Schnitz & Giggles

[S2E9] So what about Germany, Heiko?

• edelwisecrackers • Season 2 • Episode 9

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What's the secret to navigating the delightful maze of German and Austrian cultural quirks? Our special guest, Heiko, a German national who's been living in Austria for eight years, might just have the answer! 

In a rollicking session filled with laughter and light-hearted anecdotes, Heiko shares his journey from teaching German in China to deciphering the charming intricacies of the Austrian dialect. We chuckle over the playful use of terms like "Piefke" and the amusing mix-ups between "Tüte" and "Sackerl," providing a humorous glance at the linguistic hurdles that make these neighboring cultures so uniquely entertaining.

Tune in for a sartorial surprise as Heiko discusses his distinctive 1930s-inspired fashion sense, which often outshines his (Austrian) wife's outfits, giving us a glimpse into how fashion is a cultural conversation all on its own. 

Expect a lively exchange on the rivalry between Austrians and Germans, and how the Americans ruin it all by trying to fix it. 

We'll uncover how Austria's past, from its multilingual monarchy to its post-WWII evolution, has shaped its modern easygoing ethos, akin to a blend of Italian flair and German precision. 

Through humorous personal anecdotes, we explore how these cultural dynamics offer both hurdles and bridges, paving the way for a deeper mutual appreciation between these two fascinating cultures. Join us for laughs, insights, and ... Dr. Schnitzel who simply would not let Mr. Giggles bring this episode to an end!

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Mr. Giggles:

Guten hallo and welcome to the Schnitz and Giggles podcast, guten hallo to you.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Hey, lukey, how are you? I'm fine, mikey.

Mr. Giggles:

How are you?

Dr. Schnitzel:

I'm doing great.

Mr. Giggles:

You look great. Oh, thanks, bill, yeah, yeah I mean we both look great Usually.

Dr. Schnitzel:

That's why we're doing audio podcast, that's true, we hold back the video portion.

Mr. Giggles:

I mean for the good of our listeners.

Dr. Schnitzel:

For the good of society.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, we don't want them to be overwhelmed by. Anyways, how are you?

Dr. Schnitzel:

You already asked me that I'm good how are you? Yeah.

Mr. Giggles:

I mean, it got awkward so I didn't know how to get out of it.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Yeah, how are you? Yeah, I'm also good, yeah, good, great, awesome. How am I?

Mr. Giggles:

I don't know. So what are we talking about? Okay, what are we talking?

Dr. Schnitzel:

about today. I think we're we need to cover one of the most important topics that you can face in austria where to find a good schnitzel that's clear, because it's always around the corner yeah okay, okay, all right, problem solved okay. Problem's all good. Next problem the biggest problem that austins usually have is not even that they're gonna be mistaken for australians, which could happen which could happen at least in the post office. But the bigger problems that austins have is that they're usually referred to or mixed up with germans oh yeah, I could see how that would be a huge problem.

Mr. Giggles:

I would hate to get mistaken for a german. Yeah, I mean.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Yeah, come on like wow those germans are that would be embarrassing okay, I've had enough now. Okay, yes, so certainly we do speak the german language. True, there's the austrian variant of german language, but I was thinking maybe, yeah, we should, we should uh dive into that and let our listeners know, uh, why they should never mistake a german for an austrian and the other way around, and how this could also lead to personal and political and all kinds of problems in the world it seems like an american and austrian talking about the problem of germans is a bit problematic without a german voice.

Mr. Giggles:

Let's go, we should go. Try to find a german.

Dr. Schnitzel:

You think we ought to try to find a german? Let's go find one. Okay, let me just look around.

Mr. Giggles:

Hey, I found one. Hey, here's a German German. You are German, correct, correct, okay, he is German.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Great, yeah, good. Who are you other than that you're German, besides being German, besides being German?

Heiko the German:

What's your first name? My name is Heiko. That's a very German name.

Dr. Schnitzel:

True.

Heiko the German:

Up in the north and I, a german teacher. Yeah, I'm living already, like, I guess, eight years here in austria, willingly that's good.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Blink twice if uh, if you need help and yeah, that's what I wanted to ask you, why did?

Mr. Giggles:

the.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Germans kick you out of your country.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, so.

Heiko the German:

I came here for my master degree. Before that, I was living in China for some time teaching German, so I thought the next step was okay, maybe I should teach the Austrians some German.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, it's good, I mean, once you get done teaching chinese people how to speak german then the obvious next step is to to go to austria yeah like next, it's the natural career path.

