So We Dance...

Yesterday was pretty mellow for the most part. The family I'm living with is spending a week in Italy while I take my German class in Vienna. Lounged around most of the day and went for a bike ride around my town of Perchtoldsdorf-14,000 people or so-which is smaller than San Jose State University I think. On my bike ride found pretty vineyards and sunflower farms.Tried to do some grocery shopping but I guess yesterday was a saints holiday of some sort, thankfully the local ice cream shop was open so I stopped in to have a scoop of Nutella ice cream.

Later in the evening went out dancing with a couple of girls. We had so much fun! However, it appeared that Passage was having a black and white themed party and I so happened to show up in a red dress...That night I became known as that girl in the red dress. Oh my! The club didn't get busy until around 1am. That just seems so late because back home everything closes at 2am! I'm not sure what time things acutally close and break down here, haven't stayed til the bitter end yet.

We left the disco a little after 5am and began our journey home. The trains start running gain at 5:30am, most of them anyways. I learned that my train doesn't arrive until about 6:45am. Awesome! Finally got on my train and took it 20minutes south. Arrived at the Perchtoldsdorf Station only to hop on my bike and proceed to bike home about 8 minutes in my red dress, heels, and frizzy hair. Arrived home tired yet fufilled and most unfortunately slept away most of a beautiful summer day.

And They Call me Crazy...

Lets see updates...

Today was full of many surprises, to summarize: dropping the showerhead in my bathroom and discovering the many pieces I can't engineer back together, syncing and accidentally clearing all my songs on itunes, missing my train, exploding mineral water in my bag, losing my umbrella, forgetting a rain jacket, missing another train.

Highlights: Getting to class on time, having a great melange coffee in ritzy cafe in Vienna, making plans with nice girl from Japan to help her with English and learn some Japanese, meeting a new friend who's an au pair from Mexico, making snowboarding trip plans, making it home before more rain and mellowing out to a bowl of ice cream and cheap Italian wine.

It all comes down to a universal toaster...

Alright so yesterday I woke up early so as to catch the 8am train so I could brush up on my German lessons and have a croissant paried with a cappuccino. Get to my class in Vienna a good 30 minutes early, only to find there is no class on fridays. Spent the next hour wandering around the centre and getting lost and finding myself and lost again... Luckily found a Starbucks and paid double what I would back home, sad story. That said, this Starbucks is by far the nicest Starbucks I've ever been to. Its two stories and full of windows outlooking the bustling streets of Vienna .

Close to 1pm met a girl and her friends at the city bike lots and got my bike pass, unlimited bike rentals forever for just $1. Fantastic! The four of us girls trolled around Vienna and rode thru parks and streets. Met my English clumsy match, Emma. Emma was most unfortunate to select a bike that did not have any brakes that work. She wound up crashing head on into another person on a bike. The rest of us found it funny!

Went home and had lunch with the family and Monika had her friend over. We painted our very own t-shirts. Its funny because Monika has to say everything twice, once in German to her friend and once in English to me. Its funny because our laughs are also spread out and whoever laughs first gets to anticipate the laugh of the other.

Around 7pm took the bike out to ride to the station to go out to Vienna! My aloof self wasn't

paying attention to where I was headed and ended up very lost out by some vineyards...I'd never even seen a single vineyard prior to this. Rode around started to get nervous because it was getting dark and I didn't even know how to get back to the house. I rode all the way up this hill came up to a red light, yielded on my bike and continued thru. Apparently, redlights are not yields for bikes. I got pulled over by the polizie, lights and everything. Two police got of their car and said nothing but opened the rear car door. I thought they were going to arrest me and take me away. They put on their official hats and started talking to me in German...they were out of luck there. I explained to them that I was very lost and had no idea what I had done. They asked me where I was staying and they couldn't understand my interpretation with how the street would be pronounced. Eventually they let me go without a ticket and directed me toward the trainstation. Onward with the night!

