Missouri Tigers waltzing in Vienna ­ Turf and Jo Ann Martin, both graduates of the University of Missouri, Columbia, talk about their experience of living in Austria's capital. Although "schwarz-gold" (black and gold) were also the colours of the former Austrian monarchy and would thus perfectly match with the Tigers, traditions and lifestyles can be quite different.

Living and Working in Vienna Hello Missouri - Vienna Calling [Interviews]

	"Vienna? Oh Turf ­ this sounds wonderful!" Jo Ann Martin was quite exited when her husband broke the news about his new assignment in Europe. Turf prepared the grounds before his wife and their 13 years old daughter Ashley came to join him. He found a house in Vienna's 18th district, an upper class residential area and enrolled his daughter at the International School. All this happened in 1995, and the Martin's, both graduates of the University of Missouri, meanwhile have acquired quite a good understanding about life in the capital of Austria. Turf, who graduated in chemistry and biology, is working as International Business Manager for an international pharmaceutical company and enjoys both life and work. No "buts"? "Not really", says Turf, "if you adapt to the business culture here you get along well. Europeans prioritize differently. Whereas in the States we have big houses and big cars, people here tend to have relatively small houses and small cars, but they spend a lot of time travelling, just enjoying their 5-week vacation.
	They will try to get their work done during their normal working time, i. e. 38 to 40 working hours per week. In the U.S. you have an official 2 weeks vacation, but only in theory you can take it as a whole. Usually you take portions and 3 weeks in one row remains a daydream for most Americans, who will be entitled to 3 weeks vacation only after 5 or 10 working years. They also know that it is important to be the first in the office and the last one out. It seems that Austrians do not care that much about "keeping up with the Joneses" and this makes them more relaxed. Not only vacation policy, but also regulations about absence from work due to illness differ a lot. Whereas the system in the U.S. leaves a lot to be desired the Austrian safety net is quite comprehensive and at times also overloaded. If you have an appendectomy in the U.S. or U.K. your hospitalization time will hardly be more than 48 hours, but here they'll keep you for at least 10 days. But this may be part of the bureaucracy which governs life in Austria and still feeds 8 out of 10 graduates of the State Universities. No wonder that everything seems to move much slower than back home, especially if governmental bodies are involved. Whereas free enterprise in Austria is functioning along the lines of Western mentality, governmental organizations seem to work according to Eastern mentality. And private lifes are affected by this overall governmental presence: shopping hours which do not comply with consumers' needs, long queues for any official document you might need up to governmental control of salary increases. But things have been changing over the past 4 years...". Jo Ann shares Turf's opinion, "because when we first arrived we could neither get Dr. Pepper's soda, nor Pringles, Riz crackers or Mexian food and salsa, but meanwhile these products are popping up even in local supermarkets. Just root beer has not yet arrived, but we try to manage without it." Jo Ann, who holds a diploma in nursing of the University of Missouri ,organizes tours for new-comers and informs them about the many peculiarities of life in Vienna. One of her favourite stories is about be-haviour: "It was in my first days here, I was taking the tram from our home located in the 18th district to go downtown. It was a bright and

sunny summer day and I was all ready to discover Vienna, but after a short while in the tram I realized that people stared at me and when I tried to look at them they would turn away in disgrace. Nobody told me what was wrong with me and I felt utterly uncomfortable. If only one of these decent, perfectly dressed ladies would have told me what I had done wrong and why they stared at me. I had bathed, brushed my teeth and combed my hair and there I was in my bright pink T-shirt, my shorts and tennis shoes ready for a nice walk through the city and something was definitely wrong with me. I went off the tram in despair. Only months later an Austrian friend told me that I was not to wear tennis shoes , shorts and most of all bright pink T-shirts in the 18th district if I did not want to stick out like a sore thumb, that I had to adapt to the standards and dress codes of my surroundings and this simply also included appropriate clothing". Jo Ann has had her struggle with measurements, temperatures, weights and heights and is now familiar with both systems, she enjoys this old town, where life is more formal, dignified and where people simply impose their traditional way of doing things, "because this is the way we've always done it". "And", adds Jo Ann, "you can understand them if you think that 100 years for us is a very long time, whereas in Vienna it's just a blink of your eye". by Dagmar M. Bernardis Pictures by: Jo Ann Martin (priv)

Amadou Traor age: 28 years occupation: network specialist country of origin: Burkina Faso nationality: Burkina Faso		I have been living here in Vienna for two years. Before that I was in Lower Austria for six years, where I had been training for an occupation within an Austrian program of development.This program was a big help to manage all the bureaucracyin Austria. Not even a month later I found a good job, and I got a permanent right of residence. Vienna is a beautiful city and I have already found a lot of friends here.The Viennese citizen are friendly, but a bit reserved and not really free from prejudices against foreigners. I think they are afraid of them. I am not interested in politics here, but I am not scared of Haider and his FP. Sometime I want to go back to Burkina Faso to support the development of my native country with my experiences.
Marietta Gevorkian age: 29 years occupation: Logistic Manager country of origin: Georgia (former Sowjetunion) nationality: Austria (since December 1999)		In summer 1991 I came to Vienna for the holidays to see the West. I had been studying English and Literature in Georgia to become a teacher. But when I met my husband I stayed in Vienna. In a couple of months I learned German and found a job. But it took lots of correspondence and eight months to get a work permissit. In 2 years I changed my job and found out my wish was not very welcomed, though. I was told there was a non-written law in Austria: first the Austrians and then the others, therefore they were not happy at all that I got a better job than I had before. Apart from that I like Vienna because of the security in the streets and I admire the Viennese "Wurschtigkeit" (indifference) to everything and everybody but themselves. I do not like people in Vienna complaining of loneliness and not willing to make a first step and their inability to entertain themselves. About the political situation in Austria I just want to say that this "Haider" should not be underestimated. He is playing with the emotions and fears of the people and this is a dangerous game! I do not see my future in Vienna. The world is big enough and I need a challenge.