Settling in

I just came to the realization that as of today, I have now been outside of the US for the longest time in my life.  That's a scary thought, and if I hadn't counted the days, I wouldn't have believed it.  In high school, I was abroad for three weeks with a student travel program, yet those three weeks felt more like three months because they were so packed with activities.  

Instead, the three weeks in Vienna have seemed commonplace almost.  Lots of exciting things have happened, and my time here has definitely been busy, but I have also been able to settle in and make this place a home.  I'm comfortable here, and I feel as if I know my way around fairly well.  Point me to a U-bahn anywhere in the city, and I can find my way home.  Let me see the rooftops of the Oper or the Secession building and I'll find my way from there. Yesterday, just for kicks, I walked home a different way and found a great collection of Asian shops, including a Japanese tea room that I will have to check out in the near future.  Additionally, many of the grocery stores have American brands (Campbells, Heinz, Mars...) so those familiar tastes will be there if I ever do feel homesick.  Unlike England, Austria also has normal salad dressings, and I've found one that tastes like a Caesar-- es schmeckt mir gut!  And the whole hubbaloo about not being able to get peanut butter in Europe?  A myth!  I've found multiple brands of creamy and chunky, plus a lot of Nutella of course.  

It doesn't feel like I've been here for three weeks... it feels like I've only just arrived, and yet that I've been here forever.  :)

In other news, I had Turkish coffee for the first time today.  Came on a lovely golden platter, with the cezve and even my own Turkish delight!  Very delicious, but I was concerned that I was drinking it improperly or something, as the Ober kept staring at me.  ^_^

Intensive German finals start tomorrow with orals, and then written on Friday.  Eek!

The Politics of Memory

Noticed this article on the NY Times and was intrigued, especially as I will be traveling to Deutschland in less than a week: Germany Confronts Holocaust Legacy Anew

Even in Austria, a country that was not directly responsible and thus got off lightly for the events of WW2, there is at times a  similar sentiment.  There are memorials throughout the city not only to famous generals and Habsburgs, but also to victims of the Holocaust and WW2.  After all, Hitler was Austrian by birth.   

Just some things to think about.

Our center is offering a class on the study of the Central & Eastern European Jews, their struggles and conflicts; I like my course schedule, but I'm disappointed that I won't be able to take this class.

The internet has been very fickle lately (both at the apartment and at the student center), so apologies if I am not in touch.  Additionally, I am finding myself focusing increasingly more attention on the election; it's frustrating though that I'm on a different continent and can't do anything but read blogs and articles.  Also, I'll be traveling on Feb 5, and probably won't have internet access for almost a week after that big day!  :(

Coffee Houses

I think my last post satisfied the quota for pretentiousness. After all, who can resist a short brag to make one's self feel sophisticated? I suppose I did leave out the detail that that café reminded me of a diner, so of course I felt right at home. ^_^

The Viennese love their Kaffeehäuser, and it is no exaggeration to say that you can find a café on every corner (some are just better than others).

A personal photo of one of my favorite haunts--the Café Sperl.

The History (oder "Die Geschichte des Wiener Cafés"):
Coffee was first brought to Vienna by the Turks--the invaders! The second time that they besieged the city, the Turks fled before the Habsburg army and left their bags of coffee beans behind (1684 AD). The Viennese were rather bewildered by what these strange bags were, but after some experimentation, they discovered the wonders of Kaffee. A Polish general is said to have opened the first coffee house in Vienna, and since then it's been tradition. [Wikipedia's more extensive version]

There's coffee houses of all shapes, sizes, and styles. There's the over-priced touristy ones in the first district, there's the artsy and literary houses in the 8th and 9th districts, there's the famous ones that have been around for centuries, and there's the relatively new ones that are off-the-beaten-path and just waiting to be discovered. At all though, you are expected to sit and savor your coffee; while in the US we might only take a few minutes to sit with a cup of coffee or tea (if we sit at all!), the Viennese take their time, engaging in intense conversations or reading the newspaper or writing summer internship essays... for hours on end.

The fin-de-siecle architecture of the more laid-back Café Rüdigerhof

The Menu:
Many will have house specialties, but there are certain things you will find at any good Viennese coffee house:

-Melange- my favorite (rivaled only by the Schokolade-Latte, but not many places seem to have that). This Viennese specialty is like a cappuccino, but much better in my opinion. Here's the link to Wikipedia's explanation; sadly short though. It's also terribly disappointing that the first google search results I got for "Melange" was A) a fictional drug from Dune, and B) a geological formation.

-Brauner (großer or kleiner)- I believe that this is just your standard cup of black coffee, either large or small.

-Einspänner- about 1/3 espresso or coffee and 2/3 foam and whipped cream on top; it's an experience.

-Sachertorte- a chocolate cake (with fudgey icing and a smidge of marmalade), but really good chocolate cake. Invented by the Café Sacher (though its rival, Café Demel, also claims credit), this torte is now famous throughout the city and can be found in almost every coffee house; and for the most part, can only be found in Vienna. A must-try for any visitor.

