Austria 2011/2012

Le Fin

2012-08-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's really over.

I flew back to reality on June 29th, and started working immediately afterwards. It was tough to see Europe go, with all of the beautiful places I saw and fantastic people I met along the way. It was especially hard to say goodbye to my girlfriend Justine, but she had decided to fly over for Christmas and realistically that was all the time we had off, anyways.

After adjusting, I was working as much as I could on the farm, knowing I was leaving in seven weeks to come back to Ottawa for my final year. What I didn't know was Justine had starting scheming on coming to Canada to visit some time this summer. Although working at the farm normally consumes most/all of my time, I promised that if she came down, I would take the time off.

So she did.

Justine flew in on July 27th in the morning. It was really wonderful to see her, and over the next three weeks she and I would travel to Niagara Falls (with my family), across the border to New York State, Ottawa, Quebec, and Toronto. The weather was beautiful and it was a great time.

It was also nice to catch up with some friends - Jamus (the friend of mine who flew into Graz with my brothers for Reading Week) spent some time, and Rachele (a long-time friend from University) came down for the August Long-Weekend to visit the family and meet Justine.

Some pictures below!

Justine and I at Niagara Falls, Ontario

The gang - Left to Right: Justine, Me, Rachele, Jamus and Ryan at Canada's Wonderland.

Justine and I in Ottawa, Ontario at the Downtown locks

Awww...

It was a great way to spend the summer, and I had a great time catching up with my family again, if even for a short while.
This blog has been a lot of fun to make, and I really appreciate everyone's support! I've received over 4000 page views, and I have to thank everyone who contributed in any small way, from something as small as being in a picture, to those who housed me during my travels, or those people keeping me sane throughout the year. These are unforgettable memories that I will keep forever!
For the millionth time: Thank you. Your support has meant the world to me.

Love,

Kyle.

It's been a while...

2012-05-30T09:45:00.002-07:00

Hey guys!

I know it's been over two months since my last post. I've been getting a lot of complaints from anonymous people about how disappointed they are that their son doesn't update, so I figure it's time! (Haha)

To start, I feel great. A couple weeks ago I came down with a pretty serious case of tonsilitis, but I'm happy to say I've fully recovered.

So what else is new? Well, my computer completely crashed. For the techies out there, the Hard Drive can't boot. I have literally tried everything, even down to opening cmd.exe and prompting Format C:.... still, there's a hardware problem. There's no solution but a new hard drive which Dell will install when I return to Canada. Good thing I have awesome flatmates; they're really good about lending me their computers to finish my work, (I still have one assignment left this year, due in 3 days :|) I hope it goes well!

On a positive note, I received notice a couple of days ago that I was accepted as a Residence Advisor for next year, which I'm really excited for!

Well, who decided to show up in Graz but my parents! Graz was the second stop on their European adventure (after Vienna). Then they travelled with their long-time travel friends Rob and Vera to Salzburg, (all three cities are in Austria, if you didn't know!) then they went West to Switzerland (more specifically, Bern) for a couple days, and headed along to France, passing in Beaune, and finally in Paris.
They said the trip was wonderful, and I suspect Graz was their favourite stop! (Haha, not.) But in all seriousness, it was fantastic having them here to see what my life here is like. I think they were a little jealous, and keep insisting that if I don't show them my university (which is on the other side of the city) then they won't believe I'm actually studying here.
They didn't see it.

Happy to see them after a long long while!

Breakfast before they took off for Salzburg!

My travelling days are pretty much over now. I've been to a lot of beautiful places and have seen some wonderful things. Most recently I went to Bratislava with some friends for a couple days. It was really nice going to somewhere that we know (my flatmates live in Slovakia, near Bratislava) so it was a very first-hand experience. And it was amazing. You've never seen such inexpensive restaurants in your life. Traditional Slovakian food at a good restaurant, enough that you can't finish it, for 4-5 euro with a beer. Some pictures are below!

Landscape beyond a castle ruin.

I was in the city center when Slovakia played Czech (and won). GOAL SLOVAKIA!

Team Slovakia. In this picture you will find Two Slovakian boys, One Spanish Boy, Two French (one girl one boy) and Three Canadians. Can you find them all?

The weather here is weather. That is all I will say on the subject. Austria doesn't understand "April showers bring May flowers". It feels like their expression is "April showers bring May showers". But I can't complain. The weather is still warm and it has been unbelievably perfect all year!

It's crazy to realize. I'm home in 4 weeks. I'll probably send one more blog entry before the end of the road.

Thanks to all for reading, and commenting throughout the year! Much love!

Kyle

Two In One!

2012-03-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!
As my parents often remind me, I'm not updating the blog lately as much as I should be. Well, lots has been going on, so I think it's time to make a giant post for y'all!

To start off, it was my Birthday on March 20th, so thanks for all the well-wishes from a great many people.
I decided as a birthday gift to myself that I'd travel a little bit, and after some consideration the decision was London for 3 days, just to check out the city and get some cultural input from North-west Europe.

I had a great couple of days, met some really interesting people in the hostel I was staying at, and my only minor complaint about London is it's SOO EXPENSIVE! Especially after travelling places like Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, and even Austria. The cost of living there is unbelievably high! Here are some pictures below!!

So that was amazing! I got back on the Friday afternoon, and my flatmates had confirmed that they were going to drive to Venice the next day and asked me if I wanted to join.

So I joined.
Some of the 600 pictures we took are below, just to give you a taste!

So that's some of what I've been up to! Life is pretty amazing, I have to say.

In terms of scholastic updates, I have three large assignments this year due around May 1st. I'm almost done one of them, and am proud to say I'm not falling behind this semester!

Also, April hosts a 20-day Easter Vacation here, which gives me lots of time to get some serious work done.

In other news, my parents are coming in almost exactly one month, which I am very excited about - The warm weather's already here, so I don't know what they're waiting for! haha.

Something I thought was interesting here is the Daylight Savings switch is on March 25th in Europe. In Canada it's two weeks earlier.... Weird!

Anyways, if you have any comments, concerns, suggestions, the usual, be sure to send them my way!!!
Enjoy the weather as it warms up and remember to stay in School!

Love, Kyle.

Video Update - in the sun!

2012-02-29T11:48:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a while since my last post, sorry guys! Hope you enjoy!

Pictures!

Yeah, I had to edit that one... too much fun not to.

So there's just a VERY VERY small snippet. All of the scenery pictures were in a train from Salzburg to Graz, it was gorgeous that day!

Thanks for checking this out guys, and again: comments, prayer requests, anything - don't hesitate to let me know!

Kyle.

Video update; and a Guitar!?

2012-01-20T06:49:00.001-08:00

Warning: It's Eleven minutes long, and there's really not much actual information. Enjoy!

Spain Part II

2012-01-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!

