4 days to go!!!

It has literally been a month since I last posted!!!

So since I got back from Genesis Sixteen, it's been a pretty emotional month. Something happened in my personal life which has changed my whole future and that wouldn't have happened (well not as quickly anyway) if I hadn't come on my year abroad. Doing this has given me so much independence and made me realise what I want. It gave me the courage to change things for the better and I'm so grateful for that...

It's been a very homesick month, I'm not going to lie. I'm SO excited to go home. I'm flying straight to Manchester on the 23rd as we're spending Christmas at my brother's house. I'll stay there till the 27th, and then spend a few days in London, then back to my parent's house for New Year. I literally don't want anything for Christmas, I just want to see my family and experience English things once again. I need my fix! But despite feeling homesick, I have actually done quite a lot this month...

Ice skating has become a regular occurrence in my life. The weekend after I got back from Manchester, my friends and I all went to Stadtpark to try it out. The last time I'd been ice skating was my 15th birthday and I ended up in A&E, so this time I wanted to try and stop associating it with injuries...but alas, it was not to be. I got way too cocky, speeding around the rink and fell on my knees twice. The first time was pretty funny. The second time however, my friend Hal said that he "never wanted to hear a woman make sounds like that ever again". It still hurts and I've learnt my lesson! We've been again since, and that time I had a lot of fun. Definitely getting the hang of it :)

I've been to see yet another opera since being back - La Bohème. It's definitely the best one I've seen yet. Next term my aim is to see the Wiener Philharmoniker and maybe the Vienna Boy's Choir too.

The great thing about Vienna at the moment is that it's Christmas! The Christmas lights and markets are just beautiful and the whole experience makes it magical. Going to Christmas markets and drinking Gluehwein is something I'm definitely going to miss. Not only are they amazing for Christmas shopping but also in a really social way. It's such a culture here to just go, drink, eat and be merry. I do miss mince pies though - I have such a craving for them at the moment but I don't even particularly like them that much...I just miss having the option! Christmas carols are another thing I miss :(

There have been nights out aplenty this month and as someone who used to be tee total for a while, it is definitely taking its toll on me, but I'm having a lot of fun :) We have now branched out to a different karaoke bar called "Beer and Songs" and on a night out there, I managed to find songs in my range and sang "Think of Me" from Phantom, being sure to include the top B flat in the cadenza...then my friend Phil and I sang a stunning rendition of All I Ask of You. It. Was. Beautiful. But I'm not sure it was worth me sitting on a bench, while waiting for the UBahn, with my head between my knees...

This month I have also ventured out of Austria and into Slovenia! A few friends and I visited Ljubljana (lubjubjub) for a long weekend (we had a Nationalfeiertag). It was great to spend some time outside of Vienna and be a tourist again!

Singing is going well too. The choir I'm in, Chorus Sine Nomine, is great and I'm having a lot of fun. I've only been to three rehearsals and yet I am already the joke of the choir - being the English one. Every rehearsal I get "Elizabeth, haben Sie verstanden???". The conductor has a very strong Austrian accent and has no hopes of me understanding anything he says. But at least now everyone in the choir knows my name...the last rehearsal went great, I spoke loads of german and have successfully got through the small talk barrier with everyone there :) I'm looking forward to next term when rehearsals get a bit more regular and intense. Next term I think I will join a church choir too, and I finally have a contact from the Vienna Conservatoire who is going to help me find a singing teacher which is exciting!

Teaching...(oh yeah, that thing I came here to do)...is also going well! Today I got a whole class sitting in a circle and singing Auld Lang Syne which was good fun. I'm getting to know my students pretty well now and really enjoying teaching them.

Other than that, I've been enjoying my Haribo advent calendar, a lovely Sunday lunch cooked by my husband Phil, my sister coming to visit (she is still here :)) and just making the most of being here until I leave for Christmas!

