Monday 10 December 2012
How Switzerland now copes with the unusual phenomenon known as snow
Wednesday 19 September 2012
A remarkable bureaucratic absurdity in Switzerland
At the Handelsregisteramt in Zurich, I am told, Swiss official documents such as Ausländerauswiese are not accepted as a valid
means of establishing one's identity!
They requre you to ptroduce a foreign document (e.g. in my friend's case, his BRITISH
Passport)
So official documents from foreign countries now have greater weight in Switzerland than official documents from Switzerland itself?
Sunday 29 July 2012
Switzerland becoming more bureaucratically ridiculous?
I had thought that Swiss rules were becoming more relaxed and open.
But it appears that they are also becoming more ridiculous.
A young Swiss woman brought from her home the US to her home in Switzerland an old wedding-dress.
She did not imagine that this was an item that needed to be declared to Customs.
On her luggage being checked, and this item being "discovered" by Customs, they imposed a fine of roughly 800 US dollars!
Naturally, she appealed this fine.
The response that came back was that the decision was "correct".
Well, the decision may have been "correct" according to some interpretation of some idiotic regulation, but this kind of "correctness" is what makes the law into an ass in the eyes of ordinary citizens, and eventually causes contempt for the law and so leads to the breakdown of the rule of law.
But it appears that they are also becoming more ridiculous.
A young Swiss woman brought from her home the US to her home in Switzerland an old wedding-dress.
She did not imagine that this was an item that needed to be declared to Customs.
On her luggage being checked, and this item being "discovered" by Customs, they imposed a fine of roughly 800 US dollars!
Naturally, she appealed this fine.
The response that came back was that the decision was "correct".
Well, the decision may have been "correct" according to some interpretation of some idiotic regulation, but this kind of "correctness" is what makes the law into an ass in the eyes of ordinary citizens, and eventually causes contempt for the law and so leads to the breakdown of the rule of law.
Tuesday 17 July 2012
The new part of Zurich Airport
Extraordinary but the other day, when I was leaving from Zurich Airport, I found myself being directed to a new part of the Airport which had just opened - but the signs indicating the flights were not working!
Very strange for a Swiss company to open a facility before everything is working 100%.
And, at an airport, one did wonder what else was not working....
Fortunately, no problems at take-off...nor indeed at the landing on the return flight.
Very strange for a Swiss company to open a facility before everything is working 100%.
And, at an airport, one did wonder what else was not working....
Fortunately, no problems at take-off...nor indeed at the landing on the return flight.
Monday 9 July 2012
Rising number of mistakes now being committed by Swiss administrators
It is heart-rending but quite fascinating to see a culture in decline.
Following the rejection of God and the Bible by the Swiss public, there is now a general run-down in Switzerland.
For example, someone I know is involved in running a company, and complained recently of increasing number of mistakes in the functioning of the Betreibungsamt: instead of a Betreibung being issued on behalf of his company (let us call it X) to another Company (let us call it Y), the Betreibung was issued by the Betreibungsamt against his own company (X)! And this was the 2nd time that this has happened in some three months!!!
Another person I know involved in running a small company, complains that Swiss accountants can no longer be trusted to do an accurate job.
Yet another person complains that Swiss Treuhänder no longer give reliable advice.
There is now rubbish thrown on the streets in small towns such as the one I live in, and even on remote rural pathways - this has started happening noticeably in "my" area only from this year.
Zurich has of course for the last few years grown increasingly hospitable to graffiti.
People in Geneva complain of daylight robbery even in shopping centres.
Is this only due to an increasing number of foreigners, as some Swiss think? Or is this because Switzerland's own culture is breaking down?
It is true that, in the big cities, the increasing number of foreigners may contribute to this phenomenon. But in smaller towns like "mine" where there are hardly any foreigners anyway, that can't be the reason.
Which is why I say that I am watching a whole culture break down - and the tragic thing is that the Swiss don't want to even notice it.
