Austria trip wrap up
Saturday, 26 October 2024 00:21![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elusivekNote: this was written on my return flight (Monday), but I only had time to post this today. Sorry!
Oooof! In a blink of an eye, my Austria trip has ended. I’m typing (I’ve started to type) this in my flight. This is a tricky return flight as it’s a noon flight. I’ll arrive Taipei midnight Austria time but morning Taipei time. I won’t be able to fall asleep when I just woke up in Austria side. I did take a Power Nap just now for around 2 hours, but I forgot to take off my Heat Tech undershirt before boarding the plane and now I’m boiling. I’m also seated in the middle seat so it’s a bit tricky to get off my seat to go to the washroom.
I did not expect for the Vienna-Taipei flight to be full. Huh. Well I guess it’s good as it helps to keep the flight connection alive.
Anyway, trip highlights:
Dad is child number 3 of 5 brothers. Eldest brother Onkel F has since passed (2016, I got to see him in 2013).
I got to see family. Met with Onkel P, Tante S, and cousin L (family of Dad’s youngest brother) while in dad’s hometown. A bit of a communication challenge though, when I visited in 2013, I was actually taking German classes so I was able to chat and communicate a bit more. Now I haven’t been taking classes and practicing, so obviously I’m loosing touch.
Then in Vienna, I got to see family of child number 4, Onkel R, his wife Tante R, and their older son cousin M. Don’t know where cousin A is. And when I asked, they shrugged. I wonder if there’s some family disagreement going on. But weirdly, cousin A liked my group photo with the family. Tante R said they would come meet me wherever I was. In the same sitting, I met with the cousin B (daughter of child number 2) and her husband. I have never seen someone so tall in person.
I also then went to visit the home of Onkel W and Tante B (child number 2), and cousin B kindly came with to help with some translation.
But honestly, when you don’t speak each other’s language and haven’t seen each other for 30+ years (last time I saw the entire family was in 1992 or so) there really isn’t much conversation topic. And I don’t know how to make small talk too. There were a few times when things were dragging out and I wanted to say bye (I don’t want to take too much of your time, it’s getting late, you must be getting tired, we need to get back to the hotel as we have an early day tomorrow, etc.) they just say it’s ok and we continue to just… look at each other.
Tante S’ conversation topics were those of conspiracy theories (climate change, etc) and a touch of politics.
Cousin M’s topics were of travel. Husband of cousin B’s were economics and labor-related legislation. I was mildly surprised that Onkel R almost did not say a word. I remember he used to speak with me in English when I was a kid. This time he was just sitting there and not talking.
Onkel W is sick, he got the same thing as my Dad did years back (prostrate cancer) but he was looking well enough.
One teeny tiny small complaint I have about the family is… and maybe this is a cultural difference, they are rather… I can’t place the word on it. So child #4 goes a lot on holiday. They visit a lot of places. One time, they went to Australia and was passing by Hong Kong. My Dad was delighted and invited them to come over for a visit. They said no. They don’t like cities. They like to see nature. My Dad makes annual trips (sometimes twice a year) to visit them all and they can’t come over to visit when it’s along the way?
And also, cousin M (kid from child #4). It was hilarious. I sent Onkel R an SMS message. Apparently he did not get it. So to make sure, I gave him a call on the day I had planned to meet them. Cousin M picked up the phone and we chatted a bit, I passed the arrangements, and ok done.
I asked if they received the message, and cousin M asked me if I sent him or Onkel R the message. We find out Onkel R’s phone did receive a notification from me, but the SMS was blank. So I also asked if cousin M has WhatsApp. One would think this is not just a question of “do you have it?” As it would naturally include “let’s exchange numbers”. But he was ever so straight faced and just said “yes I have WhatsApp on my company phone.”
And then he explained why he had WhatsApp because he had a roommate in a trip to Cape Verde or somewhere (I have never heard of a “half room”, booking a shared room in a hotel) and because that guy was Swiss (not EU, so telephone calls are expensive) and that’s why he has WhatsApp. (They hate the newfangled smartphones).
My Mom had given me some money to invite them all for the get-together, so it was a mission for me to get the bill. I succeeded in both accounts LOL. Lunch with Onkel P, I picked up the tab when I came out of the washroom and saw the lady printing the bill. Onkel P was a bit annoyed LOL. “Du bist gaste!” I also picked up the tab for the bigger dinner (with Onkel R and cousin B etc). Apparently cousin B’s husband wanted to pick up the bill but once again I managed to get it on my way to the washroom.
