The disadvantages of blogging in English living in Switzerland

Las week I explained, why I prefer blogging English. Living in Switzerland that is not always easy.

In previous posts, I explained that some publishers don’t send me books or don’t accept my request on Netgalley, because I don’t live in the country. I review in English and my readers are from English speaking countries, but that doesn’t change their opinion. Just recently I came across a publisher starting a newsletter for UK and Ireland bloggers, to inform them about proofs etc. UK only once again… The story of my book blogging life. I got used to that though and I still receive plenty of books and still have enough time to read the books I want to read. And yes, I actually buy them.

A lot of bloggers in Switzerland either blog only in German or in both languages. I wouldn’t even have the time for it and I don’t see the point, since my readers are mainly from the US and the UK.

The big disadvantage though is that I cannot really collaborate with brands in Switzerland or Germany. The are not interested in a blogger like me. I don’t want to complain, but some collaborations would be interesting. I barley have any Swiss readers. Yes, some of my friends and colleagues read my posts, but other than that. It’s not that I only write about English books, my posts range from lifestyle, to fashion and more.

Blogging events is another of these things. I get invited to a lot of bookish events, book launches and author events. The disadvantage: they are all in the UK. I have made some of them, but I can’t always travel to London and most events are in the middle of the week. Being a teacher makes that really difficult. Bookish events in Switzerland don’t really interest me. I have thought about talking to a local bookstore though and maybe inviting one of my author friends, that’d be fab. It would also be interesting to attend some blogging events here, just to see how it’s different from the events I know. However, it’s the same as with the products, I rarely get invited to events here, because I don’t blog in German.

There are plenty of advantages of blogging in English as well and that’s why I will continue to do so. I feel more comfortable in English and I the negative parts just play a supporting role in the end. 

Why I only read English books and why I blog in English

ENGLISH!

That’s the language I speak daily. It’s the language I read books in and the language I write my blog post. However, I’m Swiss and my mother tongue is German.

I grew up learning German, Italian from my Nonna, then French at school and I only started English, when I was 13 years old. It soon became my favourite language and I learned it quickly and easily. I heard my mum speak English to her theatre group colleagues every day and after a while I started reading and watching movies in English.

At secondary school and high school we had to write a lot of essays in German, interpret a lot and at high school I never achieved good grades. No matter what I did, I was never very good. My motivation went down and I focused on English. I chose it as my main subject and enjoyed very much. My grades were very high and my essays were better than my German ones. Logically I also enjoyed reading English books more.

The same with movies and series, I hate watching them in German. They are just not authentic anymore.

I have lots of friends all over the world and naturally speaking English is normal. By joining an English Theatre Group and really getting into musical theatre, English was the main language as well.

For all these reasons and many more, I just prefer English and started focusing a lot more on the language. I have no problem expressing myself in English and I actually think that some expression in English don’t even exist in German. You have to use several ways around the whole think and in English you can just say it. It feels like mother tongue to me and I just feel comfortable with the language.

Of course, my English is not perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. I obviously use my German daily too at school and with my family and friends. I also watch German TV. However, I never even thought about blogging in German. It probably comes from my negative experiences with my grades and teachers at school. Blogging is a way for expressing myself and I prefer to do that in English. I feel more comfortable in this language.

The same thing goes for reading. I enjoy every second of it and it just feel happy and I don’t have to think about it. I read German books too, but only if I really want to read them and when the original language is actually German.

German vs English

In the German language we have so pretty funny expressions and idioms, especially when you translate them, word be word into English. So I thought to give you all a laugh, I will write down some. I put together a little chart with the German, the direct translation and then the meaning or the expression you actually use.

German	Translation	Meaning/ EN expression
Jetzt haben wir den Salat.	Now we have the salad.	The have a big chaos.
Ich glaub ich spinne.	I think I spider.	I think I’m going crazy.
Ich versteh nur Bahnhof.	I understand just train station.	It’s all Greek to me.
Ich seh Schwarz für dich.	I see black for you.	Be pessimistic.
Alles für die Katz.	All for the cat.	All for naught/nothing.
Den Teufel wird ich tun.	The devil will I do.	Attitude to do nothing at all.
Ich drück dir die Daumen.	I press you the thumbs.	Fingers crossed
Ich lach mich tot.	I laugh me dead.	I laugh myself to death.
Mach ne Fliege.	Make a fly.	Get lost!
Ich mach mich auf die Socken.	I make me on the sock.	I’ll get going.
Du nimmst mich auf den Arm.	You take me on the arm	You’re pulling my leg.
Das ist mir Wurst!	This is me sausage!	I don’t care.
Die Katze im Sack kaufen.	To buy the cat in a bag.	To buy a pig in a poke.
Du gehst mir tierisch auf den Keks.	You go me animally on the cookie.	You drive me crazy!
Ich habe die Nase voll davon!	I have the nose full of it.	I’m sick of it.
Fix und fertig sein.	To be fixed and finished.	I’m all wiped out.
Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof.	Life is no pony farm.	Life isn’t a rose garden.

There are lots more and I think they are just hilarious. Stores even sell cards with the literal English translation.

What German words and expressions do you know?!