girlfriend lives in Chur should make it easier for you to connect. However, be aware that not all Swiss are that fluent in English, most speak a basic level of it, but it might make conversations somewhat difficult. Be sure though to try and integrate into your GF network (as a quick entrance), with young people this should be far easier than say if you were in your 40ies.

    Speaking of language, I assume you are a Flemish speaker? Well, this gives you a certain headstart over, say, romanic languages. I would first start learning ordinary German (maybe through a language school) and try to pick up Swiss German through the people around you. Be aware though that Swiss German is not a standardized language, varying from region to region (for instance, peops in Chur speak a different form of Swiss German than I do in Zurich). Depending on your current level of German you can pick up a few words of Swiss German quite easily.

    So enjoy your time in Chur

    Cheers
    Roger

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