Life in Graz
I spent the second half of 2024 in the second largest city in Austria: Graz. Not only was it my first time living outside India, but it was also my first time living independently outside a university campus, and my first time living in a much colder climate. It has been a few months since I've left it behind and lately I've been missing it. So I think it is a great opportunity to pen down my experience.
The city was small, much smaller compared to every city that I've lived in and I quite liked this form factor. It surprised me that one could easily run across the city in about an hour. The public transport was extensive and functional but a tad bit slow. Since the city is also bikable, I mostly found my way around on a crappy bicycle that I purchased for seventy-five euros. To my slight dislike, I observed more cars and traffic than I expected from a bikable European city. Fortunately, the rules seemed to be pedestrian and cyclists first.
I lived in a shared apartment a 5-minute bike ride away from the centre of the city (calling it downtown sounds disrespectful). Finding an apartment online was slightly difficult since I was going to stay only for six months and contracts are often handed out for a year or two at least. With a lot of luck, I found a perfect new home.
An immediate change that is observable is the lifestyle is very systematic compared to the chaotic one in India. A lot of thought is given to designing the systems that intertwine with the daily lifestyle. Contrasting to that, systems often emerge organically in India, often only when there is a necessity for it, leading to a lifestyle that revolves around patches and hotfixes. I was surprised that the key to my apartment worked on the mailbox, cellar, garage door, and all the main gates to the building. At my home, I have countless locks that come with a cluster of jingling keys. I never realized that such a small thing could create a huge improvement in the quality of my life. The traffic and pedestrian movement is synchronous in Graz with traffic lights governing how people move and more importantly people following the rules creating bursts of movement throughout the city. Compared to that, I would use the term asynchronous for India where entities (or agents) look at their local surroundings and make the most optimal decision locally. It leads to more efficient but unsafe movements. One of the most important behaviours that I learnt and that is going to stick with me forever is waste segregation: separate bins for plastic, paper, metal, glass and organics. It makes life easier for those who are recycling and it assists in tracking how much plastic you're using on a day-to-day basis. Every week, the sound of the waste falling into the correct bin gave me satisfaction in participating in something larger. The winters in Graz came with a warming surprise: thick, insulated walls and centralized heating that give life to the term "room temperature". Upon my return to India, I had to huddle under layers of blankets and wait for them to get warm, making me realize how much Graz had spoiled me.
A big event that I looked forward to was the Graz Marathon in October. I had planned to train and run my first half-marathon in Graz. I did not expect the festive vibes at the event. Naturally, there were a lot of runners. Additionally, a big part of the city had gathered in the centre of the city and along the running route with the sheer purpose of cheering the runners. In India, crowds gather for festivals, protests, and celebrations; but never to witness ordinary people pushing their limits. It was a cultural shock to me that so many folks are willingly leaving their household chores to come and support others. I also found it ironic that the event has always been sponsored by the local beer company.
If there is something that is common between India and Europe, it is the connectivity between so many diverse cities through trains and buses. The big difference is that most of them actually run on schedule (except for Germany from what I hear). There is rail access to a plethora of cities around, all having different languages and cultures, making travel a common convenient hobby for many. But here is something that baffles me: where are the overnight trains? Sleeper berths are India's travel lifeline: you board at night, and wake up in a new city, saving both time and money. But in Europe, the stations literally shut down at night, as if the continent collectively decides that they have travelled enough for the day.
The city breathes fitness. Every person that I met was involved in some sort of sport. Every evening, people can be spotted running, cycling, or playing football or tennis. It is quite difficult not to get swept up in it when you're surrounded by them. The situation in India is quite the opposite. For most, exercise is a privilege because survival itself is exhausting. I found myself touching new heights in my running stats, something that I truly didn't imagine I would manage to do, thanks to the supportive environment that Graz provided.
Graz redefined 'ease of living' for me in many ways. I loved the presence of a grocery store every half a kilometer and my friends knew how much I adored my local Spar. As I am stepping into the adult phase of my life, I admit that I have started to enjoy shopping at grocery stores and the convenience of them in Graz is unmatched... until you find out that they all are closed after 7 PM and on Sundays and public holidays. It was a bit strange that grocery stores weren't open during non-office times, which is the busiest shopping time in India. The vegan revolution stunned me a little bit. In India, vegetarianism is an ancient tradition but in Graz, it seemed to be a climate-conscious rebellion. Quite a lot of the younger folks that I met practised veganism or vegetarianism. It increases my hope of seeing a sustainable future ahead. Graz is also immensely safe. I have walked for hours in the middle of the night, on dimly lit roads without any care in the world: it felt liberating. An attempt to do this in any other continent could make you a statistic in the next annual report.
My social life in Graz was quieter - not colder, just different. There is a stereotype that Germans are very cold but I didn't observe it. People were polite, helpful and warm. The real barrier was not indifference, but language. I could talk to friends at University or at home in English but I found starting a conversation with someone that I had not been introduced to quite intimidating -- especially after a couple of failed attempts at conversing during my daily encounters at shops and stores. In India, socializing is effortless: due to similar struggles, issues, and experiences, there is an unspoken understanding that embeds itself in any conversation and spans across languages. However, this barrier that existed is only a temporary one which can be broken by intensively studying and learning the smoothly flowing Austrian German. Since I was a temporary visitor, I let myself off the hook.
An observation that was not difficult to make was how informed everyone was politically. People care about what is going on locally, at a national level and at the continental level. Many conversations found their way back into political decisions and the stances of different parties. As someone who is mostly apolitical and does not know much about what is going on in their own country, it was difficult to follow and retain myself in the passionate over-the-coffee-or-beer (depending on the time of the day) discussions. However, I remember one thing that no one ever failed to mention: Graz was the only city led by a communist party in capitalist Austria.
Austria doesn't hustle. Society lives peacefully because they have already won at life. Most people are content with their 40-hour weeks and guaranteed vacation times. Students aren't frantic and competing just to find a job as almost all professions ensure a simple and stable life. On the contrary, India (and also the US) runs on desperation. You have to hustle to outrun poverty and work around the shortcomings of the failing system. While other folks are racing towarde a better life, Austrians have already won it: the finish line was the comfort of affordable and quality healthcare, education, transport, food and housing. Comfort, however, is an addiction, something that I cannot afford to develop at this stage of my life.