I had always thought that when the Bible talks about people being "blinded" by their sins, it is speaking about "spiritual blindness". I now realise that the blindness relates not only to spiritual phenomena, it is relates even to the physical world around us.
That is why Italians (who never had a Biblical culture anyway) put up with the physical mess in which so much of the country lives.
That is why my own people (in India) see neither the physical mess which is much worse than in Italy, nor indeed are alarmed by large-scale corruption.
So I guess that what will come, after physical signs of decay and disorganisation have become prevalent in Switzerland, will be large-scale corruption.
And the consequence of that is always widespread poverty.
I wonder how long that will take to get here.
Unless of course the Swiss public turns to God and the Bible again, and rebuilds its culture in a way that is fit for the twenty-first century.
Following the rejection of God and the Bible by the Swiss public, there is now a general run-down in Switzerland.
For example, someone I know is involved in running a company, and complained recently of increasing number of mistakes in the functioning of the Betreibungsamt: instead of a Betreibung being issued on behalf of his company (let us call it X) to another Company (let us call it Y), the Betreibung was issued by the Betreibungsamt against his own company (X)! And this was the 2nd time that this has happened in some three months!!!
Another person I know involved in running a small company, complains that Swiss accountants can no longer be trusted to do an accurate job.
Yet another person complains that Swiss Treuhänder no longer give reliable advice.
There is now rubbish thrown on the streets in small towns such as the one I live in, and even on remote rural pathways - this has started happening noticeably in "my" area only from this year.
Zurich has of course for the last few years grown increasingly hospitable to graffiti.
People in Geneva complain of daylight robbery even in shopping centres.
Is this only due to an increasing number of foreigners, as some Swiss think? Or is this because Switzerland's own culture is breaking down?
It is true that, in the big cities, the increasing number of foreigners may contribute to this phenomenon. But in smaller towns like "mine" where there are hardly any foreigners anyway, that can't be the reason.
Which is why I say that I am watching a whole culture break down - and the tragic thing is that the Swiss don't want to even notice it.
I had always thought that when the Bible talks about people being "blinded" by their sins, it is speaking about "spiritual blindness". I now realise that the blindness relates not only to spiritual phenomena, it is relates even to the physical world around us.
That is why Italians (who never had a Biblical culture anyway) put up with the physical mess in which so much of the country lives.
That is why my own people (in India) see neither the physical mess which is much worse than in Italy, nor indeed are alarmed by large-scale corruption.
So I guess that what will come, after physical signs of decay and disorganisation have become prevalent in Switzerland, will be large-scale corruption.
And the consequence of that is always widespread poverty.
I wonder how long that will take to get here.
Unless of course the Swiss public turns to God and the Bible again, and rebuilds its culture in a way that is fit for the twenty-first century.
Saturday 7 July 2012
Is Switzerland now worse than Pakistan?
Worth noting that Pakistan has succeeded in extracting an apology from the US a couple of days ago after a struggle on the issue lasting several months.
On the other hand, Switzerland does not seem to have the backbone to resist even illegal demands from the US.
On the other hand, Switzerland does not seem to have the backbone to resist even illegal demands from the US.
Saturday 30 June 2012
New CEO for King's Kurry AG
Torsten Danielsson, the Danish restaurant entrepreneur, has been unanimously appointed as CEO of King’s Kurry Group, by the Board of Directors, starting from the 1st of July 2012. He has worked with the King’s Kurry Group since 2009, successfully launching the Group Purchasing and Expansion initiatives, including the Rickshaw and Little India projects.
He will be responsible for the wide range of activities of King’s Kurry Group, concentrating on further expansion with partners such as MIGROS (e.g. Anna’s Best INDIA ready meals range) and fine dining establishments, such as the recent co-operation with Badrutt’s Palace ***** Hotel in St. Moritz.
