Schoenbrunn Zoo
Life Ball (AIDS) at Rathausplatz
0
Life's a Zoo
It's almost my final week here in gorgeous Vienna, and I am definitely going to miss everything about this experience once I get back to Toronto. To balance out the lengthy entry I wrote for assignment 2, this will be more photo-based, focusing on a visit to the gorgeous Schoenbrunn Zoo, and the Life Ball, a charity event for AIDS, hosted at Rathausplatz.
Schoenbrunn Zoo
Life Ball (AIDS) at Rathausplatz
Schoenbrunn Zoo
Life Ball (AIDS) at Rathausplatz
Posted by
Becky
Life Makes Sense Backwards, but You Got to Look Forward
This entry is written for Blog Assignment 2: What has changed?
Warning: Lengthy Post and Full of Pictures.
June has come and gone so quickly, and I'm already past the 2/3 point of my internship here in gorgeous Vienna. In June, I have embarked on two trips (Paris, France and Zrenjanin, Serbia) and had one canceled last minute with a strike (Milan, Italy) - very reminiscent of York F/W 08/09 School Year. I have had my two best friends visit me in Vienna for one week, yet their departure left me feeling hollow and more lonely than I had ever felt since I arrived. June was a hectic month full of ups and downs, and this blog post is the perfect outlet to reflect. Writing is therapeutic afterall.
The main focus of this entry is to reflect on how I have changed in my new surroundings. It's a difficult question, especially for me since I interact less often with the rest of my workplace, and Vienna is very similar to Toronto in terms of living standards. I have decided to map out the entry in a series of stories, which hopefully will be more entertaining and insightful.
Soaking Up the Beautiful City of Lights - Paris
I went to Paris on a whim, and in retrospect, it was one of the highlights of my experience. I flew via Ryanair (thank you budget European air carriers) out of Bratislava to a small town 1 hour outside of Paris as it was the more economical option. On my bus from the airport to central Paris, a born-and-bred Parisian offered to help me as he saw me reading my map, all puzzled. He commended my smart choice to fly out of Bratislava, and told me many things about Paris that I would not have otherwise known. For example, he elaborately described the social structure in Paris, where there is a distinct divide between those privileged and those who are not. We passed by the flourishing, rich district where he pointed out the house of President Sarkozy. He informed me that in Paris, what you are born into is of the utmost importance. There is little social permeability between classes. When we passed by a tennis court in the aforementioned rich district, he said "See those kids practicing? They will be the future Tsonga and Gasquet, not because they are the most talented, but rather because they are from the right family."
Another thing that struck a chord with me is the fact that the government has mandated that each of Paris' districts build housing within itself to support the poor, but this particular district would rather explicitly violate this law and pay a heavy fine, rather than comply. Apparently the residents there were outraged that the poor could potentially live amongst them. Though this conversation with a local is no visit to the Louvre or Eiffel Tower, but it nevertheless stuck with me. I've always been an optimist, especially in human nature/goodwill, but this was a sobering reality check.
As I was a lone traveler, I was looking forward to meeting someone at my hostel to travel together with. I met Ana from Brazil in the lobby while we were both waiting to check in, and in retrospect, she made my trip a truly amazing experience. She lived in New York for 8 months so she spoke a bit of English, but hearing her struggle to converse in her non-Native tongue, it reminded me of my difficulties in German here in Vienna. At times I was trying to guess the words she wanted to say, or we'd gesture and point, but it was a complete role reversal and made me realize how much more comfortable it felt being the one well-trained in a language, rather than the struggling learner. She was recently hired by one of the big four accounting firms, Ernst&Young, in Brazil, and will be sent to Sao Paolo to train upon her return from Paris. One of my goals after graduation is to work for a big four accounting firm! What are the chances? It made me feel that the world is that much smaller, and a lot of things are more universal than I previously thought. Thanks to Ana, I also got to be in the picture with the landmarks of Paris, rather than just shooting the landmarks on their own.
