Ein Hundenleben*

A Dog’s Life

by Scout Hollander, guest columnist

So it must be clear by now to all of you that Vera doesn’t have the time (to say nothing of the discipline) to post here regularly, so I’ve decided to help her out by writing a blog post of my own, especially since I know how eager you all must be to  hear—from the source—how  I like living here in Vienna.

The beginning of the move, as you may have heard, was not the best. I didn’t know what was happening when I suddenly got locked into my crate and wheeled off into the belly of this enormous vibrating machine. (I had no idea it was actually flying, which was probably a good thing!) I don’t know how long I was imprisoned, and it was cold and rainy when they finally let me out, but at least I was with Vera, so I figured I’d be OK.

I was, at first, really disappointed not to find my usual—or any—soft patches of green to do my business on. There was just endless pavement. But I got used to it pretty quickly, I have to say, and discovered that these infinite stretches of concrete actually held some wonderful mysteries and adventures. Who did these amazing smells belong to? What new kind of vegetation was growing here? Every walk was a new learning experience, especially since we go farther and for much longer than we used to where I lived before.

We've been told that the pooper scooper situation is much improved here since the installation of free baggie dispensers and waste bins on street corners, and a highly promoted campaign of fines, but it still requires some agile maneuvering on my part.

I can’t say I’ve gone too far or seen too much yet, except for one fantastic trip to the mountains last year, and frequently visiting other neighborhoods and parks on long walks. The problem is that seeing other places involves taking a tram or train in many cases, and I gotta tell you—I don’t like them. Cars, great. Trams and trains, pretty damn scary. Plus we’re supposed to wear these cages over our mouths … ugh!

These signs are posted on all public transportation,
so you can see why I'm not so keen on riding.

But I don’t mind staying near home. When Vera decides to go away for a bit, I actually get to go away to doggie camp! Sometimes it’s at Isabel’s place (she’s my vet’s assistant), and she really knows how to take care of me. Sometimes it’s at Alison’s place, and I have fun running and going around with her.

Some people think I don’t quite have the manners to behave myself properly in public places, otherwise I’d get to go shopping and to restaurants and cafes, like Vera does. Lots of dogs go with their owners to these places. I understand they even get water, and sometimes food, there. But honestly, it would be really hard for me. New places often make me anxious, and if I were to see another dog too close, who knows if I could control  myself. (Truth be told … it’s not always me who’s the problem. Several times other dogs have given me the evil eye and started barking like mad, even when I’ve done nothing wrong!)

Here's what you find at the entrance to one of the major home stores
in Vienna, where dogs are welcome ... not like in the U.S.

And this 'filling station' is offered at an outdoor cafe on one of the main pedestrian thoroughfares.

On the other hand (or paw), I know when I'm not wanted.
["Dogs not allowed" / "We have to wait outside"]

But usually there's a hitching post for dogs to wait outside while their owners run a quick errand inside a shop where we're not allowed.
["I'll wait here."]

And the Viennese are really thoughtful when it comes to our needs,
like providing this two-tiered water fountain!

What else can I say?  With the exception of some virus I picked up in the first couple of months, my health has been good. My long walks keep me nice and trim (—honestly, it’s all the fur that makes my butt look big; I don’t think I’ve gained even a single kilo), and my grooming regimen keeps me clean and pretty. The bathing works out pretty well, since it’s in an enclosed stall shower with a long hose. The warm water and cozy quarters are a lot nicer than the cold water from the garden hose I used to have to endure in the driveway. Also, I get brushed regularly, which I love because I get to relax and bond with Vera. (The special treat I always get is also appreciated!)

As for communication … that’s where we dogs have it all over you humans. They say English is the global language, but people who grow up with a different one still have to learn it. All dogs are born with one language, and it is totally international. Believe me, I know what other dogs are saying, even when they’re not talking to me. I can hear, and sometimes see, them from the apartment, where, luckily, I have a nice look-out seat by the window.

The view is great from here.

And finally, I, that is to say, Vera has made some wonderful friends here in Vienna, and I get doted on quite royally by them all. I think they’re actually quite gullible, if you ask me, because it usually only takes one ‘puppy-look’ with my big brown eyes and a nudge with my nose to keep them petting and praising me. A dog could get used to this life.

