This incident took place awhile ago but I think it is an anectdote that really captures a certain element of Swiss society. These are no doubt the same people supporting the political parties papering Geneva with certain horrible political posters reminisicent of 1930's Germany.
It isn't a rule that all of the older Swiss generation are nasty to foreigners and have elevated uninvited lecturing to an art form, but it has certainly been true of every Geneva local over 60 I have met in my time here. This intrusive shrew was no exception...
At some point during my many treks from and to various consulates and government buildings to renew my Egyptian work visa, I was sitting on a bench at the bus stop waiting for my bus. I was listening to my headphones (which are big and white and obvious) and this little old lady next to me started talking to me in French.
First, I think it is kind of rude, to talk to someone wearing headphones, unless you need help, have an emergency, or want to ask a question. Second, you should say "excuse me" first, so the recipient of your unwanted attentions can stop their music or, in my case, an audiobook, and actually hear you.
In this case, I could tell by her tone that whatever she said was just conversational. She just wanted to chat, perhaps to complain about the bus being late, which it was.
I stopped the audiobook I was listening to and said (in English, with an apologetic smile) "I'm sorry, I don't speak French."
Her face changed immediately, shriveling down to a hard point of frowning lips and dagger-like nose. She snipped, "You know, when I went to England, I learned English." in this accusatory tone.
I was so mad I had a flash of a cartoon me with my hair bursting into angry flames. Why on earth would any normal person think it is at all appropriate to just randomly lecture a stranger?!
I stayed calm and said "I speak Italian, Spanish and Arabic." I wanted to add "not that it is any of your freaking business," but I didn't want to escalate the situation to the point where I'd have to punch her sharp little face (or did I??).
She was obviously startled by my answer, and a little embarassed because she flushed a bit but she'd gone too far to back down without giving it another try. She leaned forward, as if she were not already too far into my personal space.
"You are in a French speaking country," she went on angrily, "Yet you are expecting ME to speak YOUR language!"
I paused to let her ridiculous last sentence hang in the air for a moment before answering, "I don't expect anything from you, ma'am, YOU started talking to ME!"
And she opened and closed her mouth a couple more times but didn't have anything else to say and I excused myself because thankfully my bus arrived right then.
I cannot even imagine how this same woman must treat foreigners who do not look like me!