Visiting My Best Friend Sasha's Hometown - Zrenjanin, Serbia
I flew with Jat Airways, a very small Serbian company, out of Vienna on a plane so small that it only seated 60 people, and I sat next to the propeller which was making loud sounds the entire flight. Aside from the slightly terrifying flight experience, I thoroughly loved my trip. We were picked up from the Belgrade airport by Sasha's uncle, and dropped off at his grandparents' house in Zrenjanin. I quickly learned that the proper way to greet someone in Serbia is three alternating kisses on the cheeks, and that Zdravo meant Hello.
I received overwhelming hospitality while I was in Serbia despite my language barrier. Sasha tried his best to translate everything, and I actually practiced some German with his grandfather, who was well-versed in Serbian, Hungarian, German, Russian and some English. I aspire to his amazing language capabilities. In Serbia, the three meals are Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper. It was often confusing when I was told it was Dinner time and it was barely past noon! I also gained quite a few pounds from the amazing meals I was fed while in Zrenjanin - pastries, burek, sausages, cevapi, freshly-baked bread. It seemed that the grandparents' favourite phrase was "Are you hungry?" It was a welcoming change from the makeshift meals I have been making on my own in Vienna.
Although I was treated like family at home, it was very different when I walked out on the street. Vienna is a large metropolis juxtaposed with people of different races and backgrounds. This was not the case in Zrenjanin, a small city 70 km away from Belgrade. When we strolled downtown or visited attractions, I always received curious glances from the locals. In fact, in my whole time there, I saw only one group of 3 Asians, and it was oddly comforting. This highlighted to me that although I have lived in big cities rampant with multiculturalism my whole life, there are places out there that are less exposed and thus less accepting.
Striking Out Milan, Salzburg to the Rescue!
On the evening of June 24, Sasha and I anxiously sat waiting at the airport for our delayed flight to Milan, Italy. After numerous complaints during the 2 hours we waited, we did not anticipate that our flight would ultimately be cancelled. It was the first time that Sasha and I went through a flight cancellation, and aside from being angry, we were just at a loss as to what to do. We had pre-booked hotels, trains (we had an ambitious itinerary of Verona, Venice, Milan), and scouted out attractions we wanted to visit. Now this was all for nothing?
Our flight was scheduled to depart at 7pm, and by the time we waited 2 hours for the initial delay, and another 2 hours in line to get a refund/rebooking, it was already approaching midnight. During our wait for a refund, Sasha and I met Andrea, an Italian who was studying PhD Chem. in Vienna. He also introduced us to a group of three girls he had met previously while waiting, and the six of us attempted to find another way to get to Italy. One of the girls had a business meeting at 10 a.m. in Milan that she must make, and she was desperate. She thought of renting a car, but it was too late and all the agencies were closed. Another girl was from Portugal and she had a connecting flight out of Milan the next day back to Portugal to write her final exams. She was also clearly in distress. This made light of our situation, where it is only our traveling plans on the line. We thought of everything, from flying with another airline (not possible because the strike is for all Italian air workers), to train (rail workers are also on strike), to renting a car from the city rather than the airport (too late), to bribing our bus driver back to the Vienna city centre (just not a good idea). We even contemplated going with this sketchy guy who was offering to drive us in his van for 150 euros each to Milan. Classic example of Supply&Demand, gas would not even cost him 100 euro, and he wants to pocket 800 euros from all of us? Aside from that, it wasn't the safest way to travel either, so we gave up, defeated and exhausted.
