Due to popular demand, I figure that I should do a short write up about the company I am working for and what exactly I am doing. I am working for a bank called BAWAG P.S.K. Within the bank there are two separate entities, the BAWAG and P.S.K. A few years ago the two banks merged and are now considered to be one. The differences are that BAWAG is, and markets itself, as the bank for a richer customer. There is no difference in interest rates or loan policies, it just has a reputation of being that way. P.S.K. bank is not only a bank, but doubles as a post office. So basically you can go to any post office in Austria (I'm pretty sure) to buy a stamp or to take out a loan. P.S.K tries to market to a more 'Mr. and Mrs. Austria". Recently (about 3 years ago) a scandal happened involving the upper management of the bank and ruined its reputation. There is now an entire new management who have turned the bank around. They are trying to re-gain customer trust and attract new ones. This is where I come in.
I am working with the strategic marketing team, specifically in youth development. It has become my job to come up with new concepts for the integration of the youth website (www.b4-19.at) into BAWAG's. So far, I have been translating the articles and research (Google translate is my best friend) in order to understand what they have going on right now. The only thing that is worrying me is my North American perceptions and cultural norms. I am not used to having 'Flirting tips' on a bank website...
Now to more exciting things...
The biggest thing that I am having to adapt to is the non-existent smoking ban in Austria. Restaurants and bars have certain rules about where you can and can't smoke, but we all know that it just doesn't change anything. I came home last night smelling like an ashtray, something I haven't been used to since I was 18. The metro, or "underground", and office are two of the only places you are not allowed to light up a cigarette. Except for the lunch room at my office. They have these floor to ceiling glass walls that separate the two, extremely weird to see.
I am starting to plan my weekends a little bit more carefully. I am thinking of a trip to Berlin in mid-February to stay with a friend and then a ski trip to Innsbruck the next weekend, or possibly in March. Living with Hannah has made it so much easier to find out about things and deals. There is a card I can buy for 20 Euros and it gives me a 50% discount on all train travels. Not too bad, considering a round trip to Innsbruck would be 108 Euros.
I know this post isn't quite exciting... That's because I haven't seen too much yet. This is my tentative weekend travel schedule...
January 24 -- Vienna Sightseeing
January 31 -- Vienna
February 7 -- Bratislava, Slovakia
February 13-15 -- Berlin, Germany
I'll try to do monthly updates!!!
I forgot to add that I did see a little bit of my surroundings this weekend. I ventured out to see the neighbourhood. Right behind our apartment is something called the City Gardens. Because so many people live in apartments in Vienna, there is little space for people to have green spaces. Basically, there are semi-cottages crammed together with a small piece of grass. People even had above-ground pools. I am not sure if anyone lives in them permanently, but it is kinda like a jail for houses because they are all fenced in, with barbed wire on some of them. I tried to take some pictures but all the fencing and mesh on the fences made it somewhat difficult. The cool thing is that it is an area less than 5 acres in the middle of apartment buildings. Really cool. As soon as I can get my act together I will take pictures of my apartment and add them. Afterall, I am here for another 3 1/2 months... 
