My first attempt at executing my whole food order in German was a complete success! It's a minor step into becoming more comfortable in my own skin here.
It's nearly impossible to make friends here. Austrians are reserved and keep to themselves. Smiles are not welcomed. Even my classmates agreed and most are from other EU countries!
PDA is rampant here. Although reserved, Austrians aren't shy when it comes to having full on make-out sessions on the streets, u-bahn stations, etc. As a hopeless romantic, it feels like being transported into a Nicholas Sparks book, that is until you see tongue action.
The transportation here works on the honor system. Technically, you could ride for free, but if you get caught, one would pay a hefty fine. I've gotten checked a handful of times by uniformed and plain clothed workers. And no, I wouldn't dare ride for free!
When you get your hair washed at the salons here, the stylists wear plastic gloves (like the ones dentists and surgeons use). From my observations the other day, the stylists also don't really strike up conversations with you either even if you spoke German.
My classmates have kept me sane. Even though we are unable to have deep conversations with our native tongues, we are all in the same boat and that alone gives us great comfort in one another.
I got home today and there was a bright post-it note on our door. It was entirely in German, so I had to try to read it myself and also got help from Hub's co-worker. It had to do with our beloved Hershey. The note basically said that our dog cries too much and if we don't take care of it, they will call Animal Protection Services on us. SH*T! As Hub's coworker explained it, Austrians are super sensitive to "disruptive" sounds and to animals. So I contacted our landlord's daughter and asked for advice. We will attempt to make contact with the neighbors tonight on top of leaving a reply at their door too. Let's hope we can work something out. We really don't have to option to transport Hershey back stateside and it'll be over our dead bodies before we have to hand him over to Animal Protection Services!
Hi, I'm Hershey and I have major anxiety issues when my humans leave the house. And yes, I sound like a human baby wailing when I cry.