The six of us had an interesting conversation on the way back, mostly getting to know each other. The manner in which Andrea spoke would in no way allude to the fact that he was a PhD Chemistry candidate. He was talking about how he loves going clubbing and to bars, and several times where he made a fool of himself after getting intoxicated. The girl who had a meeting in the morning worked in the fashion industry, and it was enlightening to hear her experiences interning and later landing her job as a P.R. Assistant. When the conversation came to Sasha and I, I told them that I lived in the 1st district as an incentive for my internship this summer in Vienna. Andrea and the other girl were impressed, and I even detected a hint of jealousy in Andrea, which he proved by telling me that I "might as well sleep in the Stephandom". This whole conversation was again, all in English, and not only was I feeling much more comfortable, I also recognized the difficulties of a non-native speaker. It made me glad that my parents chose to move to Canada back when I was 10, when it was easy to pick up this now very-much universal language.
After a lengthy thought process on what to do to salvage the situation, Sasha and I finally settled on going to Salzburg to visit a family friend of his at 3am. The hospitality at Salzburg was again, absolutely amazing, and I got to see many attractions including Mozart's Birthhouse, the Hohenburg Salzburg - a medieval fortress, and most importantly, the Goellinger Waterfalls, and the Werfen Ice Caves - the world's largest ice caves at an astonishing 1900m altitude stretching for 42kms. The climb up to the ice caves was steep and totally brutal, and an indication that I have to start exercising again! The temperature there was also sub-zero, and I must say it was unique experiencing winter in the middle of summer. Austria is known for its natural landscapes, and it was very different coming from the architectural/cultural delights of Vienna to the mountainous, rugged landscape of Salzburg and its surroundings.
Actually Being a Tour Guide in Vienna - Hosting Lauren and Sasha
As time went on in Vienna, I naturally felt more and more local as I grew acquainted with all things Viennese, from the streets, to the landmarks, to the shops, to local habits, and much more, but never did I feel more like I was a part of Vienna than when Sasha and Lauren, two of my best friends stayed with me for a week at the end of June. For both, it was their first time in Vienna, I couldn't wait to share with them all that I have learned and absorbed in my two months here.
Our hectic itinerary would commence daily after my work, and we took full advantage of extended hours at Museums. We visited the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) Museum housing everything from Monet to locals like Klimt/Schiele, Belvedere Castle, Schoenbrunn Castle, Stephandom Catacombs, Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury) which held a 2860 karat emerald, large enough to wipe the entire debt of a third-world country.
We also visited other attractions like Heldenplatz (where the famous Anschluss of 1938 occured), Stadtpark, Museumsquartier, and a Heurigen (wine tavern) in the outskirts, and drank as much coffee in the famous coffee houses around the city as we could have tolerated without experiencing too much of an energy rush and insomnia. Some of the famous ones include Demel - amazing cakes and amazing service, Sperl - a former favourite of Hitler's to voice his racist views, and of course, Sacher - famous for the original Sacher Torte, a cake famous in all of Austria and beyond. As we walked through these places, I had so much knowledge on the history and significance of places that I have absorbed from both my travel books and through my conversations with locals here that Lauren and Sasha were both pleasantly surprised and said it felt like I was actually a legitimate tour guide.
That week passed by so fast, and though it's almost been a week since they have left Vienna, there's nevertheless this hollowness that I still feel. When I first arrived here in May, I wasn't really thinking about how much I missed friends or home. My first bout of homesickness only came after my return from Serbia, because I was surrounded by Sasha's family for such a long time. I don't think I've ever felt as lonely as I did in this past week, when I had to go out everyday just for the comfort of being surrounded by people, and for now, I don't know if it'll go away until I return. I can only hope. Makes the whole "You don't know how much you'd miss something until it's gone" ring true.
An Interesting Conversation at an Open-Air Opera
In July and August when the Operas and Theaters take their 2 month summer break, the Rathausplatz (similar to Nathan Phillips Square back home) shows open-air productions every night at dusk. I attended the screening of Tosca, a tragic Puccini opera last Saturday night. As soon as I sat down, the tourist beside me started chatting with me. He looked about 50, said he was from Baltimore, and is here in Vienna for about a month. I found it funny as when I mentioned I was from Canada, he heard China and started talking about China-US relations. I later corrected him and I think this is a perfect example of how sometimes we hear what we want to hear, and that he already had where I was from pre-conceived in his mind.
