I just downloaded the www.weather.com app onto my Google Android cell phone. Clearly I have been working at tech companies for too long, because 1) I HAVE a Google Android cell phone 2) was capable of this download procedure and 3) was excited about the app.
To my great disappointment however, I cannot change the weather app from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Let’s face it, what does 43F actually mean? I’ve never LIVED in 43F weather before, being a native Californian. Tell me that it is 2C and I understand that this means it is freaking cold outside because it is near freezing.
Here is another thought for you. Why Fahrenheit? Is that secretly a German word? For those of you who speak German, look at it! Fahren-heit.
People, I think I’ve been in Austria for too long.
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I’ve been in Vienna now over two years. Over this time period, it has crept up on me that I have adopted more Austrian cultural ways than I had originally noticed.
This has become apparent over the last two weeks as I have run into other Californians in Vienna. One I met at a networking event. We were introduced and we started chatting. We hit it off and had a really nice conversation. In typical California style to show companionship, she reached out to wrap an arm around me for a casual hug. We Californians are huggers for whatever reason. It’s like the Continental air kiss. Everyone does it. I guess I have been out of CA long enough, because in reaction, I stiffened in surprise. The poor friendly woman noticed right away and pulled her arm off of me as if burned. I felt so bad! I just had a typical Austrian reaction to a typical Californian action. What the heck? Had this same exact situation happened to me two years ago, my automatic reaction would have been to lean into the hug and hug back. Am I losing my Californication?
Another similar situation happened to me again on Friday. I had met this other Californian woman a time or two. When I saw her on Friday, I walked up to her and air kissed her just as she opened her arms for a hug. She exclaimed “Oh!” and air kissed me back in surprise. Oops!
Now I’m culturally confused. How am I to greet not only other Californians, but other Americans?
A recent friend of mine is from the (American) Mid-West. Every time we met up, upon greeting, we stood a bit awkwardly and just said a lame, “Hi.” We didn’t know whether to hug in greeting or air kiss, so we just left it at nothing. Finally, we got sick of the lukewarm greeting and have just adopted the air kiss, but I think that’s because we’ve both been here for the same amount of time.
It ain’t easy being an expat.
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This is the worst case of Denglisch that I have ever seen! Check out the photo below. This is packaging from some tomatoes that I bought. It does in fact read “The fruit that really schmecks!” Ahaahahaaa.
For those of you who aren’t in the know, Denglisch is a portmanteau of the German words Deutsch and Englisch. Used in all German-speaking countries, it describes an influx of English, or pseudo-English, vocabulary into the German language. (Yes, I stole that sentence from Wikipedia).
Denglisch in Vienna
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Today in the mail I got a fruitcake from the company that I bought my water heater from. Yes, you read that correctly. I got a fruitcake. From the company that I bought my waterheater from. Um… okay…..
Being an expat is full of new experiences. A fruitcake is one of them. I’ve never actually seen a fruitcake in real life, let alone received one. So naturally I was curious if its reputation is as bad as its taste. Yep. It is.
I cut off the edge piece, popped it in my mouth and thought for all of 0.5 seconds, “Now come on, this isn’t so bad.” But then I felt the moisture get sucked from my mouth. Then a weird taste spread over my tongue. I felt my lips pucker in distaste. I bravely let the intro piece to fruitcake meet my stomach, but I promptly chucked the whole thing in the trash.
Thanks for nothing waterheater company. Merry Friggin Christmas to you too.
Fruitcake in Vienna
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I submitted one of my blog posts, got it published, and got paid for it! Wow!
Check out the article, titled “Surviving the Office Jungle Abroad”
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