Mozart Party

Wow, it was a day. Ok here goes...

7:00 a.m. Wake up.

8:00 a.m. Meet our dorm-mates downstairs, and we travel to the right U-Bahn station together. There we meet up with our RA, who takes us to the Police station so we can register, in case of emergencies, so they know we have passports, etc.

9:00 a.m. We have lots of extra time before our city tour (sponsored by Webster) so the group decides to go to breakfast together. We go to Stephansplatz, the center of the city, and go to a cute cafe right in the middle of everything. We sit on the second floor, where we can see a birds eye view of the main street, and all the bustle. We can also see apartments above the street, where sleepy Austrians are leaning out their windows with no pants on smoking their first cigarette.

At breakfast we get to know some new friends from new countries, and start really warming up to our RA, who seems much more approachable now that we have spend more time with her.

11:00 a.m. We have arrived at the Stadtsoper early for the tour so we sit around taking pictures and chatting, but soon our but arrives and we board. It was one of those ones where you sit and drive by most of the sights in the center of the city, while you listen to a voice narrate your surroundings on headphones.

12:00 p.m. The tour inspires us to checkout the Stadtpark. So four of us, Colin, Kim, Kamryn, and I, take the U-Bahn there, stopping at a bakery to pick up a light picnic lunch on the way.

The park is gorgeous. And there are people and dogs of all ages everywhere, enjoying the weather. We pick a sunny spot on the grass and picnic. We stayed there for the next 3 hours, soaking up the sun, talking, sleeping, feeling like one of the natives.

At one point I get up on my own to sketch some of the beautiful statues. I pick out a little water fountain with a face of a fish-man squirting water out of his mouth into a basin. After standing and sketching for a few minutes, I attract a German-speaking couple who approach me by spying behind my shoulder at my drawing. They said hello, and I laughed, and stuck around with for a little chat, then the man suggested that I sketch him in to the picture, and he held his water bottle under the stream of water! I said it was too complicated and they seemed to like that. :)

Kim and I explored more of the park on our own at one point, ponds with ducks, little nooks with great statues, and families just sitting with each other.

As we sat on the grass, suddenly, guess who we see strolling across the lawn but Jeoren from our orientation! He joined us and we made plans for later that night to meet up with him and his roommates, all native speakers!

3:00 p.m. We leave the park, and meet up with our Grad student friend, Bridget. We then split off, just us girls, and head towards Mozarthaus. This is one of the apartments where Mozart stayed during his time in Vienna. He wrote many major works while staying there, and now the apartment is turned into a museum, and much of the apartment has been restored. Even some of the frescos have been unearthed from under layers of paint.

It was a nice tour of the museum, but I was hoping that the rooms would be decorated like Mozart might have had them, which was not the case. It was mostly portraits, quotes, and framed artifacts from his day and age.

5:00 p.m. Coffee break at a nearby cafe.

6:00 p.m. Head back to the dorms, chill out Skype with Matt and Jason. :)

9:30 p.m. We decide to go out, but we are not sure where we want to go. Bridget comes over to get ready with us, and we have a hard time deciding whether we want to try out one of Vienna's nicer clubs, or join up with Jeoren and meet his roommates and their friends.

10:30 p.m. We decided for the intimate bar with J and his friends, which I think was a wonderful choice. The bar was called Tonstube. It was very small, and cozy but had a trendy vibe, well designed and just the right crowd for us. We met Fabian, one of J's roommies, and their friends. I don't remember names mostly because they weren't english, but there were journalism majors, ex-ski instructors, International relations majors, and friendly girls in the bathroom who were so sweet and interested in talking to us American girls.

We tried their favorite drink, the Radler (sp?). Which is a combination of lemonade-soda, and Bier. You wouldn't think it would be good, but its great!

12:30 a.m. The guys invite us to a local Univerisity party. When we hear that we assume that its a house-party that university students will be attending. But soon we arrive and realize that it is at the technical University. It is packed, and it is a party welcoming all of the foreign exchange students there. There were kids from everywhere, speaking every language.

There were many courageous boys from many different nationalities who talked to us, but soon we broke off from the crowds and found a seat on the main steps. It was me, Kim, Fabian and another friend named Bruno. We sipped our drinks and got to know each other, and we discovered that Bruno would be willing to help us with our German! German tutor: located.

Soon we started to get bored, and we went off in search of the friends who had left us to go eat.

2:00 a.m. We located, after some difficulty, our other two friends, J and Bridget. They were at a local Kebabhaus! We came and ate some of their lamb and rice they couldn't finish. Bruno ordered a Kebab and ayran, which is a Turkish drink, made of yogurt, salt, and cold water. Of course I had to try it. Interesting.

2:45 a.m. After some debate, we decide to go to a club that was literally, right across the street. It was very small, but not extremely crowded. It was a little in disrepair but the bar was nice and there was a dance floor, with, a man dressed as a robot! Of course we got a little dance in with the robot, then we retired to our table where Bridget offered to buy us a drink.

I made Kim and J come dance with me when "What's Love Got to Do with It" came on. Bridget and Fabian wanted to keep the night going, but Kim and I were exhausted, we decided to call it a night. J walked us to a nearby U-Bahn station. We said our good-byes, and made plans to dine together, and see an opera the next night!

4:00 a.m. Get to our Station, get on the night bus.

4:30 a.m. Home. Sleep. What a day. :)

Even though we have only been here a few days, it feels like so much longer. Everyone has welcomed us so warmly, and hopefully we will be making friendships that will last. So great.

E