Day 9: Shades Tour, Victor Frankl, and Hundertwasser Village

Today’s was a thought provoking day.

Shades Tour
Prior to today, my feelings towards homelessness were somewhat undefined. I was aware of all sides of it— the legitimate reasons and the not-so-legitimate reasons (ex: the small percentage of stereotypical drug dealers/addicts). I know that many people have strong prejudices against homeless people based on the idea that they COULD be drug addicts... but I’ve never really felt that way. I’ve never really known a struggle— I have never wondered where my next meal would come from, never wondered where I would sleep (except when everyone was lagging on making Munich plans... hello guys??? just kidding— we got a hotel and i’m pumped!), etc. Because of this, it’s difficult for me to put myself in the shoes of someone who has lost everything. Not that I don’t try, but I will admit, it can be challenging. 

The Shades tour, given by a woman who is/was homeless (not sure of her current status), made that a little easier. She started off reminding us of the major ways that people become homeless... losing jobs, losing family providers, becoming mentally or physically ill, drug/alcohol addiction, etc. Our guide once owned a company, but had lower quality health insurance because of her self-employment (paying 20% of chemotherapy costs— which is still better than the 100% she would’ve payed in the US, but still an astronomical amount of money). She ended up selling her company and coming out without any debt, but was still stuck with paying large medical bills. Long story short, she ended up in Vienna’s homelessness program, and eventually found work through the Shades organization. Hearing her story reminded me that not all homeless people have done something to “deserve” that fate, and compassion compels me to say that even if they have, we all deserve the right to fulfill our basic needs.

Many of us were taken aback by the liberties denied to the homeless population in the United States. In Vienna, they have an AMAZING housing program for their homeless population that allows individuals to work their way through from a transitional housing situation (a shared apartment, sort of) to eventually owning “flat,” where they pay rent and can stay there for the rest of their lives. I don’t quite remember the numbers, but there are housing buildings scattered throughout the city, some in every district, to avoid the formation of “ghettos,” or class-based lines. In America, homeless women fear prosecution (?) and the loss of her children. This forces homeless women into the shadows and prevents process. In Vienna, all children are housed though their housing program, and women do not fear the loss their children or being arrested. 

Lunch Thoughts
During lunch, we sat outside in the first district. I could hardly enjoy it, however, despite its deliciousness (it was like a tiny homemade pizza. Yum!), because of the thick cloud of smoke around our table coming at us from all directions. There was even a woman casually holding her cigarette down next to a baby sitting innocently in a stroller at a table next to us... In the colloquial language of the trip... I was shook. I thought about how energy efficient the people of Europe have been so far, and how contradictory it seemed that so many people would pollute the air so frequently and without a care in the world. We have a joke among the students... America does two things right. Cigarettes and dental hygiene.


Victor Frankl
Hundertwasser Village

The Victor Frankl museum was so cool! He was a unique and inspiring man. It reminded me the importance of approaching life with positivity, optimism, and resiliency. 

My favorite part of today was visiting Hundertwasser Village in Vienna. It was colorful, interesting, and had a cool history behind it. In the book I purchased as a souvenir, I read a quote from the artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, that said "The Straight Line is Godless." At first I thought, wow, I love that! Then I remembered my personal photography style... which is dedicated to symmetry, order, and straight lines. Ha! Yet, somehow, I was in love with the village!