On 18 July 2019, Zander and I set foot on Swiss soil for the first time. My first glimpse of our new home through the plane’s window was the full moon greeting the new day in the purple-orange glow of dawn over the white peaks of the Alps. As we approached the landing, I noticed the order and effectiveness. My OCD was delighted, but I wondered, “am I ready for this challenge?”

In the arrival hall, Charl stood there like my rock. It was such a relief to see him. He almost seemed more tired than Zander and I due to all the worrying about us. We accompanied him to his temporary residence. My tired brain could not take in all his explanations of how everything works, and I had to figure the basics out after some sleep.

Our first outing to the local supermarket

Zander and my first outing were to the local supermarket, Coop. Due to limited space and the fact that you have to carry your purchases, people tend to go to the store daily and only buy food for that day. I soon realised my warehouse concept was not going to work here. Certain types of fruits and vegetables are unknown to me, but all the red fruits, like berries and cherries, excite me.

The smell of freshly baked bread hung in the air, and the variety of cheeses amazed me. Meat options are limited, and the prices are unaffordable. Minced meat is three times more expensive, and other cuts are up to six times more expensive than in South Africa. Coop, fortunately, has Prix branded products that are affordable, even for South Africans. Zander was delighted with his discovery of Prix ice cream. Zander stated, “I can see how the two of us will now become Bargain Hunters”.

Trains, trams, and buses

Our second challenge was to find our way between all the trains, trams, and buses. We still rely on our faithful friend Google Maps. It shows what form of transport departs from a specific location at a given time. Our legs also must now make a more significant contribution between all the walking, climbing stairs and sometimes running when we are a little bit late.

Getting out of bed is much more painful than before, but I hope it bears fruit on appearance. Since we require local data for Google Maps, we had to obtain local cell phone contracts. Zander is now responsible for most of our route research. He is my Trip Advisor.

I have sent Zander several times to the grocery store with a list. He travelled by train as the store was only a few stations away, and he returned with all the items. The safe environment contributes to confidence and makes me comfortable giving Zander greater responsibility.

Language is a challenge

Language is a big challenge for us, and all three of us realise that we will have to learn to speak German as soon as possible to survive. We use Google Translate regularly. Many people can speak a little English and are friendly and helpful. Between grüezi (hello), danke schön (thank you very much) and tschuss (goodbye), we try to create the impression that we are at least trying. If I struggle in the shops, I throw in Afrikaans with sch- and gh- sounds. With a little bit of luck, it sometimes works.

Accommodation, like everything else here, is expensive. We were grateful to hear that we could get the key to our new apartment a week before the end of July. The news that our shipment would only arrive on 9 August was less good. As South Africans, we are comfortable with camping. With everything on the ship, we bought a kettle, mattresses, and basic cutlery to get by for three weeks. In Switzerland, the accommodation also comes without lights and built-in cupboards.

IKEA

We had to expand our limited understanding of IKEA’s processes. As first-time visitors, we felt overwhelmed by Ikea’s maze of departments and aisles. We realised we had to write down the location and order numbers of selected items to find them in the self-serve warehouse.

Ikea`s furniture is affordable because you have to assemble the furniture yourself. Charl`s lego building skills came in handy when we had to build our Ikea furniture from the description-free assembly instructions. We experienced a significant sense of achievement once we had finished the items and delivered the carton to the recycling plant.

We are doing well and are pleased with our progress in exploring our new home over the past two weeks. We miss family, friends and being able to understand the language. Zander also longs for burgers with his favourite Woolworths patties.

Kind regards

Emsia