• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Switzerland-GAF |OT| If the Swedes can do something, so can we!

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Kenka

Member
sF2fH.jpg




***Welcome to the Official Switzerland Thread on NeoGAF, a thread in which you can find relevant information about Switzerland and the Swiss people in general.***

***Diclaimer for those who come over the German speaking part (courtesy of cloudwalking)***:

1963DAA5-B6E7-43E8-B445-1BFFB0C0496A-28324-00000E12F4975262.jpg




  • Why this thread?
Motivated by the surpising success of Swedish-GAF, this thread has the purpose to be as accommodating. Also:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=42220339&postcount=4455

jGVVe.png



  • What is Switzerland?
Switzerland is a federal state (not to be confounded with confederal state, which is sometimes wrongly attributed to Switzerland) founded in 1291 in order to protect more efficiently the profitable trade routes in the Alps. The growth of the Confederation has often been linked to the desire of the region to not be a subject of the Habsburg dynasty, and then, of several other dominant powers in Central Europe.

Nowadays, Switzerland is widely know for its industry, banking system and mountainous scenery.


  • What should I know about Switzerland?
Switzerland is a tiny and densely populated European country right between France, Germany and Italy (the official language of these countries is also official in Switzerland) and one of the richest countries of the world. Based on the IDH index, Switzerland is the 11th country with the highest standard of living, right behind Sweden.

Basic facts people should know about Switzerland is that it was one of the poorer countries in Europe before the industrial revolution and that it come out of it by developing an "export" mentality, very much like the Japanese and the Lebanese. In the recent years, Switzerland has internationally come under the spotlights because of the communication methods of its dominant right wing party, bank secrecy policy and success in resisting the global crisis. Also, Switzerland is notorious for having dealt with the Apartheid regime until its end and having some of the biggest commodities and metal and mining companies in the world. Also, the Red Cross organization was founded in Switzerland.


  • Where can I find resource about Switzerland outside of this thread?
English speaking people can find their way to government website available in several languages for people all around the world. Other source about studying and working on Swiss soil are informative.


  • What is NeoGAF history regarding Switzerland?
Switzerland has been the subject of various topics. Among them:


  • What is there to do in Switzerland?
asterix-chez-les-helvetes.png


sm_pic_skiing-2.jpg


immobilier-lac-leman-vue-aerienne-lac-leman.jpg


CERN-scientists-reporting-at-conferences-in-the-UK-and-Geneva-claim-the-discovery-of-a-new-particle-consistent-with-the-Higgs-boson.jpg


ibuBT3kyRTlUfq.gif


Enjoy your time ! And cheers, friends !

3956001152_5ea907c22f.jpg
 
T

ThoseDeafMutes

Member
Stayed overnight in Bern when traveling via Eurail between France and Italy at age 9. Bought a packet of pokemon cards in a store, played Foosball in the hotel. That's all I remember :(

I'll go back there eventually. How common is English?
 
D

Diprosalic

Banned
Horse Armour said:
How is the language situation in Switzerland? Do most people speak German?
Click to expand...

German (63.7 %),
French (20.4 %),
Italian (6.5 %),
Romansh (0.5 %)

Most german natives should be able to communicate in french and nobody only speaks romansh. Everybody under 50 should be able to handle small talk in english.
 
Yoshichan

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
WOW, is this really happening :lol?

edit: Soon enough, a mod will close all of the Country-GAF |OTs| ._. you just wait!
 
M

Manaka

Member
Horse Armour said:
How is the language situation in Switzerland? Do most people speak German?
Click to expand...

I think it's about two thirds with German as their first language (a cringeworthy sort of German) and probably some more with German as their second language (?).

EDIT: Well, i wasn't too far off
 
D

Drencrom

Member
I was in Geneva last year for about a week. Everyone drove expensive cars, watch ads plastered everywhere, beautiful scenery, loved it.

CERN was pretty rad too.
 
8

8bit

Knows the Score
ThoseDeafMutes said:
Stayed overnight in Bern when traveling via Eurail between France and Italy at age 9. Bought a packet of pokemon cards in a store, played Foosball in the hotel. That's all I remember :(

I'll go back there eventually. How common is English?
Click to expand...