The Opera then started and the local on the other side of me smoked 3 cigarettes during the 2 hours, and repeatedly blew smoke which drifted very close to my face. After the Opera concluded, the Baltimore man told me that I should have said something, to which I politely declined and said it's not worth starting anything over. He then said he would've said something on my behalf. Perhaps I'm reading into this too much, but is this the niceness of Canadians showing through as opposed to the straightforwardness of Americans?
He told me how he knew one of the ballet dancers who regularly performed at the State Opera and how it was a worthwhile place to visit, as well as cafes and restaurants in hotels like Sacher and Imperial. I just listened through much of the conversation, and nodded. What really stunned me though, was when he asked me out on a date at the end! I was so taken back that I didn't know what to say. I had informed him earlier that I just finished second year, and he looked more than twice my age! I eventually politely declined, which he looked very taken aback (perhaps me listening and nodding gave him the wrong impression?) and then I said that I should get home as it is almost midnight. I later saw him coming out of the same metro stop as me, looking ticked off (which made me very paranoid that he followed me, but it seems more like he just lived around the same area). I've never had a problem going out alone after dark, but this had definitely made me take a second look at something that I do frequently back in Toronto.
Now that I am a mere 3 weeks away from completing my internship, there are lots of things that I am proud of (i.e. the work I have done thus far with the university) and lots that I would change (i.e. the German-intensive course that I enrolled for July was cancelled, and perhaps I should've not waited until my last month here to do so). Like K'Naan says in the Keane song Looking Back, "Life makes sense backwards, but you got to look forward". I didn't quite know why I was so unfortunate to have my Italy trip canceled on me (in turn losing a lot of my pre-paid booking money), but it was ultimately salvaged by my trip to Salzburg, which I didn't have time for otherwise. It's hard to figure out why my German course was canceled, but in retrospect, perhaps it's because I need to be taught a lesson on doing things early - and now I have to work twice as hard on my German the next time I return to Vienna for my academic exchange in Winter. At this point, I must reflect on the past 2 months, but at the same time look forward to the rest of my experience here, utilizing all that I have learned. Everything in life happens for a reason, and I'm slowly starting to understand that despite the hurdles I face on this internship, I have learned life lessons that I would have never learned back home.
Here's to the end of a massive piece of writing, and my final 3 weeks!
Warning: Lengthy Post and Full of Pictures.
June has come and gone so quickly, and I'm already past the 2/3 point of my internship here in gorgeous Vienna. In June, I have embarked on two trips (Paris, France and Zrenjanin, Serbia) and had one canceled last minute with a strike (Milan, Italy) - very reminiscent of York F/W 08/09 School Year. I have had my two best friends visit me in Vienna for one week, yet their departure left me feeling hollow and more lonely than I had ever felt since I arrived. June was a hectic month full of ups and downs, and this blog post is the perfect outlet to reflect. Writing is therapeutic afterall.
The main focus of this entry is to reflect on how I have changed in my new surroundings. It's a difficult question, especially for me since I interact less often with the rest of my workplace, and Vienna is very similar to Toronto in terms of living standards. I have decided to map out the entry in a series of stories, which hopefully will be more entertaining and insightful.
