OK, so Christmas here is really cool.
They have these things called Chriskindlmarkts all over Vienna. You can buy cool touristy items or cool novelty items, jewelry, scarves, hats, etc. At the one in Schönbrunn, you could buy little shots of different types of alcohol. I saw a table piled about a foot high with them to the entirety of its diameter, about 3 feet. And there were 4 totally wasted people around it. A policeman went and talked to them about the noise, not how much they were drinking. Very interesting place here, haha. You can also buy this stuff called punsch, which is a hot tea, sugar, and juice mixture with rum. I tried it, but I don't like it. Its too sweet, combined with too much alcohol.
Anyway, they celebrate the 4 Sundays before Christmas by lighting 4 candles, one per Sunday. Gabi threw cookie eating parties for two of the 4.
Then Christmas came, and I got my presents from home the day of. Unfortunately, I did not find out until I arrived, because we were banned from the house from the 23 until 5:00 on the 24, when the Christkind was finished decorating and laying out presents. Then we opened all the presents, and ate Christmas dinner.
It was really fun, and I almost cried when I got my presents from home. I have no idea why.
But anyways, belated Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
What's Up Lately.
Hey guys!
Don't kill me, I know its been about two months since my last post, and I'm sorry.
Anyway, the reasons I didn't post:
After Egypt, the fabled homesickness stage set in. That means that the only way to avoid missing home is to go out and get distracted. I spent most of my time out of the house. I cried 3 times in 2 weeks, those of you who know me know that I don't cry and the fact that I did says something. I also cried during school, and Tina (my host sister) and Yasi (her friend/our friend) tried to comfort me. That made me feel really good.
In an attempt to stop the homesickness, we threw a little Thanksgiving party, which was basically a ton of dessert and about 40 turkey sandwiches because my friend Amy (from LA, also on exchange) and I said that there was no way that we would EVER be able to cook a turkey.
Then I got roped in to this performance thingy at a ball. Which requires a white floor length gown. Which apparently costs about €300. Thankfully, Amy said that she has been wanting to sew, so we can make them. Hopefully that works out.
Until Christmas, the last month has basically been sitting through school without understanding anything and going out and window shopping. And maybe hitting a few discos along the way.
I'll do Christmas in another post, but for right now I will explain how I am doing right now.
This is going to sound really weird, but apparently its totally normal for exchange students. I am in the middle of a frustrated, angry stage that started on Monday. Basically I wake up mad and look for anything and everything to blame it on. I was mad at my friends here, my friends in the US, my host family, my college applications, myself, everything. So I punched a few pillows, played violin, but of course I didn't feel better. And it has been this way every day since Monday. I hate myself for it, because I am not the nicest person in the world when I am mad, but it will go away eventually.
I'll do my post about Christmas now.
Don't kill me, I know its been about two months since my last post, and I'm sorry.
Anyway, the reasons I didn't post:
After Egypt, the fabled homesickness stage set in. That means that the only way to avoid missing home is to go out and get distracted. I spent most of my time out of the house. I cried 3 times in 2 weeks, those of you who know me know that I don't cry and the fact that I did says something. I also cried during school, and Tina (my host sister) and Yasi (her friend/our friend) tried to comfort me. That made me feel really good.
In an attempt to stop the homesickness, we threw a little Thanksgiving party, which was basically a ton of dessert and about 40 turkey sandwiches because my friend Amy (from LA, also on exchange) and I said that there was no way that we would EVER be able to cook a turkey.
Then I got roped in to this performance thingy at a ball. Which requires a white floor length gown. Which apparently costs about €300. Thankfully, Amy said that she has been wanting to sew, so we can make them. Hopefully that works out.
Until Christmas, the last month has basically been sitting through school without understanding anything and going out and window shopping. And maybe hitting a few discos along the way.
I'll do Christmas in another post, but for right now I will explain how I am doing right now.
This is going to sound really weird, but apparently its totally normal for exchange students. I am in the middle of a frustrated, angry stage that started on Monday. Basically I wake up mad and look for anything and everything to blame it on. I was mad at my friends here, my friends in the US, my host family, my college applications, myself, everything. So I punched a few pillows, played violin, but of course I didn't feel better. And it has been this way every day since Monday. I hate myself for it, because I am not the nicest person in the world when I am mad, but it will go away eventually.
I'll do my post about Christmas now.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sorry!!
I haven't blogged in forever! But oh well, you all lived. So, I went to Egypt with my host family, and it was AMAZING!!! Vienna is still really fun, I went to Salzburg, and I really don't feel like writing right now. I'll put up more later, I suppose.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Good times...
Okay, first off: Last week, I was on the Ubahn, public transport that takes you pretty much anywhere in Vienna, and I saw a lady with a legitimate Zoolander phone. No kidding here.
This week we were in school, and I understand enough in some classes that I can follow along. Then Moritz, the class goofball, decides to try and trick me into thinking I didn't do the right homework. A good sign, because it means slight acceptance and a noted understanding of Deutsch, but also bad. Why? He almost pulled it off.
