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Published: October 14th 2006
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Welcome to Vienna!!! It’s a wonderful city, really, and I have been enjoying myself to the fullest. :-) I wasn’t able to move immediately into my dormitory because mine is used as a hotel during the summer and didn’t open as student housing until three days after I got here. I was put up in another student housing for two nights before I could move into mine, which was alright, but I was happy to be able to get settled into my own room. My dormitory is incredibly nice and I have about a 20 minute commute to where my classes are held. Most everything in the building looks brand new. I live in a double-room and we have our own bathroom, so I only have to share it with one other person. :-) Every floor has a communal kitchen with two stoves/ovens, lots of counter-space, a dining area, and every student has his/her own refrigerator and cupboard space. What more could a student ask for? I also have a really great roommate. She’s Austrian and has a definite accent, but she tones it down when she’s talking with me, which is really nice. She can also speak English, but not
United Buddy Bears
They were located in front of Karlskirche, the building you see here. 100% fluently, so it’s a bit of a trade-off: She helps me with my German and I help her with her English. She’s studying Engineering, which means that she spends a lot of time studying. I was there once, so I can relate.
Cultural note: In America, it’s typical to leave your door open so that people can just pop in and say “Hi”, but that’s pretty abnormal here. The kitchen is where the most socializing takes place, not in the dorm rooms themselves.
I will be taking only a German-intensive course during my stay here, along with a seminar that meets on Wednesdays every other week, and also an internship. My intensive course doesn’t start until October 16th, which means I’ve had a lot of free time to explore the city. During my first weekend here, my friend Rebecca and I happened upon the United Buddy Bears exhibit located in front of Karlskirche. Artists from various countries throughout the world painted a bear to represent their country and this display moves from nation to nation. I enjoyed seeing in what styles artists decided to portray their nation. I could spot the American bear from a
ways away as it was the Statue of Liberty. I’ve included photos of some of my other favorite bears for you to see, as well.
Within our first week here, we discovered a restaurant called The Centimeter, which is located literally a few blocks from my dormitory. A group of 7 of us went together since we’d heard about its menu and wanted to try it out. This restaurant is known for serving decent food in large quantities for low prices. We ordered one of the restaurant’s specialties entitled “The Sword.” The meal includes schnitzel, steak, peppers, chili, chicken wings, french fries and onions. All of the food is brought out on a sword, and what couldn’t be stuck on the sword was in trays underneath it. (see photo) It was really cool! We managed to eat it all and I’m sure we’ll be visiting again.
Last week I had an interview for an internship position in the office of the International Progress Organization (IPO). Less than 3 days later, I received an email stating that I had been accepted for the position! I will be working 3 days a week and have already worked two
days - both went really well. I’m working directly with Dr. Hans Koechler, the president of the IPO, and will be gaining a lot of experience with this internship. Dr. Koechler is also a Philosophy professor at the University of Innsbruck. One of the classes he is teaching is titled Religion and Violence and part of the course requirements includes an informative trip to Malaysia and Singapore. The students will meet other local university students and hold panel discussions over topics relating to Muslim-Western relations. The group will also be meeting with other civil society representatives from South-East Asia. Since I am interning in the office of the IPO, I have the opportunity to join the students and Dr. Koechler on this trip. It will be in January, and the group will be in Malaysia for a week and in Singapore for about two days. What an experience!
Last weekend, I went with a group of friends to the Vienna Tiergarten (the Zoo). We had a lot of fun. The zoo is the world’s oldest zoo, founded in 1752. In the center is the Emperor’s Breakfast Pavilion, used as a café and restaurant, and styled in 18th century
Baroque. The zoo isn’t what I would consider to be large, but it has a lot to offer. We saw animals such as Giant pandas, Zebras, Rhinoceroses, Flamingos, Prairie Dogs, and many more. We went shortly after lunch-time and spent the entire afternoon enjoying the animals.
We have had great luck with the weather here. I’ve been here for over two weeks no and have yet to see anything but sunshine and blue skies! Our director told us that this is extremely abnormal and to enjoy it while we can. Normally it’s grey, dreary, and rainy this time of year. I imagine that once the weather decides to change, it will be a drastic one. I’ve been taking advantage of the nice weather and just wandering the entire city.
Vienna has so much to offer! The city is alive both day and night. If you want to go shopping, check out Mariahilferstrasse, which is a street of nothing but shops and department stores. It is located right next to the Museumsquartier, a cultural complex combining museums, contemporary exhibits, a center for dance, and much, much more. All of this is within walking distance of the University
building where my classes are held. In fact, it amazes me how many city highlights really are within walking distance of each other. You can talk the U-Bahn (the subway system) and it would probably be faster, but if you have the time, it’s much more interesting to walk. You miss out on many things when you ride the U-Bahn, but I imagine once the weather changes, I’ll be using it more myself. :-)
Sachertorte is an absolute must if you come to Vienna. There’s the infamous Hotel Sacher, where you’ll find sachertorte, but it comes with its price. Numerous other places throughout the city offer sachertorte at prices much more affordable for us students. :-) I don’t know if the quality is the same, as I haven’t had a piece at the Hotel Sacher yet, but the one I had was superb! You must be a chocolate lover in order to appreciate this, though. It’s a really dense, dark chocolate cake, with a thin layer of apricot jam/marmalade right in the middle, coated with a layer of chocolate icing. I would love to get the recipe and will make it my mission to find one before I
return home.
Alright, I think that about sums up my time in Vienna so far. It can be difficult to put experiences into words...it's never quite the same the second time around.
Take care!
Annie
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Andrea
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More great pictures and stories, Annie! Could you save some of that beautiful weather for when we come to visit you? I hope you're making a list of the best places to visit so that you can take us there, too! BTW, I have a problem with the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog - he has a brown tail....