Yup, it's frozen...

I just wandered down to the Danube to see if it was indeed frozen, and it was. It looked absolutely beautiful, and I was told by a fairly pleased looking Austrian guy that it has indeed not happened for 20 years. He remembered it, he was there.

So, I'll stick some photos up! Enjoy :)

(More can be found in my Photobucket album, >>HERE<<

*Insert witty title here*

Yup, I can't think of what to call this. Ah well.

It's a bit quiet round here today....the vast majority of the Erasmus students in this building have gone home, so there's only a handful of folk left. And they're not awake yet, thanks largely to the party we had before people left last night (during which, it must be said, I cooked a bitchin' meal. It's not often I use that word to describe my cooking, but it was roundly appreciated :))

So I've done a lot today, anyway. I've successfully gotten up, said goodbye to people downstairs and...nope, that's it! I've got a bit of work to do today, and I'm going to try and go down to the river Danube to take some photos, as the part of it that runs next to my town is frozen. Now, the Danube is a *big* river, and I'm reliably informed that they've not seen it like this for 20 years, so I think I should make sure I take some photos as there's a large chance I won't see it like this again! It looks beautiful, apparently.

As an amusing aside, we watched some of "Wetten, Dass...?" last night, which for the uninitiated is a very, very amusing German TV show. Basically, they get the *most* German host in the world, a load of celebrity guests, and make bets on ridiculous challenges done by members of the public, and it's invariably hilarious. Last night it was in Salzburg, and the Stadtwette, the bet they have in the town each time, involved racing a skiier down a mountain on a motor bike and sidecar. Needless to say, James Blunt, the only British guest on it this week, looked suitably afraid.

Also, it was the first time I've seen Boris Becker speak German. Always strange when that happens.

So anyway, not a great deal on the go today. I'll try and post photos of the Danube later on, as it apparently looks amazing, and I'm going to try and plan a lesson on Robert Burns for one of my classes tomorrow, so that should be fun....for now though, the plan of action goes....shower, amateur photograpgy, work, dinner. Given that *nothing* happens in this country on Sundays, that's fairly action packed.

:)

Hell yeah...

It's the weekend!

I'm not really sure why that needed mentioning, but it felt appropriate. I've not got any particularly exciting plans, but what the hell.

Work's been fun this week - my classes all went pretty well, and I successfully educated one of them about KT Tunstall, after being asked about some popular music from Scotland. Idlewild's next on the list :) (I'd like to point out that this wasn't in a lesson. They just asked. I actually do proper work most of the time)

Anyway, some more of the Erasmus students from this fine building are going home at the weekend, which sucks, 'cause they're really cool. On the other hand though, I'm actually moving out next week, so it's not like I'm going to be staying here all on my lonesome. That, and it gives us another excuse for a party. Like we need one....

So aside from that, not a great deal happening at the moment! One week of work before the semester holiday, during which I A) move into my flat, and B) Go back to Britain for a few days. Still no plans for next week after that, but I quite fancy a small trip to somewhere, and therein lies my dilemma. I went to Bratislava last weekend, I promised Tasj I'd save Budapest 'till she was here (and I shall :))...maybe Graz? Such a hard life........ :)

Right, I'm off to get some food (again. I always seem to end posts like this), as I kindof forgot about lunch today. I was helping somebody move all their stuff accross town, and I did eat something earlier than that...but I could do with some dinner.

Oh, and I did get a start on that essay yesterday. Not much, but a start. Go me :)

Day off....

I like Thursdays. Most weeks, it's my day off (occaisionally I have one class at 12:30, but not often), so I'm trying to be productive today. As is evident by my posting of this, I've not quite gotten round to that bit yet.

In all seriousness, I have decided to get a proper start on my work for Uni now (two essays, 3-4000 words each, in German, for October) to try and get them done while I'm still here, and today's an ample opportunity to start. It's still freezing outside (see photo - that's next to my walk to work), so I've got no real motivation to go outside at the moment, aside from to get some lunch, and everybody else here is in classes or doing work. So, there's the plan. Work.

