Culture Shock: Switzerland | Easy German Podcast 451 Live in Zurich

Hello everyone Yes good evening everyone Hello and welcome to Zurich Hello from me as well Manuel has no chance today right Yes people you heard right we 're talking strangely today The reason is we're in Switzerland We have traveled to Switzerland today Manuel and I and we met Claudia here who is from Switzerland Exactly yes We will tell you a few more things soon Just a quick note for everyone listening now This podcast this podcast episode is available today as a video Manuel Where can you find it On YouTube com Yes Slash Easy German There are also subtitles there If you click on CC at the bottom you will get subtitles Very convenient And if you're watching this video on YouTube right now and are thinking "Easy German Podcast " then Manuel has an important message for you Then you might be able to listen to more episodes of this podcast We have already made 450 episodes You can hear the others in any podcast app but not all have video Today is a special episode because we have a live audience here And that's why we're making a video out of it And I'd say now it's time to hear from you dear audience Are you all here Very loud A small test for you Who of you has all 400 how many do we have 450 Listened to all 450 episodes of the podcast Janusz Yes some Some super fans here today Manuel Not bad huh Everyone came to Zurich Let's start by introducing our partners today First is dear Claudia Hello everyone Claudia is our Swiss representative on stage today You will answer all the questions from our audience I'm really looking forward to seeing what's coming Right And Claudia you're on stage today from our partner the Hallo Deutschschule And there are also some people from the Hallo Deutschschule in the background Hello my dear people from the Hallo Deutschschule These are our partners here in Zurich because we Germans can't just go to Switzerland and speak Swiss German We need a partner for that Exactly Thank you for being here You're very welcome I'm very glad Then let's also thank the 25 Hours Hotel This is our partner here in Zurich Thank you for allowing us to be in this beautiful room Here there are events and a nice bar We will still go there after the reception and Decorate one or another cocktail Exactly You can take a look at it we'll also link it below What else do we need to know We have a fantastic audience today You are really the first audience at a live podcast recording It has completely and fully appeared No no-shows and all on time Wonderful Yes That's because you are already very well integrated into Switzerland I was just about to say punctuality and Switzerland that fits right This fits together I took a look at where our audience is coming from It really is from all over the world From the USA Portugal Italy Poland Yes you can scream if you hear your country Who is from Poland here Wow these are some Now you greet everyone in the local language Greece Oh well okay Brazil Hello How are you I'm fine Canada Hello China Hello Hello of course Turkey Hello Okay you can do a lot right GreatUkraine Maybe Mexico Hello I'm sorry I can't read out all the countries but we're happy you're here from all over the world And you are also the main part of this podcast episode without you perhaps knowing but you have actually provided us with the content We kind of crowdsourced it Manuel Oh really Theme of the week that was quick Our theme of the week today is Cultural differences between Germany and Switzerland That's not true at all Is that not true No Then I wasn't informed Also when we do a podcast a live podcast I handle the technology and Cari handles the content I am just as clueless as you are Our topic today is culture shock in Switzerland But of course a German can also experience a culture shock We'll talk about that right now Manuel We have definitely collected culture shocks from all of you We sent out a survey and many of you participated Who among you participated in the survey That was almost a third of the people here And you have sent in very interesting observations culture shocks and questions and we will now go through them But before we start Claudia you are from Switzerland and have lived in Germany You are from Germany and have lived in Switzerland Did you plan that Yes She just told me that it was actually a nice combination Nice combination Totally What would you say now You both have experience in the other country How different are Germany and Switzerland I think we are extremely similar but then in some very small areas we are so different that it can sometimes even lead to conflicts What I can fully confirm that I think the same Actually we are basically very similar but there are some small differences For me it's mainly linguistic we also found out together There are a few differences Exactly So a few small differences Yes it can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings depending on the situation Claudia you are an actress and a teacher I lived in Berlin How long did you live in Berlin A total of five years Did you have any culture shocks in Germany No in that sense I didn't have any culture shocks I just realized I had to speak faster get to the point faster I had to It needs to be more direct Oh okay more direct Stereotypes yes Did you think wow it's really dirty here in Berlin It was actually Manuel who noticed that when we arrived in Zurich He said wow Zurich is so clean Claudia won't say it so directly right now but it's incredible how clean and well-maintained Switzerland is Also when for example in Basel where I lived Fasnacht is celebrated which is Carnival the It's the whole street full of confetti and all sorts of things And right the next morning before you even wake up