My husband says he's going to stop saying hello (hallo in German) to the people he passes on the street since no one will return the welcome. (laugh) Well, the bus driver says hello when you greet him (actually, when you say 'gross gott' he will respond with 'gross gott') and many times middle-aged black people will also say hello when you pass, but by and large, it's just a European thing. People don't just randomly greet people.
(Before I go further, the photo to the right is of Nick and fellow journalist Tim Spence, who is on his way to Ghana and who showed us around when we first arrived.)
My new hairdresser -- her name is Baby (yes, b-a-b-y) -- says people just don't speak in Austria. She says she remembers when she first arrived in Vienna some 13 years or so ago and every time black people would see each other they would run to meet each other. When they were on the train (called the U-bahn here), other passengers would look at them like they were crazy. "We would be asking, 'Where are you from?' " That was then. Now, she says, the problem is that there has been a lot of talk about black men selling drugs in the streets and other blacks want to distance themselves from that stereotype, so they are not as friendly.
I say, "Rubbish."
Anyway, I took Nicholai to Prosi, the ethnic grocery store in the 7th district today and we headed straight for the shelf with the Guinness because I knew he'd be most impressed by that, and he was. Do I know my husband or what?
"Did you think the store was impressive," I later asked him.
"Uh huh."
"So, what was most impressive?"
"Well, hum, just seeing all the stuff from the different islands and stuff," he said, adding, "The Guinness was good."
On another note, we went to the Immigration office, or whatever it's called here, with my Canadian colleague who speaks German and Spanish (I HAVE GOT TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE). When our number was finally called and we entered a small room with two women whose desks were piled high with faded red folders, the elder of the two told Nicholai that they rarely get Bahamians coming to Austria. Usually, she said in German, Austrians are trying to get to The Bahamas!
So, today the temperature was 58-degrees and by evening it felt closer to about 45. Nicholai was excited. I say give him a month. He ain't seen NOTHIN' yet. But at least he has a couple of coats, a hat and a couple of very nice long-sleeved shirts, courtesy of my mom and brother-in-law. One thing he seems to be coming around on, though, is that he is going to need to use lotion or he'll be white as a ghost, and if you've seen my husband, that's no small feat.
Alison
7:38 p.m., Saturday, 29 August
My new hairdresser -- her name is Baby (yes, b-a-b-y) -- says people just don't speak in Austria. She says she remembers when she first arrived in Vienna some 13 years or so ago and every time black people would see each other they would run to meet each other. When they were on the train (called the U-bahn here), other passengers would look at them like they were crazy. "We would be asking, 'Where are you from?' " That was then. Now, she says, the problem is that there has been a lot of talk about black men selling drugs in the streets and other blacks want to distance themselves from that stereotype, so they are not as friendly.
I say, "Rubbish."
Anyway, I took Nicholai to Prosi, the ethnic grocery store in the 7th district today and we headed straight for the shelf with the Guinness because I knew he'd be most impressed by that, and he was. Do I know my husband or what?
"Did you think the store was impressive," I later asked him.
"Uh huh."
"So, what was most impressive?"
"Well, hum, just seeing all the stuff from the different islands and stuff," he said, adding, "The Guinness was good."
On another note, we went to the Immigration office, or whatever it's called here, with my Canadian colleague who speaks German and Spanish (I HAVE GOT TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE). When our number was finally called and we entered a small room with two women whose desks were piled high with faded red folders, the elder of the two told Nicholai that they rarely get Bahamians coming to Austria. Usually, she said in German, Austrians are trying to get to The Bahamas!
So, today the temperature was 58-degrees and by evening it felt closer to about 45. Nicholai was excited. I say give him a month. He ain't seen NOTHIN' yet. But at least he has a couple of coats, a hat and a couple of very nice long-sleeved shirts, courtesy of my mom and brother-in-law. One thing he seems to be coming around on, though, is that he is going to need to use lotion or he'll be white as a ghost, and if you've seen my husband, that's no small feat.
Alison
7:38 p.m., Saturday, 29 August
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