What cultural differences (from Austria, from the US, from another culture you know) have you experienced in Italy? How does this involve language, technology, values, beliefs and/or norms? Speculate on the reasons behind these differences.
While in Venice, Italy I noticed many cultural differences compared to Vienna, Austria. The first cultural difference I noticed was that Venetians take more time to enjoy life at a slower pace compared to Viennese culture. In Vienna, the hotel breakfast typically started at 6:30 am; however, in Venice, the hotel breakfast started much later at 8:00 am. Therefore, after realizing this difference in norms I speculate that Venetians are much more focused on the enjoyment of life rather than the objectives of life. Rather than placing emphasis on time and the objectives of the day like Viennese culture, Venetian culture emphasizes the joys of life such as food and family. Another reason why Venetians wake up much later than the Viennese culture is likely due to the tide in Venice. The tide in Venice is generally at its highest early in the mornings and therefore Venetian culture has historically been accustomed to waking up much later in order to avoid the possibility of walking through flooded areas. Although in most recent years floods have been less prominent with the advancement of technology, I believe that Venetian culture has been historically accustomed to waking up later due to the tide.
In addition to the difference between Viennese and Venetian culture regarding the timing of the day, another cultural difference I have noticed involves dining etiquette norms. While in Vienna, I noted that the Viennese culture is very quiet while dining compared to Venetian culture. When I went out to eat with friends in Vienna I noticed that we were the loudest ones in the restaurant. However, when I went out for dinner with friends in Venice we surprisingly fit in despite the noise coming from our table. This realization led me to speculate that Venetians are typically louder than the Viennese because they tend to dine with their family rather than friends or business associates. In Vienna, I rarely saw families eating out with one another and mainly only saw friends or business associates dining with one another. However, in Venice, I saw numerous families dining and laughing while speaking to one another. I believe that the dining etiquette norms in Vienna are culturally different than Venice because family and food are very closely correlated with one another more so in Venetian culture rather than Viennese culture.
This photo was taken from Google and the proper citation is below. This photo is a couple years old but it shows that the high tide in Venice's mornings makes it very difficult for people to navigate the city and live everyday life. Although there are current technological systems that prevent Venice from flooding, I speculate that the high tides in the city have historically accustomed Venetians to wake up later in the day.
Citation: "Venice under water as high tide takes canal city by surprise" by Wanted in Milan, https://www.wantedinmilan.com/news/venice-under-water-as-high-tide-takes-canal-city-by-surprise.html.
This photo was taken when Erin, Becca, and I went out for dinner in Venice, Italy. We were worried about being too loud especially in a family owned restaurant. However, we were very surprised when the restaurant got loud enough to the point that I couldn't hear them speak without yelling to me. This was a big transition from Viennese culture in which they're typically quiet during meals. In the background of this photo one is able to see large families dining with one another. I speculate that the correlation between family and food is a reason for why Venetians are generally much louder than the Viennese culture during meals. Typically one is louder with the people they feel comfortable with.
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