So...here's the deal. Tomorrow I am cooking a Canadian meal for my guest family and members of their extended family. It's going to be a rather large production so I have a lot to get ready for. As a result I can't post much now, but I'll give you a brief overview of my schedule in Spain.

03.07 - Arrived in Barcelona
Saw the Mediterranean for the first time in my life. The sun's last rays were shimmering across the dimpled water. It reminded me of dew on the yellow roses in my Grandpa's garden.

04.07 - Barcelona
Walked along Passeig de Gracia, snapped a few pictures of Caso Batllo and wandered down to Platja de la Barceloneta.

05.07 - Barcelona
Shopping on my own in the grocery store: bought a nectarine from Chile, yellow plum from Andalusia and a red plum from Valencia. Strolled down Av del Portal de l'Angel and La Rambla.
In the evening headed out to the countryside after looking at Sagrada Familia.

06.07 - Montserrat and in Platja d'Aro
In the morning explored the local market and countryside around M's hometown. Met an American and his little daughter who wanted to be my best friend - she took pictures with us and wanted to go exploring together.
Once M got home from work we headed out to Platja d'Aro for a stroll along the beach, some Spanish delicacies and a night on the town. Amazing.

07.07 - Platja d'Aro
Beach. Beach. Beach. Oh, and more beach.
In the evening went boating with M's family. I got to drive. We stopped along a rocky cliff face and went swimming.

08.07 - Cap de Creus and Cadaques
Drove to Spain's easternmost tip, met up with a bunch of M's friends and spent the afternoon in a secluded cove. Besides laying on the beach we went swimming, snorkeling and cliff jumping.
In the evening we stopped for refreshments (and souvenirs) in Cadaques.

09.07 - Barcelona
Took the train back to Barcelona. Exploring and shopping.

10.07 - Barcelona to Vienna
Snapped the last few pictures. Had an hour long delay at the airport but managed to stay far away from the designer boutiques. I paid €3.4o for water though.

I'm back in Vienna

I made it safe and sound (with the exception of a few sunburns). Spain was amazing. Pictures and stories will be posted over the next few days.

In a matter of hours, I head off for a vacation in Spain. You may be thinking "What? She's in Europe and she's taking a vacation from her vacation?" Yes and no.

Italy, Serbia, France, Bosnia, Finland, Morocco, Slovakia - those are only a few of the places the exchange students have visited during the past months. Myself? I went to Germany over Easter. I'd decided in Canada already that I would not do much traveling until the semester was over. Partly because I wanted to really experience Austrian life and partly because I love traveling and know I'd end up not focusing on my studies.

My last European exams have been written and school notes have been packed away. Now the real Europe trip can begin.

**I'm not sure how regularly I'll be posting while I am in Spain - if you don't hear from me during the next week, don't worry. I'm not dead - just sailing on the Mediterranean, strolling through a vineyard or lounging on a beach somewhere. I'll be back soon enough. **

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, last Saturday I went to the Donauinselfest. I'd written that it was one of the largest open air music festivals in Europe. Well, I stand corrected. According to my host parents and the Viennese media, the Donauinselfest IS THE largest open air music festival in Europe.

Saturday night, I watched the fireworks with some friends from church. This is one of a number of snapshots. I've tried to capture not only the fire cracker itself, but also show a glimpse of the boats on the river and the reflections in the water. It was a short, but picturesque display.

A little turn

Tomorrow came...and in seven minutes it'll be gone.

I'm still alive. I made it through my exam well - I think. Three questions, fourty-five minutes on NPO communication and fundraising.

I also made it through the impromptu coffee excursion with half the class. I made it through hanging out with a friend before he leaves. I made it through walking into my favourite coffee store for the last time. I made it through a pair of deep blue eyes and I almost made it through shoe shopping with my friend.

Almost. That's when the tears came. Not gushing though (bawling in public? in a shoe store? there weren't even any expensive shoes to justify my outburst - so of course I couldn't really let it all out).

But she knew. She looked at me sitting there, my bag and jacket on the floor, two pairs of shoes on my lap - trying to find words to express my sorrow. Tears welling in my eyes. And she looked at me and listened. Thank you God, for creating ears. She looked at me and listened. And then she smiled, ever so faintly. Not a smirk. Not a grin. A little turn of the lips. "I feel your pain. I see you hurting. I know. But it'll be ok. You'll be ok."

