Obama Saving Me Money?

So... would anyone like to know why the U.S. Dollar to Euro exchange rate is so favorable? I'll tell you... its due to the recent projections naming Obama our next President. What an odd affair. I understand that Europeans like Obama, but I never dreamed it would affect the value of their precious Euro. So to our next future douchebag President, I say thank you for helping me save money while I study abroad.

Pleasantly Prague

I have fallen in love with another city... Prague. I was able to spend four very enjoyable days there last week. Let me tell you all about it: Wednesday morning I awoke early. I had a few errands I had to run before going to the train station. I quickly packed my things and headed out the door. Forty minutes later I was in the heart of Vienna's first district. I walked straight from the U-bahn station to the post office. I mailed away several post cards, and from there I walked to BIPA (a store that sells shampoo, deodorant, etc). I had one thing I had to buy, and of course I couldn't find it. After walking around the store for a few minutes, I finally broke down and went to the store clerk. My first question... Sprechen sie Englisch?, her answer... Ein Wenig. I ask her in broken German where I could find a sewing kit. She tells me that they don't have any and that BIPA doesn't sell them period. I was frustrated, and pressed for time, but I was determined to get one, so I walked to a near-by grocery store. Keep in mind I had my luggage with me. The grocery store didn't have any either. Curse Vienna! I Thought to myself. Where in the world would I find a sewing kit? I didn't have time to look around, so from the grocery store I walked to the Straßen Bahn. The next available car was 10 minutes away. I was worried I wouldn't have enough time to get to the train station. Fortunately other people from my group were waiting for the same car. We get on the train bound for Prague. I was very excited, not only for Prague, but also because Michelle was going to teach Emily and I how to knit. I was a very slow learner, and by the end of the 4 hour train ride I had only made 3 inches or so of stiches. I was determined to get better. We arrived in Prague, greeted by a cold and foggy day... perfect for one's first impression of the Czech Republic. We made it onto the subway enroute to our Hostel... Oh, our hostel. I'm not one to enjoy public bathrooms. There were three toilet rooms per floor, and two communal showers. When we arrived I announced to everyone that they would have to enjoy me not showering, because there was no way I was going to get naked with anyone else. It ended up not being a problem. No one on our floor showered at night, so we were all able to shower alone. Anyways, soon after checking into our Hostel, we met our tourguide. Yet another tourguide I will not pay attention to. We spent 3 and a half hours walking around central Prague. It was beautiful, but it was also cold! I hadn't packed a hat or gloves, so by the end of the tour I was frozen. The end of the tour left us in a square with food and shopping. Emily, Michelle, Sydney and I went to a nearby Italian restaurant. The prices were good, the food was good, what more could one ask for? We spent about 3 hours there. I ordered spaghetti and a banana milk shake. Both were excellent. Back in the Hostel I find that the guys room had become the social center. I sat on my bed, trying to knit, listening to 5 conversations at once. Everyone was so fascinated with the fact that I was knitting. American men just don't knit. I became frustrated with my pathetic first attempt, so I pulled the yarn off. Unfortunately I couldn't remember how to restart. Lucky for me Jillian knew how to knit, and showed me how to restart. I got a few inches done that night before I went to bed. The next morning was our second 3 hour tour... same tour guide. He took us into the Jewish part of the city. After the tour was over, a group of us went to buy tickets to a Black Light Theater show. We all got tickets for the 'best of show' which was playing the next night. From there, Michelle, Emily and I went to lunch. We found a Chinese restaurant with decent prices. Both Emily and Michelle had horrible food, but mine ended up being pretty good. I figure no matter where you are, sweet and sour chicken just can't be screwed up. After lunch we walked to Charle's Bridge. Its tourist central... hang on to your wallet:) We walked across the bridge, stopping occasionally at a store or for a performer. We noticed an air balloon on the other side, which we eventually found. We wanted to take a ride, but the looks of this balloon didn't make that very desirable. So no balloon ride, but to our benifit we were on the other side of the bridge... the less touristy side. We walked around hoping to find a Cafe with the perfect atmosphere... and we found it! Kaficko, the first non-smoking cafe. It was the greatest discovery ever! When we arrived, the waitress thought we were Czech. We all loved that. No tourists in sight. We sat in the cafe for the rest of the evening. I ordered hot chocolate... which fyi, hot chocolate in Prague means you are ordering chocolate that has been melted. If you want American hot chocolate, get the Hot Cocoa. I also ordered an Apple strudel. The whole purchase was only about 3 dollars. After a few hours in the Cafe, we walked back to the Hostel. We hung out in Emily and Michelle's room for awhile... We all got some knitting done:) The next morning was our third and final 3 hour tour... 3 and a half hours. This time we traveled to Prague Castle. It was a cold and foggy morning. The castle was barely distinguishable. The Castle's complex has several buildings, one of which is a rather impressive Gothic Cathedral. It was by far the most beautiful Gothic Cathedral I've been in. The stained glass windows bathed the interior with colors of light. It was stunning. Right before we left a woman began singing Ave Verum, by Mozart. It brought me to tears. I someday hope to sing in a Cathedral like that. When we were released from the tour, Emily, Michelle, and I went back to the Cafe and hung out for a few hours. This time I ordered Mint tea... so freaking good! After enjoying our tea we walked back to the Hostel. Michelle and I took naps while Emily read about visiting the Temple (she was just recently engaged). That night was our Black Light Theater Show. It wasn't the most spectacular thing I've ever seen, but it was enjoyable. In between the black light numbers, they had a pantomime group perform. It was pretty funny stuff. After the show we went back to the Hostel. We watched The Addams Family on Emily's computer. We all went to bed after that. The next morning, after breakfast and checkout, we went back to the Cafe. I ordered some hot cocoa, and a piece of honey cake. That cafe will always be my favorite thing about Prague. After another enjoyable few hours at the cafe, we walked to the The Prague Astronomical Clock tower. For about 2.50, you can walk up to the top. The view was beautiful. From there we went to lunch. We chose to eat at the Italian restaurant we ate at the first night. We all got pizzas... huge, massive pizzas! I ate the entire thing, and I paid for that decision later. We had about an hour left after lunch, so we stopped by a BILLA to get some snacks for the train ride home. I purchased so much junk food, and all of it was equivalent to only about 5 bucks. Prague is still reasonably cheap compared to other European countries. We went back to our Hostel to pick up our bags. We left for the train station 15 minutes before everyone else... not the smartest of decisions. We were unaware of how to get to the correct subway car. We waited in the U-bahn station for awhile, where we were able to witness a rather frightening pick-pocket transpire. Our group was late leaving the Hostel, and we were sick of waiting, so we found the correct Subway and departed. When we got off the subway, we asked some Cops where the train station was. They gave us very good directions, in body language only... they didn't speak english. In the train station we waited another 10 minutes before our group finally arrived. We walked to our platform to discover our train was 40 minutes late! We arrived in Vienna an hour later than was scheduled. I didn't get home until 11:30pm. Oh... what a fun day. I loved Prague. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to travel. And while you're there, visit cafe Kaficko... Its on the other side of the Charle's Bridge.