Bis Bald! x

Genesis Sixteen and Culture Shock

So last weekend I went back to England:

I didn't quite realise how well I've integrated into Austrian culture until I was back. People holding doors open for me and smiling at me in the street seemed pretty alien to me (sorry, Austria). I forgot which way to look while crossing the roads which ended in me merely running across like a headless chicken instead. I accidentally said "Entschuldigung" to some girls instead of "Excuse me" and was rather bewildered when they didn't acknowledge me. I've lost the ability to say yes and now I sound like a rah. One of my friends on the course who also went to Durham, did German and Music and spent his year abroad in Vienna (weird) said that my German has gone flat, lazy and Austrian. Which is always a good thing haha, at least my year abroad is (hopefully) working :)

Genesis Sixteen was great but not long enough. Staying with my brother and his fiancé was lovely and I'm looking forward to seeing them again at Christmas. Seeing everyone was absolutely amazing. I sang lots, laughed lots, ate a whole bowl of really spicy chinese soup due to peer pressure, stocked up on English cravings (whispa, dairy milk, terry's chocolate orange, corned beef - random I know) and just generally had an awesome time. I can't wait for the next one. I just want to do a degree in it. I'm dreading the end of the final course. If you're interested, you can watch a video of it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQpc0TnLUxQ&feature=youtu.be

Absolutely sobbed when I got back to Austria, I was so homesick. I literally stepped into my flat, let out this huge sigh and just thought "Shit." If I'd been able to go home and see my parents maybe it would've been better, but I had been in England without seeing them, or my cat :( At the induction course in Graz, we were all shown a graph of how we were probably going to feel on our year abroad. It was basically a wiggly line which was high, then low, then high again, then low again. And now I completely understand. I remember looking at it, thinking "Nah, I'm gonna be happy allllll the time", which was a nice attitude to have, but now I realise it's just not possible! At least it took me 2 months to hit that low though, and it's always only going to be a temporary thing which is only natural.

I'm ok now, it took a few meet ups with friends for me to remind myself that actually, I'm having an awesome time here and I have met some of the most lovely people who I will definitely be keeping in touch with. On the subject of friends, I'm insanely happy for Tara, who, after 2 months of living here, finally has a place to live!!! It's crazy, this year abroad business. I do miss her kipping on a mattress in my living room but am looking forward to seeing her swanky new flat with her Uncle in the poshest district of Vienna!

Went to my first Chorus Sine Nomine (that's the choir I'm in) rehearsal on Tuesday. We're doing Mozart Great C Minor Mass which I loooove. The conductor has a veeeery Austrian accent and I have never concentrated so hard in my life, merely just to hear the page numbers correctly and make sure I'm singing at the right time. I foresee a lot of embarrassing incidents in the future where I'll probably just sing and forget that the conductor asked for tenors only. Awkward. It's also going to take a long time for me to get used to german latin. Weirdest thing ever. Qui is "kvee" and coelis is "tserlis"It was fun though, and even though everyone would probably have loved to speak to me in English, they respected that I need practice and spoke to me in German.

Nothing much else to update. Mega excited for Christmas with my family. Going to the opera again on Monday, and maybe to karaoke afterwards as that seems to be standard at the moment(!) It's bitterly cold and I'm learning to layer and much appreciating my leg warmers and ear muffs. I'm really looking forward to my sister coming to visit, drinking Gluehwein at the Christmas Markets and generally showing her around!

Bis bald x

Shaun's Visit and Excitement for England!

Time to write a blog, since I'm flying to England tomorrow and coming back to Vienna on Monday and I haven't updated this in ages!

I had my long awaited visit from Shaun last week and it was just amazing! Long distance is hard, but it also makes your relationship so much healthier if you can handle it. He flew into Bratislava and luckily met someone who offered him a lift to Vienna instead of having to get the coach. Then we met in the centre of Vienna, grinning like idiots. After that we went to dinner at Vapiano's - an amazing Italian chain restaurant.

Shaun being here was a great excuse for me to do more sightseeing. I took him to the sights I knew - Schoenbrunn, the zoo, Stephansdom, Karlskirche, the Staatsoper etc. We also went to the Hofburg and Parliament which I hadn't seen yet. And of course, I took Shaun to try Wienerschnitzel, Sturm, various Bakeries and all the Austrian clichés. 

