Sunday, October 26, 2008
Dialect and Dinner Rolls
There are two things in Austria that one should NEVER, under any circumstances, take for granted: the thick, quirky dialect and the delicious seeming array of dinner rolls offered at any Austrian pub-restaurant.
Austrian dialect is insane, crazy, and above all frustrating. Even if you've spent 6-8 years studying German, you have little to no chance of getting by with any local. If you manage to convince someone to slip out of dialect and into the accepted norm of 'high German', you still face the bobbing, Scandinavian-like accent. Which, to be quite honest, is beautiful and not impossible to understand. The trick to the accent is that every 'a' turns into a Swedish 'å' (if you can't see that, it's an 'a' with a halo above it). Do not be fooled by its angelic appearance, however. It's an unforgiving character, making simple sentences like: "Was hast du gesagt" (What did you say?) sound almost Russian: "Wå' håst d' gesågt".
Dialect is still a tricky beast that has seen much mutation in the hills of Austria. Certain phrases have become nigh unrecognizable from their original German. Take, for example, the simple phrase "God be with you" or "Gott behütet dich". In Austria, it has turned into something resembling "Be-ith ewe" or "Füit dey", a queer coding of the language that even the young'uns can't trace.
So, you've managed to muddle through an Austrian's dialectical directions to the nearest pub-restaurant. You sit down, order the local white beer, show the waiter with your finger what you would like to order (there's little chance he would understand your attempts at dialect pronunciation) and you wait comfortably in the smoke hazy interior.
Pretty soon, the waiter is going to return with a yummy basket of freshly baked bread sticks and pretzels. How kind, thinks the average American, he anticipated my raging hunger with a welcoming appetizer! Ah, but be wary, naive American. Being hungry, you snack on one, two, possibly three of the delicious breads before your meal comes. And why not? The salt goes wonderfully with your beer! The meal comes, it's more than you anticipated, but extremely delicious. You finish, flag down the waiter to pay and stare aghast at a bill possibly 4-5 Euros more than you expected.
I have dubbed this the "Dinner Roll Trap." Coupled with dialect, you're bound to have an adventurous evening wherever you are in Austria! Hopefully, you now feel better equipped to face the dangerous, delicious, and dialectical pitfalls ahead of you on your next trip to Austria!
*I've exaggerated. Dialect is very difficult but never impossible if someone is there willing to explain it. I look forward to learning more as the months go by. The Dinner Roll Trap, however, is based on a true story that I have so recently experienced.
"Füit dey"!
Austrian dialect is insane, crazy, and above all frustrating. Even if you've spent 6-8 years studying German, you have little to no chance of getting by with any local. If you manage to convince someone to slip out of dialect and into the accepted norm of 'high German', you still face the bobbing, Scandinavian-like accent. Which, to be quite honest, is beautiful and not impossible to understand. The trick to the accent is that every 'a' turns into a Swedish 'å' (if you can't see that, it's an 'a' with a halo above it). Do not be fooled by its angelic appearance, however. It's an unforgiving character, making simple sentences like: "Was hast du gesagt" (What did you say?) sound almost Russian: "Wå' håst d' gesågt".
Dialect is still a tricky beast that has seen much mutation in the hills of Austria. Certain phrases have become nigh unrecognizable from their original German. Take, for example, the simple phrase "God be with you" or "Gott behütet dich". In Austria, it has turned into something resembling "Be-ith ewe" or "Füit dey", a queer coding of the language that even the young'uns can't trace.
So, you've managed to muddle through an Austrian's dialectical directions to the nearest pub-restaurant. You sit down, order the local white beer, show the waiter with your finger what you would like to order (there's little chance he would understand your attempts at dialect pronunciation) and you wait comfortably in the smoke hazy interior.
Pretty soon, the waiter is going to return with a yummy basket of freshly baked bread sticks and pretzels. How kind, thinks the average American, he anticipated my raging hunger with a welcoming appetizer! Ah, but be wary, naive American. Being hungry, you snack on one, two, possibly three of the delicious breads before your meal comes. And why not? The salt goes wonderfully with your beer! The meal comes, it's more than you anticipated, but extremely delicious. You finish, flag down the waiter to pay and stare aghast at a bill possibly 4-5 Euros more than you expected.
I have dubbed this the "Dinner Roll Trap." Coupled with dialect, you're bound to have an adventurous evening wherever you are in Austria! Hopefully, you now feel better equipped to face the dangerous, delicious, and dialectical pitfalls ahead of you on your next trip to Austria!
*I've exaggerated. Dialect is very difficult but never impossible if someone is there willing to explain it. I look forward to learning more as the months go by. The Dinner Roll Trap, however, is based on a true story that I have so recently experienced.
"Füit dey"!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
REAL Coffee
My Italian neighbor stands by Italian coffee; it's the best in the world by her standards. She gave me a syringe full this morning, just a moment ago, saying that it had been cooked too long.
It tasted fine but just that little bit, cut with 4 times as much milk, has my eyes wide open! Hello, good morning!
It tasted fine but just that little bit, cut with 4 times as much milk, has my eyes wide open! Hello, good morning!
Familiar with debate
Today was a rare day of long classes full of taxing questions. It started at 7:30am and lasted for four hours of class discussion after class discussion. I faced many bouts of political-based questions: "Are you proud to be an American? Do you like Bush? Was it right that America went into Iraq?" ETC. One teacher wanted me to go over Barack Obama, the life and times of said dude. Two others requested that I review the American system of election. And a fourth was interested in education and general discussion.
