Dimitri BurkhardReporting live from Switzerland, here is a random collection of recent news headlines which struck us as odd. But then again, it may be just us and you consider this kind of news to be no big deal.
Japanese lovebirds increasingly get married in the Swiss Alps
Delighted to feel like Heidi and Peter, many couples from Japan decide to get hitched in the Swiss Alps. Top destinations, including Grindelwald, have seen more marriage activity in recent years.
There's a shelter for newly separated husbands
While tourists are getting married in the Swiss Alps, a number of newly separated Swiss fathers are looking for shelter and help after a marital breakdown. Recently, they have been finding a warm bed and compassionate ears from a pilot project in Erlenbach on the shores of Lake Zurich: Meet the "Männerhaus".
A man was denied Swiss citizenship after 30 years of residence
In 2020, this news made the rounds internationally as it shows how rigorous (and detailed) Swiss citizenship tests are. It is the case of an Italian citizen who has lived in Switzerland for 30 years - 26 years of which in the town of Arth. When asked a specific question about the local animal park, he was not aware that bears and wolves share an enclosure. This prompted the authorities to deny their Italian resident Swiss citizenship, a decision that was later overruled by the Swiss Federal courts.
Google Street View finds God in Switzerland
Dare we say more? It's obviously a UFO, duh! On the other hand, only God knows why a discovery like this can go viral online...
Swiss grandmothers go Manhattan
If you want to be hip in Manhattan, the only solution is to be kitted out by a Swiss granny. Manhattanites are turning to Swiss company Ikou Tschüss for gear handmade by senior alpine ladies.
A sock subscription for the lazy
According to a global study, Switzerland ranks 10th in terms of the number of patents issued. That's good news! Or is it?
As long as you consider a sock subscription a valuable contribution to a society's well-being, then maybe Switzerland is on the right track. But if such a decadent yet genius business model encourages laziness, we might have a problem.
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