For those wondering, I'm back home in Graz, after my unbelievable Christmas trip to Spain. But if you didn't know, here's a ten second update about what's going on:

-December 18th, I took a plane from Vienna, Austria to Barcelona, Spain. Was picked up at the airport (by Gemma) and spent two days in Barcelona. When you go, spend more time! And actually enter the Sagrada Familia, it's the only thing I regret not doing.
-December 20th, From there, I took a 9 hour bus ride to Madrid, and spent 3 nights with Alvaro and one night with Maria, checking out the Spanish capital, going to a Professional Football match, the Prado gallery, and so much more. Like Barcelona, I didn't see everything on "the list" (not my list, but the classic tourist list) and there is still so much to explore in Madrid. But, I saw much more than I anticipated!
-December 24th, Then it was time to take the train South to the region of Cadiz, and see Laura. I posted my last blog entry on Christmas day, the evening after I arrived in Cadiz. And here we are.

December 26: I went (with Laura and her family) to a very nice seafood restaurant for lunch. When asked if I liked fish (I responded yes, of course!) Laura's mother took my menu and ordered for me. And it was delicious! The fish were caught that day, and you can tell!
From there, her family took me to a village along the coastline, where her father was raised (or close to). I have some amazing pictures of the coastline from there, it's really beautiful.
They also took me nearby to see an anchor graveyard. If you're curious what that is, just think literally. It's a bunch of rusted old anchors, but it's really neat. There's a picture below!
We then went to another little village on the coast and saw the sunset as we walked through what seemed like a ghost town. It was more of a summer tourist spot, and so it wasn't busy at all. Then we went for coffee, and then to her Uncle's place to visit the family (it is Christmas, after all). Laura's family warned me that her uncle was "crazy" (they use the term endearingly, don't worry), which is funny because when I met him he reminded me a lot of someone from back home. Mr Carson, if you're reading this, I want you to know I don't think you're crazy. Although the people in Cadiz might think so.

December 27th: I woke up early and went into the city of Cadiz with Laura, her mother and her sister. In Spain, it is common that there is a region (much like a province) that is named after the major city in the region. For example, San Fernando (where I stayed with Laura) is in the region of Cadiz. However, there is an actual city of Cadiz as well. Much like how Quebec is both a province, and the capital city of the province (Quebec City). We went into the city and Laura's mother and sister went shopping, and we got to check out the city. It's beautiful (of course) but for me the real beauty was in the beaches and boardwalk.
Near the end of our day in Cadiz, I had the privilege of taking a "Siesta" on the beach, as the sun was setting. That evening, when we returned to San Fernando, I went out for dinner and drinks with Laura and her friends, who were very nice. Everyone in Spain is very friendly, and the food is great!
Unfortunately, after we were home, Laura and her sister started feeling sick. Not long after that, I was sick too. The three of us spent the evening and the subsequent day throwing up, and sleeping. It was just a 24-hour flu (for me) and when I left to go to Huelva I was feeling better. Although I had to be careful with what I was eating for another 24 hours.

Pics from Cadiz!

Laura's Family!

Originally I had anticipated on going to Malaga for two days (the 27th to the 29th) before Huelva. However, my friend in Malaga (Miguel) wasn't arriving until very late on the 27th, and I still wasn't feeling good on the 28th, so I just played it safe and went to Huelva when I had expected to.

December 29th: I said goodbye to Laura's family (they truly are a fantastic family), and took the train to Huelva to spend a couple of days with Manuel before Seville. However, the plans were changed, as my friend in Seville (Ana) wasn't arriving until the 3rd of January, and instead invited me to Portugal for a couple days. It sounded like an amazing idea, but it would have cost something like 110 EURO just for travel, and Manuel's family was asking me to stay for New Year's in Huelva. So I decided to be frugal, and instead stayed in Huelva for more time than anticipated. (To be clear, my flight to Barcelona from Vienna was 70 EURO, including tax)

December 30: Manuel and his brother Jesus (pronounced Hey-Zeus) took me to see El Almendro, their village (which didn't take long, it has 800 inhabitants). Within the village they have a Jamon factory (Jamon is Ham), and Manuel's uncle, an employee, took me on a tour of the plant. He spoke a surprisingly high amount of English, and it was very interesting!
We had lunch, and then we drove to Antilla, a "summer city", with lots of flats and houses on the beach. However, as it was December, it was completely deserted. Much like how older couples find it popular in Canada to have a home in Florida as well (Snowbirds) many Spanish have a house in a village, and a "summer home/flat" in a city like Antilla. Manuel's family is no different. Like in Cadiz, I got to Siesta on the beach.
That night Manuel's friend had a birthday party, and so we went and I was amazed. In Spain, you host your own party. You buy the food, you're the chef, the host. In Canada, there is an "It's my Birthday, my special day" mentality (as I write this, it's 85 days until your birthday Rachele). In Spain however, you do all the work.

December 31st: New Years in Spain! The tradition is, as you watch the countdown on TV, you each have 12 grapes, and eat them at Midnight. It's such a tradition, on the screen they show 12 grapes and slowly knock them off the screen to celebrate the New Year. Here they show Madrid's city center at New Years, much like how we get New York's New Years Celebration broadcast to us. It was a very festive occasion. Then the Spanish go out and celebrate until all hours of the night. I have never been at a party for so long in my life. To substantiate my point; when they are finished partying they go out for brunch. It's crazy.
January 1st: sleep.
January 2nd: Although I knew it was financially responsible of me to stay in El Almendro, Portugal was very close and it seemed a shame not to at least check it out (something like 30km away). Manuel and I went over the border to a small village just a few minutes from his own, and although it isn't enough to say I've experienced Portugal, I can officially say I have been there. We stopped for a beer in a cafe there and I am happy to say that Portuguese beer is delicious. And very, very cheap. 75 cents for a beer at a bar/cafe.
After the small village we went back to El Almendro, had something to eat, and then went to see Alvaro, another Spanish guy on exchange in Graz. He lives in a village right beside Manuel, and I spent the afternoon/evening with them. We went to Puebla; Alvaro's village, and then up to a festival spot, on the top of a hill.

Pictures of Huelva:

Manuel and his brother Jesus

Alvaro and Manuel

January 3rd: I said goodbye to Manuel's family, and again, they are wonderful people who I really really enjoyed staying with. I was able to convince Manuel to come with me to Seville, and so he and I drove to spend my last night there. We were meeting with Dani, Juanma, and Maria (the girl who I stayed with in Madrid). Originally I had planned on staying with Ana, the Portuguese girl from earlier, but she wasn't making it in that day. So we spent the afternoon in Sevilla checking out the city, I went to Starbucks as a top priority (there's no Starbucks in Graz...). Unfortunately, Kyle is not a very common name in Spanish, and so my coffee was never made. However, I stole the indentical coffee of a guy named "Kae". I hope he doesn't mind. Maybe he stole my coffee... we'll never know.
As my flight was at 9am, I had to be at the airport for 7am, it didn't make sense to sleep until 5am, and grab a city bus to the airport. Especially when you remember that Spanish dinner is often at 10 or 11pm. So instead I stayed up with my Spanish friends and saw them off in the morning.

Pictures from Sevilla:

Next time Miguel!