Introducing him to the lovely Tara, Phil and Hal was also fun -we watched Braveheart and Gladiator all in one week which was a bit intense for me (we have now proceeded to watch Bruce Almighty for light relief). Highlights of the Braveheart night: Hal's comic "Oh Harro" just at the right point in the movie (deer looks at camera) and Phil's lovely pasta and general hospitality. The next time, Shaun and I (well, he just chopped the onions because I literally sob and have to sit outside to recover) made chilli with jacket potatoes (Phil did the potatoes as I recall) and all in all everyone was a happy bunny. Food is always a good way to bond. Highlight of the evening again involves Hal - Everyone else: "Hal?" *Hal sleepily turns around with eyes closed...slowly opens them* "What's that now?"

I'd be lying if I didn't say I was down when he left - I was. It brought on my first spell of homesickness in 2 months! It was a bit of a shock because I've been insanely happy for the last 2 months and wasn't expecting to feel homesick at any time during the year - but I know it's completely normal and it's kind of passed now :) I have also been missing Tara and Phil, it's so weird that they don't live in my living room anymore! I'm looking forward to starting choir on the 22nd (I wasn't allowed to join straight away, as they were in the middle of a project), as well as starting singing lessons - I've been sending lots of emails to try and track down a suitable teacher, it's actually much more difficult than I imagined. Singing always makes me feel at home, so once I'm stuck into rehearsals and lessons I'm sure I'll feel so much better. 

After 2 months of living here on my student loan...all the teaching assistants finally got paid yesterday!!! It's a good feeling. It's really difficult coming to terms with the fact that my new austrian card doesn't actually charge me to use the ATM, I keep withdrawing stupidly large amounts of money out of habit. I went clothes shopping today for warm clothes which was good but I spent rather a lot...I think I'd like to sign up to an intensive german language course at some point, now that I have the money. Probably straight after Christmas as now I don't have a full month free until then.

As soon as Shaun left - Sod's Law, it got sooooo cold!! It's a good thing he worked out my heating...we're in the minuses now and it's pretty biting. I bought myself some ear muffs and legwarmers today, as well as lots of woolly jumpers. I'm looking forward to the snow, but unlike England, they actually know how to deal with snow here, so I don't know if I'll see much of it here in the city. 

In other news, I'm flying to England tomorrow and I can't bloody wait :D I have my second Genesis Sixteen course in Manchester from the 18th - 20th. I can't wait to catch up with everyone and do some serious singing!! I'm also really looking forward to seeing my brother and his partner, who I will be staying with before and after the course. 

The anticipation of going back to England even for just 3 days has really made me realise just how many things I miss about it. I really miss queuing :( I know that sounds ridiculous. But lately I have noticed how rude and pushy I have become, striding across the UBahn platform and ignoring anyone who tries to cross my path! It's contagious! I've also started adopting the very heavy, loud Austrian sigh and exasperated roll of the eyes that occurs when anyone bumps into me. I'm looking forward to polite people who know the phrase "Excuse me", although I'm starting to think I might forget to say it...

But the main thing I need...is a pub meal!!! I'm not so fond of the food here, and the sausages just aren't the same. As well as Cadbury's chocolate and baked beans (you can get them both here but they're a bit expensive). As well as good mature cheddar. *Sob*

I'm hoping if I get my England fix, I'll return to Vienna refreshed and ready for it once more :)

I'll update again when I'm back from Genesis Sixteen!

Bis dann!

Karaoke, Austrian Observations and 9 days to go!!

Well hello there lovely readers!

It's been a week since my last blog and I'm in rather a good mood. This is due to the fact that I am now free from work until next Thursday! I love Austrian holidays! Next week is "Herbstferien" until Thursday, and yesterday was Nationalfeiertag so all in all it's a pretty good couple of weeks. It's not that I don't like teaching, but obviously time off is always a lovely thing and gives me ample opportunity for more socialising, potential sightseeing and being cultural.

