Category Archives: Cultural Differences

Expat Advice: The Goods to Bring

by

Post by Lauren

We have guests coming this week.  It is great to see the familiar faces of our friends and family.  But you know what is also a perk?  TREASURES!

My mother in law is so very sweet to bring a few items we have been coveting.   For those expats who have yet to move, I wanted to share our TREASURE list so that you could maybe be smarter than us and bring a supply with you during your move!

# 1 – ENCHILADA SAUCE

We can get quasi Mexican products in Geneva.  However, they are overpriced and don’t taste the same.

Here are the prices:

6 pack of wheat tortillas or 8 pack of corn tortillas – 6 CHF  / $7 USD

Refried beans – 5 CHF / $6 USD

Black beans – 2 CHF / $3 USD

Guacamole jarred – 6 CHF  / $7 USD

Salsa that tastes like sugar – 6 CHF  / $7 USD

Fajita seasoning that tastes awful – 4 CHF / $5USD

While I have gotten over the fact that making a Mexican dinner at home costs 40 CHF, what is missing is enchilada sauce.  They do not have it at all here!

I have found it is best to buy the cans and put them in Ziplocs and then in my boots and shoes for better success at traveling.  Also, recently, my friend N told me you could buy McCormicks packets to save space.  I plan to stock up on these when we are back in the U.S.

BAKING GOODS

They don’t have the same rules here for baking. Everything I bake turns to S&^^.   For example, take a look at some cookies I tried to make recently with what I thought was cocoa powder.  It wasn’t.

Fail. Icky cookies

I also attempted to use brownie mix from a French grocery store for a cookie exchange.   They turned out awful.  I didn’t have time to make more. I had to beg people not to take what I had brought…I told them they’d thank me later.

So, I recommend that very expat moving to Europe should bring:  Baking powder, Baking soda (like Arm & Hammer), Crisco, Canola oil, Karo syrup & Vanilla Extract to help you recreate any recipes you know and love.

Better yet, pack a years worth of cake mixes, muffin mixes, and brownie mixes so that you can have easy-to-make treats.

COOKING SPICES

They don’t always have similar spices here in Switzerland.  Chili powder being a huge example.   We love making chili in the winter, so a stockpile of chili powder would be something to bring when you move.   I also to use Lipton soup mixes in recipes so I find these helpful to have in Geneva.

We aren’t ranch-lovers, but my friends A & A always stock up on ranch powder when they go home. Also, I know a few ladies from Louisiana who stockpile their special Cajun seasonings.  You are definitely not going to find anything of that genre in Switzerland.

CLEANING SUPPLIES

Bring your gloves, magic erasers and other things you are used to.

TOILETRIES

Makeup, shampoo, toothpaste/floss, and razors are 3 times as much here.   Bring a two year supply of all your favorite items!

OTHER FOOD

We are pretty lucky that we don’t have too many things that we miss from the US.  I know a few folks who are addicted to a certain type of cheetos, or candy bars, so this takes up prime real estate in their suitcases.   For us, I have noted that we have coveted:

–Kashi Almond Flax cereal (Gabe’s favorite).  We saw a empty box in a recycling bin at a hostel in Interlacken and actually tried to go on a mission to find it thinking that maybe it was available.  Unfortunately, some backpacker probably just brought it from the US.

–Stuff for making smores – graham crackers and marshmallows.  Not necessary but good to have around!

–Crystal Light – I know this isn’t good for me but I am addicted. Particularly the Target brand of Margarita Lime.  This is how I make margaritas on Mexican night 🙂

 

Douche de Bébé

by

Post by Lauren

On this blog, we have covered the fact that baby showers are an American thing. Other cultures don’t really have “showers”.

Our theory is that Americans love a good excuse for a party. We also like celebrating things. Who doesn’t love a party?

This past weekend, we were excited to attend our second couples “douche de bébé*”. A & A hosted a lovely baby shower at their flat for L & R who are expecting a girl this May.

A made beautiful invitations

In China, where L & R are from, it isn’t common to have a celebration pre-baby. However, they do have a celebration for the baby one month after birth. R explained that gifts are given and whatever the baby gravitates toward, they predict is going to be the child’s life passion. For instance, you hope that the kid reaches for a book indicating that he/she will be studious rather than a bottle of beer which could he/she is going to enjoy the sauce.

