My Vienna Austria Experience

I wrote this for Articlesbase.com.

This is my story. It all began that one summer day when my father agreed to apply for a job from the magazine "The Economist". After a couple months, we got a letter that invited my father for an interview at the headquarters in Vienna, Austria. We were already thinking what would happen if we moved there. He came back from the interview, making a good impression on the head boss. That winter we finally figured out that we were going to move to Vienna, Austria. The tricky part about this was that we couldn't tell any of our friends, because we didn't want to start a commotion. A few months passed and we were getting ready to pack. We sorted and sorted and sorted for weeks until we figured out what we wanted to throw away, keep, or sell in a yard sale. As the garbage cans were filled and yard sale posters were being made to hang up, I finally realized how soon it would be to move. As we had our last couple of days in our house, we enjoyed it by watching free movies on out only two electrical devices, our TV and cable box.As the day came around to get on the plane and fly away from what I knew, we woke up at 5. We silently packed up the last items into the car and left the house we might never see again. Our friends waved goodbye as we drove out of the neighborhood, and we zipped down the road. Checking in at the airport was as easy as it ever was, which is usually not that easy. After checking in at the Austria Airlines desk, we sat and watched the planes fly by. The loudspeaker came on announcing our plane is ready to board. We drudged our feet for the last time on United States soil and boarded. We found our seats, and the next thing, we were flying. The flight lasted 8 hours; of course we flew first class to make the flight less painful for our long legs. We arrived and found ourselves in a new country, Austria. We walked through the bustling airport to find our rental car company so we could go to our temporary apartment. It took us a little while to get to the apartment, but eventually we arrived. The apartment was measly and not luxurious. It has two decently sized rooms, one living room, a tiny kitchen, a foyer, and a shoe closet that they claim to be a room. We lived there for about 3 or 4 months before finding an apartment to rent that suit us just perfectly. As I walked into that apartment everything inside me told me that I was home. Everyone in our family felt that way, so we decided to rent it. It overlooked a grant Russian statue with a gleaming gold shield. When agreeing to rent the apartment we also got a key to a private park that only our building has access to. Life here in Vienna is nice. I get to go to an international school, learn German, and visit really cool places. There is always stuff going on in Vienna. Make sure to check out my website at www.viennaaustria.blogspot.com for the rest of my Vienna, Austria experience. If you enjoyed this story make sure to comment here.

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In Austria, you speak German (just in-case you didn't know) and there is nothing harder to do than to try to speak to a local. Everywhere you go you can only understand a little bit (unless you learn German in school). For example, you go to the Spar, my favorite food store in Vienna, and you want to buy some ground beef (Faschiertes). Here's the steps you would go through, or at least I go through:

1: Try to figure out which type of ground beef you actually want to buy.
2: Try to think of what to say to the person behind the counter.
3: Try to say what you thought of earlier without trying to sound like a total idiot.
4: He/She will most likely reply "Ja, gut." which mean "Yes, Good."
5: When he/she asks you a question such as "Alles?" which means "Is that everything you would like to order?" you will try to reply you're best OR if your desperate enough, you will have to say "Ich spreche nicht Deutsch." which means "I don't speak any German."
6: She will probably answer you with a "Das ist schrecklich." which means "That is BAD." and return to her work.
7: You most likely feel embarrassed and leave quickly (I have experience with this :p).

Those 7 steps is what happens to me a lot (notice how I underlined try). Although my German is coming along quite nicely, I still feel pretty uncomfortable after having that experience. That is what us ex-pats have to deal with. I have to say though, most people in Austria are always willing to help. If you ask them a question in English, they usually answer to the best of their extent. Overall, I like the German language, unlike the French language (which I unfortunately have to take as a class in school).

Some Cool Stuff I Found About Vienna

Vienna is the capital city of Austria, situated on the banks of the Danube. Its historic city center was recently included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Vienna was once home to Habsburg Empire. The Empire is long gone, but Vienna remains rich in Imperial history and there are many historic attractions to be seen throughout the city. You can find a number of narrow medieval alleyways, cobbled lanes and imperial squares.

Many ancient monuments can be found throughout the city. The Schonbrunn Palace and the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) are a treat to behold. The Imperial Treasury is a must see when you visit Vienna. The Imperial Furniture Collection is also a popular stop for visitors to the city. If you walk along the Ring Boulevard you will find examples of stunning majestic architecture.

Make sure to visit the Stephansplatz in the heart of the city where you can see the cathedral's tall spire. You are able to climb to the top of the spire and despite the effort, it is well worth the stunning view of the whole of Vienna and some of its countryside that you will be rewarded from the top. Parliament and the aquarium zoo are other sites that may interest tourists to Vienna.

Besides for its rich history, Vienna is a city that is full cultural interest. From museums to art galleries, music to festivals, Vienna has enough to keep any tourist occupied. It contains the Museum of Fine Arts which is among the world's largest art museums. Vienna was home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Johann Strauss. Today, it boasts the Wiener Philharmoniker which is one of the world's best orchestras, as well as the Vienna Boys' Choir and the Vienna Conservatorium. It hosts many classic theaters, film and dance festivals, operas, exhibitions and concerts. There are many museums and cultural institutions located in the Museum District.

You are able to see Vienna on one of its many sightseeing tours. These can be done by bus, by foot or in a hackney carriage. You can also get around the city by hiring a bicycle, by tram or by train. If you enjoy a bit of quiet relaxation, you can take a slow riverboat along the Danube. The Wiener Tiergarten contains many hikes and wildlife and it is a fun place to relax.

There are a variety of accommodation options in Vienna and tourists should be able to find accommodation to fit any style or budget. You can find beautiful five star luxury hotels and if these are beyond your budget you can choose to stay in a reasonably priced pension or bed and breakfast. Apartment-hotels are a popular choice in Vienna as they provide extra space and privacy with a fully equipped kitchen. Rental apartments are also available, ranging from luxury apartments to smaller cheaper ones.

These are an excellent choice for families or groups or for people who are planning to stay in Vienna for longer than a week. Youth hostels and regular hostels are also available throughout the city.

Author: Gaizka Pujana