Heiko the German:

So who's next?

Dr. Schnitzel:

yeah, you might have heard the news that eight years ago. Like all of the Chinese people are fluent in German by now. Yeah, I don't see that. It has nothing else to do with the country.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, mission accomplished. So this is actually, you know, with our podcast being kind of focused on the experience of an Auslander living in Vienna being guided by a Wiener over here, we've done it obviously from the American perspective.

Dr. Schnitzel:

So now we've gathered the crowd here, we've done it obviously from the American perspective.

Mr. Giggles:

So now we've got the Kraut here.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Yeah, get the Kraut out of here buddy.

Mr. Giggles:

With your bad jokes.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Sorry for interrupting you, you can proceed.

Mr. Giggles:

Kraut goes wild, kraut goes wild, yeah. So I guess let's start out by what's one of the biggest challenges you've faced being a foreigner living here in Austria.

Heiko the German:

Obviously the language Like this is saying nothing is separating Germany from Austria as much as the language, germany from Austria as much as the language.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, I guess my assumption would be that your time here language-wise is easier than mine. I hope so. Okay, good, Healthy assumption. But so what are, as someone who might not be so familiar with the nuances of these differences, what's an example of and make it funny because we are schnitzel giggles for?

Dr. Schnitzel:

goodness sakes.

Mr. Giggles:

Uh well, what's a funny example of uh, of the language differences stop, stop, stop.

Dr. Schnitzel:

You can't ask a german to be funny. I mean, come on like you cannot do that.

Mr. Giggles:

That's kind of why, I did it.

Heiko the German:

I wanted to make sure that oh you wanted him to fail.

Mr. Giggles:

You set him up for failure well, I just wanted him to try, okay, and then him up for failure.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Well, I just wanted him to try, Okay. And then we tell him listen, boy, you're not funny.

Heiko the German:

So it's probably more funny for the people outside observing that.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Maybe thinking oh the German again.

Heiko the German:

By the way, there's a term or a name for German people in Austria called Piefke Piefke.

Mr. Giggles:

Are we going to get censored? No, it's not a bad word.

Heiko the German:

It used to be a bad word, but now it's just like yeah, it adds to the hate-love relationship between Germany and Austria. So I think one of the biggest thing at the beginning was the difference between Tüte and Sackal. So for those who don't know that, it's like the shopping bag you get at the supermarket and the cashier is asking you like you need a bag or Hedens again and suck on it the moment you're asking for a tootin because this is what you would ask for.

Heiko the German:

Yeah, I did I did like I Did and I got this decide I. I was lucky they didn't throw me out of the supermarket.

Dr. Schnitzel:

You still got your groceries.

Heiko the German:

But I got the eyes, so that's a quick giveaway.

Dr. Schnitzel:

To add to that, the word Tüte in Austria is more used as an ice cream cone.

Mr. Giggles:

We talked about this before too. With the beginning of school year, experience Right, the Schul-Tüte, the.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Schul-Tüte Like a cone. So the other day I was just browsing the internet and I came across a situation that obviously happened in Vienna just a couple days or weeks ago. There was a German in an Austrian supermarket here in Vienna and the German did ask for a Tüte instead of the Sackl, and the cashier said listen, son, we're a supermarket, we're not an ice cream parlor. Got him, so that's what could have happened to our friend Heiko here as well.

Mr. Giggles:

That would have been funny. That would have made the story a little funnier. Yeah, I made the story funny, so that's my part, nice try. Thank you. Very funny. So that's my part of nice try it's my job.

Heiko the German:

Thank you. Could we go back to this this term for germans? What does it mean? I think it goes back to uh like military times. There was something thing that was standing out from the german soldiers. I think it had to do uh with the shoes, I don't know like. I heard it at some point, but I already I already forgot, but I'm sure it was like from uh like the military like. So there's some identifier on the austrian soldier the german soldier, german soldier, that's right, we're on the german soldier was wearing something specific, that then the austrian soldiers said this is what you're.

Mr. Giggles:

I could be wrong, uh, but there's also we're not really that concerned with with accuracy on this podcast.

Heiko the German:

Yeah but you know, you know, germans are like precise right, but you're not in germany hey I have to.

Dr. Schnitzel:

I have to keep up the stereotype. Let him live up to his reputation.

