Speeding Along

It's terrifying to think that in just three weeks, my semester abroad in Austria will be over. Where on earth did time go?? That being realized, I've been trying to explore every crevice of Vienna before I have to leave in January. On Monday after class, Elise and I went to the Hohermarkt to do our grocery shopping and grab some of their healthy buffet lunch before wandering through the Am Hof Markt to get back to our tram at Schottentor. It was a beautiful day, so we didn't mind eating next to a fountain or walking all the way with our full grocery bags. It was also nice because it felt as though we actually did live in Vienna and did go to school here and did grocery shop for our house (which is all true, short-term, of course). I'm going to miss this new lifestyle we've created for ourselves. It feels so normal and regular, compared to when we first arrived and I remember Elise being in shock that grocery shopping would have to be at least once a week. Europe doesn't do "bulk shopping!"

View of Hoher Markt, where our favorite grocery store is

On Tuesday, we had a really cool field trip to the Amerika Haus for our European Politics class. The Amerika Haus is basically an extension of the US Embassy in Vienna and is celebrating it's 175 year anniversary. We met a very interesting woman who is a Foreign Service Minister, and basically sold us all on the job. You get to travel, live in random, exotic places, learn their culture and language, and talk about how fabulous the US is. We were all hooked, until she told us about a big exam we had to take, and then a full day of interviews...but maybe some of us will become Foreign Service Ministers!

The original Amerika Haus was a library for Austrians to learn about America

After the tour, Elise and I walked through the Rathaus Christkindlmarkt, to the Universitat Wien. We both really wanted to get a Univeristy of Vienna sweatshirt, but instead of asking somebody where the student store was, we decided we'd be able to find it. We wandered the gorgeous building hallways for more than 20 minutes, and even had a girl try and ask us something in German about where a room was. We didn't even know where we had ended up, let alone where the place she was searching for was. We finally stumbled across the tiny shop, and were a bit disappointed with the rather hideous apparel selection. We left empty handed, but it was still fun to see the Univeristy (as well as moan about how we would have preferred to study there than at Palais Corbelli).

Courtyard of University

Interior study hall

By the time we got home, I had half an hour to change and head out to the 17th District to my German teacher, Frau Sachermaier's, apartment. She had invited her class to dinner! I was really excited to see where she lived and what a typical Austrian apartment looked like, and I was not disappointed. Sara and I were the first to arrive, together, and we got to meet Herr Sachermaier who served us punsch and stuffed us full of orange-zimt Lebkuchen cookies (though I probably ate my weight in them, I'm obsessed with the soft gingerbread)! It was a bit awkward at first, because the Sachermaiers were only speaking German to us, and Sara and I are still not proficient in conversational German. But we got to look around her apartment at all her Christmas decorations and portraits of their ancestors, while eating delicious cookies and cakes. Soon, other students came to join. I was a bit sad that I had to leave so soon, but I was off to something just as fun!

Elise and I managed to score tickets a few weeks ago to Vienna's "Imagine Dragons" concert! We met at the Stadthalle station and walked over to the arena together to join the moshing crowd attempting to push their way through the doors. Somehow, we got through quickly and even managed to secure standing-room spaces at the very front of the General Admission area! We had a pesky middle-school crew right by us (one girl had very clingy, coarse, LONG hair that kept creeping onto Elise and I), but we managed to squeeze by them to the front railing. And the concert was INCREDIBLE! I love Imagine Dragons even more than I did. It really helped that we had a great view and only had to watch out for each other while fighting our way out! "We're on top of the world, yep."

Imagine Dragons!

On Wednesday, a tragic thing happened at home. THE INTERNET DIED. Completely. Let's just say it was a very early night for us at the villa :( Therefore, I stayed out as late as possible after my anthro class, and got to walk through the Karlskirche Christkindlmarkt. It was one of the more upscale ones!

