A close-up and personal look at Switzerland
I’ve already talked about some of the smaller and midsized cultural shocks I had to deal with since moving here. I still stumble occasionally but not nearly as much as I used to. I enjoy the cultural differences, many of… Read moreCultural Differences in Switzerland and America
Languages and cultures. The more you learn, the more you see the similarities and differences. Swiss German and English both use figures of speech or metaphors to say something. More times than not the metaphors are similar but sometimes not…. Read moreMetaphors and their Meanings
Americans as well as Swiss love their vacations. Destinations and “exotic” status differ depending on where you live. The real difference though, is how many days of paid vacation you get. Majorca, an Exotic Destination? Ben’s father worked in the… Read moreVacations and Holidays in Switzerland and America
I love happy endings. Well of course I do, I’m American. I have been told many times in Switzerland that is so typically American. All the fairytales I heard as a child always had happy endings, too. Obviously I’m not… Read moreFairytales and Happy Endings
Most superstitions had their beginnings a long time ago and are based on ignorance or misunderstandings of science. As far as I can tell, American and European superstitions run along the same lines with minute differences. For example, in America… Read moreBad Luck Superstitions
Technically these aren’t strange things in America, but things that seem strange to me when I go back and visit. I’ve been here in Switzerland so long that quite often the Swiss way or thing seems normal and the American… Read moreStrange Things in America
This is going to be a tough post to write because I don’t like to swear and seldom do it. I’ve always thought that swearing was wrong. It is vulgar and is only used when people were not smart enough… Read moreSwearing in Other Languages
I like to say almost everything that happens in the States happens about 10 years later in Switzerland. That held true for many of the electronics devices and telephones. Unfortunately, something that is not as neat as electronics is slowly… Read moreEverything is Larger in the States
Astute Swiss who watch American sitcoms or series might notice that Americans don’t take off their shoes. Neither when entering their own home or other people’s homes. It looks like they keep their street shoes on even inside. You know… Read moreWearing Shoes or Slippers in and Around the House
I know I have it good with English as my mother tongue. All the advertisements that use English (which are abundant) are easily understood. I can read and understand HTML code, if need be, I can write it, too. Granted,… Read moreWhat’s with my English?
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