One thing I noticed - explaining the electoral college is difficult. It's a bit hard for me to understand why something so undemocratic and old fashioned is still in place and to explain that a candidate can win the electoral vote but loose the election. I reasoned that equal representation is something difficult - almost as illusive as perfection - and the electoral college is there to help. Did you know that the British Labor Party uses an electoral college to elect its leader?
Plans are shaping up for Christmas. As you may or may not know, I am not returning stateside for the big day. That decision is going to be hard to bear the sooner December comes around but my plans are to visit a dear friend in Berlin. Besides, the days and weeks preceding Christmas were always more fun for me - putting up the decorations, breaking out the Christmas music CDs and DVDs, baking cookies, moving down a day on the advent calender, etc. Anticipation is beautiful and the Christmases of my childhood remain picture-perfect for me. I am very lucky to have such lovely memories.
Knitting project number one is almost done! A handy scarf. Soon, I will have the armor to combat an Austrian winter! Although, my students tell me that there could either be lots of snow - or nothing at all. *sigh* Sounds just like home!
One thing I noticed - explaining the electoral college is difficult. It's a bit hard for me to understand why something so undemocratic and old fashioned is still in place and to explain that a candidate can win the electoral vote but loose the election. I reasoned that equal representation is something difficult - almost as illusive as perfection - and the electoral college is there to help. Did you know that the British Labor Party uses an electoral college to elect its leader?
Plans are shaping up for Christmas. As you may or may not know, I am not returning stateside for the big day. That decision is going to be hard to bear the sooner December comes around but my plans are to visit a dear friend in Berlin. Besides, the days and weeks preceding Christmas were always more fun for me - putting up the decorations, breaking out the Christmas music CDs and DVDs, baking cookies, moving down a day on the advent calender, etc. Anticipation is beautiful and the Christmases of my childhood remain picture-perfect for me. I am very lucky to have such lovely memories.
Knitting project number one is almost done! A handy scarf. Soon, I will have the armor to combat an Austrian winter! Although, my students tell me that there could either be lots of snow - or nothing at all. *sigh* Sounds just like home!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
R23
Last night I couldn't find sleep. These past few evenings, I find myself talking my mind into a light rest as opposed to the deep respite from reality that usually precedes the shallow sleep of dreams. I have had too many dreams since my time in Sweden. I can't seem to stop or find "rest" from my own thoughts - the dreams start and snowball and then leave me at the brink, whereupon I abruptly wake up.
Maybe it has something to do with the lack of lassitude in my life abroad. English is my mother tongue; I can relax in English. But German, Japanese, and Swedish require a constant level of consciousness - no relaxing allowed - and that might slip over into my dreams, which are still in English. When my dreams start speaking in Austrian dialect, I will know that the situation is improving.
As I promised myself, I pushed the bike out into the sunlight and headed for the hills. Today was partly cloudy, moderately chilly, and burning bright with the colors of Fall; it was a perfect day for a bike ride.
I'm not the most exciting adventurer. When I start out towards someplace new, I like to glance at a map. It's not my style to shoot off into the sunset - I need to have an idea! And that classifies me as a certain type, I have no doubt, but if I were to do something extremely spontaneous then I would need a friend to come with me!
The path was windy and long, dodging in and out of small towns and through tilled fields of earth. I had set out around noon so the smell of lunch was strong as I went through town after town. Lunch here has a particular smell, like cooking butter, fat, onion, and meat. It pleases me. I could also taste that bitter gray smell of burning wood. There must be plenty of wood stoves in Austria, judging by the piles of stacked wood outside many of the homes. Like my dad, they must be ready and excited to light up the stove for the first time of the season!
I stayed out for an hour - long enough to get covered in gnats, sweat, and excitement - before I headed back. Two hours total. I really enjoy my contact teacher's bike, which I'm borrowing. The gears change when I move some levers with my fingers. This would be really good for people with sore hands...
Well, that was my weekend. Weekends tend to be less 'thrilling' than weekdays. Is that how it should be or is that contradictory to my age and situation? ;)
Love to hear from you! Thank you for the comments - it's good to hear 'bout the States and how you're doin!
Maybe it has something to do with the lack of lassitude in my life abroad. English is my mother tongue; I can relax in English. But German, Japanese, and Swedish require a constant level of consciousness - no relaxing allowed - and that might slip over into my dreams, which are still in English. When my dreams start speaking in Austrian dialect, I will know that the situation is improving.
As I promised myself, I pushed the bike out into the sunlight and headed for the hills. Today was partly cloudy, moderately chilly, and burning bright with the colors of Fall; it was a perfect day for a bike ride.
I'm not the most exciting adventurer. When I start out towards someplace new, I like to glance at a map. It's not my style to shoot off into the sunset - I need to have an idea! And that classifies me as a certain type, I have no doubt, but if I were to do something extremely spontaneous then I would need a friend to come with me!
The path was windy and long, dodging in and out of small towns and through tilled fields of earth. I had set out around noon so the smell of lunch was strong as I went through town after town. Lunch here has a particular smell, like cooking butter, fat, onion, and meat. It pleases me. I could also taste that bitter gray smell of burning wood. There must be plenty of wood stoves in Austria, judging by the piles of stacked wood outside many of the homes. Like my dad, they must be ready and excited to light up the stove for the first time of the season!
I stayed out for an hour - long enough to get covered in gnats, sweat, and excitement - before I headed back. Two hours total. I really enjoy my contact teacher's bike, which I'm borrowing. The gears change when I move some levers with my fingers. This would be really good for people with sore hands...