(Can you tell I'm psyching myself up?)

Right. It's one o'clock. I've got *ages*. Let's go.

Ch-ch-ch-ch changin'....

The title refers to my living situation, which I'll explain in a moment. First, I'm going to mention how cold it's gotten, again! Today, it's not been above -9, and it was about -15 when I walked to work. Brr.

Anyway, my living situation, as suggested above, is changing! I currently live in a student-halls kind of place, which is cool. However, during the semester holidays (week after next) it's closed, and they're keeping the top floors, where the international students (including me) live, closed, as it costs them too much money. Or something like that. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I get my own flat! Myself and one of the other language assistants here, and perhaps another student, get a decent flat outside the Studentenheim, as of next Friday.

The wonder of indpendance again! I can make breakfast whenever the hell I feel like it, I don't have to go all the way downstairs to brew a cup of tea, I get a TV to watch Olympic hockey on, I get to cook....it's all cool :)

So, that's something to look forward to. Only thing I need to sort out is an internet connection. I'm not sure if this network (wireless, naturally :)) will stretch that far, so I might have to set up broadband, but that's no worries. I need it for A) Research for my essays, B) Useful lesson planning resources, and C) Keeping in touch with folk at home, so as long as I set one up it's all grand.

Also, I've got to comment a little bit on the bitchin' playlist I've just made in iTunes. A bit of everything, really, but it goes really well together. On the way to work, I had Sheryl Crowe, Catch 22, the Foo Fighters and Better than Ezra (from the soundtrack to Empire Records. Great film, by the way), and I felt it needed mentioned. So there.

Right, I'm off for a brew. Gotta have some comforts from home here, so Tetley it is.

Dammit!!

I just typed loads into this, then completely accidentally closed the tab I was working in! Dammit, dammit, dammit....I'll try to recreate it as best I can!

So, as I was saying, I went to Bratislava yesterday, which I really enjoyed. It's a pretty nice city (though with the ever present reminders of the Soviet style system that there used to be, like the big grey masses of apartment blocks outside the centre), and the Old Town is beautiful. Quite similar to Prague in architecture, but with less spires, and a more compact feel to it. There's *way* less people there too, so it's quite nice and quiet.

It felt a bit odd, getting on a train for a couple of hours and ending up in another country. It's probably just 'cause I've lived in Britain all my life, but that sort of thing's just not possible there! I mean, I spend something like £30 all day (or the equivalent of, in Euros then Slovak Crowns), and that included transport, food and entrance to the Castle (recommended, by the way - it's cheap, interesting, and perched on a cliff 200 odd meters above the old town, which makes for some lovely views!

I've really not done a great deal since I got back - sent some emails, uploaded my photos onto my laptop (I'll stick one in this post :)), and sat and watched the snow fall outside. After a couple of days of relative warmth (well, it got above 0 for the first time since I've been back), it's now chilly, pretty and covered in snow again, which is nice. And I just about jumped out of my skin, 'cause a bird flew into the window two feet away from my head...

Anyway, I feel I've achieved something this weekend. Another country visited, saw a cool city, took some nice photos, and am about to get properly started with the first of my two essays for Uni. "Totalitarianism or Fascism, which word describes the German National Socialist movement the best?", roughly translated....

At the river.....

...is the song I can't get out of my head at the moment. You know, that Groove Armada one. Which is good, as it's quite relaxing. Not normally my bag, but I'm enjoying it.

Anyway, apologies for that slightly random beginning. It's been an interesting week. One in which I've singularly failed in my aim to update this more often. I do genuinely plan to, as I can rant with the best of them, but stuff keeps getting in the way. I swear, once my fun life of adventure and travel kicks off again (....he exaggerates...) then I'll have some more stuff to post, I'd imagine. In particular, look out for some pretty pictures of Slovakia this weekend.

