Back in 1997, my father Daniel Soller traveled to the USA from Switzerland for the first time in his entire life. He was not just visiting on holiday: he was there to start a new life. He had no idea about what would come, but when he got there, he loved most of what he… weiterlesen
“Immigrant.” What comes to your mind when you hear that word? Perhaps you think of “unfamiliar,” or “different.” In the media migration is often connotated negatively. A study by the School for Communication and Journalism confirms that TV portrayals of immigrants are mostly negative and affect viewers’ attitudes towards them. Immigrants are assumed to be… weiterlesen
The time we all spent in lockdown was hard and many of us experienced feelings of loneliness. A lot of people felt that buying a pet or simply spending more time with their pet was a good way to fight the pandemic blues. At first glance, the trend of adopting animals seems a positive side effect… weiterlesen
Ukrainian refugees are flocking into Poland to seek shelter from the war. In interviews with my Polish relatives I learned that the Polish population is extremely welcoming, even though there are some difficulties. What do Poles do to help Ukrainians and how do they feel about the whole situation? Many people in Poland are devastated… weiterlesen
Why cheese and chocolate are more than just economical products… “Oh, you’re from Switzerland, isn’t that where all that great cheese and chocolate come from?”, (people ask)you’re asked whenever you tell them you come from Switzerland. I have been asked that question multiple times whenever I was travelling in hungary. These are not just clichés:… weiterlesen
A lot of intrigue and mystery surround the Soviet Union, the infamous red giant that stretched from eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean only about a mile from the United States. Yet the West is slowly losing connection to this lost world and what it does remember usually focuses on the political and economic aspects.… weiterlesen
If you speak some German and think you’ll be able to understand the locals when you visit Switzerland – think again! Despite having a population smaller than that of New York, Switzerland is a country with four official languages: French, Italian, Romansh, and German. Ironically, however, the language used in everyday life by most Swiss is… weiterlesen
Since March 2020, most of our lives have been drastically affected by the worldwide pandemic. Switzerland has already gone through two major lockdowns and during that period there have been countless changes in the rules and restrictions concerning Covid. Strict pandemic prevention measures, the mandatory closure of schools and the suspension of all nonessential productions… weiterlesen
Switzerland is seen as one of the most expensive countries in the world – especially by foreigners who come to visit. Zurich and Geneva are particularly expensive, and they regularly feature in lists of the top 10 most expensive cities in the world. But why is Switzerland so expensive? The short answer for that would be that… weiterlesen
Japan. Sushi, Kimono, and Cherry Blossoms. A country so diverse in the places you can visit. You can go skiing in Hokaido, visit the largest city in the world, Tokyo, or relax at the beach in Okinawa. For a lot of people, Japan is a place they want to visit once in their lifetime. But… weiterlesen
“Half of my friends self-harm or have a self-harm history”, says a female student from my school, the Realgymnasium Zurich, Switzerland. This has become almost the “new normal”, at least in my surroundings, because so many people seem to know someone struggling with self-harm in one form or another. What exactly is self-harming? Self-harming, also… weiterlesen