And, in fact, I have gotten used to it. My past life gets more distant with each passing day. I know my new neighborhood, I know the sound of Vera’s keys in the door when she comes home each day, and I know when the cleaning lady is mopping the hallway outside our door (and I let her know that I know, if you know what I mean!). Our place is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The water bowl is always full and the kibble bowl gets replenished regularly. I love my owner and she loves me. What more could a dog ask for?

Signing off for now. Gotta lotta dreaming to do.

----------------------------------------------------- 

* With apologies to Richard Strauss

Moje návštěva Prahy s Benem

What? You don’t speak Czech?

Well, nor do I actually. And my Russian wasn’t of much use either. But that didn’t stop Ben and me from spending three wonderful days together in Prague in mid-July. English truly is an international language, so communication was not a problem.

The weather was favorable, my feet held up through kilometer after kilometer of wandering the city over endless cobblestones (at least until the end), and we enjoyed the sights and each other’s company at our own happy and leisurely pace.

Of course, in three days you can really only sample a city. And with one as old as this, for anyone not familiar with the language and history, I imagine it could take quite a  while to get to know it. Still, one can’t help but immediately appreciate its architectural charm,  cultural richness, and beautiful landscape. You also readily sense the people's strong feelings of national identity and pride, particularly the reverence for their political and cultural heroes (e.g. Václav Havel, Franz Kafka, Antonin Dvorak). 

I do hope to go back for more visits, but I also want to explore some villages and other places along the way … my maternal grandmother was from a small town in Moravia called Boskovice, about 30–40 km north of Brno, which used to be the home of one of the largest Jewish communities in the region. But that’s for another time.

For now, here’s just is a brief travelogue of our visit.

Vistas from the castle on the hill

Yeah, we were pretty happy about that view

...and also about the apfelstrudel we ate, too!

St. Vitus Cathedral, on the castle grounds

 The Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world, with an area of roughly 70,000 square meters. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is also the seat of the Czech federal government. 

The royal chapel inside St. Vitus

Clock Tower in the Old Town section

Door in Malá Strana (the Lesser Town section)

View towards the Charles Bridge

Rudolfinum Concert Hall 

Residents of a local garden

The Vltava River 

Church and park near our hotel

P.S.  The blog post title in Czech translates to "My visit to Prague with Ben"

Coming Home

The end of exile

  

Mea Culpa and a thousand pardons. I have, it seems, fallen off the proverbial (blog) wagon, but I am still here!  It’s not as if I haven’t wanted to share my impressions or thoughts, but I am not one of those who needs to always update my comings and goings on Facebook or Twitter, and it just seemed that my busy and pleasant life had become so normal and routine that I didn't feel the inspiration to write about it.

So where to pick up from?  No other way but to dive in with perhaps a brief update on ‘events’ since my last posting, and a few thoughts along the way.

WORK

I taught at the university all through the spring, and have secured contracts for additional courses through this fall and the spring of 2013 - a solid income base. I’ve also been teaching business English courses at various companies assigned to me by a very busy language school, and have even taken on a few private students. This is the part of my working life that I hope to build on in the coming year(s).

CULTURE

My personal austerity budget has loosened up a little bit, now that I have a fairly steady income, so I have been enjoying a few concerts, movies, and social engagements. Once this current heat wave breaks, I hope to get ‘out there’ a bit more.

Sitting on stage at a Musikverein concert was the thrill of a lifetime for me.

TRAVEL

So far this year, I’ve been to Salzburg (for a teacher’s conference), to Graz (for fun, with a good friend) and to London to visit with my son, Ben, and daughter, Michelle, for a week. The rest of the year will be even busier:  a few days in Prague with Ben later this month, a few days in the U.S. with Michelle in August, and a few days in Israel in September. I have a break between semesters in October, and who knows where I’ll go then?

