SWISS CULTURE SHOCK | Top 10 Differences between living in the US vs Switzerland 

Check out my update CULTURE SHOCKS after living in Switzerland for almost 5 years! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5-o--NewLuE.htmlsi=fGQH1YkKgyh5H6sz

The whole country is smaller than the city you come from lol. Me (swiss) living a few months in Thailand: where do i recycle my plastic bottles? Thai: wtf?

I visited Switzerland once and I love it. I am from America but it would be a dream to actually live there. It's so beautiful and the smell of nature is like heaven. Love the Alpine!

As a Swiss person, the lack of spontaneity drives me absolutely crazy in Switzerland. It might be due to coming from an immigration background but I hate how you have to sometimes plan weeks in advance with some people. You win some you lose some I suppose 😊

I'm very surprised you didn't mention our unique way of communication. I'm not referring to Switzerland's multilinguality but rather to the fact that Swiss people express themselves in highly indirect ways. I'm Swiss and married to a Japanese woman. She often tells me this mentality makes her feel as though she were back home in Japan. I often call Switzerland "the Japan of Europe" and this is one of the reasons. When Swiss people say something, the real message is usually left between the lines and you're expected to "catch the hint". Great example: I recently had to get something from the communal laundry room but our neighbor had locked the door and taken away the key because she was going to do laundry the next day. When I rang her bell and asked for the key, she made this endless dance where she kept saying: "But I've got my laundry there." I said: "Yeah, that's fine, I just need to grab something quickly." She'd reply: "Yeah but doesn't it bother you?" I said: "Not at all, I just need to get my thing." Her: "But... my laundry is there, maybe it will bother you!" Of course what she was ACTUALLY saying was that SHE was bothered by me getting to see her dirty clothes. But that would've been too direct and she probably thought I'd feel attacked, so instead she pretended to be concerned about my wellbeing. If this happened in the US or in Germany, I'm almost certain the neighbor lady would've just said: "Uhm, I'm a bit uncomfortable with you seeing my dirty laundry." This culture of "I will say X but I actually mean Y and you've got to figure that out by yourself" is very uniquely Swiss in my experience (within the western world I mean). The only places I've encountered this so far, other than Switzerland, is in East Asia.

I'm Swiss and I love to watch these videos 😂 I like to know what seems weird to other countries

Coming from south east Ontario Canada, living here in Switzerland since 1999, I wouldn’t trade it for nothing, great safe beautiful Switzerland. Try to come and hang out here in Biel/Bienne, pretty amazing city. Lake, rivers, mountains, gorges, trails…tons of tolerance, got a love it. Great commentary Alexis.

Its always a great experience to put yourself in and learn other cultural social norms. such an awesome list! noticed a few similar ones from other countries

Very interesting comments on the differences. Thank you for the nice video material

Great videos! Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing ! Just subscribed ❤️

Super helpful. Thank you !

Love this vlog!!! Can relate to language barriers. I speak Spanish as I grew up in Spain, recently I have been Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia and wow it is so different!!! Great vlog!!

Love your video, the differences are quite significant!!!

Had to comment, this is to good :D 1. The amount of army you see depends on the day, recruits are the most common and they go home on Saturday and back to the barracks on Sunday. Also none of the guns have ammo in them! 2. 3 kisses, believe it or not, i varies even in Switzerland from region to region :D 3. Sadly gay marriage is not legal and the right to vote was grated really late. I'm ashamed when it comes to these points to be Swiss. Luckily it's getting better. 4. We need some time to make friends, that's typical Swiss :D 5. It's called worker rights. There are lots of benefits for the workforce. 6. We dislike miscommunication, so we switch to the language our opposite speaks best. 7. Every company that sells something has to take it back to recycle. The only exception is general garbage. 8. Can confirm we follow all the rules. We also learn a lot of them in school and every Swiss has a OR (laws for the general puplic) at home. 9. Sundays are to relax, that's all there is to it. Restaurants are usually open on Sunday, but closed on Mondays. It's also against the law, not everywhere, to hang up laundry outside on Sundays :D 10. It better for teens to have their first experience with alcohol openly, this way it's easier to have an eye on them. When you have to hide from adults to drink, bad things can happen. Ofc they happen here as well, but there's usually someone nearby that can help. Anyway, great video and really observant remarks about swiss culture. Most channels just list the usual stuff.

little correction: 25days of holliday while you are in apprenticeship. per law a minimum of 20 days as an adult and mostly 25 again if you are 50yrs + . And yes: i hate it if someone is making noise at sunday 😂

Very interesting. I lived in Zurich when I was an au pair 50 years ago and it sounds as though not much has changed since then! I agree with most of your observations and loved my time there.

great vid!

Welcome in Switzerland. Cool to have you here!

