Change of scenery...

...thank goodness.

Memory Lane

It's snowing and I can't sleep, just like when I was a kid. I'd rest my cheek against the window glass and watch and watch till only the numbness spreading along my face forced me to bed. I wanted to see the change take place, that subtle transition from brown sleep of fall to white enchantment of winter (which I hoped would be too deep for school buses). From my pillow case, I couldn't distinguish individual snowflakes from the darkness but I could close my eyes and watch them change through a kaleidoscope of color.

Many things are different now. The window isn't where it's supposed to be and the angle is all wrong. I can't see the snow unless I open the window and step outside, which is exactly what I did. It's still powdery, the snow. Timid, unsure, weak and yet I want to run about outside in my stocking feet and shriek.

What's it about winter that makes you feel so alone?

But snow is snow and although I'm far away from many familiar things, snow is still cold, still melts in the hand, and throws very well when formed into a projectile, preferably a ball. ;)

Sleep

Nighttime. Foggy sky, yellow from light pollution. Chilly, damp. Walking to the grocery store.

Things I like:
The feel of my heel-to-toe on the pavement.
Listening to tranquil metal music and watching snowflakes reappear and disappear through the light of a street lantern.
Crossing the street.
The tingling in my nose and cheeks as I walk through the grocery store.
Smiling at the cashier - a severe situation of sympathy.
That proud feeling in my gut that I went the extra 15minutes for the good yogurt.

Things I dislike:
Half a pair of mittens lying beside the train tracks.
Getting closer to my pad.



It's quite comforting to me that I enjoy more than I suffer. Huzzah! Btw, I just invented "tranquil metal music." If you believe in big foot, believe me in this - sightings are rare and usually fabricated. But enjoy the fact that McDonald's sells cans of Red Bull. We're halfway to a Jägerbomb, kids!

Around town

This morning I didn't have class so I went around town for a walk.


Catholicism is THE religion in Austria. Wherever you go, the odd bit of religious oddment pops up. In this way, Austria sort of reminds me of Japan. Instead of shrines, there are crosses and mini churches:

Second straight day of sun in a row! I am flabbergasted. It's all going to end, though. Tomorrow has a forecast of snow, which translates to rain in Ried.


And that's the end of the tour. Have a nice day and enjoy the weather.

Tadaa- - - - - !

One thing I can't keep track of is the dishes. Like magic, everyday there are more and more. They keep multiplying and, what's more, they like to hide about my room. It's my one goal, at the beginning of the day, to clear up last night's mess.

Today is the first sunny day in a long time. I can't remember the last time it was this sunny. For me, it comes at a time in my life when I'm writing again - as you can tell by the presence of a blog entry today.

I've picked up the keys and decided to start throwing them out in odd arrangements again. My only problem, it's a sunny day - why does this happen now, when I should be outside doing something?

All in good time.

I'll finish up the Christmas holiday with some travel tips:

1. Avoid travel in the winter unless you are Scandinavian.
2. Never use a taxi in Prague. We paid 40euros for a taxi ride that would have cost us 1euro in public transport. Ouch!
3. People in Prague are incredibly cranky. Bring thicker skin with you or a HUGE can of bug spray to attack that beetle that's up their _____.
4. The Czech Republic is not a part of the EU. They have their own currency and their own way of doing things: haggling. If you're not in a restaurant, it's perfectly reasonable for you to haggle over prices.
5. Smoking hotels, where every room is smoking, exist in Prague. My friend and I stayed in one, to our chagrin.
6. It's hard to find accommodations during the holidays, especially near New Year's. We paid 35euro per person, in Vienna, for a shared 6 bed hostel room. Moral of the story: French young'uns are loud. If you choose to travel directly after New Year's, it is incredibly cheap. I went to Vienna a week later with a friend and we got a private double room - with kitchen, bathroom, and living room - for 30euros in all. See this site: www.booking.com Off season travel is very cheap.

Christmas pt.1

Christmas in Berlin. I guess you can say that the strong face you put on in your mind is more often than not weaker than you expect. I knew that Christmas was coming; I could see it creeping closer like a giant tsunami wave of impending emotions. Even though the mask you wear seems infallible from the inside, the reality is that it's more holey than Swiss cheese on the outside - the side always hidden.

When I got to Berlin, I stepped inside a warm house and a warmer family, suddenly realizing how chilly the past few months had been. The porcelain face that I had built slipped from my tear stained cheeks and shattered... OK, OK. Enough poetics! I was terribly sad and I did miss family and loved ones very much. But we three girls, tied into spending a Christmas together, were all separated and in pain. The result was a beautiful week of tissues, Audry Hepburn, cookies, Champagne, tears, and laughter. The whole thing was a giant success. By the end, I did not want to leave.

Christmas eve, I was half tempted not to go to church. Traditionally a family event, church on Christmas eve is like green following red at the traffic light. Without family, however, I had no lust to go. But go I did, dragging my feet the whole way, which resulted in me being late. I went to the Church of Memories, quite near Wittenbergerplatz, ironically. The Gedächtniskirche is a ruin of WWII - a bombed out husk of a church that remains standing amidst the wealthiest shopping district of Berlin. Beside the ruins, a new church hall was built and to this church is where I went for service.

It was late and I barely squeezed inside. I came in out of the cold just as the congregation started singing Stille Nacht. It was good that I was pushed underneath a staircase with barely a view of the blue tiled wall behind the crucifix. No one could see the tears. Ah, I have a weak soul for separation and German song! Turned out to be a good choice - church - time to focus on nothing but the ritual of service. No worries, no thoughts. The pastor quoted Thomas Mann. I like literate sermons.

Other highlights from Berlin include a visit to the city opera and a very modern version of Turandot. Let's just say that Kalif summons Turandot by jumping on the keys of a giant cellphone and later sings Nessun dorma in front of a giant stuffed animal that is Turandot's palace(resembling a giant moogle from Final Fantasy). Basically, it was opera meets anime. There was even a Karma Sutra scene. Thank you, Berlin!

My Japanese travel companion came and I showed her the sights. Too soon, Berlin time ended. But what happened next is another story...