Soaking Up the Beautiful City of Lights - Paris
I went to Paris on a whim, and in retrospect, it was one of the highlights of my experience. I flew via Ryanair (thank you budget European air carriers) out of Bratislava to a small town 1 hour outside of Paris as it was the more economical option. On my bus from the airport to central Paris, a born-and-bred Parisian offered to help me as he saw me reading my map, all puzzled. He commended my smart choice to fly out of Bratislava, and told me many things about Paris that I would not have otherwise known. For example, he elaborately described the social structure in Paris, where there is a distinct divide between those privileged and those who are not. We passed by the flourishing, rich district where he pointed out the house of President Sarkozy. He informed me that in Paris, what you are born into is of the utmost importance. There is little social permeability between classes. When we passed by a tennis court in the aforementioned rich district, he said "See those kids practicing? They will be the future Tsonga and Gasquet, not because they are the most talented, but rather because they are from the right family." Another thing that struck a chord with me is the fact that the government has mandated that each of Paris' districts build housing within itself to support the poor, but this particular district would rather explicitly violate this law and pay a heavy fine, rather than comply. Apparently the residents there were outraged that the poor could potentially live amongst them. Though this conversation with a local is no visit to the Louvre or Eiffel Tower, but it nevertheless stuck with me. I've always been an optimist, especially in human nature/goodwill, but this was a sobering reality check. As I was a lone traveler, I was looking forward to meeting someone at my hostel to travel together with. I met Ana from Brazil in the lobby while we were both waiting to check in, and in retrospect, she made my trip a truly amazing experience. She lived in New York for 8 months so she spoke a bit of English, but hearing her struggle to converse in her non-Native tongue, it reminded me of my difficulties in German here in Vienna. At times I was trying to guess the words she wanted to say, or we'd gesture and point, but it was a complete role reversal and made me realize how much more comfortable it felt being the one well-trained in a language, rather than the struggling learner. She was recently hired by one of the big four accounting firms, Ernst&Young, in Brazil, and will be sent to Sao Paolo to train upon her return from Paris. One of my goals after graduation is to work for a big four accounting firm! What are the chances? It made me feel that the world is that much smaller, and a lot of things are more universal than I previously thought. Thanks to Ana, I also got to be in the picture with the landmarks of Paris, rather than just shooting the landmarks on their own. Visiting My Best Friend Sasha's Hometown - Zrenjanin, Serbia
I flew with Jat Airways, a very small Serbian company, out of Vienna on a plane so small that it only seated 60 people, and I sat next to the propeller which was making loud sounds the entire flight. Aside from the slightly terrifying flight experience, I thoroughly loved my trip. We were picked up from the Belgrade airport by Sasha's uncle, and dropped off at his grandparents' house in Zrenjanin. I quickly learned that the proper way to greet someone in Serbia is three alternating kisses on the cheeks, and that Zdravo meant Hello.I received overwhelming hospitality while I was in Serbia despite my language barrier. Sasha tried his best to translate everything, and I actually practiced some German with his grandfather, who was well-versed in Serbian, Hungarian, German, Russian and some English. I aspire to his amazing language capabilities. In Serbia, the three meals are Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper. It was often confusing when I was told it was Dinner time and it was barely past noon! I also gained quite a few pounds from the amazing meals I was fed while in Zrenjanin - pastries, burek, sausages, cevapi, freshly-baked bread. It seemed that the grandparents' favourite phrase was "Are you hungry?" It was a welcoming change from the makeshift meals I have been making on my own in Vienna.Although I was treated like family at home, it was very different when I walked out on the street. Vienna is a large metropolis juxtaposed with people of different races and backgrounds. This was not the case in Zrenjanin, a small city 70 km away from Belgrade. When we strolled downtown or visited attractions, I always received curious glances from the locals. In fact, in my whole time there, I saw only one group of 3 Asians, and it was oddly comforting. This highlighted to me that although I have lived in big cities rampant with multiculturalism my whole life, there are places out there that are less exposed and thus less accepting.Striking Out Milan, Salzburg to the Rescue!