Culture shock seems to be difficult to overcome at first but when you get used to it, it's like your second homeland. Nice share.

Thank you for this information! In regards to things being closed on a Sunday… we are planning a 9 day trip in June, and obviously will include a Sunday. If we are in Geneva on the Sunday will shops and restaurants still be open as it is a bigger city? TIa

You're probably still in the comparison phase (not just in this video), where everything you encounter is first run through your "how do we do this in the US" filter before realizing everything is different. For people that have move to different countries multiple times, this is considered the "mourning" phase of having "lost" your home environment where everything was one solid picture, to a new frame of reference where things don't yet fit together. This is normal, but imho it helps to recognize this phase and talk about it with others. Also, it's helpful to constantly quiz people WHY things are the way they are, rather than just describing the delta to New York or the US. Understanding the WHY of certain behaviors in the new environment requires curiosity and time, but helps overcome the mourning phase and eases the transition into the new society.

Such an interesting culture!! Definitely would have some shocks but also some very welcomed ideas. Such as the recycling and having to pay per bag, this is amazing...! Imagine how many landfills we could not have if this were true for the USA! If I could provide a little feedback possibly to help you / your channel, try looking at the camera more? It felt like you were talking to yourself / looking at yourself in the side screen than talking to us the viewers. Just think it would help feel more like we're having a conversation face to face, because I love your personality and was engaged but just think this little fix will boost your channel!! Love the intro!

I think those differences between the US and Switzerland are the things that make Switzerland such a great country to live in.

Love this video!👍🏻 Greetings from Japan🇯🇵

Th am you so much for sharing your experience. It sounds like it was a learning experience. Love the triple kiss! It’s awkward at first for sure. Switzerland sounds like very interesting and beautiful place. I’m originally from NJ and things are different out in the world For sure! Great job 👏

Having watched many videos about Switzerland, including more than I can remember on the topic of cultural differences, I think you’ve made some insightful observations here. Given the number of lengthy comments below, I’m apparently not alone in thinking that.

So awesome culture shock. Big like#33, full views. Thanks for sharing, friend. Take care & have a very blessed day. ^^

No one ever said something to me when I crossed the street on a red light but people complaining when you recycle glass on a Sunday, that's definitely a thing 😂 As a Swiss, I really enjoyed this video, keep it coming!

I fully respect the Swiss dedication to country thru their military duty. I think it's awesome. Thanks for pointing that out. That would be nice to be able to disconnect from work entirely when you're on vacation. The garbage and recycling setup sounds very good. I never cross against the light and I'm in the US. I think crossing against the light is more of a New York thing. I have witnessed a lot of that when I have been in New York. Great video.

The day to go shopping, run errands, do house/garden work here is saturday instead of sunday. So at least for those who have both days off, there's one day to do all the work at ome you haven't had the time during the week and one day to just rest and do something relaxing. I think that's very neat.

This is so interesting. I like the thought of no housework on Sunday 🙂. It sounds like a more peaceful existence. I'm from the UK.

You are so right about the lack of spontaneity! It has changed a little during the crises though, which is probably the only good thing about it. And you are also right about the rule following. But this is definitely even worse in Germany.

Switzerland sounds like my kind of cup of tea. This was further confirmed after watching this. Thanks for making it👍

All of the things you mentioned were a shock to me too and they are also some of the reasons why I love Switzerland so much. 😊 The Sundays with everything being closed was weird for me at first, but I got used to it. I mean EVERYTHING is closed. But that's good. 😊 The vacation and sick days shocked me too.

Growing up in the U.S. in the early 70’s, mostly everything was closed on Sunday’s except for Gas Stations, bakery’s early in the a.m., & churches/ places of worship an in a.m. and it made for a very relaxing Sunday. ❤

The recycling system in Switzerland is really amazing , wish our governments here in south Africa would do that but third world countries are way behind in these infrastructures , wonderful video :)

First time watcher and Swiss born and raised. You're spot on with the rule following in the Swiss German part. As soon as you go to Ticino, however, (and i'm pretty sure the same happens in Romandie, too) you'll take the risk and actually cross the street with a red light EVEN if there are oncoming cars. Our opening hours put a lot of stress on working people. They have to run their errands on Saturday, which makes for crowded parking lots and supermarkets.

Hello from Berne May I ask you, where that cow-painting in your background is from? Thanks!

I can super relate! 😀

very nice, but I don't think I could ever leave sunny Florida behind!

Some of them sound very familiar to me because I live in Germany and a couple of them shocked me too!!!! Certainly US is just another culture and way of life.... Really wonderful well builded video share dear! 😊❤️👏

Great video, thanks for sharing 👍

Great video. Thanks for sharing. New friend all the best.😎🖐💞👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I'm swiss, and i temporarily moved to sweeden for study and i live with my bf there who is swedish. I had a culture shock about how spontaneous they were and it actually bothered me since i was so used to plan everything with my friends when we go and where always a couple of days ahead. And to be honest it still bugs me to this day and i've been here for almost 3 years.

