First Day of School (teaching)

Monday, the last day of September, included a special event at my school. The former principal was officially giving over the reigns to the old history teacher, so there was an official assembly and lunch that I was invited to.  Before I could partake, I had some errands to run including picking up my residency permit and opening my bank account. 

First, my residency permit required 40 Euro and 2 minutes-- supes easy and now I'm officially NOT on my Schengen days! I can legally stay until July 12th!

My second task proved to be harder.  Opening a bank account requires an address, which can only officially be proved by an annoying document known as the Meldezettel, it is essentially proof that you registered with the city you live in, and even if you have a signed and stamped rental agreement it DOES NOT MATTER. The Meldezettel is the water of life in Austria. 

"Oh you'd like to climb out mountain's? Buy shampoo? MELDEZETTEL PLEASE. 

Strangely enough, when getting my residency permit, they actually didn't want proof of residency, weird, right??? So, when I brought my RESIDENCY permit with me to the bank BECAUSE I LIVE HERE, they still needed to see a Meldezettel, which I did have on me at the time.  

But, when someone in Austrian doesn't want to help you?

 YOU GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Austria is what is known as an asking country, not a telling country.  You just have to keep asking and asking and asking. For someone, like me, who is rather (or likes to think she is) independent, this is a tough task to get used to. 

So,  I went to the next Sparkasse down the road and explained my situation and the HELPED ME HAPPILY.  Mr. Gutjahr (great name btw) apparently already helped "one of my people" and was so enthused and confused as to why and American would come all the way to Austria.  With a bank account acquired I can hopefully begin to receive payment for my upcoming work.  How did this work go?  Let's discuss!

I arrived on time for the even on Monday, which involved meeting all of the teachers, around 40, drinking sekt and eating pretzel sandwiches.  One of the fellow English teachers, Linde, dropped me off at home (she was curious and self-proclaimed nosey, as to where I was living) -- there was something about her personality that reminded me of an American, maybe it was her openness?  She just seeming like someone you wanted to hug.  That might seem weird, but I got a very kind vibe from her. 

Today, I got up a little before 6 (class starts at 7:30 and my bus left at 6:50) and went to the first hour with Inge (she is very tall, fashionable, and organized).  My first class was of younger kids, all around 14, with wonderful english skills.  They could all tell me where they were from, their favorite hobbies and how many siblings they had.  They had just learned how to ask questions, so each student asked me very proper, non-offensive questions.  This differs greatly to the second class, who weren't originally students at Ursprung, rather they study agriculture vocationally and are now doing a Aufbaulehrgang, which is an additional certification, I believe?  They are all 19 or so and were VERY interested in whether I 1) was Married 2) had a boyfriend 3) did I have an Austrian number? 4) where did I live?.  We eventually got the conversation focused on them.  

I asked them where they lived, where they thought I should visit, and then I asked them all if they had Lederhosen and Dirndln -WHY SO MANY CONSONANTS?- and they looked at me as if I were a crazy person, "of course."  

So, I asked whether I should get one and why?  They were very enthused by this question and told me yes, because they are nice.  Especially if I am going to be there on the 1st of May.  On that day, which they could not tell me the name of, they stand a tree and you can climb it because there are bretzels and things on it. Adorable.  So, I guess I will be buying a Dirndl so I can climb a tree to get my bretzel. 

Can't wait for May!

Things are super well, I'm very peaceful and slowly getting settled in and not rushing a single thing.  

Alles bestens!

Orientation and settling in Viehhausen-Lengfelden, Gemeinde Bergheim, Salzburg Umgebung, Austria

Friday September 27, 2013:

I returned from a four-day retreat with the Austrian-American Education Commission (a subsidiary of the Fulbright Commission) and around 80 other teaching assistants and am now living in my fully-furnished, studio apartment in Viehausen (part of the town of Bergheim).  

