Ways to live like a local and understand the culture

​1. Squash your trash as small as you can before putting it into the taxed AVAG bag. Then stand on the AVAG bag as you fill it. All kids are taught these tricks and you will hear the people downstairs doing this occasionally on their balcony. Swiss don't want to pay more taxes than needed.

2. Drink Rivella. Rivella is made from the whyy of cheese making and is healthy and the national drink. It is also popular and not easy to appreciate a different flavour in a carbonated drink.

Buy Swiss made brands like Aromat salt seasoning, Callier chocolate, Caotina drinking chocolate, Mammut outdoor wear, Dakine back packs, Swatch watch if you your budget doesn't stretch to Breitling or Tag Heuer, to name a few.

3. Eat a large hot lunch such as Rösti and a small cold dinner of bread, cheese and pickles. (Rösti means “crisp and golden,” also a dish of shredded potatoes sauteed on both sides until crisp and golden.)

4. Spread your Swiss butter very thick on your bread without guilt and no one will look at you strangely.

5. Men always sit on the toilet seat in homes. You may se these sign below as a reminder.