Nice video 🎥👍👌

Very nice video, and while being Swiss myself, I can't really argue with any of your observations (not that I intended to, btw 😆). Hugs are a thing here, too, but usually only with people that you at least know for some time, and is normally limited to family and close friends, compared to the 3 kisses which we would give anybody even as a first greeting. The 3 kisses are in most cases only seen in woman-woman or woman-guy greetings. Guys between each other normally only shake hands unless they're good friends in which case they'd be hugging each other.

I want to ask, since im planning to travel there for work experience. Is english language alone is adequate for communication for the newcomers?

The Sfr.2 price per bag is to cover the cost of garbage collection.

Tks for ur videos!, my country has more got the american mentality I love Usa a lot! I love the swiss relaxing sunday too and the respected swiss holydays we do not have in my country. I hope one day to visit Switzerland too.

Beute full amazing video

I am happy for you - your life in Switzerland 🇨🇭 With Love ❤️ 🇺🇸

girl, what camera do you use? it's awesome

There are tax benefits to staying home with children. EVERYONE comes home for lunch and you have to learn that is the norm for most of Europe. So is the sick day, vacation policy. We, as Americans, are the weird ones. I love the balance of home and work. Being a workaholic is not appreciated, and I liked that. Al that you mentioned about vacation is the normal in Switzerland, France, Germany, etc. I have "friends" from Switzerland and they are SO hard to get to know. Americans will tell your whole life story the day after they meet you. You can know someone who is Swiss for 5 years and know nothing of their personal preferences, etc.

Younger people normally are more spontaneous than the older generations 🙈

As a fellow expat living in Zürich for the last 4 years originally from a small EU island (Malta)....all of these really hit home!! These were all things I struggled with in the beginning. Having said this, like you mentioned many of these are actually benefits of living in this beautiful country. When it comes to your comment with regards to patriarchy, this was definitely the hardest thing I have had to deal with as a working professional. The expectation that women stop working when they have children was absurd to me. It seems like this is changing more and more but still nowhere near what it is in other countries.

It’s great to have one income households, especially for children. In Canada both spouses work 2-3 jobs each and still cannot make ends meet.

FYI the 3 kisses thing is slso very regional and age related. It has stopped due to covid. But even before that only certain prople dd it. My Swiss wife is over 60. She left Switzerland and she never experienced the kissing growing up. But when we returned on 2008 it was popular?!

As of 2015 in Bay Ridge Brooklyn they do do composting with the trash

Surprised that you didn't mention the federal system. Switzerland is smaller than New Your but it was made from 23+3 different countries, now called Kantone or cantons. There are huge differences between the cantons, every German one has its own dialect and some things you mention are different on other cantons. For example school system, every canton has their own school system, has there own program what to learn and their own times for lunch, so the 2h lunch is not true for every canton. The way you greet someone is different. Even something like the buildings look different. If we where in school in Biel, in canton Bern, and visited something in canton Zürich some said we go "is usland" (which mean foreign country).

Great video, thanks a lot! How difficult is it to get a corporate job if you only speak English (but have corporate experience in an English speaking country)…?

Sunday is a day of rest, no shops open, love it. Sunday is a day where you can go to a restaurant, go for a picnic, go cycling etc. No-one died because the shops are closed on one day. Also i have crossed the road before when the light was red, no-one said anything. If i want to vaccuum on Sunday i will, i own my own apartment.

Switzerland sounds amazing

3 kisses 😃 in Gibraltar we give 2. Its a very affectionate way to greet friends and even people we have just met. In Spain especially its very common. Great vid. Keep on rocking

The Swiss Kiss 😊 Also Swiss society and culture are big reasons why I want to move there

I'm Swiss and I'm crossing the streets when the lights are red and no cars approaching all the time... oops 😂 Anyway: love your video, very interesting to see what kind of culture shocks you had!

How does the 3 kisses work now with covid?

Greetings from Switzerland 😁 , from Winterthur (near Zürich) 😇 have a nice day

My ex is Swiss, having to co parent with him is a nightmare. He's the most rigid, selfish person I know. Would not recommend marrying into this culture. When I first went to Switzerland with my now ex, a married woman handed me a book (can't remember the title) it was about marrying a Swiss man. She was from another country and married a Swiss man. It was like a warning she was giving me about their culture. Wish I had known sooner.

Funny to hear all this things from my home country Switzerland 🇨🇭. I do understand you very good. I‘m in the US for almost 10 months and I felt the opposite 😉 . Greetings from us

We always shook hands I grew up in Ch and the 3 kisses is relatively new development.

