Money (Part 2)

As mentioned in my previous post, the Swiss are known for money, and rightly so.

Nearly everything over here costs roughly twice as much as in NZ, there are some notable exceptions however. Beer is actually cheaper over here and in fact is probably the cheapest beverage you can buy. Its also and its pretty damn tasty as well. Meat on the other hand cost about three times as much, while petrol is about the same as in NZ.

But the average grocery bill, accommodation costs, or shopping total is going to be about double what it would be in New Zealand. So whats the difference? Well for one the quality of goods and services over here is incredible. Food is still food, but with things like clothes and appliances they don't have the cheap imitation knock offs and everything isn't stamped with Made in China. They are all good high quality brands that will last longer and work better. Entertainment, like the movies or water-parks are likewise expensive but you get a lot of value for money, everything is clean, tidy and well maintained.

ATMs serve as another reminder that the Swiss just have more money. When making a withdraw you're presented with a number of fast cash options, the lowest value being 100 Swiss Francs, or roughly $130 NZD. Incidentally, the ATMs also give you the options of withdrawing cash in Euros, which is bloody handy considering there are three different countries within a one hour drive of where I'm living.

Money

The Swiss are known for many things, expensive watches, expensive chocolates, expensive ski resorts and of course the money to afford all these things.

If you're planning a trip to Switzerland, you'd better pack a lot of cash, because foreign currency doesn't really buy a lot over here. Its not that all of the Swiss are filthy stinking rich, I've met plenty farmers here who were merely filthy and stinking, but its just they seem to get paid a lot more for what ever it is they are doing. And then to balance this everything here cost a whole lot more. So all in all the Swiss standard of living is not all that different to New Zealand, the difference is however when a Swiss goes to NZ for a holiday they can afford to buy a winery of two while they are down there. Whereas when a Kiwi heads to Switzerland, they'll be lucky to afford a glass of wine with dinner.

Another thing the Swiss are known for is their banking, and as such I was very keen to open my own Swiss Bank Account, just to say I had one. The process was remarkable fast, just hand over a passport and then sign here, here and here. Then within a week they sent me my very own Swiss Eftpos card. Depositing money is also a breeze, just walk up with the cash to the teller and she does the rest, no fiddly little slips of deposit paper like in NZ.

Retrieving your money however is another matter, this is where Swiss security and secrecy comes in. In order to activate both my eftpos card and online banking account I had to wait for a series of separate security codes to be delivered by courier, which I then had to sign for and decipher. And now each time I want to check my online balance I need to use a special decoder ring... well actually its a wallet sized card that tells me which password to use today. Its a bit of a nuisance, but like everything is Switzerland it works and it works well.

Körperwelten & Der Zyklus Des Lebens

"Body Worlds & The Cycle Of Life"

I went along to the Body Worlds Exhibition last weekend, and it was incredible. It show cased hundreds of exhibits of dissected humans (all of whom gave willing consent), all perfectly preserved and beautifully presented. The detail on some of the exhibits was just amazing, such as the capillaries in a human head - in which case a liquefied plastic was pumped through a cadavers heads bloodsteam, left to set, then all the flesh and bone was removed using enzymes. The result was a stunning 3D sculpture of a human head, complete with facial features, modeled using only the very fine mesh of blood vessels.

The theme of the exhibition was the cycle of life and it showed the development of the human zygote, through to embryo and fetus. There were also exhibits showing the effects of aging, particularly the wear on joints, diseases such as liver cirrhoses and smokers lungs.

The main attraction however were the Human Plastinates, which are full sized people, with their skin removed to show either their muscular, or nervous, or digestive systems. These were incredible and so life-like. Which is not at all surprising when you realize these exhibits aren't just plastic and resin, they're real people. Just a few years ago some of them may have visited a museums like these with their families.

Not surprisingly exhibits of this nature are going to stir up controversy amongst those who believe in the reverence of the human body, but everyone who donated their bodies did so to help educate and inspire new generations, and for that we should be eternally grateful. These exhibits are absolutely amazing and I highly recommend them everyone.

Public Transport

In a word, the public transport in Switzerland is stunning. If you have never been to a country with out a good public transport network then you really don't know what you are missing out on. It's simply incredible.

In New Zealand, the bus and train timetables are really only suggestions. Most buses are usually about five minutes late, sometimes early, and sometimes they don't stop for you at all. On top of that they seems to be fairly infrequent and have a nasty habit of catching fire.

In Switzerland however, they have buses and trains everywhere, always leaving to where ever you want to go in the next five minutes, and always on time, to the exact minute. Its simply beautiful. And the routes are direct, the lines are quick and the seats are comfortable, what more could you ask for?

There is one drawback however, the price. Like everything in Switzerland, with quality comes with a fairly hefty price tag, but when it only takes a matter of minutes to get from home to class, its well worth it.

This excellent public transport network isn't just limited to the cities either. The Swiss have a service known as the PostAuto, which, as legend has it, started out as the local postman giving

lifts to lost and weary hikers. Over time this postman realized there was actually some decent coin to be made collecting these waylaid wanders and the PostAuto service was born. I'm not sure if they still deliver mail these days, but large couch style buses ply their trade along the mountain passes and hiking trails offering a lift to any tired trampers who need a ride back to town. And just like the rest of the public transport here, its always on time.

Intro:

So a little over two weeks ago I packed my bags, said my goodbyes and left my homeland of New Zealand to start a new life in a little country called Switzerland. I left behind a wonderful job at a brewery, my extensive collection of books and games and some incredible friends, but lets not get too sentimental here.

I decided to make the change for several of reasons, first and foremost is of course my beautiful Swiss-Girl, who I would follow anywhere. Secondly I wanted to see the world, experience new cultures and of course sample their beer. And lastly, it just felt like the right thing to do, Kiwi's are natural born travelers and explorers, it's in our blood. My Grandfather sailed to NZ from Wales when he was young and in a way I'm following his tradition, finding a new country and making it my home.

So with this Blog I hope to document my adventures, making note of all the weird and wonderful goings on in this beautiful country and keeping track of my progress as I try to learn the language, find a job and settle in to my new home.