SwissPats

Welcome to another edition of the SwissPats’ How-To Series. In this episode Simon Thiriet, the head of communications for the Basel-Stadt schools, explains how the local Swiss schools work.

About SwissPats How-To Series:

Unlike our typical show that features a guest or our first-of-the-month What's Happening, our How-To Series is here to help those who are new to Switzerland or even those who have lived here for a long time. Hey, you might’ve forgotten what it was like when you first got here and didn’t know anything.

In our How-To Series, we have sought out those in the known to help you navigate your life here in Switzerland. From getting the train, to taking out your garbage, there are rules, regulations and guidelines that we all need to follow.

A lot of information is out there, but we wanted to bring it to you in a short, bite-sized podcast. Maybe you already have this stuff sorted out, but if you see a newcomer to Switzerland, send them our way and hopefully we can help make that transition to Swiss life a little easier. 

The SwissPats are back with its newest series - Life Abroad Reimagined with Rylla Resler. The Trailing Spouse Reimagined, a book written by Resler and her co-authors Francesca Incocciati and Adriana Quarck, explore the real challenges and true joys of life abroad as a trailing partner. The book was based on dozens of interviews with men and women who have relocated to Switzerland for their partners' career, and this podcast seeks to continue what the authors started.

For the second episode, Resler interviewed her co-author Adriana Quarck.

For more information on the book, click here.

Wondering what to do this month in Switzerland? Fear not the SwissPats have you covered. September means the end of summer, but it doesn’t mean the fun slows down. The Swiss wine regions are the spotlight here, as there are numerous festivals celebrating the wine harvests, but also a night of American female comics, a cupcake festival for kids, a hike with beer tastings and even an Oktoberfest if you can't make it to Munich. Prost!

Fantoche International Animation Film Festival | Sept. 3-8

American Standup Show Basel | Sept. 5

30 Years: Vitra Design Museum | Sept. 6

Traditional Grape Harvest Festival | Spiez | Sept. 8-9

Basel Cupcake Festival 2019 | Sept. 8

Le Temps du Cornalin | Sept. 14

Bierwanderig Ägerisee | Sept. 14

Parenting with Awareness | Cham | Sept. 17

Varen Wine Festival | Sept. 20-21

SlowUp Zürichsee | Sept. 22

International Week of Happiness at Work for Switzerland | Sept. 23-27

Oktoberfest Wädenswil | Sept. 27-28

There is no slowing down the drive of Chantal Vroom. (See what we did there?) She calls herself a communications trainer and while she self-deprecatingly said it may sound boring, the chat with the SwissPats was anything but. She covers her journey to Switzerland, having now two kids in this country, how she learned how to draw, what she learned from attending something called “Fuck Up Nights” and how she survived being Suzi's neighbor.

Suzi and Don also discuss why a 5-year old was fined in Schaffhausen and how the Swiss schools are facing a language issue.

Welcome to another edition of the SwissPats’ How-To Series. In this episode, Kate Bottriell explains how to buy and sell furniture - especially second hand - in Switzerland.

When Bottriell arrived in Switzerland she had trouble buying good quality second-hand furniture, and thought that there was probably a better way. With a background in sustainable sourcing, she saw an opportunity to address a genuine need, while at the same time combine this with her passion to have a positive impact on the planet. The idea of ecochair.ch began to take shape. The webshop launched in January 2017 and the showroom opened in May of the same year.

About SwissPats How-To Series:

Unlike our typical show that features a guest or our first-of-the-month What's Happening, our How-To Series is here to help those who are new to Switzerland or even those who have lived here for a long time. Hey, you might’ve forgotten what it was like when you first got here and didn’t know anything.

In our How-To Series, we have sought out those in the known to help you navigate your life here in Switzerland. From getting the train, to taking out your garbage, there are rules, regulations and guidelines that we all need to follow.

A lot of information is out there, but we wanted to bring it to you in a short, bite-sized podcast. Maybe you already have this stuff sorted out, but if you see a newcomer to Switzerland, send them our way and hopefully we can help make that transition to Swiss life a little easier. 

Suzi and Don are back from their summer holidays. Suzi was in the south of France and Don was golfing back the States. Their days of leisure are over as they return to talk about how U.S. tourists are flocking to Switzerland, how Germany would like more border checks and how Swiss banks are costs the ultra-rich.

They also welcome on author and hiking enthusiast Melinda Schoutens who, with the help of her husband, wrote "Fresh Air Kids Switzerland," which is a hiking guide that acts as a companion for families who would like to spend more time outdoors and discover the multifaceted hiking country that is Switzerland. Click here to order her book.

Wondering what to do this month in Switzerland? Fear not the SwissPats have you covered. July was full of festivals and that continues this summer month, as Suzi and Don discuss a rock festival in a Roman amphitheater, a classical musical festival in Lucerne and two in Zurich - the star-studded Zurich Open Air and the techno-flavored Zurich Street Parade. Also, there is the Taste of Zermatt, a celebration of buskers in Bern and free - YES, FREE - productions of Pinocchio and Pocohontas in Basel.

The SwissPats are proud to announce its newest series - Life Abroad Reimagined with Rylla Resler. The Trailing Spouse Reimagined, a book written by Resler and her co-authors Francesca Incocciati and Adriana Quarck, explore the real challenges and true joys of life abroad as a trailing partner. The book was based on dozens of interviews with men and women who have relocated to Switzerland for their partners' career, and this podcast seeks to continue what the authors started.

For the first episode, Resler interviewed her co-author Francesca Incocciati.

For more information on the book, click here.

Welcome to another edition of the SwissPats’ How-To Series. In this episode, Carrie Aikman explains how Switzerland's trash and recycling programs work.

Aikman hails from the United States, holds a BA in English, and is also a LEED AP. She is happy to finally be putting her degree in Creative Writing to good use as the Chief Storyteller at the Hub, as well as writing segments on sustainability for The English Show on RadioX. She loves nature, art, furniture-making, traveling, reading, karaoke, every margarita ever made, and all things eco. And she truly believes that each of us has the power to make a difference.

Unlike our typical show that features a guest or our first-of-the-month What's Happening, our How-To Series is here to help those who are new to Switzerland or even those who have lived here for a long time. Hey, you might’ve forgotten what it was like when you first got here and didn’t know anything.

In our How-To Series, we have sought out those in the known to help you navigate your life here in Switzerland. From getting the train, to taking out your garbage, there are rules, regulations and guidelines that we all need to follow.

A lot of information is out there, but we wanted to bring it to you in a short, bite-sized podcast. Maybe you already have this stuff sorted out, but if you see a newcomer to Switzerland, send them our way and hopefully we can help make that transition to Swiss life a little easier.