Lily Töngi-Andrews

Lily is a freelance writer from Australia, living in Switzerland. She has a view of the craggy peaks of Pilatus that she finds both mysterious and inspiring. Lily has a BA in Creative Writing and her favourite genre is creative non-fiction. She is passionate about writing about people with limb differences as it is essential to start normalising disabilities in society.

The Aussie Hands Foundation Inc. •

Felix finally approved for a myoelectric arm - talking to Dario who built it

Finally approved for a myoelectric arm and talking to Dario who built it

Dario Ruckli is an Orthopaedic Technician at Ortho Team in Luzern, Switzerland. He is working with Dominik Sager, Divisional Manager Prosthetics to build an arm for our 12-year old son, Felix, who has been approved for a myoelectric arm by the Swiss Invalidenversicherung (Swiss disability insurance). As a family, we know this side of living with a limb difference, the frustration, the fight for approval and the 12 months w
The Local Switzerland •

The Swiss regional stereotypes you need to know

There are certain stereotypes foreigner have about Switzerland that just aren’t true’ but what about the clichés that have developed within Switzerland for certain cantons?

Are the locals in Zürich really arrogant? Are the folk in Bern living the slow lane? Is anyone who lives in Geneva actually from Geneva?

It seems that the canton on Aargau receives the most flak from the rest of Switzerland. To start with the car number plates begin with AG, and the cliché goes that it stands for Achtung Ge
LivingIn.swiss •

Lucerne Spring Festival

It is spring (although last Saturday’s surprise snowfall had us all wondering), and time for the Lucerne Spring Festival. From 31 March to 2 April, the KKL (Lucerne Concert and Congress Centre) will be echoing with the sounds of international and local classical music.

The festival was founded in 1938 as a summer festival and is now flanked by the spring and autumn versions and this year a fourth festival will be added in May: Piano Festival.

The Spring Festival will include an array of musica
LivingIn.swiss •

Spring into spring

A successful Luzern Fasnacht season is over, the Sports holidays have finished, the kids are back at school, and you may have done your last skiing and snowboarding of the season, so what is next?

Spring, glorious spring! The radiant season is almost here and with it lots of outdoor activities, nature, fields of wildflowers, trees in blossom, sunshine and new beginnings.

Hiking, cycling and in-line skating are popular if you are ready to peel off the snow gear and get back into your sports gea
The Local Switzerland •

Brockis: What you need to know about shopping second-hand in Switzerland

Switzerland is known as a rich country and is on the Forbes 2022 list as one of the richest countries in the world. In fact, according to this list ranked by GDP (Gross Domestic Product or goods and services produced by a country during one year), Switzerland is the sixth richest country in the world. Not bad for a landlocked country that has more mountains than usable land, is around 238 times smaller than America, or 188 times smaller than Australia.

Although a rich country, it might be surpr
The Local Switzerland •

Reader question: Is it better to learn Hochdeutsch or Swiss German?

There are a huge variety of Swiss German dialects within the small Alpine nation of Switzerland.

But people in German-speaking or multi-language areas also know standard or high German - or Hochdeutsch.

So when people arrive in Switzerland, they often wonder which form of German they should seek to understand and speak first.

If you are trying to learn either Hochdeutsch or Swiss German you will be aware of the complications that all the different ways of communicating can present in everyday
LivingIn.swiss •

Recycling in Luzern

If you live in Switzerland you already have some experience with how recycling works here. Or maybe you are new here and need some tips. Rubbish bags cost more to encourage recycling so it is always worth trying to recycle as much as possible, along with being eco-conscious and supporting the planet.

Here we will provide you with a refresher and information on a recent update to the recycling system.

Calendars with collection dates for your rubbish, paper, cardboard, compost and garden recycli
LivingIn.swiss •

Celebrate the LiLi Centre 2022

There are not many days left of what has been a memorable year at the LiLi Centre. So let’s celebrate, not only Christmas and New Year but also what the LiLi Centre has achieved in 2022.

Charlie, the Managing Director and heart and soul of the centre, shared, “This has been a challenging and exhilarating year. I am taking with me that when the community comes together everything is possible. Together we are strong. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.💖”

Here are some of the LiLi Cen
The Local Switzerland •

Swiss German vs Hochdeutsch: What are the key differences?

What is Swiss German - and what is Hochdeutsch?

If you live in a Swiss German speaking canton you may, or may not, be aware that you are part of a complicated language system that's called diglossia. Diglossia is a fancy linguistic term that means within a society there are distinct formal and informal languages that are utilised in different social contexts.

What this means in Switzerland is that Hochdeutsch, also known as High German, Standard German, Swiss Standard German, Schriftdeutsch an
The Local Switzerland •

‘Grabesruhe’: What are Switzerland’s strict rules around burials?

For the unassuming foreigner visiting a Swiss cemetery, they may be surprised to see that many of the headstones will be dated back only 20 to 25 years.

Cremation is the preferred funeral rites in Switzerland, however, earth burials are still a thing – for an alloted time anyway.

More than 80 percent of the deceased, according to the Swiss Funeral Institute, are cremated. Ashes can remain with family members, be scattered over lakes, rivers, favourite mountains, placed in a columbarium or buri

Best birthday party ideas in Luzern | Momizen

The Best Birthday Party Ideas For Kids & Teens In Luzern

Kids love birthday parties. They are fun, they get to do cool things with their friends, and it makes them feel special. Win win win for the kids.

