Squishing Monday and Tuesdaz into one post

Alright, I'm typing this on a German keyboard, so if the quality of the spelling or typing goes way down, I'm sorry.

Monday, January 15, 2007

On Monday morning, Sarah and Alison went to the corner market to buy breakfast and some provisions. They came back with all sorts of yummies, which I'll skip over because typing is rather challenging. Around 1030, Alex, the previous tenant who is also an Austrian RA came over to show us where to hand in our Meldezettel. He's in his late twenties and plays the classical guitar. Sehr toll. And since he lived in the apartment before we moved in, he knows where things are in the neighborhood.

The place where we registered was only a few blocks away from where we live, so it didn't take too long to get there. We each got a number, and went in turns of course. Apparently, Americans have a very specific accent when they try to speak German, which is a huge clue to a native speaker that they should switch to English. Alex did a little impression of us while we waited, and he makes us sound very gurgle-y and like we talk in the back of our mouths.

Then it was time to go to IES, but it was way to early to go to class just then. So me and some of the flatties decided to browse the center city. We visited H&M and Miss Sixty and started hunting down something cheap and filling for lunch. The pizza that Matt and I tried was pretty good, but it got very expensive because we bought drinks. Since then, I got smart and decided to start carrying water.

Our first German class was a little overwhelming. Andrea is the instructor and she's very nice, but she spoke a bit quickly. We had about 15 people in with us and since then numbers have changed a bit just because people needed to find the class that suited them better. I'm perfectly happy there. Andrea introduced herself (auf Deutsch natürlich) and we each did the same. I'm in the conversation and composition class, which is the second-highest level. We'll be talking about grammar and the culture of Vienna. Our homework for the night was an essay about ourselves and two grammar worksheets.

I had some time after class before the short city tours started, so Anna and I went shopping. Our first stop was Zara, which is a store that has an extremely short runway to rack time. They can copy an outfit from the runway and have it in stores in about two weeks, which is incredible in the fashion industry. Their prices are usually pretty good, and they might have some things from local designers too. I didn't see anything I absolutely needed, so Anna and I went to Bipa, the pink drugstore. In German-speaking countries, drugstores carry things like CVS does at home but they don't have a pharmacy. Pharmacies are called Apotheke and they are kind of like your corner doctor and pharmacist all rolled up into one. In Bipa, everything is pink. I bought shampoo there (their knock-off brand, called My) and Anna picked up a few things before we left for the tour.

At IES we met up with a group of us and our tourguide. I don't remember his name, but he was nice and had an afro. We saw some of the important things close to IES like the post office and cheap places to eat. After our super-short tour, I met a girl named Laura who wanted to do some shopping before she went home. Of course I said I'd go. Anna had a meeting with Helmut and couldn't come.

Laura goes to school in Maryland, but she's from Ohio. She's very tall with dark hair and eyes and a great sense of humor. We walked through H&M and I bought a purse there while she tried on scarves. I also bought a surprise for Matt, which he'll get in the next couple of weeks I hope, but that wasn't from H&M. We walked through Zara again before deciding that it was getting late and we should start heading home or get something to eat.

A few streets down from Johannesgasse, where IES is, is a pizza and wurst stand. Two girls from IES were standing there eating, and they said the pizza was really good. I had dinner waiting for me at home (the other girls were cooking healthy) but Laura bought a piece of mushroom. I tried a bite and it was really good. Just thinking about it now is making me hungry. It was about 530 now, and time to seriously start thinking about going home. We all went our separate ways and I got on the #2 streetcar, which runs around the Ring.

