The Wiener forest

Two weekends ago, we traveled to Vienna. By we, I mean Yaiza, Laurie, Jason, Stefan, and myself. Let's just say that the amount of people in the car made for quite a cosy ride. Stefan's car was the "little car that could," leaving us, well atleast myself, wondering if were going to be able to make it up that next mountain. So we arrived to Vienna in the most wonderful of weather: Windy, cold (let's say 0 degrees Celsius), and rainy. Welcome one and all!
Seeing as this was the first time that 3 people from our group had visisted Vienna, it was interesting to walk towards the major places, namely St. Stephans Dom. The awesome thing about this Dom is that you don't notice it until it's right in front of you. Hard for you to believe, I bet, but it's true. You just turn the corner and then BAM, it's there. It makes it all that more impressive. When we went in, we had the opportunity of hearing some wonderful music. A oratorio, or passion, from Haydn was playing (Stabat Mater) and it sounded so sweet in that church. I wanted to stay there until the glorious end, taking in the church and it's stained glass windows, and the echos, and the choir, and the orchestra, and the how all of this mixed into a wonderful exclamation for God. But no, we went to McDonald's. Praise Jesus?
That McDonald's saw more action from us than any other part of the city. We went there first to meet Stefan's friend from Bulgaria. He gave a mini-tour of the city as was possible, and at the end we made for a coffeeshop in downtown Vienna. The people there were total bitches. Noone smiled, noone was willing to help, and noone was willing to work. They acted as if we were in the way, and that we had no reason to be there. This makes sense how? After coffee we ended up back at McDonald's again, but this time for Abendessen. We ended up back there a couple of hours later, but this time we were trying to find our hostel.
The hostel adventure was quite....interesting. First of all, we had no idea where it was. Second, the public transportation had all but shut down by the time we went looking for it (1am!). The only thing that was running were the buses, and even then bus stops were so poorly marked, that if you walked by it, you could pretty much miss and not know it. SO, with no underground, we eventually did find a bus to take us to Hütteldorf, a town on the outskirts of Vienna, which is where, supposedly, are hostel is. So we arrive, get out, and are left alone in a place none of us has any familiarity with. Stefan calls the hostel, and they tell us to walk in the direction that the bus was driving, so we do this. They said that we would run into train station, and from there it would be easy to find the hostel. So we walk. and walk. and walk. Mind you, this is in the rain, wind, and cold. and at night. So we arrive at a train station, but it isn't the right one. Somehow we had pass the correct train station, and ended up in the outskirts of Hütteldorf, on the outskirts of Vienna, far from civilization. Plus, this is about 2-2:30 in the morning, and we are not the happiest of campers. So we hike it back in the opposite direction, flailing our limbs trying to hail a taxi. Eventually we get one, even though I flipped the guy off as he was driving by. He takes us to the right station, which was way out in the middle of nowhere IN the middle of nowhere, and we would have never found it had we been walking on our own. So from the station the journey is easy, but it is 3-3:30am and we are tired, cold, and wet. We get to the hostel at long last, kiss the ground in celebration, and then sleep.
In the morning, we wake up to hopefully have a good breakfast, as it was included in the hostel cost, and the main reason that we had forged on to get to this damned place. Turns out the breakfast is just bread, lots and lots of bread. The meat, cheese, and eggs you have to pay for it! and the coffee wasn't even any good, neither was the kakao. We ate anyways. But on the plus, we had the sunshine, and that was a plus. We spent the day at Schönbrunn, in the gardens, walking around in the sun, and happy to be not wet. Stefan even found a companion, Squirrely the squirrel. We ate lunch/dinner at this chinese resturant in which we were persuaded by an overly orderly staff. "Chinese buffet, you come in now. Chinese buffet, bitte." When a waitress came to take our plates, for example, she said "finished" as if it were an order, not a question. But it was still fine. We left Vienna, and I don't remember much of the car ride, mainly for the fact that I was incredibly tired, so I used the car to my advantage.
All in all, a very interesting journey to the capital of Austria.

When I get home

How will I ever be able to describe to ANYONE at home what has happened to me this past year? I don't think I could find the words, or the time, to do so.

