I've been "studying" (I put that in parentheses because I haven't actually had any classes yet) abroad in Vienna, Austria for four days now, and I can honestly say that there are many things that are extremely different here compared to the small-town USA I grew up in.
1. The language.
I know this will come as a big shocker to all of you, but not everyone in Vienna speaks English. Many do (it's the "business language" and there are many tourists in Vienna, so it's kind of necessary to do business), but not all. I've already met several people who I struggled to communicate with because I know very little German.
2. The transportation.
I grew up in the country. My backyard is separated from a cornfield by a fence. Literally. There is a field of cows down the road (right next to the grain elevator), and the buffalo are just a few miles away. I'm not kidding. So, as you can imagine, I've never actually used public transportation. Here in Vienna, we have walked a lot, but we also ride the Ubon (Underground) and the street car, especially to get to the other side of the city. That being said, several people have said that transportation is very good here (certainly better that in Detroit, which is the closest big city to where I go to school). The Ubon is certainly very fast, and runs extremely smoothly. The only problem is that there is very little warning of which stop is coming up, and the doors don't stay open long. The first ride we took, half our group didn't get off in time and they had to ride to the next station and come back! Luckily, they didn't have to buy new tickets, because the tickets don't expire until 1 am the day after you buy them.
3. The restaurants.
On our second day, we went out to lunch at a little pub-like restaurant called Krah-Krah. When we walked in, we stood at the door waiting to be seated and the man behind the counter seemed confused at first. He came up to us, asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking, and then just kind of pointed to the non-smoking section. I got the impression that here in Vienna, people seat themselves. On the bright side, I found out that Weiner Schnitzel is really good!
4. The stores.
In the USA, you can go to Walmart or Target and get everything you need: groceries, clothes, school supplies, electronics, even pharmacy items! But here in Vienna, stores are individualized. If you need groceries, you go to a grocery store. If you need school supplies, you go to an office supply store (I've heard good things about Libro, but haven't been yet). If you need shampoo, conditioner, or anything else in that category, you go to a store like BIPA, and if you need medicine, you have to go to an actual pharmacy (here, they're called "Apotheke") and get a prescription from the pharmacist. You can't get serious painkillers or anything like that without a doctor, but the pharmacist can help with anything minor. Also, at the grocery store, the clerk will not take a lot of time scanning the groceries. This makes it difficult for me, as an American, because I am used to not feeling rushed out the door. In contrast, I'm told you can order a cup of coffee at a cafe and then just sit there for hours, and the staff will not mind at all!
5. The culture.
In the USA, most stores don't close until 10 at night and many stores never close. Here in Vienna, nearly everything but the grocery store closes at 6 o' clock. There are still some cafes and restaurants open, but most close so that the employees can spend time with their families. Even the grocery stores close at 8, so you'd better pick up your ice cream before you settle in for a movie night!
6. The churches.
I grew up non-denominational Christian, which means I'm used to standing to sing, sitting for the sermon, taking communion, and going home (not always in that exact order). Then we attended a Catholic Mass here in Vienna, and I realized how different Catholicism really is! There was a lot of standing then sitting, then standing, then sitting. One of the priests carried a vase-like object which was smoking incense. And from the time when the communion bread and wine first appeared to when people lined up to take it had to have been 15 minutes or more. The building was beautiful, and if you ever have a chance to go to a Catholic Mass, I highly recommend it simply for the experience. If you do, though, make sure you don't partake of communion! The Catholics view Communion as very sacred, and do not like non-Catholics to partake (even if you are another denomination of Christian).
I'm sure I'll notice more over the next 86 days. But for now, Auf Wiedersehen (Goodbye)!