Heiko the German:

I have to keep up the stereotype, even if it doesn't exist anymore well, here's, here's maybe a pointer.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Um, just to be the smart guy in the room here for a moment oh boy, oh boy. You know what the what cars do in German when they honk. What do you say? When you say you didn't say honk. Honk, that's a place in China, but you say brumts. Too many giggles today yeah, they got me but actually you would often say toot, toot, toot, yeah right. So tooten actually means like to like. If the horn you see, do you see it blows a horn. Like you blow a horn or no?

Mr. Giggles:

you blow a horn, honk a horn. You honk a horn or you toot a horn.

Dr. Schnitzel:

The toot a horn yeah, well, toot actually is probably the same origin of the word yes so actually the word to not toot about tutor used to refer to a kind of horn, which which has this, this cone shape. Yeah, so that's where it actually comes from, that the words horn, and like even the literal, the horn that makes the honking sound, but also like any cone or any bag, kind of has this shape in Austria or Germany. That's fun. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, you're welcome.

Mr. Giggles:

So one thing that Heiko is known for, dear listener, is his style. But I think it's unusual, even for our Germans or Austrians or Americans or anyone yeah, maybe, maybe not for the British, maybe, maybe germans or austrians or americans or anyone yeah, maybe, maybe not for the british, maybe, maybe, um, what's your experience been being a guy with with impeccable fashion sense, being here in austria, a place where I would say you, you, you would fit in quite well.

Heiko the German:

Walking the streets of vienna early 1930s yeah, so the full extent of my style actually was completed here in austria, so I was already like on my way and maybe, like my wife meeting, my wife got the finishing part of it. But what my wife complains a lot about is that I get more compliments from people than she does.

Mr. Giggles:

She has really needs to have some effort well, I would say she has her job cut out for her if she's going to try to get more compliments than you, my friend.

Mr. Giggles:

For those of you who can't see our friend Heiko, or maybe have never met him. He's currently wearing a wonderful three-piece suit ensemble with a nice vest yeah, maybe we'll take a picture in order to put this on Instagram, with Heiko's permission, of course with a nice overcoat to go with it, often with a hat. Definitely looks like he's 1930s 1940s. Is that your target, are you?

Dr. Schnitzel:

as a German trying to bring the 1930s back. Is that your statement?

Mr. Giggles:

Okay, let's cut that out. That's your statement.

Heiko the German:

Okay let's cut that out.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Let's say the Austrians and Germans do have a very sensible situation here. I guess some Germans would like to see that.

Heiko the German:

Some Austrians would like to see that. Do you know why German snowmen should wear round sunglasses?

Mr. Giggles:

because they immediately become the villain that's a classic fashion wise, it's not I can't help but notice that you're wearing round glasses, not sunglasses. Okay, well, that's much better they might be transition lenses.

Dr. Schnitzel:

I don't know you're safe now all right.

Mr. Giggles:

So what are, what are some other things that have, uh have highlighted your experience because you you married an austrian yeah, yes, I did, and she lets me know the difference.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Uh, every day, so um, so she is my, a referral to a counselor or something it's something we might need to talk about more, like when you wake up in the morning. So I think I think it's.

Heiko the German:

I think it's the intrinsical urge of austrians to let uh german people know that they're in austria.

Mr. Giggles:

So well, so what are some of these things that she so has?

Heiko the German:

identified the pronunciation uh, for example, the difference between coffee and coffee, yeah, yeah. So coffee is a really big thing here in austria. I love, uh, the coffee culture here, so the maybe you don't get the best coffee in the coffee houses, but the flair is good and there's some uh pretty little coffee shops which are really good. So since I'm here in vienna, I know what good coffee tastes like. So this is one thing that in Germany is not.

Mr. Giggles:

But you have fights when you're asking for it. Well, he loves it, but he cannot order it. He can never order it.

Dr. Schnitzel:

It's like I'd like to have coffee and they're like throw you out. You can have it in your tutor if you like, get out of here.

Heiko the German:

Yeah, at the beginning it's a struggle, like everyday struggle being a german in austria.

Dr. Schnitzel:

So but may I interject that if you go to a coffee place in vienna and you order a coffee, usually you don't use the word coffee, because we have so many words for coffee yeah that they have individual names, some of them french, like melange, that you don't even have to pronounce the word coffee or coffee in the actual place.

Mr. Giggles:

You should be fine because I think, even if you pronounce it correctly, you're still going to get like a okay, great, what kind of coffee you want?