Last Friday I saw the most amazing buskers (courtesy of my good friend Hal) in Stephansplatz. We were all on our way to a celebratory meal (Phil finally found a place to live - yay!) and before we found a restaurant, we stopped and listened to these amazing musicians. They played Gabriel's Oboe and it was just beautiful. It made me want to give up playing the violin...afterwards we had another great night out with the other Teaching Assistants at the Naschmarkt (amazing market).

Teaching is going really well too. On Monday I had the most amazing lesson with my fourth form at the Theresianum (13 - 14 year olds). I took the whole lesson and they were so enthusiastic. I actually much prefer teaching the younger ones! They were asking me loads of questions and getting really involved, and even calling me Frau Professor. Amazing for my self esteem :)

Monday was also karaoke day. Personally, I never really go to karaoke...actually, this was my first time! Being a serious singer, it's not something I thought I would enjoy. Without the influence of alcohol, I would just stand there scrutinising everyone, looking at their tense jaws and retracted tongues and criticising their bad technique. However, with a couple of glasses of wine down me I had so much fun. sang a lot, danced like a crazy person and lost all my inhibitions. Phil and I sang Phantom of the Opera which was pretty epic..I have to say I'm really enjoying going out at the moment. Back in Freshers' Week at Durham I was tee total and when you don't drink in Fresher's Week, it's difficult to be on the same level as everyone else. But it's not just about drinking, of course, it's about letting go and getting to know new people, which I like to think I have really embraced so far this year!

The morning after karaoke was interesting...just before we left for karaoke, I had read an email from the teacher I was going to be helping the next morning at 8am..telling me to prepare a lesson on Halloween. I remember thinking "Screw it, I'm still going to karaoke"...so I did, and got back at 2am...and still managed to plan the lesson when I got home but it was a difficult time. I managed 3 hours sleep, made it to school on time, suppressed the yawns and those students did not give a rat's arse about Halloween! I didn't realise it was so unpopular here...I rectified the situation with a funny youtube clip of Halloween pranks (provided by the lovely Tara - lifesaver!) and the teacher thought it was an excellent lesson anyway! The lesson was actually observed as well, by an Austrian trainee teacher only a few years older than me, who I managed to strike up a friendship with - we bonded over our hangovers...anyway, it's really great because it's another person to speak german with who is around my age :)

I had my first illness this week too - although it only lasted 24 hours which isn't like me at all! Before this year I've always had a really bad immune system but I've been taking vitamins recommended by Harry Christophers himself (conductor of The Sixteen for those of you who don't know) and they've been amaaazing. I had a really bad summer for illnesses and I knew all I needed was to get away from University and the pressures it brings for a little while in order to start feeling normal again. I'm back on form and so excited about all the singing opportunities this year will bring!

In earlier blogs I've mentioned that I'm putting up my friend Phil. He moves out this Sunday but has been living on my sofa for about a month! Because we've been living together for so long, at the moment we have this weird platonic married couple thing going on. We'll be in the supermarket planning our meals together and saying things like "We've got some frozen peas in the freezer, haven't we dear?". Today we had our first argument. We went to do a quick food shop before going home on the Strassenbahn and I was rather giddy with the knowledge that I had the next 7 days off...in my excitement I proceeded to stuff things haphazardly into the bag in no particular order and my abysmal packing had us both in stitches as well as Phil being rather exasperated...

Hmm did any more exciting things happen this week?? Phil and I discovered "Hobbits" which are the Austrian version of Hobnobs (God, I miss Hobnobs..)unfortunately we only have the plain ones at the moment but tomorrow we're venturing out to Schwedenplatz to buy the chocolate covered ones. (I am much too excited by this prospect.) Anything else? I've started wearing leggings on top of tights because I'm so cold. And it's not even cold yet. NOT looking forward to winter. Also the heating in my flat doesn't work - well it does, I just don't know how to work it...blankets are a very good invention. Another thing I've noticed recently is that the transport in Austria is so punctual, reliable and regular that when I have to wait more than 4 minutes for any form of transport, I get irritated. Typically Austrian.

