It’s not easy to write about confrontation while you’re sitting in a sunflower field in the Swiss alps. Up to when I write this, my whole experience has been better than I had pictured it. I haven’t had a language barrier with my home stay family and I’ve been integrating very well which could be explained by the international context of Geneva.
I have no reason to complain about Switzerland, but I have experienced instances of missing home after realizing how early everything closes. On weekdays, businesses close at around 6pm and they do not run on Sundays. After the sun sets everything seems to stop. There are no people out on the streets. I miss the busyness of back home.
There is no comparing Geneva to home. It’s a small, intently international urban city that preserves its greenery and it has so much to it in all possible spheres. With 60% of its population being expats, there is a greater emphasis on cultural events which is refreshing. I can say that a big shock to me were the prices. I came here knowing that Switzerland was pricey, but I didn’t know the extent of it. Minimum wage is higher when compared to the U.S. and other European countries, making tourism here costly. I learned to look at menu prices before ordering- a club sandwich may cost you 52 francs and I learned that the hard way.
Recurring instances of frustration relate to public transport. A topic of debate and acceptance among the Swiss, public transport is effective, however, extremely costly. A general admission pass for public transportation will cost a citizen 360 francs for a week or 3,600 francs for a year. On top of having to deal with the rate, public transport has let me down innumerable times. Last month I decided to have dinner with a friend and we took a 20-minute ferry to a medieval French town. We had the Swiss public transport app downloaded and had confirmed the timetable for our return. The ferry, however, never came and we were stranded in a different country. It was late at night, we had class the next morning, and the trip home- that was supposed to take 20 minutes- took 4 hours and a hefty taxi bill. Although frustrating, my friend and I did make a good time out of being stranded in a picturesque town. Our problem could have been worse.
