I Love This City!

The title of this entry truly encompasses the aura of the past three days. I truly love this city. Vienna is fantastic in so many regards... and I live here! How crazy is that?!

One of my first shopping adventures included the first legal purchase of a bottle of wine. To be honest, I never realized (or cared for that matter) how many different kinds of wine there are in this world. Olivia and I just stood there in the wine isle like: "Deeerrrrrr, what do we do?!" We decided on an Austrian red wine, Blauer Zweigelt, and it is quite good. Don't worry parents--we're very tasteful with our newly gained liberties (unlike the majority of our American classmates, unfortunately). A glass of wine with dinner here, a bit before bed there. We enjoy the fact that we're wine-o's. We like to think that we're very elitist ;)

In our Wednesday music class, we were talking about the plethora of interesting evening activties to enjoy (there are only 5 of us in the class, and we're all music buffs... makes for great company!) and our friend Elizabeth proposed we go see Don Giovanni at this Rathaus Film Festival. This festival runs every night from August 14th to September 14th, showing a different opera, concert, or ballet every night. The city of Vienna sets up this massive screen infront of the City Hall (which looks like a giant cathedral at first sight) and then a large arena of chairs and cushioned bleachers. There isn't a bad seat in the house! We thought it sounded like an awfully good idea! And even if it turned out to be boring--at least it was free!! lol

It was absolutely packed when we got there. Hundreds upon hundreds of people were sitting, standing and walking, watching a very modern interpretation of Mozart's Don Giovanni. Not having previously read the synopsis of the opera, we were all pretty lost (there were no subtitles for the Italian that was sung). However, we did thoroughly enjoy making up our own words to what we perceived the plot to be... quite amusing actually!

One of my favorite parts, though, was the Ethnic Food Festival that was occurring directly behind the stands. Food from every part of the world--Iran, India, China, Japan, America, Thailand, Austria, etc. The smells were so enticing, and I wanted to eat everything! Olivia and I settled for a Sachertorte (the speciality dessert cake of Austria) and a glass of wine. I don't think there is anything more relaxing than listening to quality opera, with quality food and quality friends.

Meanwhile, throughout these days and afternoons I am desperately trying to figure out how to buy student rail tickets. Olivia and I are planning on travelling as much as humanly possible, particularly since Youth Hostels in most touristic locations are only 15 Euro a night. Our first endeavor is in 2 weeks when we travel to Munich, where we will meet up with Eric :) So I was feeling very pressed to get our rail passes. Many expensive phone calls and multiple asprirn later, I found out that the ticket price had been charged three times, but didn't go through (each individual charge was 600 dollars). Something was wrong with my order information, and the company kept trying to put it through. Meanwhile, my card has been put under high fraud security alert which requires me to call the Fraud agency, answer a million questions about my life, social security number, address, favorite food, age, favorite actor, etc. to get them to lift the alert. But fear not faithful readers! My train ticket has been purchased and is on it's way. I bought what is called the Global Youth Flexi Pass, which enables me as a student to use 10 days of travel within two months. I can go to a list of 20 different countries in Europe. I can just hop on the next train to wherever with no worries about reservations, etc.

Also causing grief has been ordering my computer power cord from HP... what craziness!!!!
Aaaaaanyway, we picked up a schedule for this Film Festival and realized that they were showing Stravinksy's "Firebird Suite" and "Le Sacre du Printemps" the next night. After having studied "Le Sacre" the past semester in our Harmony classes we couldn't pass up the opportunity... especially since we didn't have to worry about waking up for class the next day! So off we went again to downtown Vienna. For those of you who have never heard of "Le Sacre," which is also referred to as "The Rite of Spring," or the "Firebird Suite" I encourage you to Wikipedia slash YouTube it. Many people refer to Stravinsky's music as cinema music, and that is a correct generalization in many ways. If you've seen Fantasia, Walt Disney incorporated this music into the part with the Dinosaurs. The work itself is quite intense. Stravinsky wrote it after having a dream about a girl accepted into this Pagan cult, and as a sacrifice she must dance herself to death. He wrote the work to be performed as a ballet of sorts (if you can officially call it ballet, I'm not sure) and had it commissioned for the Russian Ballet. It is something not from this world... creepy to say the least, but haunting in every regard. Powerful.

So Olivia, Britney, Elizabeth and I managed to get there early enough to grab a bite to eat beforehand. I indulged in chinese food and treated myself to what is referred to as a Himbeer Bowle--a drink that is filled with whole rasberries. It's literally a drink and dessert in one. Not only is it beautiful, but it is incredibly sweet and delicious! It's made with what we believed to be rasberry wine.

Olivia and I both concur in saying that it had been quite some time since we got chills from music in the way that we did during Firebird and The Rite of Spring. It was spectacular. And the conductor reminded us a lot of Adam Sheldon! Ha!

