Geneva Orientation: Prepping, packing, and making home in the land of cheese and chocolate Cloe Liparini, Duke Global Policy and Governance and Global Health Fellows Program Spring 2014

Special experts Maggie Woods –2013 Program Alum/Humanitarian Action Track: ILO-IPEC internship placement (Duke University – MPP) Lissa Murseli - 2013 Program Alum/Global Health Fellow: WHO – Essential Medicines Access and Rational Use Division internship placement (University of British Columbia – MPH)

Geneva

Pre-Departure: admin Bring copies of your prescriptions (medical and eye wear and transport in carry-on). Make copies/pdfs of your passport, bank cards, credit cards (for your records in case any goes missing/stolen). Bring info/card for your health insurance. Inform your bank/credit card company that you will be going abroad, so they don’t flag any charges and shut down your cards. International Student ID Card http://www.myisic.com/ Contact your intern supervisor to learn the following: expected first day check-in process how to get to the organization and any other important details concerning the start of your internship.

Lac Leman

Pre-departure: packing 1 or 2 formal suit and formal dress pants (first day at the job/receptions) Jean/s Business casual slacks  Business casual shirts Skirts/dresses 1-2 sweater/s or fleece Anorak/mid-weight jacket it can get cold at night Raincoat and umbrella Sandals/walking shoes Work shoes Swimsuit, sunglasses, suntan lotion Disposable contacts and contact solution (if relevant) Cough drops, ibuprofen and-over-the counter medications/feminine products Linens - etc. if not provided with your housing Adaptor/Convertor Toiletries/mini-first aid kit (band aids- etc) Easily portable snacks and food stuffs you can’t live without (oatmeal, granola bars, peanut butter, sweetners - etc)

Pre-departure: travel Confirm your flight. Be aware of the quantity and weight of your luggage. Bring prescriptions and important documents as “carry-on.” Look at information provided by your housing to identify your transportation plan to arrive at accommodation – If none is provided email and inquire. At the Geneva airport, you will find that in the baggage claim area, there is a kiosk where you can get a 1 hour Geneva pass (good for buses and trams) If you are arriving late and are concerned about traveling by bus/tram, taxi’s are available and many will take credit cards.

Upon arrival: What first? Once you have arrived to your foyer/apartment/hostel and have access to a computer: email me and your family/friends back home to alert everyone of your arrival! Depending on the time and day of the week you may want to get to a ATM/exchange to have some CHF (swiss francs) in your pocket. Pick up some very basic groceries or inquire about where you can do this near your housing – You are in Geneva and store hours are very different than what you may be accustomed to. Most shops close between 6 and 7pm. Thursday nights, shops stay open until 8 or 9 pm. MOST everything is closed on SUNDAY.

Some “welcome spots” to hit GENEVA WELCOME CENTER http://www.cagi.ch/en.php http://www.cagi.ch/en/vie-pratique/geneve-pratique.php (GOOD PRACTICAL GENEVA TIPS) GENEVA TOURISM AND CONVENTION http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch/en/home/ Physical office close to Gare Cornavin Gare Cornavin (if you are not in a hostel or foyer) To purchase a monthly bus/tram pass Geneva Central http://www.geneve-central.com/ Geneva Info http://www.geneva.info/

Your first week: settling in At home you have your smart phone. Constant access to websites, resources, maps and more…. What are you gonna do now? The easiest thing is to buy a pay as you go cellphone after you arrive in Geneva. I recommend going to “Migro” (one of the largest supermarket chains). You can get a phone for as cheap at 40 CHF and add minutes on-line or in Migro shops. In addition, you may also want to check with your current cellphone provider to see if your service has an international plan OR if you can buy a new SIM card in Geneva to use with your current phone. TO BUY A CELL PHONE OR SIM CARD YOU NEED YOUR PASSPORT.

Don’t be shy reach out to new friends

Banking and money Checks are not used in Switzerland Credit cards and Debit cards are common The safest and easiest form of money are bank cards and credit cards. The cards most used are Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Many banks in Switzerland have equipped their ATM machines with the CIRRUS or MAESTRO system. Many other Swiss banks offer ATM machines for cash advances with your credit card. It is recommended to have a small amount of cash on hand upon arrival in Switzerland for immediate expenses, i.e. taxies, city transportation etc. TELL YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN SWITZERLAND!

FOOD & Shopping Lidl and Denner (least expensive grocery stores) NOT GOOD PRODUCE, but cheese & bread, drinks, wine Migro (largest grocery store) found all over town COOP (nice grocery store, just a little bit more expensive than Migro) Open-Air Markets: Ferney-Voltaire (France on Saturday) – take bus from Cornavin Carouge (Wednesday and Saturdays) – take tram or walk Plainpalais (Wednesday and Sundays) Place du Molard (Saturdays) Food and flowers

transportation Geneva Transit Card (in Geneva) Often provided for free at foyers, hostel or hotels Eurail Passes (around Europe) CGN boat travel and day trips on Lake Geneva Easyjet (around Europe)

French swiss: language & culture Inquire with your organization to see if they have any French language courses available to staff/interns. Centre d’Accueil – Geneve Internationale Conversation Exchange program through the Geneva Welcome Center: http://www.cagi.ch/fr/reseau-accueil/bel.php Registration form: http://www.cagi.ch/files/pdf/Leaflet-BEL-2009-_CAGI.pdf GIA (Geneva Intern Association) http://internsassociation.org/events/french-classes/ (Info on French classes, but tons of other resources too! – started in 2011 by interns rich with info, tips and suggestions)

The old Town – St. Pierre Cathedral (St. Peter’s)

Rules & cultural norms Sunday is a day or rest. You will find that Geneva is VERY quiet. Sunday brunch at restaurants is the biggest activity of the day! No garbage or recycling on Sundays. We’ve been yelled at for this . If you are in a foyer, you will want to review rules as they will likely be monitored and reinforced. If you are in an apartment, you will have neighbors that will have no problems calling the police if you make noise outside of “active” hours. You are expected to have a Geneva card or to have purchased a bus pass. It works on honor code and most people abide. Your tickets may have a spot-check (maybe) by TPG staff that will board a bus or tram and ask for your ticket. Tipping is not the norm, but you can leave a few coins or round up and leave the change. Though not typical, you can ask for “tap water” at restaurants… “l’eau du robinet.” Many people speak English, but do not assume that everyone does. It is useful to know some basic terms and to push yourself both for cultural immersion and to potentially open the door to potential cross-cultural exchange. Greetings – Bises (three kiss greeting with friends)

sports Biking Hiking Swimming Yoga Dancing Gym outings

Events with New friends

Geneva & neighboring summer events Montreux Jazz Festival http://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/programme14 Paleo Music Festival http://yeah.paleo.ch/en Fetes de Geneve 2014 (pre-fete July 17-July 30 / Fete July 31 to August 10) http://www.fetesdegeneve.ch/2013/en/index.php Fete de la Musique Geneve June 20-22, 2014http://www.cinetransat.ch www.fetedelamusiqu.ch Bol d’Or Mirabaud 2014 (Sailing Race on Lake Geneva June 13-15, 2014) http://www.boldormirabaud.com/en-ch/index.cfm Outdoor Movies-Cine Transat http://www.cinetransat.ch (July 10-17 August – Parc de la Perle du Lac) http://www.cinetransat.ch

Traveling outside of Geneva BERN, GRUYERE,MONTREAUX, ANNECY, Lausanne, MOUNTAINS

Questions Additional Resources on the blog: http://dukepolicyingenevaprogram.wordpress.com/attend-event/ Questions for Lissa and Maggie?