Lazy Blogger gets Back to Work

Photo: Approaching Eisenstadt on the Train



Well, my visit to the University didn’t go exactly as planned. I spent the night in Vienna, hoping to go to the “Studienberatung” (advising services) for my chosen programme in the early morning, and then return to Eisenstadt for my tutoring appointments from 1:30 to 4:30. It turns out that the advising office for the translation department is only open from 1:00 to 3:00 on Tuesdays, which are the only days that I’m not normally scheduled to be teaching in the high schools. So, that is the only weekday on which I can reasonably accomplish anything in Vienna. So, I’ve reserved next Tuesday in my calendar to ensure that I don’t make any tutoring appointments. I should have done that last week, but I was contacted by a new client and it is important to make myself as available as possible for money-making opportunities. I also plan to go to the American Consulate next week, where they have an office called “Citizen Services” to help people like me integrate into Austria. I plan to ask them what my options are for obtaining further residency permits, which should be very helpful in achieving my long-term goal of staying here. Anyway… the 28th is reserved in my calendar, so it will actually happen in a week’s time.

I really need to move to the capital after this school year is over- I spend too much money on bus and train fares. I cannot be a small-town boy anymore.

Other than that there is little to report:

The “Christkindlmärkte” (Christmas markets) have opened up in cities across Austria, serving up large portions of kitschy gift items and tasty Glühwein (heated red wine with sugar and spices- very good!) to keep the patrons warm, toasty, and in the Christmas spirit. It hasn’t gotten too cold yet, with temperatures failing to dip below freezing. Some complain that this is not “Christmassy” enough, while others (like me!) are grateful for the reprieve.

For New Year’s, I have been invited to return to the little cabin in Carinthia (where I went in August) for a little celebration. So, I’m not going to France this time around, but I really love the atmosphere up there in the mountains and I hope to see some snow for a change. It’s also a cheap way to get away from the usually scenery for the holiday.

Christmas will be celebrated in Eisenstadt at Alexa’s place, just as it was last year, something that is slowly becoming tradition, as I’m the adopted “cousin” of the small family. Speaking of family and Alexa, my clan has adopted her as well- sending gifts from America in thanks for her friendship. So, little Konstantin is now running about school with his Ohio University t-shirt and bragging to his friends. It is a nice parallel to the fact that my father will soon be skating about with an Austrian national hockey jersey to show off to his friends. I like to think of it as diplomacy through paraphernalia.

I have also been taking advantage of the highly nostalgic and personal quality provided by the postal service (in comparison to electronic mail), writing and receiving long letters from friends in the “new world”. Anyone who writes is guaranteed a reply:

Arthur Cornwell
Florianigasse 24-26
7000 Eisenstadt
AUSTRIA

(hint hint)

Much to my initial confusion, Eisenstadt was swarming with Americans today. This is such a small town and so far from the well-beaten tourist path that our kind is considered rather exotic. I eventually approached a small group of the tourists and enquired about the purpose of their visit to learn that they were a choir group from Pennsylvania touring the country. There were about 100 people in their group, making their presence in the pedestrian precinct quite ubiquitous. I also talked briefly to the choir director, a stern woman in a hideous reindeer sweater, who was nice but gave me a dirty look for smoking. I had almost forgotten about the ever-present stigma attached to the habit in the US. She implied that I must feel at home having so many of them around, but I didn’t have the impudence to tell her that they invoked a rather opposite sentiment in me. Please don’t misinterpret this- it is not meant as an insult to the entire country- but there are some reasons why I want to live here and she happened to remind me of them.

(I just asked Anna, my roommate, for advice on softening my writing so as not to be offensive. She said she wasn’t sure if that last sentence was helping or making it worse. I’ve decided that I needn’t apologise for how I feel. Deal with it.)