Our Holiday Break in Wiener Neustadt

After exploring Vienna, we accompanied Johannes and Amy back to Wiener Neustadt. 

The next day, we had to trek to the grocery store for lasagna ingredients, cookie decorations, and other assorted products.  The white stuff was everywhere.

The snow called for Russian-inspired headgear, which I LOVED.  I just learned that this type of hat is called an ushanka.  The more you know... 

Be careful.

This is a glimpse of Ben in the future.  We used the buggy to carry groceries.

Amy had Leinie practice his tricks during our stay.  She gave her commands and praise in German.  

We took the opportunity to use an oven (our kitchenette here is just two burners) to cook lasagna. 

And, by "we," I mean I sat, did crosswords, and took pictures.  

For lunch one of the days, we had this delicious Jause spread.  To Jaus, you take a piece of bread (in this case, homemade by Amy); coat it with spread, jam, or butter; and layer it with meats, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, peppers, and whatever else.  We each had a little cutting board to prepare our Jause.  So good. 

Christmas cookies with decoration FAILS.   

On Christmas Eve, the Christkind came!  Somehow, when Amy, Leinie, Ben, and I were locked in their bedroom, the Christkind (literally, the Christ child) visited the apartment.  When he left, a bell rang, and we knew it was safe to come out.  He left us all presents!  

For Austrians, the primary day to celebrate is the 24th.  It's a day for the family to be together, for the Christkind to bring presents, and for the family to go to church.  While some Austrians decorate with Santa Claus, it seems like most people here do not like Santa, whom they call the Weihnachtsmann (the Christmas man).  They associate Santa with America and with consumerism.  You can see the ads for Coca-Cola at train stations and around town, and I saw a few ads defaced.  Instead, their tradition is that the Christkind brings presents, and that's why we had to hide in the bedroom for Johannes, ahem, the Christkind, to visit the apartment and then leave.        

We played card games in which I dominated for quite a while, and hey look!  Trachten! 
They gave us a little fashion show.

For lunch on Christmas Day, we went to Heurigenlokal Wittmann in nearby Neudörfl. The wreath around the sign means that they're open for business.  It's in the Austrian state of Burgenland, where much of Austria's wine is produced.  Basically, it's a winery that serves hot and cold food.  This type of restaurant can be found in Burgenland and in Styria.  Another type of restaurant from the same area in Austria that we have yet to visit together is a Buschenschank.  There, the focus is more on the food. 

Don't be deceived; the food was very tasty!  I had hühner schnitzel and Ben had beef goulash. 

Johannes and Amy, thank you for having us and for showing us Vienna and Wiener Neustadt!  You both were wonderful hosts and we're excited for more adventures in the spring! 

A Day in Wien

A few days before Christmas, Ben and I met our friends, Johannes and Amy, in Vienna.

 Children had the day off from school.  This is how they spent some of their time.

 

The Christmas Market in front of Vienna's Rathaus (city hall) was absolutely packed with hordes of children and tourists, and a sprinkling of locals.  Its aromas were cinnamon, glühwein, and festivity.    

We took a ride around Ringstraße on my first Straßenbahn to Hundertwasserhaus, a unique apartment building in Vienna.  From the website and edited by me:

"The Hundertwasser House was completed in 1983-1985...The flats have various [floor] plans. There are one-story and two-story flats.  Many apartments have protruding balconies or pergolas and loggias... What was taken away from nature by the construction of the building was restored on the roofs. The living, uneven floor in the public areas of the buildings amounts to a rediscovery of human dignity, which was taken from people in an urban development of flat surfaces. The mosaics on the walls, in the stairways and in the corridors were created by the workers along with the tiles in the kitchens and in the bathrooms, which were laid irregularly to avoid the grid system... With this house, Hundertwasser proved that human architecture more in harmony with nature is possible within the regular construction time, within the financial budget of a public project, and within the current building laws without any special permits."

Afterward, we visited the Hundertwasser Cafe, complete with table toys and real heiße Schokolade.   

 

I'd say this statue is about opulence, but this photo is all about Leinie.  

This is the facade of the Secession Art Gallery near the Naschmarkt.  The building itself was beautiful with its golden dome, and the Medusa-esque faces above the entryway were cool.

For lunch, we visited the famous Naschmarkt.  Amy and Johannes shopped for a few groceries first, and we had the opportunity to browse stands selling flowers, produce, wine, meat, fish, and other goods. 

