weather, diminishing daylight and Viennese idiosyncrasies

Dear readers, 

After speaking with a friend via Google voice the other day, there are some day to day realities of life here I'd like to share.  First off, the weather.  As Vienna is located roughly on the same latitude as Montreal, it is cold here.  Yesterday, for example, we received our first light dusting of snow in the city.  Walking home from school today, I noticed snow-covered trees on the hills surrounding our house.  It's cold enough that already I bundle up daily in a scarf, gloves, and hat for the walk to work.  In many ways the weather here reminds me of London.  I did a semester abroad there back in 1997.  London has a reputation as a foggy, rainy metropolis.  

It did rain often there although it was more of a light misting rather than a torrential downpour.

Vienna is like London not so much for the rain as for the fog.  There have been many mornings when I've stepped outside to see the surrounding hills completed blanketed by a deep, thick fog.  Details of the church steeple just a block away are obscured by this fog.  Of course, fog gives a city this gloomy, downcast feel.  

Besides the fog, another recent development is our loss of daylight.  I'm not sure how much daylight friends are experiencing in Baltimore right now but here, the sun's coming up around 7 am and setting around 4:30 pm.  Often after a long day at school, I find myself walking home at dusk, somewhere between 4 and 5 pm (16:00 and 17:00 on the 24 hour clock).  

Another theme of this week is Viennese idiosyncrasies.  By idiosyncracies I mean those things I notice happening around me or an observation that makes me think, "that would never happen in the US."  

A prime example is means of transportation that people use here.  If I were in the US, teaching a unit on transportation, I'd walk out on a Baltimore corner and see: some buses, some taxis, maybe a train, but predominantly lots and lots of cars.  I remember reading Richard Scarry picture books as a child.  On the page of transportation words, one would find a picture with hundreds of ways to get around.  Unlike in the US where cars are the main form of transportation, people seem to take advantage of anything with wheels here.  

Obviously, I've written already about the subway system (the U-bahn).  In addition to an efficient, punctual subway system, this city has extensive bus and tram routes.  However, what surprises me most is how people get around beyond the forms of public transportation.  As roads have designated bike lanes, biking is very popular.  This morning, on my way to work, I passed a unicycle lying on the ground outside a sandwich shop while its owner bought lunch AND THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN A UNICYCLE!  

I can't recall the last time I'd seen a unicycle in the US (probably in some circus context!)

Furthermore, they not only travel on one wheel here but also on scooters.  In the States, It is not uncommon to see children using scooters to get around but here adults regularly use scooters to get around.  I see well-dressed adults heading to or from work holding their scooter as they travel on the U-bahn.  I see men in full winter garb: hat, scarves, gloves and ear muffs cruising down the sidewalk on their scooter!

More tech tips for navigating through a foreign language

Hi Readers, 

Despite taking some private German lessons before arriving in Vienna, we basically came here with zero language knowledge.  Obviously, this can be a major obstacle as you pursue work permits, health care E-cards, and other required documentation through heavily bureacratic German language.

Luckily, there are some quick fixes to understanding foreign documentation and websites.  For us, we began by copying and pasting the German text we wanted translated into Google Translate.  Bear in mind, none of these translation devices are perfect.  
As an example, I typed the following cooking directions into Google Translate:
"8 Minuten schwack kochen lassen, ab und zu umrühren"


and voila the translation:
"Cook for 8 minutes Schwack off, stirring occasionally"


From this result, we can surmise:
1. Google translate doesn't know the word "schwack" in German.  This word may be important so I'll look it up in my dictionary (or Online Dictionary).


2. By cutting out the words which distract from overall meaning, we end up with some pretty comprehensible directions, namely:  "cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally"


An important lesson from this example, as will be true with the following translation methods, is even though you use a translation program, final editing for clarity remains your responsibility.


While searching through Gmail's settings I came across a tab called labs.  One lab, message translation, promised to translate email messages from German to English.  After enabling this, you can see a screenshot of what German email messages look like (see photo).  