-Apfelstrudel- another dessert for which Viennese coffee houses are famous--and well-deservedly! This flaky apple pastry is perfect for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, or dessert. Some days nothing pleases me more than a perfectly warmed apple strudel, with a flaky crust and fresh apples, topped with powdered sugar... mmmm!

-Topfenstrudel- Topfen might be best explained by comparing it to American cream cheese. Topfen, or "Quark" cheese, is a crucial ingredient to many Austrian desserts (including Topfenecken). Like Apfelstrudel, Topfenstrudel has many flaky layers of pastry and is filled with this delicious creamy cheese. In addition, it is often drizzled with a tasty vanilla sauce.

A good coffee house will serve a glass of water and a sweet with your coffee. The water serves many purposes; it is refreshing, it cleanses the palate so that you will savor your next sip of coffee more, and it is healthier to accompany coffee with water. [Viennese water is especially delicious, because it comes directly from the Alps-- no chemicals added!] Many coffee houses will serve your cup of coffee and glass of water on a small tray, accompanied by a small chocolate or cookie as the final flourish of taste.

I think that about covers it for now for Kaffeehäuser. Next week: Heurigen!

My photo of a typical melange inside the Sperl

Just a quick note to say hello!

Everything is sehr beschäftigt (very busy!) around here.  I'm currently sitting in a Coffee Shop on the corner, sipping my Melange and enjoying croissants mit marmalade... and working on summer internship applications.  Not as much fun as it sounds.  

I found out during class yesterday that last night was the last performance of Don Giovanni at the Oper.  Couldn't miss that, not with the excellent cast and cheap tickets.  It was my first time seeing Don Giovanni, and it was fantastic.  I'm loving the weeknight outings.  Tonight is James' jazz band gig somewhere near the Rathaus.  All of the students from my program are going out to support him.  Should be fun!

Now to work, and then to memorize my dialogue for the cafe.  Appropriate location.  Tschüss!

Orientation: Take 2 (pictures!)

(I'm working on resizing the pictures, but for now just click on each image to get the full view and full appreciation of them).

I'm amused that Blogger continues to have its entire main page in German for me.  At least I figured out what "anmelden" means now.  ^_^

Picking up where I left off...

Friday morning we had more orientation lectures, followed by our written German placement tests.  An essay, a dialogue, and reading comprehension.  Not too hard.  Later that afternoon we met in small groups with the coordinator to discuss our training and determine that we were in the right level.  Elementary II for me!

During the break that afternoon, I walked with Beth to town.  We didn't really know where we were going, but that made it more exciting.  We passed many typical Alpine homes, an old abandoned tavern, and more.  Near town, we found this cemetery: 

So beautiful.  Mariazell is a religious site and pilgrimage destination, so we saw countless shrines along the way.  After almost getting lost multiple times, we located the spires of the Basilica again in the distance and successfully made our way to the main streets of Mariazell. 

The inside of the basilica was even more lovely than the outside, and covered with intricate designs, golden altars, and huge brightly colored ceilings depicting scenes from the Bible and Austrian history.  The basilica was finished in the 1300s, but it recently underwent major renovations for the pope's visit last spring, to commemorate 850 years of Mariazell.  Afterwards, we wandered the shops nearby and met up with fellow students to take a tour of the schnapps factory.  Mariazell most famous for its miracle, but also for its gingerbread and schanpps (that fed and warmed the pilgrims after their long travels).  Unlike schnapps in the United States, authentic schapps are not sweeted with artificial flavors, but are made from herbs and intended for medicinal purposes (such as a stomachache after a big meal).  We only sampled small portions, but that's some pretty powerful stuff!

One last view of Mariazell (the basilika):

Saturday morning began with the stress of the housing lottery.  I lucked out that one of my friends was number 10, so my group got housed early on.  Our apartment is huge and in an excellent location.  Most people seem very happy with their housing, but I feel like we got the best of the best.

That afternoon, a group of us decided to go hiking.  There was a chapel high up on a hill right above the hostel, so we hiked up the old trails to it.  The chapel itself seemed locked up for the winter season, but its grounds provided an excellent view of the entire valley.  

After standing in awe and staring out across the vast landscapes for quite a while (and taking pictures of course!), we set off again to continue our hike on a nearby trail we had found.  This trail provided to wind along through the valley along the river.  The path was scattered with occasional shrines and tiny mountain streams from freshly melting snow.  Absolutely gorgeous.

I will leave you with this photo, from the view of the chapel:

Der Nussknacker!

I have just returned from my first experience with the Viennese Opera House. :)

The Opera offers an deals that make shows very accessible to students-- only 2 to 3.50€ (roughly $2.60-$5) for standing room tickets to see some of the best opera and ballet in the world. The opera house has a space on each level (from orchestra and up) in the center back reserved solely for theatre-goers who purchase these cheap tickets. They must be bought the day of, so for really good shows (such as Don Giovanni that opened Monday night with a world-famous cast) the lines for standing room tickets start hours and hours before the doors open.

