From Poland to Austria: Unveiling 10 unexpected cultural differences

[@princeabbas1996]

Amazing video, amazing content. As an international living in Poland I like it quite here and Austria is yet another central European country with its similarities and differences. :) Keep making more videos like that. Subscribed already! :)

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Thank you! For sure I will make more videos like this, thank you for the subscribtion.

[@heraldreichel1971]

Thanks, I really enjoyed your perspective. Thank you for mentioning the booking system for healthcare in Poland. I really wish we had a service of that kind in Austria. I can only guess it must feel like living in a past century, once you get used some conveniences, you really miss them.

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Hi, I am glad you liked it. To be honest access to healthcare is something that remained problematic for me and my family. Especially getting a dentist appointment is very difficult if you don't have your own doctor yet. That said, there is so many things to love about living in Vienna that I really should not complain. 😊

[@heraldreichel1971]

@@TomaszJakubKusienicki I feel your pain. For dentists, that work inside your head, literally, you want them to be more than "just" adequate. A good dentist is heirloom quality information anywhere. Mine, I believe, hasn't taken "non-family" patients the last decade. I dread the day my dentist retires. I hope I get a glowing referral to her best student , when she retires ;-)

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

@@heraldreichel1971 😅 thanks for the confirmation. Now I know it’s not only my imagination or poor research skills. All the best!

[@gonindunit]

You did a great job of explaining. I'm going to post your video in my Austria group. Thanks, and I wish you much success with your videos.

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Thank you for very much! 😊 All the best for you as well!

[@RazielKainus]

I will correct you slightly - yes, it used to be only bakeries... but also grocery stores and other such things at major stations - so if you need lets say to shop at Billa, the one at Praterstern is open also on Sunday... pretty sure also SPAR and BILLA at Hauptbahnhof... havent checked other ones cos I rarely find myself in Vienna on Sundays :)

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Hi, thanks for the reply. You are right, now I know that there are a few grocery stores in the city that are open on Sundays and many petrol stations have a decent selection of items as well.I don’t think it changes the overall point that shopping is not really possible on Sundays, but it is fair to mention that there are some options if you really need to buy some food at least. 😅

[@gabrieloforti]

Thanks. We are moving to Osterreich soon, looking forward. Macht spass.

[@annaf3915]

Shortly after I moved to Vienna from Barcelona, I went to a weekend workshop and commented how surprised I was that on the way there the city seemed mostly asleep on a Sunday morning. I said "how unusual for a big city" and everyone burst out laughing because I actually considered Vienna a "big city". By now I've come to appreciate this laid back small town feel.

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Haha yeah it definitely can feel smaller than it is, especially on long weekends when many locals go somewhere outside the city.

[@nightowl356]

population-wise it's not sooo small, like it's the second biggest german-speaking city after Berlin, I think it really is a cultural thing, Vienna is way more "boring" and not really famous for night-life like Berlin or Amsterdam. for people who prefer a quiet life I think it`s great!

[@katzenfett9444]

Very nice video! I'm wondering if some things you mentioned are now different for you, because you moved to a different county and become more open yourself. Especially the thing with the interaction with the neighbors is something, that mostly comes from oneself. btw really funny that you made this video in front of a huge "remigration"-graffiti at 9:20 :D … and a bit concerning …

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Thank you! I have to say, you might be right, moving to another country has definitely changed me. I am now more observant and curious about other people. I would have to go back to Poland now to know for sure if it is Vienna or me. 😄 Yeah I see the graffiti at 4:00, I did not know it is there when I was shooting the video. 😅

[@sqsek]

Ludzie na zachodzie zazdroszczą nam Luxmedu! 🎉 :D

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Haha, no brzmi to śmieszanie ale do takich regularnyych wizyt i konsultacji ze specjalistami sprawdzało mi się to bardzo dobrze. 😅

[@jyotsshar045]

