Geneva, Switzerland

Even though I’ve perviously lived in Europe, Geneva never really felt like home to me. Sure, the western sectors of Berlin look a bit like Geneva, but the two cultures are so vastly different that it confirmed that my heart was still in Berlin. Geneva didn’t speak German, it wasn’t large enough to be exciting, everything is twice as expensive, and the public transportation is shitty.

Though for a few times a year (like the Fête de Genève, Christmas, and the Geneva Music Festival), the city would come alive. So whenever I’d describe what living in Geneva was like to someone else, I’d say it’s much like a pine tree. Just another boring French-style town that’s not in France, but it can be fun when it gets all dressed up to play the role of a Christmas tree.

Although the public transportation system leaves much to be desired, I do like the fact that discounts are offered whenever the air quality drops to discourage car use. Keeping the city small has helped the canton of Geneva preserve its beautiful lake and forested hills. In fact, at under a million inhabitants, Geneva is so small that it is the smallest city I’ve ever called home.

My favourite thing to do in Geneva is to ride my Vespa to hang around the UN Beach Club; a beautiful private lakeside area where I can have a drink and stare into the sky. On other days, I might decide to take an evening boat trip because the weather is usually nice even though it rains in other parts of Switzerland. Actually, Geneva is barely even part of Switzerland, it’s surrounded by France on three sides and uses the French observatory for weather information.

Over 40% of Genevans are foreign-born, which is probably why it feels really international but unfriendly. Other immigrant cities have people with different heritages but have lived there for generations. I feel that many of the foreigners stay no more than five years, thanks to the rules of diplomatic and consular corps that rotate personnel twice a decade. The UN, WTO, WHO, CERN, are just a few of the dozens of international organisations that are based here, in addition to the nearly 200 embassies that perform their functions through these bodies.

Geneva is a pretty cool city, but it’s too rich for my blood.