East Eats West

The downturn is here (and there)

Picture: It is time to switch vehicles!

With the credit-crisis in full blown and house-prices in the USA depressed, one wonders when the ‘real’ economy, aka everyone, will be affected. The first signs are here that it is already happening. Not only are US house-prices at rock-bottom, luxury goods are on sale too. I was told that Swiss luxury watches can be bought in the USA with a 30% discount or more. But also in Switzerland, home to thousands of bankers, one can see the first signs of a weakening economy. I recently went into an Audi dealership and looked a flashy R8 sports car. The windscreen said ‘sold’ but the dealer insisted that one could work out a deal. Rumors in Zurich are abound that Porsches are on the block with a big mark-down as bankers are getting laid off and bonuses will be miniscule this year (just check your Bloomberg). Let’s see what happens to the market for pricey apartments and penthouses once the thousands of well-paid expats leave Zurich. Or maybe the Russians will save the Swiss (Putin apparently comes on holiday to the Swiss alps).

Picture: We are prepared for the downturn!

How to handle Swiss

Picture: Better be prepared before you meet real Swiss!

For me it is always interesting experiencing my hometown with the eyes of strangers (aka expats). Whenever I go out with foreigners I learn something about the quirky Swiss way. For the Swiss for example, it is essential to plan. We are happy making lunch-appointments two to three weeks ahead or arrange for dinners a month ahead (we are soooo busy). In Zurich where planning is everything I was not surprised to learn that husbands and wives even use the calendar function of Outlook or Gmail to coordinate their lives. When I recently went to a typical Swiss ‘Raclette’ (a Swiss hot cheesy dish) restaurant and asked to book a table for twelve people in a room, I was told that only another, less nicer room would be given to groups. I pleaded but my request was shrugged off by the owner. And when I went to a happening club recently a German friend of mine had to pay 15 Swiss francs for a bottle of tap-water. It is really rare seeing Swiss people going the extra length in service. Some foreigners postulate that we are too well paid. But then again, the upside is that everything in Switzerland is very reliable and even trams arrive on the minute.

Last lecture first on the list

In one of my last blog entries I wrote about the amazing last lecture by the now deceased Randy Pausch. The video seemed to touch many of my readers as I got quite a few feedbacks. Randy Pausch did not only a lecture but also wrote a book about his childhood dreams and how important “brick walls” are (for more click here: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/east_eats_west/2008/08/childhood-dream.html). After the video of his last lecture became a top video on Youtube, his book made it on number one on the Amazon book list. So if you haven’t watched the video, I highly recommend you do. It might change your life!