Dr. Schnitzel:

because that's maybe something that for listeners. If you go to vienna and you just go up there and say I want a coffee, please, they're gonna say, well, try that again, because you can't, regardless of how you pronounce it can't have a coffee, you actually need to specify what kind of coffee you want.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, do you want an espresso?

Heiko the German:

I can't remember if I the first experience I went to a coffee house, a traditional. It was like, actually, you pay for the root experience at a coffee house, you expect the waiter to be root.

Mr. Giggles:

So part of the experience? Yeah, you kind of want it.

Heiko the German:

Yeah, yeah, so you're mispronouncing on purpose but yeah, but like I think, since he kind of like knew that I'm german, I was like even more uh. Then he said, like we, we don't serve coffee like in a really uh descending uh way, and then he gave me options.

Mr. Giggles:

Uh, okay, yeah which, which is again probably the response he would have given given to you if you had pronounced it correctly maybe, just maybe this would have been toned down yeah, slightly, but even then probably yeah yeah, he just wouldn't have had quite as good of a comeback so what about? Obviously there's some differences in language, and we could probably talk all day about that. What about, like differences in habit or behavior? Are there things that you do that are uniquely German, that bother your wife or bother other people here in Austria?

Heiko the German:

I think the punctuality is a thing. Maybe it's a little bit more important for Germans Agreeing to meetings. For example, when A German or Austrian asks if he or she is coming to a meeting, you can have the same word, very different intentions. If a German says maybe vielleicht, he actually means vielleicht Austrian people. It is like a code for probably not.

Mr. Giggles:

Shots fired. Is this true, Lukas?

Dr. Schnitzel:

lucas.

Mr. Giggles:

Well, I'd say maybe no, you don't know what you're supposed to be thinking okay, but he's no, he's right.

Dr. Schnitzel:

That's, I think, the viennese. They've always had this tradition to keep things as ambiguous as possible, like as long as possible, so they don't want to commit, whereas the germans are known for that. If, like the german, yes is a yes, you can rely on this, like on the germans yes or even the no.

Dr. Schnitzel:

If this german says no, you can't convince him. Otherwise it's that sort of like the reputation they have with the austrians. They're like, yeah, let's think about it. Let's maybe we have to let some time pass and reconsider that and maybe have a glass of wine in between, and then we can come to some conclusion. And even then we don't want to like put like a finger on something like specific yeah, just that's, that's how austrians roll compared to germans.

Mr. Giggles:

Maybe so have you found this? I keep coming back to your marriage, sorry brother. Uh, he's still fixing, I guess well, because it's fascinating, right, the cross-cultural marriages I mean marriage can be, can be a challenge enough in communication and, and you know, you might making mistakes.

Dr. Schnitzel:

You might think an austrian, german marriage is not a cross-cultural marriage at all if you're looking at. But it seems like from the outside. Absolutely, but it's absolutely a issue.

Mr. Giggles:

Have you found this element of like the like how you deal with conflict, come up in your own? We don't need details, of course, we just.

Heiko the German:

I'm just curious um the conflict thing, not so much, because in that aspect you just tell it's over wife fighting at the end of it, Heiko has a perfect marriage apparently.

Heiko the German:

Yeah, no because my wife is a little bit more direct in that. So in that matter not so much, but the subtleness of maybe we need to go now, like trying to be polite. We need to go now, like trying to be polite and me not having figured out what are some moves to politely indicate that you need to go now, like we need to leave now do you think that that's because you're german or just because you're rude?

Heiko the German:

uh, maybe both is that personal thing yeah could be both maybe, uh, maybe I, sometimes I don't care enough to again to do the effort to do the effort so like sometimes I think laziness is involved, not wanting to put forth the effort to make your yeah relationships, better it's too bad yeah, also with gift giving and some other cultural aspects, with being polite, because in every culture, like uh, being polite is so totally different sometimes.

Mr. Giggles:

What can be rude to the other is, for the other, totally fine we'll talk a little bit about this gift giving, because you know this is an opportunity for our listeners to learn some different gift how to give the gift to a german. What do you mean by that? Like, how have you experienced that being a difference?

Heiko the German:

I experienced the difference in the way that, how you communicate if a gift is okay, like or not like if you is, it is it, is it a total fail?

Mr. Giggles:

like if, if, if the need for a gift is okay, or if the gift itself was if the gift itself okay, if the gift itself is okay. So I experienced that have you given a gift that that was received like not adequate?

