Success!!!

...and the first draft of essay #1 is done! Now all that needs to be done is proofreading, checking grammar and footnoting, then I'm done. Phew.

Anyway, that's put me in a fairly good mood (enhanced by the fact that we're getting pizza in tonight :)). But given that that's all I've been doing today, there's not a great deal else to say....

Ah well, I'll leave it at that for now. I'll post again this week, then I'm not around at the weekend, and I'll let you know how that goes :)

Later :)

More adventure....

Well, kind of.

We went to Dürnstein on Thursday, which is a wee town about 5 miles down the valley from where I live. I'd been there before, but somehow didn't quite appreciate the stunning beauty of it - it really is fantastic. Plus, this time we (we, being me and Tasj) had time to climb up the big hill with a great big castle on it (where, randomly enough, Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned a long, long time ago...), with some absolutely breathtaking views of the valley around the Danube. I'll stick a picture up next to this, and you can find a couple more here - HERE

So yeah, that was fun, and the next few weeks promise to be rather interesting too. In chronological order we have...my birthday, a trip to Budapest, then the start of the Easter holidays which involve a trip round Austria (Salzburg, Innsbruck and Bregenz + the Bodensee/Lake Constance). Then after that I think I only have 5 weeks of actual work left, which is a tad alarming.

Anyway, I've got today and tomorrow to finish off my first essay. I really just want it done, then I can get on with everything else, including essay #2 and quite a lot of reading. Essay #2 promises to be less tough-going, as it's about Arthur Schnitzler, a satirical Viennesse playwrite from the turn of the 19th/20th centuries, rather than the altogether more hardcore debating about extreme right-wing political theories that I'm riveted to just now....

So yeah, the weather's still okay, for a change. It actually feels *warm* sometimes, which takes some getting used to. It sadly means that the local rink here won't be around for much longer, being outside....I think it comes down in April. Damn.

Right, gotta work lots this week to make up for next weekend galavanting off to other countries......

I've always wondered...

...you know that episode of the Simpsons where Sideshow Bob comes to kill Bart, after getting paroled from prison? The one where he explains his "Die Bart, Die" tattoo by saying, "It's German for 'The Bart, The'"? Well, I'd always wondered how that would work when it was dubbed into German...now I know! They showed that episode last night...

Turns out that it's just not as funny. He says exactly the same thing, translated directly, which is all well and good, except for the writing's in English and he says "That's German (i.e, the language he is speaking) for "The Bart, The". Which is good, but of course he says "Das ist Deutsch, für "Die Bart, Die". Which is what it says anyway. I'm guessing non-native English speakers would still probably get it, though.

I'm really not sure why that interested me, I'm sure it may not have interested quite a few of you, but there you go. It's not my fault you read this. So :P

:)

Nearly there...

...with essay #1. Well, kindof. I'm at about 2200 words just now after doing a small bit every day, but I think I'm going to increase how much I write every day, 'cause I really want to get this finished. Debating extreme right-wing political theory in a foreign language can sometimes grate on you a little bit....and I want it done, put to one side, so I can get on with everything else. So that's where my efforts are concentrated this week.

As an update to my fairly regular rant about the weather and to the positive sounding-ness of the last post, it is indeed Spring! Today was almost *warm*!!

Anyway, not a lot else to say at the moment - I have all of 10 days left of being 19, which is a tad odd (though thanks to my rather legendary future-flatmates from home, I recieved a nice parcel, I assume for my birthday, in the post today :)), but I am going to a new country the weekend after I turn 20, which is cool. I'm really looking forward to it :)

Sunshine....

...for the first time in ages! It's a whole 4 degrees above freezing too, and it feels warm. My perceptions of hot and cold are skewed, I swear.

Anyway, I've just watched the mildly entertaining thumping the Rangers gave the Leafs last night - Jagr gets his 100th point of the year - which is a good way to start a day, really :)

So anyway, life's good at the moment. Went out to the pub in Vienna on Friday night, which was fun...and for the first time in a wee while I've actually got a Sunday with nothing to do. Well, I've got work to do, but it's going to be done in a fairly relaxed fashion - still, nothing else happens in this country on a Sunday, so I can take it easy and still be productive :)

Anyway, as was mentioned to me in the pub the other night, there's plans afoot to go to Italy for a few days in June before I fly home....so my schedule for next couple of months is looking rather nice! My birthday, then Budapest, then two weeks 'till the Easter holidays, then 5/6 weeks of work left, then Italy, then home! It's weird, time goes really quickly sometimes...

Speaking of home - I've also got something that needs done. I'm apparently aquiring my brother's car when I go back, as a replacement for Betty, and I'm trying to think of a name for her. Small, red Peugeot 106....feel free to make suggestions :)

Anyhow, I should probably go and try to do some work - I've not posted much on here in the last week or so, 'cause I've not really been up to much, but I shall attempt to do so more often. You might even get pretty pictures if you're lucky ;)

Sunday afternoon...

And I'm taking a break from work. I feel I've earned it - I'm onto the second phase of my German grammar learning program thingy, which involves typing, rather than writing, the notes. Did one chapter today (I type faster than I write, apparently) and am about to commence with some more essaying.

Life's pretty good, it must be said. I was in Vienna for most of the weekend- we went out for a *fantastic* meal on Friday night. A little place vaguely near the Hofburg which served some great Austrian-ey stuff. I don't often marvel at food, but it was *that* good. A sly bit of partying came after that, at a shindig organised by the Erasmus student network (I'm not an Erasmus student, but I know folk who are! :))

Anyway, one of my flatmates left on Friday, as she was only here on a placement for a couple of weeks anyway. She was very cool to have around, so we'll miss her. Once again, the makeup of my flat seems to change on a fairly regular basis.

Speaking of flat-related stuff, I'm also pleased that we ("we" being, the girls in Vienna and some of their aquaintances) are off to Budapest in a few weeks, roughly coinciding with my birthday. Should be great fun - new country, new city, and apparently rather a cool one at that!

Right, I'm off to write some more essay...I'll try and post here more often, as life's fairly good and fairly interesting at the moment! :)

Sunday night...

...and I've had a hell of a productive week. However, I'm sure I've ranted about that already. What I'll rant about this time is how much I fail to understand the weather in this country.

Last week was getting warmer. I know my perceptions of hot and cold are now a bit skewed, as 3 degrees is now 'warm', but it was nice and sunny. Then suddenly a foot of snow falls overnight! I think the word is "erratic". Still, everything looks really cool outside. It made walking home from the train station today somewhat of an adventure too, when that thing you step on that looks like a grass verge is actually 2 feet of piled up snow.....

Check out the photo - that's taken from my front door :)

Anyway, I had a cracking evening in Vienna last night, with Tasj, the Jenny/ies and various new aquaintances of theirs, and now I'm back. Work tomorrow, then Uni work, then some more of Faust to read.....

Well then...

...my work-plan is actually going well! Nearly hit the 1000 word on my first essay and I've written a fairly alarmingly large stack of grammar notes. The best thing is that it's actually sticking in my head! I've remembered that I do actually really enjoy my subject, and rather than doing what I'd been doing and trying to avoid work recently, I'm actually enjoying it. All in all, I'm pleased with my plan, and the fact that I'm being disciplined enough to stick to it :)

Anyway, after tomorrow's allotted work I'm off to Vienna (as I often am these days) to see Tasj and the girls, which will be fun. I like this new making-the-most of my time thing...I was a bit scared I'd have no free time, but it's definitely not the case :)

Oh, and the Rangers thumped the Flyers 6-1 last night. Just to top off my good mood....right, in the immortal words of Falco, Vienna is most definitely Calling, so...later :)