I think this lab works by automatically importing the Google translate functionality into your email inbox.  The message arrives in German but after pressing the translate button embedded in the email, it is instantly translated in English.  I envisioned using this in several ways.  First and most obviously, it would translate emails that arrive in German.  In addition, I figured I could copy and paste sections of websites into an email "compose" window, email it to myself, and then use the translate feature.  In the end, I would not need this convoluted process in order to translate websites after I downloaded and installed Google Chrome.


Google Chrome has its own translation feature.  Whenever I open a German language website, a drop down bar offers to translate the site into English.  It also offers a "revert to original" button.  This is helpful because the one "bug" I've noticed in the Google Chrome translation feature is that, once translated, some of the websites "link words" lose their functionality.  That is to say, oftentimes I translate a website, find the link I need and then revert to original before clicking the link.  Sometimes the links work in the translated version, sometimes not.


As usual, all this technology leaves me with mixed emotions.  On the one hand, it is easier than ever to live in another country with limited to no language knowledge yet having the ability to decode a foreign language.  On the other hand, it can impede one's motivation to learn the foreign language.  

Wiener Sausages - Knockwurst, anyone?

Check out this guest blog entry I wrote for Livemocha (a language learning website):


http://blog.livemocha.com/2011/11/not-all-hot-dogs-are-created-equal/

Globalization: Revisited- an addendum

Each morning, walking to school, down the small streets and through the subway stations with my white ear buds in my ear, I notice a lot of other people are like me.  We are traveling through the same spaces, often uncomfortably close; however, we are all cocooned in our own little iPod worlds.  Usually I notice people pull out their iPads, Kindle readers, Blackberrys, iPhones or other miscellaneous electronic paraphernalia to create their own private personal space.

From my perspective, this is also globalization.  As I read Steve Jobs' biography by Walter Isaacson, I cannot help but see the proliferation of all these iThings as another symptom of globalization.  Wherever you go in the world, it seems people have "tuned out and plugged in."  Obviously, it is also a testament to Steve Jobs and Apple Computers.  They had their finger on the consumers' collective pulse.  People around the world want the same toys.  Parents come to visit my classrooms with young children in tow.  What stops these children from fussing is giving them the iPhone to hold onto.

In these ways, I guess globalization is making the world a smaller place, one in which we can connect with anyone around the world over our favorite iPod playlists.

I was speaking with my mom via Skype the other night, and I realized what I inadequately expressed in my earlier post on Globalization.  When I define globalization, I imagine a smaller world, in the sense of a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures-- tasting different foods, being able to communicate in another language, travelling and exploring, etc.

One can certainly argue this is happening.

However, I also now see globalization through another lens.  In this sense, globalization is making the world smaller, because no matter where you are in the world technological achievements allow us to interact with our own kind.  Technology allows me to watch the TV shows I watched in the US (with the proper cables, I can connect my laptop to the TV here, providing a strong impression of being back in the US).  With Skype and Google Voice we can speak and video conference with friends back home.  Utilizing Google Chrome and Gmail, any emails or webpages in German can be instantly translated into English.  We traveled abroad to expose ourselves, or indeed immerse ourselves, in another culture.  But all this global technology enables us to remain in our very familiar milieu.

I am fond of the idea of the tension of opposites, or two concepts seemingly at opposite ends of the spectrum existing together in a way that creates a cognitive imbalance.  This is how I feel when I think about globalization in terms of greater cultural appreciation versus living abroad with the advantages (drawbacks?) of technology today.

Globalization: Back to the Future...

Dear Readers,

Although I've almost completely recovered from my cold, unfortunately Rachel has got the bug now.  The doctor here prescribed something similar to TheraFlu in the US.  A powdery substance you mix with boiling water to create a hot beverage infused with a fever reducer, a painkiller, and a decongestant. 

If memory serves me well, TheraFlu is available over the counter or without a prescription in the US.  Here, however, the TheraFlu substitute called "NeoCitran" is available only by prescription.  Luckily, the script I was given has 5 refills. 

There are many little differences like this between the US and Europe.  The title of this blog entry, "Back to the Future" describes another observable difference--- GLOBALIZATION. 