Friday--our first completely free day! No class, no plans (well, at least until later that night), and no homework due the next day. What a liberating feeling! Olivia and I slept in a bit, and then got ready to do some Viennese shopping on the MariaHilfeStrasse, the main shopping drag of Vienna. Olivia was looking for some speakers for her computer and a pair of Converse, and I was looking for an array of various things: a pair of sunglasses (I lost mine the other day :*( ), a black purse (fashion-faux-pas-me brought only 2 brown purses!), and a nice dress suitable for the club (as the dress code was posted as "tres chic"). She found her speakers and I found the sunglasses and the dress. Very simple. Gray dress, with a belted waistline and form fitting skirt hitting just above the knee. Very elegant, versatile. Think Audrey Hepburn, Jackie-O style. However, I regret to say that Olivia was about ready to die, as she was not feeling well at all. The poor girl looked like a crack addict going through withdrawl at the train station--pacing, rocking back and forth, breathing for labor, and looking like she was going to cry. I honestly thought I was going to have to take her to the hospital! But she's doing much better now! Thank goodness :)

Our next task was making our first home-cooked meal. Olivia had gone out earlier to get supplies for an incedible pasta with a tasty sauce of tomato, olive oil, zucchini, onions, basil, and mushrooms. Not having cooked much in my life (which is an understatement, I assure you!) Olivia was gracious enough to "show me the ropes" of cooking this delicious, yet simply prepared, meal. This task may have been easier if the stove wasn't so ghetto. It kept shutting off every 15 seconds making impossible to bring the water to a boil. Nevertheless, we cooked our first meal. And it was delectable!

Now it was time to get dolled up for our first night out on the town. Webster invites it's students to a club/bar in the historic and beautiful Volkstheater (it's called Rote Bar if you want to look it up) as kind of a "welcome back" extravaganza. They paid our way in and allowed us to have free wine, bear and spritzers from 9-11. That's not a bad deal if you ask me! We nealy got lost on the way there, and almost didn't get in since we didn't have our I.D.'s on us... but we made it nonetheless! It was crazy--there were guys in tuxes waiting outside the door, there was a coat and bag check, and we were in this fancy-shmancy room with high ceilings, chandeliers, gold scaffolding, and red velvet couchettes and table clothes. Pretty swanky. There weren't many people initially when we got there, as 9 o'clock is still considered quite early. So we got a table and accidentally spent 10 euro on a Strawberry daquiri that we were told was free (Grrr... oh well. But we did learn that it's actually pronounced Da-KEE-ree, not DA-cuh-ree. Just in case you wondered). I felt social awkward at first. I'm terrible in these atmospheres... but we sat with the Webster St. Louis girls, chatting and laughing, going back every so often for a glass of wine. I had no idea if people were intending to dance here--there was a D.J., playing your typical club music--but no one was taking advantage of the dance floor. "This is gonna HAVE to change," I thought to myself... and that's when the party-starters walked in the door: Casper, Nick, and Clay (who had already been drinking before they arrived. Apparently this is a normal trend for them).

So the music started picking up... getting louder... and a group of us decided this "no dancing" thing had gone on far too long. A remix of "Buttons" came on and we were tearing up the dance floor--Tina and Nick, our trusty leaders. It was quite a good time... and to be honest, Olivia and I didn't want to leave. We were having a blast! However, the downfall of nightlife is that the local transportation (U-bahn and S-bahn) stop working at 12:30. If you need to get home after that there are night busses which run every half and hour--not only is that a long time to wait outside for a bus, but usually there are drunk creepy people on these busses (who are often known to whiz right there on the floor), and Olivia and I wouldn't even know how to get where we needed to go. So we peaced out at 11:45, just as the party was really getting started. Oh well--I'd rather be a partypooper than be abducted.

I have come to realize that being drunk is not a lifestyle I wish to live out... particularly here in Vienna when I don't know many people, and where I'm not familiar with the area. I am completely fine with social drinking, and even the occasional tipsy-ness. But drikning merely to get drunk is no fun. And it is shamelessly American. The Europeans frown on such behavior. I also acknowledge that people do some pretty dumb and ridiculous things when they're shmammered. One of our classmates, Clay, who we've actually gotten to spend quite a lot of time with, is Exhibit A. Originally from Findlay, Ohio, he went to London for school. All of his stories somehow involve him being either high or completely wasted... and usually end in "and so I randomly made out with this girl," or "I got escorted out," or "I couldn't remember anything!" His stories are sometimes amusing, I must admit. And aside from his lifestyle choices he's a good conversationalist. But I knew the second I said hello to him at the club, he was already far gone. He was quite the man-whore on the dance floor (which became the ongoing joke with Olivia, Britney and I) and often tried to dance "all up in my grill" (as Anna would say lol). I made it very clear that I was a prude and a complete square and was not going there (Hahaha!). He took the hint and moved on to another innocent, unknowing creature. As Olivia and I were saying our adieus and hugging our Webster friends goodbye, we ran into Clay and told him that we were leaving. As many Europeans do, he leaned in to give the "Bussi," which is a quasi-fake kiss on each cheek utilized for greeting/leaving friends. (In some countries it is three, but in Austria it is two). Or at least this is what I thought the intentions were. Nope. Right for the neck. NUH UH. H no. I never ever EVER wish to experience this again. I felt gross and utterly creeped out. I quickly pushed away and walked briskly to the door. I wanted to run home and take a shower immediately, call Eric and thank him for being such a respectable guy slash boyfriend and thank my lucky stars that I don't make out with random strangers at bars. This is why I'm not a "clubber." This is why I don't blur my sense of rational behavior.