Heiko the German:

take it back the thing the thing is uh, from the german part probably I would have get it sooner or more direct. So from the Austrian side I haven't been so far off by now, so I don't know what happens if you get the total fail. If you absolutely, totally fail what happens?

Mr. Giggles:

Are there differences in the occasion when it's appropriate or expected to give gifts between your two cultures Like? Are there any things, Like I think, of the idea of going over to somebody's home for dinner?

Dr. Schnitzel:

I think that's very similar.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, so what kind of gift are you talking about, Heiko?

Heiko the German:

I think it's more about like a birthday and christmas and and stuff like that yeah.

Mr. Giggles:

So I know when I, when I came over first, one of the things I had to learn was this idea that it was maybe a cultural value or something that was expected that I would bring something to a dinner invitation. You, that was a bottle of wine or flowers, and I know in some places in the States that's a, that's a shared cultural value, or like you don't show up empty handed someplace. I mean, I don't know if that was something that I just missed.

Mr. Giggles:

I was just always just coming in empty handed to places People really didn't like inviting us Same guy again. Oh again, just wants his free meal. But is there a difference, I guess, then in the Austrian versus German expectation of that.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Well, maybe with the Germans there's a difference. I can speak for all the Austrians, but usually, like from west to east, I think all of them bring some small gifts when they're invited for dinner.

Mr. Giggles:

So people kind of expect that their dinner guests are going to bring something. Maybe they're not specifically hoping for something.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Right, I can only speak for myself, and I've had so many international guests that I don't expect anyone to bring anything to begin with. But when I invite Austrians over, I kind of assume they're going to bring something, although if they don't bring anything I'm not offended. But maybe that's. There might be some Austrians out there who think, well, that's really bad manners.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Even as the host of the evening, and you don't get anything. They might take it personal perhaps Never invite you again.

Heiko the German:

Yes, I also think it's a generation thing, the tendency is more to older people who still have an idea of how to be polite and the gift giving. I think for the younger generation it's different now.

Mr. Giggles:

Kids these days.

Heiko the German:

Kids these days yeah, so we've.

Mr. Giggles:

We've talked a lot about the experience of a german coming into austria and your, your feelings and your other things you've experienced with that, but we haven't really talked about the other side of that. Is from our resident austrian here, right, what he thinks about the Germans.

Dr. Schnitzel:

First of all, I thought Germans have no feelings. I'm trying to assume.

Mr. Giggles:

Just assume that our friend Heiko has become less German over time.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Just yeah, he's learned.

Heiko the German:

Yeah, keep assuming.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Well, it is true that I think the Austrians care much more about the difference between Germany and Austria than the Germans do. It has been said that if you ask a German how does a German identify, and a German would say, well, I'm German, because I'm German. And if you ask an Austrian how to identify and the Austrian would say, well, I'm an Austrian, it means I'm not a German. So they define their Austranness by the non-Germaness, whereas the German is just, yeah, I'm from Germany.

Mr. Giggles:

The.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Austrians by the non-German-ness yeah, Whereas the Germans just yeah, I'm from Germany. Yeah.

Mr. Giggles:

And Austrians. They kind of try to create some distance between. The Austrians have a bit of a complex about making sure that people know that you're not German.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Exactly. Where does that come from? Where does it come from? Well, has it?

Mr. Giggles:

always been that way? I mean, obviously borders have changed and the political realities of states have changed over time. But have the regions that are now Germany and the regions that are now Austria always had kind of this back and forth?

Dr. Schnitzel:

I mean, the history between what was pre-Austria and pre-Germany has always been very, very fun. We have lots of wars with each other, yeah, but we also had like we're allies for lots of times as well. So you couldn't say is it just this or is it just that?

Dr. Schnitzel:

yeah there's always been some like from an austrian perspective. There's always been some skepticism towards the poison or the prussian. That's the the mindset of the northern germans, because we have to make more distinctions here, since the bavarians that are very close to austria are basically have the same attitude as the austrians. Usually we love the bavarians, like as austrians, but the northern germans that's a completely different story and even even the bavarians and the northern germans, they have a difficult situation like going on there, right heiko yeah, I'm like sometimes we we don't get so well together, like so would you assume that, or would you put bavarians in the same kind of grouping as austrians in?