May I Vent?

OK... I think it would be safe to say that I am fed up with my group members. Today I was embarrassed, humiliated, and harrassed all for the sake of others wanting entertainment. It made me sick. Let me explain. Today a large group of us traveled out of the city to see the Seegrotte... not worth your time, fyi. Everything was poorly planned, and the end result was a lousy tour of a fairly unimpressive underground lake. During our tour, we came to a large room that had a rather cool echo. Our tour guide, damn him (although it wasn't his fault), said it would be fun to sing something. My director immediately jumped on that and asked me to sing. I had no desire, and was not prepared, but have you ever tried looking a Professor in the face and saying no? I made every possible excuse, but she continued to ask. Eventually I just turned away in embarrassment. It really got to me. I DO NOT like being harrassed to sing on the spot. Good singers prepare to sing for their audience... they don't just sing random songs for praise. I refuse to become a singer who sings for glory. I have never been that way, and I won't let any Professor persuade me otherwise. The other members of my group are no better. Despite my many attempts to explain the concept of pride in a performance, they continue to ask. I'm becoming evermore aggravated with the constant disregard and lack of respect my fellow students have for me, and others. I'm done with it. I won't be nice the next time they ask me, and I won't be nice to anyone who ever asks me again. Thank you fellow BYU students for increasing the boiling pot of bitter stewing within me.

