Basking in the Elusive Sunshine

Another week has passed by in my experience in Vienna. I'm continuing my work at the IMS on a daily basis, and yesterday I met with my supervisor and his team at the third institute, the Institute for Culture Management and Cultural Studies - IKM (I am working at three different institutes for one month each) for breakfast to discuss a project I will be partaking in during my time there. The project is very ambitious and seeks to compile a dictionary/encyclopedia of terms relevant to culture in an international context, within a few years time. My supervisor, Prof. Hofecker, was also very keen on providing me with Chinese literature so that I can use my cultural background to progress this project. I was also told that I will be working with an Ukrainian colleague who will arrive in late May, this means that I will have to communicate much more often in German (though it's neither her or my mother tongue), which will hopefully improve my proficiency.

Aside from work, I am still exploring all that Vienna has to offer - from the bustling streets of Kärtnerstraße and Mariahilfestraße (the main shopping areas) to the open-air concerts at Rathausplatz, to the delicious coffee and cake at Cafe Demel. I'm definitely getting the most out of the new DSLR I purchased for the trip. However, the weather has really been gloomy - overcast and raining on a daily basis is apparently the norm for a city like Vienna. This is precisely why the sunshine that has filtered in through my windows now is that much more welcoming. Aside from the cooperation of the weather, I have also been generously offered the chance to sign out the annual passes the MDW purchases for various museums around Vienna, which would grant me free admission to sights like the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Hofburg Imperial Apartments, Hofmobiliendepot (there's an IKEA exhibition there that I'm dying to see as a fan), Heergentlichesmuseum/Military History Museum, and many more. I'm extremely grateful for all that the staff at the Institutes have offered me to help me adjust to Vienna and make the most out of my trip.

One of the most memorable experiences in the past week was attending the opening night of the Wiener Festwochen 2010 at Rathausplatz. It was an open-air concert which featured the finale of Eurovision Young Musicians 2010, where the seven finalists from seven different countries in Europe competed for the title. Not only were the mix of instruments and effortless juxtaposition of classical and modern music amazing, but I also managed to snap some gorgeous pictures from the front row (since I arrived 2 hours early due to getting the starting time wrong, but it was well worth the waiting). In the end, the competitor from Slovenia on flute won, and it was well-deserved. More than a thousand people showed up for this event and the atmosphere itself was pretty amazing. All in all, what I'm taking away is that music is embedded in Viennese culture, and its presence simply cannot be missed.

On that note, I am going to head out and explore some more food establishments and do more sightseeing. Tchüss!