I've been thinking this week (largely to having read Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" for one of the classes I'm teaching) about the wonder that is modern technology. As I sat reading that book, headphones in, on a plane last month - anybody who's read it will note the irony there - I noticed how dependant we've become on it. But no, this isn't one of those rants....no no no, this is altogether more positive. Maybe it's 'cause I'm a long way from home, and I use various means (read: my laptop) to keep in touch with *everybody* that I noticed it more this year. I'm by no means dependant on technology these days, and I could survive without most of it, it's just that it's damn useful!

Basically, the vision in that book of a future without books, without real relationships etc....doesn't seem quite so real to me. Some of his predictions are pretty close to the truth, which is remarkable for a book that was written 50 odd years ago, but it was a pretty negative description, on the whole. Now, I'm not one of those people who spends way too much time in front of a computer screen - I'd much prefer a pair of skates, stick and a puck to sitting inside :) - but I love the way how, right now, I'm typing this, while talking to somebody in China, one in Edinburgh and one in St.Andrews. I reckon we've struck a pretty good balance, personally :)

I'm really not sure where I'm going with this. The class I was discussing the book with are younger than me, and they're a pretty trendy bunch, but they loved it, particularly as being young kids, they love a bit of techy stuff.

(Okay, I saved this last night, as I was forcibly dragged downstairs to party, so couldn't finish it :))

Last night was fun - had a party downstairs for one of the girls birthdays, which was all fun and games. Thursday was chosen as nobody had classes on Friday morning....except me! As it turned out, I started work at 7:45 today, so couldn't stay up too late, dammit all.....but on an amusing note, when I went downstairs to have breakfast this morning, at least 5 people were there having not gone to bed yet. It was that kind of a party.

Anyway, I'm going to Bratislava tomorrow, so I should hopefully have some nice photos to post on Sunday. Just now, I'm off to say goodbye to some of the students here who are leaving, then, seeing as I always end entries like this, to get some food!

Later :P

I'm back....

Well then, my plan of updating this more often hasn't worked so much....but I've got a good excuse! I'll try more often now.... :)

So yes, I'm now back in Austria, freezing my ass off, after a fantastic two-week long holiday at home. I didn't actually do that much, aside from spend time with family and friends, but that's exactly what I planned to do, so it was great!

I got back on Sunday night, for starting work on Monday, and it's pretty much been business as usual since then. Except a lot colder - I walked to work on Tuesday and it was -11 outside. It is *not* warm!

Still though, despite only being back for a few days, I've successfully planned quite a lot of the next few months. For starters, the first weekend in February I'm going to Kent to see my girlfriend for a few days, as it coincides with my week long semester break from school. I get back on Wednesday, and am going to somewhere-yet-to-be-decided with folk from here after that, apparently. Then, after Tasj and a couple of friends from Uni arrive in Vienna, there are plans afoot to go to Budapest, and we quite fancied Croatia too....

Anyway, enough about me for now. I've just realised, by the way, that I can post photos on this. I have a Photobucket album that I use for that, but I'll stick a couple on here just as a wee test. I took a couple of cool ones of the snow when I was at home, so I'll use them. There's plenty snow here, but I've yet to go out with my camera yet! (Just put one on at the top - taken from my bedroom window at home a couple of weeks ago)

Speaking of photos, I'm going to have to take some next time we go skating. It's all the more fun that I've got skates now, as hired ones hurt! But I feel I have to share the old-time hockey nature of this particular rink, when if you get hit over the boards, you land in two feet of snow! It's great!

Anyway, I've also recently rediscovered some cracking tunes I've got, but hadn't listened to in ages. This week, I have mostly been listening to some older Semisonic, and the best of Hootie and the Blowfish, with some Lagwagon thrown in for good measure.

What else...oh yeah, I've just looked at the (reasonably small) level of traffic I get here, and realised, rather disturbingly, that a few people actually read this. So, if you do, feel free to leave a comment or two. As you may have noticed, I tend to ramble about nothing in particular, so if you'd like to contribute, please do! Try not to be too abusive :)

Right, that'll do for now. I actually do plan on updating this more often nowadays, so hopefully I'll stick to that...but for now, I'm hungry.

Later :)