Well, that was my weekend. Weekends tend to be less 'thrilling' than weekdays. Is that how it should be or is that contradictory to my age and situation? ;)
Love to hear from you! Thank you for the comments - it's good to hear 'bout the States and how you're doin!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Flavor of the Day
It already seems like the days are whizzing by. Apparently, my preferred lifestyle is 14 hours of work a week with plenty of time left over for my hobbies and interests - aka lallygagging. I am a world class lallygagger.
This week, a pair of teachers from the Bakip (the school for kindergarten teachers), invited me along to a spa/bath resort in a town 30min away by car, in Germany. It was FANTASTIC. And I don't DO water. I'm like a tail-less dolphin, incredibly awkward and out of place in water. But this place was wonderful. The pair of teachers picked me up at the school, conveniently located right next door to my room, with a child apiece around 6pm. We then drove across the border, a river called the Inn.
The spa cost around 8.50 Euro and we stayed for three hours. The town, Füssing, has been the sight of several spa resorts for many years, ever since the natural hot springs were discovered. The water has a high sulfur content and is slightly radioactive (in good, natural ways). Many people visit from both Germany and Austria. There were many many different pools, all located outside and quite warm. We floated around from pool to pool, some with bubbles, some with fountains, some with currents, some boiling, some freezing - all different kinds! After we had spent time floating around, we took a rest in a 'quiet room', of which there were several different kinds as well. In some of the rooms even reading was prohibited. This was my first experience visiting a place devoted solely to relaxation. Hmm, I could get used to this!
Located on the same resort area were at least 7 different kinds of saunas. If you are like me, you only recognize one kind of sauna - HOT ones. Well, in Europe the art of heat has been well researched. There are all different kinds of saunas that involve applying various substances to your skin: everything from honey to cocoa. I only tried one, a "Dampfgrotto", a steam sauna. At the door to the inside, I could see a room that was heavily shrouded in steam, with walls and ceiling that resembled a brown cave. I grabbed a blue plastic mat to sit on (you wear clothes in this type of sauna), and stepped in. It was like breathing lava. After a few quick breaths through my nose, I gave up and breathed through my mouth. It was too uncomfortable. After a few moments, steam began to condense all over my body and I felt slick but not overly hot. I'm not sure how long I sat there; between focusing on breathing and noting the interesting sensation of boiling air filling my lungs, I kept my eyes on the exit. It was probably only five minutes that I was in there before I dashed outide, admnitting defeat. Several glances watched me with pity as I left, when, in fact, I pitied them and wished for nothing but cool air!
Strange thing is, it was THE BEST THING I COULD HAVE DONE FOR MYSELF. I've been breathing better than I have since coming here. Mom, Dad, and anyone else who wants to quit Claritin, you must try this Dampfgrotto! Best thing ever, I swear. :)
Thursday night, I played sports with some teachers for two hours - realized that I really do suck at that "be aggressive, hit the ball" facet of life. It was fun and afterwords we went to a traditional restaurant - went in through the BACK door, the perk of coming in with "regulars". I had knödel (Austrian dumplings) filled with three different variations of pig; on the side, I had sauerkraut and a white beer brewed in my town. I met some very fun people, including a retired teacher who made me happy about life through her smiles, laughter, and descriptive hand gestures. I got a ride back to my place, thankfully, because it was raining.
Friday was a day of little note, except that I finished "Monstrous Regiment" by Terry Prachett and started "Die Undendliche Geschichte" (The Neverending Story) by Michael Ende. It is, of course, quite good. The text is printed in two colors, red and green. The "real world" text is red and Phantasia text is green. The colors make me happy.
I went running for a bit this morning, discovered some nice back roads with bright orange ponies, and worked out in the tiny gym on top of our building. Refreshed, full of coffee and müsli, I contemplate the next part of today.
This week, a pair of teachers from the Bakip (the school for kindergarten teachers), invited me along to a spa/bath resort in a town 30min away by car, in Germany. It was FANTASTIC. And I don't DO water. I'm like a tail-less dolphin, incredibly awkward and out of place in water. But this place was wonderful. The pair of teachers picked me up at the school, conveniently located right next door to my room, with a child apiece around 6pm. We then drove across the border, a river called the Inn.
The spa cost around 8.50 Euro and we stayed for three hours. The town, Füssing, has been the sight of several spa resorts for many years, ever since the natural hot springs were discovered. The water has a high sulfur content and is slightly radioactive (in good, natural ways). Many people visit from both Germany and Austria. There were many many different pools, all located outside and quite warm. We floated around from pool to pool, some with bubbles, some with fountains, some with currents, some boiling, some freezing - all different kinds! After we had spent time floating around, we took a rest in a 'quiet room', of which there were several different kinds as well. In some of the rooms even reading was prohibited. This was my first experience visiting a place devoted solely to relaxation. Hmm, I could get used to this!
Located on the same resort area were at least 7 different kinds of saunas. If you are like me, you only recognize one kind of sauna - HOT ones. Well, in Europe the art of heat has been well researched. There are all different kinds of saunas that involve applying various substances to your skin: everything from honey to cocoa. I only tried one, a "Dampfgrotto", a steam sauna. At the door to the inside, I could see a room that was heavily shrouded in steam, with walls and ceiling that resembled a brown cave. I grabbed a blue plastic mat to sit on (you wear clothes in this type of sauna), and stepped in. It was like breathing lava. After a few quick breaths through my nose, I gave up and breathed through my mouth. It was too uncomfortable. After a few moments, steam began to condense all over my body and I felt slick but not overly hot. I'm not sure how long I sat there; between focusing on breathing and noting the interesting sensation of boiling air filling my lungs, I kept my eyes on the exit. It was probably only five minutes that I was in there before I dashed outide, admnitting defeat. Several glances watched me with pity as I left, when, in fact, I pitied them and wished for nothing but cool air!
