The Daily Telegraph – Oliver Gets His Marching Orders

Posted by Jules on October 4th, 2008

Welcome to all those who have logged on to this blog either through the Telegraph’s site or from reading my article today in the weekend section of the paper.

This blog is the diary of my life as a freelance writer living in Switzerland.  I have recently returned to work having spent many years raising my family.  I write about trying to break into the UK press and the difficulties of earning a living through writing (I am a born optimist), my life raising my bi-cultural family in a village of 900 souls and as many cows at the foot of the Jura above Lac Léman and the odd rant. 

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Oliver Gets His Marching Orders – the Article will appear under my publications shortly or see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/index.jhtml

 

Living in Switzerland, My Swiss Family, My Writing Life 6 Comments

Mercedes Buehlmann said,

October 4, 2008 @ 1:56 pm

Dear Jules, 25 years ago my son Tom made the same decision as your Oliver, he wanted to do his basic training before going up to Cambridge – and he wanted to be a “Radfahrer”. The Militaerdepartement was reluctant to have him without a proper Aushebung but the Swiss embassy in London checked him over and so he flew off to Switzerland (ticket courtesy of the Militaedepartement). Tom never regretted his decision, he even did a few Wiederholungskurse (his first job after Cambridge was with P&G in Geneva).I have a nephew who was a grenadier, it is the true elite unit of the Swiss Army – Good luck to Oliver!Kind regards,Mercedes Buehlmann

Jules said,

October 4, 2008 @ 2:09 pm

Thank you for that Mercedes and welcome to the site. It is nice to know I am not alone and those who are/have been in the same situation have found it to be such a positive experience.

Jules said,

October 4, 2008 @ 8:54 pm

Jonathan Gray sent this to me via emailDear Mrs Ritter,I\’ve just read your article on your son\’s decision to join the Swiss Army in his gap year.In my humble opinion, it sounds like a sound one. I spent my gap year in the Royal Artillery some twenty-three years ago on a Short Service Limited Commission and, without doubt, it was one of the most enjoyable and valuable experiences of my life. Most importantly, it gave me a greater maturity and discipline with which to enjoy three very happy years at Oxford.I hope your son enjoys his experience and benefits from it. I am now a moderately successful investment banker but I still serve in the Territorial Army which I continue to enjoy and feel a certain level of satisfaction and pride in public service.On risk, I can\’t help but feel that your son will be safer in the hands of the Swiss military than engaged in many of the fashionable gap year activities in the third world.Best of luck.

Anne Schirinzi said,

October 6, 2008 @ 1:36 pm

I identify with your situation. British born and bred , married to an Italian and living in Switzerland we started the Swiss citizenship process for all four of us over three years ago when my son was 13.We will get our papers before the end of this year, when my son will be 17. We knew he would have to do military service but it seemed so far off and there seemed to be some changes in the pipelinemeaning he maybe didn’t havre to do it. However, when asked at the citizenship interviews he agreed to do it but he will also go to university (in Switzerland ) and I worry about interrupting his studies, him losing motivation to study afterwards etc. I wonder now if we shouldn’t have waited to get Swiss nationality until he was older or as your son says, maybe he will enjoy it and it will help him build roots in his adopted country.

Nicole Arkell said,

October 10, 2008 @ 9:50 am

You are very lucky your son has the opportunity to get army training and to learn many different skills for free as well as discipline. Of dual nationality my son enrolled only to be told on the day that his knowledge of the french language was insufficient (this after an education at an english private school!). So many of my Swiss friends tell me how they look back to their army training with fond memories, having learnt a lot, got to know the lovely Swiss country and made friends (and useful contacts) for life.

Chantal said,

October 15, 2008 @ 10:16 am

Congrats on your article. I don’t have kids yet, but can see the conflict that would naturally arise in raising them in a place that is foreign to you.

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