Enough about family visits and weird dynamics.
Highlights?
I did not like Vienna. I thought Europe was not a tipping place? Or tip-as-you-like place? Everywhere in Vienna they always said “tip is not included”, as if they expect you to leave a tip. Linz and Salzburg did not ask me for tips. Hallstatt did. One place in Klagenfurt did, the other place did not. Leoben did not ask for tips, and Graz asked for tips. Geez. Am I to avoid Europe as well? And I really can’t survive in this everything is closed after 6pm and nothing is opened on Sunday place LOL (not that I ever go anywhere much on Sundays back at home anyway haha)
The weather had been terrible to us as we only got a proper blue-skies-white-clouds on our last day. In Hallstatt we wanted to do the Obertraum hike up to the Five Fingers, but the weather was too bad so it didn’t happen. On the other hand, the cloudy day was good for us in Klagenfurt as we went on a bike tour around the Wörthersee and we were destroyed LOL. The lady at the info center said it would be nice to glide down somewhere before Velden. Well. She was right. It was a nice glide down. What she did not mention, and I was too dumb to have figured that in order to be able to glide DOWN you first need to GO UP LOL it was hilarious. And my friend had a wonky e-bike on the way up. We did the classic “remove battery and put it in again” and seemed to have fix the issue.
In my Dad’s hometown, I had planned to take the train with my friend and get there, walk from the train station to the church (to see Opa, Oma, and Onkel W’s grave) and then walk to Onkel P’s garden, and then have a cake at the Café Konditorei that my Dad I MUST go because I have to meet the lady there, saying that she will be so happy to see me because this lady was his nanny back then. It was a nice gesture that Onkel P and Tante S came over to pick me up and took us everywhere in their car. Couldn’t very well do the classic touristy photo here photo there photo everywhere thing. I’m actually a bit sad because I really wanted to take a photo of the train station. I’ll settle for using the photo from my previous trip.
And Bratislava was nice. We went on a Sunday. BLUE SKIES. SHOPS OPENED! However, the lady at the wardrobe was rushing me to get my things, I wanted to put my scarf in my bag and she was taking my bag away already, so I tried to take my scarf off faster and then, it happened. Dropped my effing camera and effed up the camera lens. It has happened before (with my other camera) so I know I need to replace the lens, damnit. The lens probably isn’t under warranty but I checked it and it just passed the one-year warranty, what luck.
My friend is surprised I’m not upset about it. Honestly, me too. I need to put aside a bit of money to replace that lens, yes, but I’m not too hung up about it.
Oh, and I just watched this movie on the plane. It’s German, “Chantal I’m Märchenland” (Chantal and the Magic Kingdom). My friend was watching it first and I saw some snippets and decided this would be a good movie to end the trip because, in Linz, we went on a Grottenbahn thingamajig. It’s a train ride and it goes around a tunnel with a lot of small figurines of different German fairy tales. After the ride, you visit a museum of and there were the usual fairy tales, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White. And yes, I know Disney has idealized the fairy tales, I know how grim the Grimm and the Anderson tales can be, but I did not expect for the not-so-polished versions to be displayed so prominently in this day and age. There was one, the sisters “Snow White and Rose Red” (not the Snow White from Snow White, Seven Dwarfs, and Magic Mirror). So whatever happens, blah blah, and prince comes to save the sisters, and my issue is with the ending, “he marries both sisters and they lived happily ever after” and I was all WTF is this LOL. Back to this movie, it’s got most of the major fairy tales as well but all so messed up LOL. It was hilarious and I can’t keep this smile off my face even now, just thinking about it. The message of the story is gender-equality/neutral gender acceptance and blah blah and princess don’t need knights and princes to save them, princess can help themselves. Nice message. I approve. The funniest was where she was pushing for the prince from Sleeping Beauty to be himself and just be gay LOL. I haven’t had so much fun with a movie in so long haha.
Ark, should be another 2 hours before I land Taipei, finally. Let’s see if I can get a toilet trip and steal some snacks.
I will need some time to sort out the photos as I already have some work lined up (the dog shelter financial reports, sort out my camera, get a conversion china driver’s license, etc.) but I WILL be sorting through the photos!
