Sunday, 25 September 2011
Ha!
I've just realized that the address for this site is viennamuffin.blogspot.com. I do not live in Vienna. I was going for austrianmuffin.blogspot.com. Too late now. Oops!
Arrival/Ankunft
After many hours of travelling it seems that I've found myself in Austria again. I'm still asking myself if this is real, though I continue to wake up in a foreign country and I don't think I'll be driving my car to Target anytime soon.
I am writing this from the lobby of the Sporthotel and Studentheim Hollabrunn, a classy place with a motif that is straight from the 70s and a bad wireless network. Instead of writing this on my bed I get to sit and watch/greet students return from their weekends at home. I'm content here, and my room is very clean. I even have a huge bed all to myself, and a TV that plays dubbed episodes of Scrubs. This morning's breakfast was good, and I was surrounded by a karate team/club/? and lots of men and women in leiderhosen and dirndles. It seems that this place serves many functions as a community center of sorts and some sort of retreat center. Oh and a hotel, of course.
My journey began with a flight from Syracuse to Toronto, in which I thought our tiny prop plane might drop from the sky. I was also intrigued by the open view we had of the cockpit, and how one pilot would occasionally unclasp his seat belt to turn around and acknowledge us. Once inside the airport I helped a woman from Kosovo (also on my flight from SYR), who was not so healthy with the English, get to her terminal. After buying water and trashy magazines I boarded my flight, which would prove rather comfortable and uneventful, to London. Flying over Big Ben and the London Eye has inspired me to make a trip to the UK while I'm here. While waiting in Heathrow for my Vienna connection the terminal was invaded by a mob of college age men wearing bright red fraternity t-shirts causing quite a stir. One member was dressed as a toilet. Yes, you read that correctly.
Upon arrival in Vienna, and successfully getting my luggage to the hostel- my arms are still sore- I walked to IES, where I studied in the spring of 2010. I proceeded to have a lengthy conversation with the dean of students about bikes and such, and was assured that I would always have a home within the school. That was comforting, and I then strolled my favorite areas of the first district, and took a tram to my old neighborhood. Grinzing hasn't changed, and it was refreshing to be back, even for a moment.
Again, it seems that nothing has really changed. The U-Bahn is still the U-Bahn. Everyone still wears scarves. The fruit at the Naschmarket is still incredible. Women still drive German Shephards around in sports cars. The streets still smell like that old European smell. As do some of the people. The list goes on.
After settling into my hotel- oh! the cabbie who brought me here was awesome. She speaks 100% Czech but not so much English and told me I speak good German. She even winked at me when she walked away. I have a friend!- I took a walk through town. I immediately realized I didn't need the directions I had written down, and that everything is super accessible. The town center is very quaint, with cobblestone streets and all the shops I could need. I think I'll like it here to say the least. I settled into my room for the evening and did laundry in the sink (necessary, and holy AMA flashbacks), watched The King's Speech, and gave my hair a deep conditioning treatment. Sometimes you just have to relax and do you, you know? This morning I fell back asleep post breakfast, sat in the sun downtown, and ate some really awesome pizza. I have also befriended that pizza guys.
On the whole Hollabrunn seems quiet, and the people much more down to earth than in Wien. I've seen plenty of folks in athletic apparel, and get this, sneakers! Ha! Today I even walked around in black yoga pants. Yes! Many people have acknowledged me while walking, or rambled off something quick that I couldn't understand so just smiled and ja'd. Excellent. I am happy to be here, though am certainly beginning to realize just how long I'll be staying. Leaving was much harder this time around, and I'm already missing the comforts of home. Being around my dogs, big couches, a big back yard, family, friends, etc. This will certainly take some getting used to.
Tomorrow its off to Graz for a week's worth of orientation, and then work begins on October 3rd! In the meantime I have to pick up my residency permit, submit paperwork to local officials, get fingerprinted, buy a cell phone, and set up a bank account.
Let the adventures begin!
Be Well,
Muffin
I am writing this from the lobby of the Sporthotel and Studentheim Hollabrunn, a classy place with a motif that is straight from the 70s and a bad wireless network. Instead of writing this on my bed I get to sit and watch/greet students return from their weekends at home. I'm content here, and my room is very clean. I even have a huge bed all to myself, and a TV that plays dubbed episodes of Scrubs. This morning's breakfast was good, and I was surrounded by a karate team/club/? and lots of men and women in leiderhosen and dirndles. It seems that this place serves many functions as a community center of sorts and some sort of retreat center. Oh and a hotel, of course.
My journey began with a flight from Syracuse to Toronto, in which I thought our tiny prop plane might drop from the sky. I was also intrigued by the open view we had of the cockpit, and how one pilot would occasionally unclasp his seat belt to turn around and acknowledge us. Once inside the airport I helped a woman from Kosovo (also on my flight from SYR), who was not so healthy with the English, get to her terminal. After buying water and trashy magazines I boarded my flight, which would prove rather comfortable and uneventful, to London. Flying over Big Ben and the London Eye has inspired me to make a trip to the UK while I'm here. While waiting in Heathrow for my Vienna connection the terminal was invaded by a mob of college age men wearing bright red fraternity t-shirts causing quite a stir. One member was dressed as a toilet. Yes, you read that correctly.
 |
| I want to go! |
Upon arrival in Vienna, and successfully getting my luggage to the hostel- my arms are still sore- I walked to IES, where I studied in the spring of 2010. I proceeded to have a lengthy conversation with the dean of students about bikes and such, and was assured that I would always have a home within the school. That was comforting, and I then strolled my favorite areas of the first district, and took a tram to my old neighborhood. Grinzing hasn't changed, and it was refreshing to be back, even for a moment.
 |
| One of my favorite spots in Vienna, Schonbrunn Palace |
Again, it seems that nothing has really changed. The U-Bahn is still the U-Bahn. Everyone still wears scarves. The fruit at the Naschmarket is still incredible. Women still drive German Shephards around in sports cars. The streets still smell like that old European smell. As do some of the people. The list goes on.
After settling into my hotel- oh! the cabbie who brought me here was awesome. She speaks 100% Czech but not so much English and told me I speak good German. She even winked at me when she walked away. I have a friend!- I took a walk through town. I immediately realized I didn't need the directions I had written down, and that everything is super accessible. The town center is very quaint, with cobblestone streets and all the shops I could need. I think I'll like it here to say the least. I settled into my room for the evening and did laundry in the sink (necessary, and holy AMA flashbacks), watched The King's Speech, and gave my hair a deep conditioning treatment. Sometimes you just have to relax and do you, you know? This morning I fell back asleep post breakfast, sat in the sun downtown, and ate some really awesome pizza. I have also befriended that pizza guys.
On the whole Hollabrunn seems quiet, and the people much more down to earth than in Wien. I've seen plenty of folks in athletic apparel, and get this, sneakers! Ha! Today I even walked around in black yoga pants. Yes! Many people have acknowledged me while walking, or rambled off something quick that I couldn't understand so just smiled and ja'd. Excellent. I am happy to be here, though am certainly beginning to realize just how long I'll be staying. Leaving was much harder this time around, and I'm already missing the comforts of home. Being around my dogs, big couches, a big back yard, family, friends, etc. This will certainly take some getting used to.
 |
| A very old picture of Hollabrunn, Niederoesterreich |
Tomorrow its off to Graz for a week's worth of orientation, and then work begins on October 3rd! In the meantime I have to pick up my residency permit, submit paperwork to local officials, get fingerprinted, buy a cell phone, and set up a bank account.
Let the adventures begin!
Be Well,
Muffin
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