Manuel and Dani

Left to Right: Me, Maria, Juanma, Dani

Maria, Manuel, Juanma, Dani

Too awesome not to get a picture

January 4th: Sad to see Spain go, but happy to go home for a rest. I spent the day travelling - first a flight to Barcelona, and then my transfer to Vienna an hour later. I had to take a bus to the train station, and took a train to Graz. Total travel time? First flight at 9:10am, arrived in Graz at 6:30pm (roughly).
Total time: 9:20. Worth it.
Total cost: Still uncertain. However I can promise you it's much cheaper than a return ticket to Canada for a couple of weeks.

I have to say I missed my family this Christmas. I didn't expect to get any gifts this year as it is so expensive to mail them, but I feel it appropriate to share with you my favourite gift this year:

Check the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLF91ISBxvo

Someone asked me, now that I have returned from Spain, if I had to do it again, would I have rather gone home for Christmas?
I laughed at them. A lot.
Spain during the day spiked over 20 degrees Celsius. The food is incredible. The beach. The sun. I saw the most amazing things, and it was a trip of a lifetime not wasted.

But the thing that made the biggest impact on me? The way you are treated in Spain. I walk into a home, and from the first time you meet the family, you are told; "This is your house". And not in a "Make yourself comfortable" kind of way. This is a serious statement, and it is not taken lightly. I was a part of so many beautiful families in the weeks I was traveling. Between struggling to speak Spanish, them struggling to speak English (it is actually quite comical sometimes, we usually resorted to hand gestures or translation from my friends) I really felt a warmth from families I barely knew. It means more to me than they know, and it's such a hard thing to express. But I want to, once again, thank the amazing people who made my life so enjoyable for the weeks in Spain. I was treated better than royalty, because you treated me like family.

For the Spanish people that I stayed with, who are very proud of their hometowns and villages, I created an awards ceremony for the places that I traveled to with various categories. For those who are thinking about traveling to Spain, maybe you'll use this very "objective" information to help you in your trip!

AWARDS FOR SPANISH CITIES VISITED

Category: Warmest Weather
Winner: Huelva

Category: Best Tapas
Winner: Madrid
Honorable Mention: Everywhere else

Category: Most individual city
Winner: Barcelona

Category: Most to do and see
Winner: Madrid

Category: Best Beaches
Winner: Tie: Cadiz and Huelva

Category: Least Relaxing time
Winner: Barcelona

Category: Most Relaxing time
Winner: Cadiz

Category: Nicest People
Winner: Andulucia (includes Huelva, Cadiz, and Sevilla)

Category: Best Airport
Winner: Barcelona

Category: Best Fish
Winner: Cadiz

Category: Most Expensive City
Winner: Barcelona

Category: Least Expensive City
Winner: Huelva

Category: Best Football Game
Winner: Madrid

Category: Only Football Game
Winner: Madrid

Category: Best Jamon Serrano
Winner: Huelva

Category: Most Beautiful city
Winner: Barcelona

Category: Most Beautiful Girls
Winner: Spain

Category: The one city I would return to?
Winner: Tie: Sevilla and Barcelona. Both I only realistically saw for a few hours. Not enough.

Category: The one city I want to visit?
Winner: Malaga. I really wish I had have!

I hope you have enjoyed this blog! I have enjoyed writing it, it brings back a lot of great moments just writing about them. Questions, comments, all that good stuff - Post it!

If you're not from Spain (they're biased), maybe post a comment about where YOU would want to go the most from what you've read in my blog!

Thanks for the prayers of traveling mercies over Christmas, Lord knows I'm blessed to have you all in my life. God Bless.

Kyle

Christmas in Spain Part I

2011-12-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

So here I am. Christmas Day, in the South of Spain. I just came back from the beach and watched one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life on the rooftop. Now's a good time to update.

My journey started December 18th, when I headed by train to Vienna, at 8:20am, and then to the Vienna Airport. I arrived in Vienna at 11:40'ish, and my flight to Barcelona was at 2:40. I arrived in the evening, with a girl who is studying in Graz with me waiting.

We stayed with a friend of hers who lives in Barcelona, and spent the next two days sightseeing like crazy (don't make the same mistake as me - spend more than two days in Barcelona; you'll need it). Gemma (who I was in Barcelona with) introduced me to a very Spanish way of eating - and one of the greatest things I've never heard of. It's called Tapas.

Tapas. The greatest culinary invention in the world. It's essentially a series of small plates of food that you share with your lunch/dinner associates. The tapas I had in Barcelona was Octopus over potato, Calamari rings (like onion rings, except with squid inside) Mussels in Marinade, and a small sampler dish with some fish and olives, with a nice bottle of white. This is also at a restaurant in La Barceloneta, on the sea. Below are some pictures from Barcelona!!

From Barcelona, I took a 9 hour bus ride to Madrid, which had a stop in Zaragoza on the way. In Madrid, I was picked up by two friends, and after doing a quick car tour of downtown in the car, I headed to Alvaro's place and met his family. His father lived in California, and everyone in the family speaks perfect English, which was great for me! I spent three days with Alvaro, sightseeing the city, experiencing the Spanish nightlife, going to the Prado (one of the great Spanish Art Museums), and of course, tapas. In Madrid, they do Tapas a little differently. Whenever you buy a beer in a tapas restaurant, they give you a free plate of something. There were four of us who went out for tapas, and so when we bought four beers (one for each) we were given two very large plates of tapas. In Madrid, I tried a Bruschetta-like plate, potato wedges, jamon serrano (spanish ham) and cheese, and some other smaller plates. Well, I spent an amazing three days with Alvaro, and then went to another friend's place for my last evening in Madrid. Maria and I met up with her friends and had an amazing traditional Spanish dinner at one of the homes; Spanish people are amazingly generous. When they say "This is your house" (and that's literally how they say it) they mean it. It's a very warm atmosphere. Some pictures from Madrid are below!

Well, after Madrid, I headed on the train to the South for some warmth, in San Fernando, Cadiz. That was last night, Christmas eve. It was amazing, seeing streets literally blocked off from all the Spanish people out on the street. I had one of the best dinners of my life last night, I physically couldn't eat a single bite more. The house was pretty crowded as extended family poured in, but it was amazing. This afternoon I woke up late and went to the grandmothers' for a Christmas lunch. Again, it was a five course meal, with more food than should be legal. It was fantastic!

This afternoon I skyped with my family, went to the beach, and afterwards watched the sunset on the rooftop of Lily's building. So here I am. It's 7:30pm one week since I left, and I'm having the greatest adventure! Some pictures of today below!

Stay tuned! I'm still going to Malaga, Huelva, Seville, and as a bit of a detour, I think I may spend some time in Portugal! I still have soo much to do and see, and it's amazing here. I am so happy!

As always, thanks for reading, and remember to comment!! Feliz Navidad!!

Kyle.

Christmas Spirit in Graz!

2011-12-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

As the Holiday Season approaches, Graz becomes a spectacle of lights, music, food, and is a really good time all around.

