Swiss Culture

Whilst the culture of Switzerland isn't all that different to that of the UK, there are still plenty of little things to remind me I'm abroad. Here are a few of the more interesting differences I've noticed:

Food

I mostly cook my own meals at home but even the availability of foods in the supermarkets here is quite different to what I would find at home. Some things have more choice - there are so many varieties of muesli, iced tea and cheese - other things have less choice - only one kind of peanut butter and one brand of vegan milk. Some things are cheaper, such as capers and polenta, and other things are wildly more expensive, like eggs and cereal bars. Some foods just aren't available at all - mince pies, bran flakes, salt and vinegar crisps, marmite and curry paste for example. And, of course, there are lots of new things to be tried - spinach strudels, bretzels, vegetable spreads, paprika crisps and chocolate gingerbread biscuits to name but a few. My favourite things so far are the spinach and feta pastries you can get from the supermarket.

Water

When I first arrived here I asked the youth hostel receptionist where I could fill up my water bottle and I was surprised to learn that, in Switzerland, pretty much all the water is drinkable. There are water fountains dotted around most cities but no fountains inside because you can just fill up your bottle from the bathroom tap. Another great thing about the water here is that it's really clear! All the lakes and rivers I've seen have had crystal clear water so you can see right to the bottom, even in the harbours.

Rubbish

The waste disposal system here is a little different to what I'm used to. First of all, you can only throw out your rubbish in specific bin bags which have to be bought from the supermarket at an extortionate price - the equivalent of £16 for a role of ten medium bags or £28 for a role of large bags. I suppose this is really a good thing because it encourages recycling reduces unnecessary waste but it doesn't make it any easier to spend that amount of money just so you can throw out your rubbish. I have also found the recycling system here somewhat more difficult. It is easy to recycle PET plastics and paper but only certain places take food waste and to recycle aluminium you need to take it to a recycling centre which is only open for limited hours each week and you need a special card to get in.

University

In Switzerland, it seems that most students continue to live at home and go to the university nearest to them - very different from home where the majority move out and live in halls of residence for their first year of university. This means that there isn't such a strong community outside of classes and there isn't as much of a need for societies and social activities at the university. However, there is at least an active international community which makes up for that.

Here I take eight different courses whereas at home I would be taking three so that's quite an adjustment. I wouldn't say it's necessarily that much more work but it's just a lot of different classes to be keeping track of at once and a lot more lessons to be attending. Most of my classes are really interesting though so I don't mind too much.

Social Media

I find it interesting that the choice of social media varies from country to country. At home, Facebook is undoubtedly the primary platform for all university communication. If you don't have Facebook it's very hard to stay up to date with society information, events and group meetings. When you meet someone new you add them on Facebook; if you have to do group work for a class you create a Facebook group. Here, Facebook is barely used at all. Instead, Whatsapp is the main app for communication - when you meet someone you get their number and message them on Whatsapp. For events, the main channels of communication are Instagram or Telegram. Personally I prefer Facebook because it's easier to find people and you don't need to give out your phone number all the time.

Covid

The handling of covid is obviously different in every country so it has been quite interesting to compare the measures implemented here with those of the UK. One of the main differences is that Switzerland is really big on the use of covid passes. Every since I arrived in September it has been compulsory to show a covid pass (to say you're fully vaccinated, have tested negatively or have recently recovered from the virus) for just about anything - group events, anything indoors, cafés, restaurants, the gym, university classes, markets, concerts. However, unlike the UK, Switzerland doesn't do track and trace. Basically, if you've been vaccinated you could do pretty much anything up till a few weeks ago when restrictions started being reintroduced.

Opening hours

First of all there are the university opening times. Classes can start as early as 8am and can finish as late as 7pm which is very different to at home where classes run between 9 and 5. Most of my classes are two hours long and one is four hours which is also a huge contrast to Aberdeen where lessons were only one hour. In Switzerland people eat lunch at 12pm so I never have a class between 12 and 12:30. Businesses also often close for lunch so it's important to plan ahead if you're trying to get something done. On Sundays everything shuts down including the supermarkets which means if you work all week, shopping day is Saturday and the shops can get very busy.

Transport

The Swiss transport system has a good reputation for a reason. You can get pretty much anywhere in the country by train, including up into the mountains for hiking or skiing. This is such a contrast with the UK where travelling in the countryside is near impossible without a car. The trains are expensive but you can get cheaper tickets by booking ahead and they are generally very reliable and efficient. Within the cities the transport system is very good as well with regular buses, trams and rental bikes to take you wherever you need to go.

These were a few of the differences I've noticed between the UK and Switzerland. I could go on so maybe there'll be a part two at some point. Overall it's just been a really interesting experience getting to know a new country a little bit!