A few more Swiss things.

So, earlier I gave you a list of differences I personally noted between here (here being Switzerland of course), and the USA.  There are a few things I would like to add.

1. The toilet water level is lower.  Decidedly lower.  Meaning, you really have to clean your toilets much more frequently, if you catch my drift.

2. Bacon is unsliced.  Meaning, you have to slice it yourself.  I’ve gotten much better since my first bacon-slicing endeavor.  Okay, I must add that you can probably buy bacon sliced at a higher cost.  But trust me, the costs are already high enough here.  You buy unsliced.

3. The speed limit signs are circles, not rectangles.  Weird, I know. 4. Stores and business are closed on Sundays, they close early for the day (like 6 most days), and they often close in the middle of the day.  Refreshing.  (Unless of course, you’ve just driven through the city causing yourself several massive heart attacks, and then you get there only to discover it’s closed.)

5. Things that you’d normally assume to be free are not free.  Borrowing books from the library, for example (though I haven’t actually been to a library, so this is from hearsay and not personal experience) and garbage pick-up for large items, and lost and found services on the train, and you know—parking (though at some grocery stores the first two hours are free so that’s acceptable).  Parking.  Parking is the bane of my existence in Switzerland.  Okay, actually I’m getting more comfortable with it, but really, there is NO SUCH THING as a parking lot here.  Instead, there are teeny tiny slots in cramped underground garages where every slot is next to a big cement post.  Yeah, so you know, more panic attacks.  But we discovered that our van has a button which will make the side mirrors fold in.  That’s handy.

6. When you get married in a church, you have to be married civilly first.  We asked our friends last night when their anniversary is, and they gave us two different answers.  One day that got married civilly, and the next day got sealed in the temple, because just the temple marriage isn’t sufficient.  This is true for any church, they say.  Strange.

7.  Before church on Sunday, we were lucky enough to listen to a couple practicing their Alpenhorn music.   I’d say that that would be quite unlikely to happen in the States.  It’s very pretty.  You can go here to hear how it sounds.  It was even prettier with organ accompaniment.

And finally,

8. Physicality.  MUUUUCH more hugging and kissing and the like when you are greeting or saying goodbye.   Another blog explains the customary greeting/leave-taking: 

“The Swiss Way: The Swiss greet each other with three kisses on the cheek while lightly grasping the other person somewhere on the arm region. You aren't actually supposed to move your mouth or kiss, you are just supposed to touch your cheek to the other person's cheek. Making a fake kissing noise is optional.” 

This is already much more ummm, touching, than I’d ordinarily be cool with—I’m really happy to shake hands-- but it’s okay because I realize that that’s the way it is here.  What gets me though, is it’s not just female – female, but also female-male.  So, women kiss Brett, and men kiss me and it’s weird.  Very weird.  I almost laugh when I see women kissing Brett.  But you must understand, in all these things- including the kissing, just because it’s weird to me doesn’t mean it’s not also cool to me.  It’s cool. 

Peace out.