Other than those last tainting moments it was a fantastic night! And on that lovely ending note I must bid you all adieu for the night.

I'm attending a church service tomorrow, finishing homework, and going out with Freya Zorn.
I can't wait to tell you about the amazing day we had with Freya today!!!!!!!!!!

Love always,
Laura

Wilkommen!

Alright, I've made the executive decision to save the remainder of my Rome adventures for another time... I'm so anxious to telly ou about my adventures in my "new" (but temporary) home--Vienna! After all, the blog is called the VIENNA monologues!

I'm not going to lie, when we arrived at my apartment building, I could've sworn that the cabby had dropped us off at the wrong address. I was under the impression that I would be staying in Vienna--the city of culture, sculptures, beautiful scaffolding, marble staircases, terraces, mini window-gardens. I was standing in the middle of the Austrian equivalent of the ghetto (lol!) in front of an apartment complex called Donaufelder. I came to learn that it is actually a Youth Hostel. Regardless, I tried to be optimistic... surely there was some reason why I was paying nearly a grand a month to live in the ghetto. Haha! Vienna is separated into districts (mostly just for government reasons). There are 22 total districts. Most of them expand out from the center of town--district 1. Laura Schupbach lives in the 21st district! Go figure!

Mom and I were met by our R.A., Atoosha, who is a grad student at Webster. She is strikingly gorgeous as is her thick Persian slash Canadian accent. Short, dark hair, dark skin, always dressed to the nines, PERFECTLY shaped eyebrows (sometimes I find myself staring, mystified, at them... they defy the natural arch of any brow I've ever seen!). When she speaks, there is so much momentum... through her consonants, which are very much muted, and her vowels. She barely has to open her mouth to speak. Originally from Iran, she's lived the past few years in Canada. But she is incredibly kind and funny (although my first impression was a bit starker and hurried).

Atoosha led me to my room on the second floor, room 3118. I passed two Musikraums--Practice Rooms!--for the tenants. What luck!!! At the time there was this fantastic pianist, playing what had to have been a Rachmaninoff Concerto of sorts. Anywho, Atoosha opened the door to the room, and there was Olivia! She had already arrived the day before to move in. I was so grateful to see her! As sappy as it sounds, I really did have the urge to cry. We squealed and said our excited hellos, and allowed Atoosha to give us our check-in spiel. Atoosha left a few minutes later. And then it was just Olivia, Mom and me... taking Vienna by storm!

Our first endeavor was to unpack. We'd been lugging this God-awful heavy luggage around with us for a week, so it was like sweet relief to be able to put clothes in closets (which, by the way, are HUGE!) and feel semi-productive. After that we ventured out into the world on foot, exploring the one and only street we were familiar with--Donaufelder Strasse. Lots of markets, drug stores (called Apothekes), Chinese and Italian restaurants, a Gelato stand (which has become one of my favorite stops. They have Nutella gelato!!!!!!!!!), and electronic stores. We were looking for Duvets and bed sheets when we came across the store that is the convenience of my life--Interspar. I swear, when I walked in I heard choirs of angels singing. This store is amazing. Like a European Wal-Mart with better benefits and a more efficient cash register system.

While mom was still with us those first few days in Vienna, we took advantage of some of the restaurants on our street--just to try them out for future reference. The Chinese place a block down from us is... decent. The food was good, or atleast as good as it would be in America, but they gave us a shot of this delicious plum wine for dessert. At first I could have guaranteed that Mrs. Yang had poured me a glass of Robitussin because it was so syrup-y, but once I acclamated to the taste it was quite heavenly. We also checked out this Japanese place that was FANTASTIC. I had sushi, mahi, chicken, rice, spring rolls and coconut milk with tapioca all for under ten Euro. Olivia, the ever-so-patient teacher, taught me how to eat with chopsticks!

Our favorite, however, would have to be Da Giovanni's Pizzeria and Ristorante. On first glance, it's clearly not the finest dining available in town, but we thought we'd give it a chance. We ordered the SMALLS, and our waitor brought out individual pizzas bigger than my torso! It was probably the best pizza I've ever tasted... even better (I dare say) than Giorgio's! Our waitor, a tall, shmoozy Italian man with tightly curled ear-length hair, was incredibly kind and generous to us! He's our new bestie in Vienna. And Olivia and I have already decided that we're going to be the regulars there.

