I have only been here for 3 weeks, but I have already noticed differences between my life in Canada and my life here. I will make a list on here of all the differences I have noticed and will continue to update it as I come across them. Please note that this is a comparison, but nothing is better or worse than the other, everything is just different.
1. It's cool to use public transit in Switzerland.
2. There is not a parking lot for cars at my school, there's a parking lot for mopeds and vespas.
3. You don't have to go to a government-run store to buy alcohol; you can buy it anywhere...
4. You can swim in the lakes :)
5. There are mosquitos and wasps everywhere.
6. Very few places are air conditioned.
7. Even being a very small country, there are so many different cultures, dialects and languages. Small but mighty!
8. You can drink in public places; on buses, on trains, in a park on a bench. So different to see.
9. Mountains are a permanent back drop and I am NOT complaining.
10. Public transportation is efficient.
11. The Swiss stereotypes are true: they like cheese and chocolate!
12. The cup goes on the opposite side of the plate.
13. The roads are very, very narrow.
14. When you order water, you get mineral water. Big shock when you chug "water" for the first time...
15. The doors open the opposite way. Count on me to get locked in the bathroom AT LEAST once a day.
16. The gym class is co-ed.
17. The people in your classes don't change every period. You have the same group of people all the time!
18. The roads are extremely narrow.
19. You don't say "I am cold" or "I am hot", you say "I have cold" or "I have heat"; otherwise you sound extremely arrogant.
20. Many people are surprised that Canada isn't always cold...
21. The public buses are made by Mercedes Benz.
22. The destination signs on the highway start with the farthest distance at the top instead of the shortest.
23. Everything is closed on Sunday.
24. 20km is far...
25. There is no penny, therefore everything is a "round" five.
26. The price is tax inclusive, so no math is needed at the register.
27. They have a direct democracy.
28. Instead of using AM and PM, they use military time.
29. The army is mandatory for boys at age 18.
30. Paper is 4-hole punched, not 3.
31. You have to air-out your house at least once a day.
32. In months that have an "r" in them (September through April), you aren't allowed to wear shorts or sandals but always have to wear house shoes.