Next, we walked down a pedestrian shopping street, but not before Leinie made friends with another Cocker Spaniel puppy.  

This is St. Stephan's Cathedral and these are some people being told not to give free hugs in public.

I told Ben that he looked like the one Winklevoss twin in The Social Network.

Vienna, I feel like we barely scratched the surface.  We may have to visit you again in the spring. 

Color Yourself Fascinated

Here comes the final installment of my year-end series on the Ten Most Fascinating Aspects of Life in Austria!

7. Austrians' Commitment to the Environment - Recycling

Generally, Austrians are conscious of how their actions affect the environment.

Case in point: their recycling system -

First, they recycle paper.  

Then, they recycle organic waste.  In our kitchen, we have a "bio bin" under the sink for food scraps.  No food is thrown away here; it all goes into the Biotonne. 

Finally, we have bins for plastic bottles and other plastic products, glass, and Restmüll, for the rest of it. 

Recycling continues on the train, as seen here, in malls, and other public places.

8.  Austrians' Commitment to the Environment - Others

Many Austrians bike and take public transportation in lieu of owning cars.  Outdoor markets and grocery stores are filled with local produce, cutting down on pollution caused by transporting food far distances.  For home heating and energy, solar panels are common, as well as the use of recycled wood pellets (made from leftover scraps of wood).  Austrians are concerned with being efficient in how they use their resources, and I think that this is an element of their culture that will continue to resound with us when we move to the US.

9. There's History Here.

And that history goes far back.

A castle sits atop a hill as our train rides by.  

Salzburg's Cathedral looms large in any lighting.  The first cathedral on this site was built in 767.  Let that date sink in. 

 Tarnished copper and gold decorate the top of a building in Salzburg's Altstadt. 

Hiking up Kapuzinerberg where monks have lived for centuries, dining at the Augustiner Bräu where beer has been brewed for centuries, visiting Festung Hohensalzburg which has defended the city for centuries -  the past is palpable.  That is not to say that Austria isn't modern; it's to say that here there is a lovely harmony between the past and the present that will continue into the foreseeable future. 

10.   It's Really Very Similar.

For Americans, it is very easy to feel comfortable here in Austria. There are many, many things that are similar, and spoken English or English written on signs about town is common. The supermarkets are similar, as are the malls, the type of work available and its demands, and even the people. Once you get to befriend a few Austrians (not as easy as befriending Americans), you can find yourself wanting of few things else, American or otherwise.

The 10 Most Fascinating Aspects of Life in Austria: Part III

And, it continues....

5. The Austrian Educational System (written by Ben)

First, an anecdote from one of my fellow Austrian teachers:

“So, after your talk yesterday about how relaxed Austrian schools are, I reflected on something that would shock an American teacher. One of my students in class had his birthday. A friend of his came into class unannounced with a Birthday Cake”… (this is not the shocking part)… "but, we had no way of cutting the cake. At that moment, a random student pulled a 6-inch hunting knife from his pocket and proceeded to allay everyone’s worries by cutting the cake.” This teacher then proceeded to tell me how she left the room, and completely trusted the students to behave. 

In Austrian schools, there is a very relaxed feeling. The students all know each other. The teachers all know each other. They all gather in large groups and converse. The students stay in one class-group and the teachers visit the different classrooms. In between periods, the teachers return to the teachers’ lounge, have a coffee, some bread and cheese, or some chocolate, and chat. Sometimes they stay there for 10 minutes, taking their time long after the bell rings. When they go to their class, the students are usually crowded around someone’s phone, a card table, or the computer and listening to loud music. These students are left COMPLETELY alone for 5-10 minutes. This is the ultimate fear of any American teacher. The students could be: selling and doing drugs, stabbing each other with scissors, breaking any number of expensive machines… etc. This never happens. The students are simply well-behaved.  

Other minute differences include: Jesus hanging by a cross in every room of the building (no Austrian flags) and a school chapel on grounds. When I asked how a publicly-funded school could do such a thing, I was told the country is mostly Catholic…. so crosses for 100% of the folks, why not?

Finally, the school is centered around one question: what would be best for the environment? These students will only ever get anxious, worked-up, or angry about the environment (and sometimes U.S. Foreign Policy :) ). It has poured its way into every lesson in every class. In education, we refer to these as interdisciplinary themes and you would think my school is training a generation of global superheroes.

