Categories: ExpatsGeneva

#GenevaFacts

So, I’ve been here for a little more than two weeks. I’m in that weird “in between” place, house hunting, learning french and getting used to the cold weather.

The differences are big between São Paulo and Geneva, and I’ve been enjoying it very much. I decided to blog about the most curious #GenevaFacts I’ve noticed so far.

Swiss people are very trusting. You buy your ticket on the station’s totem, but you don’t have to show it to anyone. Theoretically, there are fiscals who can ask to see your ticket, but we have never seen one. Less fraud, less oversight. Interesting;

The public transportation is very efficent. The stations are very well signposted, and tell you wich buses attend to that station, where they come from, where are they going to, what’s the exact time for them and, in some of them, you can see exactly how long it is till your next one in an electronic display. I’m loving it;

On the weekends, nothing happens in Geneva. The restaurants and supermarkets close really early on Saturdays and don’t even open on Sundays. The sreets get very quiet. We heard that it’s because everybody leaves town to go skiing or to enjoy some mountain chalet;

People are never late. Ever. If you make an appointment with you real estate agent at 11:30, she will be there at 11:25. I’m trying to adapt to this…

Converse’s shoes aren’t fit for walking in wet snow. I found myself slipping like a duck in the streets. From now on, I only use boots on snow days;

Coins are very valuable. They start at 5 CHF. I’ve been collection every change and been able to pay lots of stuff with it;

The pizza delivery guy is old. So is the stores vendors. Not all of them, but still is funny to see that, comming from a city where you only have unexperienced young people on those jobs;

The bread is delicious. At the end of the day, it’s common to see people carrying baguetes on the buses or on the streets. The bread here is crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, smells very good and tastes very good also… Hard to resist!

Cíntia Costa

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  • Republicou isso em J'habite à Genèvee comentado:

    I wrote this post on my other blog in my first weeks here and, although some of these "Geneva facts" turned out to be very related to winter (like the weekends with no one on the streets), I thought it would be fun to share it with you...

    Maybe I should make another list one of this days...

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Cíntia Costa

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