Tourism

Living in the über-touristy part of one of Europe's major tourist destinations the phenomenon of Homo Touristus is often on my mind. In thinknig about this I've come to the conclusion that people are much like plants (though perhaps slightly more mobile). In whichever place we happen to find ourselves, we--over time--start to develop roots. If you are in a place for only a few days or hours, it is difficult if not impossible to develop a deep understanding of, or appreciation for, a place. No time to "root". Over three months it's possible to gain some understanding or appreciation for a place, but it doesn't compare to the deep understanding or appreciation that develop over generations. Being in Europe it's hard not to notice how deep many peoples' roots are, often going back many generations, which is less common in Canada. This isn't an argument against going to new places, rather something to be aware of while doing so.

While travelling to distant places I think what sets the obnoxious tourist apart from the sensitive guest is the extent to which a person is able and willing to leave their own culture behind. The obnoxious tourist expects to speak their own language, eat their own traditional food, and generally have everything look, taste, and function as it would at home. The sensitive guest is committed to listening and learning, and--unless the locals are interested in an exchange--is prepared to leave their own culture behind.

Personally, I have become increasingly uncomfortable travelling to places where I don't speak (and am not actively learning) the local language; I find that requiring people to speak my language in their homeland falls more under the category of obnoxious than sensitive. The idea that we can use someone else's turf for our lazy relaxation seems arrogant, and I feel that if I'm not ready to invest my energy in listening intently and learning eagerly than I should consider staying at home. In Vienna I've observed many tourists are only here for a short time to see the attractions, relax, and move on. It's no wonder than that most Viennese avoid the downtown pedestrian zone where these tourists flock.

I think there's a wide spectrum between the deeply rooted local and the lazy tourist, but in Vienna I'm certainly on the tourist side, though hopefully not at the extreme.

Adapting to Culture

Adapting to another culture is never easy. Simply trying to decipher what is considered normal in a culture can be challenging, let alone adjusting your own behaviour to the new norms. I’ve also noticed that the more time you spend living in a different culture, the more subtleties and nuances you discover, and I’m think in many cases a lifetime may not be long enough to adapt to all the subtleties of a different culture.

Culture provides the framework for how we interact and behave in relationships, especially between people with different levels of authority. As with most foreign languages, german distinguishes between “formal you” and “informal you” which is difficult for me as an English speaker. But language is only the beginning: knowing when to use formal and informal language is something very cultural, and getting it right (and I frequently don’t) requires a keen sense of observation. Trying to adapt to this, I find myself analyzing relationships a lot more, and making liberal use of formal language, which isn’t usually my style in Canada.

The general flexibility or rigidity of society is another important cultural element. In my experience flexibility varies a great deal in Canada, but I think we are somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Austria is in many ways is very flexible. People set their own working hours, there are hardly any restrictions on alcohol and tabacco, trains are very often late, and people tend to be laid-back. I’m convinced that the Austrian economy comes to a stand-still in the summer, since vacation has taken on a nearly sacred status (the average Austrian gets about 6 weeks/year, on top of the like 20 statutory holidays), but of course the economy is saved by those two beautiful industries: tourism and construction. I have adapted to this (please note Larissa, that this is not a reflection of my consistently robust work ethic, it is only cultural adaptation) by adopting my own work hours (work starts tenish . . . or so), allowing enough time to miss a connection while travelling by train, and actually asking to take a weeks vacation. The challenge though is to have enough discipline to work as hard as you would in a more structured environment, which took some getting used to.

In the global context though, Canada and Austria are both western countries, and though there are important and clear differences, they are comparatively similar cultures, and many things from cutlery to gender roles are very similar.

The Scene

I live in the heart of the city, which is itself a sort of cultural crossroads. This city which once controlled an empire has its own rich and long-standing culture, but at the heart of the city, it is the tourist culture which is most visible. Every Viennese person that I've spoken with avoids the downtown pedestrian zone at all costs. There is also a strong eastern European presence, which has become an important part of the cultural landscape. Beside my apartment there is a small cinema, which features cultural and historical german language films, and is also home to the Austrian Film Archive. On the other side there is a McDonalds, and a falafel stand. Here you can even taste and smell the crossroads.

There are some things that I am convinced one cannot escape in the western world. Turn on the radio, and your ears will be greeted with the acoustic stylings of Nickelback or Britney. Walking through my apartment, and you get the impression that somebody robbed an IKEA. Burger King and McDonalds abound, Budweiser-even in Beerland-can still be found at some bars, and I saw a Hummer limo on my street the other day (which not surprisingly was having great difficulties trying to negotiate a corner). But most of that exists only on the surface.

Austrian culture itself lies at a crossroads, and takes many queues from its largest neighbours: the Germans and the Italians. There is a high value placed on things working well and efficiently (trains for example) but nobody gets bend out of shape when a train is a few minutes late (which they often are). Rules are to a large extent made to be broken. Many Viennese for example ride the transit system without paying. Nevertheless there is a high value placed on cleanliness and maintenance . . . of people, buildings, streets, parks, etc.

At work, I spend June cooking up and later thrashing out my own research project, on the soundscape of Vienna. It was really interesting and I was given complete freedom to do whatever I wanted. July is slightly less interesting, and I'm doing archival work, which rivals data entry as the worlds most boring job . . . but it's not so bad. While not working, I've been exploring the viennese music scene, which like ex-lax or the Vatican is small but powerful.

York International Internship Assignment #1: What is your culture?

Culture is a tricky thing. The word itself might be a little overworked. In your fridge you might have some bacterial culture, on your street you might have a drug culture, on the weekend perhaps you want some arts and culture, and then there´s the matter of your own culture. Without trying to flog the last bit of meaning out of the word, let´s define culture as the accepted language, values, behaviours, and technologies of a group of people.

If you´ve grown up in Canada you´ve probably digested the national mantra of "we're a mosaic; the Yank's are a melting pot" as often as pancakes with maple syrup. But this hasn´t stopped people from talking about ‘Canadian culture’. The reality is that if you take a small town prairie kid, a worker in Toronto's Chinatown, and a senior citizen from Quebec, their language, values, behaviours and technologies will be strikingly different. If a single ‘Canadian Culture’ does exist, it is only as a backdrop, and might contain the few things that unify us across the country: a cold climate, resource wealth, an immigrant spirit, and a profound desire to be un-American.

As for my own culture, there’s certainly the Canadian backdrop. Beyond that, it´s my small town upbringing, Mennonite immigrant history, and Toronto education which serve as my cultural bearings. Respectively, this has given me an innate ability to conquer boredom, a strong belief in pacifism, and a passion for exploring cities. And I can eat maple syrup with almost anything too.