Today it is officially 9 days until my amazing fiancé, Shaun, comes to visit. I CAN'T WAIT. We're going to have an amazing week and it's a great excuse for me to do some more sightseeing. And I miss him of course! <3

And now, it's time for me to shut up and embrace my free time :)

Love to all - hope all at home is awesome!
xxx

Four Day Weekends

So I haven't updated this since my first day of work which was three weeks ago...but I guess that's a good sign as it means I'm having a good time!

School is great. The kids at my Stammschule - the Theresianum - are amazing at English. They don't call English a foreign language and love speaking it. At the other school the kids are less keen but some of them are really amazing. It's strange working in two schools which are so different but it's also nice to have some variety. 

Today I finished work at 9am. Seriously. I was scheduled for 3 hours, taught my 8 am lesson on the British School System and was then told to go away. They have tests all the time here and you get told to leave. And for another lesson they were just watching a film so they didn't need me. So my weekend started at 9am on a Thursday!

Last weekend was a messy one. I'm absolutely loving the social life that comes with being a TA in a city. But don't get the wrong idea. My dear, lovely friend Tara also wrote this in her blog and was then lectured to about alcohol dependency...to be honest, when your salary doesn't come until the middle of November, the only thing you have is cheap predrinks..namely bottles of horrible wine for 2 Euros each. 

So I've been putting up two friends, Tara and Phil, who I met at the induction course in Graz. Obviously living together like this, we've all become really close and it's been a lot of fun. Phil has been great at getting rid of bugs, unsticking my toast from the toaster, teaching me to light the hob, taping my ethernet cable to the top of a door frame and using his magical presence to get my microwave to turn. Among many other manly things. Tara moved out the other day into a dirty WG, meaning she still comes round for dinner every day and practically still lives here. It's been really amazing starting off my year abroad in such positive company and I can honestly say that I will stay in touch with these two amazing people for a long, long time. 

Went to see Madama Butterfly at the Staatsoper more than a week ago now with Bridget. Had a really good time - the opera was beautiful. Couldn't quite handle the heat that you get for a 4 Euro standing ticket but it's not going to stop me going again in the near future! I'd really like to go and see the Wiener Philharmoniker at some point as well and the Wiener Saengerknaben but they're very expensive...

Highlight of this week: I finally joined a choir! I decided to be ambitious and go for the absolute top, so asked around the Music Departments at my schools and did my research. They told me about a well-renowned, professional one that have a busy rehearsal and concert schedule, called Chorus Sine Nomine. So I went for it! I took my signature audition piece (Haydn's Benedictus from Eine Kleine Orgelmesse ) and hoped for the best, really not expecting to get in - as this is Vienna! But I did, and I'm so looking forward to it. I was very proud of myself as well because I managed to do the whole audition in german - it gets easier every day! The choir director told me what music we're going to be singing, and there's a lot that I don't know which is really exciting because at home I always know everything. I'm really looking forward to singing some german music, meeting new people and improving my german.

I'm looking forward to Shaun visiting me for a week in November. It will be really odd for me to know a city better than he does and I can't wait to show him around. My sister is also visiting in December which will be exciting because of the Christmas markets and general Christmas spirit! 

All in all, having a really great time, work is going well and the social side of things is brilliant. I'm looking forward to getting my salary in November and being able to explore a bit more! 

New friends, alcohol, kittens and my first day at work

Wow, it seems like a long time since I updated this!

So, last week I had the induction week in beautiful Graz with the rest of the Teaching Assistants. After two weeks of sightseeing partly on my own, it was such a blessing to be around people again! We were put into seminar groups according to where we were placed, which was useful as I've now created a really great support group of other people living in Vienna. I can also honestly say that I've made some friends for life too.

Sadly, I didn't take my camera to Graz and I'm instantly regretting it. However, when my fiancé comes to visit me, I'm thinking it will be a good excuse to go there again. It was really beautiful - much less hectic than Vienna, and less smoky.