It was at Da Giovanni's that I realized how much more insanely obnoxious and loud we are as Americans. The radio was on (playing, what else, American 80's music) and so Olivia started dancing in her seat. A man a few tables back actually started dancing "with" her per se! He asked: "Are you from America?" We told him yes, of course, how could you tell? "Aaaah, THAT explains it!" He replied. Gee, thanks? How does one respond to that?! "Do you know Arnold Schwarzenagger? California, no?" We all nodded in agreement, still amazed by the completely different pronounciation of the governor's last name. "Aaah, yes. He is a great woman!" This is when Olivia, Mom and I burst into uncontrollable laughter.

I must break here to tell you about the most amazing soft drink I have enjoyed here--Almdudler. I know a lot of the Delphian folk have already experienced such amazingness. But for those of you who haven't it's like heaven in a bottle. Imagine Ginger Ale plus Apple juice. It's kind of like that! I had my "first" bottle at a Kebap stand in our district. It was at this same place that we all got hit on by the owner who commented on mom's "lovely green eyes!" (spoken in terrible broken English, mind you). He continued to call us "American princesses" after we'd relayed the fact that we were from the States... even gave us free suckers! Heck yeah!

Speaking of pick up lines--I have never ever received a phone number. No one has ever asked my for my phone number. No one has ever tried a pick up line one me. Call me lucky, sure, but I must admit I am slightly envious of those who get this type of attention left and right. I am particularly envious when one such person is my current roommate ;) In the first two days here, Olivia managed to get two phone numbers. One was the cab driver who invited her to a club later on in the week, and the other one was a guy who worked at the Mobile phone store. I was looking into buying a Pre-Paid cell phone just for Europe but was having some communication issues, of course. Luckily, Olivia asked if he spoke Spanish... and sure enough he did! Luckily our language barrier was broken--who would've guessed... when in doubt, always resort to Spanish! I just sat back and listened to them carry on their little Spaniard conversation about my phone. He made sure to tell Olivia that his number was programmed in my phone and that she should let him know when she had a number!

While Olivia and I were at Webster Orientation, Mom busied herself with stocking our fridge with food and supplies, checking into the power cord for my computer, and basically being an all around amazing mom! I honestly don't know what Olivia and I would've done without her. Plus, it was good to be able to spend a few days before classes with her... and I'm sure it helped her, knowing where I was staying and being familiar with my living environment.

Orientation was interesting. Getting there, however, was half the fun. Olivia and I hop on the S-bahn (the Street train... think trolley car) and travel about 7 minutes to one of the U-bahn stations (metro). We take the U-1 to the Vienna International Center (where the UN building is) and take another 7 minute bus to Webster. It took us about 30 minutes to get there. We've since learned that that was a particularly good day for travelling. It can take up to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Aaaaaanyway--Webster. A three story building, with glass panelling on both the front and back. No a/c, or if there is--very little. A few vending machines, an outdoor terrace for smokers, a student lounge, all the offices and all of the classrooms. That's it! Small, but quaint. I actually like it to be honest.

I soon learned that there are a total of 25 different countries represented at Webster Vienna, and 13 of those countries are in my "incoming" class alone. Honest to goodness there are people from countries I didn't even know existed! Orientation was just like any other orientation... don't do this, do this, fill this out, getting to know you games, blah blah blah. One of the highlights was the culture quiz, presented by one of the Professors named "Bond." (Yes, it's his first name!) Bond was the one who told me that even though the ladies at the cash register might LOOK like they hate your life, they really are just being completely normal. And that flashing smiles at total strangers passing by and saying "hey!" is NOT the best thing to do in Austria. Apparently, smilling at a stranger--particularly one of the opposite sex--is seen as a "Heeey, how you doin'? I'm pickin up whatchyou puttin down" kind of deal. People are civil here in Austria. They are quiet and polite. But they will not go out of their way to greet you, to make you feel warm and welcome in their country, or to strike up a conversation in the check out line. It's atually quite a relief to know that I don't have to deal with such tense and often awkward situations... like passing someone on the sidewalk and wondering, "Should I look up? Should I smile and say hi? Maybe I'll just avoid eye-contact!" Don't lie... you do it too!

There are about 16 students at Webster Vienna who are originally from Webster St. Louis. They are quite the tight-knit group, so it was very intimidating for Olivia and I--basically the sole loners from Ohio. Luckily we started remembering names, faces and having decent conversation with these people! Elizabeth and Ayla (both piano performance majors), Brittany, Tina, Ian, Robert, Stacey, the Kaitlyns (there are two), Clay, Bre, Casper, (all basically either Technical Theater: Lighting majors or political science majors). Olivia and I have come to the conclusion that Nick Jacobs is the Webster University equivalent of Nate Bachofsky! His catchphrase is "Nein danke!" and he is entirely hilarious (and entirely gay of course). Don't worry Nate--no one will EVER take your place!!!

