Op-Expat

As promised.

Punctuality: If it’s a business meeting, a quick chat at a coffeehouse, or a party, the Austrians are punctual. I love this. It’s a show of respect to other people’s time and what’s more precious in today’s word than our time?

Food: Bread, coffee, desserts, chocolate, vegetables, and fruit all seem to taste out of this world in Austria compared to what’s offered in the U.S. I’m not the only one that says this; I’ve heard it from most Americans who have travelled to Europe. Hey American farmers, take a few lessons from the Austrians, will you?

Straightforwardness: In my last blog post stating what Austrians can learn from Americans, I wrote that Austrians can work on their tact. But on the other side of the pendulum, Americans can be more straightforward. Paul, my husband, never understood the undercurrent of Californian conversation. He would take everything literally, and though Paul is fluent in English, I would have to translate for him. I would have to tell Paul, no the person said X just to be polite. Paul would then ask me why the person would say it in the first place. I don’t know actually and have been working on it myself to say what I mean, and mean what I say. I find it’s more refreshing for me. I also learned from an English co-worker that silence works well instead of saying something just to be polite.

Leisure time: Work is not a part of an Austrian’s identity the way it is an American’s. They know how to let go at the end of the day. They also love vacation time, and use their 30 days a year of vacation time in full. Dear reader, if you have a lot of vacation time (and why is it that I think that you do?) go ahead and use it up. That’s what it is there for. I know, I know, economic crisis, you’re just happy to have a job, but just go.

Any other thoughts on this topic are welcome in the comments section.

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