I know this is probably a bit premature, since we have no idea at this point if we are even going to Basel, but hey, it never hurts to be prepared, right? If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to use the comment function.
Die erste Liste (The first list):
- Bring many Q-tips
- Peanuts and peanut butter are hard to find
- Good Mexican food is also hard to find
- Stock up on allergy and asthma medications to bring
- Must get health insurance
- There is no air conditioning!
- Walk often to get in better shape (we don't plan to bring our good little Toyota Corolla to Basel, so we'll be using their public transport and walking)
- Swiss German is very very hard to learn
- Everything is very expensive in Switzerland, even compared to Washington, DC
- Probably best to buy clothes here rather than wait and buy them in Europe
- Any boxes to be shipped must have an item level inventory for customs clearance
- The pillows you buy over there are huge
6 comments:
Beejum-Welcome to the world of blogging. You may also want to check out The Expatters' blog. They're from Washington, and they live about a mile away from us. http://expatter.blogspot.com
I'll be happy to help with any Basel related questions you have. I'm not an expert, but I've learned quite a bit in 5.5. years.
If it's OK with you, I'll post other tips from time to time as I think of them...
-If you like to BBQ, buy a Weber kettle grill before leaving the U.S., leave it in the box, and ship it. They cost THREE times more here than in the U.S.
-If you use Crest, buy a bunch of it before leaving the U.S. There's no Crest here, but there is Colgate.
-Go to the dentist before leaving the U.S. Dentists are VERY expensive here. Doctors are also expensive. My last check-up cost about $500 U.S. My deductible for office visits is almost $2,000. Even with high deductibles ($4,000 for hospital stays), the Swiss health insurance for my wife and I is the equivalent of almost $600/month.
hi Beejum - cool start to a dream. I've lived in the basel area before. Some things on your list might not be as noticable as one might think...
Swiss german is just different and not really a written language, although you can find it on the internet. And for me, I started understanding it and figuring it out. Now German - that's different...
Expensive... well not much more than Vancouver, BC and abou tthe same for grocery prices. Clothing is more expensive, but way of life is different and to me better.
Hi everyone! Well, I finally figured out how to moderate the comments and wanted to say thanks for stopping by!
Expat: I've been reading your blog too! It's definitely going to be interesting I think. I'm hoping I can figure out the language thing.
TBF: Tips are much welcomed! MrB LOVES barbecue, so I may add that to one of my blog lists so I don't forget about it. If you're ever in the Baltimore area, we know a really yummy BBQ place. I've been reading up on the expatters too, in fact most of the blogs linked from your blog since many of them are relevant to Basel. I think we've been using Mentadent, is that over there? For Basel related questions should I just post them to comments? or is there a way to exchange email? That's one blog thing I couldn't figure out.
You can get American-sized pillows at Ikea here.
Mexican food is completely hopeless (at least in Zurich) - best to overdose on it before you come here so that you won't crave it for a while. :)
And by hopeless, I mean that I was once served MARINARA sauce with tortilla chips in a "Mexican" restaurant...
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