12 Keywords That Bring You Here, Part I

The Frau isn’t really into analytics, but that doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy the Google version. Especially when it tells her how people like you end up here. Over the next two weeks, The Frau will explore 12 interesting keywords that yodelers are using to arrive at One Big Yodel, along with a short commentary and links to other blog posts on these oh, so popular topics.

Life in Switzerland for foreigners

All roads lead to The Frau

Oh, here is the keyword search that sums up The Frau’s entire Swiss experience and blog. Well done, Google searchers! Here are some additional posts you might like:

Foreigner or expat in Switzerland?

9 questions about Switzerland

Six years in Switzerland

Why is Switzerland so rich

Great question, searchers. Well, for one thing, the Swiss buy Swiss. They support themselves whenever possible. It’s a nice concept. But very expensive. Click on the link below for more.

Dear Frau: Why are the Swiss so rich?

Giving birth in Switzerland

How does Google know? Yes, The Frau gave birth in Switzerland. Welcome, future mothers.  You may find a few posts below interesting. Swiss hospitals are very supportive. Just don’t order the sausage salad and you’ll have a pleasant experience.

Five reasons Switzerland is a great place to have a baby

Having a baby in Switzerland: Are you ready?

You know you’re becoming a Swiss parent when…

Reka Checks

Why yes, Google, The Frau will do anything to save money in Switzerland. And Reka Checks are perfect for saving up to 20% on things like train tickets, hotels, and ski lifts. Here are some posts for the Reka-curious:

How to use REKA checks

Your Very own Swiss Holiday Preishit

Eight ways to save money in Switzerland

Switzerland on a budget

Buy Christmas Tree Zürich

The Frau has brought a lot of things home on a bus. A Christmas tree. A carpet. Her brand new baby. But she digresses, quick answer for "Buy Christmas Tree Zürich": The Frau buys her Christmas tree at the Jumbo Hardware store because they start selling trees around Thanksgiving (end of November) and she doesn’t have the patience to wait until the week before Christmas when they sell them right below her building.

How to buy and get rid of your Swiss Christmas tree

Christmas tree transport success

Swiss blggers

Not sure why so many people spell bloggers without the “o” but thanks, Google, The Frau learns something every day. Is The Frau a Swiss blgger or an American blgger? Or is she stuck somewhere between both worlds? For more Swiss blgs, check out the links below.

Reader Appreciation Day

Yodeler Appreciation Day

Stay tuned for six more great keyword searches next week...

The Frau's Swiss German Lesson

The Frau gets a lot of Swiss German lessons these days. But they are often disguised as something else. Like a verse of the New Testament. 

Let The Frau explain.

See, for the last few months, Baby M (well, she’s more like Toddler M these days) was saying “Hosanna.” A lot. Especially after her diaper was changed.

The Frau thought “Hosanna” was either Toddler M’s way of saying “stand up” or that she was extra religious about diapers.

Finally, after about two months of “hosannaing,” The Frau decided to inquire about it. So she asked the teachers at the Krippe (Swiss daycare) if Toddler M said Hosanna a lot and if so, if they had any idea about what it meant.

“Oh,” they said, “You mean Hosen an.” 

In other words, Toddler M had been saying “pants on” in German for the last few months. Which makes much more sense than her being extra religious about having her diaper changed…much more sense…if you’re not The Frau, that is.

Oh well. Another day, another small Swiss German lesson learned. Along with a big, fat American laugh.

Have you had a good Swiss German lesson lately?

Baby M's Identity Crisis

Inside Baby M's blue American passport, it says, "Place of Birth: Switzerland." So things here never shocked her like they did her poor mother, The Frau.

Baby M never had to figure out how to love a Cervelat. Or go through things like Migros Moments. Or smile and nod during a Swiss German conversation without understanding a word—even after years of High German lessons.

In fact, Baby M seemed as Swiss as any Swiss baby. Until she turned two years old and went to celebrate the holidays in the U.S. for a couple of weeks.

From one world back to another

Upon her return, Baby M seems to have registered something. Namely, that she lives in two different worlds.

Poor Baby M. She had a rough start to the New Year. When The Frau took her to Kinderkrippe (Swiss daycare) on Monday after being away from it for almost three weeks, her face registered total shock.

Swiss German shock.

At a time when she had been talking more than ever, she didn’t say a word all day long, according to the teachers. She just sat there and stared at everyone.

The next day was better. By the evening, Baby M was saying Grüezi wohl to random strangers in the elevator and singing during dinner. But Baby M’s initial shock made The Frau realize that raising a third culture kid might have many more challenges in store.

Do you or your kids have trouble adjusting after being away from Switzerland for several weeks?

Swiss Tourism at its Best

In Switzerland, everything has its place. Tourists. Trash. And apparently, the combination of the two.

So while the tourist may not have to take their glass to the bins by the river or take their plastic to the grocery store or tie their paper with string every six weeks and leave it outside their door, if they are visiting Einsiedeln, they still have a specific place they must put their trash:

Put your trash in its place, tourists!

Merry Christmas from One Big Yodel

Winter Wonderland in Disentis

Joyeux Noel

Fröhliche Weihnachten

Buone Feste Natalizie

Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn

A very Swiss Christmas to fellow yodelers in Switzerland and everywhere.

Love,

The Frau 

Drive Crazy in Switzerland

For a country with such high fines for driving under the influence or speeding (one million franc speeding fine, anyone?), The Frau finds crazydrive.ch quite the hilarious name for a Swiss driving school. Especially since the school proudly drives around Baden with the "CrazyDrive" name on their car. Another reason to hire an English copywriter in Switzerland and another reason not to have a car.

Your Very Own Swiss Holiday Preishit

Attention Yodeler Glühwein Connoisseurs and Fellow Cheapskates,

Maybe you’ve noticed how much the Swiss hate cheapness. If not, consider that their term for a sale—Preishit—has the word “shit” in it.

This mulled wine deal has your name on it...
at least if you're The Frau.

So The Frau was pleased when a Glühwein money-saving theory was brought to her attention by a Swiss German-speaking American lawyer who buys anything he can with REKA checks.

Because REKA Lawyer can’t buy mulled wine with REKA (and he really really likes wine), he has developed a way to save at least as much money on Glühwein as he does using REKA to buy his train tickets.

Drum roll.

His theory is:

The first Glühwein stand at any Swiss Christmas market will charge you the most for a cup of the sweet stuff. If you want to save 10% a glass or more, keep walking (it’s a Swiss pastime anyway), and move further into the market.

The Frau loves saving money, especially in Switzerland, so she has tested REKA Lawyer’s theory at two markets in the last week and both have proven it correct. Last night at the Baden Weihnachtsmarkt, The Frau scored a glass of Glühwein for CHF 3 from a stand in the middle of the market. Take that, CHF 5-Glühwein stand at the front of the market!

Viel Spass with your next Glühwein Preishit, mitenand and Happy Holidays from One Big Yodel.

3 Ways You Know You're in Switzerland

You know you're in Switzerland when...


You're landing at the country's largest airport and this is what you see...

Road delays are due more to cows than construction...

And you are always reminded that you better be punctual. Even on a bike ride.

How do you know you're in Switzerland?