It isn’t always a win win win for parents, but a well chosen birthday party venue can definitely help ease the stress of organising one. Here we are looking at the party that is not at home, so no cleaning up, and either catered for or minimal catering required. Here is a range of birthday par
LivingIn.swiss •

Snow Sports Camp - Carnival holidays - register now

Registration is open from today until 30 November for the Snow Sports Camps that will take place during the Carnival holidays in February . Your children will enjoy six or seven days of snowy delight, exercise and fun both on the slopes and off the slopes in the middle of the beautiful Alps.

The camps are for children from 3rd grade to 10th grade in the city of Lucerne. Children from other cantons can register after the registration period has passed and will include a 50% surcharge.

It doesn’
LivingIn.swiss •

Geisslechlöpfe or the art of scaring winter away

Geisslechlöpfe is a custom celebrated in the city of Lucerne that gets everyone, well almost everyone, in the mood for Samichlaus season. This year the streets will resonate with the rhythmic sounds of whip cracking between 3 November and 8 December when the Geisslechlöpfer are allowed to perform.

Geisslechlöpfe originated as a Swiss pagan tradition to scare away the winter spirits and demons with the sound of cracking whips. The tradition gave way to a Christian context and now introduces Sami
LivingIn.swiss •

Autumn hiking around Lucerne

Sunny autumn days are invitations for hiking in the glorious mountains of Switzerland. Not only is the weather moderate, therefore perfect for hiking, the changing colours of the trees and falling leaves add a magical ambiance to your hike.

Switzerland has 65,000 kilometres of marked trails that criss-cross the country and are maintained by around 1,500 volunteers. Beginner, moderate and difficult hiking trails are available throughout the country to suit your level of fitness and ability.

Her
LivingIn.swiss •

Dog ownership in Switzerland

Switzerland is a dog-friendly country where your fluffy friends are allowed on public transport, in certain restaurants, shopping centres and shops, of course accompanied by their human. However, they are generally not allowed in cemeteries, bathing establishments, hospitals, playgrounds, areas of schools and sportsfields designated for playing.

Swiss dogs are on the whole well behaved but there are a myriad of rules and regulations dog ownership entails to maintain order and cleanliness.
• The
LivingIn.swiss •

Integration - Eligibility for citizenship

Swiss citizenship can be acquired in a number of ways: by marriage, by maternal or paternal descent, if you are a child with a parent with Swiss citizenship, have been recognised as a stateless child, if you believe you have been a Swiss citizen for at least five years, reinstatement of Swiss citizenship or if you have lived in the country for ten years and possess a C permit. For information on acquiring a C permit see the post: Integration – Eligibility for a C Permit.

Children are considered
LivingIn.swiss •

Bringing the cows home - the Alpabzug

Every autumn the Alps are witness to one of Switzerland’s most famous and beloved traditions. The Alpabzug, (also known as the Alpabfahrt, alpine cow parade/descent, or in French, the Désalpe), is the annual journey that brings the cows from mountain pastures back home to their stables ready for their wintering.

Switzerland is well known for its festivals so the Alpabzug is another good opportunity to celebrate. Cows are adorned with flowers and bells, markets are full of local Alpine specialti
LivingIn.swiss •

Changes to Swiss payment transactions by end of September

Switzerland’s red and orange payment slips will soon be part of Swiss history and replaced by QR code bills. These changes mean Switzerland will be brought into alignment with the new ISO 20022 standard, an open global standard for financial information.

As the payment slips are phased out, the current parallel phase allows slips to be accepted and processed until 30 September 2022. From 1 October 2022 only QR bills will be accepted for all payments.
• The QR code contains all relevant payment
LivingIn.swiss •

Online Job Search

Looking for work in Switzerland as a foreigner can be a challenge, particularly when you may not yet speak the local language to a business or fluent level which can limit your opportunities. There are, however, English positions available throughout the country. Many of these jobs are highly skilled specialist positions and the competition can be high. There are also job quotas to be aware of in how many foreigners can be hired, but the good news is that the Federal Government recently ‘adopted
LivingIn.swiss •

Summer Festivals - August 2022

For another month of fabulous festivals, Switzerland does not disappoint. Again, there is something for everyone and some would say that the best have been saved for last. It has been a hot summer so far and the weather looks to continue with high temperatures so be wise, be safe and hydrate but most of all enjoy.

Locarno Film Festival ~ 3 – 13 August ~ Locarno: Situated between Lake Maggiore and the Swiss mountains the legendary Locarno Film Festival returns for its 75th year. There will be hu
LivingIn.swiss •

How do we live Pride every day

June is Pride month in most countries around the world, including Switzerland, and although it is now behind us the misinformation and challenges continue. Pride month in Switzerland is generally known for the large and colourful parade held by the LGBTQIA+ community in Zürich every year. This year, over the weekend of 17-18 June, the Zürich Pride Festival was held, culminating with a parade on Saturday afternoon, through downtown Zurich, with almost 90 participating organisations and associatio
LivingIn.swiss •

The no holiday holidays – opting for a staycation

To travel or not to travel

The summer holidays are upon us and as borders have opened up, many families have planned to travel in Switzerland, Europe or internationally – just check the news for full airports. Flights, caravans, campers, hotels, AirBnBs have been booked, and everyone will be checking out from the nine to five any day soon. But realistically we can’t travel every school holiday throughout the year. Although you may have been looking forward to seeing family and friends, a stayca

Top 5 Places To Go With Kids On A Rainy Day In Luzern | Momizen

Top 5 Places To Go With Kids On A Rainy Day In Luzern

Rainy days happen and they happen a lot in Switzerland. Rainy days are good for the environment, for the plants on your balcony, for the cows that are ringing their bells on the green fields not far from your balcony, yard or window. They are also good for the family as you can have a lot of fun and bonding time on these wet and wondrous days. Escape from home on a rainy day in a city with so many places designed especially for children is e
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