This afternoon I went into the city with my camera to try to capture some of the Christmas spirit!

This "Platz" (Plaza) is actually fairly discreet; fifty metres away is the main centre plaza.

Yes, that IS a rolled out red carpet. This is a side street in between Hauptplatz and Jakominiplatz; the two major plazas in Graz.

Sunset as you walk up the steep hill to the Clock tower of Graz, possibly the most notable landmark of the city.

The Clock Tower at sunset.

Inside of a ruin converted into an ampitheatre, vendors set up shops selling hot wine, a variety of trinkets, syrups and pastries. It smells like Heaven in there.

Hauptplatz - the annual "Steroid-induced" Christmas tree. Behind it, Congress.

So. many. lights...

He didn't speak English, yet his sign was scripted in such. Maybe English-speaking people are more likely to show some love?

Over the last week, I've had a great time arranging and scoring my version of Black Orpheus. I have to say I love this picture, and have been bragging about my copyist skills for a few days now. That is all done in ink, and although you can find two mistakes in the twenty pages, which I'm really happy about.

As always, any questions, concerns, comments, etc - put them in the comment box below!

Thanks for reading!!

Kyle.

Video Update #3!

2011-12-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

Now that School's in full swing (pardon the pun) finding a quiet afternoon to myself is difficult, and often reserved for Sundays. As this is the laziest day I have ever experienced, I figured I'd play the most relaxing song I learned recently. Song and Update below!

My face looks foolish. Oh well...

Have a great day everyone, if you have any questions, comments, etc, you know the drill! :)

Kyle.

A little taste of International Travel

2011-11-29T04:24:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!

This is kindof a weird post - it's written in three different parts. The weird thing is: What you are currently reading is the second part. I'm having quite the adventure this foggy Tuesday afternoon, and to think I'll have had McDonalds in three countries before 3pm is quite the accomplishment. I'm in the Ljubljana train station, about to head to Zagreb, Croatia for the next leg of my journey.

Underneath is the first part of this post - I wrote it a couple hours ago, and figured I might as well get a start on this post now as I haven't posted recently!

So, today has thus far been very eventful. I’m currently sitting in a café in Ljubljana, Slovenia, having one of the best (if not the best) espressos of my life.

So where to begin? I woke up today with the intention of going to Zagreb, Croatia, to get a stamp on my passport. Why? Because if I have a stamp from a country outside of the EU, I get another 3 months to complete my Residence Visa in Austria, which expires in 2 days.

So: Why didn’t I complete my Residence Visa before? Well, I thought I had. I was given, however, a conditional residence visa; meaning I still had to complete one part of it - I needed 5500 EURO in an Austrian Bank Account.

So what do you need for an Austrian Year-long Student Residence Visa? (Yeah, I have to be that specific):
1. Meldezettel, registration of yourself in Austria as a foreigner.
2. Proof of Health Insurance
3. An Austrian Bank Account with 5500 EURO
4. A Studienplan (study plan) of your year-long studies, as well as proof of enrolment.
5. A passport photo for the application.
And to complete the application, you need to have the following information:
-Where you’re living in Austria
- Passport information
- Social Insurance Number.
So yeah, there’s a lot to do there. Well, I got a call over the weekend saying I will be unable to process a residence visa if I don’t do it in the next 3 days. I went to the residence visa office, and the advisor said Canadian residents have a certain advantage for extending the residence visa application process. And here I am! The waitress is giving me a weird look, being like “How long does it take to drink a shot of espresso?” haha. She can wait – it’s not all that busy today.
Ljubljana is way smaller than I thought it would be. Not in a bad way; but the streets are very quiet, which is kind of nice.
So why am I in Ljubljana? It’s actually not on the way to Zagreb, Croatia, which is where I’m headed.
The trip was supposed to be: Graz – Maribor – Zandani Most – Zagreb.
For reasons which make me shake my head, I missed Zandani Most. Needless to say, “Runs like an Austrian Train Schedule” is appropriately never used as a saying…
So here I am! 2:45pm until the train to Zagreb (for 14 EURO) which is perfect, actually. My train back home tonight is at 9:30pm, so I have lots of time still, and this way I get to experience a little of Slovenia.
Check out the pictures from Ljubljana, and see if you can tell a difference between Slovenia and Croatia from the pictures. I’m excited to sightsee two new countries today! People here are very nice, too. Kyle out!

(Of that quick note, I started 6 paragraphs with So)

Pictures below are from Ljubljana!

The Slovenian Embassy. The information desk isn't open on Tuesdays.

The setting up for the city center's big Christmas tree. As far as European cities go - Ljubljana is late getting this thing up!

You want to try on the clothes you find at the outdoor market? Just go to one of these Kabinas.

Want to know a fun photography trick? If your camera lens goes from cold to hot fast enough, there is condensation on the lens. It's the perfect way to soften pictures. This was taken three minutes after I sat down in the cafe. Unphotoshopped. Good espresso.

The way they built around the Castle on the Hill is amazing. This is the lift "station" on the hill, completely built around the Castle.

First priority for my Castle, too.

This particular piece of art (Good and Evil) is a famous display sculpture in Ljubljana, and is a point of pride amongst the people here.

Doesn't this book look old and sophisticated? Check below to see what's inside.

It's just a free comment space and "Guest Sign In" journal.

The main Galleria in the castle. All done by the same artist, all about the same woman.

The secondary Galleria. Yeah, that's considered art, I guess.

"Pinky, Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Uh, I think so Brain, but where are all the hipsters with dreads?"

I have come to the conclusion that every major city in Central/Eastern Europe has a river, canal, seaway or something that breaks up the city into halves (the "old city" and the "new city"). Zagreb, Ljubljana, Graz, Budapest are just the cities I've seen recently and they all have that in common. Weird, huh?

That building HAS to be haunted.

Just in case you're not a fan of the Boeing 747.

Aaaannnddd:

This is the Part III: It’s currently 6:08am,and I’m we’re just taking off from Speilfeld on our way to Graz. And what an adventure it’s been.

Let’s go back to that 14:45 train from Ljubljana to Zagreb. I met a Croatian guy named Aidin, and had a good couple hour chat with him as we headed to Zagreb. He pointed out where to head when we got to Croatia, grabbed a cup of hot wine, and we said our goodbyes. The pictures underneath are from Zagreb; it’s an absolutely beautiful city. Have you ever wondered where all those models on the covers of magazines come from? Now you know. Walking down the city streets it looks more like a runway. They were already set up for Christmas in the city center, which was lovely.

The city center. All of Zagreb (at least what I saw) is repping the orange sulfur lamps, which gives it a really warm look, even at night.

Swarovski and the Eaton's Center does it better...

On a scale from "1" - "So romantic you want to gouge out your eyes" this rates about an 8.3.

The famous Zagreb hotel. What it's famous for, I have no idea.

Yeah. That's how Croatians roll.

As far as I could make out, it's an art gallery. or a museum. Or an art museum.

