The better part of one's life consists of one's friendships
Abraham Lincoln

I heartily agree. Many of my favourite memories were made with friends:

- playing Beauty Parlour and scarring our cousins as we emerged from the room "beautiful" aka. surrounded in clouds of cheap perfume (the more the better) with streaks of pink blush on our cheeks and and red dollar store lipstick on our teeth
- sneaking to 7/11 on our recess breaks and buying bags of five cents candies (Cinnamon Hot Lips and gummi frogs....mmm)
- running through backalleys and across the streets to escape from the bad guys (Nazis, thugs, parents, slave traders)
- spending the afternoon at the library reading Babysitter and Saddle Club books
- meeting every week for coffee at our special hangout and each time trying to sit in the same threadbare chairs (they're still there)
- getting up early to go running down streets that we had named after Calvin Klein perfumes (Eternity, Obsession, Contradiction)
- meeting in TD Square and going for lunch in Devonian gardens
- driving down Memorial looking at the city lights and talking about boys, music and the future
- sitting in art class passing notes and joking about Manet, complaining about Gauguin and learning to appreciate Picasso
- grabbing a room in Comms and pulling all day (or until we got bored) study marathons
- discussing the merits of Captain Morgan
- surviving a volleyball class where the ball (or was it the teammates?) seemed to be attacking us
- making a pact to go cliff jumping together and then both having the courage to go do it
- ringing in the New Year with Lucky Duck champagne and movies
- dancing like the night would never end
- releasing the creative side and bonding over paint, stencils and ceramics
- soaking up the sun while strolling along the Danube and praying and talking about life
- meeting at the Glenbow and exploring the Renior exhibit
- taking a break from assignments to watch the wedding planner and then leaving school at three in the morning
- pulling a 21 hour day on only four hours of sleep with copious amounts of Red Bull and loud music
- texting at all hours of the day (and night) with updates on our lives
- marching into class together with French Vanilla and English Toffee cappuccinos


Thank you for being in my life.

The grape vine

Yes, it's true. Rumours have started swirling. It was only a matter of time I guess. My girlfriend called me today to fill me in on the latest...


Apparently I am engaged.


Not only that, I apparently drove to Red Deer yesterday to inform my parents I was getting married in September.



Yeah. Next thing I know I'll apparently be pregnant and and moving to Malaysia.

So. In the interest of public information and keeping up with everyone else's business, let me clarify the situation. (Although, let me state that this technically isn't your business. But, as with everything else on my blog, I'm "sharing" this information with you.)

Yes, I am seeing someone. Yes, we are past the "just friends" stage. However, we are not (need me to repeat that?), we are not, N-O-T, engaged, betrothed, living together, or secretly married and as such we are not separated, divorced, taking a break or seeing other individuals. Is that clear?

Secondly, the whole Red Deer story. Where do I start? My parents to do not live in Red Deer. They do however, know my current relationship status. And, they also know that I would not be so presumptuous as to inform them who I am planning on marrying and when. Come on, what do you take me for?

That out of the way, you might like to know that yes, I did go to Red Deer, and yes, he did come with me. We did not go to meet parents or scout out possible elopement getaways (Red Deer? Come on, if I were to elope, Red Deer is not the place to do it!). We went to hang out with my favourite (and absolute best cousin in the world) and her fiancee as well as visit my aunt and uncle with their cute little girl and wannabe-Panther cat. Yes, we had a marvelous time.


Now you know the latest rumours about me and the facts behind them. I almost feel as if I should apologize that they weren't more glamorous. Maybe next time someone could start a rumour about me having a house in French Polynesia or owning five pairs of Manolo Blahniks.



P.S. Special shout out to C who was brave enough to face my indignation and let me know what was circulating. Thanks girl! You're one in a million. It's great to know that I've got you to watch my back.

"I'll have an espresso please."

Four hours - three different espressos.

A classmate called me in the early afternoon. "What are you doing?"

"Homework."

"I should have known. Want to go for coffee?"

"Sure. I'll be there in 45 minutes."

That was the end of conujugating verbs. I packed up my homework, jumped in the shower and off I went.

We met in one of the little cafe's in the Museumsquartier. My classmate works for Nespresso - one of the main coffee companies in Europe. His sister works for Meinl - a traditional Viennese coffee company. Needless to say, when it comes to coffee he knows what he's talking about. What started out as meeting for a simple cup of coffee turned into almost five hours of walking through the Alt Stadt in search of the perfect roast.

Delicious. I think I should start drinking coffee more often. Anyone else want a refill?

I am so spoiled...

Here I sit in Vienna sipping...guess...


Tim Horton's French Vanilla Cappuccino!! Yay!


From....

A rrroll-up-the-rim-to-win cup!!


Yeah, I have the best friends in the world. They think of everything. Thanks ladies! You are amazing.

Electrified

Friday afternoon I rushed home. I was free. Finally. Classes were over for the week and I could get on with the adventures I'd planned. And believe me. I had planned. During the last few days I had organized my schedule down to relatively small details. In the last class break I had drawn up a list of things I had to do within the next two hours in preparation for the evening and now it was time to put that list into action.