Mr. Giggles:

as a northern german, yeah, so not that you can ever be bothered to worry about all those people to the south. I think the bavarians are more like the texans is like they could be their own country.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Yeah, they would like to, maybe desire to be their own country, and the germans wouldn't mind if bavaria was its own country. And. But the bavarians wouldn't be part of austria because they don't want to be austrians either. They just were mia san mia. They just say the bayern is just what they are.

Heiko the German:

They just it's enough there. It does actually party in germany. Who is for that? Bavaria gets a kingdom again?

Dr. Schnitzel:

like on it on its own. It used to be its own kingdom, yeah, yeah, you gotta put that in perspective. So when the austrians were fighting the germans, it was usually the prussians, not the bavarians. Yeah, so like like, because Germany did not exist as we know it today. But to make a long story short is that when Austria was still the monarchy, it was a multilingual monarchy.

Dr. Schnitzel:

In those days, the Austrians, as we like, would call them today, like those people would even call themselves like the German Austrians, like the German speaking Austrians. And then we had the Hungarian speaking Austrians and we had the, you know, like the German speaking Austrians, and then we had the Hungarian speaking Austrians and we had the Polish speaking Austrians, and so on. So it was all defined in different play rules, if you want to put it this way, which, in the end, was the driving point of national socialism, because that's what Adolf Hitler sought to do is to say we have to unify all German-speaking peoples. There were, you know, in the Czech Republic today's Czech Republic there were people, german speakers, and also he, actually, you know, he claimed to have brought Austria home to the German Reich, and that's kind of what's the policy.

Mr. Giggles:

So that's probably the most recent historical event that could kind of help explain the austrian perspective towards germans. Yes, that's the elephant in the room the elephant in the room.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Yeah, you gotta say it. And then, since that it didn't go well, that experiment, no, nope, the austrians just tried, let's put it this way after world war ii was lost, I mean, everyone was bashing germany. It's like, how could you like, and you have to pay for this, and you have to, like, make amends, and so on. And the Austrians were like we're not Germans by the way. So we couldn't really be bothered with this, so goodbye.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah.

Dr. Schnitzel:

As you might know from history that Germany was same fate was actually thought about for austria that we actually split up. Like the, the allied forces would split up austria as well yeah, vienna was was split up in a very similar fashion. Yes, they had four four zones, um of like the, the four like the french, the british, the americans and the soviets back then and they just had a big river.

Dr. Schnitzel:

They didn't have to build a wall yeah, they could have a separate, uh, that part easily and since, like, and since Berlin was split into halves as well, and it could have happened to Austria, people say well, they were really good in charming the politicians or the decision makers back then with their wine. That's why it didn't happen and the Germans were not smart enough to get To be charming. To be charming.

Mr. Giggles:

Oh no, if it wasn't because they were smart enough they couldn't do it. So, who knows what's true or not, considering that, yeah, like austrians rely a lot on their charms like what, what, what would you do? I'm so charming here, but what would?

Heiko the German:

what would you do if you don't have any other options, like if the skills are sometimes missing, then you have to?

Dr. Schnitzel:

rely on other stuff. The Germans rely on the Made in Germany label. That's quality work. They rely on the skills, and the Austrians just here have some wine.

Heiko the German:

Let's forget about it.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, the wine's made here in Austria.

Dr. Schnitzel:

And that's just deviating a bit from the story. That's what the Austrians also are bothered with the germans. They just can't relax. You know they still like. They come here and it's like if you have a glass of wine with a german, they're like that's good and everything, but there's no like.

Mr. Giggles:

It's like chill, man, chill out a little bit like let's just say you're so tight, that's why it's called coffee at our place.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Well, yeah, that really isn't the word because the Germans pronounce it coffee, yes, and the Austrians pronounce it coffee. You know, like it's easy, it's like it's easygoing. So I mean, people have said that the Austrian mentality is somewhat between the Italians and the Germans, so we have, like, lots of this easygoingness that the Italians are famous, famous for, like super chill if, if I could describe most austrians uh, definitely, easygoing is the is my go-to right, and but they also have some qualities that the germans are famous for sometimes.

Dr. Schnitzel:

So they are. I mean, I don't want to bash the italians now but, yeah I was gonna say they're the hardworking

Dr. Schnitzel:

and they are you know really reliable, make delightful pizza. But coming back to our little history, lesson here is that and we we had this episode in the first season where we talked about how austria dealt with the aftermath of world war ii and the guilt question, what told it is one the president, candidate weidheim right, uh, brought up like so many, like there was this turmoil in the 80s where austria for the first time admitted hey well, maybe we did have a part in in the whole crimes of the of like world war ii and um, up until then they tried to put all the blame on the germans and therefore they had to make sure everyone knows austrians are not germans different the germans are the bad guys.