Ranjeet Guptara, Founder and Director of King’s Kurry says, “As I leave operations to get married and take the opportunity to study in Cambridge, I am grateful that King’s Kurry can benefit from Torsten’s international experience, in the heritage of his Viking trading ancestors. Denmark and India have been trading partners for more than 500 years, so I am glad to have found a leader who understands both European and Indian cuisine, culture and commerce. Torsten Danielsson has already brought a level of expertise and positive change to King’s Kurry in the last three years that is transformative.”
Torsten Danielsson, the designated CEO, says “I am excited about taking this next step forward in the King’s Kurry Group. The challenges in general in Gastronomy will not become smaller in the coming years and King’s Kurry wants to not only sustain existing restaurants and product sales but also to become the leading Indian brand in Europe. I look forward to taking on this challenge together with the competent and vibrant team in the King’s Kurry Group.”
About Torsten Danielsson:
Torsten Danielsson, born in 1964 in Denmark, studied Economics at Aarhus University before leading multi-site restaurants across Denmark. He has also worked as an entrepreneur in the construction and diamond tool industries. He has a daughter, has lived in Zurich since 2002, and represents Switzerland internationally in Carambole Billiards.
He will be responsible for the wide range of activities of King’s Kurry Group, concentrating on further expansion with partners such as MIGROS (e.g. Anna’s Best INDIA ready meals range) and fine dining establishments, such as the recent co-operation with Badrutt’s Palace ***** Hotel in St. Moritz.
Ranjeet Guptara, Founder and Director of King’s Kurry says, “As I leave operations to get married and take the opportunity to study in Cambridge, I am grateful that King’s Kurry can benefit from Torsten’s international experience, in the heritage of his Viking trading ancestors. Denmark and India have been trading partners for more than 500 years, so I am glad to have found a leader who understands both European and Indian cuisine, culture and commerce. Torsten Danielsson has already brought a level of expertise and positive change to King’s Kurry in the last three years that is transformative.”
Torsten Danielsson, the designated CEO, says “I am excited about taking this next step forward in the King’s Kurry Group. The challenges in general in Gastronomy will not become smaller in the coming years and King’s Kurry wants to not only sustain existing restaurants and product sales but also to become the leading Indian brand in Europe. I look forward to taking on this challenge together with the competent and vibrant team in the King’s Kurry Group.”
About Torsten Danielsson:
Torsten Danielsson, born in 1964 in Denmark, studied Economics at Aarhus University before leading multi-site restaurants across Denmark. He has also worked as an entrepreneur in the construction and diamond tool industries. He has a daughter, has lived in Zurich since 2002, and represents Switzerland internationally in Carambole Billiards.
Monday 25 June 2012
Problem with visas for conference participants coming to CH
For a conference, at which I was invited to speak, there were supposed to be 90 participants, all carefully selected from among people nominated to attend it (the conference is not advertised).
However, some 30 of them were denied visas, including one speaker!
Are the criteria for granting visas now too strict? Or did all 30 of them make mistakes in their applications (and if so is it now too easy to make some mistake or the other in the application form)?
Sadly, it is not easy to find out, as the entire procedure and criteria for granting visas to the Schengen area has apparently become so secretive.
However, some 30 of them were denied visas, including one speaker!
Are the criteria for granting visas now too strict? Or did all 30 of them make mistakes in their applications (and if so is it now too easy to make some mistake or the other in the application form)?
Sadly, it is not easy to find out, as the entire procedure and criteria for granting visas to the Schengen area has apparently become so secretive.
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Are artists abandoning Switzerland?
Yesterday, I had two conversations which made me aware that artists are abandoning Switzerland.
The first was with a woman who is a singer and songwriter, who said that the space for creativity was being shrunk in Switzerland. When I asked in what way, she replied that Switzerland was too uniformly expensive. In other countries, even the most expensive cities, such as New York, have areas which are run down and where artists can live. But, as artists gather there, they gradually made the area attractive because small theatres and galleries come up there, though of course then gentrifictaion starts, making it necessary for artists to eventually move to other areas. So where was this woman artist moving to? Berlin.
