From Switzerland to a Senior Residence in Chiang Mai

“It must be almost four years by now. Time is flying.”
“Since I started cycling 4 km every day in the fitness room, I feel wonderful. It really gets my circulation going.”

“Yes, I grew up in Horgenberg near Zurich. As the middle child of an entrepreneur, my siblings and I had to help out early in our father’s saddlery. Needle and thread stayed with me through my three-and-a-half-year training as a ladies’ tailor, although, to be honest, I would have preferred to become a kindergarten teacher. The long working hours and low wages eventually led me to switch to a commercial career. For the chocolate company Lindt & Sprüngli, I prepared customer invoices using punch cards, and later I was also responsible for invoicing apple juice deliveries for the Zweifel company.. That was in the 1950s, before Zweifel became known for its potato chips. After getting married and the birth of my daughter Brigitte, I became a full-time housewife and earned some extra money working as a janitor in the apartment complex I lived.”

“There came a point in my life when I could no longer stay at home alone. I often felt dizzy, and the risk of falling and injury was ever-present. Moving into a retirement home became unavoidable. My daughter told me about a TV program that presented tropical alternatives to traditional retirement homes, including Vivobene in Chiang Mai. She said, “That would be something for you, since you dislike snow and cold so much.”

“At first, I was a bit skeptical. I hadn’t traveled much in my life, my English was very basic, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find my way or communicate in such a new environment.”

“No, my doubts quickly disappeared when I realized that German and Swiss German are widely spoken at Vivobene—by the management and, of course, by my fellow Swiss residents.”

“During the drive from Chiang Mai airport to Vivobene, through green rice fields and a tropical landscape, I felt anxious and unsecure. But when I enjoyed my welcome cocktail in the magnificent lobby and was then shown to my spacious room, I thought to myself: “I could like it here.”

“I’m an early riser. I’m up at six, freshen up, and after eating my three soaked prunes, I go for a blood pressure check. Today it was a good 127—thanks to my cycling. Then I walk to the Ascona restaurant for breakfast: muesli, a fried egg, a slice of rustic bread, and lots of fruit, along with good conversations with my table companions. Then comes my 4 km cycling session, followed by Bible reading in my room. In the afternoon, I often treat myself to an oil massage. Our masseuse, Lar, is a gem—she knows exactly how long and how intensively to treat each area. I always feel like a new person afterward.”

“With dinner, I sometimes allow myself a glass of red wine or a sip of Mekhong whisky. The occasional drink in moderation never hurt anyone, right?”

“The dignity with which I can spend my later years here. Thai people treat older individuals with great respect, and I’m surrounded by young people who are always smiling and cheerful—it’s contagious. The nickname “Land of Smiles” doesn’t come from nowhere. When I think back to my bus rides in Zurich, surrounded by so many grumpy faces, I feel fortunate that I took this step.”