A view of the river Mur in Graz

Spring sprang early in Graz

My favorite wise guys

By the Tower Bridge

FAMILY
What a year of joyous news it’s been:  

> Michelle got engaged and will be married next May in Israel (and I love my future son-in-law, Arnon):  

Celebrating engagement

> Ben received his Masters degree in Sculpture from the Royal College of Art (and picked up this year’s sculpture prize along the way!):  

Being interviewed about his exhibit

> My niece gave birth to her second son (my jubilant brother’s second grandson): 

Welcome Alexander, Declan's new little brother!

... and I managed to enter my seventh decade without any debilitating trauma, but with a little help from a traditional schnitzel dinner (– real comfort food). 

I ate out on my birthday, but this schnitzel I made at home.

And while not quite family, I had a great thrill meeting with my mother’s best friend from her childhood in Vienna, an amazing nonagenarian who lives in London and shared with me some personal and touching memories.

Edith and me, like old friends ourselves ...

So, what has all this got to do with the title of this post?  I think it’s my attempt to convey just how completely at home I feel here, and have felt since I arrived. Vienna is truly one of the most livable cities in the world — its size, culture, social services, and dedication to a more relaxed and pleasurable way of life, have all come together for me in a way that has produced a contentment I’d not previously known. These qualities have also attracted a diverse and fascinating array of people from around the world, many of whom I now count among my dearest friends. And while I may not have yet penetrated any inner Viennese social circles (no invitations to waltz at the ball), my encounters with the people here have been welcoming, wonderful, and supportive.

It’s not that I’m blind to the city’s and country’s faults. (I’ll leave that for another post.) It’s just that I’ve settled so completely and thoroughly that I don’t consider myself an expat, someone who lives temporarily in a foreign country. Although my move has been infinitely smoother and less wrenching than my parents’ immigration in the opposite direction back in the late 1930s, I feel in many ways that I, too, have immigrated - but back home. 

I’ve often said that my upbringing was more European than American, and that I’d felt this even since early childhood. Of course, the U.S. is clearly an intrinsic part of my identity; but I can appreciate now very precisely how truly Viennese my childhood and family life were, and how deeply it formed my character. Obviously, on a basic level, this accounts for how natural and comfortable it feels for me to live here.

On a deeper level, however, it also strengthens the conviction and validation I feel in returning to Vienna. It was from here that my family was viciously and ruthlessly either kicked out or killed more than 70 years ago – but not forever. I have come back to reclaim, to the extent it is possible, the identity and lives that were taken from us. This imbues my life with an intense and unmistakable mission, and as I walk the streets of my family’s and my neighborhoods every day, I feel their presence and their company, every step of the way.

My maternal grandparents, Emil and Selma Schorr, deported 1942

My paternal grandparents, Leo and Frieda Hollander, who made it to the U.S.

My parents, Otto and Lisl, ca. 1988

Lady of the Manor

Ya think?

A question I am often asked by friends back in the U.S. (and sometimes by those here as well) is: How has Scout adjusted to the new environment and to becoming a city dog?  I can only say that it took her almost as little time to feel at home here as it did for me.

Granted, when we first arrived last year, she was obsessed with finding just the right place—any nice little patch of grass, or even a mound of sweet-smelling earth—to leave her calling card. But it was dead of winter, and as far as the eye could see or the nose could smell, there was only paved street, sidewalk, and cobblestone. But by Day 2, when nature’s call could no longer be postponed, and she relented to peeing (etc.) on concrete, Scout became a true Wienerin (Vienna resident [f]). Now it's winter again, and all is ganz regelmäsig (completely routine).

The Lady of the Manor
poses for her audience.

And as for apartment vs. house living? Kein Problem (No problem)! Scout has had to recalibrate her ball chasing speed somewhat, since without the reliable traction of pile carpeting, she tends to slip, slide, and skid in a variety of hysterical positions across the parquet and tile floors—a marvelous source of many laugh-out-loud moments. But even careening into table legs or the occasional wall doesn’t seem to faze her. She’s apparently always had a high tolerance for pain (is that where the term numbskull comes from?), and it’s hard to resist a good chase every now and then. So as long as the water bowl is always full and the kibble bowl gets replenished regularly, life is good.