Strange thing is, it was THE BEST THING I COULD HAVE DONE FOR MYSELF. I've been breathing better than I have since coming here. Mom, Dad, and anyone else who wants to quit Claritin, you must try this Dampfgrotto! Best thing ever, I swear. :)
Thursday night, I played sports with some teachers for two hours - realized that I really do suck at that "be aggressive, hit the ball" facet of life. It was fun and afterwords we went to a traditional restaurant - went in through the BACK door, the perk of coming in with "regulars". I had knödel (Austrian dumplings) filled with three different variations of pig; on the side, I had sauerkraut and a white beer brewed in my town. I met some very fun people, including a retired teacher who made me happy about life through her smiles, laughter, and descriptive hand gestures. I got a ride back to my place, thankfully, because it was raining.
Friday was a day of little note, except that I finished "Monstrous Regiment" by Terry Prachett and started "Die Undendliche Geschichte" (The Neverending Story) by Michael Ende. It is, of course, quite good. The text is printed in two colors, red and green. The "real world" text is red and Phantasia text is green. The colors make me happy.
I went running for a bit this morning, discovered some nice back roads with bright orange ponies, and worked out in the tiny gym on top of our building. Refreshed, full of coffee and müsli, I contemplate the next part of today.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Addendum to the Aufenthaltstitel
I've been here for nearly two weeks now, as a teacher's assistant. The time has been really lively, each class has something different about it, whether it's the students, the teacher, or the material. I'm never sure what to expect.
Since it's the first time that I'm in these classes, I have to do introductions - meaning I talk about myself for 10-15 minutes and then field any questions they might have. Boy oh boy, I'm tired of myself!
I've also covered topics like: the American school system, the American election, stereotypes, etc. But sometimes more interesting subjects crop up spontaneously. Last week, during a 7:30am class (God, it hasn't gotten much easier waking up that early), I had to stumble through FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) with a class, a topic that I haven't ever studied in-depth. An hour later I had to go over eating disorders with another class. I feel somewhat bad for the students; because I don't know much about the topic, I just dish-out my opinions and discuss how such things are viewed in America. But SO EARLY in the morning! And with little forewarning... The surprises in this job never end.
Sunday was the "last rose of summer" over here. It was quite warm and the sun had broken through the thick fog over Ried for the first time in a week. I took the opportunity to walk around town and snap some pictures in the quiet Sunday afternoon. Nothing is open on a Sunday besides the odd restaurant for an afternoon meal. Besides that, no shopping can be done. You have to think ahead and buy food on Sunday or else you'll feel the pinch of forgetfulness in your belly on Sunday.
On Monday, I was quite spontaneous. *beams* I taught in the morning for a few class periods and followed my last teacher out of the building. We were chatting and she mentioned that she was going to run and get manure for her garden. Somehow she mentioned that she would normally invite me home and I interjected that if she needed help moving manure - an occupation to which I feel completely at home - that I would gladly help her. Well, that was that. We left right from the school and she took me home. I played with her three dogs and two young daughters. We worked in her garden and I got to meet a farmer, which may lead to a possible exchange of English tutoring for riding time (a wishful hope). And I can tell you that manure here smells the same as in the States.
It was wonderful! I fell in love with her Fox Terrier named "Belle" who is just like a long-legged, younger Dazzle. I want a dog!!
The only downside to such a fantastic time is how quiet the room seems when I return. The one bed stands empty, the windows are dark, and even the drapes weep solitude. In that sense, today was terrible. I felt quite unsteady, bewildered by what I'm only now beginning to feel as a creeping loneliness. I know my weapons, I know the battle strategy to combat this foe. But knowing and doing are two different creatures and to best the "do", I've got to work on myself a bit more.
Today there was a moment of panic when I received an email from our Supreme Commander. There's some tricky paperwork involved with our payment schedule that is time sensitive. When I got an email about a copy of my Visa being needed, I panicked because I'd never been asked for one. It being only the afternoon, I dashed onto my and flew down to school, only to discover that the secretary's office was closed till 2pm. That left an hour to kill. I took the time to sit in a nearby park and gather myself up; did some soul searching and found that I really have too much time on my hands and that the old adage: Idle hands make idle minds, is a load of tripe. My mind is so un-idle, it's driving me to physical illness!
Anyway, at 2pm I went to see the secretary, a very kind, quick, and efficient lady. She understood my concern but said that they'd never required any such document before. She even called the proper authorities, the Landschulrat, to double check. Nope, turns out the email I got was just a general "reminder" to everyone. *head slam* I hate it when death-tolling emails turn out to be only the clangs of an alarm clock, especially when it involves my paycheck!
A few new pics:
Since it's the first time that I'm in these classes, I have to do introductions - meaning I talk about myself for 10-15 minutes and then field any questions they might have. Boy oh boy, I'm tired of myself!
I've also covered topics like: the American school system, the American election, stereotypes, etc. But sometimes more interesting subjects crop up spontaneously. Last week, during a 7:30am class (God, it hasn't gotten much easier waking up that early), I had to stumble through FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) with a class, a topic that I haven't ever studied in-depth. An hour later I had to go over eating disorders with another class. I feel somewhat bad for the students; because I don't know much about the topic, I just dish-out my opinions and discuss how such things are viewed in America. But SO EARLY in the morning! And with little forewarning... The surprises in this job never end.
