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 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
LivingIn.swiss •

Summer Festivals - July 2022

Continuing on from the spectacular array of festivals in June 2022 we find the school holidays also promise an abundance of festivals for both young and old. There is something traditional, loud, alternative, colourful, cultural or just plain fun with the following eclectic lineup of festivals both in and around Lucerne, and, throughout Switzerland. And, as any weather can be expected, be prepared with both hat and sunscreen and/or umbrella and coat. Caliente Latin Music Festival ~ 1 – 2 July a
LivingIn.swiss •

Travelling to and from Switzerland - summer holidays 2022

As the summer holidays draw imminently nearer, many people are planning vacations to their favourite holiday destinations. However, there has been a surge of Covid-19 hospital admissions in European countries and restrictions may affect your holiday plans. Currently, Switzerland has open borders and has lifted all restrictions, but most neighbouring countries still have some restrictions so it is important to be aware of the entry requirements and measures in place in these countries. Access an
The Aussie Hands Foundation Inc. •

Stuart's Story

‘As a general rule I don’t tick the disability box and interestingly, for the tour guide position with Busabout tours, this interview was the first time that I felt I needed to talk about my hand. What they wanted to know was, “Can you hold a PalmPilot?” which is a portable, palm-top computer, about the size of a large iPhone,’ Stuart shared. Ticking the disability box can go two ways. The potential employer could see it as more work and expense for them if they need to change anything in the w
LivingIn.swiss •

Summer Festivals - June 2022

Two years without festivals, concerts, markets and fairs means this year is going to be a big summer party and there is a plethora of festivals to choose from all around the country. Is the weather going to be sunny during the summer holidays? Maybe, maybe not. Let’s hope so, but what is more important is where can we reacquaint ourselves with the magic of a festival. Switzerland loves festivals, and the weather doesn’t mean a cancellation, so best be prepared with your hat, sunscreen and rainco
LivingIn.swiss •

People making a difference – meet Charlie

Charlie is the Managing Director, the founder, the matriarch, the progenitor, the heart and soul of The LiLi Centre. Six years ago, Charlie had a vision to create a safe space, where people could find information to better integrate, improve their education and build a network in Lucerne. Thus the LiLi Centre was born. Charlie grew up on a boat in Corsica with a Swiss-English mother and an Italo-English-Canadian father. From an early age, foreign cultures and languages were part of her life wh
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Lily Töngi-Andrews

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