Thank you D.

Tomorrow's gonna come too soon

In nine hours I write my last final exam. I see my classmates for the last time. I go for coffee for the last time. I say goodbye, hopefully not for the last time, but in most cases, probably for the last time.

I've been dreading this day ever since I arrived.

---

So denied
So I lied
Are you the now or never kind?
In a day
And a day love,
I'm gonna be gone for good again
Are you willing, to be had
Are you cool with just tonight?
Here's a toast,
To all those who hear me all too well

Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to goodbye tomorrow's gonna come too soon

Put your name on the line
Along with place and time
Want to stay, not to go
I want to ditch the logical
Here's a toast,
To all those who hear me all too well

Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to goodbye
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon

All my time is frozen motion
Can't I stay an hour or two or more?
Don't let me let you go
Don't let me let you go

Here's a toast
To all those who hear me all too well

Here's to nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to goodbye
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
Too soon
Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to goodbye,
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon

---

Tomorrow.... is now here.





Lyrics from Here's to the night by Eve 6.

Süßer Glücksbringer

Some of you know that I'm not a huge fan of North American ice cream. After living here for so long I'm even less of a fan. Why?

Take a look at this picture. It's one of the latest Cremissimo creations: Süßer Glücksbringer.


Basically sweet [good] luck bringer. It's a mix of pistachio and stracciatella (white ice cream with chocolate) ice cream. The chocolate pieces are shaped like little four leave clovers and the pistachio ice cream like a large green four leave clover. And, instead of just a clear plastic air tight seal underneath the lid, there is a short little fairytale printed on the seal. In this case about a little three leaf clover who learns that to bring good luck you don't have be made in a certain way ( have four leaves instead of three) - you just have to make people happy (yes, it's a fairytale, but it's still kinda cute and it has a good lesson).

Pretty creative eh? And, a lot better than the typical North American flavours.

Bittersweet

Last night I wrote my second last final exam. It's hard to believe that it's already the end of the semester. Time has flown by so quickly. On the one hand I'm excited because I worked hard during the semester so that I could 'party' hard now. So far I'm going to be going to Spain, Italy and Germany visiting lots of friends and relatives.
At the same time however, I'm sad. I've started to make close friendships and have really been accepted into the church I've been attending. My guest parents have been so kind and supportive. Even my guest brother has been easy to get along with. I have come to love the quirks of taking public transit everywhere and I will miss the proximity to everything. I will miss strolling along the river and going out for coffee with classmates. I will miss watching the last of the sun' rays paint the church steeple gold and the smell of fresh pastries from the bakery down the street. Sigh.
God really provided for me and it's been amazing to watch. I remember fighting panic attacks on my flight over because I was coming to a strange city without permanent accommodations. But He provided. And what a place He provided: high ceilings, walking distance to downtown and the best shopping street in the city and most importantly, a family who has practically adopted me. I've come to love it here.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't miss you. I do. I just wish there was someway of having you with me without having to give up the culture and lifestyle. I wish there was some way to merge the two worlds I live in.

So, I've decided: instead of depressing you all with how sad I am to be leaving, I'm going to try and post snapshots of my life here. One a day, for the rest of my trip. Ha, no, that's too optimistic. One a day until I forget. :)

Summer storm

Last week we had a break in the high twenties weather. This was Thursday afternoon. I got home about three minutes before a strong wind storm blew in these clouds:

Last weekend....

Every June one of the largest outdoor music festivals in Europe takes place on the Donauinsel in Vienna. Latest numbers I've heard put attendance at almost 1.5 million.

This is a clip from Saturday night. Over 15,000 participants just at this one show. About fourty feet from the stage. Four incredible hours.

This might give you a better idea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoUoo3sKFec

(not my clip, but one of the best quality ones on youtube)

In case you're bored...

So, as you may know I am writing this paper for school on stakeholder identification and corporate social responsibility (Yes, the 'civil society' bit is gone - thank goodness - it was boring me to tears).

