The results of our survey

So... about 5 weeks ago we started a survey regarding Schwedenplatz.
And even though we consider all of the statements to be equally correct, there was one statement that our readers clearly considered to be the most correct. More than 60% of our readers think that "It´s just a stinky, crowded spot ", while one quarter of our readers believe that "In fact, there are some interesting shops/restaurants".
Only about 10% answered that it was "just a place to change trains or trams".

Here´s a nice diagram:

Thanks to everyone who took part!





How well do you know your city? Vienna vs. Bratislava, Part 4



Vienna, Bratislava

As you know our blog is based on comparing living in Austria, Slovakia and Czech. The other day we went to Bratislava to look for places that could be easily mistaken for Viennese – and trust me, though the two cities have a completely different vibe and atmosphere, we did find some that even a local could hardly tell apart from the Viennese ones.  

To test how much you know your city we made a little quiz about it. Every week we will give you two pictures to compare.

The winner gets a return ticket to BA!

Click HERE for the quiz!

Homeless in Austria - Part I.

Today we’d like to introduce you our new project:  homeless foreigners in Vienna.

In Vienna there are 5000 homeless people – and those are just the registered ones. Recently, they moved 25 homeless people from Stadtpark. There is a problem with an emergency shelter for homeless people from other EU countries because there is place only for 40 people, and there are around 46 people. A recent survey of homeless people in Hamburg shows that the proportion of foreigners has risen since 2002 from 17 to 27 (of Vienna there are no exact figures).

We made a little interview with a guy named Maglen. Maglen came here all the way from Norway just to find disappointment here. Now he’s looking for a way back home.

Maglen , 25, from Norway

How long have you been on the street?

Just a couple of days.

Could you tell us, what happened?

It´s a long story.

Could you tell us?

I really want to keep it myself, just one thing: I trusted the wrong people.

Working hard in the service industry in Vienna - Part I.

Maybe you noticed our blogpost about ‘Working hard in the service industry in Vienna’ in which we asked you to tell us about your experience with working in Austria as a foreigner. Today, we bring you the first interview!

On 24^th February 2014, we interviewed Petra Nyíriová,  a 21 year old, former student at Komensky from Slovakia. She currently studies English at the university in Vienna and used to work in Sport Experts but quit the job.

Which reasons did you have for moving to Austria?

-          I always wanted to move out from Slovakia because I just don´t like the economics and the whole package there. My mum has been working here for 5 years. She told me she found a school for me in Vienna, the Komensky school. So I thought „Yeah, why not?“ and that was it.

Was it hard to learn the new language?

-          It was, because, no offence to anyone, I didn´t really learn anything in school because  I had the opportunity to speak in my native language, which was Slovak.  So I wasn´t really forced to speak German. I didn´t have to, I just learned something about grammar, maybe. But then in these last 7 months in work I think I really found myself in this language (Does that sentence make sense?).
I learned the basic stuff about communication. In school it was hard because  you really have to speak properly, grammatically correctly and you have to be careful because you get marks.
In work you just talk, talk, talk to everyone to get along with them. 

Working hard in the service industry in Vienna? Share your stories!

This is a call to all you shop assistants, clerks, asparagus pickers, cleaning ladies and gents, taxi drivers, sales promoters, food deliverers and call center agents!

What´s it like working in Vienna/Austria?
How does it compare to CZ/SK?
Are you getting along with the locals?

We want to know your stories!

Send your work stories to: czech.aut@gmail.com or send your contacts so we can meet up and interview you!

Have a great workday from all of us at CzechAut!