English is not so uncommon as a second language, if you at least try to speak some French or German in those areas of Switzerland and screw it up they are quite likely to respond in English. Less likely in crazy mountaintop Rumantsche world.

I first travelled to Switzerland from the UK in 1987 with the scouts, most significant memories were probably the awesome water park and the porn magazines with fully naked women on the cover at the kiosks. I came back to live here in 2000 and work in Life Sciences / IT which is a pretty well paid area of work, although not so much when compared to banking.

As I'm a native English speaker I mostly import videogames, usually at about half the price they go for on the local shelves.
 
Yoshichan

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
Wait, why do you guys have the same flag as Denmark?!

KID.
 
C

cloudwalking

300chf ain't shit to me
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif


Bumping this because I missed it and I love you for making this thread Kenka!
heart-1.gif


We need to organize a meetup, even if only a handful of people show up, could be fun!

schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
schwiizer-1.gif
 
K

Kenka

Member
I am an immigrant too! High five :)

Cloudwalking said:
Bumping this because I missed it and I love you for making this thread Kenka!

We need to organize a meetup, even if only a handful of people show up, could be fun!
Click to expand...
Thanks! Yeah, this would be awesome. I'll prepare a specific post or thread if more people are interested. A GAF meetup could possibly extend to Alsace and Baden-Würtemberg if made in Zurich or Basel.
 
H

Hayvic

Member
Ugh I can't stand the Swiss. What makes a man turn neutral? Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a hart full of neutrality?
 
C

CassSept

Member
I've been to Switzerland several times, love the country, even if everything is mighty expensive.

Oh and Toblerone man. Toblerone.

Ugh I can't stand the Swiss. What makes a man turn neutral? Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a hart full of neutrality?
Click to expand...

:lol
 
S

Staab

Member
What's up with all the swiss germanz, where are the romands!? (the frenchies)
Representing Luzern and Lausanne, currently in Geneva myself!

Didn't know there were so many neutrals around!
 
K

Kandrick

GAF's Ed McMahon
Staab said:
What's up with all the swiss germanz, where are the romands!? (the frenchies)
Representing Luzern and Lausanne, currently in Geneva myself!

Didn't know there were so many neutrals around!
Click to expand...

Don't worry, you are not alone. I'm actually from Geneva.
 
R

RedNumberFive

Banned
After spending a week in Basel last year, I've had a strong desire to leave my life in Chicago and move the family there. What a beautiful city!
 
D

Diprosalic

Banned
RedNumberFive said:
After spending a week in Basel last year, I've had a strong desire to leave my life in Chicago and move the family there. What a beautiful city!
Click to expand...

just learn some chemistry! basel is nice but i wouldn't rank it in my top 5.


::

nice to see we have some members from the other side of the Röstigraben as well.
 
K

Kenka

Member
Hum, Divius...

4rVve.png


I am from Lausanne, so I guess there is rampant bilingualism (+ english) around to make a proper Swiss-GAF meeting in Fribourg or Bern.
OK, let me work on that.
 
8

8bit

Knows the Score
RedNumberFive said:
After spending a week in Basel last year, I've had a strong desire to leave my life in Chicago and move the family there. What a beautiful city!
Click to expand...

Which Pharma company was that for? :p

Basel is a good place to have as a home, as you can get quite far into France & Germany in a short time as well as the rest of Switzerland.
 
D

Deleted member 57681

Unconfirmed Member
I was in Müstair the other day at the end of a little trip through South Tyrol and have to say that you guys have the most badass paper money.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

  • Locked
So, I've been pondering over this for a bit. Do you think US Football being our dominant sport is why we have so much gun violence?
Social Opinion
24
1K
AJUMP23 replied
So I've been to Venice
39
2K
ForAcademicPurposes replied
Xbox coaching program for gamer pro industry mentoring
Business 2
68
4K
Fbh replied
  • Poll
IGN: Resident Evil 5 simply can't be remade, at least not to the standards of Capcom's best work. So the answer is not to remake, but to rewrite.
2 3 4 5
247
16K
laynelane replied
Stellar Blade’s uncensored release in Japan prompts criticism | GM of EA Japan thinks the game's CERO D rating is indicative of double standards
News Drama 2
59
5K
SmokedMeat replied
Top Bottom