Mr. Giggles:

We're the good guys, we know, because they're wearing all those circular sunglasses. The circular sunglasses, give it away, give it away, yes, yes. And if you've seen any James Bond movie, obviously the Germans are the villains. Yeah, just look at their sunglasses.

Dr. Schnitzel:

So we're just nice people. We wouldn't hurt anyone. But, as they then admitted that, of course the austrians admitted probably as many crimes as the germans did, though, through the holocaust and through other war crimes that were going on, yeah, so, as we can see, with the actor christoph waltz, he can do a pretty pretty good villain he's a very scary villain.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah well, he plays a german.

Dr. Schnitzel:

He just shout out christoph, just method acting so we've gotten pretty heated here um well, you don't know what's heated. I know I'm trying to keep the temperature down I'm a little scared for my safety here yeah, like typically the americans come in like just trying to yeah, let me bring peace, all right, democracy to us, my friend. So so I go, what would?

Mr. Giggles:

you say has been the most positive experience for you as a German living here in Austria. How have you been embraced and accepted by your Austrian cousins? I won't go so far as to call them brothers.

Heiko the German:

First of all, I got married to an Austrian, which made that pretty acceptable. Yeah, I guess you were embraced pretty well. And here in Vienna, since it's again the most livable city, the positive thing is the easygoing of Austrians. It's much more relaxing. Yeah, vienna is a great city. So much to offer Cultural things, to offer Good coffee, cultural things to go offer good coffee, which I have to admit is like not a thing that should be made in Germany.

Dr. Schnitzel:

And let's not even talk about the schnitzel made in Germany. Oh, schnitzel mit tunke oh, that's a whole another thing, that's a whole.

Mr. Giggles:

Another episode that's a whole another episode.

Heiko the German:

yeah, we's a whole other episode. That's a whole other episode, like yeah.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, we don't have time to get into that.

Dr. Schnitzel:

That's going to get heated.

Heiko the German:

Schnitzel with like sauce or not. That's crazy.

Dr. Schnitzel:

How wrong can you get?

Heiko the German:

Yeah, I should have mentioned that. That's also like I get a side eye from my wife when I say, yeah, schnitzel with gravy.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, so you're a big schnitzel with some sort of sauce guy? Then yeah, that's how we know you're German.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Had I known before that I would have not invited him in?

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, why did I let this guy in the door?

Heiko the German:

That's an absolute no-go.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, spritz a little lime juice on there and you're done so, so to, and oh, you got more.

Heiko the German:

Yeah, all this appreciation, the countryside like so so close by here in vienna, so it has to do with uh where we. But if you don't live in the southern part of Germany you don't get a lot of mountains, because what people consider mountains in northern Germany are like hills here.

Mr. Giggles:

I can't help but notice that two out of the three things that Heiko says he appreciates about Austrians are about, not people.

Heiko the German:

Coffee shops and mountains. Word for the people, and everyone likes to be charmed, that's true. If it happens they can be charming even to Germans If they put all their willpower together. See, lukas, it is possible you could be charming like even to Germans, if they put all their willpower together.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, see, lukas, it is possible.

Heiko the German:

You could be charming.

Dr. Schnitzel:

It's just the Germans have to behave well, and then we're treating them right.

Mr. Giggles:

So, lukas, are there things about your German visitors, friends, counterparts that are here inria that maybe you found to be wrong about or that you appreciate?

Dr. Schnitzel:

you mean, okay, I'm trying to build bridges here yeah, like I'm working hard here, I refuse to work on this bridge I want my friends to be friends come together on this bridge so you're asking if I appreciate anything about the germans, or did I understand you correctly?

Mr. Giggles:

yeah, sure, I mean no like. Have you found it in your heart to charm us with some I don't know some ideas?

Dr. Schnitzel:

about. I don't know how to ask the question.

Mr. Giggles:

What a question to ask have you removed the hatred of germans from your heart? Oh, now you're talking.

