Austria not Australia

You know you’re in Austria not Australia when… you can leave your bench looking like this overnight.

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dirty dishes

Growing up in Oz, I have obviously had different rules drilled into me. It wasn’t CLOSE THE DOOR and it obviously wasn’t TURN OFF THE LIGHT. It was… wipe up those crumbs! Put that food away! And for God’s sake don’t leave a half-eaten sandwich in your school bag!

To this day I still carry a reflex that impels me to wipe all surfaces down after meals. To tidy any crumbs away, empty the compost bin, and make sure no sticky sauce bottles are left out. I mean, it’s a good habit to have. But in Austria, if you don’t do this…

NOTHING HAPPENS.

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You know you’re in Austria not Australia when… you bang on the wall and almost break your hand

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curtains

I think for some it’s a natural reaction to bang on a wall when there’s a loud or annoying noise on the other side. Like if your neighbour in the flat next door is playing loud music, or a toddler is crashing around above.

Now, in Australia it’s very satisfying to do this. Because walls are hollow, made of plasterboard, when you knock or bang on them, you are rewarded with a hearty sound.

But what happens when you do it in Austria… on walls made of concrete?

Ouch.

Just the sound of your cry of pain as you remember that the walls are, in fact, made of concrete.

You know you’re in Austria and not Australia when… you have a parking clock

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Now here is a concept I had never seen before I came to Austria!

Austria clock parking

If you’re parking in any of the towns, especially smaller ones, carrying a parking clock is absolutely essential. Some places are marked with areas that are free for a certain amount of time – like 30 minutes or one hour. And to track how long your car has been there, you need to set your parking clock.

You set it for the time you arrived, so when the parking inspector moseys by, they will only issue a fine if it’s an hour (or whatever time is allowed) past the time your clock is marked at.

Once you get the hang of it, it’s great. Other times, you forget, and get a fine. Or you confuse 12 and 24 hour time, and get a fine. But so far I’ve only been unlucky once!

You know you are in Austria not Australia when… the outdoor bin is frozen shut

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Nappy on bin

At this point our little guy is only wearing nappies overnight. Another milestone achieved! So, we said goodbye to the nappy bin and in the mornings all we do is throw the overnight nappy in the outside bin and we’re done for the day.

Should be easy, right?

Except, on these freezing winter mornings, I’ve discovered that quite often the outside bin can be frozen shut. And that’s how a pee-filled, swollen overnight nappy often sits on our bin until a bit later in the day.

I think this would not happen very often in Australia!

You know you are in Austria not Australia when… the kiddie pool is not packed on a Saturday morning

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empty pool

When I was in Australia this year, I went to the swimming pool on a Saturday morning to do my laps. “There won’t be much space,” my friend informed me, at which I scoffed. Sure, for the hour or so after opening it can be pretty crowded, but then it’s pretty much clear sailing… or clear swimming as it were.

But she was right. The pool was PACKED. I struggled to park.

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You know you’re in Austria not Australia when… there are warnings about reducing water usage… and smoke alerts.

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Oh… wait.

No, I think I got that wrong. Cause it’s Australia where we always worry about water… and hot weather… and bushfire potential.

Austria Australia differences water

But I have seen multiple warnings recently from communities in Austria, urging people to use less water because they are running out. Our local fire brigade issued an alert on smoking and fires in forested areas, again due to the drought and fire potential.

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In one picture, you know you’re in Austria and not Australia when… Someone perfectly cuts a very thin bread roll in half

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Semmel

What I might at home refer to as a ‘standard white bread roll’ is called a Semmel in Austria. There are different types/shapes depending on what state you live in. In our state, a Semmel is a round, thin roll, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. It’s what you put ham and cheese or marmalade on for breakfast, it’s what the Leberkäse sits between in a Leberkäse Semmel, and it’s what you get to eat alongside your Wurst. It’s really standard, everyday fare – much like the humble white bread roll.

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With one picture… you know you’re in Austria and not Australia when… you have to sign this permission slip at daycare

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permission slip nuclear

What is it, you ask? It’s a daycare approval form. But not any kind of approval form that you’d see in Australia.

It’s asking for approval from us, as parents, that in the event of a nuclear accident (yes, like Chernobyl), daycare is allowed to administer iodine tablets, which apparently prevent radioactive iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid gland which leads to thyroid cancer.

So… sure! Yes please, I will sign said form. Because as much as it seems ridiculous to me coming from Australia, I guess better safe than sorry! And let’s hope we never have to worry about it.

With one picture… you know you’re in Austria and not Australia when… you can drive to Europe’s No. 1 Bordershop in half an hour

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bordershop

Since I’ve been driving every week to swim in Slovenia (which is another key way I know I’m in Austria and not Australia), I’ve been regularly going back and forth across the border. And the slogan of the shop next to the border caught my eye. Not just any old Bordershop… but Europe’s NUMBER 1!

So what did I do? I stopped and went in. And I took a photo… which the random people in the car park thought I was mad for doing but I did it anyway. I wanted to see what was inside. And what did I find? Well… embarrassingly, exactly what I should have assumed. It’s simply a smaller duty-free section of the airport… just not in the airport.

Turns out it’s not trying to claim to be the single number one shop in Europe, but is simply using the slogan of the chain of bordershops. Which are, apparently, the number one in Europe. So, I guess the marketing got me on this one. But hey, all I can say is, I’ve been there… have you?

You know you’re in Austria and not Australia when… this label is on your beer/cider

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That’s right. This delicious alcoholic drink is fine to drink as long as you’re over 16. Because in Austria, the laws on alcohol consumption are different. From the age of 16, you are allowed to purchase and drink certain types of alcoholic beverages. Namely, beer, cider and wine. Any hard liquor or schnapps is off limits until you’re 18 though.

Yes, alcohol is a drug and consumption for teenagers should be limited. Maybe it’s an irresponsible law. Or maybe it just legalises what goes on anyway, since I think you’d be hard pressed in any country to find a teen who hasn’t drunk alcohol before they’ve hit the legal limit!

In any case, this is Austria!