A did a fabulous job preparing some yummy shower food. She made Buffalo Dip, Fruit Salsa, Baked Brie, and had tons of other yummy snacks. L even brought some traditional Chinese food to her own baby shower – delicious sticky rice balls with pork. Gabe and I were quite happy to take a break from our frozen soup supply and to partake in the spread!

HB and Mommy

I think Rocco was glad S came!

The guys tend to flock together at les douches de bébé. Wonder why?

The guests of honor!

Excited about the diapers!

 

It was a really nice evening spent celebrating the upcoming arrival. We look forward to meeting this new little bundle in May of this year.

*literal translation of “baby shower” into French.  Yes, I know. Creepy. That is what makes them more fun here!

The Röstigraben

by

Post by Lauren

Switzerland has many different divides based on its mountainous geography. Since many of the areas stayed remote for a long time, it prevented the ease of travel and communication. Thus, there wasn’t really ever a “melting pot” effect in transitioning into one Swiss culture. Still today, there are still four official languages, based on the geography.

A few months ago, we looked at this language divide. This divide can sometimes be expressed as the “Röstigraben” (rosti divide in German) or in “rideau de rösti” (curtain of rosti in French). While the divide is named for a culinary dish ( based on the farmers breakfast rösti which originated near Bern ), it is actually more commonly used to reference the attitudinal differences that exist on either side of the divide.

The Swiss Germans have political differences to their Swiss Romande neighbors. It includes voting (Swiss Germans don’t want to be a part of the European Union, and want to keep the franc vs. adopting the Euro) as well as general lifestyle differences (Swiss Romandes are less conservative, less strict on rules, etc). During the elections, you can see a lot of this exemplified in the political ads.

And what is Rosti anyhow, you might ask? It is a potato dish. The best way to describe it is like upscale Waffle House hash browns. Sometimes it is served as a side, but most times, times its a main course – usually smothered, covered with something yummy – cheese, mushrooms, an egg, or perhaps sausage. It’s simply delicious.

Rosti at Restaurant du Pont, Zermatt, Switzerland

Other countries have similar divides reflected in foods.

In Germany, they have a line called the Weisswurstäquator. It is known as the “white sausage equator” because the Bavarian region eats the white type, rarely consumed by those living in the Northern region.

In Italy, the pizza is better in Naples and Southern Italy. Why? Because the Southern part of Italy was notoriously more poor than the Northern part. Thus, they often scraped up simple inexpensive ingredients to make a meal….thus creating and perfecting the dish we know as pizza.

And, back in the United States, I believe we have our own version of a Röstigraben, if you count the succulent Waffle House hashbrowns as a national delicacy. There are far more WH’s in the South than in the North and the West.

I wonder if our forefathers brought this back from Switzerland?

Courtesy of Waffle House restaurants

What other places in the world have divides based on food?

Gratitude Friday: The Swiss Pharmacy

by

Post by Lauren

One thing I am recently grateful for is the Swiss Pharmacy. I had a few prescriptions I had been dreading taking in. I was almost positive the interaction was going to go badly with my French skills.

However, it turned out to be one of my most pleasant experiences yet!

I walked in and presented my four prescriptions, including one for crutches (yes, you have to have a prescription to get crutches).

The guy took my prescriptions, typed it in the computer quickly and walked back and got them all out of separate drawers that the computer indicated. In less than 5 minutes. For four prescriptions and crutches! How awesome is that?

This particular pharmacy handed my prescriptions back with their stamp on them and a receipt. So, I have to bring it back in for refills. Not a big deal.

What else should you know?

–In Switzerland, you must have a prescription from a Swiss doctor to get medicine. You cannot use a prescription from a different country.

–You must file the claim with your insurance to get funds back, this isn’t taken out up-front.

–They do not keep your prescription on file in a computer for easy transfer on refills. They either give it back to you, or file your prescription and make a tick mark when you use one.

–If you are visiting or new here to Switzerland, you should note that grocery stores and convenience stores don’t sell OTC medicines like they do in the States. You have to go into a Swiss pharmacy. But don’t worry – there are a ton of them, one on every corner. When we first moved, our real estate agent jested that she had a client once assume the Swiss were more sick because of the presence of so many pharmacies. Not so; just a different system. Kinda like how you can by alcohol or beer at the grocery store in some US states and not others.

–There may be a Swiss Pharmacy on every corner, but they are not open after 6pm or on Sundays. You can always go to the airport pharmacy if you are in a bind!