During our lunch break, we came to the realization that everyone smokes. The non-smokers are minorities. You'd figure, in such a healthy country with such green advancements, there would be less smokers. Nope. People smoke. On trains. In restaurants. In stores. In clubs (in fact, I absolutely reek of smoke after coming back from a night on the town). Literally everywhere. Same thing with dogs. Everyone has one. They are allowed in the metro, on the train, in restaurants, in stores. And apparently in Austria if you don't have a dog, you have a baby. I have never seen sooooo many young babies slash pregnant women in my entire life.

The next day Olivia and I went on a tour of the Ringstrasse--the main drag of Vienna, I guess you could say. While waiting for the bus infront of the Staatsoper (State Opera House) we spotted a man selling tickets for tonight's show. It was a Mozart festival of sorts, only held for a few evenings in this historic and famous operahouse. Since mom wouldn't be able to see the actual Opera performed here, we decided to invest in the 19 euro standing room tickets to give her the opportunity to see some great music!

That night we went out to this fancy-smanshy ristorante called Danieli's where I ate the most amazing crepes EVER filled with cream and candied oranges. Then it was off to the Operahouse! It was so ornate and elegant inside (although not nearly as big as Severance Hall), and our standing room seats were most likely the best seats in the house! Wow, what a concert! Since it was directed mostly at tourists, the program consisted of most of Mozart's "Greatest Hits" if you will: Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflote, Le Nozze di Figaro, A Little Night Music, etc. The soloists were fantastic. Just phenomenal (all were members of the Wien Philharmoniker and the Opera company). During intermission, Olivia, Mom and I took ridiculous pictures of ourselves and laughed until we thought our sides would rip open! Fun times!

Mom, Olivia and I ventured to Schoenbrunn Palace to be "official tourists" of Vienna. It was bittersweet to return to the place where I had, two years prior, sang my last concert with the Delphian Chorale. But it was as gorgeous as I had remembered it. It was severely windy and cold that day, and I made the mistake of not wearing a sweater. Because I'm just cool like that. But we were able to tour the Hapsburg Palace, the expansive gardens, the Maze and labyrinth, the Gloriette (which offered the most spectacular aerial-type view of the city), and the Apfelstrudel bakery. We got to see how Apfelstrudel is made... boy, what an art. This woman was able to spin the dough SO thin, that you could read a newspaper through it! Regardless, it was amazing... and we got free samples! Heck yeah!

We then treated ourselves to dinner at the restaurant in the palace confines. It was here that I sampled my first Viennese Bratwurst and sauerkraut (which was to die for) and had my first "Mozart Kaffee." You and I know Mozart for his incredible musical genius. But people in Austria also know him for the delicious choclate candies and chocolate cream liquors that bear his name. This "Mozart Kaffee" was an espresso with my own little bottle of Mozart Chocolate Liquor to add in. Again--to die for. To be quite honest, I have yet to sample any type of Viennese food or drink that was less than satisfactory. It has all been above and beyond my culinary expectations!

We returned to the apartment and watched "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." We're cultured... yeah... ;)

My class schedule is ridiculously light and easy. Here's Laura Schupbach, used to taking 9 classes a semester, taking only three courses this quarter (not including voice lessons). It's like total freedom... I don't even know what to do with myself! I have time to eat... time to study... time to socialize... time to sight-see... time to read... draw... write... sleep!!!! My schedule is as follows: Monday and Wednesday I have Argumentative Writing from 1:30-3:30, and then Wagner the Opera Ring Cycle from 3:45-5:45. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have German from 10:00-1:00. NO FRIDAY CLASSES!! WHooooooo! This schedule is cake. And I love it.

But it's not like I'm not learning anything. I don't have many classes, true. But the classes I do have are heavy in course work and entirely interesting. I'm not bored in the slightest. My writing class is taught by a British professor, Mr. Horsfield. He has chin-length wavy blonde hair, and a thin physique. Very "beach-y" for lack of a better descriptor. I'm convinced he hates me. I'm the only American in my class. That may or may not have something to do with it! The class is more of a world politics class than anything. I'm learning so much about how the European Union works as well a social issues burdening Western and Eastern Europe. It's funny--all of my classmates, from all different parts of the world, know about American politics. They know about our government, our government leaders, our elections... everything. And what do we know about their countries' politics? Nothing. It's a shame, really. I mean, these young minds are truly citizens of the world. Can I even call myself a citizen of the world if I know nothing of the world?!

My music class is AMAZING. Taught by Mr. Dunn who studied at Indiana, this class has made me appreciate everything Wagnerian. Particuarly his cycle of operas. I never felt like I was in class... what he teaches is so interesting, and he teaches it with such enthusiasm! Mr. Dunn's already taking us on a field trip next week to see a Haydn festival. Later on in the year we'll take a "Beethoven Walk" and a "Mozart Walk" through Vienna where we will visit the monuments, houses and inspirations that were important these incredible composers. I can't wait to tell you more about this class.

