Germany = Austria...?

Austria is not Germany, and Germany is [unforunately] not Austria. While this may seem like a pretty obvious statement lacking depth, for it me it's in fact a quite profound statement and realization - possibly the most profound statement I've made in years. Allow me to elaborate.
When I think about Europe, I think about Austria and the time I spent there during my study abroad. Of course every experience is different, as is every country, culture, and people. Somehow, though, despite everything I've learned about Germany and Austria over the last 4 years at Linfield, I had hoped that the two might be more similar than different. What I've found so far: Germany is the americanized version of what you expect Germany to be, and Austria is more German than Germany. This German guy, Axel, even said the following the other night: Ja, die Österreicher sind deutscher als die Deutschen. He's definitely right. Or maybe, just maybe, I've built up a false image of what Germany is, who Germans are. Only time will tell, I suppose.


Some observations I've made about differences:
-German grocery stores lack Bergkäse and Kaffeeobers. These two facts are kind of devastating.
-Austrian beer > German beer...or at least the beer from the RP/Mainz area. Seriously, I don't enjoy Pilsner beer, so how I ended up in a place with almost exclusively Pilsner beer is beyond my understanding. Maybe it's a call from the wine gods - an attempt to convert me to a wino.
-Words that I miss being able to use/hear on a regular basis include: [brettl]Jause (snack), Topfen (Quark - no, I refuse to use that word!!!), Semmerl (Brötchen or Kaiser) Erdäpfel (potato), and Grüß Gott! (Austrian greeting for hello, which means 'may god greet you' or something like that...), and Deppat (idiot).
-Words I've enjoyed integrating into my vocabulary: Alter (dude), krass (sick/awesome/nasty), bescheuert (stupid/crazy/nuts).  More to come on this list, I'm sure.
-In general, Germans are more surface friendly than Austrians were. On my run the other day, I received a wave and three smiles - a record for a run in Europe! I'm not exactly sure if Germans stay as open and nice, but I'm hoping they do.
-Germans are not as fit looking as Austrians. Many of the teachers at my school are not very fit, which surprised me...most of them also drive a car everywhere. Like one my first day, Claudia, my supervising teacher, picked me up and we literally drove 3 blocks, then parked the car. HOW AMERICAN IS THAT?!?! I was actually kind of appalled.
-The grocery stores here are vastly different from those in Austria. Not only are the stores not the same (Germany=Rewe, Aldi Süd, Netto, Lidl...Austria=Billa, Spar, Hofer, Pennymart), but the offerings within the store are quite different. The German grocery stores offer things closer to what you'd see in Fred Meyer, in my opinion. And WTF Germany, selling beer in plastic bottles is NOT okay. Some stores don't even sell beer in glass bottles. Should a store sell beer in a glass bottle, it's probably a banana beer, cola/beer, or some other nasty mixture of beer with random other beverages. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!!! I'm thinking about starting a petition to amend the Reinheitsgebot of 1516 to include "All beer must come from a bottle, can or a keg." Anyone want to sign it? Great.
-Where is the Almdudler (ginger-ale like delicious beverage), and more importantly, where are the alms!?!?!


And with all of that being said, I like my life in Germany. I appreciate the independence of not living 30 minutes away from home, and of not having a host family (though they were great) - the independence of opening my own bank account at the Deutsche Bank, of registering myself as a Mainzer, and making my schedule the way I want it. I've already learned so much about myself, like that I may be slightly OCD when it comes to having a clean kitchen and bathroom, and that I like organizing things (like my stuff, I mean). Hopefully within the next few months I'll gain a better grasp on how I want to spend the next few years of my life. As strange as this may sound, I'm looking forward to grad school next year. I'd like to figure out exactly what it is I hope to gain from getting a master's degree, though. Maybe this year can help me figure that out, though working for the UN or world bank might be something of interest. 

...yet sometimes I still have to wonder if taking the Fulbright in Germany instead of the Austrian TA position was the right choice. But then, I'll never really know.


Time to get ready for school! 

Servus!
Ashley