Tuesday 27 August 2013

A Swiss neighbourly notice

This notice in the hallway at the entrance my apartment building from last week is asking everyone to be more careful and considerate when leaving their windows partially opened (usually for airing purposes) at night as pre-storm wind can create significant difference between indoor and outdoor air pressure causing windows to tend to slam on to their frames; and I have to agree the sound can be shocking! It took me a while to understand exactly what the person was trying to convey as the translation has obviously come from some really bad online translator.

Just below the notice (not captured in the picture) is also a reference to the clause in the house rules that specially states no noise whatsoever from 10 PM onward. 

This notice reminded me of one targeted specifically on me in 2006 about a months after moving into our first rented apartment upon arrival in Switzerland. Not that it was of the same tone and/or about the same thing but the way it was done reflects the extremism commonly found in the way the Swiss educates the society around them. However the way this particular one was handed to me (stuck on the outside of my front door!) was a little bit on the extreme end of the extremism, and very arrogantly done. I wish I still had the original paper to show it here - it's a good laugh when thinking about it again now (it wasn't then), and a good story to tell to new Auslander friends :).

What was printed very nicely and colourful on the A4 paper is still clear in my mind, and only the reconstruction of it could tell the story best:


RECONSTRUCTED NOTICE FROM SEPT 2006 (ORIGINALLY FOUND STUCK ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY FRONT DOOR)




How would you feel if you received the same notice, only a month after moving to your first home in a foreign country, still trying to learn about the new life? 





1 comment:

  1. I hate when my Nachbarin leaves a note on my door, saying we were re too noisy after 10 PM...sometimes I wish I could do the same (she makes a lot of noise as well) but I don't think it is a good way of making friends and it is not something I would do in my country!...

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