Observations

I'm trying to figure out what the Swiss are like.
There's lots of stereotypes flying around, but who wants to believe those when you can figure the truth out for yourself?
In '97, I remember saying hello to everyone I walked by, but maybe that's only because it was a much smaller town and maybe they're friendlier there?
Here some people say hello (let me say that I'm never the first person to speak, I always wait for the locals to say hello - maybe I should change that), but I feel like the majority don't.
In Hauterive, where I live, it's a smaller town, which seems to have a lot of families with young children. I feel like when walking through the town, everyone seems really nice and welcoming and happy.
In Neuchâtel, most people are smiling and friendly as well, but maybe because it’s a bigger city, it doesn’t feel as warm? I feel like I say hello to more people in Hauterive than I do in Neuchâtel.
I always wonder if they don't say hello because they look at me and see a foreigner and so don't think that I'll understand them, or whatever other reason. This could be the case, as I'd think my ethnicity would give it away, although I'm surprised to see quite a few different ethnicities represented here in town.
(Had a conversation with a gentleman from Pakistan who was selling produce at the market, and we were talking about Canada and he mentioned that when he moved from Pakistan, he decided not to go to Canada because there were already too many people from Pakistan there. Interesting.)
Anyway, I find it's always easy to read children and teenagers wherever you go. They give you a good sense of what an area is like because it shows for example, what kinds of family values are being taught among other things.
All younger children that I've crossed paths with have said hello to me.
Some teenagers act all tough and stuff. Some seem really nice. Since there's the whole smoking society thing going on here, it may cloud my judgement just because in Toronto we're so brainwashed by anti-smoking things. Maybe also because I can't always understand what they're saying, so that too may cause me to not judge properly.
One incident yesterday that always makes me happy. On the bus to school. Teenaged boy offered his seat to an elderly gentleman. You don't see that all the time in Toronto anymore. And I can’t say for sure that it happens all the time here in Switzerland. I mean, it was the first time I was on a bus that was busy enough that when the gentleman came onboard there were no seats left.
I don't want to stereotype, so I'm not going to try to describe what the Swiss are like in two sentences. I’ve just described my experiences and thoughts (isn’t that what this whole blog thing’s all about?). Take what you want from them. In the mean time, I’ll keep people watching and try to get a better idea what Swiss people are all about.