Once I home I rushed between the kitchen, my bedroom and the bathroom. I hurriedly ate my lunch and chopped some veggies for later. My book bag sat stocked with my textbook, notes and pens by the table at the front entrance. I slipped into the outfit I'd laid out hours before, changed my jewellery, fixed my hair and touched up my makeup. Cellphone and money in my purse, chilled water bottle, snack and school supplies I flew out the door.

Although I could walk to my destination I was in a real hurry. Every minute was precious that afternoon. The Strassenbahn was just pulling up to the stop as I arrived. Fifteen minutes and one transfer later I was there. Would it be too late? Should I just turn around and go back home? I waited anxiously for the light to change. Finally the green man appeared and winding my way through tourists soaking in the surroundings, business women striding off to lunch meetings and grandmothers chatting about their latest purchases I managed to cross the street. Rushing around the side of the building I came face to face with a long line of people. I asked the lady at the front how long she'd been waiting here - since 6:30 in the morning. "Wow, what dedication," I thought as I smiled politely and made my way to the back of the line.

For the next three hours I sat on the concrete with my Information Architecture textbook on my lap and my notes and pens in front of me. In between reading I watched people hurry past. Some were on their way to client meetings, some had just picked up their children from school, some were wandering along looking at the architecture and others were rushing to secure their spot at the end of the line. I overheard some tourists asks what soccer game everyone was lined up for. When someone in the line explained what was really going on the tourists looked baffled, "Stand in line for hours just for that? Why?" Part of me could understand their reaction, but then again, I was in line for "that" too making me just as fanatical as the tourists probably thought.

Emmi and Pia, two exchange students from Finland, came and joined me just before 16.00. They couldn't have timed their arrival better. Fifteen minutes later the doors swung open and the line started to move. Inside a roped pathway twisted and turned through hallways. We managed to get inside and soon we were sitting on marble floor - waiting - again. Pia and Emmi were planning to go to Bratislava the next day so they discussed their itinerary and I updated my day planner. All around us people were reading, eating bagged lunches, sipping tea from thermoses and those lucky enough to be sitting against a wall tried to doze. The lady in front of us was knitting an "Oberkleid" (not sure what the translates into...maybe like an apron or pinafore to go over a dress) for one of her granddaughters while her husband checked the price of his stocks in the newspaper. The atmosphere was controlled anticipation with a sprinkle of tension. How would the situation progress?

Just before 17.00 the mood started to change. People were becoming restless. I watched a middle age couple trying to pack away the remnants of their dinner - the movements were quick but jerky and almost hesitant as if they were trying to pack everything away without being noticed (next time if you feel you might have to inconspicuously pack up your dinner don't bring a something wrapped in paper - it's too loud when you're trying to put it away). A few people stood up as if to stretch but then just remained standing. Exactly at 17.00, four personnel strode into the room. Their appearance created a stir. The line jumped up, some scrambled to collapse the folding chairs they had brought, others frantically gathered up the papers they had strewn around on the floor. The next part of the adventure was about to take place.

Woosh. The ticket window flew open and line began to move forward. Step by step, person by person. Once the past the ticket window though - all restraint vanished. People sprinted down the hallway. What was the hurry? Where was everyone rushing?

To another line up that's where. Emmi, Pia and I were squished into a line up and there we stood. There was no sitting down this time. The calm patience of a few hours ago had fled. Now people were muttering and jostling. Some were even complaining to the personnel about the long waiting times. Exactly how long we waited I don't know, all of a sudden though the main doors flung open and the lines began to pour through. Emmi, Pia and I had worked out a strategy earlier, now we moved into action. We hurtled up the stairs as fast as we could and then, out into the open. Pia and I rushed down the centre and swung quickly to the left. Emmi and Annette (an Austrian girl we'd befriended while sitting in line outside) were a few steps behind us. Pia and I literally pulled them into the row behind us. Only after securing our spots did we really begin to relax and breathe. Phew. We'd made. Where were we? In the Staatsoper Parterre just off the main floor, fourth row from the front - standing room tickets to see Anna Netrebko.

How was the opera? Impressive. How was Anna Netrebko? Absolutely amazing. I can't even begin to describe the vocal range that woman has and as for the clarity and tone of her voice? Wow. With talent like that, I can begin to understand why people lined up for 31 hours just to buy tickets to her opening performance. Anna Netrebko electrified the crowd. I have never seen anything in the classical music world like that. People cheered, chanted, shouted and waved as if their lives depended upon it. The applause went on and on. After 11 curtain calls I lost count of how many times she came back out onto the stage. I loved it. If this had been North America, Anna Netrebko would have to be some trashy blond celebrity or a teenage boy band to get this kind of admiration. Everyone from the 13 year old girls close to the stage to the 40 year old power couples sitting in private boxes to the 84 year old grandmothers sitting in wheel chairs were enthralled. The hours of standing in line were worth every second.