After my short tour of Zagreb, I hopped back on another train and headed to Maribor. I planned on doing Maribor - Spelfeld - Graz within 3 hours, and planned on being back home for 11pm, midnight at the latest.

When I got to Maribor, I was less than pleased to find the next train to Speilfeld left at 5:18am. It was 9:35pm at the time.

And so I did what any sensible Canadian citizen would do. I went to McD’s to steal Wi-Fi and grab some fatty grossness to console myself until my train.

Well, in classic European fashion, the McDonald’s closed at 11:00pm, which left me sitting in the middle of a freezing cold train station with a phone that doesn’t work (because I’m still in Slovenia), a computer with 13% battery (in case of emergency), and a big smile on my face. One of the station janitors opened up a room for me and turned on the heat in there, with a power plug for my computer and a coffee machine, which was like heaven for me!
Well, it wasn’t long before the other stragglers who were left in the station for an overnighter came too, and it was a party. The weird old guy beside me snored for 4 hours, mumbling something about my computer every 25 minutes or so in German. I didn’t care. I killed a few hours sleeping, a few hours fooling around on my computer, and the whole time letting the coffee do its handiwork.

Well, I got on the train headed to Speilfeld at 5:18am, and now it’s 6:19am and I’m probably a half-hour from Graz. Do I sleep? Absolutely not. I’ll shower and be at the Residence Visa office for 8am, get that sorted out, and then my performance lesson with Olaf, which I’m dreading. Between being sick, the stress from the last few days and this trip, I have barely practiced this week… I hope he understands!

So: to conclude. It’s been almost exactly 24 hours since I got on my first train of this trip. I am tired, I smell like a mixture of a McDonalds deep fryer and cappuccino, and I came out of it all having knocked two beautiful European capital cities off my “To See” list, came out with four stamps (two for Slovenia, two for Croatia) met a bunch of new people, tried (and loved) traditional European hot wine, and in total done more in the past 24 hours then most Austrians do in a week! Thanks for reading! Until next time :)

Everything but.. Part II

2011-11-14T04:55:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!

My father was asking if I could post something about what I've been working on lately. Luckily, I've been learning lots and practicing often. Unluckily, everything I'm practicing is boring and repetitive and would be terrible to listen to. I made a video which incorporates the things I've been learning lately and tried to tie it all together!

The post is 10 minutes long. The first 7 minutes is me playing, then a minute or two of explanation as to what I've been working on, and then the 30 second update at the end of it all! Sorry about the length!

Thanks to everyone who has been really supportive of this whole experience. I originally started this blog to help keep everyone updated back home without spending 10 hours a week on the phone or email or skype. This has been great, and it's great getting feedback. But I've found this is also a great way to journal my own experience - this is as much for me as it is for you guys!

If there's anything you want to see, hear, etc just let me know and I'll see what I can do!
Have a great day!

Kyle.

The Post 3 Weeks in the Making

2011-11-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

First off, I need to apologize for how late this post is. I promise this won't become a regular occurrence, I just got behind. So to everyone who was asking about it - I'm the worst friend/son/grandson/haircutter ever.

Speaking of haircuts, as you can see from my pictures below, I'm in desperate need for a cut. There's a Spanish girl here who cuts everyone's hair - I sent her a message for an appointment today! Haha.

So how am I? I'm great! The cold is beginning to set in, but it's still very nice out, and I really don't foresee myself wearing my winter coat for much of the year (my fall one will be more than enough!)

Classes are going; I have a one-on-one with my Arrangement prof on Thursday to look over something I wrote for a nine-piece band that is indicative of the instrumentation Miles Davis used for his album "Birth of the Cool"; what a task! If it's good enough it may get played by a live nine-piece band here; it's an arrangement of "How High The Moon" so please hope for the best! I know I am!

Here's a video of something else from last year - so you've probably heard me play it before! I recorded it today, just to have something for the blog! Hope you enjoy!

Pictures of what's going on over here! With Fall setting in, it was important to get SOME pictures of the changing and falling leaves, before it's too late!

Me in the midst of the fall foliage!

The giant changing tree protruding from the center of the "platz" (plaza).

The Murinsel (because it's on the Mur River, and Insel translates to Island) was built in 2006 after Graz was chosen for European Cultural Capital of the World. It features an ampitheatre, cafe, and it all lights up at night!

The trek up to the Castle on the Hill, Schlossberg.

At the Dom - a very popular Catholic church here in Graz, where many amazing performances and services take place weekly!

In a "forest square", hidden from view, this is one of the most amazing things I've seen since I have arrived in Graz. The trees, with sunlight and when yellow, have an incredible canopy that feels like you're in a yellow-light solarium. The picture truly doesn't do it justice!

Cristel and I, Hallowe'en eve. She is the classic Witch, and I am the "Well-Dressed Gentleman". The Spanish people that we met at a bar were shocked and appalled by our costumes - the Spanish take the "Walking-Dead" mentality to a whole new level!

As always, thanks for reading! Please post comments and such in the comment box below the post!

Kyle

Video Update #2!

2011-10-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

Number Two! It's 8 minutes long, sorry!

Thanks for watching!

Kyle

Budapest!

2011-10-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

On the weekend, I travelled up to Budapest, Hungary with 4 girls just to check out the city. Both days were beautiful, sunny days ranging from 8-12 celsius.

After talking to people about my blog, it became obvious that no one really checks out what I'm writing - they just scroll through the pictures. So instead of writing a lengthy message, I just posted more pictures!

We took 500 over the course of the two days, so this is only a small, small sample!

Our train left graz at 6:08 am, so this is on the way there. Please note frost on the ground...

The hostel we stayed at was only a couple hundred steps from the beautiful St Stephen's Cathedral.

On the top of Castle Hill; Matthias Church.

Hungarian Academy of Science Building

Rawr

The Fisherman's Bastion, served as an excellent defense location and lookout along the Danube river.

In Hungarian war lore, this bird (which is comprised of many different parts of many different birds) was supposed to have been the reason the Hungarians won a very major battle in their history.

The Parliament Buildings - taken from the Chain Bridge.

Me on the Chain Bridge at Sunset.

The Vajdahunyad Cathedral.

Gresham Palace

Heroes Square - soaking up some sun.

Cristel and I on the Chain Bridge at sunset.

Heroes Square

The interior side of the Vajdahunyad Castle

So that's just a very quick snippet of the trip in pictures! The hostel that we stayed at was very cheap, but it was on the 3rd floor of a building whose 1st floor was a club - so it was a tiring night for all of us!

Anyways, stay tuned - I think Vienna's on the menu for this weekend which will be a lot of fun!
If you have any questions, remember to post them in the comments box or send them to me!

Thanks!
Kyle

Update - Knee deep into School

2011-10-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Just thought I'd give you a VERY QUICK photo update of what I've been up to this week. Yes - actual pictures of me this time!

Sunset a couple of nights ago at 6:01pm

The same sunset half an hour later. Like I said, sunsets last here for an hour!

