I'm Alive!

I know I'm terribly behind on my blog, but I am working on updating it this week. So much has happened over the past month! I went to Vienna and Berlin, Christmas is almost here and I turned 29! Oh and I faced my Krampus fear and only got whipped once!

Here I am at my birthday dinner wearing my Krampus sweater:

Krampus!

I have been terrified of seeing Krampus since I first heard about it. I've already seen Krampus cards and Krampus gingerbread around Bischofshofen, but tonight was my first sighting. I was sitting in a restaurant with two other TAs and we saw two pass by just as we finished eating. I panicked a little bit, but figured it would be fine. The two Krampusse (This is the plural that I found. Please correct if wrong!) had walked by going in the opposite direction of where I live. However, a little bit later, more Krampusse walked by, at least five, if not more! I was really panicking now, but the procession had seemed to pass and the other TAs and I could make our way back to the train station safely so I could see them off to their villages. There was a Krampus in front of us, but we crossed the street to avoid it. Then they ended up behind us making a lot of noise, but they didn't chase us. They seemed to be more interested in all the children galloping about. I was a little scared to walk home by myself from the train station, in case I encountered one alone. Luckily, I didn't see any on the way home. They seem to make a lot of noise, so I am hoping they don't normally sneak up on people. Either way, I'll be looking over my shoulder a lot when walking home at night for the next month! Or I might avoid going out after dark completely!

For those who don’t know what Krampus is, let me explain. Krampus is a mythical creature that is the alpine version of getting coal for Christmas, but a million times more terrifying (OR: a lot creepier). It is the antithesis of St. Nicolas who comes and brings gifts. Krampus takes all the naughty children and stuffs them in its bag and hauls them away to the mountains. Every year, the day before the Feast of St. Nicolas on December 6th, there is something known as Krampuslauf. This is a parade of all the Krampusse around the town. Young men dress up as Krampus and wear elaborate costumes with fur, claws, and scary masks. They chase people, especially women and children (so I've heard), and whip them with tree branches.

In a small alpine village, this begins in mid-November and lasts until Christmas! I've heard that in these villages, the Krampuslauf is pretty crazy, and Krampus will be out and about practically every night. There is a Krampuslauf in Salzburg, but it's pretty tame and touristy. In the villages, like where I am, anything goes! My students and others have told me that I will probably end up bruised after Krampuslauf. We'll just see how the rest of this month goes with Krampus everywhere.

For more information, visit the Krampus Wikipedia page. 

Herbstferien

This has been a whirlwind Herbstferien (Fall Vacation) so instead of recapping everything, I'm just going to mention some highlights and observations.

• Went to Vorarlberg, the western most province in Austria.
• The train ride was long, but very beautiful. Part of the ride was on a mountain, so I was able to look down into the valley below. Beautiful, but a little scary!
• Stayed with another TA and her family.
• Walked into Switzerland, which is possible from Vorarlberg. Luckily, we did not get stopped, because I did not have my passport with me. (Switzerland is not part of the EU, so you need a passport crossing into it.)
• Ate veal for the first time.
• Also ate venison for the first time. It was served in a gulasch.
• Just generally ate a lot in Vorarlberg. Some other highlights of eating this week include polenta, quiche lorraine, Knödel (dumplings), chocolate cake, apple cake, a sponge cake with berries and finally, cheese! My friend's mother has a knack for buying the most delicious cheeses, especially soft cheeses.
• After a few days in Vorarlberg, my dirndl that I just bought probably does not fit anymore.
• I learned that I do not have a talent in buying the right kind of cheese. When I got back home, I bought some Brie from the supermarket and it was awful.
• Visited Bregenz, the capitol of Vorarlberg. Walked around, saw one of the biggest lakes in Europe (Lake Constance), went to the Kunsthaus (art museum) and saw a bizarre exhibition of line drawings and a good one on art and photography from Nairobi, Kenya. Which just fueled my interest in visiting Kenya some day. Maybe that will be my next goal: move to Kenya!
• Went on two long walks. One in a snowy forest and the other completely up hill.
• Also learned to never trust Austrians when they say "We're going on a walk!" I know I have mentioned this before, but I feel like I will never learn this lesson! 
• Railjet is one of the nicest trains I've been on in Europe. It even has wifi!
• Spent the night in Salzburg with some other TAs. Who happen to have a very nice apartment!
• We went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant and then out for beers afterwards. Unfortunately, I did not get to eat the schnitzel I've been craving.
• Stayed up way too late on Friday night. Walked home from the bar and stopped at McDonald's on the way back.
• Went to Prien am Chiemsee, which is in Germany. This is also a very big lake, though not as big as Lake Constance.
• Visited one of the islands that has a castle. Apparently the castle was modeled after Versailles, but was never finished.
• Didn't go inside the castle, except to eat, but did see some reindeer in the gardens. However, I just learned that they were not reindeer, but in fact, fallow deer!
• A week's vacation didn't feel long enough. I don't feel ready to go back to school!
• And the best news of all, bought a ticket to go to Berlin in a few weeks! Can't wait!

