Geneva is my hometown; a place that I have lived to cherish, my siblings and I were born here. Located in the southwestern part of Switzerland, Geneva is embedded between the hilly terrain of the Jura and Alpine peaks. Lausanne and Geneva are the largest cities located on Lake Geneva or Lac Leman shores. Geneva lies in the bay where the Rhone River leaves the Lake Geneva (Bekker).
The shores are highly populated with settlements, however; the living space per individual is generous. People who live in the Lake Geneva region are relatively rich (Boyce). Geneva is not only the largest city but also the most visited due to its major attractions including, expansive parks with waterfront, Lakeside promenades, Quays museums and a compact old town. The beautiful scenery of the “Jet d’eau” is the symbol of the smallest metropolis in the world, a 140-meter-high fountain water jet at the shores of Lake Geneva. The old town is dominated by the St. Peter’s Cathedral. However, Place du Bourg-de-Four is the oldest square in the city. The old town is characterized by lively street sides with elegant shops. Grand-Rue is the one of the well-maintained streets. This street is famous because this is where Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born (Internations).
The mouettes are a form of a water taxi, which enables people to cross from one lake bank to the other while the larger vessels welcome the visitors to board and enjoy cruising on Lake Lac Leman (Bekker).The Geneva public transportation system is excellent, which integrates buses, trains and boats. Geneva has a major airport and is well known as a business destination. As such, there are so many flights to and from the city. The city can easily be accessed by most cities in Europe since it is only a two-hour plane flight. Geneva is a highway network hub for Europe (Internations).
Most of the restaurants and the large hotels are located on the right-hand side of the Lakeshore. Hotel accommodation is cheaper during the weekend when the business travelers are not many.
The inhabitants of Geneva are conservative and very private people. Most of the time they do not like personal questions. Especially, inquiries on their age, occupation, religion, marital status, and other personal related issues. It is, therefore, advisable to stick to general discussions when carrying out a conversation, not unless when talking to close friends.
In my hometown people marry at a rather late age; this is in both males and females. This, therefore, makes the women have kids at a relatively late age as compared to women in other countries. After which most of the women are forced not work after they have children. This is because the Swiss people rejected an amendment that could have made it easier for women to combine family and work, making childcare hard to find. Women responsibly care for their children to the extent that they do not allow them to eat in hostels. Instead, children go home for lunch. Due to this reason, there exists a significant gap between men and women present in the labor market. Men are more than females in the business realm (Krentzel).
Geneva is rich in festivals and cultural events with an endless series of outdoor activities and exciting vibrant nightlife. As a young person, I can easily relate to the exciting life. My friends and I usually sit on the shore at night listening to live bands and enjoying the breeze. Most of the time there so many people enjoying themselves too. The people of Geneva also use Cannabis Sativa and tobacco. Both men and women smoke almost on a daily basis. However, since October 2013, anyone who is 18 years and over caught in possession of marijuana weighing 10g is required to pay a fine, but there are no legal proceedings involved (Internations).The people of Geneva enjoy beer and wine, as a leisurely drink, they love wine which is homegrown very little of the locally made wine is exported. There is also a lot of night live band music that keeps people awake and dancing to the sweet music. Apparently, summer is one of the best seasons to visit my hometown, because in August, during the Fêtes de Geneva celebration, everyone eats and drinks street food, people mingle and freely interact. It is a great time to see and experience the Geneva celebration mode
Most of the inhabitants of Geneva are Christians constituting of the Protestants and Roman Catholic. Other religions comprise of the Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist. Besides, the people of Geneva speak three languages, that is, German, Italian and French. The inhabitants also speak the English language. English has been embraced and is increasingly becoming popular. However, the predominant language is French, and most citizens speak at least one other language. A quarter of the population speaks English. If one is keen, you can hear other languages being spoken in Geneva from Zimbabwean to Albanian (Boyce). I have noticed that most locals prefer to be first addressed in French before transitioning to English.
Geneva is known to be Switzerland’s international city; humanitarian campaigns for the International Red Cross are directed from Geneva. In addition, it is a center of history and culture, especially in areas of exhibitions and trade fairs (Internations).
Geneva is a safe city. However, cases of petty crimes, especially pickpocketing have been commonly reported (Boyce). Crime frequently occurs in areas around the train station, airport buses, trains and places full of tourists. Security has been tightened to ensure petty crimes stops. However, it is one of the very best places to live, visit or even raise a family.
Works Cited
Boyce, Lee. Geneva suprise. 2014. 27 January 2016 <http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/holidays/article-2740800/Geneva-Switzerland-surprising-winner-cheap-city-break.html>.
Bekker, Henk. Swiss & French Cities on Lake Geneva. 2016. 27 January 2016 <http://www.lake-geneva-switzerland.com/lake-geneva-cities-and-towns-in-switzerland-france/>.
Internations. Living in Geneva. n.d. 27 january 2016 <https://www.internations.org/geneva-expats/guide/living-in-geneva-15509>.
Krentzel, Elise. Doing business in Switzerland: Swiss business culture. n.d. 27 January 2016 <http://www.expatica.com/ch/employment/Doing-business-in-Switzerland-Swiss-business-culture_101552.html>.
