As far as Air france, it is quite simple. I refuse to travel in an airline where the flight attendants are contemptuous of me. I have heard a few stories about them, and that’s good enough for me.

Dear Pravin, there is a back story implied in my text. You on the other hand are just shooting off.

And why don’t you travel by Air France huh? huh? The food is better than US Air and if you are stranded in CDG without a visa or food so what. Air travel sucks or didn’t you know that.

The History Channel disagrees. Their version goes like this: The Knight Templars did fight wars to get a path to Jerusalem, but they also diversified into banking. After some 200 years, the Knight Templars became unpopular. So they took their money and ran to sleepy mountainous regions in Europe. And they started the original Swiss banks.”

Yes, I know about the Knight Templars and some association they had with Swtitzerland, but I did not trace Swiss banking back that far though. Thanks for info. I still think Calvinism had something to do with it all. They also made life-like automatons (I saw some in a museum that still worked after 200 years.) There are interesting things to see in the country besides the mountains.

come to think of it though, even the chocolate was better in Belgium.

We Indians also have a tendency to carry and cook on gas and kerosene cookers on moving TRAINS – another MAJOR fire hazard!

I think you miss the point, all countries may chose to do what they want, Switzerland don’t want immigration which is fine. But this text was about desi tourists, and it is relevant to point out that there are plenty of friendlier countries to visit. There are mountains in Colorado and northern India as well.

I would like to address several points that I feel are relevant here.

1. Swiss tourists and “payback” that some people are referring to. Payback for what, exactly? I didn’t know Swiss were involved in colonization, or in being uncouth tourists. I’ve never heard the phrase “obnoxious Swiss” like we hear “obnoxious American” or “ugly American” when it comes to tourism. Moreover, as a world travelling myself, even the “ugly American” stereotype does not really fly. In India especially I see Americans and Europeans going out of their way to “fit in” – even conforming to sometimes uncomfortable and weather-inappropriate clothing norms so as not to disturb the local sensibilities and invite hostility upon themselves. However, I will say that there is indeed one group of American and European “tourist” I’ve come across in India that does indeed live up to the reputation of the “ugly American” and “uncouth tourist” – that of American and European Christian missionaries – but then again – they have a very clear, precise agenda – which is to convert non-Christian Indians to their religion a.s.a.p. But everyone else? The regular American and European tourists or yoga enthusiasts who travel to India? They are respectful and try to fit in. Sure, sometimes they may get frustrated with shop-keepers over-charging them or any number of other inconveniences they face in India and give way to a cross word or two – but for the most part they are respectful and open to “experiencing new things”.

2. Americans of all backgrounds (including Desi Americans) sometimes make the mistake of assuming that all countries want to be like us: Politically Correct, Multi-Cultural, Melting Pot. They don’t. Some may, but some, especially with a more or less homeogenous culture and ethnic background – like the Swiss – do not. Nor should they be forced to be. America is an “experiment” really. We are a people who loses touch overtime and generations of our cultures and heritages. Not everyone wants to be a cultureless mish-mash like us. Regarding whether or not the “American experiment” is working or not, I guess that remains to be seen.

3. I find it ironic that any non-Abrahamic-faith-based Desi would begrudge the Swiss their “limits on minerets” rule and call it “payback”. I personally love Islamic architecture but one can build a masjid (mosque) or Islamic center WITHOUT minerets. In fact, where I live, there are several. Minerets are from where the ADAAN rings out and although a 5 am (and earlier!) call to prayer may be welcome in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Morroco, etc – I’m sure you can understand why such an early call over loudspeakers would not be welcome in Switzerland.

Regarding “payback” – if you really want to “go there” – we could even say that an “anti-mineret” rule is “payback” to Muslims for razing Hindu temples to the ground! That’s why I find it ironic that any Desi who is not Muslim would try to play the “payback card” with regards to Europeans. And anway, the Swiss did not colonize any Muslim country to beginwith so “payback” is irrelevant here.

1. Immigration: Not all cultures are compatible. It is important that if I’m going to immigrant to ANY country, I research the cultural norms of that country and decide if I can generally conform to them or not. This is especially true in regards to that country’s progress, or lack thereof, in regards to WOMEN. If I am going to immigrate to a country who’s overall style of dress, attitudes and relationships offend my sensiblities at every turn and cause me and my family stress – then I should research countries that are more in line with my conditionings – OR CHANGE AND CONFORM.