The second was with a man whose wife is a prominent artist. The couple is based in Switzerland, but the wife goes for work-related travel to Berlin, and he unwittingly confirmed that Berlin is becoming the mecca for artists at least in the German-speaking world.
Great for Berlin. Bad for Switzerland.
While Switzerland has financial policies that attract the most succesful artists in the world to Switzerland for financial reasons, does it not seem very short-sighted to have a complete absence of thinking about a cultural policy that helps to to keep young Swiss artists here?
The first was with a woman who is a singer and songwriter, who said that the space for creativity was being shrunk in Switzerland. When I asked in what way, she replied that Switzerland was too uniformly expensive. In other countries, even the most expensive cities, such as New York, have areas which are run down and where artists can live. But, as artists gather there, they gradually made the area attractive because small theatres and galleries come up there, though of course then gentrifictaion starts, making it necessary for artists to eventually move to other areas. So where was this woman artist moving to? Berlin.
The second was with a man whose wife is a prominent artist. The couple is based in Switzerland, but the wife goes for work-related travel to Berlin, and he unwittingly confirmed that Berlin is becoming the mecca for artists at least in the German-speaking world.
Great for Berlin. Bad for Switzerland.
While Switzerland has financial policies that attract the most succesful artists in the world to Switzerland for financial reasons, does it not seem very short-sighted to have a complete absence of thinking about a cultural policy that helps to to keep young Swiss artists here?
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Das Wellness-Prinzip: Gesund leben, Glücklich sein
i have just received a stunningly beautiful brochure for a fascinating book, DAS WELLNESS-PRINZIP by the Swiss-Austrian couple who are Olympic athletes, Jacqueline Walcher-Schneider and Jörg Walcher. I see that their very impressive biographies are available at: http://wellbeing24-7.com/biographie/jacqueline_walcher_schneider/index.html and http://wellbeing24-7.com/biographie/joerg_walcher/index.html
Published by Draksal Fachverlag in Leipzig, the brochure publcises chapters titled "WellBody", "WellThink", "WellFamily", "WellJob", and "WellMoney".
That seems pretty comprehensive to me, and I am looking forward to reading it.
Published by Draksal Fachverlag in Leipzig, the brochure publcises chapters titled "WellBody", "WellThink", "WellFamily", "WellJob", and "WellMoney".
That seems pretty comprehensive to me, and I am looking forward to reading it.
Situation on the road between Zurich and Basel
My son told me yesterday that someone driving from Basel to Zurich to see him was delayed by an hour for the appointment only because of how busy the road (there is one principal road) has become!
I don't think that road was ever particularly efficient but now seems to be impossible.
Even though I oftn draw attention to the deterioration of public transport in Switzerland, it is still one of the best in the world: boats, buses and trains are more or less regular and reliable - and the scheduled travel time is only 53 minutes between Basel and Zurich.
Driving in Switzerland is increasingly unjustifiable except in the more remote areas which may not be so well served by public transport. But even there, one must value travel time very low to be able to justify driving, or value mere convenience more than overall efficiency and productivity.
I don't think that road was ever particularly efficient but now seems to be impossible.
Even though I oftn draw attention to the deterioration of public transport in Switzerland, it is still one of the best in the world: boats, buses and trains are more or less regular and reliable - and the scheduled travel time is only 53 minutes between Basel and Zurich.
Driving in Switzerland is increasingly unjustifiable except in the more remote areas which may not be so well served by public transport. But even there, one must value travel time very low to be able to justify driving, or value mere convenience more than overall efficiency and productivity.
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Swiss Train Maintenance
The standard of maintenance on Swiss trains is falling.