It was hard for my day to recover after that. Anger was spilling over me and I had no means for an outlet. I spent the afternoon with Michelle and Emily. They let me share my frustrations with them, something I'm extremely grateful for. We went out to Cafe Europa for lunch. Emily and I ordered a rather tasty curry soup, and Michelle ordered a baguette. Just to let you know, the service in Vienna is incredibly poor. Possibly due to the fact that the service industry doesn't have to work for tips. I hate it! After dinner I went home briefly to change, and then it was right back out again. I met with Michelle earlier tonight to go see the musical Rebecca, based on the book. It was amazing! It definitely helped to calm the raging fire that had been started within me just hours earlier. Music, the great healer:)

Awing Emily

There is no one I admire more than a songwriter. God's granted them with ability to reach the deepest parts of the soul. Comfort can be found in the perfect song. Thursday night I found comfort from a few songwriters here in Vienna, particularly my friend Emily. The warmth of her voice surrounded me like a blanket. I was in awe of her talent. I have determined, after hearing yet another fantastic musician, that my life's calling lies within songwriting. Perhaps not as a career, but certainly as an outlet for all of what life dishes out. Music is my therapy, and I have gone too long without being able to fully enjoy its power. I can attribute that insufficiency to BYU. There, music becomes a chore rather than a passion. No longer! I will not allow BYU to suck the life from the very thing I hold most dear. Music is my one and only and will be forever. Listen to Emily and you'll understand why I was inspired
What else happened this week... oh... My flight to Paris was canceled. I'll have to try to find another one. I also saw Faust on Tuesday. It was by far my favorite Opera I've seen here. Absolutely beautiful. I would definitely recommend it. .

Haha... I guess I should also share my recent panic morning. This Wednesday was our trip to Kreuzenstein, a small castle outside of Vienna. We were supposed to meet at the train station at 9:45, and I found myself waking at the blissful moment of 9:20! I ran out of the house hoping to arrive at the station on time. The Bus, the U4, the U1, they all seemed to take their time. I kept praying for some kind of miracle. "Maybe the train will be delayed," I told myself. I arrived, of course, an hour later at the S-bahn station, my group already at their destination a half an hour away. I bought my ticket for the S-bahn and walked to the platform. Not knowing how trains work, I neglected to stamp my ticket. However, fortunately for me, no one came around to check. When I arrived, to my surprise, I see a handful of people from my group who had waited for me. I was so happy they waited! We all hiked up to the castle together. What a morning it was. It was amazing, and I'm so thankful I didn't miss it. God continues to aid me when I need him the most.

