no problem
insänt av Roger B i Schweiz forum
no worries! Sometimes I kind of forget myself when answering and so the answers end up looking more like an article than a reply. It's just that there is so much to say about this topic.
I see your point. Unfortunately, you are right that being brown or black skinned makes things probalby harder and makes it harder to adapt. I senserily hope thought that this will change the more tourists visit us and the more very talanted immigrants come to live and work here from countries such as India. Of course the media plays its part in this as well, by not further presenting certain sets of countries, such as many African states, as hopeless basket cases - and therefore cementing in the heads of people the equitation of "darker skinned = refugee". By the way, I'm quite confident about the fact that the media has been presenting India in a much different, far more positive light over the last couple of years. It might be a somewhat shallow and annectdotal aspect, but I think one can also see the acceptance of foreign cultures by the proliferation of certain aspects these or knowledge about in our society. A visible aspect of this might be, again taking India as an example, the number of Indian restaurants (which, luckily for me, is on the rise), the enthusiasm about basically Indian arts such as Yoga or the general knowledge about India's history, culture and society. Once a critical mass of knowledge has been achieved, I believe the sceptisism should abate.
I'm somewhat surprised what you say about Basel. Afterall one would expect that the population in Basel is more used to "international crowd", given that it hosts some of our big multinationals. In that way Zurich really might be different as you really have many more international companies settling there with employees from all over the planet.
That the kanton can be a pain in the arse, I hear that a lot from both Swiss and expats. With their 9-to-5 attitude and their seemingly "stick-to-the-letter" approach of work, they really come across as being a lazy bunch of bureaucrats, not even wanting to go an extra inch too far to help. Of course one of the big obstacles, which really should be changed, is the total lack of offical forms and instructions in English. That's not just a problem many people encounter but also businesses. Granted, one can not expect from each and every official to speak English, but at least in "big" cities such as Basel and Zurich they should have a designated office or person able to handling and assist with these questions.
So again, my answer is turning more into something akin to an article. Well, I think the points you rise are valid. Unfortunately not all Swiss are cosmopolitans and being of other colour than white can make things harder. However, I am confident that the more international Switzerland gets, the less important such things will become.
Andra svar
- Making friends in Switzerland
- ...
- Switzerland
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- Switzerland
- Its really hard to make friends
- You want to get to know Swiss? Learn German!
- Friends in der Schweiz
- Making friends in Switzerland
- Hi
- Du musst lerne Deutsch
- Your husband
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- poor agostino! :)
- Expat's destiny
- about getting to know the swiss...
- hi
- friends in switzerland
- hey Viktoria
- Oh dear
- Agostino. Questo è relativo.
- Friends in Geneva
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- Sorry Steven.
- thanks juan
- EN la sierra de Guadarrama.
- Boring Switzerland
- guadarrama la conozco
- Find a place where you can learn German / French - in your case
- Sobre mi zona.
- Friends in Switzerland
- exactly the same
- Switzerland a land of racism, descrimination and stupidity
- About the Swiss
- About the Swiss
- lonesome
- It's most difficult in Zurich
- Bitte echli MITdenke!!!
- @ Benno de Vries
- Viktoria
- Just flicking through these posts
- how is berlin
- zurich
- Berlin is great!
- Thanks for your posts Steven and Dino
- About Switzerland
- Conformity
- It takes time
- I must be very lucky
- How long are you staying?
- now im really angry how swiss are and behave
- you are right jim
- Maybe Zurich is different to Bern?
- hola celia zurich es diferente hi celia zurich is diferent
- celia have you tried to meet people out of your laboral area
- People from work and not from work
- zuri is very diferent,but people are also closed
- Welcome to hell - welcome to Switzerland?
- nothing to add to claudios comment
- When in Switzerland...
- Switzerland is no Mexico
- Move to another country!
- What's the matter
- To Andy
- Come on...
- What?
- Miscegenation
- alright
- Your own theories are based on emotions and not on facts!
- reply
- if you arnt swiss, you arnt good enough
- i need help.
- To Mark
- canuck
- @ mark
- canuck
- Sorry
- The Swiss and their friends
- hi
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- to Faiz
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- @ Faiz
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- @ Faiz
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- ouch
- Schwiitzertüütsch
- @ Roger and Daniel
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- Swiss Friends
- @ Canuck
- Can't realy agree
- You're right
- the "kantönligeist"
- @ roger
- german speaker
- Can't agree
- thanks
- no problem
- thanks
- becose they dont want new people or diferent people
- attn. Brian Taylor
- Dear Brian Taylor
- Swiss people are....