And now for some random pictures!

Cat in the Old City Bregenz.

Very friendly and even posed for us!

Blurry photo of Switzerland. I think.

Lake, ducks and Germany in the background. Or maybe it was Switzerland, I can't remember!

Lake Constance and me. The light was not the greatest for a picture!

Forgot to take a picture of the delicious cake I had before eating it!

This made me laugh. Don't know what that says about my maturity level.

Bregenz

Old Town Bregenz

More Old Town Bregenz. Hard to see, but there is a pair of antlers hanging over the tunnel.

Interesting cafe next to the art museum in Bregenz.

My friend's cat.

Snowy (and very wet!) woods.

View while on a walk.

For dog droppings. There were many of these on the walk, but of course, I ended up taking a picture of one that has graffiti.

View on the boat going to Herreninsel on Chiemsee.

Some other TAs and me on the boat.

The castle on Herreninsel.

Human body, but frog face.

I think this is a Greek goddess turning people into frogs and lizards.

Here are the frogs and lizards.

And the humans changing into frogs.

Another frog face.

Another fountain in the gardens.

I especially liked this serpent.

Not that impressed!

There was a reindeer! Actually a fallow deer, according to my Bavarian friend.

Attempting to ruin my pictures.

Wasn't supposed to take pictures in this room, but didn't see the sign until after I took this photo. Oops!

Austrian Food, Part I

You know how portion sizes in the USA are supposed to be enormous in comparison to the rest of the world? Well, while I wouldn't disagree that portion sizes are out of control in the United States, I bought one of the biggest pastries I've ever seen today. It's called a Zimtschnecke, which means cinnamon snail! It's almost as big as my plate! I had to document the evidence.

Speaking of pastries, my favorite pastry that I've found so far is one that is made with nuts. It's very tasty and not too sweet, but unfortunately that bakery was closed today so I had to settle for this behemoth. 

I love that there are actual bakeries in Europe. I find myself going at least every other day, if not every day to pick up some fresh rolls or a pastry. I am starting to learn the names of the bread and don't feel like as much of an idiot when I order. There are signs in the bakery cases, but it can be hard to tell which sign goes with which bread or pastry, especially not being a native speaker! I had no idea there would be a learning curve with going to a bakery!

Berlin and Salzburg

This blog is about Austria, obviously. Of course, I’m very excited to be in Austria, and in my time here I’m trying not to dwell on Germany and Berlin where I have been many times. After traveling to Salzburg this weekend with some other American TAs, I realized something. 

The other TAs that I traveled with all studied abroad for a year in Salzburg. Whenever they mention Salzburg, it’s with a sigh. They have a lot of memories and experiences from their time in Salzburg. Salzburg is definitely a nostalgic place for them and they feel sad when leaving the city. They can wander for hours around the city without a plan in sight. 

When I go to Salzburg, I just feel like “eh.” Don’t get me wrong, Salzburg is very beautiful, but I don’t feel anything particularly special when visiting it. I also need a plan when I visit, otherwise I find wandering around the city a little dull. I think if I were living in Salzburg and not a little alpine village, I might feel a little differently about it. I think that when I go back home to the US, the place I will feel nostalgic for in Austria is my little alpine village, Bischofshofen. 

Berlin is definitely my nostalgic/special place in Europe. While I haven’t spent a lot of time there, in my many visits, I have made a lot of memories and, of course, friends in Berlin. I also could wander around Berlin for hours with no plans. I probably talk too much about Berlin and also probably end those sentences with a sigh. Sigh.

