On Kärntner Strasse, Vienna city centre, many people enjoying shopping. ウイーンの中心街、ケルントナー通りにも 沢山の人が繰り出し、買い物を楽しんでいます
Today is the last Sunday before Christmas 2021. Generally in Austria shops (there are some exceptions) are closed on Sundays. Today is an exception however and shopping is allowed! Because of the recent three week lockdown shops lost a lot of business opportunities and so the government gave a special permit to open for business today. Many people were out and about in the city and it seems that they really enjoyed themselves.
Many people around Stephansdom, the heart of Vienna. ウイーンの心臓、 シュテファン寺院の周りにも人が沢山Selling chestnuts and Christmas trees on Graben. グラーベンの栗売りとクリスマスツリー売り場Fiaker (horse carriage) in action. フィアカーもお仕事
Pictures by Yuka Simeno, December 19, 2021 in Vienna.
Knitted cap and shawl made by me. With a mask I almost look like a bank robber… 帽子とマフラーは自作です。 まるで強盗みたい…
My first Winter in Vienna was quite cold and there was a lot of snow. Since I did not bring any Winter clothes I had to buy some. In a shopwindow I saw a beautiful pastel purple pullover. I decided to try it on and entered the shop. Talking about it with a sales assistant, I was quite shocked by her response. She said that this colour was for blonde hair and that red would be best with black hair. Since Japanese people have mostly dark hair, I had not had those thoughts before. Furthermore I had always heard from my grandmother that adults should not wear red because that colour is too strong. I myself did not have strong judgment about colours of clothes, maybe I would enjoy wearing red too. But that time the pastel purple pullover really appealed to me and so I followed through with my decision to buy it. Not only at that shop but other sales assistants in Vienna recommended red items to me. Since I often encountered that situation I was prepared with the words ” In Japan everyone has dark hair and we want to wear different colours too”.
I spoke to a Japanese friend living in Vienna about it and she as well said that she had the same experience and that was annoying. She said that red colour is regarded as too strong for clothes. She even said that in her region people wearing too strong colours are regarded as eccentric and self- absorbed and that even society wants to ban this person. Another friend said it was so shocking to see Viennese people sometimes have a whole-body outfit in red such as traditional folk coats. She called this stlye “Hidaruma”, which means that when one catches fire the whole body is engulfed in flames.
Austrian Airlines’ red uniforms are also often heavily criticized by Japanese people. Many times people visiting me here in Vienna spoke about it like this. At international airports in Japan they saw airline staff dressed completely in red which they found shocking and thought about which airline they might belong too. Aboard Austrian Airlines they saw those staff members and were again really shocked by it.
Time passes and nowadays in Japan people like to wear many different clothes and I think preconceptions have diminished somewhat. Also now I can wear red without much inhibition but only because I really want to and not only because of hair colour.
Shopping baskets for sale at a Christmas market in Vienna ウイーンのクリスマス市で 売られている買い物籠
More than 30 years ago when I started living in Vienna I saw many people with shopping baskets on the street. In Japan such baskets are not used for grocery shopping. So to me this was totally new to see such baskets often in everyday life. Back then also many people used to wear traditional Austrian folk clothing in everyday life. Especially the combination of folk clothing and shopping baskets was very new to me and almost like something out of a European fairytale.
Because so many people carried baskets I thought that thery would be suitable for getting groceries. I also bought a typical one that many people were using. The basket was very sturdy and able to carry heavy objects. That material is not flexible however and due to the shape it did not have a large carry capacity. Furthermore it was a little heavy for me. For such reasons I stopped using it for groceries. For some time I put dried flowers in it and used it as room decoration.
Sadly nowadays such baskets have become a rare sight on the streets. Also very few people wear traditional folk clothing in everyday life in Vienna. Most people use paper or plastic bags available at supermarkets or carry their own eco-bags made of lightweight material as I do. I do miss those old times and often imagine an elegant lady with folk clothing with a basket in her hand standing on a street corner.
Lights projected onto Leopold Museum. レオポルト美術館に投影された光の芸術
Yesterday after some time I went to Museumsquartier. It was only about 5 PM but already dark outside. From Maria-Theresienplatz I entered Museumsquartier through the main hallway and because of the view I expressed my amazement. In the darkness there were several light spectacles! As shown in the picture above, light art was being projected onto the facade of Leopold Museum. The colours and patterns keep changing, which is quite breathtaking.
A similar light projection was shown on a specially constructed overhead canvas. This is quite large and looks almost like a big tent. Here as well the colours and patterns are changing and moving quickly. This is very fascinating.
There were also several see-saws! According to movement, lights are changing and sounds can be heard. I tried it too with my husband. That was so much fun and I forgot about the cold for some time. We discovered that there is also a possibility to do some curling on an ice lane. Since it is outside and a large open are, I think the danger of Covid is minimal there. One can play joyfully without much restrictions of Covid or age!
Due to measures combating the spreading of Covid-19, the previously closed Viennese Christmas markets are now open again. They had to shut down for about three weeks and were allowed to open this past Sunday. It is so nice to see their lights in the Winter darkness. Filled with joy, I strolled through one of those markets. It is compulsory to enter wearing a mask and there are also signs to inform customers about this. Almost all people I saw were not wearing masks however. I was quite shocked actually. Could this low level of awareness contribute to the spreading?
Christmas trees being sold in a park 公園で売られているクリスマスツリー
Since yesterday in Vienna there are officially now Christmas trees for sale. Being Buddhist (Shin-Buddhism), I myself do not buy one but as a resident of Vienna I feel the local life through it and I find it interesting. Covid-19 is still strong and spreading which is intimidating. I hope however that the people buying and decorating those trees will spend a nice Christmas with their families…
This past Autumn, in a street I often pass by, I noticed something new being constructed. Both border parts of the sidewalk were separated from the rest and filled with pebble stones. I was so curious what would become of this and thought that some dogs might use it as a “relief point” and indeed I saw proof of this. The next day, as if to say that that was not the true purpose, small fences around those areas were erected. Those poor dogs were too early in their celebration. I thought that the fenced part could be like a decorative part like a small Japanese pebble garden.
About one month ago, through the window of a bus passing by, I saw a man working inside those fenced areas. My curiosity was awakened and the next time I passed by I was quite surprised. Then I could see what the man had done there. Trees and plants were inserted. I did not know that such activity could be done during cold season. Trees are bare and the small plants on the bottom look almost withered. It looks so natural as if those flowerbeds had been around for a long time and now in their Winter state. In reality those plants in a hibernation state were carefully brought and inserted here. When those plants awaken in Spring, maybe it will be a surprise and they will ask “where are we?”. I had not known about this method of planting before and I was surprised and quite happy about it. Which flowers and plants are they? What kind of trees are they? I look forward to them sending me first signs and them blossoming fully.
Yesterday in Vienna there was quite a lot of snow. In the morning around 5 AM I was somehow awake and noticed looking outside through the blinds that it was somehow brighter. I went to the window to look outside and as I had thought it was snowing. The opposite rooftop was already covered in white and large snowflakes were falling. The sky had a dim white colour and seemed to have much more snow which could have been sent down on us. In the afternoon the snow stock apparently got low and subsided and so I went out to get some groceries. In some parts the snow had already melted and it was not difficult to walk. The mood in the city was somehow different than usual. Since I come from a warmer region of Japan, snow is always something special for me. No matter how many times I experience it, together with the cold air I get a fresh feeling.
Behind this tree to the right there is “Haus des Meeres”. That is an aquarium. To the left there is “Apollo Kino”. Due to the lockdown, both are closed right now.
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