Just started watching your videos.. nice content and u r providing quite needy informations.. Thank you :) I am curious to know that if a person coming from english speaking nation and they have to go for administrative work in government offices.. so will they have to speak in german only? I will be arriving for masters and I am worried on this statement of one of my frnds. Kindly reply that we can speak in german only.. no english accepted for expats like me.? Thank you in advance. Have a good day🌺

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Hi, Thanks. I’m glad you find my content helpful. Most people in Vienna speak English, however in the government offices it is not guaranteed so you might need to improvise. 😅 I would suggest to install a google translate app on your phone and you should be fine. 😊

[@mzywiol]

No dobra, dobra, już, przyjedziemy Was odwiedzić... ;)

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Czyli gościnny występ? :D

[@vlbabkirk]

Happy I found your channel. My husband and I are moving to Vienna and I am researching districts. Can you tell me what district you are walking through in this video. We will not have a car and only use transport. Thank you.

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

I am glad you like it. Sure, this is the 19th district, definitely my favorite in the whole city. I might make a video about it at some point. Sadly it is also the 2nd most expensive district to live in, however it is possible to find a good place there. I know from the experience. 😊

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

You might find this article useful: viennawurstelstand.com/article/the-vienna-expat-survival-guide-13-ultimate-tips-for-internationals-moving-to-or-living-in-vienna/

[@Kessra]

Yes, that's Döbling, Vienna's 19th district. It is often considered the district of the more wealthy ones, together with the 13. district, Hietzing, as there are plenty of mansions there. While public transportation is generally good in Vienna, on the outskirts of these districts you have often just one or two trams or busses available every like 10-15 minutes or so, which is considered already a long waiting time for Vienna's standards. If you fully rely on public transportation then probably moving closer to the center is probably more advisable, or at least nearby one of the "underground" means. Especially if you live more on the outside of the city it might take you 45-50 minutes to get to the other side of the town with just public transportation. Especially when you work on the other side of the town this can become quite frustrating over time.

[@malygrunge]

Similar to France except that France is secular. I can't agree with your statement that we don't know our neighbors in Poland. It depends on where you live. We have lived in tenement houses for years and know everyone. In the previous tenement house we lived only with friends and the owner who died and everyone attended her funeral. Anonymity and multiculturalism is the domain of big cities but I think you can find your local people everywhere and a lot depends on the district you live in. Nice video anyway 🙂

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Thank you and of course this is just my personal experience, it does not represent the entire population. That said, I still believe people live closer together here. I lived in very similar modern buildings in nice neighborhoods in Poland for many years and didn't know my neighbors. On top of that, here we buy on market streets that are still very much present in Vienna, and not only in mid to big size supermarkets. Actual markets are also very popular and have various forms, from cheap ones to very expensive ones in the nicest parts of the city. So overall I think you are right, it depends where live and where you do your shoping, but I think people lived as close or even closer in Poland in 90s and it is not like this anymore in big cities in Poland.

[@austropithecus7055]

I also use cash very often. You might see this as underdeveloped. For me, it´s a willfully resistance. I know, I´s a waste of effort. The end of cash is decided. It is a futile fight for freedom....

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

I respect that, it is just different. Also I think it is fighting a losing battle as big tech already knows everything about us, not only banks, but I think everybody should be able to do as they wish. :)

[@austropithecus7055]

@@TomaszJakubKusienicki There are battles, one have to fight, even at one´s last stand. Just to can look in the mirror furthermore. Big Tech do not know already everything about me. They have plenty of data. They know a lot. But they do not grasp.....

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

@@austropithecus7055 Fair point, I will not disagree with that. Personally I don't mind paying with card almost everywhere but I respect your stand.