My Elemenary German class is taught by a plump and pleasant woman, Mrs. Possett. She believes in the "immersion method," in which no English is spoken. Her theory is that you don't have to understand every word to get the idea. The important part is that you get the idea and your brain is slowly assimilating the language. This method is similar to that used in the Rosetta Stone program. Because our class is 3 hours long (yes, my brain does hurt towards the end of the second hour) we've already covered more in the first two days of class than we did in my first semester of French lol! I'm catching on quickly, and it's very easy to practice around here... I generally like the class and feel I will learn a lot. I once had these great aspirations to be commpletely fluent in German by the time I returned home... but conversationaly fluent is fine for the time being :)

Mom left to go back to the States on my second day of school. We were all running late, so our "goodbye" was a quick and hurried one. In a sense I am somewhat glad for this, for I fear I may have gotten emotional... I tend to do this from time to time. But she made it safely home (save a pat-down and hold up at customs lol!) and we talk via Skype and payphone!

Well, it's quite late here. Olivia and I are meeting Freya Zorn in the morning and she's going to show us the town! My next post will include the last three days--The Vienna Film Festival, amazing ethnic food, and my first experience at a swanky Viennese club! Stay tuned!

Miss you all!

Lots of love,

Laura

My Favorite Day Ever

Welcome to the last pre-Vienna enrty on my blog! I've finally made it!

MY LAST DAY IN ROMA

Our last day of "leisure" in the wonderful city of Roma was jam-packed full of tours... there were three, total, within the day, leaving just enough time in between for lunch and dinner! But we had finally adjusted to the time difference and were feeling quite refreshed and prepared for the grueling schedule ahead.

The first task of the day was to make sure that our clothing was appropriate. No exposed shoulders or knees, as we would be touring the Vatican City and many Cathedrals that are still in use. Check. The next task was to make sure we didn't miss our bus that left at "the buttcrack of dawn" as it was later referred to. Check. The final task? To enjoy and soak in the incredible history surrounding me. Cheeeeeck.

Originally, I had predicted (despite the fact that we would be walking basically ALL DAY) that this day in Rome would be my favorite. Not only would I be in the Vatican city and Sistine Chapel... in the presence of paintings that epitomize my faith and that define the beauty of Christian art... but I would later take a tour of St. Peter's Cathedral and the "underground Rome," filled with tours of some of the most amazing catacombs and buried church ruins dating back to the second century. My favorite day.

Alright... I'm already getting ahead of myself I'm so excited! So first thing's first. Our first tour was the tour of the Vatican City. We managed to have much better luck with the audio earpieces, and even lucked out with a very capable, funny ang highly intelligent tour guide. He introduced himself as "Maxamillianisma...etc" (something very long and impronouncable), and laughed lightly as he instructed us to just call him "Max." He was somewhat on the younger side, with a shaved head and a relatively short stature. Very kind eyes, I do remember that. And a keen sense of humor. It's hard to develop humor in a language that is not your primary tongue. I would have difficulty cracking a joke or being sarcastic in French... it simply wouldn't come off right. Perhaps in English it is easier to be sarastic and jesting (go figure). Max made this tour incredibly enjoyable... because I was learning so much interesting and pertinent information! Sure, it may have still been the "boring" historical info that mediocre tour guides give you, but it was presented so much more coherently--with energy--and was sprinkled with intermittent fun facts about the topic. I honestly learned so much that I could have given a lecture about the landmarks after walking away from that tourbus.

I don't know what it was about being in the Vatican City that felt so entirely special to me. Perhaps it was because the Vatican City is considered its own political country, or maybe it's because I knew that I was the closest I'd ever be to the Pope (why, as a Protestant this matters to me? I don't know), or maybe because I felt that I was on holy ground. Regardless, I felt special just being able to surpass the line that wrapped around the city walls... a near 3 hour wait just to get inside the door. Being part of a Prestige Tour? We walked right in, thank you very much! A very mean part of me just wanted to flash my Prestige lanyard to all the sorry saps standing in line as I walk by going: "Nya nya nya nya nyaaaa! What up NOW!?" But luckily, I restrained the ugly American in me :)

First, we went inside the Vatican Museum. It's SO HUGE and filled with so much art and masterpieces that if one spent only 4 minutes at each piece, one would be inside this building for nearly ten years. It would be like touring the Louvre. It just cannot be done in one day. But Max pointed out some important benchmarks along the way: some AMAZING wall sized tapestries that depicted some incredibly deep and meaningful symbolism, not to mention complete mastery. There were many statues, of course, including one woman who had a mass of globule looking things around her neck... almost like an oversized necklace. We were all puzzled to what this necklace-of-sorts was--and then he told us: She is wearing a necklace of Bull testicles. BULL BALLS ladies and gentlemen. A sign of fertility and nobility, this was actually done at some point in time.... uummmm, cool?? Then, Max showed us a downscaled version of the Sistine Chapel ceiling--like a mini-debreifing so that we could understand everything presented and not feel overwhelmed.

