Laila Rodriguez
Spring allergy season is on! - Photo Gabriela RRB
Geneva, Switzerland – If you are one of the millions of people who suffer of an “exaggerated immune response” to allergens such as pollen, you might find this post useful.
A national pollen count is provided by the Swiss national weather bureau, MeteoSwiss.
The pollen map is provided in English but allergen advisories and more in-depth information is only given in Switzerland’s three national languages.
Puffy eyes? It could be the result of a rise in ozone levels. Check out the Swiss government site for more information (in English).
It could also be that you have symptoms but do not know if you have allergies. A European-based website show you connections between your possible allergic symptoms and allergen contents of the air in the area where you are (European territory only).
Resources:
- Daily pollen count, in English
- Pollen and allergen forecast, in the three national languages, as well as birch pollen concentration maps
- Register to get daily text messages with the pollen forecast (.40/text), in the three national languages only
- Hourly ozone maps by the Federal Office for the Environment, the maps are based on the ozone concentrations from about 90 Swiss monitoring stations
Other resources
- Swiss UV Index map
- Pollen diary (check your symptoms against allergen levels)
- PM-10 (particulates) concentrations around Switzerland
- Air pollution index maps for the Lake Geneva region
Whew! Here’s to a healthy day.
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Laila Rodriguez
Geneva, Switzerland – If your teens are staying in Geneva during the summer holidays then the prospect of a seasonal job may be of interest.
Every year the city and the canton of Geneva offer summer jobs that include up to 350 activities. All jobs are offered for a maximum of three weeks beginning on or after 20 June and ending 26 August.
Applicants must meet three requirements to qualify:
Laila Rodriguez
Tai Chi lessons offered by the city of Geneva - Photo courtesy Ville de Geneve
Geneva, Switzerland – If you, or someone you know is over 60 and feeling isolated or finding it difficult to cope, Caritas Geneve, offers outings and a support line that can help overcome their situation.
A phone line geared for those over 60 offers callers advice and support, from information on topics such as taxes or benefits, to simply a friendly voice with whom to chat with. Katia Hechmati, a social worker with Caritas who runs the helpline says the service is also offered in English or Spanish.
The phone line operates every Wednesday from 13:00 to 17:00 – call +41 (0) 22 708 0475.
Outings
Laila Rodriguez
Geneva, Switzerland – This is our list of useful, non-emergency phone numbers in Geneva and Switzerland. For a list of Geneva and Swiss emergency phone numbers see our Resources Page or read an earlier post of Geneva Living.
If you dial from an-outside-of-Switzerland phone, or from Skype, you may still access some of these numbers by previously adding +41 848 800 to the three digit numbers: Read more…
Laila Rodriguez
St Pierre Cathedral a symbol of Protestantism in Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland – It seems only fitting that writing a blog about living in Geneva, I should talk about Geneva’s own public holiday: Jeûne genevois.
The website of the Republic and Canton of Geneva says the holiday is celebrated the Thursday following the first Sunday of September.
According to Robert Hensler, Geneva canton chancellor, the Jeûne genevois began in 1567 in remembrance of the repression against Protestants in Lyons, France.
However, many Genevans seemed to have forgotten this historical fact and currently relate it to the Saint Batholomew’s Day massacre when several thousand Huguenots (Protestant Reformed Church of France, also known as French Calvinists) were killed.
Laila Rodriguez
Geneva, Switzerland – Those living in Grand-Saconnex or Versoix and currently unemployed might benefit from participating in a job network specifically tailored to their needs, the Club Emploi.
Laila Rodriguez
Old lady needs a 2010 pet ID tag
Geneva, Switzerland – If you are a dog owner in canton Geneva you should know that 1 April is the deadline to register your pet, pay the dog tax you owe and get your new, 2010 official-ID dog tag. Yes, the deadline falls on April fools’ day but this is no April fools’ joke.
Laila Rodriguez
Geneva, Switzerland - Legal problems can crop up unexpectedly, related to disputes with service suppliers, or the company that’s just delivered your new kitchen appliances, or even with health insurers.
The question is who to go to when we need quick legal help – of any kind – in Geneva and surrounding areas.
Laila Rodriguez
Geneva, Switzerland – Thanks to an inter-municipal agreement in the Lake Geneva area you may be able to borrow a book from a library say in Nyon, or any of six French neighboring towns, even if you are not a resident of any of those cities. Vice versa you may check out books in Geneva even if you do not reside in the jet-d’eau city. In a previous article we talked about how to get your Geneva library card. Remember the local libraries have sizable collections of English-language books for adults and children.
Laila Rodriguez
Geneva, Switzerland – Getting a library card upon arriving in Switzerland is one of the most rewarding, easiest investments you can make as an expat, and one of the best decisions you may take as a parent. Libraries in Geneva, and surrounding cities, have a fair selection of books, magazines, and videos in English for adults and children. Registration, and borrowing of books is free of charge. Most libraries also have large music and video collections that can be borrowed for a small fee.