Notes From Austria

I used to always marvel at how foreigners in America could just pick up their lives and arrive at our shores without knowing the system or the culture or even the language. 'What brave souls,' I thought. Well, I still think that. Even more so tonight as I sit in a two-room flat on the fourth floor of a building located near the banks of the Danube river listening to the gentle snoring of my husband and German voices rising above clinking glasses at the outdoor cafe below.

I've been in Austria 10 days and I must confess that despite the language barrier (they speak German; I do not), it's an easy city and a lovely city. It's like a cross between Washington, D.C., with its monuments and outdoor festivals, and Boston, with it's old charm and lots and lots of white people. Yeah. Lots and lots of white people. Viennese are generally cordial, although no where near as polite as Ghanaians and Bahamians, for example. It's rare to hear someone of the tram, bus or subway say excuse me and certainly not hello.

There are some stares, but nothing to really write home about. I mean, there is even a real possibility that they are staring at me because I'm beautiful, regardless of my skin color. (laugh) ... Okay, let's think on that for a minute ... (smile) ... Alright -- enough.

Today was my third day on my new post as Deputy Director of the International Press Institute (http://www.freemedia.at/) and I know that people always love their job when they first start, but really I like this job. And for the first time since my first few and last few months in West Africa, I feel like I really have the opportunity to make a difference for my colleagues. It's invigorating.

Bruce Blake told me yesterday that reaction in Boston has been mixed about my move to Vienna. I told him for those who ask why I would do such a thing, to keep his response simple because they might be simple people. I told him to mention a few phrases to people, like 'jobs, jobs, jobs, free health care, free health care, free health care, jobs, no journalism jobs in the U.S., jobs in Europe, great job at IPI ..." I mean, does one really need to say more than that? Plus there is the added benefit of coming into the Vienna job with 28 days vacation -- and that doesn't count the 15 or so holidays that the country and employers dish out each year. You see, the Europeans don't believe in working themselves to death. We could definitely learn something from that in the U.S.

Well, it's the end of the day and I just finished a wonderful burrito dinner prepared by my husband. I also watched a little CNN and heard the story of a woman track star who looks, talks and walks like a man try to prove that she isn't and the story of a Tonga man living in New Zealand who decided to barbecue his dog for dinner after the dog got fleas. He said that where he's from people always eat their pet; it's a delicacy. Hum. It's a good thing my burritos had already digested when the segment hit the airwaves. Talk about news of the weird.

Anyway, I digress, there is so much to say and so little time. I started this blog to share some of my thoughts on Vienna and my experiences as a black woman here. And also so I won't have to write so many individual emails to tell people how Nicholai and I are doing. There is so much to tell!

I hope you'll stick along for the ride. And I hope you like what you see and read!

Auf Wiederschauen!

Alison
9:50 p.m.. 20 August 2009