Similarly, I think ALL countries should REQUIRE prospective immigrants to undergo “cultural sensitivity” courses BEFORE approving them for entry so that immigrants everywhere, to ANY country, can be aware of the cultural and societal norms of the country they aspire to become a citizen of, and then decide whether or not it’s a place they can blend into.

I have no problem not spending my money in such inhospitable places. I refuse to travel by Air France after hearing about what they did to Indians a couple of years ago. While I do not boycott Lufthansa, I did experience variable treatment. My plane from the US to Frankfurt was great and so was the service. once I got on the Frankfurt-Bombay leg, it was like a second rate airline. So while it may not make me boycott them, if things are almost equal in price, I am skipping the Lufthansa option.

Anyway, I had no idea so many Indians had such a desire to visit Switzerland based on a few Hindi movies.

You took the words out of my mouth jyotsana. Just today (before reading this thread) I was thinking about poor V S Naipaul and his Stockholm syndrome. I live in Europe and of all the Indians I am acquainted with the only one who does not bother to engage with the locals around. This also means I have refused to learn their language. Most of the Indians (and they are usually fresh out of India unlike me who has lived practically my whole life out of India) really do want to please so much. They try and explain away a lot and they must have experienced at least a little of what I have. Anyway, Europe is a sinking ship so really don’t bother what they think.

Wow, insults to my country are now flowing fast and furious. This started as a nice post about Indians liking to tour my country. Yes, we Swiss were bad to sit out WWII, far better you Indians who fought for your colonial masters.

• The Swiss were complicit in helping to steel and hide the assets of Jewish Europeans during World War II.

–> The Indians, however, had a Jewish community from 587 BC onwards where they were treated with respect and with great dignity. They were not only protected, but with happiness, they also helped protect Indians by enlisting in the armed forces of India.

• The Swiss have great pride in being very independent and not a stooge of other nations.

–> The Swiss were the btches of the Romans, the Greeks, German barbarians, and Napoleon. Moreover, today, they are btches for blood money and their pathological greed. Their opaque banking, along with the the Singaporeans and others, is conducive to most corrupt regimes in the world.

India was conquered by the British and other Europeans. However, our conscience is clear when they left, and in the words of Mahatma Gandhi (whose family does NOT have funds in your devil-worshipping banking institutions): “When the British leave, let’s wish them farewell and God Bless since they are our friends.” On the other hand, your people have a strain on your conscious, otherwise you wouldn’t be here defending what a great people you are.

(On that note, I’d like to remind my South Asian brothers and sisters that the Swiss are not our enemies. They are our friends, and let’s be nice and fair to SwissPride.)

• SwissPride claims that Indians shouldn’t be proud because we’re poor.

–> This is nouveau riche thinking. Us high-minded Desis know at the instinctive level that your money should NOT be the root of your pride. We have a beautiful Shiva statue dancing on the demon-child who represents false-ego, my friend. Our cultureS (because the Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and others there) realize that this is a false pride – a “maya” – an illusion. We have, to paraphrase our Zoroastrian friends (who paraphrased Buddhists) “Good thoughts, words, and actions”, but maybe not good portfolios. It is our purity of actions and thoughts that make us proud, my friend SwissPride. We can be dirt poor – and many of us are – but we are still cocky as hell, because we all know that money doesn’t buy righteousness or a clear-conscious.

To this, I invite you, SwissPride, to befriend an Indian with an open-heart and an open-mind. Read about our amazingly rich history, our diversity, our inclusivisity, our natural comraderie with the West, and how, it seems, we have always been on the right side of history. On our end, we will always speak up for what’s right – even if it works antagonistic towards us since we’re not materialistic but instead, idealistic; we will always believe in something greater than euros, francs, and Dollars; and we’ll continue being the friends of everyone who reciprocates their hand in friendship.

The History Channel disagrees. Their version goes like this: The Knight Templars did fight wars to get a path to Jerusalem, but they also diversified into banking. After some 200 years, the Knight Templars became unpopular. So they took their money and ran to sleepy mountainous regions in Europe. And they started the original Swiss banks.