- fellow canuck
- hoi!
- :
- good to hear your story
- new in switzerland!!
- hi
- hi back
- the Swiss are very racist . They hate everybody including themeselves
- Yeah..whatever
- Swiss people are boring
- About Switzerland
- @ Jim
- Na, can't do other than disagree
- about switzerland
- Goodevening Maria and Everyone,
- About Switzerland
- Life in Switzerland
- @ alexander, roger and just in general
- Fear of foreigners is one of the reasons...
- A piece of news from World Radio Switzerland
- Switzerland & Racism
- why ???
- To Roger B with respect
- back with respect
- Difficult to integrate with this kind of campains
- I understand but it's a free democracy
- Free democracy promoting racist and xenophobic campains aginst foreigners
- half the country?
- The authorities have to be blamed for their inaction
- of course part of the problem are the authorities
- @ Roger
- a question for roger
- Swiss racism is to blame for everything
- racism in Switzerland
- Mr. Jackson be careful...
- Switzerland explained
- STOP IT
- Mr. Switzerland you be very careful
- Stop it
- To Jim Jakson
- hi
- bout carefulnes
- Foreigners more than ever considered to be criminals!!!
- Na, if you think it's the way you describe, you have not understood the initiative
- This is an ugly racist and xenophobic agenda
- We pet a lost dog, so lets send a smile to the stranger...
- Racisim big time in Switzerland as usual..
- racism in Switzerland
- Here is a good one foe you again from a "foreign" friend in Switzearland
- let's stop about this racisme shit?!
- n
- Check what Human rights web site says about racism in Switzerland
- get the point guys
- hi
- thanks
- racism in Switzerland
- I understand you
- hi dear flo regina
- sorry to hear that
- Even for a swiss guy it's not easy to make friends in Switzerland
- re
- re
- the same
- Yes, it is VERY hard to find friends in this country!!!
- to live in Switzerland
- LOOKING FOR GOLD DEALERS URGENT
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- Dear Karim
- ok
- I need help
- my opinion
- Seriously?
- Open your heart
- :-O
- MSC STUDENT INQUIRY
- Its really easy to make friends
- Oh yeah?
- great, li lu
- Blaming Swiss
- Riiiight
- Hi
- hello
- Dear Nikko Z.
- O yes!
- Really?
- What to do with a problem named Mariaaaaaa?
- Lmao
- Hello
- Time
- Agrees
- Thanks
- Friends and other things
- PS, forgot to say one last thing...
- Looking for friends
- Reply
- Tonight ????
- Swiss people are haters
- @sonia
- Yeah, right.
- Seldom had such a good laugh...
- I am Spanish
- Not totally hard to find a friends...
- Y ppl not serious in friendhsip from switzerland
- do not agree
- not easy for us
- sei
- still existing the comunity college in Zurich
- The best thing about Switzerland is to leave it!!!
- oh
- For one who said "The best thing about Switzerland is to leave it!"
- Hie
- I don't understand....
- reply to Davor and others
- Its Right!!!
- you can't have one without the other?????
- sidenote
- so stupid jokes
- Get a grip.
- Seriously??
- swiss
- Friends
- Answers?
- Sorry
- you may try a course to make Swiss friends
- racism in Switzerland a concern?
- person who's good ,nice and simple, can find good friends everywhere...
- Swiss direct democracy leads the world
- Whaaat???
- Big time Racism in Switzerland
- Jim, are you OCD?
- .
- Switzerland vs US
- .
- .
- .
- .
- Friendliness Requirement
- agirlin..
- no obligation to be friendly
- Clin, are you a white south african?
- I think that ...
- Are Swiss racist?
- Very true...
- about CH
- MAN I SPENT MY LAST CENT TO BUY YOU A DRINK
- Friends
- Always hard to make new friends
- hmm
- not multicultural
- It is hard everywhere
- I agree but....!
- hey...
- We can meet
- Since 1 year
- Hi
- This one goes to canuck s
- Suche nette Leute weiblich und männlich um zusammen was zu unternehmen
- From the outside
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??
- Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland?? (40)
- From the outside
- If this thread is so popular since 2008...
- Well they aren't that unfriendly
- Its just another peace of land
- "hosting in Egyptian Home" welcome to hosting in our Egyptian Home in Egypt ..f
- Swiss
- Making friends in switzerland
- Frendship
- Frendship
- Reply
- Hmmmmmm
- Traditional and Conservative
- Making friends in Switzerland