Traveling in the land of Bier

So last week was break for me. well the last two weeks were, but I only had enough money to allow for one of those two. It was a great getaway from Klagenfurt. I went up to Munich and Cologne! I spent four days in each place, and got a chance to participate in Karneval (I think my spelling changes with each day. I like to combine english and german?)

Munich was a nice city. Not the most photogenic, I thought, as it didn't ever have that 'typical' shot in my mind. A person could photograph everything in the place separately, but there was nothing to bind the entire city together, but still a pretty city. I spent the first two days with Hannah and Derek, and we withstood torturing winds and cold and snow to travel around. The tour we took was a nice overview of the city, with something from every time period of the history of Munich. The tour guide was nice also, yet, sorry for him, he was balding early. We did typical touristy things, and one of those was the HofBraeuHaus. THE typical beerhall in Munich, it was everything German in one building. Beer, Pretzel, Om-Pa-Pa music, and Bratwurst. If that isn't German, then I don't know what is. The third day I went to Neuschwanstein Castle, better known as the disney castle. I thought that this was a total let down. Seriously, the construction of it had barely started when Ludwig II died, leaving behind on 13 completed rooms. 41 euros for that?! The last day was Langer Tag des Museums. I went to the Alte Pinokothek and the Residenz Museums. The first housed pretty good paintings, from old german painters, to Rubens, to Rembrandt, to Da Vinci, etc. I spent about 3 hours total their, half the time my head towards the ceiling, what with 3/4th of the pictures being these massive Allegorical paintings of something or other. The Residenz was a good choice. This place was the offical residence (coincidence?) of the royal family. Now it is a never ending maze of luxury. I spent only 2 hours there, which was a shame because I felt like I would have needed the whole day to properly take it in.

Cologne was a huge party. from the day we got there to the time we left we were always surrounded by drunk people, and McDonald's, and Krapfen, basically anything to make one kill over from a heart attack in any one bite (the drunk people are not involved in that statement). Oliver and his family were really nice to us, providing food, showers, internet, and any other modern convienence we needed. Cologne is like Munich, in the fact that not one part of it is the typical picture of Cologne, it's just made up of billions of pictures. Plus, I think it would be more attractive in the summer. While we were there there was alot of gray to be seen. Der Dom is the center piece of the city. This thing is HUGE. You step out of the Train Station and it is the first thing you see. My head was constantly skyward as I encircled this thing going to and from other locals. One day we climbed one of the towers, and it took nearly 400 steps and about 10-15 mins to get up there. Koelsch, the 'indigenious' beer to Cologne, was tasty. We even made an afternoon trip to Bonn, to see that city somewhat. Bonn is like the little brother city to Colonge, but, ironically, it had been the captial of Germany up until 1990. I saw Beethoven's Geburtshaus, and that was about it. Hannah told me an afternoon was enough. We even made new friends!

Germany and Austria are similar in some ways, but tend to differ alot more. And I guess by Austria, I mean Carinthia.For one, the german is understandable. I was blown away, even in Munich, at how much I could understand. I got a huge confidence booster in knowing that I wasn't sucking at life and that staying in a German speaking land was actually having an effect. Another difference was in the people. Mainly in the fact that in Germany there were many different culturs. Of course, there was the 'typical' german, but there were also africans, asians, turks, middle easteners, etc. Everyone didn't look the same, and that, I thought, was great. I was impressed with how much the people of Germany were in touch with what had happened in WWII. They seem to have taken full responsibitlity of had happened, and were willing, and trying, to make things better, and to not let it happen again. I was dissapointed, though, in how much of the the cities, mainly Munich, had been destroyed in WWII. Munich had 90% of the city destroyed. There were paintings missings from the Residenz Museum, and one could see in the architecture of churches, what had been reconstructed. It was a shame to know that such beautiful things were lost forever, due to this war. Third, and lastly because this is getting a little long (I rhymed!) was the windows. They were so much smaller in Germany. Weird.

Just a little sting

Every now and then I miss home. But it isn't for long, and the things that I miss seem pretty trivial.

I say hello, you say good-bye.

Why do we meet people? What is the purpose? We just end up leaving them, and then what? Is it to make the rendezvous all that much sweeter? Is it just a sick joke we play on our feelings, saying good-bye?......