Sorry Salzburg! While you are probably more breathtakingly beautiful than Berlin, you can’t compete with all my memories of Berlin. Berlin, you will always hold a special place in my heart. 

The Ups and Downs of Teaching

I came to Austria to gain some real teaching experience and to expose myself to the language, obviously. I don’t necessarily want to be an ESL teacher like I thought a few years ago, but am very interested in being a Young Adult Librarian.

I have been in the classroom for three weeks now. In this time, there have been a lot of ups and downs. Despite being super nervous the first week, I think I did a good job with my introductions. Of course this was easy, because it’s pretty easy to introduce myself. The students are also very interested in learning about me and the United States.

The second week was more introductions, also easy, but I also had to start teaching regular lessons that I had planned. I was very nervous about this. I had to prepare and teach a lesson on Minnesota tourism and one on high schools. Before the lesson on Minnesota tourism, the teacher grilled me on the lesson plan. Of course this made me extra nervous! But afterwards, the same teacher complimented me on the lessons and told me the students really enjoyed it. The high school lesson also went better than expected. This is very much a “learning as I go” process. I’m still getting the hang of what I’m doing. Each class is also different. Some classes just stare at me while other classes can’t stop talking.

This week was actually my first full week of “real teaching.” I had to prepare lessons on various topics from obesity and health to the election. My first day teaching at my main school was actually a little disastrous. I was teaching 5 classes and thought I had prepared well. However, I got my classes mixed up and ending up teaching obesity in American when I should have been talking about diversity in America. Plus I struggled with printing out the materials I needed. The whole morning felt like a mess. Even though I thought I had prepared very well, in the end, I felt like I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been. However, I think the teachers realized I was just hitting some (hopefully temporary) bumps as I get into the swing of things.

By Thursday of this past week, I was feeling a little blah about teaching. I don’t hate it, but I was feeling a little burned out. I did prepare lessons, but wasn’t feeling enthusiastic about going to school. However, the lessons turned out surprisingly well, especially with my more difficult classes. Some of my classes are so enthusiastic that I’m there and some classes, well, they don’t want to talk! I did a lesson on fast food and Super Size Me for my most difficult classes and they seemed to enjoy it. All of my students seem to love to talk about McDonald’s!

So I started out the week feeling very positive about teaching and prepared for my lessons, hit a midweek slump, but I recovered by Friday. I am finding that I really need to be creative with my lessons and add more games to my lessons. I also enjoy these lessons more. For example, I played a question game with some of my students on Friday and it went over really well. The students and the teacher liked it and I didn’t feel like I had to talk endlessly.

I also want to become involved in the schools, which hasn't really happened yet, but I'm working on it. I hope I can tutor some students in English. I've also had two students add me as a friend on Facebook. And one of my teachers invited me to her little village in the mountains. Now I just need some activities at the schools. 

Today, I’m actually looking forward again to teaching this week. I’m using my triumphs and failures from last week to learn what I should change. Sounds easy enough, but this experience has been very challenging! But I do think I’m improving.

When it rains in Austria, it pours.

I don't know if the weather normally is like this in Austria, but the best way to describe the weather in Austria is wet and unpredictable.

Usually, when I wake up in the morning and go outside, it's so foggy that I can't see the mountains. I always check the weather before leaving and the humidity is also very high every day! And it rains a lot. And I mean a lot! I don't think I've lived anywhere where it rained this much! One of my teachers told me this is a little unusual, and I hope that's true. I'm just sitting here listening to it rain right now.

On Friday, I went with Holly, another TA, to Sankt Johann to go out to a bar. I checked the weather beforehand and it seemed like it might rain, so I grabbed my umbrella. On the way to the train station, it wasn't raining, but a slow drizzle started once I got to the station.

Upon arriving in Sankt Johann, the rain started pouring. Holly and I had to walk into town, uphill in what was pretty much a flash flood. I thought weather in the US was extreme, but that was some of the worst rain I've had the pleasure of walking in. Usually, going into Sankt Johann is a pain, because the town is situated on a hill. I was so focused on the rain that I didn't even notice we were walking uphill! We also got terribly splashed by a passing car on the way to the bar!

Once we made it to the bar, we were both completely soaking wet. Even though I had an umbrella and Holly had a hoodie on her jacket.

So this is Austrian weather. Can't wait until it snows!