{"id":22346,"date":"2024-01-30T15:53:04","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T14:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ggba.swiss\/?p=22346"},"modified":"2024-02-14T16:27:58","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T15:27:58","slug":"jimmy-jackson-blog-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ggba.swiss\/en\/jimmy-jackson-blog-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing “Ask Jimmy”! (Part 1 – Culture by Jimmy Jackson)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These questions have to do with Switzerland\u2019s #culture.  Here\u2019s the very first one I got:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Dear Jimmy,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank goodness there is someone as intelligent and generous as you who has gained so much valuable knowledge and now wants to share it with the world.  You are a saint!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[I\u2019m paraphrasing, but you get the idea.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could you answer a question for me about Switzerland please: Doesn\u2019t having four different languages make things confusing over there?  Here in Canada we only have two languages, and that\u2019s more than enough!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perplexed in Ottawa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Perplexed,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for this excellent question, but before I answer it, I need to correct you on the number of languages here in Switzerland.  The reason you said \u201cfour\u201d is probably because you\u2019re counting German, French, Italian, and Romansh, right?  But if you ask me, there are seven languages there \u2013 those four, plus three bonus languages!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding language no. 5: When you see German written down in Switzerland, it\u2019s German. \u201cGuten Tag\u201d and \u201cDanke sch\u00f6n\u201d and all that.  But when people speak?  Yikes!  Then it becomes something else.  Depending on who\u2019s talking to you, it might be cute and endearing, like when Dory speaks whale in that movie Norma dragged me to a few years ago.  But sometimes when people speak to you, you think you\u2019re being threatened with bodily injury. What is this fifth language?  Swiss-German, of course!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Language no. 6 in Switzerland?  English!  It\u2019s everywhere.  Thank God.  Just about everybody there speaks English, or gives it the old college try.  Hats off to the Swiss for using English all over the place, and especially being able to speak English so well!  If only my Latin was as fluent, but since high school it\u2019s become a little rusty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And language no. 7 is actually the answer to your question: When people need to cut through the linguistic barriers in Switzerland, my understanding is that they fall back on a universal Swiss language: #yodeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chin up,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jimmy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PS.  \u201cGuten Tag\u201d is transformed into \u201cGrrrr\u00fcetsy,\u201d and \u201cDanke sch\u00f6n\u201d comes out as \u201cMairsee feelmall.\u201d  Go figure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s an interesting question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Jimmy,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge being an American company to get established in Switzerland? In my experience living in Switzerland since 1995, the paces are quite different. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yours,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00e9sir\u00e9e Galicher<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear D\u00e9sir\u00e9e,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking as an entrepreneur, CEO, and past-president of my local Rotary Club, I certainly agree with you about the crazy pace of American business life.  Why, just last year my company launched a whopping 102 different quantum products in a frenetic spasm of non-stop action \u2013 it\u2019s exhausting just thinking about it.  But my marketing credo has always been: If you throw a lot of mud on the wall, some of it is bound to stick.  So at Jackson Quantum Ventures, we throw mud 24\/7!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about Switzerland?  My understanding is that things there might be a little more civilized in this regard. That doesn\u2019t mean that life is slow<\/em>-paced, though. How can a country as successful as Switzerland be \u201cslow-paced\u201d?!  Doesn\u2019t make sense to me.  My theory is that the Swiss get that work\/life balance thing right. They work hard and work smart. Then they finish work, go home and spend a relaxing evening, yodeling with the family.  Frankly, that\u2019s a pace I could get used to.  I just hope Norma agrees. My singing voice once gave her an ear infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best regards,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jimmy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Next:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hey there Jimmy!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for launching this great new idea. I have lots of questions about Switzerland, but as an anthropologist, what interests me most is cultural traditions. Swiss folk music and dance must be fascinating.  What can you tell me about this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for your insights,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodrigo, Bogot\u00e1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Mr. Bogot\u00e1,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My contacts have informed me that Switzerland abounds with all kinds of cultural festivals and events, in every nook and cranny of the country.  Speaking for myself and Norma, we can\u2019t wait to take part in them all!  Well, maybe not all<\/em>, since I\u2019ll no doubt be putting in a lot of time at the office, but Noma will attend, as she sees herself as a kind of cultural ambassadress.  As for me, I\u2019ll have to be a little choosier, just for practical reasons.  But I can already tell you I don\u2019t want to miss the chance to be on hand for any festival that features that Swissiest of all forms of music and culture: yodeling!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll report back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the best,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jimmy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

And finally, Ms. St\u00e9phanie Celis<\/a> writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi Jimmy Jackson,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you please explain this photo?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Moooooooooooooooo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Signed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St\u00e9phanie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear St\u00e9phanie,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes I can.  My research tells me that this cow is the mascot of the Alpine Yodeling Federation, and flies above their headquarters in Niederbipp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oodle-adle-oodle-whoo,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jimmy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Be sure to follow me<\/a>, so you can find out what the next theme will be for “#AskJimmy”!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello everyone,<\/p>\n

I\u2019m pleased as punch with the response to my new initiative, \u201cAsk Jimmy\u201d \u2013 although I\u2019m a little surprised that almost all the questions I\u2019ve received arrived as direct messages rather than as comments posted below my announcement on LinkedIn, for all the world to see. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":22347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1206],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jimmy-jackson"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIntroducing "Ask Jimmy"! 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