[@Kessra]

@TomaszJakubKusienicki Sure, from a modern societies perspective paying by cash seems to be outdated and it seems to be way more convenient to pay by card. In case of a loss of the wallet this might even reduce the amount of lost money. But paying by cash is a more healthy and natural approach to money. You need to think beforehand of what you need and where to spend money on and thus might have a better sense and feel for the real value of certain products. That usually reduces the likelihood of impulse buyings notably. You also have the "cost" of having to withdraw money either at a bank or a cashing machine which usually requires you to get there in first place which also forces you to make up your mind of what you really need first. In addition to that, what plenty of people often don't even think of, is that by paying with card you give away more information. Usually supermarkets big-data all the purchases in order to find certain patterns and arrange goods in a way that you have to traverse more area in that shop and eventually trigger you to buy some stuff you didn't intend to buy in first place. By paying with card you literally give them your name and card number which allows those companies to create a profile on you where they might even be able to predict when and what you buy next and thus adapt prices in that store and so forth. All these club-benefits supermarkets create cater exactly in that niche and by paying with card they just have an extra property to create a profile on you.

[@xyz-tn3pl]

Greetings from Brazil, do you have a Channel in polish ?

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Greetings, 👋. No, only this one. I don’t have enough time to have more. 😅

[@jolotschka]

Very similar to Germany as expected 😊

[@leechain5427]

The Austrian healthcare system sounds as screwed up as ours is here in the USA. My sincerest of sympathies, and best of luck navigating through it. I loved the video though and am now one of your subscribers.

[@TomaszJakubKusienicki]

Hi, thank you for the support, I really appreciate that! I have been talking to my Austrian friends about my expirience with the health care and it seems that a lot of my struggles are unique for foreigners. Apperantly they can navigate the system quite efortless, so I think I will get there eventually. :) Maybe, when I am ready I will make a video about that topic specifically, I have also some positive stories to share. My overall impression is that the public part of the system is overcomplicated, but still works quite well and is almost complatly free as long as you know how to navigate it and the privite part is just ridiculus as it is even more complicated, requries a lot of paper work and is quite expensive. :D

[@roberteisenbach624]

As an Austrian living in the USA i can say for a fact that the Austrian health system is much much better than the system in the Usa

[@annaf3915]

I am an Austrian citizen and the bureaucracy and paperwork can be a nightmare even for us locals. Scenario 1: Toddler gets sick with a gastrointestinal bug during a holiday in a remote Alpine village. There is one pediatrician in a 30 km radius and he's on holiday. We take a taxi to the nearest hospital, they admit us and my older son as well, give us a choice of menu options (brown butter ravioli in a wild garlic sauce for me), toys and books for the healthy child, a tv and a private room with a gorgeous mountain view and a balcony (millions of stars at night). We get released after about 30 hours, another taxi takes us to a pharmacy where I pay 5 €, I send the two taxi receipts to my health provider by email and get the money back within a few days...... Because I know which health insurance to send it to. Because in fact I have 3 different health providers because at the time I am self employed (SVS), employed by a public entity for 20 hours a month (WGKK) plus employed by a public university (BVA). And over the years I learned that SVS will pay for the most (quarterly obgyn ultrasounds, anything dental) but will make it as difficult and time consuming as possible for you to get your money back, while WGKK only covers the basics but will transfer the money back within days. Which brings me to Scenario 2: Toddler needs occupational therapy at least every 2 weeks. My options: Wait for full coverage and he'll get the therapy he needs by the time he starts school or later. Or go private, advance the fees, try to get it back from SVS who will make you reapply and reevaluate the situation every 10 sessions, requite written statements from the pediatrician as well as 2 different therapists and generally reject every other reimbursement request due to missing documents (real or "gone missing") to test your patience. And what I only found out after a year of therapy, I could have gotten back the missing 20% from social services all along if I had filled out the missing 236 forms in time. That pretty much sums it up for me 😵‍💫

[@katzenfett9444]

There are three teers tiers to the health care system in Austria: low: mandatory insurance mid: private insurance high: have a doctor as a friend not joking. Make friends with a medical professional and you are set.