The induction course was great and really reassuring. We had several workshops in which we practised lesson planning, classroom management, fillers and games and general teaching techniques. I felt so much more prepared than before and it was nice to see that everyone was pretty much in the same boat. I also got to sleep in a room which was in the turret of a castle, always exciting. All in all, much alcohol was consumed and many friends were made.

Back in Vienna now and I'm all moved into my new flat which I'm sharing with Sandrine (also from Durham Uni). We're currently putting up a couple of friends from the course, Tara and Phil, as they hadn't found anywhere yet and it's a good laugh. Getting up at 6am for your first day of work is a little less daunting when you're all in it together. I was especially nervous because I found out that one of my schools - my Stammschule- is one of the most prestigious private schools in Vienna. Erm...ok. Way to make me panic.

So. My first day. I got to the tube station, walked outside and realised after a good few seconds that my mouth was hanging open. The school (Theresianische Akademie Wien) is stunning, and huge. Inside were humongous oil paintings on the walls and grand staircases. Not really used to that... So I walked in and asked the porter to tell my Betreuungslehrer that I had arrived. The porter was pretty Austrian (rude) but as soon as I met my Betreuungslehrer everything went fine and I really enjoyed my day. They gave me my key to the staff room, pigeon hole, email login and address, contract, photocopier code (pretty impressed at the organisation) and then I got to meet all the English teachers. They then proceeded to have heated debates as to which of the 20 English teachers in the school were going to use me for the 7 hours a week that I will be working. Tense.

One of the best things about my day was meeting the head of music, Herr Wagner (I love that his name is Herr Wagner :-D). He was so genuinely happy that I wanted to get involved in the music department, and when he found out I play the violin he asked me if I would join the orchestra. I told him I didn't have a violin and he marched me to the music department, showed me around and then told me to take my pick of the violins and borrow it for the year. So I did :-) He also offered to help me find a singing teacher which was lovely of him because obviously there are looooads here and I just have no idea where to start!

Then I was dismissed for the day at lunchtime (score), proceeded to get lost in the quad before I found my way out, and spent the afternoon with some fellow TAs celebrating a good first day. Tomorrow I go to my second school, in which I will be working for 6 hours a week. I'm glad I'm working in two; I think it will be nice to have variety as the two schools are very different. I'm actually living next door to my Betreuungslehrerin of my second school which is amazing because she has a kitten (called Raffi - so cute!) and she said if I miss my cat I can go round and play with him. She also told me he likes to jump from her balcony to mine, which I am obviously fine with :-D

I'm really really glad I'm here. There were times last year when I had flashes of really not wanting to do a year abroad, being engaged and very happy in England. But I am so lucky and I realise that. I'm looking forward to a year (cheesy as this may sound) of grabbing every opportunity and saying yes to everything (within reason!).

Sightseeing

One thing I can say for Vienna; the cake is goooood. However, the men here are creepy and stare a lot. (Not that I'm looking for a man, thankfully.)

So I've been here for a week now and I think I can safely say I've fully mastered the U-Bahn. The transport here is amazing and so, so punctual. It's a bit of a shock to the system!

I've done so many fun things in the past week and I'm actually really glad I'm keeping this blog. It allows me to sit down and really recall what I've done. I wouldn't want to forget any of this in a few years time!

One thing I knew I really wanted to go to when I got here was the Haus der Musik. It's a music museum, covering the great composers from Austria, the Wiener Philharmoniker and also the science of sound. While I was there, I managed to watch some of the famous New Year's concert in a mini cinema and became insanely jealous that I'm not here for New Year (although apparently there's a 20 year waiting list to attend...ouch). I also got to create my own waltz by throwing dice and conduct the Wiener Philharmoniker (a bit like playing on a wii really...) which was an experience! I love the opening times of the museums here - especially the Haus der Musik, in which I stayed till about 9pm. I'm considering going back again. My dissertation is looming and I'm very interested in linking my two subjects (German and Music) together, possibly focusing on  someone like Schubert as my passion lies with Lieder.