Market around Karlskirche

Thursday, still no internet. It was a joy going to IES for class so we could get wifi. It's almost sad how dependent we are on wifi. We had classes as normal, and went to the Austrian Military History Museum for our politics class at 13:30. It took us more than half the class just to get there, because of construction on the walkways. But the museums was beautiful and very interesting! I like learning about World War I and II from this part of the world's perspective. They don't make it out to be any less despicable, but it's quite eye-opening to learn more backstory.

Exhibit in the Austrian Military History Museum 

Perfect venue for an event! Beautiful and interesting

Elise and I had really early dinner together right after class, in the 1st District at Hamama Egyptian Restaurant (where Mom and Khala and I went!). I had also explored that area beforehand, so I wouldn't get lost taking Elise there. I stumbled across some cool new restaurants that I want to try, as well as another church! It was next to the oldest University building in Vienna, and so I went inside to check it out (of course).

Exterior of the church

Interior of the Church

The meal at Hamama was absolutely delicious. We both really needed a good, hearty, warm meal (enough with the salads...). Once we were finished, we made our way to the Opera to see Barbara of Seville. As we got into the standing room section to wait for tickets, we found ourselves surrounded by dressed up, college-aged boys, being incredibly obnoxious. Yes, it is boring waiting for opera tickets more than two hours before the show starts, but why must you sing or laugh raucously? There are other people around, too!

We were unfortunately stuck in the middle of them for the whole line-wait, as well as when we finally got our standing room spots. Literally, RIGHT in the middle of them. That wasn't much fun since some of them thought they'd pre game their field trip and enjoyed harassing us (mostly me...I had a whacko behind me). We did manage to talk to some of them to find out they were music students forced into this field trip, and that some of them had been drinking, but apparently we spoke too fast for them, because the nerdy one who tried talking to us just stared at me for a minute too long when I spoke to him. It was uncomfortable. Yes, they did make some of the performance funny (like when the guy next to me fell asleep on the railing and then started so violently that he slipped off and caused all the boys, as well as Elise and I, to shake with silent laughter), but they were mostly a nuisance, so we made the executive decision to leave after the first act. It was a good decision on our part.

Tobi and Helmut as St. Nik and Krampus

Friday was der Tag auf der Heilige Nikolaus (St. Nikolaus' Day), which is a popular tradition in Austria. St. Nik, in a long red robe and big white Bischofsmutze (Bishop's Hat) with a golden cross on it, and the evil Krampus, with black fun, two horns on his head, pointy ears, a long tongue, and a rod to hit naughty children before sticking them in the basket on his back to take them away, come on this day to see if children have been good or bad. If you're good, Nik gives you little treats like oranges, figs, nuts, and chocolate. Otherwise...Krampus will hit you with a rod. None of us in German class are Austrian, so we didn't think much of the tradition we had learned about. Then, Helmut and Tobi burst into the class in costume. Tobi handed out oranges, apples, and peanuts, while Helmut went around smacking us on our shins with his makeshift rod of twigs. It was hilarious and made German class a laugh. 

Afterwards, I set out exploring. The weather was so beautiful that I wanted to walk to Schottentor. I went down Graben street, past Meinl's, and made my way through the Am Hof Markt and Freyung area. There were St. Nik's there, giving goody bags to children on field trips! I adore the Freyung area. It looks like it's been preserved in the past, with the cobbled stones, the pretty architecture, and the grand church overlooking the market stalls. I even went into the church to take a look before heading home to make my special french toast for brunch (I'd been craving...).

Freyung area: St. Nikolaus interacts with children

Inside the Schottentor Church

The morning was so good, but my evening was not. My anthro class had another horrible field trip planned: a 9pm concert at some hipster/gothic/punk/idk venue for some no-name band. I don't even know why I bothered going, because I did everything I could to slip out asap. Our teacher made us sit and wait in a bar from 7:30-8:30pm while she had a few drinks and smokes, before the concert started. It's the worst class ever, and not worth taking ever. I don't think I've learned anything from it, or the pointless field trips. IES needs to get rid of that class.