Sunday was the "last rose of summer" over here. It was quite warm and the sun had broken through the thick fog over Ried for the first time in a week. I took the opportunity to walk around town and snap some pictures in the quiet Sunday afternoon. Nothing is open on a Sunday besides the odd restaurant for an afternoon meal. Besides that, no shopping can be done. You have to think ahead and buy food on Sunday or else you'll feel the pinch of forgetfulness in your belly on Sunday.
On Monday, I was quite spontaneous. *beams* I taught in the morning for a few class periods and followed my last teacher out of the building. We were chatting and she mentioned that she was going to run and get manure for her garden. Somehow she mentioned that she would normally invite me home and I interjected that if she needed help moving manure - an occupation to which I feel completely at home - that I would gladly help her. Well, that was that. We left right from the school and she took me home. I played with her three dogs and two young daughters. We worked in her garden and I got to meet a farmer, which may lead to a possible exchange of English tutoring for riding time (a wishful hope). And I can tell you that manure here smells the same as in the States.
It was wonderful! I fell in love with her Fox Terrier named "Belle" who is just like a long-legged, younger Dazzle. I want a dog!!
The only downside to such a fantastic time is how quiet the room seems when I return. The one bed stands empty, the windows are dark, and even the drapes weep solitude. In that sense, today was terrible. I felt quite unsteady, bewildered by what I'm only now beginning to feel as a creeping loneliness. I know my weapons, I know the battle strategy to combat this foe. But knowing and doing are two different creatures and to best the "do", I've got to work on myself a bit more.
Today there was a moment of panic when I received an email from our Supreme Commander. There's some tricky paperwork involved with our payment schedule that is time sensitive. When I got an email about a copy of my Visa being needed, I panicked because I'd never been asked for one. It being only the afternoon, I dashed onto my and flew down to school, only to discover that the secretary's office was closed till 2pm. That left an hour to kill. I took the time to sit in a nearby park and gather myself up; did some soul searching and found that I really have too much time on my hands and that the old adage: Idle hands make idle minds, is a load of tripe. My mind is so un-idle, it's driving me to physical illness!
Anyway, at 2pm I went to see the secretary, a very kind, quick, and efficient lady. She understood my concern but said that they'd never required any such document before. She even called the proper authorities, the Landschulrat, to double check. Nope, turns out the email I got was just a general "reminder" to everyone. *head slam* I hate it when death-tolling emails turn out to be only the clangs of an alarm clock, especially when it involves my paycheck!
A few new pics:
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| Once Upon an Austria |
Friday, October 10, 2008
End of Week One
Week one is over but I'll begin this post with a little backward step to last weekend's orientation. I'd taken this video while up in the Austrian mountains on our hiking trip:
And then I forgot about it until now. It seems that, with the more time I have, the more things I end up forgetting. It's quite troublesome. If I don't respond to emails directly, it's because I receive them, think of how nice it would be to reply, and then I get distracted by the Nothing. How could Nothing be distracting? Just ask Sebastien from The Neverending Story.
Good news is that I have friends now! *impossibly huge grin* And if I am too bold in calling them friends, at least they are really interesting people with whom I can freely talk. There is an Italian girl living next door to me and we have fun talking in halting German. I think we have a similar mentality because when the German doesn't fit, we often resort to shoulder-shrugs and other gestures. I've also gotten to learn an interesting guy from Romania who can speak fluent German, English, and Italian. This makes him the perfect companion for my Italian friend and I. He's impossibly talented. Languages on his "to-do" list, as he says, are Russian and Japanese. We are going to have a party tomorrow.
And this is how it goes for the first week - the week days are somewhat long and slow, flappy, and full of free time. The weekends are packed with various meetings with friends new and old - over Austria. The scales are not equally balanced.
P.S. I splurged and bought a large roll of chocolate filled cookies. BAD life decision. First day, and I'm already through half the pack.
And then I forgot about it until now. It seems that, with the more time I have, the more things I end up forgetting. It's quite troublesome. If I don't respond to emails directly, it's because I receive them, think of how nice it would be to reply, and then I get distracted by the Nothing. How could Nothing be distracting? Just ask Sebastien from The Neverending Story.
Good news is that I have friends now! *impossibly huge grin* And if I am too bold in calling them friends, at least they are really interesting people with whom I can freely talk. There is an Italian girl living next door to me and we have fun talking in halting German. I think we have a similar mentality because when the German doesn't fit, we often resort to shoulder-shrugs and other gestures. I've also gotten to learn an interesting guy from Romania who can speak fluent German, English, and Italian. This makes him the perfect companion for my Italian friend and I. He's impossibly talented. Languages on his "to-do" list, as he says, are Russian and Japanese. We are going to have a party tomorrow.
And this is how it goes for the first week - the week days are somewhat long and slow, flappy, and full of free time. The weekends are packed with various meetings with friends new and old - over Austria. The scales are not equally balanced.
P.S. I splurged and bought a large roll of chocolate filled cookies. BAD life decision. First day, and I'm already through half the pack.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Question-Answer Game
Second day is already finished and it's only mid morning. My classes on Thursdays and Fridays begin at 7:30am. That entails waking up at 6:10am. I'm ready for a nap.
Today was more interesting. I basically led a 5th year class (high school freshmen) in a discussion and activity (that I had devised myself - I'm quite proud!) with the teacher prompting students to interact. The second class, directly after, was the 8th class - the last level of English. With them, I basically fielded fireball questions like:
What do you think of Austrian boys?
Who do you think will be the next American president?