Firenze a Venezia

Yet again I find myself writing about an experience that seems unreal. Last week I traveled to Italy. It was an experience I will always remember. Let me tell you all about it. We departed from Vienna Tuesday evening... on a night train from the depths of hell! I say that because it was the most uncomfortable ride of my life, not including the wretched night bus to Phoenix. Anyways, even with the discomfort, it still managed to be lots of fun. A group of about 11 of us crammed into one compartment. Picture a mess of twisted and contorted bodies and that was basically our night. We spent about 4 hours together talking. By midnight everyone wanted to go to sleep. I arrive back to my compartment to find my pillow was missing. That increased my level of discomfort, however I don't think the lack of a pillow caused me any unrest. There was no way I was going to sleep on that train! No pillow would have saved me from the countless other problems encountered when sleeping on a train. The light, the noise, the rock hard "bed" I laid on. The list continues on from there. I was very happy when we arrived in Florence. My body was as tense as it had ever been. We left the train station with very little idea of where we were going. It took us 35 minutes to reach our hotel... which was only about 10 minutes from the train station. The city was unwelcoming. The buildings, covered under the morning darkness, looked abused. The streets seemed filthy and there was an unmistakable odor lingering about. We arrived at our hotel. I couldn't help but feel disappointed. It seemed far less pleasant than hotels we had previously stayed in. We dropped off our bags and headed out into the streets to find breakfast... more dangerous than it sounds. Cars in Italy don't stop for pedestrians. In general, it seems as though Italians lack patience in many things. We got a bite to eat at a random local shop. I got a sandwich... I've come to accept sandwiches as breakfast items. We walked back to the Hotel to meet our tour guide for the day. By then it was 9am, and the city was fully awake. We walked with our guide through the city center and around the most famous locations. I was not very interested. When you have groups as large as ours, you'll find it impossible to hear any tour guide. After the tour we were given time to ourselves. I, along with Michelle, Emily, Tony, and Brittany went to a small Pizzeria for lunch. I ordered gnocchi. It was absolutely delicious, and not very expensive. What more could a person ask for? After lunch we purchased our first Italian gelato... not the best I've had, and far more expensive than it should have been. Vendors in Italy know that tourists want gelato, and so they charge whatever they want. Venice was a lot cheaper in terms of gelato prices. We ate our gelato as we walked through the never-ending street market. So many shops selling everything a tourist would want. We checked into our hotel around 2pm. We ended up staying in the hotel's 2nd building, which was basically a hostel. There were 4 of us to a room. It was comfortable, and it had a great few of the city. That afternoon our group went to the Uffizi. I was too tired to experience a museum like that. It was huge, and hot... and just not my taste in art. It was cool to see paintings I had studied in school, but I was too tired to have appreciation for them. After the museum a group of us ventured out for dinner. No one in the group could decide where to eat. Most wanted something cheap, however vendors aren't stupid and most of the prices are the same. We ended up in a non-authentic Italian restaurant run by non-Italians. The food sucked! Our director and her family walked by the window and wanted to come in. I quickly walked over to let them know not to waste there time. It didn't bother me that the owner was standing right next to me when I said it. Serves him right! Anyways, after dinner we walked around the City. The atmosphere was beautiful... Florence was slowly winning me over. We purchased our second gelato (wasn't too bad). We ended up in a square with live music playing. An oddly out of place carousel beckoned us for a ride... I however didn't answer the call. We ended up going back to the Hotel. I was tired, and had no desire to walk anymore. A group decided to go out again, and I decided to spend some much needed time alone. I finally showered, and I listened to music as I drifted asleep. The next morning was crunch time. After a disappointing breakfast, provided by our Hotel, a group of us walked to the Duomo (dome). We climbed 463 steps to find a breathtaking view of the city. From the dome we walked over to the Galleria dell'Accademia which houses Michelangelo's David. It was an hour and a half wait in line, and a 10 Euro admission fee, but it was well worth it!! That statue left me speechless. It was absolutely incredible... one of the highlights of my life. After the David we had about an hour for shopping. I purchased a few things. I'm not one to like souvenir shopping. I never know what people will want. We left Florance that afternoon and arrived in Venice 3 hours later. Venice captured me from the moment I saw it. The city screamed Italy, screamed beauty and romanticism. I was in love! We checked into our Hotel, and from our Hotel it was straight to dinner. My previous poor experience with food searching in a large group prompted me to branch out with only a few people. We found a great place, with reasonable prices. There is no reason to be cheap when it comes to food!! After dinner we walked around the city. Tony, without using his map, led us to Piazza San Marco. It was beautiful. The square was lit up and there was live music playing. First "New York, New York" then "Nessun Dorma." It was perfect. We continued walking... the walkways lined with rose-colored lamps. We stopped to admire the