In my research I came across this fascinating article:

Mitchell, R., & Agle, B. (1997, October). Toward a theory of stakeholder identification and salience: defining the principle of who and what really counts. Academy of Management Review, 22(4), 853-886.

The article is on a number of academic journal databases, you could try searching for it online or let me know you want to read it.

My study buddy

The past six days I've had company from Canada. My Dad and two of my little siblings are traveling through Europe and came to visit. They just left this morning and with them unfortunately, left my last excuse not to study. I probably won't be posting for the next few days as I have a Global Marketing final and a paper on civil society and corporate social responsibility to write.

Yesterday the family went to Schönbrunn Schloß (I stayed home to do homework and send off job applications for my next work term). Schönbrunn is the largest and most grandiose palace in Vienna. The grounds are extensive and include a maze and labyrinth, dove house, orange grove and a zoo (complete with Pandas, Penguins and Panthers). This is the view looking down from the Gloriette towards Schönbrunn.

Eau de Mmmm....

My guest brother moved home on Monday.

I was secretly contemplating changing the locks before he got here.

However...

As long as he promises to keep wearing whatever cologne he is wearing I think I'll let him stay.

Exquisite

Two of my Finnish partners in crime (aka. foreign exchange students) are getting ready to head home. Before they leave though, we decided we had to have a goodbye dinner.

We met outside. The afternoon had brought a burst of rain and the sky was still overcast. Without realizing we had dressed in complimentary styles - C was all white with pearls, D and I were wearing black, one in slacks, the other in a skirt. Look out.

We strolled down a well lit marble corridor. The lights from the lamps sparkled on the polished floor. A heavy mahogany door marked our destination. Once inside we hung our coats and walked through white floor length sheers - into a darkened bar. A long counter top ran perpendicular to the entrance. Low tables and couches filled the room. C moved to walk in front. She'd been here before. Moving briskly, she led us down a narrow passage way. On the right a waist high window of warped pinkish-purple glass allowed us to glimpse in the kitchen. And then. There we were.

The passage way opened up into an L-shaped room. Everything was white. The walls. The leather couches lining the wall. The squares tables covered in crisp table clothes. The light fixtures. The chairs. The chopsticks - were silver. English jazz flowed from the speakers. Candles glowed on the tables. The mood was one of controlled minimalism. Ostentatious? No. Cool and collected? Very.

We gave the waiter our names and were promptly seated. Ordering a bottle of white wine, we turned our attention on the menus. Mango. Squid. Cilantro. Zucchini. Shrimp. Grapefruit. Octopus. What a selection. How to choose? I finally settled on Truffel Spargel Maki (Truffle Asparagus Maki). D ordered a Rainbow surprise - surprise in that the menu declared it 'indescribably good'. C went a little more traditional and ordered a sushi set.

The sushi was delicious. The combination of textures and flavours complimented each other beautifully. Set in context with the atmosphere and surroundings of the restaurant, the body of the wine and the music and conversation flowing through the room, the sushi was perfect. Exquisite food and delightful company in a sophisticated location.

What a pity this was a goodbye dinner...

Evolution; Or, the case of the walking jacket

It's almost 5:30 a.m. here. I've just arrived home. The sky is a patchwork of blues. The further east I look the more the navy blue is fading into pale bleached blue. Maybe I shouldn't bother going to bed at all - the patchwork is guaranteed to become even better.

Today has been a wonderful way to kick start my last month. I've organized accommodations for my family when they come visit me (next week already!), helped some girl friends get ready for a wedding taking place later this afternoon, gone out for dinner with my host family, and had an excellent time exploring the musical side of Vienna.

There has been one down side to the day: I've lost my cell phone. Now before you lecture me on "one place for everything and everything in it's place", you should know that for once, it's not really my fault. Ha ha, I sense your disbelief. Keep reading...

My cellphone was in my friend's jacket. Why? Because we figured I'd loose it otherwise and it would be safe there. Over the course of the evening, the supposedly safe denim jacket grew legs (hmmm...proof for Darwin's theories?). Maybe the jacket didn't like the music, or, maybe it didn't like all the smoke, but when we got up to leave it was gone. One jacket, one set of office keys and two cell phones - gone.

