Before leaving for Vienna this year, I forwent psychological comfort to re-take the dreaded GRE, and a lovely little word that still floats obstinately around in my head [and very appropriately describes the rather poor state of affairs that this blog(ger) found itself in last year] is malingerer n. “one who feigns illness to shirk responsibilities.” I can hardly claim that my last year was plagued with Black Deathliness akin to certain 14th century maladies that would have almost certainly prevented scholars studying abroad from faithfully blogging about their favorite new cultural experiences, but I most definitely “ausgeweicht” from what I expected from myself. I can only maintain that my Fulbrightian role “promoting intercultural exchange and understanding” kept me busier than previously expected, and let's leave it at that. Last year was very fun. Fin.
On to Vienna Part Deux: It’s After the (First World) War, So You Need to Let Go of the Fact That You “Once Had a Coastline.”
Current address:
Semperstrasse 19/10
1180 Wien
AUSTRIA
Last you heard of me, I was bumbling about as University scholar slash English teaching assistant, learning how to torture students with pronunciation exercises like “which of the wicked vodkas tastes like water vapor” (if ever you are sad, lonely or depressed, please ask an Austrian to say this for ensuing joy and hilarity). I definitely think that I will settle very nicely back into my role of teacher-actor-stand up comedian- English dictionary this year. Excitement burgeons afresh, however, as the Stadtschulrat (City School Council) assigned me a new school to teach at this year; so whereas last year I taught exclusively at “Bundesgymnasium Geblergasse,” I will now also share responsibilities with the “Gymnasium und wirtschaftskundliches Realgymnasium für Mädchen Maria Regina der Schwestern vom Armen Kinde Jesu.” Yep, looks like my previous four years ascertaining the venerable traditions of St. Benedict’s all-girls Catholic education will translate nicely at my new workplace.
Arriving last week in “the Imperial City,” I settled quickly into my quotidian habits: buying foodstuffs and hygienical products, cooking enough chicken corn chowder to last me the week (I just finished off two tupperwares today, with a third still in the freezer), and planning social rendezvous(es?) with the most important of Austrians (Michael and Ulli- who else?). I also have found enough time to veraciously re-read “The Historian,” start “
As the week progr
essed, my activities turned bit more adventurous. Elisabeth’s arrival a few days after my own meant that I once again had my comrade-in-arms with whom to pursue Abenteuer, and we’ve done so with relish. Thursday morning dawned promisingly, and we hopped on a train to head West into the Wachau Valley. Disembarking in Melk, home to one of the world’s most famous Baroque Monasteries, we rented some bikes and commenced a 36-kilometre ride along the Danube river through beautiful wine country peppered haphazardly with quaint little villages welcoming bike riders to stop in for a drink. Highlights included drinking delicious wine, climbing up the ruins at Dürnstein (review last year’s description of Richard the Lionhearted’s kidnapping and 
erkraut.
The next morning we endeavored to visit our friend Gergely before his studies took him off to Oxford, and thus we helter-skeltered our way through the subways, running very punctually 15 minutes later than we had hoped, toward the bus station and the glories awaiting us in Hungary. Isten hozta Budapest! [Welcome to Budapest]: Land of non-Euro currency (A euro these days trades at abo
ut HUF 277 – that’s Hungarian forints), a Finno-Ugric language (meaning not even close to any language that I’ve ever learned, as its closest relatives are Finnish and Estonian), and the friendliest people ever to survive hundreds of years of subjugation under the Ottomans, Habsburgs and Soviets.The weekend passed in a lovely flurry of city exploration, goodbye parties and bookstore visits on rainy days. Highlights include: swimming in the traditional Turkish baths, eating a delicious four-course “Flammand Menü” at a Belgian restaurant (tasty beers of the night include “Biere du Corsaire” and some weird banana beer made from free trade bananas), and cheering on marathon runners at Heroes Square. Also, taking the Hungarian bus back and forth between Euro-capitals meant enjoying an American movie that had been dubbed into Hungarian but was accompanied by English subtitles. Sweet.
Anyway, that’s enough for now. The weather is beautiful in Vienna. Jogging today, I noticed that the leaves are starting to fall and the ivy patinas of old stone buildings are turning red. A nice quiet afternoon drinking a Mélange and visiting with friends at a small café near St.Stephen’s Cathedral. Life is nice.