view of the Island of San Giorgo. It was about 9pm at this point, and a member of our group wanted to go back to the Hotel. We all complied, although the rest of us would have gladly continued exploring. Tony led the way, but after a short time we noticed we had gone in a rather large circle. The cranky Hotel-driven member of our group took the map from Tony and was determined to lead us in the right direction. Even shorter still she realized she had no clue where we needed to go. We were lost in the streets of Venice... it was very cool, and very fun, and it would have been more enjoyable if it hadn't been for this cranky girl's attitude. Anyways, I became very tired of the lack of direction our group had. I took a look at the map and got a sense of dircection. I then walked in the direction I thought was right, leaving the group to forcibly follow me. My instincts turned out to be right, and we ended up finding our Hotel again. Michelle started calling me Toucan Sam... haha. We ended up arriving at our Hotel around midnight... so that's quite a long time to be lost. The next morning we walked, as a group, back to Piazza San Marco. From there we took a tour through the city. Yet again I found myself unable to hear our tour guide... I'm sure he had many cool things to say. I was content, however, just being in Venice. It was beautiful. The rest of the day was free time. A group of us (Me, Michelle, Emily, Tony, and Mirinda) made our way back to St. Mark's Cathedral. On the way, we purchased cups of fresh fruit from a market vendor... only 1 Euro, and so delicious! We walked through the Church. It was jaw dropping to see the entire ceiling covered in tile mosaics. From the church we walked to a Ship, which I could only guess was perminately docked. It wasn't opened to the public when we arrived, so we decided to go back later. We walked from there to St. Maria bascilica. On the way we stopped for lunch. I ate a wrap, sitting on the shore overlooking the Island of La Guidecca. I was so happy at that moment. I love taking time to enjoy even the smallest of experiences... even meals have taken on greater importance. The church wasn't opened when we arrived, but there were enough tourists waiting that they eventually opened the doors. It was a very beautiful church. From the Church we walked back to the Ship we saw earlier. I, Tony, Emily, and Trevor went to go see it, while Mirinda and Michelle went shopping. We met up again about 2 hours later... Michelle with a beautiful new ring, and a huge smile on her face. From Piazza San Marco, we walked, yet again, to our Hotel. (if you'd like to keep track, its about 1.3 miles each time). We quickly freshened up. From our Hotel we (Me, Tony, Emily, Michelle, and Mirinda) walked straight to the nearest Gondola... what else are you supposed to do in Venice? It was pricey, but well worth it. It was dusk... by the time we finished it was dark... perfect. I commented that we were riding on a Gondola underneath the star... as there was only a few stars visible:) After our ride we went out to dinner, and found another great place. It was a bit more expensive, but the food was worth the price. After dinner we purchased gelato (this was my 4th on the trip). The two female workers at the gelato shop were jamming to techno music. I joined in with a bit of dancing... or stupid tourist making an *** of himself frolicking. You can call it what you want. I was loving every moment:) We decided to walk back to our Hotel to watch a movie. Tony had brought "The Sting" with him. Despite being very long, I thought it was pretty entertaining. The next morning a large number of us got up super early to see the sunrise at Piazza San Marco. The atmosphere was incredible! I want to someday live by an Ocean. After breakfast we purchased a 12 hour transit pass. We took a boat to the island of Murano, which is the glass blowing Island. We watched a short demonstration (it was free!!), and then we walked a bit through the Island. From Murano we went to Piazza San Marco and from there we went to the Island of San Giorgio. We went up the Bell tower of the Church and had a breathtaking view of Venice and the surrounding Islands. We went back to Piazza San Marco and walked back to our hotel. On the way we purchased Cannoli and snacks for the Train ride back. I also managed to find, with the help of Michelle, the perfect Venetian mask. I am determined to use it, rather than just hanging it on my wall. We picked up our bags from the Hotel, walked to the train station, and boarded our train for home. I was very sad to see Venice slowly disappear from sight. I hope to go back many times. 7 hours later we were back in Vienna. I really missed it! I feel at home here now, and when I leave I find myself wanting to go back. This Wednesday we have a day trip to Kreuzenstein and next week we are traveling to Prague. This pace is insane!... but I love it!

Star Struck

Well today certainly proved to be a highlight of my week. I didn't have class until noon, so I enjoyed some extra sleep. My classes went surprisingly quick. After class Willow and I walked to St. Michaels to see if we could buy tickets for the Messiah. Its being performed tomorrow. We were unfortunately unsuccessful. Hopefully we'll be able to get tickets sometime tomorrow. From St. Michaels we walked to the Staatsoper and got in line, along with Christine, for the night's Opera. We were 3 hours early for the perfomance! The wait was well worth it, though. The Opera was awesome! And did I mention it starred Renee Fleming? I hadn't heard her live until today. She was so amazing! Afterward I waited for her at the backstage exit. I got her to sign an autograph, and she took a photo with me. I was so nervous to meet her. Her voice has been such an influence in the world of music. I'm was so happy... I can say:"I met Renee Fleming... in Vienna!"