–The Swiss pharmacy has over the counter meds as well as high end lotions like L’Occitane.

–This Swiss pharmacy doesn’t have all types of OTC medicines that Americans are used to. If you are an expat, bring 2 years worth of your favorite cold, tummy, and painkiller medicines. Sometimes when you are sick, its easier to just have what you know and like vs. navigate the best substitution in a foreign language.

 

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

by

Post by Lauren

Last weekend, we went to St. Moritz for the horse races. Since it was my first horse race, I didn’t know what to expect. Also, we had read that the town was a bit fancy. It is known to be the oldest winter resort in the world. In fact, it is said that alpine tourism was invented in 1846 when Johannes Badrutt built his first hotel here.

Prior to Badrutt’s era, St. Moritz was also known for its therapeutic spas in the Middle Ages, dating back to 1466 BC.

It has also been the home to two winter Olympics.

We stopped for a drink in Badrutt’s Palace but the average cocktail selling at 25 CHF, we only enjoyed one round of hob-nobbing with St. Moritz’s finest. We were a little out of our league, but nonetheless, enjoyed the fashion trends that this glitzy winter town offered:

THE DO’S IN ST. MORITZ:

All white & black is a good choice. When in doubt, dress the entire family in aviators.

 

 

You must get points for wearing fur. My best guest is that one fur item equals one point. If you include the tail of the animals, you get bonus points.

 

For that matter, don’t let your dog be caught in anything less than Louis Vuitton or Burberry. How cruel would that be!!!

 

Just remember, no matter how well someone dresses, some things just never change.


Valentine’s Day and other non-events

by

Post by Lauren

Before coming to Geneva we knew that American holidays like Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving would not be celebrated in our new country. Throughout the year, we have also learned that thematic ones like Halloween are also not as popular on this side of the pond.

Today’s holiday of Valentine’s Day also falls into this bucket. It is simply not a big thing here….or at least compared to the $17.6 billion USD Americans will spend on Valentine’s this year. I have seen a few heart shaped window displays and a few gentleman toting flowers on the bus, but its really a dime a dozen. The plus for ex-pats is that you would have zero trouble booking a restaurant with your sweetie on February 14th. Not that it matters to us — we planned a nice quiet dinner at home.

When it comes to other life events, I learned recently that they do not do “baby showers” or “wedding showers” in most other cultures. I discovered this in the summer when I was trying to explain to my French tutor that I attended a lot of baby showers in the US because all my friends were having kids nowadays. When I said “douche de bébé”*, you should have seen the look I got. I pulled out my photo album to further explain and demonstrate the concept – pages of my pregnant friends and games and gifts. However, she still wrote it down in her day journal because she thought it was such a funny concept.

And its not just a French/Swiss thing. Last week, we threw a baby shower for some moms at a local women’s shelter who had just given birth. The women had varying origins in Africa and the Middle East. We had to explain the concept as “an American tradition” before we started the refreshments and gifts as this type of events wasn’t familiar.

In case you would like more information on baby showers, check out S’s blog as she recently hosted a beautiful multi cultural attended one for friends M & C.

*Doucher is the French verb for shower.

Guests: How to Tell Time Here

by

Post by Lauren

A few months ago, I did a post on the metric system and how difficult it is to get used to when you are used to another system.

Another cultural difference is in reading time.

Clock tower in Bern

 

In Europe they use military time most of the time So, I get invitations for lunch at 13:15 and for French class at 14:30.

But, sometimes not. And that makes it really difficult when taking appointments over the phone. When arranging our next rendez-vous, I heard my French teacher say at “à douze heure” [ah-douz-urr] but she really said “à deux heure” [ah-dooz-urr]. One is 12 and one is 2. I asked for clarification once I saw her pencil it into her afternoon instead of mid-day and she quickly told me no one says 12pm, only “midi”. Okay, glad we have that solved.

They don’t use a.m. and p.m. here. I do some copywriting for the women’s club. As a habit, I write things like a certain group meets at 11am and constantly get reminded that it simply doesn’t apply. It’s 11:00. The other day I was tutoring English to a French lady at the women’s home and tried to explain the concept of a.m. and p.m. She commented that it was very odd we had that.

To keep complicating things, dates are listed here in Day / Month / Year vs. Month / Day / Year. So the grocery item marked 12/04/2012 actually expires in April instead of December of 2012. When you have mixed US and Swiss pantry items and medicine, it can get a bit confusing.

