Classical Viennese queues
Classical Viennese queues
Standing in a queue, you never know who is behind and in front of you.
Each individual in itself is its own little universe to be explored.
As I see it from a Cultural and Social Anthropologist‘s perspective, opposed to the individual we have
the notion that some phenomena occur with a certain probability in our surroundings, which inscribe
and repeat themselves in belief patterns, behavioral codes, institutions and other modes of daily life and
life cycles.
This might be the closest thing I can offer as a definition of the word „culture“, and I do that very
carefully and very aware of the fact that this definition is unable to reflect its entirety.
This probability could also be described as an overall feeling, like the background radiation of space
we know of, but never feel, as we see it as a given. Meaning, we take things for granted and expect a
certain reaction from our opposites – we make a prognosis of anticipated behavior. Never before have I
ever been so aware of that cultural background radiation, than visiting another country as a teenager
and realizing that what I was familiar with, was indeed just a nuance of many possible. More precisely,
I became aware of the differences in communication patterns.
I stood in a long queue in Disneyland, California, and a random person behind me started chatting with
me. He talked about his lifetime ticket for Disneyland, how much he liked it here and which of the
many rides were his favourites. I must have had a look of uncertainty on my face, because he told me
not to worry and that it was just a friendly chat without any hidden agendas.
Viennese me was used to a silent community of people, where talking to strangers is mostly bound to a
certain reason. Ask me for the way- I will tell you how to go. Do you need the time? No problem – I‘ll
tell you and be gone again. Is there some delay in the line we are waiting in? Let‘s be unhappy about it
together for a second or two. The short chats can evolve, but stay with the topick most of the time.
Chatting for simply having a chat was a new concept for me.
If you are new to Vienna, this raises some questions and can be irritating.
Where is the friendly chatter with the next door neighbour?
Where are the kind gestures of hospitality to newcomers in town?
How to get to know people on a more personal level in the first place?
Where to go to start communicating and practicing the new language with all those articles embedded
in each sentence?
Comparing Vienna‘s communication style with other cities might help to understand that it was
recently ranked on 49th place out of 53 countries in the category „ease of settling in“ and on 52nd place
for „local friendlyness“. Apparently, newcomers find it hard to settle in here and just one destination
separated Vienna from being the number one regarding unfriendlyness out of 53 countries.
(source available at: https://www.internations.org/expat-insider/2024/austria-40458, viewed on August 15th, 2024)
Thinking about our communication patterns from a meta perspective, it seems that people here might
be very accustomed to anonymity. They swim by each other, hurdling through daily life without much
personal interaction and are familiar with the lonelyness that comes with it.
I often hear from people that they would love to get to know locals and practice German, but that they
would need more contact to do so. There are of course some places you can go to:
If you are completely new in town and are entitled to asylum or protection status, you can go to „ÖIF“,
„Österreichischer Integrationsfonds“, and get German-courses for free.
And there are also free of cost „Sprachcafes“ you can attend to without registration. Or you can find
yourself a learning- buddy to ease the learning process. A so called „Startcoaching“ offers newcomers,
who have got their residential permits already, important informations to help with the first steps in
Vienna and - depending on the type of your permit of which we have an incredible amount of – along
with the coaching you can get yourself a voucher for a German-course called „Wiener
Sprachgutschein“. You will find an overview of the mentioned places at the very bottom of this article.
But it should be more than that. One of the many preconceptions that bubble up in right wing
conversations is the lack of effort regarding integration on the part of the newcomers in town. But how
can people integrate, if there is nothing to integrate themselves into, when they are confronted with
silence and prejudices?
The term „Integration“ itself suggests effort from only one side and having to leave behind everything
one grew up with. How and why can this even be expected? We do not slip out of ourselves like we
take off a coat. And why even should we? What is wrong with simply being ourselves?
Vienna is an international city and it‘s time to act appropriately. I wish for a society, where all the
different universes vibrate together, to create a new and more colorful background radiation. It got
better since the nineties for sure, but there is so much more potential and as always, we are very slow.
There is no threat connected to the fact, that all of us have had different life experiences in the past and
have different views on life. From my inherent sensitivity to the topick, i feel that the threat starts,
where the acceptance of other lifestyles diminishes due to a self concept of superiority.
I think that we cannot just advise people who try to learn German or are seeking contact to go to
Sprachcafes or find buddies and do all the work there. We also have some work to do. We are asked as
a society to step up and ease the process of building a new life in a new country with a little bit of
everyday politeness and of speaking up when it‘s required.
When we stay aware of the fact that having a chat with someone can be enriching and sometimes
makes the other persons day – may it be having a short talk with the grandma next door, who didn‘t
leave the house that day, or the single father of two, who‘s just trying to get by, or with a newcomer in
town, we might be much more open for a talk. Because, our universe will be enriched by new
perspectives on life for sure. Let‘s go out and be open for having a chat with the person standing in line
in front or behind of us from time to time. Let‘s contribute to a more colorful background radiation of
life in Vienna. And maybe, just maybe, the title of one of the unfriendliest places to settle will be gone
for good.
Go out, talk to each other, be curious and be kind.
ÖIF – Österreichischer Integrationsfonds: www.integrationsfonds.at/sprache/
Sprachcafes: www.wienxtra.at/jugendinfo/infos-von-a-z/deutsch-sprechen-sprachcafes/
Sprachenbörse: sprachenzentrum.univie.ac.at/de/sprachlernboerse
Startcoaching and voucher: start.wien.gv.at/deutsch-lernen
