It was Saturday and I had planned a trip to the Natural History Museum in Vienna. Jamil, another friend of mine who is from Syria and Ali, one of his friends who would be able to translate, picked up the Iraqi family from the shelter while I picked up the Rasoul´s. Helz and Mohamad unfortunately did not join us but Shamse, Abdelaziz and Diar, the youngest, were ready to go. At their new temporary home, I handed them five print outs of the subway system in Vienna as well as self-made mini ID´s for each of them with their new home address, their names and the phone numbers of Eva, Stephan and me as well as the regular emergency phone numbers. I asked them to carry it with them at all times just in case if they should ever get lost, in case of an emergency or if problems should arise. My worst fear was for any of them to get lost in Vienna and that was something I wanted to prevent as good as possible.
We all met in front of the Volkstheater at 2:30 pm. Both families who used to live together in the Diakonie shelter for a week were happy to see each other again. We were a large group of nine people.
Upon arrival at the museum I asked if there was a reduced entry fee for refugees but there was none and Jamil and I payed for the entire group. Even though Children get free access to the museum, we ended up paying 75 Euros for all the tickets. I realized that I needed to write cultural institutions as refugees could not afford to pay 15 Euros per person for a visit to the museum and cultural activities were extremely important for a positive integration.
We spent a few hours in the museum. I showed them all the animals that one would eat in Austria: the pig, the deer, the octopus and many more and they showed me all the animals that were common to land on the dining table in Syria or in Iraq. We explored animals that would live in Iran and in Syria. It was fun to look for similarities. The children were extremely excited and ran around the museum. Both families were curious and explored everything with great interest. The architecture of the museum was awe-inspiring and the experience itself priceless.
After the museum, the Iraqi family, the Rasoul´s, Jamil, Ali and I took pictures. Jamil and Ali had to leave and get to work. I was unsure of how to handle the way home with both families living on opposite sides of the city but I was certain I would be able to come up with some solution. Worst case scenario I could always pay for a cab fare to get one family home and take the othe one by subway. Taking them by car at all times was not ideal as I wanted to encourage them to learn the subway system and be more independent.
We strolled through the Christmas market in front of the museum, glanced at the stallholders who offered handcrafted goods and inhaled the Christmas spirit. Shamse and Abdelaziz suddenly gave me a little bag with a gift. I told them that I could not accept any gifts but they insisted. The intensity with which a Middle Eastern national can insist is something one should not resist. I was afraid of insulting them by not accepting it and this was the least thing I wanted to do. I received a wonderful candle that they had purchased from the Christmas market. When and how remains a mystery.
We left the market and walked towards the subway station at our starting point Volkstheater. The Iraqis, who speak English, reassured me that they could find their way back to the shelter by subway. I gave them a subway plan, bought tickets for the transportation and we split. The Iraqis went one way and the Rasoul´s and I the other. I dropped the Rasoul´s off and received a message by the Iraqi´s that they had indeed arrived safe and sound.
We had a marvelous Saturday together and I was already planning future excursions with both families.
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