And speaking of the good life, I think you'll agree that Scout doesn't look stressed about living in Vienna (see below). When she’s not out for a walk, playing, chewing her toys (especially the one stuffed with peanut butter), or getting mega doses of affection from me, she just chills in the cozy, comfy surroundings she has come to know as home.

And so, a day in the life ... (captions welcomed!)

P.S. The sheet on the sofa may not be the most attractive look in home design, but it's an absolute necessity when you have a dog that sheds enough hair to provide coats for at least three more dogs, and you have children who spoiled her in the early years by allowing her to join them for a cuddle on the furniture! Underneath, it's a really pretty gray tweed sofa!

JANUARY 7

Backward and forward

It was exactly one year ago that I moved to Vienna, and yet I can remember everything about it in the most minute detail as if it were yesterday. It started with a packed van in Portland, Maine on the morning of January 6^th, continued down the highway through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York to JFK airport, lasted for over eight hours in the air above the Atlantic and western Europe, and ended on a cold, rainy, wonderful day the next morning in Vienna. And while I know so much has happened since then, I still can’t quite understand how it is actually now 365 days later!

There are of course many, many things I could write (and have written) about my experiences here so far, but the best I can do at this moment of reflection is to say that I am 100% content, and have 0% regret. This was the right decision on every level, and the wonder of it all still unfolds before me in new ways each and every day.

I’ve made local friends and expat friends, found employment, met fascinating people as students and colleagues from all over the world, and put down roots in the place where my roots began. What more could I ask for?

I won’t say it’s been easy being away from family and friends from before, because it hasn’t, but with e-mail and Skype I don’t feel as cut off as I otherwise might be from those I love. And speaking of those I love, being here has brought me closer to my parents than ever before, and in ways I’m not sure I’m yet able to describe. They never shared too much of their Viennese childhoods with me, each for different reasons. Yet the pull that the city and culture exerted on them, in spite of everything, seems to be in my blood, and gives me an inexpressible sense of truly being home.

So, it being a new year, and a time for looking forward as well as backward, what are my plans and resolutions for the next 365 days? Here are my top three:


1.  To become completely self-supporting.

I am thrilled with my new teaching profession, and managed to already earn back a large part of what it cost me to live here this past year. My business plan for 2012, though, is to earn enough to support myself entirely from my work as an English trainer, editor, and executive coach, without tapping any previous resources.

2.  To improve my German.     

How many times have you heard that one by now? The fact is, I can indeed understand a whole lot more now than when I arrived. I do fairly well at shopping, making appointments, listening to conversations, reading light material and such, but speaking is another matter. Even though I can usually make myself understood, the grammar and colloquialisms are a real challenge.

That said, I think I may be starting to look like a local, because just this morning, on two separate occasions in town, I was asked for directions. Not only were the conversations in German—I knew where and how to direct them!

Meanwhile, I found a humorous take on this subject by a German comedian who does stand-up in Great Britain, and I invite you to take a look so you can see what I’m up against. He’s got 10 separate skits, which you can get to from the Web site, but this is my favorite:

Click Here

3.  To cope with turning 60

What is there to say? I don’t relate to that number at all; it simply does not compute. Sure, both body and mind are a little worse for wear, but this ‘change of life’ has been very rejuvenating. And if the expression ‘Bis hundertzwanzig’ ('til 120) means anything, I’m only halfway through! In any case, I am entirely optimistic about my future here, and if I can just work out a way to see more of my kids, life will be perfect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So ... assuming Obama makes it back into the White House (things are looking up a little bit, no?), I think 2012 is going to be a very good year. And when I’m not preparing for lessons or grading papers and exams, I really hope to also do some more exploring and experiencing in this wonderful city—and, perhaps, even beyond. And maybe you can too! With thanks to my friend Janice and the New York Times, I’d like to share with you just a few of the many attractions in store for both residents and visitors. You don’t have to all come at once … but please do come! It’s really worth the visit.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/travel/36-hours-vienna.html?emc=eta1

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

New Year’s themes in Austria include the greeting above (which translates literally as ‘Have a good slide in the new year’), and the pig as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. In the days between Christmas and January 1, vendors popped up all over the city with pigs of every variety:

And on that note, let me wish you all a 

Spectacular, Happy, and Healthy 2012!