First name
Philippe

Age
33

Town/village
Villars-sur-Glâne

Dialect/language
French and some German

What are your living arrangements?
I rent a 4-room flat in a relatively new and small apartment block. I live in a quiet family neighbourhood.

From my balcony I have great views of the Fribourg Pre-Alps, particularly the Moléson, the region's magnificent iconic mountain.

Although the motorway is nearby, you can't hear the noise where I live. I can also see the train from my flat, but it's not particularly noisy, so I hardly notice it.

Kids whooping, birds tweeting and cow bells ringing are all part of my daily soundscape. Pretty pleasant!

How would you describe your home?
I leave the interior design to my partner. We have some lovely pieces of old furniture that she inherited from her grandparents, mixed with second-hand and new pieces. We never spend much money as we like to change our furniture more often. My electronic gadgets are a bit old, and I can't wait until they finally pack up (wish they'd get a move on, though):-))

What is your favourite piece of clothing?
A cool t-shirt, and a hoodie for those cold mornings. I nearly always wear jeans.

How would your friends describe you?
Dry sense of humour, loyal, dependable, precise, honest, friendly and happy.

What’s in your fridge?
Leftovers from my partner's cookery classes (she's a cookery teacher!)

A bottle of tap water, beer, mayonnaise, Gruyère and Vacherin cheese, vegetables, butter…

What’s your favourite food?
Pasta with "Maggi" (a type of Swiss condiment similar to soya sauce)

What is your favourite Swiss specialty?
What a question!? Fondue of course!

We've a saying where I'm from: "A week without fondue is a week without joy!"

How do you mostly get around (train, bike etc.)?
My car for longer journeys, my scooter for shorter trips.
I think that public transport is (too) expensive.

How do you spend your spare time?
Mess around on my computer, create electronic music, jog, do the housework, watch TV and meet up with friends.

What do you particularly appreciate about Switzerland’s art and culture scene?
The city of Fribourg, particularly the Old Town, has a fascinating history. Every winter, the carnival in the Old Town gives me the chance to catch up with old acquaintances and party like mad, sometimes for up to five nights in a row!

What, in your view, is "typically Swiss"?
Discretion, precision, cleanliness. People often appear to be reserved but they are actually very open.

What is "typically Swiss" about you?
"Plain, simple and precise" tends to be my attitude, though I don't even realise it at the time. It must be in my genes… :)

What aspects of life in Switzerland do you consider modern and innovative?
Switzerland is at the cutting edge in many fields, but takes the opinions of other countries on board. I personally think that Switzerland has the most modern, or at least the most effective, political system.