Do you think America should have gone into Iraq?
Are you proud to be an American?
and more tame questions like:
Do you like sports?
What do you miss most from America?
Have you ever met a celebrity?
Needless to say, some questions required a little more finesse than others. It's fun but I have to work at forming interesting answers. A darker, more mischievous side of me wants to fabricate. :P But nah, I wouldn't!
I discovered that I am not to open my window at night. I woke up this morning with *counts* 5 huge, red, lumpy mosquito bites on my right arm. Two on my hand. They look quite awkward, as if I were a teenager with serious acne or an idiot who'd stuck their arm in a beehive. I smooshed a slow moving mosquito this morning, who was probably laden with my blood, and he left a large red puddle on my palm. Bastard. I hope he was the only one.
Besides having mailed my absentee ballot today, nothing much new has happened. The weekend looks to be full and fun and I've been checking flight prices to Sweden. But they are appallingly expensive and yet I want to go... almost need to go. I want to see a familiar face. Does anybody want to give me a private jet?
As per request, here is my address:
Katie Konrad
Riedbergstrasse 1
4910 Ried im Innkreis
Austria
But please DO NOT put value on packages, if you can avoid it! If you do, I will have to pay taxes, duties, or some such other imposed fee.
Things I like...: photos, candy, tea, letters :)
Today was more interesting. I basically led a 5th year class (high school freshmen) in a discussion and activity (that I had devised myself - I'm quite proud!) with the teacher prompting students to interact. The second class, directly after, was the 8th class - the last level of English. With them, I basically fielded fireball questions like:
What do you think of Austrian boys?
Who do you think will be the next American president?
Do you think America should have gone into Iraq?
Are you proud to be an American?
and more tame questions like:
Do you like sports?
What do you miss most from America?
Have you ever met a celebrity?
Needless to say, some questions required a little more finesse than others. It's fun but I have to work at forming interesting answers. A darker, more mischievous side of me wants to fabricate. :P But nah, I wouldn't!
I discovered that I am not to open my window at night. I woke up this morning with *counts* 5 huge, red, lumpy mosquito bites on my right arm. Two on my hand. They look quite awkward, as if I were a teenager with serious acne or an idiot who'd stuck their arm in a beehive. I smooshed a slow moving mosquito this morning, who was probably laden with my blood, and he left a large red puddle on my palm. Bastard. I hope he was the only one.
Besides having mailed my absentee ballot today, nothing much new has happened. The weekend looks to be full and fun and I've been checking flight prices to Sweden. But they are appallingly expensive and yet I want to go... almost need to go. I want to see a familiar face. Does anybody want to give me a private jet?
As per request, here is my address:
Katie Konrad
Riedbergstrasse 1
4910 Ried im Innkreis
Austria
But please DO NOT put value on packages, if you can avoid it! If you do, I will have to pay taxes, duties, or some such other imposed fee.
Things I like...: photos, candy, tea, letters :)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Pickled Pigs Toes
It's living life the first night after my first day as a TA. I'm sitting here in my room, eating a pale banana, while slowly being driven mad by the tick-tick of my wristwatch. I can't help but think, after reviewing my performance on the teacher's stage, that I remind myself of Buster Keaton, a sadly comic man with a deadpan face. Well, I might have been a little more animated and certainly less silent but I'm still left with the feeling of having pulled myself out beyond clarity for the sake of laughter. I delivered a 10 minute biography to 6 different classes today. I feel like a bit of metal that has only had one corner partially beaten flat. Parts of my life I ignored or glossed over. Heh, it's funny for me to observe my quick-panicking mind scramble for its idea of this life's 'best of' and blurt it out time and time again with little variation. Am I really this dull, I wonder to myself. Or am I my own social experiment?
Anyway, I've never wanted to pick up smoking so much in my life. There's a crowd of student's always chilling outside my building and I watch with envy the ease with which they interact. Even if I didn't smoke, could I just carry around a pack - just in case? It looks like instant camaraderie. Either that or I'm glossing over the specifics.
I have a passing interest in feeling lonely. But only passing. The feeling will surely grow, and grow as I deny it sustenance but that is the way of such things. I've never been one to force relationships - be they friends or (mild hesitation). Well, at least friendship. At the moment, solitude is what I have, whether I want it or not. The doors are open but I'm not crying out loud.
My students are pretty cool people and represent a wide variety of personalities. I teach at a school for students 14-18 who want to become kindergarten teachers (BAKIP). The second school where I work is for 14-18 year old students who want to go to college with no specific training (BORG). All of my students at the BAKIP are girls. The BORG have a more mixed group (appropriate). The boys like to strut. The girls like to giggle. It's interesting and fun - just extremely draining. I had to sell myself 6 times today and I still don't think there were any buyers.
Almost all the teachers have British accents, some of them are quite adorable (both teachers and accents).
A first day audit? I think it went alright but will things continue to go so smoothly? And will the pressing lack of company during the week drive me up the wall? *dum dum daaa* Tune in for more... later. :)
Anyway, I've never wanted to pick up smoking so much in my life. There's a crowd of student's always chilling outside my building and I watch with envy the ease with which they interact. Even if I didn't smoke, could I just carry around a pack - just in case? It looks like instant camaraderie. Either that or I'm glossing over the specifics.
I have a passing interest in feeling lonely. But only passing. The feeling will surely grow, and grow as I deny it sustenance but that is the way of such things. I've never been one to force relationships - be they friends or (mild hesitation). Well, at least friendship. At the moment, solitude is what I have, whether I want it or not. The doors are open but I'm not crying out loud.
