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Economy of Space- A phrase that I began
applying to the way the Swiss live. Space is a valuable commodity
here, and the Swiss are perfecting the art of utilizing it the best
they can in a way that is still aesthetically pleasing. From the use
of underground- shopping, parking, the garbage dump- to building
houses/apartment buildings up and using roof space.
Packaging for products has this in
mind also. Liquid detergent is most often sold in a pouch, not a jug,
for instance. A lot of packaging is recycling or disposal friendly.
The milk carton I buy is a coated cardboard and there are instruction
on the side for how to flatten it. I think it is very much a way of
life. I have seen people throw away at the grocery store the plastic
container their meat came in. I assume because it took up too much
space in their grocery bag. I also assume they wrap their meat in a
plastic sack. Johanna, Eli and I often sit next to the recycling wall
in the grocery store and I have watched many people pushing their
recyclables into the appropriate slots, and when they are finished
they walk over to the public trash can and throw away their plastic
clam shells. Those things take up valuable space in the 2 CHF trash
bag, why keep them in your trash when they can go in someone else's?
Things I see.
There are several trends I have spotted
and I wonder if they are particular to St. Gallen, Switzerland,
Europe, or if it's a bigger city thing. Or none of the above and I'm
just that behind the times.
-Tattoos. Obviously these are plenty
ubiquitous wherever you are, but they appear on every mild mannered
desk jobber around.
-Also piercings beyond ears. There just
seems to be a crazy high number of them. And if you happen to be one
of those people with a bull ring in your nose- yes, it does look like
you have boogies hanging out.
-Dreadlocks on white people. This is
about to get un-p.c.- is the term “Euro-trash” applicable?
Since Jackson starting kindy, I have
had the privilege of observing the school kids (ages 4-12/13).
The big trend with the boys is to gel their hair up and over in the
front (what is this called? Think rainbow). And then to wear a knit
ski cap over the rest of the hair- leaving the bangs out. And skinny
jeans, colored skinny jeans. (EVERYONE wears skinny jeans. They
should not.)
A story (kinda): Jackson takes a
snack to kindy everyday. The first week, when it was exciting to go
to school, I sent bread and cheese (very Swiss of me). The second
week when things came crashing down, I asked what he would like and
gave him options that included a granola bar- that is what he went
for. I knew (intuitively) most of the kids brought healthier things,
but if it gave him a moment of happiness to eat a granola bar at
school- that is fine. He continued on the granola bar track for a
couple weeks. One day he told me he had to brush his teeth after
snack. Okay...did he need a toothbrush? No, the teacher provided one.
The next day he tells me he doesn't want a granola bar because they
have sugar and if he has sugar then he has to brush his teeth. He
then asked if he could bring chocolate for a snack.
Cost of living. I have mentioned
before that Switzerland is expensive, but I had someone ask me about
the price of bread here and it occurred to me that a basic way to
understand the difference in COL (without going into the political
factors) is the price of some basic staples. I am going to do a rough
estimation of the price in US Dollars
Gas: Sold by the liter (about 4 liters
in a gallon) at about $1.90 a liter. ($7.60 a gallon!?)
Milk: Also sold by the liter. There is
a very wide range on the types of milk you can buy. From UHT shelf
stable, to Alpine organic. Probably ranges from $1-2/liter. Do the
math: $4-8/gallon
Bread: To my Swiss-washed brain, bread
is very reasonably priced. For a common loaf (a good sized 500 grams)
around $2
WHY does it cost so much more to live
here? The one basic factor I'm aware of is that everybody makes
more. There is a higher minimum wage and this leads to everything
costing more.
I also want to say that it is
impressive how many goods are produced in Switzerland. Trash cans,
binders, paper, watches, knives- so much stuff is made here. And if
it is made here then you will surely see a symbol telling you it is
Swiss made. If I noticed this many products in the U.S. that
indicated they were made in the USA, I would be shocked.
A game I play with myself: What I Will
Miss About Switzerland
(Other than the things that remind me
of home, like my Women's English Bible Study)
-Elderly people using ski poles/nordic
walking poles as canes
-the bread
-the cheese
-the chocolate
-public transportation (don't get me
wrong, a car is great, but it is nice to have the option) and even
though I don't always like it, it's good that we have to do some
walking every day. It's actually really nice after a big meal-
assuages the guilt and aids the digestion
-the emphasis on outdoorsiness (thus
making outdoor activities more accessible to the regular joe shmoe)
I suppose I play this game when I'm
feeling homesick or I see something particularly amusing.
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