Just say no to six weeks of vacation

On March 11, the Swiss voted on a number of issues. The one I was most interested in? Would the Swiss vote in favor of six weeks of vacation for all? (Right now the Swiss have a mandatory four weeks of vacation).

Six weeks of vacation would have been a no-brainer "hell, yes" vote from a foreigner like me, but alas, my predictions were right: the Swiss voted "no" to six weeks of vacation. Why? As one Swiss colleague put it, "We don't want to be like the French."

Would you have voted for six weeks of vacation?

The Swiss Second-hand Scene

Nothing demonstrates the cost of living in a country more than the price of its used goods. If you consider the second-hand scene, Switzerland is clearly not a buyer's market. But it is definitely a seller's market. In fact, this Frau can sell used items in Switzerland for more than she paid for them new in the U.S.

Over on swissinfo.ch this week, the Frau discusses living in a country where flea market sellers won't bargain, where the Salvation Army equivalent has change for a thousand-franc bill, and where sellers on the Swiss version of Ebay start the bidding for their used strollers at SFr 350.

Have you been amazed by the Swiss second-hand scene?