Oooof! In a blink of an eye, my Austria trip has ended. I’m typing (I’ve started to type) this in my flight. This is a tricky return flight as it’s a noon flight. I’ll arrive Taipei midnight Austria time but morning Taipei time. I won’t be able to fall asleep when I just woke up in Austria side. I did take a Power Nap just now for around 2 hours, but I forgot to take off my Heat Tech undershirt before boarding the plane and now I’m boiling. I’m also seated in the middle seat so it’s a bit tricky to get off my seat to go to the washroom.
I did not expect for the Vienna-Taipei flight to be full. Huh. Well I guess it’s good as it helps to keep the flight connection alive.
Anyway, trip highlights:
Dad is child number 3 of 5 brothers. Eldest brother Onkel F has since passed (2016, I got to see him in 2013).
I got to see family. Met with Onkel P, Tante S, and cousin L (family of Dad’s youngest brother) while in dad’s hometown. A bit of a communication challenge though, when I visited in 2013, I was actually taking German classes so I was able to chat and communicate a bit more. Now I haven’t been taking classes and practicing, so obviously I’m loosing touch.
Then in Vienna, I got to see family of child number 4, Onkel R, his wife Tante R, and their older son cousin M. Don’t know where cousin A is. And when I asked, they shrugged. I wonder if there’s some family disagreement going on. But weirdly, cousin A liked my group photo with the family. Tante R said they would come meet me wherever I was. In the same sitting, I met with the cousin B (daughter of child number 2) and her husband. I have never seen someone so tall in person.
I also then went to visit the home of Onkel W and Tante B (child number 2), and cousin B kindly came with to help with some translation.
But honestly, when you don’t speak each other’s language and haven’t seen each other for 30+ years (last time I saw the entire family was in 1992 or so) there really isn’t much conversation topic. And I don’t know how to make small talk too. There were a few times when things were dragging out and I wanted to say bye (I don’t want to take too much of your time, it’s getting late, you must be getting tired, we need to get back to the hotel as we have an early day tomorrow, etc.) they just say it’s ok and we continue to just… look at each other.
Tante S’ conversation topics were those of conspiracy theories (climate change, etc) and a touch of politics.
Cousin M’s topics were of travel. Husband of cousin B’s were economics and labor-related legislation. I was mildly surprised that Onkel R almost did not say a word. I remember he used to speak with me in English when I was a kid. This time he was just sitting there and not talking.
Onkel W is sick, he got the same thing as my Dad did years back (prostrate cancer) but he was looking well enough.
One teeny tiny small complaint I have about the family is… and maybe this is a cultural difference, they are rather… I can’t place the word on it. So child #4 goes a lot on holiday. They visit a lot of places. One time, they went to Australia and was passing by Hong Kong. My Dad was delighted and invited them to come over for a visit. They said no. They don’t like cities. They like to see nature. My Dad makes annual trips (sometimes twice a year) to visit them all and they can’t come over to visit when it’s along the way?
And also, cousin M (kid from child #4). It was hilarious. I sent Onkel R an SMS message. Apparently he did not get it. So to make sure, I gave him a call on the day I had planned to meet them. Cousin M picked up the phone and we chatted a bit, I passed the arrangements, and ok done.
I asked if they received the message, and cousin M asked me if I sent him or Onkel R the message. We find out Onkel R’s phone did receive a notification from me, but the SMS was blank. So I also asked if cousin M has WhatsApp. One would think this is not just a question of “do you have it?” As it would naturally include “let’s exchange numbers”. But he was ever so straight faced and just said “yes I have WhatsApp on my company phone.”
And then he explained why he had WhatsApp because he had a roommate in a trip to Cape Verde or somewhere (I have never heard of a “half room”, booking a shared room in a hotel) and because that guy was Swiss (not EU, so telephone calls are expensive) and that’s why he has WhatsApp. (They hate the newfangled smartphones).
My Mom had given me some money to invite them all for the get-together, so it was a mission for me to get the bill. I succeeded in both accounts LOL. Lunch with Onkel P, I picked up the tab when I came out of the washroom and saw the lady printing the bill. Onkel P was a bit annoyed LOL. “Du bist gaste!” I also picked up the tab for the bigger dinner (with Onkel R and cousin B etc). Apparently cousin B’s husband wanted to pick up the bill but once again I managed to get it on my way to the washroom.