Now I hadn't walked all the way around the Ring at this point, so I didn't really know how big it was. I also didn't want to get lost, so instead of staying on the 2 S-Bahn, I got off. Vienna is a very safe city, but at the same time, I decided to walk like I knew what I was doing. You know, fake it til you make it and all that. It took me a good half hour to be exactly across from the Opera (like I was on the wrong side of the Ring), but I recognized the area, and cute through the center of the city so I would be near the Opera. Once I got there, I decided that it wasn't the best idea to try riding the 2 again, so I walked to where we transfer. Once I got there, I hopped on the 46A which is a bus. This should take me home. The night before when we had gone home, there had been six of us watching to make sure we got off at the right stop. I knew one of the advertisements we had passed and kept looking out the window for that. It turns out that our stop is only one outside the Girdle. And I was even smart enough to get off then. Needless to say, I was very proud of myself for getting home in one piece.

Once I was inside the apartment, the other girls started cooking dinner. We were having pasta with veggies and a salad. And wine. It was good and extremely healthy. The boys and I did clean up afterward, so that we would theoretically be equal. Matt cleared, Travis washed, and I dried. It worked out pretty well. Afterward, we all did our communal computer thing and I blogged and talked to people before actually starting homework.

Once I was done with my work, I went back out into the communal area where Alison and Natalia were laughing themselves silly. It was just like middle school with all the giggling going on. By the time we had all calmed down and were ready for bed, it was almost 2am, but we had such a good time that it didn't matter.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Tuesday began similarly to Monday with breakfast and some minor socializing before we had to leave for IES. The people that are in the afternoon classes (me) had a tour of the Palais Corbelli at 930 that was mandatory. Helmut ran the tour with the accompanying silliness. The fire alarms were the best part. Helmut would say, "If it is burning, press the button. If it is not, don't press the button." This may have been one of those you need to be there sort of things, but for some reason, it struck us all as very funny, probably because in the US people need weeks of training to press the button.

There was some time for lunch afterwards, but I decided to do my blogging thing and just munch on some peanuts that I had thrown in my bag. Class was similar to the day before with grammar and culture exercises, and we get a 15 minute break in the middle. I think it was actually easier to concentrate before the break than it was after.

Once class was out, I wanted to stick around IES and work on the blog some more so I could be all caught up. The people actually ended up kicking me out of here at 600. On my way to the S-Bahn stop, I ran into Jeremy (not my roommate). He's an international relations major and this is his second time in Vienna (he was here last summer for a bit). We ended up walking to a bakery with another girl from IES whose name is Val and having sandwiches for dinner. They were pretty good, and not too expensive because I had my water with me. Then I finally got on the bus to go home, around 730 or so.

Everybody was around the table when I got home, and they had just finished dinner. We sat around comparing stories and laughing and then decided that we're going to go to the Strauss Ball on February 14. It costs 45 euro to go or 65 to reserve a table. I'm not quite sure what the difference is, but it's supposed to be a good time, so I'm definitely going. After dinner, Jeremy made a little glass of absinthe, which we all tried. Since he did it using fire and being all special and stuff, I took a video of it, but I don't know how to post them online, so ya'll will just have to wait to see that. It tasted kind of like a cross between mouthwash and licorice, but it didn't do the whole hard alcohol burning thing.

Past that, we sat around and ate snacks and did homework for the rest of the night. Alex came over to "work" but we just ended up hanging out. We showed him on a map where we were all from, and tried our best to speak only German with him. He told us about different sites that list the club parties on the internet and some things to see and do in Vienna.

After he had left, I made myself a bowl of ramen, which tasted amazing. Mom, if you're reading this, please send more. The address is

Amanda Hess
c-o IES Vienna
Palais Corbelli
Johannesgasse 7
A-1010 Vienna AUSTRIA

and please send it using USPS because they have trouble with customs otherwise. Also, write on the outside "Used personal items" and then a "value" amount less than $40. This pretty much goes for everything that I may get in a box.

I stayed up a bit late to talk to Matt and Mom and Dad, so I didn't get to bed until 1am, but it was worth it. Anyway, now I'm all caught up with my back-blogging so I can write about my Opera experience when I get home tonight after I finish my essays for German.

Love,
Amanda