Traditional events in the Swiss Alps
Everyone who has come into close contact with Switzerland probably has their own answer to each of these questions. The British man Diccon Bewes, who has been living in Switzerland permanently since 2005, also has his own perspective. He recently laid out his thoughts on all the above topics in his new book "How to be Swiss."
– Your new book is called "How to be Swiss." What is it about?
– Actually, I planned to write a very serious book, a kind of guide for foreigners wanting to obtain a Swiss passport. But then I quickly realized that this is impossible because Switzerland is a country of federalism, and each canton has its own legislative basis regulating the procedure for granting citizenship rights.
So, together with the illustrator, I was forced to start looking for some alternatives, during which we naturally stumbled upon essentially the same question. Namely: what does it mean to be Swiss, but not from a passport-visa perspective, but rather from a playful, entertaining one. We debated for a long time what rules of behavior exist in the country, what the peculiarities of its history and politics are, what Swiss humor is. That's how this book was born.
– Who is your book written for, what is its target audience?
– After reworking the original concept of the book, we also expanded its potential audience. We decided that it should not only resonate with foreigners but also be attractive and amusing for the Swiss themselves, born and raised in this country. They should have the opportunity to learn something new about their country, to pay attention to those little things of daily life that may be so obvious to them that no one has noticed them for a long time. But it is precisely such "little things" that are often a truly "typically Swiss" phenomenon!
– You have lived in Switzerland for 12 years now, and it seems you like living here?
– Yes, I really like living in this country. Switzerland has become my second home. However, Great Britain also belongs to my identity. Here in Switzerland, I like the mountains and lakes, as well as the thoroughness with which the balance between work and personal life is maintained, how this balance is valued. I also find very appealing the generally somewhat slower pace of life, the specific coziness that you feel everywhere here.
– At the end of your book, you promise the reader that now they have all the information that will allow them to assess how much they themselves have already integrated into the country and assimilated the rules of behavior and etiquette in force here. How well have you yourself managed to solve this problem?
– I must say, I navigate Switzerland quite well now. I have become Swiss-punctual, that is, even more punctual than before. So London trains, sometimes five minutes late, which is absolutely normal there, now annoy me incredibly. Now I am tempted to greet my English friends with a triple kiss on the cheek. But since after the second kiss my British friend usually tries to dodge and keep a safe distance, my third kiss almost always hangs in the air. On the train, I always ask if the seat is free, even though it's obvious no one is sitting there. All these little things of everyday life in Switzerland have long become the norm for me. Therefore, when I find myself in England, I cannot simply "turn off" these new habits of mine.
– What still remains a problem for you?
– The Swiss do not know the word "queue," and at the bus stop or in the bakery they sometimes crowd around in a completely chaotic disorder. In England, we are used to politely asking who is last and taking a place in line – even if there is no one at the stop and the queue consists of me alone. Bureaucracy can be a problem: Swiss laws are cast in granite, and nothing can shake the once-and-for-all established order. On the other hand, those who follow these rules get something very important in return – guarantees. On the third hand, too rigid a legislative corset sometimes negatively affects people's ability to think creatively, hinders them from showing ingenuity.
– How much do you yourself want to become "Swiss"?
– In the coming year, I will have the right to apply for a passport. The naturalization process will be long and costly, but I still look at it with optimism because I really would like to directly participate in the political life of this country, I want to get the right to vote. I will always remain British to some extent, but on the other hand, I can be British in Switzerland too; that doesn't stop me from feeling "Helvetic" here.
– In your book, you describe the Swiss as people not prone to spontaneous gestures, rather harsh towards foreigners, focused on money, but at the same time punctual, respecting rules, loving cleanliness and order. On what basis do you come to these conclusions?
– The basis for such conclusions for me was my own experience, conversations with Swiss and foreigners, as well as archival research I conducted personally. Clichés exist about any country and its inhabitants. And they all contain a grain of truth. On the other hand, it is clear that it is impossible to describe Swiss citizens, of whom there are currently 6 million, with just one adjective.
– In Switzerland, four national languages are spoken, and different linguistic regions sometimes differ very significantly from each other. How difficult was it to find something "typically Swiss" under such conditions?
– It wasn't particularly difficult. Regional differences exist in every country. In Switzerland, from my point of view, these differences are not as great as the Swiss themselves sometimes make them out to be. In a federalist country, it's just customary to emphasize this aspect, sometimes overstating the "otherness" of those living in a neighboring region or canton. Language differences make this picture even more vivid. But it's clear that the lifestyle of a resident of Lausanne is more similar to the habits of a resident of Lucerne than, say, to those of a resident of French Lyon.
– The Rütli meadow and the mythological oath supposedly at the beginning of the country's history, the myth of William Tell, the girl Heidi, the Swiss Army knife, Toblerone chocolate, cervelat sausage… For me, as a Swiss woman, all this is nothing but flat clichés, which, however, are placed almost at the center of your book!
– What can you do if these very symbols make up the image of Switzerland in the eyes of foreigners? You can check how right I am by asking a foreigner to spontaneously name things they associate with Switzerland. They will immediately start listing such stereotypes. Switzerland is a small country that has long had a serious and well-developed image abroad. Lithuania or, say, Bulgaria do not have such an image.
– One of the chapters of your book is devoted to political topics, in particular, Swiss direct democracy. To what extent does the ability to directly intervene in the political agenda leave its mark on the mentality of the Swiss?
– In Switzerland, indeed, every four months every citizen has the right to express their opinion on a particular issue in a referendum. Before a referendum, campaign posters for or against a proposal or bill are hung on the streets, and the media actively discusses all the nuances of the issues put to the vote. In the period between votes, someone is always collecting signatures for some political project in a square. That is, at any given time, there is necessarily a political topic that occupies a fairly large number of people.
Of course, in the UK we also constantly debate political topics, but all this is in no way comparable to Switzerland, where discussions are not just talk, but debates always end with concrete results obtained from a particular referendum. And then no one in the country has the right to complain that the elites made all the decisions and that their opinion was not asked. As a Swiss, you always have a choice – and then you bear full responsibility for the decision you made.
– The book "How to be Swiss" is already your fifth work. How difficult is it to find ideas for books in Switzerland? Isn't your supply of ideas running out?
– Not yet. For now, I don't have any new ideas. But I fully rely on Switzerland, an interesting and multifaceted country.
Diccon Bewes grew up on the south coast of England. After studying, he worked as a manager in the marketing department of Lonely Planet (a publisher headquartered in Australia that was one of the first to specialize in producing guidebooks for budget travelers). At the same time, he constantly wrote articles on travel topics. In 2005, he moved to Switzerland and worked in the English-language book department of a large bookstore in Bern. He is currently a freelance journalist and writer, having published several books about Switzerland. He is the deputy chairman of the Public Council of the portal Swissinfo.ch.