On the evening of June 24, Sasha and I anxiously sat waiting at the airport for our delayed flight to Milan, Italy. After numerous complaints during the 2 hours we waited, we did not anticipate that our flight would ultimately be cancelled. It was the first time that Sasha and I went through a flight cancellation, and aside from being angry, we were just at a loss as to what to do. We had pre-booked hotels, trains (we had an ambitious itinerary of Verona, Venice, Milan), and scouted out attractions we wanted to visit. Now this was all for nothing?Our flight was scheduled to depart at 7pm, and by the time we waited 2 hours for the initial delay, and another 2 hours in line to get a refund/rebooking, it was already approaching midnight. During our wait for a refund, Sasha and I met Andrea, an Italian who was studying PhD Chem. in Vienna. He also introduced us to a group of three girls he had met previously while waiting, and the six of us attempted to find another way to get to Italy. One of the girls had a business meeting at 10 a.m. in Milan that she must make, and she was desperate. She thought of renting a car, but it was too late and all the agencies were closed. Another girl was from Portugal and she had a connecting flight out of Milan the next day back to Portugal to write her final exams. She was also clearly in distress. This made light of our situation, where it is only our traveling plans on the line. We thought of everything, from flying with another airline (not possible because the strike is for all Italian air workers), to train (rail workers are also on strike), to renting a car from the city rather than the airport (too late), to bribing our bus driver back to the Vienna city centre (just not a good idea). We even contemplated going with this sketchy guy who was offering to drive us in his van for 150 euros each to Milan. Classic example of Supply&Demand, gas would not even cost him 100 euro, and he wants to pocket 800 euros from all of us? Aside from that, it wasn't the safest way to travel either, so we gave up, defeated and exhausted.
The six of us had an interesting conversation on the way back, mostly getting to know each other. The manner in which Andrea spoke would in no way allude to the fact that he was a PhD Chemistry candidate. He was talking about how he loves going clubbing and to bars, and several times where he made a fool of himself after getting intoxicated. The girl who had a meeting in the morning worked in the fashion industry, and it was enlightening to hear her experiences interning and later landing her job as a P.R. Assistant. When the conversation came to Sasha and I, I told them that I lived in the 1st district as an incentive for my internship this summer in Vienna. Andrea and the other girl were impressed, and I even detected a hint of jealousy in Andrea, which he proved by telling me that I "might as well sleep in the Stephandom". This whole conversation was again, all in English, and not only was I feeling much more comfortable, I also recognized the difficulties of a non-native speaker. It made me glad that my parents chose to move to Canada back when I was 10, when it was easy to pick up this now very-much universal language.
After a lengthy thought process on what to do to salvage the situation, Sasha and I finally settled on going to Salzburg to visit a family friend of his at 3am. The hospitality at Salzburg was again, absolutely amazing, and I got to see many attractions including Mozart's Birthhouse, the Hohenburg Salzburg - a medieval fortress, and most importantly, the Goellinger Waterfalls, and the Werfen Ice Caves - the world's largest ice caves at an astonishing 1900m altitude stretching for 42kms. The climb up to the ice caves was steep and totally brutal, and an indication that I have to start exercising again! The temperature there was also sub-zero, and I must say it was unique experiencing winter in the middle of summer. Austria is known for its natural landscapes, and it was very different coming from the architectural/cultural delights of Vienna to the mountainous, rugged landscape of Salzburg and its surroundings. Actually Being a Tour Guide in Vienna - Hosting Lauren and Sasha
As time went on in Vienna, I naturally felt more and more local as I grew acquainted with all things Viennese, from the streets, to the landmarks, to the shops, to local habits, and much more, but never did I feel more like I was a part of Vienna than when Sasha and Lauren, two of my best friends stayed with me for a week at the end of June. For both, it was their first time in Vienna, I couldn't wait to share with them all that I have learned and absorbed in my two months here.Our hectic itinerary would commence daily after my work, and we took full advantage of extended hours at Museums. We visited the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) Museum housing everything from Monet to locals like Klimt/Schiele, Belvedere Castle, Schoenbrunn Castle, Stephandom Catacombs, Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury) which held a 2860 karat emerald, large enough to wipe the entire debt of a third-world country. We also visited other attractions like Heldenplatz (where the famous Anschluss of 1938 occured), Stadtpark, Museumsquartier, and a Heurigen (wine tavern) in the outskirts, and drank as much coffee in the famous coffee houses around the city as we could have tolerated without experiencing too much of an energy rush and insomnia. Some of the famous ones include Demel - amazing cakes and amazing service, Sperl - a former favourite of Hitler's to voice his racist views, and of course, Sacher - famous for the original Sacher Torte, a cake famous in all of Austria and beyond. As we walked through these places, I had so much knowledge on the history and significance of places that I have absorbed from both my travel books and through my conversations with locals here that Lauren and Sasha were both pleasantly surprised and said it felt like I was actually a legitimate tour guide.