My students are pretty cool people and represent a wide variety of personalities. I teach at a school for students 14-18 who want to become kindergarten teachers (BAKIP). The second school where I work is for 14-18 year old students who want to go to college with no specific training (BORG). All of my students at the BAKIP are girls. The BORG have a more mixed group (appropriate). The boys like to strut. The girls like to giggle. It's interesting and fun - just extremely draining. I had to sell myself 6 times today and I still don't think there were any buyers.
Almost all the teachers have British accents, some of them are quite adorable (both teachers and accents).
A first day audit? I think it went alright but will things continue to go so smoothly? And will the pressing lack of company during the week drive me up the wall? *dum dum daaa* Tune in for more... later. :)
Monday, October 6, 2008
Taking Back Sunday
The internet is back! Apparently a rascally student had damaged the ethernet port in my room with a sharp object sometime in the past. But one grumbling German, a new port, and 4 hours later WULLAH! The posts can now resume:
Ì spent the weekend with my contact teacher outside of Ried in a little town known as Eberschwang. It was quite surprising to me that my teacher would still want me to come out and spend the weekend with her even though I was able to sneak into my dormitory before it closed for the weekend.
It has been a very heartening weekend. My contact teacher, Traudi, reminds me a bit of all the good people in my life. She reminds me of my mom a lot – the quilting, knitting, and general talent for all that she touches. She reminds me of friends from college – she’s jovial, curious, and upbeat. On Friday night, I was more exhausted than I have been yet, since being in Austria, and she outright told me, “This is your home.” And that’s just how I felt. After that first admittedly awkward evening, a groove was found and I settled into a comfort level.
It helped that she is an excellent cook and fed me with meals that rivaled my Mama-san of Japan in quality. We had LAMB for lunch on Saturday and VEAL on Sunday. Take THAT, organic, vegetarian farm in Sweden! It was excellent. For a bit of time on Saturday, I got a ride with the husband back into town. Norbert, the husband, is a flutist and a hobby glide/plane flyer who did most of the construction on their beautiful German house constructed nearly solely of wood.
In town, I purchased a phone card and found the bank and registration office where I will need to attend to a few things. Then Traudi picked me up and we went to the tiny airport where the husband flies for some pizza at a very cute pub/restaurant. I met a British couple who is now living abroad; the gentleman gave me one of his business cards although I have no clue what he does. And then we feasted on pizza and ice cream. When we got home, her two cats – a black and a gray – tackled us, acting much like dogs. Norbert was going to work late at the airport so just the two of us stayed up late talking books, culture, and quilting. Hey, I am open to many-a topic! ;)
Sunday, we awoke and went for an hour hike in the nearby woods. At the summit, we climbed a tall watch tower where you could see all the surrounding towns as well as the towering mountains to the south. I imagined myself on the frontier of middle earth – I’m in Hobbiton and far off in the distance is the angry mountain. Actually, it felt like LOTR meets Narnia. Ice Queen, anybody? Ah, I recently found out that the place where we spent orientation had nearly 70cm of snowfall the day after we left! Already! October and it’s coming. Granted, Traudi tells me that it will all have melted in a few days.
Anyway, after the hike, she cooked curry for me and that really cinched life into one ball of contentment.
Now I am back in my dormitory room and facing a grim life of pretzel snacks and apple juice for dinner. *sigh* Those tasty days of home cooked meals ended too quickly. But, on the other hand, it sounds like Arnold is having a rowdy conversation with somebody next door. The walls are thin.
Ì spent the weekend with my contact teacher outside of Ried in a little town known as Eberschwang. It was quite surprising to me that my teacher would still want me to come out and spend the weekend with her even though I was able to sneak into my dormitory before it closed for the weekend.
It has been a very heartening weekend. My contact teacher, Traudi, reminds me a bit of all the good people in my life. She reminds me of my mom a lot – the quilting, knitting, and general talent for all that she touches. She reminds me of friends from college – she’s jovial, curious, and upbeat. On Friday night, I was more exhausted than I have been yet, since being in Austria, and she outright told me, “This is your home.” And that’s just how I felt. After that first admittedly awkward evening, a groove was found and I settled into a comfort level.
It helped that she is an excellent cook and fed me with meals that rivaled my Mama-san of Japan in quality. We had LAMB for lunch on Saturday and VEAL on Sunday. Take THAT, organic, vegetarian farm in Sweden! It was excellent. For a bit of time on Saturday, I got a ride with the husband back into town. Norbert, the husband, is a flutist and a hobby glide/plane flyer who did most of the construction on their beautiful German house constructed nearly solely of wood.
In town, I purchased a phone card and found the bank and registration office where I will need to attend to a few things. Then Traudi picked me up and we went to the tiny airport where the husband flies for some pizza at a very cute pub/restaurant. I met a British couple who is now living abroad; the gentleman gave me one of his business cards although I have no clue what he does. And then we feasted on pizza and ice cream. When we got home, her two cats – a black and a gray – tackled us, acting much like dogs. Norbert was going to work late at the airport so just the two of us stayed up late talking books, culture, and quilting. Hey, I am open to many-a topic! ;)
Sunday, we awoke and went for an hour hike in the nearby woods. At the summit, we climbed a tall watch tower where you could see all the surrounding towns as well as the towering mountains to the south. I imagined myself on the frontier of middle earth – I’m in Hobbiton and far off in the distance is the angry mountain. Actually, it felt like LOTR meets Narnia. Ice Queen, anybody? Ah, I recently found out that the place where we spent orientation had nearly 70cm of snowfall the day after we left! Already! October and it’s coming. Granted, Traudi tells me that it will all have melted in a few days.