On my last visit to Zurich, I noticed that one of the electronic display systems on the train between the Hauptbahnhof and Wiedikon was on the blink (not working at all).
And, on the same day, on the SBB's IC train, cables were hanging out below one of the seats opposite me.
On my last visit to Zurich, I noticed that one of the electronic display systems on the train between the Hauptbahnhof and Wiedikon was on the blink (not working at all).
And, on the same day, on the SBB's IC train, cables were hanging out below one of the seats opposite me.
Wednesday 8 February 2012
Swiss regulator stepping up watch on real estate bubble in Switzerland
That's what the following story claims:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/01/25/swiss-regulator-steps-up-focus-on-housing-market-boom-survey/#ixzz1kZ9LBQm9
As you might expect, the story talks about risks building up in the Swiss economy and other such nice and interesting things, without tackling the key question that real estate prices are shooting up in the principal cities such Geneva and Zurich mainly because foreigners are bringing in cash for the purpose.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/01/25/swiss-regulator-steps-up-focus-on-housing-market-boom-survey/#ixzz1kZ9LBQm9
As you might expect, the story talks about risks building up in the Swiss economy and other such nice and interesting things, without tackling the key question that real estate prices are shooting up in the principal cities such Geneva and Zurich mainly because foreigners are bringing in cash for the purpose.
Thursday 2 February 2012
Switzerland's decline now reaching the level of the UK in at least one respect
Due to the apprenticeship system, the quality of work that one got in practical things (mechanical and technical matters, gardening, cooking, sales and marketing, IT matters, medical help from nurses etc) used to be very high - perhaps the highest in the world. And, due to the influence of the Bible and the influence of a close community, the level of honesty and reliability was also at least one of the highest in the world.
When I first came to Switzerland on a more-or-less long term basis (at that time we did not have any idea how long we would stay), all this had, we now realise, just started eroding.
I have been documenting the evidence of the erosion in this blog.
Yesterday, my son told me that he had approached 4 different companies to come and look at a cistern that was giving trouble, and which his colleagues, he and the house caretaker could sort out between them. Of these 4 companies, two companies declined the work. One said that he would ring back but never did. The fourth said that he would come, and set a date and time, but then simply did not turn up (no explanation, no apology). Fortunately for my son, he and his housewart and colleagues continued to struggle to understand what was wrong, and to experiment, and finally worked out a solution.
This reminds me of the situation which had already begun to develop in the UK by the 1970s (no idea if it is better or worse today - but, frankly, I would be extremely pleasantly surprised if it is better).
Cultures can be relatively easily and quickly eroded, but they take a long time to build up again.
Swiss politicians, looking at symptoms of decline of their society (such as the erosion in the work ethic), and seeking to solve that by importing people who have no allegiance to the core values of the country, have clearly either ignored, or not even thought of, the consequences of their policies.
When I first came to Switzerland on a more-or-less long term basis (at that time we did not have any idea how long we would stay), all this had, we now realise, just started eroding.
I have been documenting the evidence of the erosion in this blog.
Yesterday, my son told me that he had approached 4 different companies to come and look at a cistern that was giving trouble, and which his colleagues, he and the house caretaker could sort out between them. Of these 4 companies, two companies declined the work. One said that he would ring back but never did. The fourth said that he would come, and set a date and time, but then simply did not turn up (no explanation, no apology). Fortunately for my son, he and his housewart and colleagues continued to struggle to understand what was wrong, and to experiment, and finally worked out a solution.
This reminds me of the situation which had already begun to develop in the UK by the 1970s (no idea if it is better or worse today - but, frankly, I would be extremely pleasantly surprised if it is better).
Cultures can be relatively easily and quickly eroded, but they take a long time to build up again.
Swiss politicians, looking at symptoms of decline of their society (such as the erosion in the work ethic), and seeking to solve that by importing people who have no allegiance to the core values of the country, have clearly either ignored, or not even thought of, the consequences of their policies.
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