everything is clean again I wanted to say that right away It often gets on my nerves Or after a big party it's already around six or seven in the morning When you're still hungover from sleeping the trash collection comes and sweeps everything away That's something I naturally find great but exactly Also in Berlin everything remains delayed for at least three more days after New Year's Maybe you'll feel more comfortable there It's actually so we've actually experienced it Have you noticed any differences We'll be hearing many culture shocks from you now You are people who do not come from Switzerland nor from Germany Maybe we can put it into perspective a bit to see if these are things that could also happen to you in Germany I'll start with my first category Claudia I've called it Sporty Swiss Also many people here have noticed that the Swiss are very sporty Do you feel that too I can confirm that because here the work-life balance is highly emphasized People here enjoy working and it's also good as a balance to do a bit of sports If you don't exercise it's very important to go into the forest for fresh air on Sundays Or to the mountains Or exactly to the mountains Some have written that Marco from Italy writes that mountain sports are typical for Switzerland Angelina from Greece said that at first I was always very surprised that people are very athletic For example they run outside despite the bad weather Once I saw a runner outside on a snowy morning at six o'clock In Greece people are not as sporty Oder Marie from France writes about swimming in the cold lake in the morning and celebrating New Year's Eve outside Even if it's ten degrees below zero Yes and swimming in the lake in winter or in the Limmat river here in Zurich Yes it has really become a sports event now Such a challenge you go into the water after work at two degrees and then feel It is truly healthy and can then also drink a bottle of wine with a clear conscience Before or after After I think that's great it's proven to be fantastic Did you do that too when you lived in Switzerland Unfortunately no but I would start immediately bringing these traditions to Berlin You Manuel can do that easily Swim in the Spree tomorrow Why not On Monday when we are back in Berlin Okay we will document that and please all write a comment again You can leave comments about our podcast episode on YouTube or easygerman fm Photo or it didn't happen that's the hashtag Exactly the photo or it didn't happen Manuel says he'll jump into the Spree on Monday Can we record that Top the bet stands All clear I hope you are well again on Monday Manuel I hope so too After all we didn't specify which Monday It could also be in two years But not in the summer No no Please remind Manuel in the comments Photo or what's it called It didn't happen Photo or it didn't happen Then we have a category I once wrote "courtesy " Claudia are the Swiss polite Yes the Swiss are very polite You didn't even want to say that Berlin is dirty Everyone knows that That's how it is with me everyone knows Yes yes Berlin is no I don't find Berlin dirty It just has corners that are dirty But I think it fits then Oh In chaos but then it also has corners that I don 't find that dirty Naturally compared to Zurich But I have to say I'm also a fan of this disposal craze I'll say that in Zurich What does that mean This means that for example you bundle cardboard and paper and you also have a disposal calendar The bundling Now I'm not off-topic I know you asked me That will come next It was a big culture shock for you Here there are bundles What is that Exactly They bundle the papers they bundle the newspapers Put the bundles outside There you wrap the newspapers or cardboard and put them by the front door I do that too A disposal calendar For example on January 23rd at 9 a m You must place the cardboard or paper bundles outside Either cardboard or paper Do not mix No not at all The neighbor is coming The police are coming If it gets serious the neighbor will call the police Here is our first audience comment Janusz would you like to come up on stage What can you say about this topic Yesterday I did interviews on the street There I experienced something very clear That I would like to tell you Namely when we ask people can I ask you a question many say no It can happen Approximately 70% of people say no This is not visible in the videos We don't need to show this And that can be a bit stressful And what I experienced here in Zurich now that was so sweet Weil ja exactly the same number of people have canceled on us But they did it lovingly You said no I can't sorry And that is so heartwarming for us That is so beautiful And in Germany the popular saying is Can I ask you a question Unwillingly It happens That is a nice example exactly And here it is real no I am not so fond of being in front of the camera I am sorry Would it be okay if they don't take me in But thank you very much That's politeness here People we're moving on to the next topic safety There are many people who have written that they feel very secure Not only did they experience real culture shocks Julia from Italy for example maybe here tonight wrote the only time that deeply shocked me I was at war when I was on my way to university in St Gallen There I saw a group of children They must have been 10 to 15 children Five or six years old Not older Hand in hand they were wearing reflective jackets He went somewhere alone Probably to the kindergarten or elementary school I repeat alone Without any supervision They stopped at the traffic light Everything was orderly I was speechless had to rely on my Swiss classmates Get a five-minute assurance that this is normal and that they will simply be responsible individuals When they are adults Claudia