The funny story about the Sistine Chapel is that Michaelangelo was a sculptor. He loathed painting. Had it not been for the large lump sum of money he was offered (he was known to be quite greedy and unpleasant), he would have never agreed to paint it. Can you imagine such a masterpiece like "God creating Adam" on the verge of not ever being created?! But then again... what was it that made this particular ceiling so special--out of all the magnificent cathedral ceilings in history? Who knows. It was interesting to see how the body shapes of the characters resembled the shapely and posed figures he might have sculpted. One of the most interesting depictions was that of the Final Judgement.... Jesus, with one hand up to raise those belonging to heaven and one hand down to send the evil into damnation, is surrounded by saints who are aiding this process. St. Bartholomeu is one of them. He was killed by being skinned alive, so he is pictured (in his human, pre-death form) holding his skin in his hand. Scholars believe that Michaelangelo placed his self-portrait within this skin--he was relatively homely in general, but his expression is one of distaste and disgust for the mere fact of having been forced to paint this. I wish I could show you all pictures of this, but there was a strict No photography rule being enforced. But I wouldn't have wanted to fiddle with a camera... there was too muuch to see, and it could never be truly captured on film.

We proceeded into St. Peter's Cathedral--the largest cathedral in the world. No other building in Rome is allowed to be taller than this Basilica. If I could I would spend hours upon end in this place. It makes you believe that there is a God and that He deserves such beauty devoted to Him. I have never felt so spiritually blessed and unworthy at the same time. Our first stop was at the statue of Mary holding the lifeless body of the recently crucified Christ--it is called "Pieta" meaning "Pity and compassion." There is a lot of myth surrounding Michaelangelo's intentions with this sculpture. His mother died at a very young age, and it has been said that he missed her terribly well into adulthood. In "Pieta," Mary's face looks amazingly youthful considering she has a full grown son, and in the palm of her hand is inscribed: "Mater" or "mother." Many believe this is Michaelangelo's depiction of his own mother as he remembers her. Back in the 70's, a crazy man ran into the cathedral screaming "I am Jesus, I am Jesus" and struck Mary's face 15 times with the butt of a rifle... obliterating it. Luckily it was pieced back together, but it is now behind thick glass :(

This basilica is named after St. Peter because it is believed that he is buried under the pulpit, among with many other Popes. Also encased in the cathedral are many relics such as a piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and the cloth used to wipe the sweat and blood from Jesus's brow. The acoustics were wonderful... mass was occurring at the time, which I found odd and quite sacreligious. Wouldn't you feel weird if random tourists were snapping pictures around you as you tried to pray and worship the Lord? Yeah... here's a video I took from inside. Not very good, but it's a glimpse!:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3810087037789026984&hl=en

Interestingly enough, the Vatican is known for its incredibly detailed and picture-like mosaic art. I had to get within hands reach of a mosaic depiction of the Judgement in St. Peters to know it was made from pieces of stone and not paint. But there is no fading, and the pictures looked like new!

Of course, at the gift shop, I purchased a hand-made mosaic cross necklace... with some of the most vibrant and beautiful bits of ceramic and glass I'd ever seen. My only momento slash souvenir of the trip!

That concluded the tour, and so mom and I grabbed lunch at a place called "Pepy's Bar." We ordered pasta and chocolate ice cream. Not the best for the money it cost us, but still good.I was thankful for the TV that was airing the Olympics... Men's Gymnastics at the time. I feel so out of the loop in world events... As of today (August 27th) I haven't watched TV since leaving the states on the 12th.

Even though I'm terribly excited to tell you about the catacombs and crypts, I am terribly tired. I will edit this post later tomorrow :)

Miss and love you all, as always!
Laura

When in Rome...

Again, just to update you... these are entries from a week ago that I was unable to post at the time. Thank you for your patience as I (slowly but surely) catch you up on my life!

I wish all of my BW lovelies the best on their first day of class :) And same to all of my wonderful "sophomores" who are now starting their first day as freshman in college. Best of luck!!! Please know I am thinking of you :)

I start school tomorrow too... ugh... but I only have 4 classes. FOUR! Can you believe that!? And no class on Friday. What a change! I'm used to trying to cram in 9 classes in a week ;) Anyway... more on that later.