6.  Austria and the English Language

Another part of the Austrian educational system is their belief that students should speak two, if not three, languages.  English is the mandatory second language, and students begin learning English when they're in the equivalent of our elementary school (It's called a Volksschule here.).  While I have relied on Ben to do all of our important business (set up our bank account, register for health insurance, communicate with most everyone, etc.), I have managed to speak to Austrians in English without much of a problem.  

When we first arrived, I had major "language" shock.  As an English and literacy teacher, words and language are my life, and not being able to understand signs, ads, directions, announcements, and the like threw me for a loop.  Once we found out in April that we were moving here, I began trying to learn some German.  I bought CDs that I listened to in the car, I used Ben's Beginner's German book during free periods when I worked, and Ben and I tried to keep some exchanges in German.  Needless to say, with moving, planning and having a wedding, and preparing to come here, I didn't have much time to learn German.  If only I had known years before that I would be spending a year in Austria (and that my future husband spoke German), I would have taken German in college.  

I do feel like I'm missing some of the experience because I'm a language outsider.  And, I had a period when we first came when I was very self-conscious; I didn't want to go out by myself when Ben was working because I was afraid someone would speak to me in German and I'd absolutely freeze-up (it's happened...).  And, I hated that I didn't feel empowered because I was so dependent on someone else to do everything important.  But, because the Austrian educational system understands that English is a global language, and because many of the tourists here speak English, they teach it in their schools and I feel like I can manage being here without knowing that much German.         

That isn't the whole story, but that's as much as we're going to go into it for today.

The 10 Most Fascinating Aspects of Life in Austria: Part II

Let's continue the list of The Ten Most Fascinating Aspects of Life in Austria (whew, that's a long title!).

3. Austrians' Take-Care-of-Yourself Mentality      

Alongside the "asking" vs. "telling" culture is the idea of the take-care-of-yourself mentality of Austrians.   

There have been multiple opportunities for us to observe this.  We live on the top floor of our building and our room has two gigantic windows.  If I were to stand on the inner window ledge, the windows would be about my height.  These gigantic windows swing open all the way.  And there are no screens, no bars, nothing.  There are no barriers telling you not to jump out, or not to leave your window open because birds can fly in.  Austrians expect that you know better and can take care of yourself.  Maybe if a bird flies in your room and makes a nest in your shower, you deserve it.

When the floors in our building get mopped, no "Caution: Wet Floor" signs are put up.  That means that you should see that the floor is a little too shiny and proceed accordingly.     

via

When we went to the catacombs back in October, Ben and I commented on how a place like that wouldn't be open to the public if it were in America.  The stone steps were small and steep.  If memory serves, there weren't handrails in all of the stairways.  You can bet that if an American falls down in a restaurant, in a store, or anywhere, they are much more likely to sue than an Austrian.  Here, if you are unsteady on your feet and can't climb, stay away from the catacombs tour!  You are expected to make the decision if it's prudent or not.

4. Bio (Organic) Food  

Going along with Austria's commitment to the environment is their belief in organic food and farming.  It's been my experience in the United States that the price difference between buying organic apples and inorganic apples, for example, is enough to make me always buy the inorganic. Organic apples can be nearly double the price of inorganic apples, suggesting that if you want to eat well, you better have the money and be ready to pay for it.  In Austria, however, the difference in price between organic and inorganic produce is much more manageable and we've been able to buy organic mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, etc.  I'm willing to pay 20 cents more for a package of organic mushrooms.  

Eggs are another interesting product.  When we first went grocery shopping at Hofer (it's the same company as Aldi, except in Austria it's called Hofer), I went to the cooler to pick out a carton of eggs.  Then, I saw cartons of eggs stacked in boxes next to the cooler.  Wait! I thought to myself, someone forgot to put the eggs away!  They're all going to go bad!  I'm learning a little at a time.  I picked out my non-refrigerated 10-pack of organic, not- genetically-altered brown eggs and that's what we've been buying ever since.

I don't know much about farming (surprise surprise!) but as a consumer, I like having choices and knowing that I'm not being absolutely price gouged when I choose to buy organic.  

     

Here's a loaf of bio bread with a Ja! Natürlich stamp on it.  You can see the logo in the upper left corner on the bread bag.