Like Clockwork: Life in Zurich

NAME: Cameron Walls
AGE: 28
HOMETOWN: Prince George
LOCATION: Zurich, Switzerland
JOB: Senior manager, Deloitte & Touche LLP

I MOVED HERE BECAUSE Deloitte offered me an
incredible position working with one of the world’s leading natural resources companies.

THE FIRST THING I DID WAS register at the local Kreisbureau (which would be the equivalent of an Office of Kitsilano, if such a thing existed). The Swiss have a real love of paperwork and administration; if you have not registered, you cannot get a cellphone, bank account – anything.

MY FAVOURITE EXPERIENCE SO FAR HAS BEEN the first day we went skiing. We went to Davos; the sky was a deep blue and the weather was perfect. When you stand atop the mountain, all you can see are hundreds of snow-capped peaks glittering in the sun.

THE PEOPLE ARE much less outgoing than Canadians, at least when you first meet them. We had a housewarming party and people seemed amazed that I would just invite my co-workers over to my house – but we all had a great time.

THEIR BIGGEST CONCERNS ARE the government bailout of Zurich-based UBS, one of the world’s biggest finance companies, and the ongoing case in the U.S. regarding tax shelters. The Swiss take a lot of pride in their banks, which they closely connect to their sense of independence, and the problems at UBS have really inflamed them.

THE FOOD IS typically three courses: soup, salad and a main course – usually meat in a cream sauce. Everywhere you go there are people selling bratwursts off a grill, which they just wrap in a napkin and give to you.

WHAT B.C. COULD LEARN FROM ZURICH IS a culture of personal responsibility. People are encouraged to do what they want as long as they manage themselves. There are fewer guardrails and warning signs, and you can take a bottle of wine to the park for a picnic.