Enough about family visits and weird dynamics.
Highlights?
I did not like Vienna. I thought Europe was not a tipping place? Or tip-as-you-like place? Everywhere in Vienna they always said “tip is not included”, as if they expect you to leave a tip. Linz and Salzburg did not ask me for tips. Hallstatt did. One place in Klagenfurt did, the other place did not. Leoben did not ask for tips, and Graz asked for tips. Geez. Am I to avoid Europe as well? And I really can’t survive in this everything is closed after 6pm and nothing is opened on Sunday place LOL (not that I ever go anywhere much on Sundays back at home anyway haha)
The weather had been terrible to us as we only got a proper blue-skies-white-clouds on our last day. In Hallstatt we wanted to do the Obertraum hike up to the Five Fingers, but the weather was too bad so it didn’t happen. On the other hand, the cloudy day was good for us in Klagenfurt as we went on a bike tour around the Wörthersee and we were destroyed LOL. The lady at the info center said it would be nice to glide down somewhere before Velden. Well. She was right. It was a nice glide down. What she did not mention, and I was too dumb to have figured that in order to be able to glide DOWN you first need to GO UP LOL it was hilarious. And my friend had a wonky e-bike on the way up. We did the classic “remove battery and put it in again” and seemed to have fix the issue.
In my Dad’s hometown, I had planned to take the train with my friend and get there, walk from the train station to the church (to see Opa, Oma, and Onkel W’s grave) and then walk to Onkel P’s garden, and then have a cake at the Café Konditorei that my Dad I MUST go because I have to meet the lady there, saying that she will be so happy to see me because this lady was his nanny back then. It was a nice gesture that Onkel P and Tante S came over to pick me up and took us everywhere in their car. Couldn’t very well do the classic touristy photo here photo there photo everywhere thing. I’m actually a bit sad because I really wanted to take a photo of the train station. I’ll settle for using the photo from my previous trip.
And Bratislava was nice. We went on a Sunday. BLUE SKIES. SHOPS OPENED! However, the lady at the wardrobe was rushing me to get my things, I wanted to put my scarf in my bag and she was taking my bag away already, so I tried to take my scarf off faster and then, it happened. Dropped my effing camera and effed up the camera lens. It has happened before (with my other camera) so I know I need to replace the lens, damnit. The lens probably isn’t under warranty but I checked it and it just passed the one-year warranty, what luck.
My friend is surprised I’m not upset about it. Honestly, me too. I need to put aside a bit of money to replace that lens, yes, but I’m not too hung up about it.
Oh, and I just watched this movie on the plane. It’s German, “Chantal I’m Märchenland” (Chantal and the Magic Kingdom). My friend was watching it first and I saw some snippets and decided this would be a good movie to end the trip because, in Linz, we went on a Grottenbahn thingamajig. It’s a train ride and it goes around a tunnel with a lot of small figurines of different German fairy tales. After the ride, you visit a museum of and there were the usual fairy tales, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White. And yes, I know Disney has idealized the fairy tales, I know how grim the Grimm and the Anderson tales can be, but I did not expect for the not-so-polished versions to be displayed so prominently in this day and age. There was one, the sisters “Snow White and Rose Red” (not the Snow White from Snow White, Seven Dwarfs, and Magic Mirror). So whatever happens, blah blah, and prince comes to save the sisters, and my issue is with the ending, “he marries both sisters and they lived happily ever after” and I was all WTF is this LOL. Back to this movie, it’s got most of the major fairy tales as well but all so messed up LOL. It was hilarious and I can’t keep this smile off my face even now, just thinking about it. The message of the story is gender-equality/neutral gender acceptance and blah blah and princess don’t need knights and princes to save them, princess can help themselves. Nice message. I approve. The funniest was where she was pushing for the prince from Sleeping Beauty to be himself and just be gay LOL. I haven’t had so much fun with a movie in so long haha.
Ark, should be another 2 hours before I land Taipei, finally. Let’s see if I can get a toilet trip and steal some snacks.
I will need some time to sort out the photos as I already have some work lined up (the dog shelter financial reports, sort out my camera, get a conversion china driver’s license, etc.) but I WILL be sorting through the photos!