I'm having a lot of fun but being on a Year Abroad is tough to say the least. Especially to start with. I think when I decided to come two weeks early, I thought I would be so busy sorting everything out. But I've actually ended up having a lot of time to myself and am so excited about starting work and hopefully joining some choirs.

I reached a bit of a low point a few days ago and when you feel like that you just don't feel like going out to see the sights. Luckily, I met two lovely Australian (originally Vietnamese) girls in my dorm and they invited me to the opera with them. So I thought, sure - why not? And honestly - it's exactly what I needed. We went to see Don Giovanni at the Staatsoper and got standing tickets for 4 euros. Score! It was tiring and absolutely packed, but by the second half most people gave up, giving us lots of room to enjoy it.


My new friends, Giang and Nhien carried on to invite me sightseeing with them the next day, and we formed a close friendship in the 3 days or so that they were here. Having spent all that time with them has really dragged me out of the downer I was on and made me appreciate where I am!

On the first full day they were here, we went to Schoenbrunn Palace, the Danube and Prater (amazing amusement park in the centre of Vienna). Schoenbrunn was just gobsmackingly beautiful. It was a scorching day, strange to experience as an English person - especially in the middle of September! We didn't even go inside but walked around and appreciated the architecture as well as having fun in the mazes. There's a zoo there too, which we didn't go to for financial reasons, but I shall definitely be visiting in the future as I've heard very positive things about it.

For the rest of the day we ate pastries by the Danube and went on the Riesenrad (ferris wheel) at Prater.

The next day I finally sampled Sachertorte as we went to a typical Austrian café for Kaffee und Kuchen. I have to say, it was a little dry and not at all what I was expecting. Thankfully there are many other types of cake and I've already managed to sample about 5!!! (My favourite so far is Esterhazytorte - hazelnut cream with chocolate.)

The rest of my time with Giang and Nhien involved more cafés, more Kaffee und Kuchen, Hundertwasserhaus (a strange building designed by a rather eccentric architect) and lots of photos.

The german speaking is going well too. At the moment there's a german girl in my dorm at the hostel. Her english isn't very good which is really useful for me! I've found that speaking german spontaneously is the least stressful way to do it because you're completely put on the spot and don't have time to get nervous. It is very tiring though, and I had a lovely evening last night with fellow year abroad Durhamers Bridget and Kempe. What I love about this place is that it's perfectly acceptable to sit in a café at 8pm and order Kaffee und Kuchen, and continue to sit there till about 11(by which time the glares started to make us feel a little uncomfortable..).

All in all, having a great time! Getting very fat, seeing the sights and keeping myself busy!

I just copied and pasted this into Word (sad, I know) and found that I have written nearly 900 words. I shall shut up now. Bis bald!

First day

Well, it's about time I accepted that my year abroad is now actually happening, by posting my first blog!

It's my first day in Vienna and I've been up since 7am. First thing I had to do today was book myself into a hostel for a week until I'm able to move into the flat I'll be living in for nine months. Surprisingly, everything went smoothly and I'm as settled as I can be for the next week.

For the morning I explored Mariahilferstrasse, stopped by an internet cafe and finally got myself an austrian sim card and a..erm..lovely cheap Samsung handset...After that I went to the bank, had a very fluent conversation in german (yay!) with a woman there and was told I can't sort out an account until I have an address in Austria.

Later, after moving into my room at the hostel, I did the tourist thing. I saw Karlskirche, Stephansdom and Graben, which also included a levitating man and some street dancing (photos to come at a later date - I can't dig deep enough into my suitcase to find my camera lead). Lots of men dressed up as Mozart too. I was accosted by a spanish man, who was also selling naff concerts. Bit of a language barrier with my german and english and his spanish and..spanish. But in the end he (somehow..) asked me for a drink. I kindly rejected him telling him I was engaged. His response: "Is ok! I non jealous!" Um...ok. Gave me a laugh anyhow.

And now I'm here, it's half 7ish in the evening and I'm knackered (pathetic). Time for ritual skype sessions as I eat the austrian food I bought at the supermarket in excitement (because there were about 20 types of haribo :)).