How does this apply to guests??
Please note that when filling out any paperwork, doing the date Day / Month / Year is important. Also, when you buy any type of train or airfare, pay attention to the date in this format and the time in this format. This would also be key for buying tickets to a show or museum. An 8:00 ticket would be in the morning vs. 20:00 in the evening. A train ticket on 2/3/12 is March 2nd, not February 3rd.

Celebrity Hideout

by

Post by Lauren

Switzerland is a great choice for celebrities to own homes because of its characteristics of discretion and privacy. The Swiss would never start a conversation with a stranger in line or on a bus, much less invade someone’s privacy by asking for autograph.

Here are a few celebs hiding in the hills:

  • Yoko Ono lives in Geneva since 1968.
  • Shania Twain lives near Montreux on Lake Geneva.
  • Phil Collins lives on Lake Geneva
  • David Bowie lives in Lausanne on Lake Geneva.
  • Tina Turner lives on the lake near Zurich

Sometimes the privacy is a nice benefit. Since I am not yet a fluent French speaker, its nice not to have people continually starting conversations with me and not able to properly answer them.

Sometimes its not so nice. One of my friends had her hand slapped by an elderly lady when she was trying to assist her getting her grocery cart on the tram. And, since US me was quite a chatter, this new lack of human interaction can be lonely sometimes.

However, I certainly understand why celebrities would find this environment a pleasant change to their over-exposed lives. And for that matter, any other wealthy folks trying to keep money in secret in the Swiss banks!


Interesting….

by

Post by Lauren

There are several English words here that have different meanings in the US vs. Europe. Today, we’ll look at the word “interesting”.

In the US, the word interesting has a slightly good / or very good connotation:
–Yes, that film was really interesting. I never knew that the impact of subsidizing agriculture could have that affect on our food supply. I am so glad I know more about this topic.
–Her approach was interesting. I would have never thought of it that way and enjoyed the perspective.
–He studied geo-physics, became a doctor and now rescues 3rd world orphans in the Peace Corps? What an interesting person!!

In Europe, we have noticed that it more often has a negative connotation:
–That apartment in the red light district is quite interesting.
–You’ll find the prices here quite interesting.
–Your fashion sense is interesting. (what they probably say about me)

What other words do you know that have alternative meanings so that I can be on the look-out?

La Poste

by

Post by Lauren

The post office is called La Poste. It’s French for post office. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your ordinary operation.

Here is what you can do:
-Send mail & buy stamps, of course.
-Pay your bills and fines – just bring the originals in with your payment and they handle the bill paying for you (there are no checks in Switzerland). Don’t ask us how we know so much about the proper way to pay fines.
-Get permits for driving on highways, for your bicycle, etc. It’s 40 CHF to drive on the highway here. Anyone who drives on a Swiss road has to pay this. Think twice about a little joyride in the Alps other EU peeps….it costs a pretty penny here. It’s only 6 CHF for the right to drive your bike on the road here. What a steal! Since I have taken mine out twice, I’m at 3 CHF a pop.
-Pick up a package that is bigger than a standard 8 x 10 envelope or sometimes just a 4 x 6 cardboard envelope that looks important (they won’t leave at your door, you have to walk 3 blocks to pick it up). Oh and watch out. You’ll likely have to pay 30 CHF VAT for the right to pick up your package. Enjoy!

Here’s what you cannot do:
-Do not try to pay by credit card.
-Do not attempt to pick up a package for your hubby without your marriage license. Especially if your last name is different. Not happening.

When you enter La Poste, you take a number slip from a machine. You don’t have to stand in line, you just wait until your number appears . That frees you up for…..SHOPPING! You can buy a ton of stuff at the post office:

Office supplies! Makes sense.

A rather large assortment of wallets.
At least 4 types with Swiss flags.

Lots of tools. Even a 100 pc set!

Need a new cell phone? No worries, there is quite a variety here!

How about Spongebob??

They also have tons of recipe books, gift cards (iTunes, department stores) and small appliances.

It’s really more like a gas station convenience store than what we know as a post office.

Like most things, sending mail is not cheap here. Its $1 for a stamp inter-Switzerland. $3 for one to the US. I had a normal sized envelope yesterday and they said it was abnormally large for Switzerland and charged me $5. This is why a lot of you get photos from us instead of real cards. Sorry.