That week passed by so fast, and though it's almost been a week since they have left Vienna, there's nevertheless this hollowness that I still feel. When I first arrived here in May, I wasn't really thinking about how much I missed friends or home. My first bout of homesickness only came after my return from Serbia, because I was surrounded by Sasha's family for such a long time. I don't think I've ever felt as lonely as I did in this past week, when I had to go out everyday just for the comfort of being surrounded by people, and for now, I don't know if it'll go away until I return. I can only hope. Makes the whole "You don't know how much you'd miss something until it's gone" ring true.An Interesting Conversation at an Open-Air Opera
In July and August when the Operas and Theaters take their 2 month summer break, the Rathausplatz (similar to Nathan Phillips Square back home) shows open-air productions every night at dusk. I attended the screening of Tosca, a tragic Puccini opera last Saturday night. As soon as I sat down, the tourist beside me started chatting with me. He looked about 50, said he was from Baltimore, and is here in Vienna for about a month. I found it funny as when I mentioned I was from Canada, he heard China and started talking about China-US relations. I later corrected him and I think this is a perfect example of how sometimes we hear what we want to hear, and that he already had where I was from pre-conceived in his mind.
The Opera then started and the local on the other side of me smoked 3 cigarettes during the 2 hours, and repeatedly blew smoke which drifted very close to my face. After the Opera concluded, the Baltimore man told me that I should have said something, to which I politely declined and said it's not worth starting anything over. He then said he would've said something on my behalf. Perhaps I'm reading into this too much, but is this the niceness of Canadians showing through as opposed to the straightforwardness of Americans?
He told me how he knew one of the ballet dancers who regularly performed at the State Opera and how it was a worthwhile place to visit, as well as cafes and restaurants in hotels like Sacher and Imperial. I just listened through much of the conversation, and nodded. What really stunned me though, was when he asked me out on a date at the end! I was so taken back that I didn't know what to say. I had informed him earlier that I just finished second year, and he looked more than twice my age! I eventually politely declined, which he looked very taken aback (perhaps me listening and nodding gave him the wrong impression?) and then I said that I should get home as it is almost midnight. I later saw him coming out of the same metro stop as me, looking ticked off (which made me very paranoid that he followed me, but it seems more like he just lived around the same area). I've never had a problem going out alone after dark, but this had definitely made me take a second look at something that I do frequently back in Toronto.
Now that I am a mere 3 weeks away from completing my internship, there are lots of things that I am proud of (i.e. the work I have done thus far with the university) and lots that I would change (i.e. the German-intensive course that I enrolled for July was cancelled, and perhaps I should've not waited until my last month here to do so). Like K'Naan says in the Keane song Looking Back, "Life makes sense backwards, but you got to look forward". I didn't quite know why I was so unfortunate to have my Italy trip canceled on me (in turn losing a lot of my pre-paid booking money), but it was ultimately salvaged by my trip to Salzburg, which I didn't have time for otherwise. It's hard to figure out why my German course was canceled, but in retrospect, perhaps it's because I need to be taught a lesson on doing things early - and now I have to work twice as hard on my German the next time I return to Vienna for my academic exchange in Winter. At this point, I must reflect on the past 2 months, but at the same time look forward to the rest of my experience here, utilizing all that I have learned. Everything in life happens for a reason, and I'm slowly starting to understand that despite the hurdles I face on this internship, I have learned life lessons that I would have never learned back home.Here's to the end of a massive piece of writing, and my final 3 weeks!
Posted by
Becky
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