HEY TELL ME ABOUT IS STUDYNG MBA WORTH IN SWISS OR IN USA, PLEASE EXPLAIN ALL THE ASPECTS SUCH AS - VALUE OF DEGREE, CAMPUS LIFE ETC PLEASE CN YOU MAKE A VIDEO ON IT OR JUST TELL MEEE

I am a swiss person and this is a task from my school. Cool

yes, we speak Swiss German, which means, each area speaks a different kind of a dialect. But, we learn “High German” beginning in 1st class and this is how we have to converse with most people from different countries. We also speak French, starting in School in 5th grade. Italian is not compulsory, but many also take advantage of classes thought in Schools. Romansch is only spoken in a very small part of Switzerland and comes from latin.

I am from the UK I would like to move to Switzerland is this possible?

Very accurate description - Funny enough whenever I have traveled to the US, the other way around was true. I was shock to learn that my US friends have limited "sick days" and only two weeks vacations a year. And yeah, the drinking in the street too, probably :-)

There is always big shocks when you move within Cultures, never mind half way across the world like you did. Go to know that you got used to them though...Bravo

Shock...yeah...but sounds kinda awesome too!!

Wow it's soo beautiful

Even with all the culture shocks, I still want to live there if I can :)

Do people smile there? Are people direct? I love how direct Dutch people are. Are they open to have genuine conversations or is it all small talk?

From the big apple to swissland! Fun

I was born in Bern but NOT from a Swiss familz (Jus Sanguinis) LIke San Francisco whichis just one city in the States, in Switzerland there is a noise abatement law that forbits making unecessary noise between 22:00 and 07:00 the following morning. No showering, loud electronic devices, motors, no 24-7 refrigerator or air mattresses compressors either.etc.or anything else that would conceivable disturbing or waking up neighbours. I LOVE that law!

You can actually get fined for recycling afterhours. And for crossing a red light on the pedestrian. I once got a 280.- fine for recycling at around 10:30. They used to do these undercover patrols around the main station in Bern to catch pedestrians crossing during a red. It’s the plumpest, small-minded and petty way to generate money 🙄 I haven’t seen it happening for some time though. Great video, again!

Slovenia and Switzerland are very similar in some aspects, so I haven’t experienced any huge cultural shocks. Some of the things you’ve mention sounds very familiar though. Everything closed on Sundays frustrated me at the beginning, but now I got used of it. Now it bothers me more, so many restaurants close their kitchens after certain hour and you can’t get a meal in the afternoon. 😀

I think the lack of spontaneity is more present in the German speaking part of the country and less in the French and Italian speaking parts, at least that would be my experience living here all my life :) Great video btw

I from brazil, amazing top ten

well you must be close to a military base or a bigger train station.. in my town you only see them at the train station. but yeah its mandatory and its a tiny country.. in USA i only saw military at big airports because its a huge country.. so dont worry..

If person love nature beautiful lakes then must visit once in life this heaven on earth ❤️🍃🇨🇭

Where do you in Switzerland🇨🇭 exactly live? Yeah its really different in Switzerland! I have been in South of Amercia for a couples of months! They were so friendly and open. Back in my Country i had a culture shock. 😰

Damn near everywhere is different from NYC.. lol Canada, Japan, southern USA, western USA, anywhere. Quite unique for better and worse. Also the Sunday closed thing is very common in small town America with the church folk.

I thought wine is from 18 and lower alcoholic drinks like beer from 16, but im not sure

I do agree that the Swiss like to follow rules in general. It seems as if we all had a little policeman inside of us. But it‘s not that uncommon to ignore a red light when crossing the road. The Germans seem more strict in that respect. Still, this is a very informative video to watch. 😎👍

The rule following is in most cases a question of respect and/or safety. If a rule does not make any sense we dont follow it. In Basel not many will wait till the red light turns green at night. Daytime it‘s diffrent. Interesting what you say about the daycare for children. How is that organised and payed in New York?

what do you work as in Switzerland?

I never saw anyone being scolded for mowing their lawn, doing the vacuum or any noisy activity on sundays.

Point 8: Strict Rule Following That's not something you'd see in cities or suburbs in little villages maybe but in cities no one could care less about the points made just be mindful of others and you're good

Strict rules in Switzerland...I feel.you hhahha Coming from Manila, Philippines , we have rules, of course, but no teeth ;) I got to enjoy Sundays too,now without going shopping :)

I also never had a Swiss speak to me when crossing at a red light. This might be a Basel thing. You'll have old people with a walker crossing on a red. If anyone says anything it's a German. People in Basel say "I have a brain. I know when I can and cannot cross the street." When it comes to parents with kids they teach their children how to cross safely on red.

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