I walk by the Opera daily and sometimes observe such lines. Tonight, a bunch of students from my program decided to take advantage of the deal to see the last performance of the Nutcracker. I don't think I've seen that ballet since 8th grade, but it was phenomenal. Add to that the fact that despite leaning on a railing for about 3 hours, we had one of the best views in the house (center orchestra!).

I'm going to have to take advantage of this deal often. Unfortunately, it means getting home sehr spät, and I have a lot of German homework waiting for me.


Sorry that I haven't been in touch at all! This week is very scheduled and crammed with German class, orientation activities, and trying to find time to get groceries and make food. By the weekend I'm hoping things will slow down more, and I'll be returning to AIM as soon as I can. Also, will finish the story of Mariazell. Till then, tschüss!

Orientation: Part 1

Grüß Gott, from Vienna!

I'm here at last, orientation is over, and I have internet access (though not often the time to enjoy it yet). It's been a crazy past few days.

My plane arrived last Thursday morning. We touched down as the city of Vienna began waking up... but of course my body clock felt like it was the middle of the night. After filing through customs, I was able to locate quite a few other students on my program (there must've been at least 20 of us on the same flight), and we banded together to find our way to the Westbahnhof (train station). Our program leaders weren't due to arrive there until at least noon, so we piled all of our luggage in a corner of the station and sat to wait. And wait. Hour by hour, more students arrived at the station dragging luggage and looking lost; we quickly realized that they were also studying abroad. Soon we had amassed a very formidable group. All in all, I sat in the Westbahnhof for six hours, and I nearly fell asleep multiple times (at this point, it felt like it was 4am and I had had next to no sleep). However, it was a good six hours to talk with other students and slowly try to get to know each other.

After the leaders arrived, we loaded the buses with luggage and people and headed up to Mariazell! Mariazell is a small town in the Alps that is the main pilgrimage site of the entire former Austro-Hungarian empire. It is famous for a miracle from the 12th century. Legend has it that a monk was traveling through the area to spread the Gospel to the people of the mountains. He had no weapon or defense with him, but only a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. Passing through a dangerous area, he was chased by robbers and was running for his life, but a great rock loomed in his way, blocking the path and with no easy way around. In desperation, he held up the statue and prayed to Mary. Suddenly the rock split in two, allowing him to pass through and escape. In thanks, he later returned to the region and set up a "cell" to Mary, from the middle of the split rock (thus, Mariazell = Mary cell). In later years (I believe finished around 1300), a basilica was built at the same location. Pilgrims still travel to the town to this day, even still on foot.

Though I did not walk all the way from Vienna to Mariazell, I can claim my own form of a small pilgrimage. The hostel where we stayed was in the valley, and a good 30-45 minute walk each way. But it was a beautiful area (pictures coming soon!) and I'm very glad that I never took the bus to town. There's something more savory and wholesome about experiencing it all... not just riding to town and seeing the basilica and walking through shops, but hiking up on the old trails, feeling the chill wind, smelling the freshness, and seeing the little things along the way.

I can't say that I did anything exciting the first night of orientation. We had a few introductory talks, and soon after I crashed (along with most of the other students). After more than 48 hours of little rest and jet lag, it was time to catch up on sleep.

...To be continued soon!

Wisdom from Billy Joel

(EST: 1:14am)

Tomorrow's the big day.  Just a few more hours and I'll be on a plane, soaring over the Atlantic.  

It's been a hectic night.  I've been preparing for weeks--making lists, running errands, gathering up all the little things I need.  And yet, as usual, everything seems to pile on at the end.  It's proving to be more of a challenge than I expected to pack two suitcases full of everything I'd need for a semester and yet to keep them under the 50lbs weight limit.  Needless to say, I'll just be getting many of the basics in Vienna.

It's slowly sinking in that I leave tomorrow.  The butterflies are multiplying.  Part of me is terribly excited and fascinated and thrilled that this dream is finally becoming a reality... but the other half is digging in her heels and screaming for a return to the fall semester or for time to stop.  It's a bad mix of nervousness and feeling like I didn't get enough accomplished up until this point to be ready.  Not true, but that's the feeling nonetheless.

A dear friend reminded me of this song today, and it was perfectly appropriate.  For that, it's now the official subtitle to this blog.  An excerpt of the lyrics are below:

Slow down, you crazy child
you're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart, tell me
Why are you still so afraid?

Slow down, you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight
Tonight...
Too bad but it's the life you lead
you're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong, you know
You can't always see when you're right. you're right

You've got your passion, you've got your pride
but don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you crazy child
and take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
it's all right, you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?


With luck, there will be no delays, and I should touch down in Österreich early Thursday morning. From there, I will be traveling directly to an orientation weekend in the Alps.  I will update this again as soon as I have reliable internet access.

Bis Später!