Morning 5:30 in the hut

It's 5:30am. Just a moment ago, everything was beautifully quiet. Until the first hikers decided to have their sunrise breakfast right under our window. Now I'm awake. And I can also write a few lines for the blog. It's about time. We've been here for almost a week now. Time itself would have been there. There is plenty of time up here. But I haven't had the leisure yet because I'm still unhappy with the overall situation 😉 and the atmosphere up here affects me. A new experience up here. However, I would have wished for it to be different.
The sun has now appeared like a red ball in front of our window. The hiking group is exchanging coffee and stories. Hopefully they've at least hiked up here. In good weather, there is often activity early in the morning: hikers, cyclists, joggers, and unfortunately also motorists, as there is an excellently built road leading up to the 1700 meters of the Hochwechsel right in front of the hut door. You have a nice all-around view and, if necessary, a distant view, to the Neusiedlersee in the east and to the higher Alps in the west. Overall, it is still quite flat and the meadows are already brown due to lack of water. The hut is old, not beautiful from the outside, but kept in the typical old simple hut wood romance on the inside.
Many day guests come here, from the surrounding area, hikers from the surrounding alpine pastures, mountain bikers and downhill experts, seniors with crutches and dogs... Unfortunately, the hut is poorly integrated into a long-distance hiking system, so only a few hikers come here to spend the night.
Oh, now it has become quiet outside again. The sun is shining bright yellow in the sky, the group has probably continued their hike into today's holiday. Can someone bring me a coffee and a roll to bed for writing now!? That would be nice, but it's the wrong approach: guests here are only served individually in exceptional cases and there are a variety of expected behaviors. They are partly due to the logic and logistics of mountain huts, and partly incomprehensible to me. When it comes to hospitality and service orientation, the landlady's ideas and mine diverge. She paints the picture of an impossibly demanding and stingy guest who needs to be put in their place and educated a bit more ('The worst are the Viennese who order latte macchiato in high heels'). Actually, I find all the guests quite nice and uncomplicated so far (and so far I have not encountered high heels or Porsches, and I haven't had to count any asshole surcharges at the cash register either).
On Saturday and Sunday, we explored the area a bit, visited surrounding huts and "Schwaigen" (a Styrian dialect for alpine pastures) and watched the hustle and bustle in the hut. Since Monday, we have been working in service and kitchen, making the beds, cleaning the toilets,... Looking back, I am doubly grateful for how we were involved in the work on the farm and in the burger restaurant. There is no training concept here, but many fixed ideas of perfectionist proportions about how things should be done, which we try to figure out. Independent or thoughtful work is only partially desired. And honestly, it's really difficult for me, and it's not fun. (neither the perfectionism nor the holding back and not thinking). And the atmosphere of many unspoken expectations and behavioral patterns is very exhausting for me.
Two things that I want to remember for everyday life and normal work: trusting people to do things and letting them do them (differently from me)! And: reopening images that you have made of people (Not all guests are Viennese and not all young adults are annoying stoners). And questioning and breaking up the rules and "educational measures" that have been established based on experience with a few individuals (Not all guests steal the laundry hanging outside and there may be residents at WundA who can manage well without a visit ban!?).
Small insights for everyday life are already great in a sabbatical year! But I don't like being in an error-unfriendly atmosphere here, and I miss the nice communal part of the work team, as we know it from other huts or from other work experiences (e.g. enjoying delicious and generous meals together). I often feel like second-class staff here.
We suspected it. The Facebook page already gave a little insight. But we didn't have any other options. Since last autumn, we have applied to about 50 huts: the time period is too short, too little experience, too old, too much of a two-person team! Even now, I couldn't bear the situation without taking action myself. I contacted the DAV and the OeAV. Checked all the new job postings: no chance: the time period is too short, too little experience, too old, too much of a two-person team!
I was actually looking forward to the hut time very much. But this is not quite the fulfillment yet! Despite the beautiful sunrise, now with mountain peace and soft cowbell ringing.