Having vivid memories of watching the Berlin Wall come down during 9th grade Social Studies, globalization was a term we not only learned about in school but also witnessed firsthand.  Sure, we all have an idea what globalization means as a concept.  Globalization is the "shrinking" of the world.  Globalization is greater dependence between nations with respects to unfettered movement of people, capital, and cash!

However, I have not truly understood Globalization until I started to compare living in Austria now to living in Budapest from 2001-2003.  Allow me to define globalization with some examples from these two experiences. 

In 2001, I moved to Budapest.  My intention had been to visit some family in Budapest for a couple of weeks and then head to Italy for some hiking in their famous Dolomite Mountains.  Instead, I ended up enrolling in a Hungarian language school, studying the language, teaching English and eventually working for a school called International House- Budapest over the course of two years. 

Globalization means,

Communication:

From 2001-2003, I largely lost touch with my world in the US as I knew it.  If I wanted to phone my mom or friends, I had to go buy a phone card from a corner bodega and go outside of my apartment to call from a phone booth.  For this reason, I didn't really call people that much (yes, I'm lazy!).

Now in Vienna, I have spoken with friends in Baltimore on many occasions via Skype or FaceTime.  In addition, I have a Google Voice number with an (410) area code enabling friends to call us as if calling someone in a neighboring state.  If we are online when the call is placed, a flashing window indicates an incoming call.  If we are offline, the caller can leave a voice message, which then is relayed to my email inbox.

In this way, I have been able to videoconference with friends and family as well as to conduct business with companies with whom we still maintain accounts in the US. 

(Note: a major difference between my life in Budapest and my life in Vienna is I now have a laptop and Internet connection whereas I did not then)

Sports:

People who know me realize I am not the greatest sports fan to begin with.

From 2001-2003, I neither saw on TV nor read about any sports news.  Therefore, there is a two-year gap in my sports knowledge of who won events from the US Open to the World Series.  I would hypothesize a couple of reasons for this: one, no US sports events were broadcast over the Hungarian cable TV channels I had; two, when I did go online, I had to go down to the Mammut Mall in Pest in order to access email via the Bookstore's internet cafe setup.  Therefore, it cost money to access the Internet and I basically just sent emails or took care of business. 

Flash forward to 2011 in Austria.  We have an excellent internet connection at home, allowing us to watch some of our favorite shows like the Daily Show, the Colbert Report, or SouthPark.  In addition, the cable company UPC here provides many English stations.  We get about a half a dozen news stations:  EuroNews, BBC World, CNN International.  We receive a handful of English-language sports channels including  EuroSports and ESPN America.  In fact, it's shocking to some of my friends when I mention how I caught the Ravens game the other night 'cause I was the last person to chat about sports in the States.  Here, watching "American Baseball Sports" or "American Football Sports" as the programs are called has provided a nostalgic shot of Americana.

These examples provide an illustration of what I would call the grassroots results of Globalization.  The world has indeed become smaller: borders have shrunk or disappeared, people with wealth are as likely to have accounts in Switzerland or Austria in addition to within their nation, and Americans are leaving the US to find work abroad.  However, once living abroad, it is easier for citizens of the US to maintain connected to their cultural Americana.  No longer must one miss out on the World Series (shown here in Vienna on ESPN America), no longer must one close bank accounts in the US and open them abroad (bill pay and online transfers can be accomplished online anywhere), no longer must one break voice communication with those he loves. 

Which brings me to an interesting thought?  Part of the reason to go abroad is to learn about another culture.  In my mind, immersion is the best way to learn a language and experience what it truly means to be Hungarian or Austrian.  However, if people living abroad can still execute the day-to-day realities of their life in a manner similar to their life in their home nation, does this undermine the idea of globalization creating a closer-knit world?

Perhaps utopian ideas of US citizens moving abroad, learning other languages, eating different foods, exploring other cultures, realizing the basic building blocks of societal life (housing, health care, and higher education) can be provided differently, are naive.  In reality, globalization, especially as regards international communication and global media, could mean a US citizen sitting on the couch in Vienna, Austria watching Stephen Colbert on their laptop while a muted game 7 of the World Series plays on the Cable TV network ESPN America- while eating this popcorn!

Notice the red, white, and blue stars and stripes design with an Uncle Sam look alike smiling his approval!