Ok, well this is all in relation to the end of the semester. The semester in Klagenfurt has (more or less) offically ended, and all these people are going home. It is really sad to say good bye to these people who I've lived with, ate with, partied with, traveled with....the list could go on and on. It's like the whole lot of us have become a big, diseased, international family. I feel like going back home will just be incredibly boring, knowing everyone who just speaks english, who comes from the same type of background (culturally, etc.), who have the same beliefs, etc. Where is the fun in that? Who will I have to compare the pronunciation of words such as "improvisation" with? It's the little things in studying abroad that make the whole experience so worthwhile. I could sit here and type all day about the things that we have done. I'm glad I decided to study abroad. It has been the best decision I think I've ever made.

SO that brings me back to my original idea. Why do we meet people, when we know all too well that they are just going to go back to where they came from? Is it slightly selfish and indulgent to do so? But if I were to never have met anyone, I wouldn't have had such an experience as this. Plus, who knew that studying with someone for 4 or 5 months would prove to be this heartbreaking? It's like Shakespeare said "Parting is such sweet sorrow," and I don't think I could fully understand that until coming here. It really is sweet sorrow, because I know as bad as I feel about saying good-bye, the reunion will feel just as great. I guess it one of those questions that have no answer, that can't be explained. All I know is, is that when I say hello to these people again, it will be the best feeling in the world.

If you haven't noticed, I suck at saying good-bye.

Hello 2009!

So here is 2009. What is in store? who knows. BUT, following in tradition, here are my new years resolutions. Lets hope that I follow these...for atleast 2 months.

-Actually study German, and Spanish
-Wake up before noon
-Try not to be an asshole

Really that is it. I guess those are the ones I know that I can hold up to ? who knows.

You put the nada in Granada

So my past weekend was well spent in the city of Granada. When I traveled to Spain in 2006 my first, and only, impression of Spain was Madrid. I really loved the city and everything it had to offer. So come one week ago when I arrived in the dead of night to Cordoba I must say that I had left Spain the way that I had remembered it. And to top it all off, Madrid ISN'T the best that Spain has. Every Spaniard I've meet and talked to says usually says one thing about Madrid: "It's ok.....but not the best thing here. I would much rather chose (Enter Spanish city here)" So if Madrid is not the best thing about Spain, imagine how great all the other cities are. Granada is a good example.
Granada is really miles beyond Madrid. The city is divided into the old part and the new part (much like any city) but this one has a definite distinction. A huge Spanish flag marks the meeting point between the two worlds, and it is quite symbolic, I think, of the whole country of Spain. The old part has everything one would think of in the romantic, Carmenesque ideal of Spain. We were entertained by gypsies, walked along narrow pathways, and saw so many Arabic shops that the smell of incense is permanently lodged in my clothing. It was great!
The entire first day we were in Granada was spent in the Alhambra, a huge Arabic palace for the last Caliph (or some other Arabic ruling name) that ruled Arabic Granada. The weather, first of all, was perfect: 20 degrees (celisus) and not a cloud in the sky. We had to wake up at 6am to be able to enter the palace, but it was well worth the groggy bus ride. Every room was elaborately decorated, and every courtyard was cool and refreshing, with long reflection pools and water fountains galore.
After we explored the palace, we then went to the gardens. In these gardens was a mini-palace where the wife of the sultan-guy lived. It was so nice, and cool, and refreshing, and....oh so much more. Describing it really wouldn't do it justice, and by myself it would be a crime. The rest of the day, as short as that was, was spent in near the caterderal (which is MASSIVE) and walking along this street that was completely decked out in Arabic souveniers. Bejeweled boxes and palestinian scarfs as far as the eye could see!
The next day we spent in the old part of the city, huffing and puffing up the mountain side, climbing the "spanish steps" as laurie called them. we were entertained, only for a short time, by some gypsies, who still live in caves high up in the mountain. We spent the afternoon in a nice bar, where I drank my new favorite drink of red wine with lemon, and later explored the inside of the catederal (did I say it was MASSIVE?). We took a well deserved bus ride back to Cordoba, on which a couple wanted to show the entire bus how much they loved each other, and came back to a heaping bowl of Arroz con leche (rich with milk). It was the perfect welcome home treat, and we fell asleep watching movies on television, with two of the travelers not understanding a single word of said movies.
All in all, if Madrid is the worst thing that Spain has to offer, then I'm excited to see what else Spain has in store.