John and I, about to hit up the town last night! A club here hosts free salsa dancing every Tuesday night, where they bring an instructor in. He teaches until around 9:30 - 10pm, and then the bar is open as a "Latin Dance Party" every Tuesday until close (4-5am). Salsa dancing here is very popular; I can go to various Salsa nights up to 4 times a week around Graz!

Getting dinner ready last night - featuring strip marinated steaks in warm soft shell fajitas, with tomato, lettuce, 10 year old cheddar, hot salsa and baked bread! And in case you're wondering - altogether it cost under 3 euro per person, and it fed 4!

On Sunday Cristel and I went sightseeing on the first real Autumn day here; we are on top of the castle situated on the Graz mountain overlooking the city.

Me! Reppin' the Roots, so people know I am truly a Canadian!

The pathway up the mountain to the castle!

For you architecture nerds out there (cough Rachele) this is one of my favourites - a double helix stairwell. The craftsmanship to forge such a stairwell is unbelievable, and this is one of the really cool things in Graz you would never find unless you were looking for it! Someone posted a video of them walking it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMXMDwMcN6k - if you're interested!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, I hope it was a good one. I had the privelege of skyping my family on Sunday and got to see everyone at home; I even got to talk to my grandparents for a few moments, which was great! Truthfully, I didn't even know it was Thanksgiving weekend until they mentioned it. Time flies here!

My courses are going fantastic - they are ALL in English and I couldn't be happier! Because I was unsure about which arranging course to take, the prof (an American) decided I should take both - why not? It's a lot of work, but I'm up for the challenge!

Another course I didn't plan on taking that I'm currently enrolled in is Systematic Musicology, taught by an Australian professor here. Although the topic may seem rather dull, he is a fascinating teacher with an immense breadth of knowledge, and who is interested only in opening the minds of his students to the amazing areas of music study available; the course is quite exciting. As he also has background in the Sciences, he is constantly referring to the mathematical study of music through physics, which I find very interesting.

So yeah! This weekend it looks like I'll be travelling to Budapest - which I'm very excited about!

And tomorrow there is a party to officially kickstart the year and introduce the ESN (ERASMUS Student Network), which I think will be a lot of fun!

As always, thank you for reading - the positive feedback makes blogging a lot of fun!

Kyle

When Words are Few...

2011-10-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Instead of writing a big long message, here's a video!

Sorry about all the mumbling, and all the "um"'s. My public speaking clearly needs a little work!

I also have two new flatmates, two really nice guys from Slovakia!

Thanks for reading guys!

Sunday Update!

2011-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

This week has been amazing, and I just want to give a quick update on what's going on.

On Wednesday, I travelled with 18'ish students to Munich, Germany, to enjoy two days of sightseeing and enjoying the massively popular Oktoberfest! We left early in the morning, driving one 9-seater rental van and another 3 rental cars, passing through Salzburg on our way. The drive took roughly 4 1/2 hours, and nothing quite beats the scenery as you travel through the mountain ranges.

We arrived mid/late afternoon, and went to the nearest grocery store to purchase sliced bread, ham, and cheese to make sandwiches. it was our dinner, snack, breakfast, and lunch down there - very very cheap!

Then we headed into the Thereseinweise, which is where the main Oktoberfest event was being held. It was amazing! People with traditional Bavarian clothing, running around, laughing, chatting frivolously with whoever, drinking beer and eating all sorts of hearty German foods. it was like something out of a movie!

That night we slept in the vehicles, and the next morning we headed into the city center to visit some sights of Munich. In the early afternoon, we left back for Graz.

Altogether, it was very enjoyable, and the people were great! Some pictures are below :)

Welcome to Oktoberfest!

Yeah. This happens in the streets of Munich... just saying

The driver and the navigator of the 9-seater van! (Apparently, Canadian driving licenses work in Europe :))
After that turnaround, we were going to get lost for half an hour! but we were smiling because we didn't know that yet!

This was the beer tent that my friends and I went to. It was by far the biggest. and the busiest!

The crew! Exhausted, but somehow still smiling.

The famed "rolling hills of Salzburg". Absolutely beautiful

I just got back from a Catholic mass in a beautiful cathedral right in the city center. I didn't understand a single word of it, but the choir was amazing and the whole experience was very good!

Tomorrow is my first day in formal classes - I have jazz Arrangement at 11:30am, and my first formal performance lesson at 2pm.

Thanks as always for reading, and more to come!

Everything but..

2011-09-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

To put everyone's mind at ease, although I am enjoying Graz immensely and soaking up as much of the beautiful weather as I can (it was another 25 degree day today) I AM still practicing.

AS PROOF. I made a video; it's low quality, but better than nothing, proving to the world my hands still work!

Sorry about the speed! Couldn't help myself.

For those who are curious, I am taking it easy enough that hopefully I don't get more wrist problems this year; I haven't got them yet!
Also, both my left hand pinky (the one that I mangled two years ago) and my left hand thumb (which had 8 stitches about two months ago) are both in great shape, and haven't proven to be a hindrance yet!

This Wednesday I plan to travel to Munich for a couple days to experience Oktoberfest in all of it's glory! Apparently it is one of the unrecorded Wonders of the World (according to a few Germans I have recently met) and I'm looking forward to it immensely!

Thanks all for reading! The responses and feedback are always welcome!

Kyle.

Summer's Coming to an End!

2011-09-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Although we've had amazing weather here in Graz, as soon as tomorrow the temperature will be dropping to a disappointing 10 degrees. But I really can't complain - it's been perfect weather since my arrival at the beginning of September!

Today I woke up late, had lunch with a friend, and then headed out to the city center, where there is a GIANT festival taking place right now. They block off the area around the two biggest plazas here and the connecting streets. Everyone comes out in their traditional Austrian attire - men with the lederhosen and tracht, and women with their drindl. Street vendors are every 30 ft on either side of the street, selling beer, wine, apfelstrudel (apple strudel), frankfurter, bratwurst, and roasted nuts, along with hundreds of other items; even accordions!

It was great to walk through the streets; they have stages set up for such things as big brass bands, and my favourite; they had traditional Austrian dancing.

Now, you need to understand; Austrians know how to dance. There was one point in one of the dances where two men link arms, and women link to them on the outside. The men then spin as fast as they can, and lift the women off their feet; all four of them are spinning in a giant helicopter motion together. It looks like it requires a LOT of co-ordination... a lot more than I possess.

As for me; My German language course is going very well; I'm learning right from scratch, but I love the language - it uses a completely different part of your voice; sounds I never knew I could make!

I've met soo many people since I've been here. Everyone is very friendly and it's been great to experience all sorts of different cultures through them! Cooking still remains the biggest cultural indicator - people here love cooking for each other, to say "My country has the best traditional food!" Also; soccer gets taken very seriously here (unsurprisingly). People will actually go days without speaking to each other based on the outcome of 'football' matches.

Had I known that thousands were coming to Graz's city streets today I would've brought a camera, but no such luck! All I can say is it felt like I was sent back a couple hundred years to a much younger Graz - except people still wear Converse with their traditional Austrian attire!