Then my birthday. It was amazing! Gabi made fish and veggies in some sort of delicious paprika sauce. And, we made a cake. It was initially going to be one layer, but Clara said, "Can we do two layers? One white and one chocolate?" Gabi only gave in because it was my one and only birthday here, meaning that it had to be special. I got jewelry and really nice scarves, along with a cute blouse and sudoku. Oh, and pens with which to do said sudoku. Really fun overall.
Then, D-Kurs happened. It was Intercultural Day. Basically, walk around in your AFS shirts with signs that advertise AFS. Some crusty old man came up to me and my partner, asking questions. It seemed innocent enough, but no, he had to sit and stare at us for ten minutes from outside a store two windows down. Needless to say we switched locations.
Friday was immensely better. I went to a disco!!! I invited the other AFSers, but only two actually came along. There were three girls who I know through my host sister, my host sister, and the guy from our class I think she wants to set me up with thanks to Alex little "Get Alyssa a boyfriend" comment. Anyway, it was really fun. My sort of birthday party, I guess.
Violin lesson was a minor blip. I have to learn how to bow. Again. Except, it is a style that nobody has tried to teach me before, so my bow hand is sore. I feel like a wimp. Problem is, the bowing style requires different hand muscles, therefore I am not a true weakling.
My English grammar is starting to disappear- I am starting to phrase and spell things the German way. A good sign. Too bad my speaking still isn't up to par.
This week we were in school, and I understand enough in some classes that I can follow along. Then Moritz, the class goofball, decides to try and trick me into thinking I didn't do the right homework. A good sign, because it means slight acceptance and a noted understanding of Deutsch, but also bad. Why? He almost pulled it off.
Then my birthday. It was amazing! Gabi made fish and veggies in some sort of delicious paprika sauce. And, we made a cake. It was initially going to be one layer, but Clara said, "Can we do two layers? One white and one chocolate?" Gabi only gave in because it was my one and only birthday here, meaning that it had to be special. I got jewelry and really nice scarves, along with a cute blouse and sudoku. Oh, and pens with which to do said sudoku. Really fun overall.
Then, D-Kurs happened. It was Intercultural Day. Basically, walk around in your AFS shirts with signs that advertise AFS. Some crusty old man came up to me and my partner, asking questions. It seemed innocent enough, but no, he had to sit and stare at us for ten minutes from outside a store two windows down. Needless to say we switched locations.
Friday was immensely better. I went to a disco!!! I invited the other AFSers, but only two actually came along. There were three girls who I know through my host sister, my host sister, and the guy from our class I think she wants to set me up with thanks to Alex little "Get Alyssa a boyfriend" comment. Anyway, it was really fun. My sort of birthday party, I guess.
Violin lesson was a minor blip. I have to learn how to bow. Again. Except, it is a style that nobody has tried to teach me before, so my bow hand is sore. I feel like a wimp. Problem is, the bowing style requires different hand muscles, therefore I am not a true weakling.
My English grammar is starting to disappear- I am starting to phrase and spell things the German way. A good sign. Too bad my speaking still isn't up to par.
Friday, September 24, 2010
AFS exchange students FTW
"I'm a guy, and I wore a tight shirt. I said, I'm not gay, I'm European."
"I want to ride a sheep to school, and tie it up where other students lock their bikes."
-AFS student from New Zealand
"On Friday, I drank and went to the disco. On Saturday...... I drank and went to the disco."
-AFS student from Venezuela
" 'I bought beer for €6!!! Then I couldn't find a bottle opener, so I had to buy one.'
'How much was that?'
'.....€6' "
-AFS student from Tennessee.
"My class is calling me Michael Jackson!!!"
-AFS student from LA
"Only in Vienna could you ever find old ladies who dress better than we do."
-AFS student from Washington
Good times. I mean, I love my class, but only from AFS students could you ever have such great quotes as these. There are two teams: Team South America and Team English. Team English should be Team Denglish, because we'll say two words in Deutsch, forget the words we need, and say the rest of our sentence in English. Team South America is straight up Spanish, but a strange mixture of different slangs and Portuguese. Why the teams? Simply because there is a photo war.
Yes, a photo war. We are trying to rival the South Americans in the number of photos we can take. Right now, its about 200 to 15. Favoring the South Americans. We're now talking about just going up to billboards and posing like the H & M models. We made the rugby player from New Zealand do the most feminine pose we could find. If only you could have seen the looks he got. I laugh every time I see the billboard.
Anyway, school is great, except for Latin and Physics. A special thanks to Mr. Ruttenburg for teaching us so well that I'm actually learning math I saw in our book in Austria. I know more about vectors than I ever did in Ruttenburg's class, all from what is written on the board during class. Give him a round of applause- If that doesn't say how bad his teaching is I don't know what does. Latin is bad. They translate fables on the spot in fast German, and it doesn't translate literally. The German translation I write down doesn't end up making any sense whatsoever to me.
I went for a twenty km bike ride last Saturday. They don't use real bikes here, only cruisers with the back brake. I felt like I was riding a baby bike. I can drink here, but I've only gone once, and I had one drink. I'm going to play it safe, so it'll stay at one drink. Yes, there are cute guys here. Unfortunately, the cute ones dress well, so I can't tell if they're gay or if they're just dressing like Austrians.