FIRST DAY IN ROME

Upon returning to America, my frist task will be to thank God for free public restrooms. Rome is an entirely different situation. Not only does one have to pay for these toilets (which, I don't even know if you can even call them standard toilets... one has to literally squat, as there are no actual seats), but one must also have exact change. This posed a slight problem for two women--with bladders full and only large bills--who were practically dancing through the Roma Termini, frantically looking for a bathroom. As we ran through the Termini trying to find a way to make change, mom and I found ourselves making frustrated and snide comments towards each other, due (I'm sure) to sleep deprivation and bathroom despiration. We luckily laugh about this now :)

Allow me to insert a side note here. Everyone always warns American tourists about the everpresent B.O. problem in Europe. I hope I can clear up this little misunderstanding: In Italy, the ratio is more or less as follows: For every one person who could clear a room in 2 seconds, there are at least 12 people who emenate the scent of expensive perfume and cologne.... like it's coming out of their pores or something. I have never smelled so many aaaammaaaaazing men's colognes in my life than in that Terminal. (Since I am writing this from Vienna, allow me to also add that the ratio is a little different in Germany/Austria. More like 1:3. Let's just say taking the metro isn't always the most pleasant experience for the nostrils). Glad we've cleared that up :) And I should also point out that generally good looking people populate this area. Dark complexion, dark eyes, dark hair, tall, thin, stylish--AMAZING SHOES (of course). Most men and women looked like models. No joke. I felt quite unworthy with my blonde hair, green eyes and slip on sandals.

After fixing the bathroom situation, we encountered our second obstacle... hotel check-in. The Hotel Aphrodite (located very conveniently outside the Termini station) told us that the check in began at 9 am--NOT so much the case when we arrived at 9:30. Apparently since then check in was moved to 11 am. Faaaaantastic. So we sat... okay, correction--I slept... in the lobby until we could officially move in, unpack, and shower. We were pretty disgusting after having been on a train for 12 hours.

A few hours later, we began our first of four tours in Rome: "Ceasar's Rome," which was a general walking tour of the old city--the ruins of the Roman Forum, St. Peter in Chains, Coliseum, the ancient city "works." We encountered our third barrier when the earpieces used for the walking tour were malfunctioning. We lost nearly an hour of our tour, as the guide had no idea what to do about it and had to keep phoning for technical assistance. Everyone was getting a little frustrated, and it was then that I discovered we were in the company of the "ugly Americans..." the kind that mar the European perception of the American persona: An 8 person family from New York City (complete with accents and matching attitudes), including a flighty mother, a tough-guy and could-care-less dad, a smart-alecky (and might I add a pain-in-the-ass) teenage son, young boy named Steven who tended to have behavioral difficulties, a man in his early 60's who was just as bad as the pain-in-the-ass teenager, and a girl... it was difficult to discern whether she was this man's daughter or girlfriend. Ew. It was embarrassing to be in their company. I was mortified that they were acting and treating our guide and group the way that they were. But there were pleasant people as well, don't get me wrong. I struck up conversation with a man in his late twenties--an English teacher from Oregon there with his partner on vacation. There was an Irish couple and a Spanish couple. All very tolerable :)

We passed many old crumbling buildings and ruins on our way, including gallant statues and sculptures, as well as the Arch of Constantine. It had a striking resemblance to L'Arc de Triomphe... even the inside of the arch had the similar ceilings. Of course, I'd love to tell you more about the buildings and statues I saw, but with the earpiece situation I couldn't actually HEAR what they were ;) But they sure were pretty!

Our group walked down into the ruins and remains of the Roman Forum. I saw walked "down" because the ancient Roman city was actually at a lower ground level than what the city currently sits on. Earthquakes, floods, shifting of land and just general passage of time has caused the current ground level to be higher. Looking at the dilapitated pillars, the broken marble, the cobblestone roads... it was weird, and at times impossible, to imagine that emperors, nobles, and Roman citizens walked these very same paths.

And, of course, the creme de la creme of ancient Rome--The Coliseum. It was truly more ginormous and maginificent than I could've imagined. It was difficult to envision the structure as it would have been in it's splendor--covered in marble, with three complete rings (the outer ring only partially remains today) and an arena full of people watching the carnage taking place below. I'm glad entertainment has changed since then :)

We ended the tour with St. Peter in Chains... a basilica (or church) which displays the very chains used to bind St. Peter in Jerusalem. Relics like these are commonly found throughout basilicas in Italy. They looked like your average chain links to me ;)

We had a bit of down time to return to the hotel and changed for dinner... our first opportunity to get "all dolled up." Mom had made reservations at a swank little ristorante called "Il Tinello." We walked about fifteen minutes after having our first (and might I add, successful!) experience with the metro system in Italy. This walk included climbing the fifty ba-gillion stairs of the beautiful and gradiose marble Spanish Stairs on "Via Spagna." People were everywhere... most of them sitting, visiting, playing guitars, drinking wine. What a sight.

Mom and I decided to experience fine dining outside... it was a very pleasant and calm night. You could tell we were in Italy... an empty bottle of wine sat in the center of our table, covered in layers of dried wax drips, holding a long stem candle. It was like a Lady and the Tramp re-inactment (I was the Lady, of course... lol!). We had a funny and amiable waitor, considering we were one of the last people there at 9:00! The menu included salad, white wine, pasta with mushrooms, fish and an delectable lemon cake. Even thinking about it now makes my stomach grumble! Probably the best food I had experienced up to that point in my life.

Then back to the hotel (making a quick pit stop at the Internet Cafe to check Facebook ;)) where we would rest for the intense day of touring ahead of us!

Love love love,
Laura