Thanks for reading- and if you ever have any questions, just post them in the comment box below! John (the Canadian pianist that I came from Carleton with) is cooking dinner tonight, so I have to go!

-Kyle

Up On The Mountain

2011-09-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

Today was a fun day - I went with 10 or so students on a mountain hike in the famed hills of Austria!

We had to take the train a half an hour north to a city called Mixnitz; a nice little village in the hills. From there it was just over an hour to the foot of the mountain to climb; it was over 2500ft tall, and was an amazing climb!

Below are a few pictures of the excursion today - for all of them, you have to check out www.photobucket.com/kylezavitz1

The city Mixnitz - small town feel; very beautiful!

The hikers! Hot and sweaty the whole way.

Amazing eh? They hollow out logs, and connect a pipe system to a water spring in the hills, which comes up and fills the hollowed out log. No pump - all renewable water pressure! It was cold, clean and fresh water, too!

The standard climbing trail - it took roughly 3 hours from the train station in Mixnitz to the top!

At the top! A celebratory strudel was in order for all of us!

I tried to call my father to wish him a happy birthday up there, but no cell service that high up!

After getting back and showering, I went to an organ concert at the Dom; a large, beautiful catholic church just 15 minutes from my residence. Tonight was a Franz Liszt concert - AMAZING. Austrians know how to spend a Sunday!

So that was my day! Again, check out the rest of the pictures at www.photobucket.com/kylezavitz1

Thanks for reading!

Settling In

2011-09-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

After a crazy week of running around and getting the paperwork done, I can almost officially say I am settled!

When I came to Austria, I was not aware of the "work culture" here. Where in Canada, 40 hours a week is a minimum for a full-time position, here working 20 hours a week is common. Most businesses are open at 8-9am and stay open until 12-2pm. That's it. Banks are open until 4pm (Thank Goodness!) but most of the city closes shop at 12pm or 2pm. Very frustrating when you have a dozen things to do and only have time for one or two stops a day!

But I do understand why people do that. At around 3pm, the cafes are packed with people enjoying a coffee, a beer or an icecream, chatting with newcomers or family members. The streets are often alive with music, and people genuinely enjoy their day to day activities (as it seems less is mandatory here!)

Something I do want to update you all on is the University facilities available here. For practicing piano, they have (as I was told by a German piano tuner two days ago) 280 pianos available to the students of the Kunstuniversitat Graz. Here is a picture of the average practice piano available to myself:

Photo credit goes to John Dapaah; the other Carleton Pianist here this year! (Hope you don't mind that I stole this pic John!)

Yup, that's it. Bosendorfer grand. I've been in three different practice rooms thus far, all three of them have hosted Bosendorfers. It's amazing! The tuner told me about much better pianos than these (believe it or not) in various practice facilities in Graz as well; I hope I get to try some of them out!

Fun story, last night I went to an event hosted by Erasmus, which is the student travel union responsible for most of the exchanges in Europe; hosted by the European Union. It was at a local pub, whose feature of the night (little beknownst to myself) was a small jazz ensemble playing American Standards.

Of course, as my new found friends here know that I am studying jazz piano, they were keen to hear me play, and insisted that I jam with the band. The band was happy to oblige, and I got to play with my first Austrian jazz band. As far as I know, they didn't know a single word in English, but that didn't stop them from playing splendidly. I had a smile on my face all last night! I woke up with it too. What a place.

Well, that's what's been going on lately. I have lots to tell you all about the intricacies of Austrian life, and look forward to keeping in touch throughout the year!

Thanks again for reading! And John, thanks for the picture - although you still don't know I borrowed it! haha

-Kyle

The City! Part 1

2011-09-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

SO:

As of today I have taken some 400 pictures. I kept 80 or so of them, just to give you a feel for what Graz is like!

There is a 25 minute walk from my residence to my campus. Every picture taken is on the route from point A to point B. This is a very small part of Graz, so don't think that I have shown you everything the city has to offer. On the contrary - I haven't even hit the famous landmarks yet!

The pictures (83 of them) are found at www.photobucket.com/kylezavitz, but here are four or five, just so I have SOME pictures for my blog!

The rest of them, as I said above, are found at www.photobucket.com/kylezavitz . Check it out!

As always, thanks for reading!

The Food: Part I

2011-09-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

So, I DO want to talk about what the food is like here. And to start off, I want to play a game.
It's called Higher or Lower, and it's based on the "The Price Is Right" game where you are presented with an item, and a price, and given the option "Higher or Lower": is the price higher or lower than the value of the product.

The first item is a bottle of Austrian wine - the bottle I had for dinner.

Storch 2010 Österreich: €4,00 (approx $5.60)
...
Higher or lower?
...
Lower. This bottle of local wine cost me €2,50 (approx $3.50)
The exchange rate is approximately €1,00 = CAD$1.40, so I won't keep translating the prices.
Unbelievable.

Next up: one Spanish Onion from a local market open only one day a week (Saturday); the market is a one minute walk from my residence.

Spanish Onion: €0,50...
Higher or lower?
...
Lower. A spanish onion here costs €0,10, or $0.14! (okay, I said I wouldn't keep on translating, but that's RIDICULOUS!)
I also bought a large red bell pepper for €0,10. I felt bad giving the lady only €0,20 for both, but she was thrilled that I spoke "Nein Deutsch" and still purchased her produce.
Lastly, a tall-can of the Premium Austrian Beer, Gösser. €1,00.
...
Higher or lower?
...
Lower. The premium beer of Austria costs €0,90 for 0,5L ($1.26 for half a litre). With the standard beer size (330mL) that equates to $0.83 for a bottle of the premier beer of Austria. Some beers are €0,35 for 0,5L ($0.23 per bottle). It's unbelievable.
If you caught on - alcohol and produce are much cheaper here in Austria. It is cheaper to buy beer than bottled water here, and everyone that I live with seems to be under the impression of, "If it's cheaper, it's better!"
For dinner tonight, I made "Canadian Italian Spaghetti". Essentially, the spaghetti that my mother makes. I mentioned the onion and red bell pepper; they were ingredients.

My recipe was:

820g Tomato sauce; "Basilico", which means Basil is infused. €2,00
1/2 Spanish onion (onion cost €0,10)
1/2 red bell pepper (red bell pepper cost €0,10)
480g ground beef (€2,80)
1/3 box spaghetti noodle (€0,99)
1/3 loaf of fresh baked Austrian bread (€1,20)
1 Bottle Storch Austrian Wine (€2,50)
Total cost of the dinner (including the cost of leftovers): €9.69.

Although that may sound like an average (if not above average) cost for a dinner at a restaurant, just remember: This fed 4 of us. See below!

Four plates of food and a glass of wine for approx €2.50/ person!

Left to right: John, the other Canadian pianist who is in Graz; he's studying classical.

Guillame, my french floormate, who is currently getting his Master's in Business Administration.

Miguel, one of the many Spaniards here; I still have no idea what he's studying. His major is probably

"Living Life" with a minor in "Saying things I don't understand." Very funny.