is that true Children alone on the street Yes They are trained for it very early It is actually like that already in kindergarten Also here They get high-visibility vests The traffic policeman comes in the first class Yes we had that too Then you have to train When are you crossing the street When do you take each other's hand That is written very high safety As soon as children are on the street or on the sidewalk Drivers must be more attentive As a driver you really have that in mind This is what I noticed on my first day in Switzerland If you cross a pedestrian crossing in Berlin or generally in Germany you have to wait for the traffic light to turn green You never think that the car will actually stop You wait first If you see that it stops then you go Cars stop already 100 meters before They brake already up ahead Someone told me that there are such high fines That they all are afraid of the drivers That's exactly right Our next topic Claudia Manuel is also a difficult topic in Germany It's about friendships Who here has already found real Swiss friends Two three but more There are already quite a few I congratulate you A bit more that's really great I 'm totally relieved Soon you'll have another friend We have some Swiss people here as well Some Swiss people are sitting way in the back You might meet a few people tonight Marco from Italy writes Here people are more introverted than in Italy You need to spend more time on having friends and not staying alone Is that true Yes I can really confirm that I think it's also very difficult here I think the Swiss are also introverted Even skeptical when someone approaches you at the bar it's the same oh what do you want from me Go away do you have anything planned with me Do you have anything planned with me But what I also need to say is it will take longer But when you have found friends here they really mean it sincerely Then they are really friends One could say it's like in Germany but 20% worse Worse Or even worse yes It' s also difficult in Germany Many people tell us this those who are watching right now We have often talked about making friends Manuel You need time courage and perseverance Or you already come to Germany in kindergarten Lifehack by Cari That would be my lifehack yes exactly So now comes my favorite category which is called Super Organized Who here says yes the Swiss are super organized Everyone says that I think that's a classic I like that it's organized Sometimes I wish for a bit more chaos A bit more street credibility Exactly But what I really like personally for example is that when I return to Switzerland the public transport is punctual It just works You arrive from Germany with a 30- minute delay and think finally back in Switzerland Or not even that Janusz wants us to talk now about how the trains from Germany enter Switzerland and are no longer allowed in here I also lived in Basel That is right on the German border And there the trains that come from Germany into Switzerland naturally arrive The first stop is always Basel And if they arrive late then the display at the station shows it you probably know that The train is delayed by 30 minutes due to a problem with Deutsche Bahn But it's actually true It's not the SBB it's the DB Yes yes That's right We have often talked about that And we also took the train on Tuesday And the first announcement we heard in Switzerland was welcome we are we now have the Swiss train staff has taken over the train raveling with a delay from Germany Yes exactly It was funny The whole train laughed Again too late Manuel is the stream already over A few more minutes we have I still have many topics on the list Then let's go Speedrun What topic would you like to discuss next I still have some bureaucracy and rules Order language Language please Language Language I think you've written the most comments Who among you was really shocked when they first heard the Swiss German language GoodAll Absolutely I think there's no exception right Yes Including us Manuel you moved to Switzerland a few years ago How was that for you as a German I was lucky enough to have lived in Basel Where the Basel German dialect is not so hard to understand Zurich is already a bit harder and then Bern Forget it Basel is very international Many Germans many Italians many French people That means English somehow works But for me understanding was no longer a problem after two months After two months I didn't even try to speak Okay Now some questions come up First Elena from Russia writes I had no idea at all before moving to Switzerland I have no idea how Swiss German sounds That would be a tip for everyone listening and watching now before Listen before you come here Then the culture shock is smaller So that was Elena's biggest surprise Daniel from Spain writes something similar I have learned German up to the B2C1 level which is already very high so I moved to Switzerland I have continued my studies at the language institute and was warned that I might have little progress I understood it but still couldn't believe how little I had understood about the work on my first day That can happen right You learn High German and then Exactly and then I always say or you learn High German at language schools As we are speaking now and then you go outside onto the street and it's actually a completely different language And I think that's the difficulty you can't do that at all if the People don't speak High German to you you don' t hear it you can't somehow take it in audibly And that is already a difficulty another obstacle And what I didn't know I naturally knew that Swiss German is spoken but Then I suddenly found myself in WhatsApp groups and realized wait there's also written Swiss German Yes yes Then I sat there like