Anyway, after the hike, she cooked curry for me and that really cinched life into one ball of contentment.
Now I am back in my dormitory room and facing a grim life of pretzel snacks and apple juice for dinner. *sigh* Those tasty days of home cooked meals ended too quickly. But, on the other hand, it sounds like Arnold is having a rowdy conversation with somebody next door. The walls are thin.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
A Thousand Words
Here I am, in my new home base for the next 8 months: Internat im Ried.
What HAS been going on?
For the past few days I have been completing a mandatory orientation in Saalbach, a ski-town nearly two hours south of Salzburg. It was extremely enlightening (something I really appreciated as I don't really know HOW to teach). The days were full of seminars on how to survive in an Austrian school and the nights were full of riffraffery of the liquid sort. Even the professors joined in, late in the evening.
On Wednesday, after a morning of seminars, everyone who wanted trecked up one of the many nearby mountains. It was beautiful weather. The flirtatious sun choose to shine down and enlighten our trek so that we all became a bit sweaty from the climb. Sweat is a curse on a mountain hike, I've discovered. Once we reached the summit, the sweat dried slowly, leaving me with salty chills and I was really grateful that I had brought along a dry sweatshirt. Blisters, sweat, multiple muscle pain further along in time - it was all worth it. It was an ACCOMPLISHMENT. At the top, I could see far and wide. Austria looks contrived, fake, fantasy - anything but what you would expect of reality. It is, frankly, TOO beautiful. Pictures:
Thursday, everyone created and deployed a mock lesson in front of their respective groups. We were divided into groups according to our teaching province in Austria. As such, I was with other Oberösterreich-ers (Upper Austria TAs). Again, it was all helpful; I snagged a few ideas and criticism to boost me through the classrooms here. Gosh, I really don't know how to feel about teaching. Ho-hum. Last night in town and everyone went out to the bar. All 80-some foreigners were out - I swear! One night, I didn't feel like going out and I was pleasantly surprised to find a group of girls playing cards and enjoying a selection of the local beer. It's fun because even the people who don't go out don't hole-up in their rooms. Anyway, the whole experience was a pleasant mixture of learning and fun. Good times!
After all that, I managed to make my way by train, bus, and car to my assigned town. Because all the kids go home for the weekend, the staff are gone and that leaves me currently without internet in my room. But I think a student stayed behind because I smell illegal cigarette smoke wafting down the hall and hear really loud music. My shower and bathroom are in the lobby and the kitchen is in the hallway. Cup-o-soup, here I come!
For me, this is really brief because so much has happened. All week long, I have been writing little anecdotes inside my head that I wished you all could read and enjoy. It's a very different kind of place here - loads different from anything else that I have experienced. But I am, as seems the usual norm these days, tired and drained. Maybe after a few days, when I've settled in and no longer have to use these foreign keys, I will write them out. :)
Until then, please look at the pictures and imagine your own stories!
What HAS been going on?
For the past few days I have been completing a mandatory orientation in Saalbach, a ski-town nearly two hours south of Salzburg. It was extremely enlightening (something I really appreciated as I don't really know HOW to teach). The days were full of seminars on how to survive in an Austrian school and the nights were full of riffraffery of the liquid sort. Even the professors joined in, late in the evening.
On Wednesday, after a morning of seminars, everyone who wanted trecked up one of the many nearby mountains. It was beautiful weather. The flirtatious sun choose to shine down and enlighten our trek so that we all became a bit sweaty from the climb. Sweat is a curse on a mountain hike, I've discovered. Once we reached the summit, the sweat dried slowly, leaving me with salty chills and I was really grateful that I had brought along a dry sweatshirt. Blisters, sweat, multiple muscle pain further along in time - it was all worth it. It was an ACCOMPLISHMENT. At the top, I could see far and wide. Austria looks contrived, fake, fantasy - anything but what you would expect of reality. It is, frankly, TOO beautiful. Pictures:
 |
| Once Upon an Austria |
Thursday, everyone created and deployed a mock lesson in front of their respective groups. We were divided into groups according to our teaching province in Austria. As such, I was with other Oberösterreich-ers (Upper Austria TAs). Again, it was all helpful; I snagged a few ideas and criticism to boost me through the classrooms here. Gosh, I really don't know how to feel about teaching. Ho-hum. Last night in town and everyone went out to the bar. All 80-some foreigners were out - I swear! One night, I didn't feel like going out and I was pleasantly surprised to find a group of girls playing cards and enjoying a selection of the local beer. It's fun because even the people who don't go out don't hole-up in their rooms. Anyway, the whole experience was a pleasant mixture of learning and fun. Good times!
After all that, I managed to make my way by train, bus, and car to my assigned town. Because all the kids go home for the weekend, the staff are gone and that leaves me currently without internet in my room. But I think a student stayed behind because I smell illegal cigarette smoke wafting down the hall and hear really loud music. My shower and bathroom are in the lobby and the kitchen is in the hallway. Cup-o-soup, here I come!
For me, this is really brief because so much has happened. All week long, I have been writing little anecdotes inside my head that I wished you all could read and enjoy. It's a very different kind of place here - loads different from anything else that I have experienced. But I am, as seems the usual norm these days, tired and drained. Maybe after a few days, when I've settled in and no longer have to use these foreign keys, I will write them out. :)
Until then, please look at the pictures and imagine your own stories!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Arrival
Katie has arrived and plans to write the motherload update soon! She lives and will continue the story in a few days! :)
*end service announcement*
*end service announcement*
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