A picture of my meal. Looks pretty good, right?

We have agreed that it is better to each cook a big meal twice a week than it is to each scavenge for food every night by ourselves. The guys had nothing but good things to say about my dinner, although Miguel and Guillame thought I could do better with the wine!

In short: Depending on what you are eating, you can find amazing European food for a very low price. Instead of trying to find Canadian equivalences, by exploring native Austrian food, you are able to save a small fortune! Austrian meats and cheeses are very reasonable here; less than half the price of commercial meat and cheese from Canada! I'll post a picture of my specialty soon - Breakfast and lunch is comprised of a baguette slice with salame slices and a native Austrian cheese; dipped in a Ricotta tomato sauce (I think I mentioned it in an earlier blog). It is VERY cheap (somewhere between €0,25-€0,30 to make) and two or three of them are filling. It's a great deal and it tastes great!

Well, like always, thanks for reading! Tomorrow I'll take upwards of 300 pictures of the city and its architecture; Rachele, you will die!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Kyle

PS sorry about the design editing - It's late, okay!

2011-09-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

Although some of you have been dying to see pictures of the city (and trust me, the city is amazing)

I'll hold off for now; so I can selfishly enjoy it all by myself for just a little while longer!

I went out tonight at a mixer party that all the students held outside of the residence, just to get to know each other and meet the new faces. And trust me, there are a LOT of people I met tonight. Only one American, and one Californian/Italian. The rest are legitimately European or Asian. It's insane.

It's 2:28am in Graz right now, and I think my Serbian floormate JUST got back - the guy parties like a rockstar.

Some pictures of my residence are to follow, just to give an idea how I'm living:

My bed - came with a duvet, duvet cover, two sheets, a pillow, pillow cover, and a warm fuzzy blanket for the cold months.

Free TV playing only Austrian television? Absolutely. Rocking chair and rolling LAZ-BOY study chair? The very best.

You wouldn't know it, but beside my light switch is a switch for the motorized blinds. Up and Down. Like, I clearly can't deal with raising the blinds myself, so I have a motor to do it for me.

It's awesome. Trust me, I'm not complaining.

My closet. I'm using one half of the space. And I have cubbies under my bed for more stuff. They're currently empty.

Every picture from here on out is not of my room, but of the greater residence suite shared by all students.

That door leads to our walk-out - a great view of the Alps - a two hour rainbow today over the mountains as the mountain fog slowly slides down into the valley. Amazing.

The suite is equipped with a Refridgerator, Stove, Oven, Washing Machine, Microwave. It also comes with a kettle, toaster, and coffee-maker.

This door leads to the "off-suite" amenities. Bathrooms, Showers, and pantry. Three separate rooms.

Bathrooms. We get two. I know, right?

Pantries. Each space is more than big enough for everyone, and there is a certain culture of "Grocery shop every day for what you need." You never buy tomorrow's groceries today unless you're really thinking ahead. It's kindof fantastic.

Showers. Also two. One of them is off-limits, or so it says. But I felt like a rebel and used it today; no problem!

Showers come with two sinks and a crazy towel rack.

So that is my residence! So far only a Frenchman and a Serbian have moved in, and they're both great guys, I went out with them and the greater residence community - from 8pm to 1:30, checking out the city. Most Europeans don't eat dinner until 10pm or later, so it was very interesting.

Today my Canadian friend had me over for dinner - It was a mix of Ground Beef and Tuna with Tomato sauce and onions on rice. It was very good. Tomorrow I'm cooking a "Canadian Spaghetti" dinner.

Tonight I made for my roommates a light snack I bought in a cafe here in Austria - a slice of thick breadloaf with cheese and meat covered in olive oil. I have to say, mine was even better!

Guillame (My french roommate) made a sausage pasta dinner - sausage on thick spaghetti noodles covered in a Ricotta tomato sauce. It was excellent!

Alright, I'm off for tonight, tomorrow I'll tell you all the story about going out tonight (maybe) and the journey of my first meal at a restaurant as well as my amazing discovery of my current Austrian cell-phone!

Thanks for reading!

Getting There

2011-09-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! This is my first post to my "Travel" blog of Austria. This is all about the tour over here - and man, what a trek.

My first flight was from Toronto YYZ to Brussels, Belgium BRU at 6:10pm. The guy I was sitting beside hated having to look out the window, so for most of the flight all I saw was the back of some lady's chair, listening to music. They have CDs available to listen to on the in-flight menu. I thank Michael Bolton, Bryan Adams, Norah Jones and Billy Joel for keeping me sane! haha.

We arrived in Brussels at 7:30am their time. Although I so far hadn't taken a picture, I made the guy lift the window shade to grab this picture.

After 6 hours of dark, it was beautiful, just as we were flying over Ireland.

Well we landed, and my Telus phone essentially said, "Welcome to Not Canada! I'll be hibernating for 10 months now! kthxbye."

I grabbed a Starbucks Grande Noir and waited the appropriate 4 hours till the next flight. I met an American couple travelling for no good reason to Europe other than they were bored and sick of Manhattan's constant bustling streets. Good enough reason for me!

Well, the gate changed for my flight from Brussels to Vienna, Austria TWICE in half an hour. frustrating. But I boarded for my 11:10 flight.

This flight was a LOT more manageable, only an hour and a half in the air. The airline food was an Austrian spread on bread and chocolate mousse. I confusedly almost spread the mousse on the bread, and the Viennese lady beside me took pity and helped me out. Then she proceeded to talk with me for the remainder of the flight about Austrian history, culture, geography, etc. Her husband and her were flying back from a vacation in Toronto, so they took both flights the same as mine. She gave me her information and said once I got settled, they'd take me into Vienna and spend the day, make me dinner, etc, which was very gracious of them!

We landed, said our goodbyes, and then the most difficult task of the travel - getting to Graz from Vienna.

You should know, that if you're on the West end of Vienna, it's the easiest job in the world getting to Vienna. If you're on the East side you might as well curl up in a ball and cry.

It took me 2 trains, a bus, a subway tram, and then another train just to get to the train that will take me to Graz. Which was a 3 hour trek in itself. Luckily I met a Czech girl and a guy from Boston who were both travelling to Graz; good conversation. Sadly, she was going to Slovenia to visit her boyfriend, but we exchanged numbers as well for her to stop in Graz on her way back. (She's a pianist as well.)

By the time I got to Graz it was pouring rain. I got instructions to Neubaugasse 12, which is where I'm staying, and Streyregasse 3-5, which is where I had to pick up my keys. Neubaugasse is North West, Streyregasse is South East. That was a journey all in itself.

I dropped my bags in front of my residence (which is surprisingly safe) and made it to Streyregasse in an hour, travelling through the beautiful city that is Graz. After a slight hiccup in getting my keys, I headed back to Neubaugasse and moved in. It would be about 10:30pm at this time.

Well, that's me getting here! More to come, just came back from lunch with a Frenchman, a Spaniard, and an Egyptian. Next entry is all about my residence! Pictures will start rolling in!