a first grader and decoded the messages But that's just informal that's the interesting part You can switch all the time In school you speak High German on TV you speak High German and in the newspaper you do too Of course And also the newspaper Written communication usually email whatever it is is all Standard German Also since childhood since school Exactly the informal is then the grounds for beer You have to understand that Otherwise you won't get any beer No Otherwise you won't be invited Can you describe the feeling a bit how it is for the Swiss and Swiss women For I have just met an old friend who has been living in Switzerland for ten years Also a German works in customer service and sometimes answers the phone and understands everything including Swiss German But still sometimes people tell me that I could speak with someone who speaks the dialect This means they don't want to although they are allowed to speak normally they just don't want to listen even on the phone the standard German Yes it's a difficult topic But of course that's what I also think I believe with the language I think That's where the fun ends Exactly that's where it ends I'll now be very serious No there's also the potential for conflict there I think I'll say it generally now the Swiss often find the German to be too direct it's too fast and often too impolite He is often insulted him or her It's not about that I'm saying this in a general sense And that's why I think he prefers to speak English French or Italian But just switching to High German although as you say your friend understands either High German or Swiss German But I think they don't really want to confront themselves with the language Interesting Manuel I have a few more funny categories Yes then let's go Can I have another one Then make another one Before we finish Specifically the Food category What do you think Claudia What do people think about Swiss food Yes tell me A meaningful pause Yes cheese Cheese Chocolate Meat chocolate in that direction I think Fondue Fondue Raclette Cheese fondue Chocolate fondue Chocolate fondue also exists yes with pears I'll read something aloud Magda from Poland states it neutrally In winter everything is eaten with cheese Cheese slices Raclette fondue An anonymous person writes that the food is not the best One can only eat so much cheese and Cordon Bleu He already knows why he has remained anonymous I won't take that risk It is difficult to attack cheese and Switzerland Wisum will be revoked immediately It will get worse Lukas from Brazil wanted to really provoke Why is Swiss food aside from chocolate and cheese so tasteless That's already intense I think I may just say something briefly That's also the modesty of the Swiss I find that quite beautiful partly Don't season too strongly We'll put the pepper and salt on the table for you You can season it to your taste Right that's very good Tina and Justin have also written about this topic Why do you use paprika spice almost exclusively in cuisine That didn't occur to me PaprikaNo Just salt and pepper Just salt and pepper Aromat is then Okay That is then the typical thing Exactly You just mentioned modesty Claudia We never really talked about money But money is my feeling You have it but you don't talk about it And you don't necessarily show it either You have a watch that costs a lot of money but it may not look like it costs very much It is also a characteristic of understatement I can't say it any other way It's not shown and no one asks me how much I earn I could easily step into a social blunder This is my plan for tomorrow asking people on the street how much they earn Good luck Very nice good luck Manuel Thank you Good luck Manuel This is going to be exciting isn't it I learned something interesting from you Claudia and I were also together on the street conducting interviews And then a car came a stylish car with a specific license plate And Claudia said wow he has a lot of money He has a four-digit number Yes that was somehow ZH2429 Keep the license plate in front of you Yes exactly ZH2429 There you know for sure he's got money Or did he just buy a very expensive shield Why What kind of system is that I think the higher the numbers ️ Painters are I think six figures I don't have a car myself I'm a cyclist But seven-digit numbers are just the regular numbers And the lower they are the more expensive the numbers are It's also a status symbol ZH0 cost 10 million I'd go with that now right But have you ever heard of that That a license plate is a status symbol Also in America I think you can pay money for cool license plates But that Not here not in Germany But yes The President has 0.1 The President You can't just buy that right Janusz That's something else Of course it's a status symbol Everything that starts with 0 is government or diplomats That's how it looks I also ride a bicycle I know nothing about it Very nice Nice Manuel We had a nice episode Claudia thank you for being our guest You're very very welcome We have many more questions for you We'll clarify them right away in the Aftershow If you'd like to listen and watch the Aftershow Is that possible Manuel www easygerman org slash membership There you can become a member of Easy German And listen to the Aftershow And much more Right At the end of each show Manuel and I continue talking for another half hour Yes sometimes even shorter But today we have many questions from you on our list We will now go through them Right Many questions we haven't even properly asked yet We will do that now Specifically in the Aftershow Thank you for allowing us to be here Thank you to you Claudia I thank you dear Easy German Crew It was as always fantastic And thank you to you And of course dear audience Thank you Excellent