Hello friends - or Grüezi as they say here

It has been a big week of change. It’s hard to think of what to say that won’t feel trite or cliched, but I will do my best to be as nuanced as you have come to expect of me. But for now it is impossible to begin sharing without first providing some sort of overview of the transition, later we can get into the specifics.

I made the wonderful and tragic mistake of making sure to spend as much time as I could with my friends right before decamping to another country, and it’s no surprise that I miss all of them (you) dearly. I spent my first evening here wandering around the city in a haze of jetlag thinking “what the fuck did I just do?”

There of course was a great feeling of loss for the kind community I’ve been immersed in for the last decade plus, but also a loss of familiarity and ease. I found myself slipping in to mirrored broken english when talking with native swiss german speakers, wandering around grocery stores unable to read the signs that said what each aisle held, and generally feeling a slight malaise of culture shock.

Underneath this blanket of dread there was the spark of a nervous excitement. As I spent the week walking between government appointments, my new office, apartment viewings, and just generally feeling out the cit, that excitement grew and the fog of fear began to lift.

This might be the (overly warm) summer weather and fresh air talking, but things feel cheerful and easy here. People are smiling, happily jumping into the river that runs through the city, seem to spend all day sitting at outdoor cafes, and don’t seem inclined to run you over on your bike when you pull into the car lane. All things which I definitely appreciate.

I wouldn’t say I’ve had an especially soft landing. I’ve yet to sleep a full night through due to jet lag and nights that are somehow warmer inside than the days¹. And I’ve spent most of my free time sorting through paperwork trying to figure out how to get a bank account, local registration, and an apartment - all of which are smaller and more expensive than ones in bay area (somehow). Living out of a suitcase and trying to find the all of the items that I left at home is a tiring adventure. Even trying to figure out what food to buy at which grocery store feels like a trial.

But these seem like mere trifles when I hop onto a tram to get across town, or see the outlines of the alps on the horizon. Is it better or is the grass still just greener as I acclimate? Time will tell if this is merely the honeymoon phase.

But how are things actually different here, besides just being less car centric and in german? Things feel a bit more human scale. Being in a wAlKaBle CiTy provides with it some surprising benefits. What is a food desert? Instead I am surrounded by many small grocery stores each selling unbelievably small portions of food - by American standards. Something like Costco would be unthinkable (I have to imagine). Not everything is a start up, there is still the belief that people can make a normal living without having to skyrocket to oligarchy. I have a very distinctive memory of swiping through a dating app in San Francisco and coming across someone proclaiming themselves a start-up founder because they had opened a small store selling novelty socks. By contrast, I watched a 90 minute documentary on the plane about a single Swiss cheesemaker which went into long detail about the popular apprenticeship opportunities for tradespeople. But give it a few weeks and we’ll see if I still feel this way.

Ok enough yapping, time for some photos

Culture shocks:

The first weekend I was here was a massive outdoor street rave that totally took over the part of the city by the lake. Even though it was boiling hot and not really my scene, I did appreciate just seeing so much public participation and generally orderly participation. From this first survey of Swiss citizenry I can report that they are generally tall and thin and have an ample supply of very bad tattoos.

I went for a bike ride in what turned out to be 90+ degree heat. I’ve always wondered if the little troughs with water flowing into them, that you often see in town squares, are potable. This led me to spend a minute trying to figure out what this one said.

Eventually I came across another that was quite clear that it was for drinking.

When I got my cantonal registration they also gave me a primer on their specific and expensive recycling & garbage system as well as a prescription for anti-radiation medication which I should keep on hand in case the nearby nuclear power plant fails.

Sightseeing:

The statehouse where I got my registration had a fun decorative motif that incorporated all sorts of weird commerce figures for the city

I opened a fancy bank account and a butler came in with a silver tray to provide me water and a small white box that contained a luxury chocolate

While out riding my bike I came across this curious arrangement of pine cones in the road. Have I stumbled into a Wes Anderson movie?

Albums:

For whatever reason this week I’ve been listening to two albums on repeat

Andy Shauf - Norm

It has taken me a long time to wrap my head around what is going on in this album. On it’s surface it is melodically catchy and easy to listen to, beautiful songs drag you through vignettes of small town life and obsessive love. But the lyrics paint a more complex picture that skirts clear explanation and leaves a lot of space for interpretation. I began to feel that this was the best Andy Shauf album, even though basically all of his albums are perfect gems. But it was also uncomfortable to alternate between the beauty of the music and the discomfort of the story within.

The Sea and Cake - Car Alarm

I don’t remember what drew me back to this, but it’s an all timer for me. Probably the only real The Sea and Cake album that I took to. It’s so light airy and it just floats happily by. I haven’t interrogated the lyrics like I have with Andy Shauf, but there’s definitely a feeling of loss and melancholy playing out throughout the album. Maybe I’m subconsciously latching onto that - as I often seem to do lyrically.

Ok - that’s all for now

I’m sharing more photos on signal stories, and quips on my discord so look there for less overwrought insights. Also feel free to remind other friends to subscribe to this.

Peace & Love

Noah

1. My coworkers say this is because of how well insulated or dense the apartment walls are they radiate the daytime heat from the sun into the apartment overnight. There is also no AC here - my coworkers say it may be illegal or at least ostricized, and instead there is a plan to run cold water from Lake Zurich through everyone’s floors to cool their houses, because somehow this makes sense.