Dr. Schnitzel:

This is the most important question here's. No, here's one thing I really like about the germans as the people, not even the country. I've been to the country many times and it's very nice and beautiful country, from south to north and north to south and maybe east to west.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Well, maybe not the east too much, that's fair however, what I, what I personally like, and maybe not every austrian would say the same thing, is that, with this german mentality and this, this mindset, is that usually when I talk to germans, you know, you really know where you're at. So if a german says this is the way, then it's the way. Like they make a decision, they stick with it and they carry it out, which is really nice to to say okay, like we're clear on something, because even I as an austrian sometimes problems with other austrians.

Dr. Schnitzel:

It's like what's really going on is and and so I don't know like are we good, are we not good? Are we going this way, going the other way? You have to do a lot of reading between the lines with austrians sometimes oh yeah, and that's what the germans also have.

Dr. Schnitzel:

I've learned I have a hard time with the austrians, maybe even even myself from time to time, when I could be much clearer and I'm. It's fine, like any austrian would understand that I'm clear enough for an austrian, but maybe not the germans like okay, well, give me a straight answer. So I love that about the german culture and mindset because I personally prefer the directness. But, like I said, for some this, this directness in austria is even more like a threat, like it didn't act according to protocol. You should have greeted me first and waited three times to be greeted back and and back and forth, and then you might have shared your request and then you have. You should have said goodbye and greeted even my distant cousin and my mom and everyone. So that would be the austrian way and the german's like here is the fact goodbye and the meeting is over. Now.

Heiko the German:

That's more the stereotypical approach yeah, that's one of the big difference I noticed, uh, when talking to my family in the north and compared to Austrians that just came to me the other day. So when I talk to my uncle, so it's like how are things? And then when we're done talking or run out of topics, then okay, tschüss, it's like quick, oh, yeah, right.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Yeah.

Heiko the German:

Talking to Germans.

Mr. Giggles:

That's okay. I'm talking to my family and nothing was wrong. He wasn't. He wasn't upset. Yeah, no conversation, northern germany.

Heiko the German:

So it's different kind of, as he said, like uh, here you have a kind of like a ritual, like especially when you visit someone, then you're kindly slowly indicating that you have to go now. Then you stand up, you move towards the door, then you stay and have some small talk, then you move forwards a little bit more, then you stay and at some point when it's kind of is okay, then you leave.

Mr. Giggles:

After you said I'm exaggerating a thousand times no, I don't think you are, though I think this is bye and tschüss papa and stuff like that and well I, I think, to embrace our, our german visitor guten bye-bye I was about to say something well, ironically, the austrians don't give up and don't want to say goodbye yeah, here it is in action. Here's an action Trying to make our guest feel.

Dr. Schnitzel:

Well, I was going to say there's the Austrian hospitality really kicking in here, because if you do like someone, you basically don't let them leave as easily. So it's more like an appreciation of so if I don't care about you like, okay, well, it's time, just leave. But Austriansin, as he would say, they would get up with you. Maybe go to the like, leave the living room. If you're at someone's place, you know, go in the hallway to the door.

Dr. Schnitzel:

conversation in the entryway yeah, classic and sometimes I've even noticed that and I don't know if that's a particular austin thing or just my experience is that from time to time the most most interesting conversations happen just between those minutes where people say I'm going to leave, and before they actually leave.

Mr. Giggles:

Yeah, it's the thing you've been holding on to all night.

Dr. Schnitzel:

It's like oh, there's one thing I wanted to ask you. It's like one thing I wanted to tell you, and then suddenly whoa, and then you keep on talking and chatting for five minutes, you're becoming business partners and investing in a of you, I could have experienced that.

Dr. Schnitzel:

There's a code that I learned, even as an austrian. I don't practice that code myself, but I heard when you're like if you're at someone's place in austria and the host actually gets tired and like, once you're out of the place but doesn't want to tell you, one code is to say like would you like to have some more coffee? So, and then if it's like already, like past it, like you have been dinner first and then you chat, and then the host says at some point maybe you haven't had even had dessert, but like some more coffee. That's kind of cold where you're supposed to say no, I need to get going anyway. So I've maybe seen it a couple times happening hey, uh lucas, would you like some more good?

Dr. Schnitzel:

and bye, bye. Yeah, bye, bye, man, we're done. Good and bye, bye. Good and bye bye. I had so much more things to say, but that's the Austrian way, you know.

Mr. Giggles:

We gotta have an episode two then okay. Well then tschüss tschüss good and bye bye. Good and bye bye.

People on this episode

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Lukas Marsak (Dr. Schnitzel)

Host
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Michael Johnstone (Mr. Giggles)

Host