On the plus side, this walking denim jacket sparked a search through downtown Vienna. I've seen a whole new side of Vienna. The revelers of a few hours ago have stumbled home, littering the gutters with tokens of their presence - empty cans and bottles. The Museums Quarter is a mess at four in the morning, but very peaceful. If you close your eyes and listen to the birds chirping in the trees and the water splashing in the foot pond you'd never guess you were in the middle of a city.

My window faces east and the sky is now a delicate cream. What a day it has been. I'm looking forward to making the rest of the 30 days just as memorable.


Product Promotion:

This 21-hour-day-on-four-hours-of-sleep was proudly supported by large amounts of Red Bull.

Today is the last day of the second last month.

Next month I leave Vienna.

I'm not sure how I feel about leaving.

I've come to love the streets, the quirky class schedules, the walls of roses in the Volksgarten and yes, even the the banging of the garbage men every morning.

Technically, since it's passed midnight here in Vienna it's already my last month...

...the countdown has begun.

Current song:
Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve

A day in life....

...I was going to write about my day....

...but then my evening ended up being so interesting that I've decided to write about the last three hours instead.

21:20 - Arrive home from my Global Marketing class.

21:45 - My cellphone rings just as I'm settling into my recliner and putting my feet up:

"Hello?"

"Ja, Hallo."

"Hello?"

"Ja, Hallo."

---now I'm translating what was said---

"What are you doing?"

"Just got home from school, so relaxing."

"Ah...want to meet up?"

"Now?"

"Sure, I'll meet you at Schwedenplatz in thirty minutes."

"Oh. Ok."

21:55 - I leave the house. Looks like I won't be getting a head start on my homework tonight.

22.30 - I meet up with my acquaintance and we head over to a favourite hangout.

23:45 - Men in kilts start singing and dancing around....to the Y-M-C-A. Yeah. Time to leave.

00:30 - I walk into my apartment to waves of smoke. I drop my things at the front door and do a quick walk through of the apartment. There doesn't seem to be any fire, but the place smells terrible.

As I am carrying my things through the dinning room I notice something out of the corner of my eye. One of the flower boxes outside is smoking. As in billowing white clouds against the night sky. What's going on? I move closer. Three of the four sides of the flower box have melted. Pools of red embers fade and then flicker back to life. The wind is blowing ash and sparks into the apartment through a crack in window sill.

What do I do? Panic? No. Of course not. I run into my room for my dictionary. How do you say spark in German? Hmmmm. My host parents are sleeping so I don't want to wake them up while jabbering on in English. Great. The German word had more to do with a spark plug. Now what?

I stand and watch the glowing flower box for a few minutes. There is a strong breeze, so sparks whirl in the wind and slide through the crack in the window sill. Should I wake my host parents? Should I just dose the flower box with water? Hmmm... Decisions, decisions. This would be a lot easier if there were flames leaping about instead of sparks dancing in the wind.

I decide to wake my host parents. Luckily my host mother wakes up quickly and manges to make sense of my panicked mash of German and English. We spend the next thirty minutes playing fireman. Her in her long nightgown, me in evening make up and fancy jewellery. We made quite the pair.

I think we'll try out for the fire brigade tomorrow. In the meantime I'm going to head to bed. Have a good evening.

You know summer has arrived when....

there is a 16 kilometer long traffic jam on the autobahn.

Concert for Europe 2007

Tonight is a big night for Vienna. Valéry Gerviev, a Russian conductor, will be conducting the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. What's so special about that, you ask? Well, there are a few things that make tonight extraordinary:
Instead of performing in the Haus der Musik, the Konzerthaus or the Musikverein (usual performance locations), the Philharmonic is preforming in the Schönnbrunn Schloß gardens (Schönnbrunn is the Austrian equivalent to France's Palace of Versailles). Instead of the usual 250-1000 person audience, the crowd capacity for this concert is much higher - 70,000 at last year's concert. Instead of dipping into the wallet or maxing out the credit card on tickets, this concert is free. Instead of sitting in plush red velvet seats, listeners stand or better yet, bring picnic blankets and drink champagne. Still not convinced? Well, I'm heading there in a few hours - I'll post some pictures and you can decide for yourself.