More than just a language separates Austria from America.
There are a lot of things I had to get used to after arriving in Salzburg.
“Grüß Gott!”
“Grüß Gott! Bitte sehr.”
“Zweimal Kebab, bitte.”
So goes the conversation in businesses. You always must say
“Grüß Gott!” when entering a business, be it a restaurant or store.
Leaving, you wish the workers either “Wiedersehen!” or “Wiederschauen!”
It became much easier for me after having been there several months, but it
was hard to remember at first since you often don’t greet the employees of a
business in America.
Many Americans find that the Europeans often come off as
being rude. Most people in restaurants and stores and such don’t offer much
of a smile or a hello other than the standard greeting, but it isn’t because
they’re being rude—it’s just the way the culture is. Even on the
sidewalk, I’ve been bumped pretty hard by people who never even looked back
at me, let alone excused themselves. Upon returning to America, I was amazed
at how polite the people were.
Early closing times were one of the hardest things to get
used to here. Grocery stores, clothing stores, any business—they all close
around six in the evening, and there’s a pretty darn good chance you’ll
find almost nothing open except restaurants in the evenings and on Sundays. At
first, it seems kind of ridiculous, but
it really makes you stay on your toes and get your shopping done on time. It’s
just something you get used to.
One thing I really liked about the grocery stores there is how you have to bring your own bag with you to tote away your newly bought goods. Otherwise, you’re stuck with either putting the food in your pockets or buying a bag—either plastic or paper—from the store. That way, there’s no big pile of grocery bags to deal with when you get home, thereby causing less waste. They also recycle a lot here, even in the dorms. All over the city, you’ll find dumpster-like bins designated for paper, glass, plastic, and metal. They also compost—if it’s biodegradable, you better not just chuck it into the trashcan. I love being able to recycle everything, unlike in America!
Another huge difference between here and home is the public transportation.
The bus system is extensive, reliable, and inexpensive, and you are not
thought of as poor or unfortunate if you have to ride the bus. Absolutely
anyone and everyone rides the bus. Trains are also a very popular mode of
transportation in Europe. It makes it easy for people like me to hop a train
to see Paris, Berlin, Munich, or wherever I fancy. There are also cards you
can buy to get discounts on the trains—for the ÖBB, the Austrian train
system, you can get the VorteilsCard, and with the Deutsche Bahn, the German
train system, there’s the BahnCard. Both get you big discounts on pretty
much wherever you go.
The cities in Europe are also much more biker- and
pedestrian-friendly. Bikes are big in Salzburg, and it’s not uncommon to see
a biker pedaling down the road right alongside the cars. There are lots of
bike paths both in the city and outside the city. The city is also more
pedestrian-friendly than in America. In many places, there are crosswalks
without signals, and to cross, you just walk right into traffic and the cars
stop for you. That took a lot of getting used to!
During the winter, one thing I often saw in Salzburg is
that they don’t use salt to get rid of the ice on roads and sidewalks.
Instead, they throw down gravel and call it done. Someone told me that they
use the gravel because it’s more environmentally friendly; I like the
environmentally friendly part, but I’m not too keen on walking on ice. I
guess the people here are much hardier than Americans; one broken bone on an
unsalted sidewalk in America, and you’ve got a court case on your hands. I’m
still undecided on the salt/stones subject.
One thing I never got used to is how much people there
smoke. So many more people, both young and old, smoke than in America, and it
was amazing to see some of the places they are allowed to smoke. The kitchens
in the dorms and even the buildings at school are popular places to smoke.
Fortunately, most restaurants usually have smoking and non-smoking sections.
Dogs are also common sights in Salzburg—they are much
more well-trained than in America, and I often see owners letting their dogs
run around with no leash on. They always come back when called. I heard that
dog owners must register with the city to own a dog, and the dog must go
through certain training. That’s such a huge difference from how it is in
America! It was also quite normal to see
a dog—always perfectly behaved—in a store or restaurant with its owner,
which you would never ever see in America.
No matter what the oddity, difference, or other distinction, Salzburg was definitely a city worth getting used to.