LET'S TALK ABOUT EUROPE AND EUROPEAN PEOPLE (35)

Juslaaik (as they say in the vernacular of my home country down at the southern end of eAfrica).... For how much longer am I going to be accused of being Swiss... and having to defend these kind people who allow me to live in their country?

Nein, I am not Swiss ... I am a little bit of everything... Swedish, English, Irish, German, Indian, und ein kleine bit of Swiss, as far as I have been able to uncover since the Apartheid Blanket was lifted.

Of course they do not look before crossing a road ... because the drivers have to be careful or forfeit their life savings, pensions, insurances, etc. to maintain you in your previous good health position until you die of natural causes.

They do not know anything about anothers job .... for the simple reason that they are trained to do only their own job.... to specialist level! Even a supermarket cashier needs to do three years training.

Having tried all the various cleaning products of other countries .... I have had to humbly admit that the Swiss products definitely are superior when it comes to cleaning.

There are more things the Swissys invented .... the potatoe peeler is one of them, sewing machine, typewriter. Tell me, would you still rather prefer buttons or zips on your casual shorts, running shoes, tent, sleeping bag, hold-alls, and having to screw hooks into walls instead of sticking a piece of velcro to hold the plastic goodies?

Without going to war .... pray do tell how they manage to spend more on per capita defence than America? As far as I have been able to ascertain, from mere observation, the army uses the school grounds and sports fields to practice on, each soldier "owns" his own rifle for life, and their vehicles are superbly maintained (never trashed by disgruntled recruits). My little village was just recently treated to a spectacular display of pyrotechnics by the army as a Thank You gesture for hosting them for two years, the kindergarten kids got to run around with army rifles and camouflage clothing and do leopard crawls and have their photo`s taken in tank turrets ... a day of fun.

Personally, I prefer South African chocolate. But the world decided to make a big issue of the Swiss Chocolate thing .... Actually, Nestle is also in SA..

No country is perfect .... I agree ... but Switzerland is just a little bit more perfect than elsewhere ... if only the people would lighten up a little.

Ah, Cristina, my darl, Dat ist Verboten! But one day they may make it compulsory.... then we will obey orders.....

From what I`m able to decipher, with my limited vocabulary in SwissGerman and relying on translators and visual observations ..... every child is trained throughout their schooling, for a particular type of work, depending on their capabilites.

With the result that every child is assured of employment ... because each little segment of the workforce is specialised.

I had an electrician here at my house to fit a new electric plug in the kitchen..... Well! he pulled out a stainless steel case that was so fully fitted, and so clean and shiny, that a Brain Surgeon could have probably used the instruments in major surgery..... Then his vehicle was further fitted out with every conceivable electrical gadget, all neatly shelved, velcro`d to the panels, labeled, sorted, etc ..... he was a Perfect Swiss Made Electrician... and he did the job in record time, with no fuss, and no mess.

Even the Chimney Sweep guy was the same ..... not one scrap of soot or mess, no idle chit-chat, just super efficiency.

And... THAT is the reason the poor guys just never learn to dance. Cause dancing is another Profession maybe?