I recently realised something mildly unsettling. I'm officially one of the 340,000 Swiss people who have emigrated since 1993. That’s right. I’m not special . I’m a data point. According to the latest figures, more than 838,600 Swiss nationals live abroad — about 11% of the population. Roughly one in nine Swiss people has looked at Switzerland, nodded politely, and said, “Lovely country. I’ll take it… but from a distance.” Which made me wonder: Do I at least fit the typical  

The other day, on the train home from a weekend outing – fortified by a lunchtime beer – we managed to secure seats. It took me approximately three minutes to nod off. Fortunately, my wife was sitting next to me to inform me – at the appropriate moment – that our stop had arrived and it was time to get off. The incident reminded me of one of Japan’s most refined life skills. A skill that does not appear to exist anywhere in the Swiss genetic code: Inemuri . It roughly transl

Even high up in the Swiss Alps, winter is drawing to a close – finally, most will agree. The Olympians and Paralympians towards the south of the border have returned home – with or without medals – and what's on most people's mind now is where to catch some guaranteed summer sun this year. Yes, Switzerland likes to think of itself a a winter sports nation, but essentially, winter sports happen only in winter. Makes sense. Yet, somewhere in the Alps, a Swiss man has just inven

As a Swiss person living in Japan, I’m occasionally reminded that my homeland is famous for two things: mountains and not having a coastline. Ah, and chocolate and cheese. So, four things. And neutrality. Five. But definitely not beaches. Japan, meanwhile, is basically all coastline. Fish is fresh. Sea breezes are real. Children grow up knowing which direction the ocean is. In Switzerland, we grow up knowing which direction the nearest tunnel is. We are landlocked. Firmly. Im