American movies & tv series in german…

Well, I went to the movies recently which turned out to be an interesting experience. I saw ‘Mamma Mia’ – the actors talked in German and sang in English (with German subtitles). That wasn’t too bad. Then I saw ‘The Dark Knight’ in German. It was a little irritating to hear Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Heath Ledger speak German, especially when the movement of the lips does not fit what they say. But throughout the movie I almost got used to the German voices. What was WORSE were the previews of the movies! I had just seen the same previews in the States a while ago – with the actors’ real voices. I must say it hurts to watch those previews in German now. Nevertheless THE WORST and most painful to watch are American TV series in German: CSI, Law & Order, The Closer, Ghost Whisperer, Gilmore Girls, Men in Trees, Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, King of Queens, The Simpsons…! I don’t know what the selection criteria are for the people who lend their voices to the actors, but they are BAD! To me they all sound the same, and furthermore it irritates me a little that they all have Northern German German (not Austrian German) accents. I simply can’t watch American TV series in German at this point. Maybe after a while I’ll forget the real voices of the actors and then I’ll try again…

So many little things are different here

This is my fourth day back in Austria and I am constantly surprised by little things that are different here. For example, 4.9 (four POINT nine) in Am. English is 4,9 (vier KOMMA neun) in German. When I bump into someone by accident, I still say “I’m sorry”, then the person gives me an irritated look and I realize I must have used the wrong language and then say “Entschuldigung”. When typing I constantly get some of the keys mixed up, especially ”y” and “z”, and the “@” gives me a hard time as it is more complicated to type on the German keyboard. When I enter a store it takes me by surprise that it is warmer inside than outside – NO A/C in the stores in Austria. When I’m riding my bike around town (which I very much enjoy) I’m surprised how fast I get to all the places – well, I now live in a small town in Austria And I used to live in a big city in the US…

Well, some of the above mentioned things were to be expected, but something I didn’t expect at all was that there would be misunderstandings when I speak German! For example, yesterday we were at my cousin’s house for brunch and at one point one of my cousins asked me whether the classes in the school where I taught were “gemischt” (“mixed”). I replied, “Nein, meine Klassen waren nicht sehr gemischt; in meinen Klassen waren kaum Weisse, hauptsaechlich Schwarze und Hispanics.” (“No, my classes were not really mixed; I had few white, but mainly African-American and Hispanic students.) At that point everyone looked at me as if I had not answered the question, or as if I had answered it wrong. It was weird. Then my cousin said one more time: ”Nein, ich meinte gemischt,” (“No, I meant mixed.”) and my other cousin added: “gemischt – weisst du: Buben und Maedchen zusammen, in der gleichen Klasse.” (“Mixed – you know: boys and girls together, in the same class.”) AHHHH! Finally, I understood what they wanted to know. And relieved I replied that public schools in NYC in general are “gemischt” (“co-ed”). And then I also realized that in my mind I had simply translated the word “gemischt” into “mixed” (which is the correct translation – but not in this context!) and if you talk about mixed with respect to NYC classroom it means in general ‘racially mixed’. And within this context I answered the question which to my Austrian relatives did not make sense. It was a little awkward. At first I felt out of place again, but now I think it’s funny – and I am starting to treasure these rather interesting and unexpected experiences of returning to my homecountry.

I know realize that the people I spoke German with in the last 6 years where mostly my German speaking friends in NYC; so we were all familiar with the NYC/US context. Whereas here – obviously – German is within the Austrian context. I am starting to understand more and more the meaning and importance of CONTEXT. - ”That’s great/awesome,” as my friends in the US might say. “Aha, interessant,” as my friends in Austria would probably say

Back to the roots

I’m back in Dornbirn, the small city in the Austrian Alps where I grew up and also the small city in the Austrian Alps which I left 15 years ago – to then live in Vienna, England, Australia, and eventually New York City. And now that I’m back here in the town where I grew up, I feel like a stranger in a somewhat familiar place…

I went to the supermarket today and it took me forever to pick and buy stuff. I didn’t recognize a lot of the products anymore, I had to read a lot in German and I realized that I am more familiar with American than Austrian products, more familiar with reading in English than in German, etc. I felt almost out of place at a place where I sort of belong.

It’s definitely an experience returning to your hometown/homecountry after having lived abroad for several years!

From NY to Austria

After having taught in NYC for the past 6 years, I leave the U.S. on 7/31/08. I catch a final look of the skyline of Manhattan - it’s foggy - from the plane as this chapter of my life ends… PHOTO

After arriving at Zurich airport I’m now back at ”home” in Vorarlberg – feeling a little lost but also thankful for the opportunities that lie ahead and starting to think about my upcoming travels