Wow. Okay. It has been a long time since I last wrote in here. Let me see if I can remember everything that has happened since I got to Scheibbs. I got my room set up. It is very cute. I have a nice big bed, a breakfast table, two bed-side table-dresser type things, a huge closet, a refrigerator, a beautiful window that I can look out and see mountains, fall foliage, and a house. My bathroom is quaint: housing a toilet, standing shower, sink, counter, mirror, and another HUGE closet so that I can store all of my necessities. I am living in the basement of a very nice woman’s house. It’s not AS private as I would have liked, but in the grande scheme of things… it is extremely nice and I am very pleased. I also have my own kitchen, which is upstairs.
I literally live on the side of a mountain… It takes me 20 to 30 minutes to walk anywhere of importance. I really need to get a bike, the knees can’t really do the vertical downhill thing every day. The town is beautiful. It is nestled in a valley, and the mountains (what the Austrian’s would call ‘hills’ because of their small stature) are about Blue Ridge size, but if I look directly from my house I can see the Ötsche Peak, which has been covered with snow since I arrived here on September 24th.
I returned from my Orientation Seminar in Graz on Friday, and have had the last two days to catch up on the sleep that I didn’t get at Orientation.
I met some amazing people at the Orientation. People from the U.K., Scottland, Ireland, and England, and people from America. Everyone was very mature, and conducted themselves in ways that diplomats should conduct themselves. We are here to give the Austrians an accurate representation of our respective countries, so it only makes sense that the program would have chosen well rounded individuals, who have a good head on their shoulders, and behave like adults. There was no excessive drinking, no wild parties the whole week we were there. It was comforting. Most people seemed to have a very healthy idea of what having a drink should mean. Even when the alcohol was given to us for free, no one abused it. I was, needless to say, very impressed. I am so over everyone getting drunk just to get drunk as fast as they can. It is disgusting, and pointless. You never end up making real friends that way, no matter what anyone claims.
I have been sleeping a lot. A LOT. We are talking about 12 hours a night and then a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day. I am finally catching up on the sleep I didn’t get while I was in school. It feels good, but I am trying, very unsuccessfully, to explain to my land lady that this actually isn’t normal for me. Hopefully starting tomorrow, she will realize that I actually do go out and do things, and that I am not a sodden lump of flesh. Moving to Austria is a huge thing, it’s stressful, lonely, and there are so many things to do, so many fees to pay, so many documents to pick up, fill out, sign, and return. They do not make it easy. Maybe once I know I am actually here legally I will stop sleeping so much.
I went grocery shopping yesterday… (weeee… Milka Bars for 89 Euro Cents, basically Austria’s Hershey Bar, except you can get it in practically every flavor imaginable!) I bought way too much food to fit in my little backpack. I felt ridiculous. It took me the better part of fifteen minutes to figure out how exactly everything was going to fit into the backpack. Then there was the whole matter of getting it zipped.
Today was absolutely gorgeous. I think it was the first day that I have seen since I got here that the only white clouds in the sky were from airplanes. The sun was shining, a little alpine breeze was blowing… I could see the Ötsche Peak in front of me in its snow capped glory. I did laundry then sat out side and read as my clothes dried on the clothesline. It was kind of idyllic in a way.
Now I am getting ready to watch Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and then go to sleep. Big day tomorrow. My first day of school!
p.s. SCHOOL was great today! all of the students are so curious, so willing to hear what a foreigner has to say, although this will probably wear off after a couple of weeks... however, it was fun. It was good to have stimulation again.
unpacking
Julia, Spiderweb, and Amber
Amber Sap
Julia
Church in Graz
Statue in Graz, inspired by the Statue of Liberty. It stands outside of the Opera House in Graz.
I just thought this was hilarious. It reads, "Cocktails under a free Sky"
Couple in Graz, waiting outside the opera house.
Natural Light inside a Church in Graz.
By far the weirdest looking fountain I have ever seen, and perhaps the most unflattering angle to shoot it at. Oh well, you get the picture.
Stairs up to the top of Graz!
Waiting for the Elevator to take us to the top. We bypassed the stairs going up.
Graz from up top! You can see the funny, blue udder looking thing... that's the Art Museum. very strange. It lights up at night.
If I had not been so preoccupied with my camera on the tour, I would have caught the name of this structure... oh well... it's pretty!!!!