It's my birthday on Wednesday!! Hopefully, I'll get some of that cool jewelry that I'm too cheap to buy myself.
I'll post again next Friday!
Alyssa
"I want to ride a sheep to school, and tie it up where other students lock their bikes."
-AFS student from New Zealand
"On Friday, I drank and went to the disco. On Saturday...... I drank and went to the disco."
-AFS student from Venezuela
" 'I bought beer for €6!!! Then I couldn't find a bottle opener, so I had to buy one.'
'How much was that?'
'.....€6' "
-AFS student from Tennessee.
"My class is calling me Michael Jackson!!!"
-AFS student from LA
"Only in Vienna could you ever find old ladies who dress better than we do."
-AFS student from Washington
Good times. I mean, I love my class, but only from AFS students could you ever have such great quotes as these. There are two teams: Team South America and Team English. Team English should be Team Denglish, because we'll say two words in Deutsch, forget the words we need, and say the rest of our sentence in English. Team South America is straight up Spanish, but a strange mixture of different slangs and Portuguese. Why the teams? Simply because there is a photo war.
Yes, a photo war. We are trying to rival the South Americans in the number of photos we can take. Right now, its about 200 to 15. Favoring the South Americans. We're now talking about just going up to billboards and posing like the H & M models. We made the rugby player from New Zealand do the most feminine pose we could find. If only you could have seen the looks he got. I laugh every time I see the billboard.
Anyway, school is great, except for Latin and Physics. A special thanks to Mr. Ruttenburg for teaching us so well that I'm actually learning math I saw in our book in Austria. I know more about vectors than I ever did in Ruttenburg's class, all from what is written on the board during class. Give him a round of applause- If that doesn't say how bad his teaching is I don't know what does. Latin is bad. They translate fables on the spot in fast German, and it doesn't translate literally. The German translation I write down doesn't end up making any sense whatsoever to me.
I went for a twenty km bike ride last Saturday. They don't use real bikes here, only cruisers with the back brake. I felt like I was riding a baby bike. I can drink here, but I've only gone once, and I had one drink. I'm going to play it safe, so it'll stay at one drink. Yes, there are cute guys here. Unfortunately, the cute ones dress well, so I can't tell if they're gay or if they're just dressing like Austrians.
It's my birthday on Wednesday!! Hopefully, I'll get some of that cool jewelry that I'm too cheap to buy myself.
I'll post again next Friday!
Alyssa
Friday, September 17, 2010
I'm Here!!!
So, here I am! Second week in Austria, and I love it. As touristy as Vienna is, if you go to the right places, it's really not all that bad. I love it here- the food is great (No, not just the chocolate. The food.) and we only eat one big meal a day, plus a small breakfast and constant snacks. I could use a little less snacking, but when you don't eat a lot you get an insulted look from everyone else. Anyway, its really fun.
The first three days were useless orientation, but we got to meet all of the other kids going to Vienna. Lots of fun South Americans- I went to Stephansplatz with them on Wednesday and every two seconds we were taking group photos.
I already auditioned for the music school, and they told me I was too talented (Thats a laugh. I wonder what they would think of Miya or Sophie?). As a result, I can only play for an ensemble.
My only complaints: Latin class is horrible and everyone looks perfect without even trying. My host mom takes maybe ten minutes to get ready, but she looks great. Not to mention the fact that their hair stays perfect without hairspray. I swear, it's the most frustrating thing in the world. How do you compete with that?
Anyway, I can't say I'm missing Bend quite yet. Once ski season starts, maybe. I don't really know what any of my readers would like to know, so ask and I shall tell.
Tchus!
The first three days were useless orientation, but we got to meet all of the other kids going to Vienna. Lots of fun South Americans- I went to Stephansplatz with them on Wednesday and every two seconds we were taking group photos.
I already auditioned for the music school, and they told me I was too talented (Thats a laugh. I wonder what they would think of Miya or Sophie?). As a result, I can only play for an ensemble.
My only complaints: Latin class is horrible and everyone looks perfect without even trying. My host mom takes maybe ten minutes to get ready, but she looks great. Not to mention the fact that their hair stays perfect without hairspray. I swear, it's the most frustrating thing in the world. How do you compete with that?
Anyway, I can't say I'm missing Bend quite yet. Once ski season starts, maybe. I don't really know what any of my readers would like to know, so ask and I shall tell.
Tchus!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Ahh!!!
Starting to freak out a little here.... I leave on Tuesday. Never to return to Bend again until next year. Do you have any ida how freaky that is?!?!
Imagine, a whole new country for a whole year!!!!
And I have three issues:
1) I still have to get my senior photos done.
2) I have to finish packing.
3) I can't find my wallet.
All of these three things need to happen by Tuesday afternoon. I'm kinda freaking out!! Oh well. To all of my friends- stay in touch and keep up with the blog. I'm hoping to update weekly with details about my trip. :)
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