9 Comments:

• Oh dear, I thought at least companies in Switzerland had A/C, cuz the University of Geneva only has it in its library :-s But you know what's funny? Despite the fact that Swiss aren't A/C fanatics, I've never heard or read about the fact that it's because they think A/C spreads germs...I am Swiss, and that sounds so odd to me, don't believe it in a way. I think it's just because it's not part of our culture...my dad works for an Schering Plough in Lucerne, and there they have A/C. Maybe because it's a US-company.

  By  Carissa )i(, at 2:05 PM  

• Hi Carissa,
  
  When i arrived here i was given a book that mentioned this big superstition of drafts and how windows will always be closed and so on...discussing this with swiss and foreigners on my floor in my building the general consensus was that this was why there was no a/c...
  
  i work in a half brit/half swiss owned company and whilst many foreigners work here we have many years of old skool swiss processes and mentality...
  
  you said "its not part of your culture" to have a/c - why do you think this is?
  
  cheers
  B

  By  Bretto, at 2:12 PM  

• Check out this link for some other comments on swiss mentality - after being here over a year I can say I have experienced most!
  
  http://www.sengers.ch/izueri/swissmentality.html
  
  cheers
  B

  By  Bretto, at 2:21 PM  

• Haha, excellent site !!!! :-D I should forward it to my parents...don't worry though, I don't consider myself "a typical, or stereotypical swiss". Maybe also because I'm an AIESECer...:) As a matter of fact, I myself have many problems with the things on that list. You see, I was born and raised in Switzerland, but my mom is originally from the Philippines, and all my relatives live in the US. I also spent a year over there. But I'm still Swiss I guess, in certain ways ;-) What's interesting though is to see the difference between the different language regions: I'm from Lucerne, but am studying in Geneva. About 35% of the people in Geneva are foreigners, and to me, there's not much of the Swissness left here that you'd know from Basel or the rest of the German-speaking part. Most of my friends down here, and even before in Lucerne, are very international, so I tend to forget certain things that might seem really weird to foreigners once they live in Switzerland. About the A/C-thing: To be honest, I have no clue. Who knows, mabe because Switzerland usually doesn't have the reputation of being a country where the temperatures are really high? Before the awful summer two or three years ago when we constantly had temperatures around 35 degrees, I can't remember it being that hot here...or maybe because it's too American? I just know that many Swiss complain about not having A/C, but that they don't like the fridge-effect you experience in the US for example: If you enter a mall, it's like twenty-five degrees colder inside than outside (maybe I'm exaggerating), and it's a shock for your body. I think that's why, that they think that temperature shock isn't healthy. But I coul be wrong about this, it's just my own interpretation. Personally I like A/C, but don't like it to be extreme, i.e. extremely hot outside, and extremely cold inside so you have to bring a jacket to work in order not to catch a cold when actually it's hot outside. I make fun of a lotta Swiss stereotypes too, and I don't understand why people are supposed to be quiet after ten pm! Maybe you should come down to Geneva once, it's more relaxed here...the Swiss-Germans always say that the "Welsh" are inefficient, lazy and stuff like that. Well, sometimes it's just more fun:)

  By  Carissa )i(, at 2:50 PM  

• You don't really need an air conditioner if you get to work at 7 like a proper Swiss person.
  
  "Before the awful summer two or three years ago when we constantly had temperatures around 35 degrees, I can't remember it being that hot here...or maybe because it's too American?"
  
  Too American? Carissa, you say it like that's a bad thing. You are only allowed to say that if you have not had a McFlurry this year or watched MTV. You aren't allowed to criticize America as the Great Satan while listening to Usher and daydreaming about Brad Pitt. This is a rule.
  
  Deep down, the Swiss and Europeans in general love the Americans. They love us for our freedom, blue jeans, rock videos and no-nonsense approach to relationships, among other things. Don't pretend you don't.
  
  Freedom is on the March!

  By  hotdog, at 11:11 AM  

• Hotdog,
  
  I wrote "maybe it's too American" in the eyes of other Swiss, I have a Green Card (since 1996) and all my relatives are in the US, my parents got married in Cincinnati, I lived in the US for a year (East Coast, yeah), so please don't tell me I'm not allowed to say that...I feel like an American myself in many ways, I have an American accent when I speak and I'd never change that. I love the US, of course. I didn't write thatn sentence because of me, I wrote it to try to understand the average Swiss....ok? :-) Peace dude...

  By  Carissa )i(, at 11:30 AM  

• I wouldn't be laying claim to Usher dude...and I am sure the Germans would have invented the McFlurry, if only they had more time...could you imagine the 400hp precision machine that would stir the chocolate pieces into the soft serve then...

  By  Bretto, at 11:35 AM  

• oh, and i meant Usher is nothing to brag about (not that he is not from US)...he should be locked up in a small box somewhere...and through Omarion in with him while you are at it...don't know if Akon is US or not but get rid of him too...

  By  Bretto, at 11:39 AM  

• ;-) And btw HD, who said that all women drool over Brad Pitt and Usher? (Although I must defend Usher here anyway (you can forget Omarion and Akon) since I lived with a black family when I was in the States back in 1997/98...aah soul food :-) My High School was about 70% black too, so it was really interesting to see that other side of the US) Honestly, those two aren't on my top-ten list...

  By  Carissa )i(, at 11:56 AM  

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