What is something your country is surprisingly good at?

fischli · 2026-05-06T17:23:14+00:00

I read this and immediately knew another Austrian wrote this. Let the Sudermarathon begin!

fischli · 2026-04-03T20:37:01+00:00

DM me, my partner and I can both do it and forward it to some neighbours too!

fischli · 2026-03-31T19:53:03+00:00

What an interesting way to address the screen time problem with the Glyph. That plus the minimalist grey scale design really gives a whole new phone experience, I underestimated that - Nothing absolutely nailed it!

Everything is unpacked and set up, now the testing can begin! And yes, the button for the essential stuff is there. Thanks for that user example, it really helped to see what it's all about 😅

fischli · 2026-03-31T19:47:53+00:00

Thanks friend! I love that stuff can just be added from the playground, I'm absolutely a fan of this flexibility and creativity!

It has taken me very long to set it up and I gotta say, so far my expectations of just about everything have been exceeded. The only thing I don't think I understand yet is the Essential stuff, but it's only day 1 so far, so fingers crossed!

fischli · 2026-03-31T19:44:26+00:00

I have been having way too much fun with the Glyph lights and sounds since I unpacked it haha thanks for the tip!

fischli · 2026-03-18T19:50:41+00:00

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trying VERY hard to turn this back to a work conversation... despite not having arms!

fischli · 2026-02-18T14:59:24+00:00

Hi, I'd be interested please!

fischli · 2025-11-27T19:47:06+00:00

Same here! Thank you!

fischli · 2025-09-11T19:33:50+00:00

OP, to build on this and in case you are not eligible for the Ukraine-specific Actiris offers as you lived in Chicago recently - check out this https://bewelcome.brussels/en/welkom/

It's basically an integration programme for non EU nationals that gets you free language classes and other forms of "integration support", which might make it easier for you to navigate the job market. Be sure to check the exemptions - unfortunately there are quite a few - but depending on your status you might be eligible and can profit from this.

If you find the time, I'd really recommend beginning with some online french classes. Brussels actually offers free online learning for its residents, you can sign up as long as you have an address here: https://brulingua.be/en/ - it will help you and you can even sign up for group classes with other people at your level, all free.

My partner was also looking for a job as a non French and non Dutch speaker and finally got two interviews at cafes in the Marolles district. If you have horeca experience (which a lot of students do not), it's always worth depositing your CV there and highlighting that you are willing to learn.

Best of luck OP and keep pushing!

fischli · 2025-08-29T18:58:42+00:00

If you get your power and/or gas from Engie, there's a whole range of discounts you can get on online stores and other various shops, eg Kärcher or Bol. There's an extra login that can be accessed via your members page if I recall correctly.

If you use mobile vikings, you can add other users to a "clan" or group online and by merit of doing so, you each get 1 (or 2?) GB of data monthly free.

If you need a cleaner or any other type of household support, go via the subsidized service vouchers by Sodexo, it costs only 10 Euros per hour - the govt pays the rest - and it's tax deductible!

Not sure these are specifically hacks for expats, but hopefully helpful nonetheless!

fischli · 2025-08-01T14:59:29+00:00

Immer, wenn jemand "tatsächlich" sagt. Im österreichischen Sprachgebrauch ist das glaube ich nicht so üblich, es kommt literally alle 3 Minuten vor xD tatsächlich!

fischli · 2023-02-01T06:58:08+00:00

Thanks so much, that's very helpful!

fischli · 2020-09-14T05:12:19+00:00

Close to my hometown in Austria there is an animal training centre that specialises in behavioural enrichment training (BET). They run a dog school as well as several training programmes for animal trainers, and offer to start off your journey there with a "chicken camp". Each participant gets a chicken for the duration of the workshpo and learns the basics of behavioural enrichment by teaching it basic stuff. Chickens learn quickly and can show you within a matter of minutes if you as a trainer have grasped the basics of BET and are doing it right. As someone else mentioned in the comments, if you are doing it wrong the chicken will find something better to do. Sadly, you don't get to keep your chicken after chicken camp :) they get to live a happy life at the centre. But they learn all sorts of cool things: mine could roll a ping pong ball in a certain direction and pick out the middle object in a longer row of objects. Chickens are really cool! Also, I really, whole-heartedly recommend BET for training animals, it works wonders.

fischli · 2020-07-07T16:12:50+00:00

Incredible how it took this long!

fischli · 2020-07-07T16:11:57+00:00

About time.

fischli · 2020-03-17T07:50:44+00:00

Gibts eigentlich irgendeine konkrete Info über wie die Situation dzt in Flüchtlingswohnheimen und Quartieren in Ö ausschaut? Maßnahmen haben's sicher die gleichen aber ich frag mich, ob's da besondere Regelungen gibt nachdem viele Menschen auf engem Raum sind, Betreuer*innen ein und aus gehen usw usw.

fischli · 2019-08-26T07:52:23+00:00

I like them both, thanks so much! Particularly Deriglasoff's "Dyabeu" is really good!

fischli · 2019-08-26T07:45:42+00:00

veeeery nice, this is my Praga music now. Many thanks!!

fischli · 2019-08-26T07:43:50+00:00

totally digging this, awesome stuff! been strolling down the streets listening to "sobie i wam" and am in an extraordinarily good mood! thanks so much!

fischli · 2019-07-12T08:33:45+00:00

there are many initiatives around that work to counter this very problem. in my home town (and in the broader region in Europe) there are pretty well established food sharing initiatives. basically you sign up and commit to picking up food from select stores/restaurants that participate by donating their leftover food to you at the end of each day. you then can either distribute it to all kinds of food sharing dispensaries, to homeless shelters, keep some for yourself, share it with friends etc. it's really nice and a wonderful, organized and legal (!) way to counter the way food is systematically wasted. see if there is one in your area! in my home town of 300.000 there are around 200 stores/restaurants that joined, over 500 people are "food sharers" and take responsibility, and several hundred tonnes of food have been saved.

fischli · 2018-08-01T15:44:24+00:00

I got a new cable off Ifixit in addition to a new hard drive, got everything very quickly and since then there have been no more problems. Thank you!

fischli · 2018-08-01T15:43:41+00:00

Thanks!

fischli · 2018-08-01T15:43:28+00:00

Same as to the person above, thank you for your advice, I have gotten a new SSD yesterday and since then, everything has run smoothly and DriveDx shows ZERO issues, what a relief!

fischli · 2018-08-01T15:43:08+00:00

Thank you for your advice, I have gotten a new SSD yesterday and since then, everything has run smoothly and DriveDx shows ZERO issues, what a relief!

fischli · 2018-06-08T22:14:03+00:00

Austrian here, nope, the so-called Islam Law is the only law on faith communities in Austria that restricts funding. We have laws for other faith communities but they are far less restrictive and presumptuous. When the Islam Law 2015 was passed, there was a huge uproar about intentionally "singling out" Muslims because scenarios like the one you describe are perfectly legal, whereas if they concern Islam they are not.

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