We started the night around 9:15pm at a local pub had a few drinks and went a few other places,including a karaoke bar. As I have said I will jump out of a plane before I will go up and sing Karaoke, this still remains true. This was a funny lively place where Austrians were singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody, Summer Lovin' from Grease, and even a High School Musical song. After Karaoke we went to this outside bar place that was pretty fun, then went in and danced. The club closed at 4am and we taxied over to Emmas flat in Vienna.

I can't believe that was all in one day!

Today has been full of a mellow vibe. The family left to a bbq somewhere and left me to the house. I'm very hungry and usually the mom fixes something for lunch. (which is their big meal here.) Everything in their fridge needs to be cooked. My lazy self decided to just eat some bread. Finally mustered the motivation to cook up some noodles only to realize their stove is completely foreign to me, and I have no idea how to turn it on. Think to microwave something...there isn't one. Found a toaster and discovered that toasters are universal, some dials are different but the bread goes down the same. Made some toast with Zint and Zucker, Cinnamon and Sugar.

Vienna State Oper House and More Ice Cream

Today was a class field trip to the Vienna State Oprah House. Half of the place was destroyed by a bomb during the second world war. The front however is the original artwork from 140 years ago or so. The building is rich with history and beautiful scupltures and impressions. The guided tour allows you to see the room in which the emporer himself spent his time during intermissions. It is not open to the public, but one may rent the room during intermission for a mere 500 euro/20 minutes. That seems a little pricey to me...

I also successfuly navigated myself thru the Austrian system of transportation and its system of districts. I live in Perchtoldsdorf, the first district South of Vienna. It is a beautiful town built about 500 years ago. According to Wiki:


"constructed during Babenberg rule, while the region was part of the March of Austria, to defend newly conquered territories on behalf of the Ottonian
and Salian emperors.The Duchess Beatrix established a hospital in 1407, now
demolished, and an attached church which still survives.The conflict between
Frederick III and Albert VI started an unstable period in the region. In 1446,
many homes in the town were burned during the invasion of John Hunyadi, the
regent of Hungary. During this time, the castle was occupied by various rival
forces, including mercenaries of the King of Hungary from 1477 until 1490
when Maximilian I reestablished Habsburg control over the area. This
turbulent period interrupted the construction of the Peel tower which started in
1450 and was finished about 1521. This tower and other fortifications permitted a successful defense of the city against the Turkish troops during the Siege of Vienna in 1529. But, a later
Turkish assault on 16 July 1683 before the Battle of Vienna effectively destroyed the town, and many residents were killed or enslaved."

Very much loving Austria and the way of life here. The Nutella ice cream is one of the best things in my life and the family here is so nice and welcoming. It seems to be simple and beautiful. I do miss the warm beaches of Hawaii and being able to strike up a conversation with any stranger. :)

6 planes, 4 time zones, 2 days

Goodbye Maui, Hello from Austria!

I have no idea what time it is, and have learned how relevant time is. I've been through 4 time zones in 2 nights. My brain is so boggled and confused, but at peace.

My journey of 6 planes United Airlines and LOT Polish air, (2 red eye flights) and numerous amounts of shuttles and trains has been surprisingly plesant. I have been blessed with graceful and fortunate timing. That is, I've been arriving in one city with just a comfortable amount of time to have some coffee, find my gate, relax a few minutes and continue on to the next leg of my journey.

It is rougly 16:40 and my plane to Vienna is at 17:25. I believe that is less than an hour. Poland is a nice small airport. I wouldn't say the strangers are friendly though I wouldnt particularly say they were unfriendly. I wish I spoke Polish.

I smell. No shower in 2 days and a lot of walking, lifting, rolling, sitting...no real bed in 10 days or so. Funny thing, I don't mind. Well, perhaps I could do without the smelling. I feel like I should just buy a magazine in Polish and pretend I'm reading it. I am surprised how quickly my planes and lay-overs have taken me. I suppose that is because I'm really in no hurry to be anywhere and its all so new to me!