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Published: October 27th 2009
Hinterglemm hike
the whole troupe of usNow that I’ve finally gotten around to writing a blog, I have way too much to say. ((Not to mention too many pictures to post by far!)) However, I’ll try to give you a taste of everything that’s happened this month:
AUSTRIA
I knew that Austrian culture and attitudes would differ from those in Germany even though the language is ostensibly the same (not really though…more on österreichisch vs. deutsch to come), but I didn’t really have any specific expectations in mind. That’s probably a good thing, because for the most part, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the differences from Germany. Although the public transportation isn’t quite as efficient/reliable/punctual as German trains and buses, I can still get basically anywhere without a car. Apparently, there’s a joke in Austria that Swiss clocks have a second hand, German clocks have a minute hand, and Austrian clocks only have a hand for the hour. Also, even though traditional Austrian food is quite meat-heavy, I never have trouble finding a vegetarian alternative. And the bread and cheese are sooo much better than home (this is why I don’t eat much bread or cheese at home—Europe spoils me). The people have all been very
nice and welcoming. At orientation and even before we came, we were told to expect that Austrians “might seem cold to Americans” or that it would be hard to make friends, but that hasn’t been my experience at all. From the strangers who’ve helped me drag my bag through train stations to the teachers and students at my schools, the vast majority of Austrians seem helpful, open, and interested in getting to know me. Since I’m in such a small community, there are fewer people my age around, but I’ve been out a few times with a group of younger teachers, and I also went with my landlady to an exhibit on Austrian cuisine and an exercise class. In short, nothing negative to report about Austria (other than the excessive bureaucracy attendant to all experiences abroad), and lots of positives! Now for specifics…
MY LIFE
I’m based in Kirchdorf an der Krems in Upper Austria. It’s a very small town (around 6000 people), but it’s sort of a regional capital, so the Gymnasium (university-prep high school) where I work has over 1000 students, most from other small towns in the area. It’s considered a very large high school by
Austrian standards. Also, unlike small-town America, Kirchdorf has a town center with all you could possibly need for everyday life, including banks, government offices, cute clothing stores, and a decent variety of restaurants. The café Bachhalm in Kirchdorf is so famous for its desserts that the chocolates are sold in Harrod’s in London.
Technically, I’m only supposed to teach 13 hours per week—8 in Kirchdorf and 5 in my other school in Kremsmünster. Even though that doesn’t include prep time or time at school between lessons, it still doesn’t sound like a lot of work, does it? That’s because it’s not. Austrians are extremely fond of/protective of free time, and full-time teachers only teach 20 hours per week. They have to plan more than I do, and substitute for extra classes, and they have to grade, but I still don’t think it adds up to more than 40 hours per week. They do their work and then they go home and enjoy life. I think it’s a fabulous way to live!
My school in Kremsmünster is a smaller, private Gymnasium. It used to be a boarding school in the cloister of the town, and apparently it was one
Reiteralm
Where we stopped for a drink and a break. We were so high up! of the first preparatory schools in Austria. The observatory tower (Sternwarte) was the first “skyscraper” in Europe. The school grounds are beautiful, and since it’s set on a mountain above the town, I can see all of Kremsmünster and the surrounding areas after I climb up in the mornings (it’s also a fun morning workout to make the hike up)!
Most of my classes so far have been introductions to me and to the U.S., but I’ve been able to do a few of the lessons I’d planned so far, and the kids seemed to enjoy it. They’re better behaved and more interested in learning than their American counterparts, so teaching at a high school is not the torment you might imagine it to be. In fact, I really enjoy it. But don’t get any crazy ideas…I still have no plans to be a teacher when I get back to the U.S. I’ll have plenty of time here and probably in Grad School to figure out exactly what I want to do. Which brings me to…
TRAVELS
Austria is conveniently compact and accessible by public transportation, so I’ve been able to see a fair bit of it so
River in Hinterglemm
The water is that bright blue/green because it's glacier water far.
Our orientation took place in Saalbach-Hinterglemm in the province of Salzburg. Two hours outside Salzburg by train, this little town is a ski village that is bustling in the winter, but I think our group may have tripled the population while we were there. We were right in the Alps, so we spent a day hiking, and the views were amazing! We also called Maria von Trapp to wish her happy birthday (no joke!) because one of the instructors knew her and was in fact visiting her in Vermont during the orientation week. Hinterglemm also marks the site of my first experience with Kaiserschmarren, one of my favorite Austrian culinary specialties thus far. It’s a cross between pancakes, French toast, and funnel cake that’s cut into bite-sized pieces and served with fruit preserves. Mmm!
I was also fortunate enough to visit Salzburg and Linz with my school, since my arrival coincided with a visit from Sardinian exchange students. Once of the teachers is an outstanding tour guide, so we saw plenty aside from the standard tourist attractions. The highlight in Salzburg was the Archbishop’s palace…At one point the people in Salzburg got fed up with supporting his
Cow's perspective
How did they climb all the way up here on those tiny legs? lavish lifestyle, so they left him up on the mountain alone, assuming he would have to come out eventually to ask for supplies and dialogue with them. But by that point, he already had all the livestock, grains, and gardens he needed to live out his life in luxury, and he was so irritated by the people’s mutiny that he fired his canons into the town onto people’s houses! We also saw the Haus der Natur Natural History Museum, but I was a little disturbed by all the taxidermy. Apparently that’s the norm for European natural history exhibits, but I found it off-putting.
Linz is the closest city to me and the third largest city in Austria (after Vienna and Graz). While we were there, we visited the ARS Electronica Center, a fun, hands-on museum of technology. Linz has become the Silicon Valley of Europe, so it’s famous for its technological designs and production, and it’s also the Cultural Capital of Europe for 2009. Manfred (the awesome teacher/tour guide extraordinaire from Kirchdorf) also showed us less touristy stuff, since he grew up just outside the city. We saw the cemetery where Hitler’s parents are buried, the Gasthof where his
father died drinking a glass of wine, and the office of the Jewish doctor who treated his mother for breast cancer (the doctor later got a special passport that allowed him to flee Europe in spite of his status as a Jew). I’ll be in the city at least once a week now to teach an extra conversation class, so expect more in the future on Linz.
Finally, this past weekend was the National Holiday (celebrating a return to independence when the occupying troops left after WWII), so I had extra days off and traveled with some friends to Vienna. Once of my friends lived there last summer, so we got an insider’s tour. The Viennale film festival was going on at the time, so we saw a really well-done French movie called
Welcome. In addition, a lot of the federal ministries had open houses on the holiday, so got to visit those as well. My favorite was the BMUKK (Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts, and Culture, and not coincidentally, the ministry that sponsors my grant here).
This blog has been absurdly long, so I’ll write more later. I hope you’re all enjoying fall in the states.
It’s kind of winter here already, but I don’t mind. Snow in October is exciting, and it’s warming up again now, so we might get a little more fall. Enjoy the pictures, and don’t forget to keep me updated on how YOU are!
Grüße aus Kirchdorf,
Meg
P.S. My email address is the same here, but I no longer have my U.S. phone (at all; the number’s canceled), so don’t try to get in touch with me that way. Email/facebook me if you want my snail mail address.
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Johanna
non-member comment
HI MEG!
MEGGGG! I'm so glad you've started a blog. I've been wondering how you are doing, and what you're up to. Keep postin' as much as you can, okay? I love reading about your adventures and thoughts throughout. Yay Austria!