Early on Monday, I ran a variety of errands before departing for Hinterglemm.  First, I had to get a Vorteilskarte and buy my train ticket.  The Vorteilskarte (card of benefits!)which allows me to travel on Austrian trains at a significantly lower rate (sometimes up to 50%!).  That task was much easier than anticipated (the train station attendant simply took a photo of me on her cell-phone and I paid and signed: simple!), then I had to run up to Viehausen and officially commit to the studio on the farm.  Following that I was to go to the Meldeamt of Bergheim (essentially the town hall).  Upon arriving at the Gierlingers farm, Sonja (one half of the landlord team) enthusiastically led me into their dining room and gave me the rental agreement.  After telling her I was heading to the Meldemant, she insisted that she drive me.  This was a more-than-welcome gesture, as the bus from my soon-to-be house to the center of Bergheim is inconvenient.  She is a very happy and curious lady and does not hold back the Salzburger dialect, which is Mittlebayerisch and nothing I’ve ran before.  

All my errands ran so smoothly I ended up taking an earlier train to Zell am See (en route to Hinterglemm) and napping by the beautiful lake!

From Z.a.S. I took the bus up to Hinterglemm and arrived at our conference center early enough to walk around the town, grab a beer and chat with a few of the other assistants (one was a student at Oxford, the others were graduates from Texas and Virginia).  It was not long until we were bombarded with herds of english-speakers, I almost felt sorry for this tiny resort town! 

The first day we were split up into groups according to Bundestaat, so i was with the 17 other Salzburgers (the whole state, not just the city).  We played name games, ate dinner, and then the AAEC served us plenty of beer and wine.  

Day two involved intensive sessions on games and role playing activities to encourage conversation, how to properly work with texts and internet resources and most importantly, how to survive the Austrian bureaucracy and school system ( who is who? whose title is it MOST important to remember, etc.).  

Day three included some sessions, but focused on developing a lesson to present in front of our peers.  My partner and I worked on a presentation on renewable and non-renewable sources of energy and then we headed UP the mountain.  The Reiterkogel was the name of the hike and my-oh-my was it worth it!  

Day four involved our presentations, feed back, and then preparation for our celebratory evening.  For the creative presentations our group opted for the Sound of Music in 60 seconds -- I was a hill, quite alive with some music.  Then we learned scottish dance, presented our skits, and then headed to the Hexen Häusel for our celebratory evening.  I headed back with enough time to join some singers at the piano. 

This morning I rode back and my Betreuungsleherin, Karin, picked me up and we jetted off to Ikea and to fill in all the blanks of my apartment.  

sunday...

The first Sunday of every trip I've made to Europe is a day I never forget.  You see, everything is closed on Sundays.  I mean everything.  So, if you loose track of your days (which one tends to do while traveling) you picture yourself going to the grocery, etc.  Oh no, not on Sunday!

I learn this the hard way every time I come over here, and then NEVER EVER AGAIN do I forget.  

Luckily, my Betreuungsleherin Karin came and picked me up and let me join her and her boyfriend for a "proper" lunch in their garden.  It was super sunny and warm today and absolutely wonderful.  We had roasted veggies and potatoes and pork chops.  Delosh.  

They got me a seasonal Stiegl fall beer:

& served Sturm, which is fermented "young" wine:  WAS IST STURM???

I believe I'm officially committing to the apartment in the country.  It is fully furnished and the people are lovely (as well as the nature!).

That is all from me, tomorrow I train out to Saalbach-Hinterglemm for our week long orientation.  I hope to learn a lot and make some good connections with my fellow teaching assistants!

   

Day 3 please give me a home.

You know that feeling of relief after a stressful time?  When you laugh at your past-self for being so unnecessarily worried, because everything did indeed work out?

Well, I'm not there.

I'm that past-self who is very, very worried about where I'm going to live.

I visited my intended apartment.  It is on an adorable farm, with a sheep dog and a barn cat.  The family is wonderfully pleasant and the room overlooks a lovely field and the mountains.  What more could I possibly ask for?

Maybe a washing machine?
That is the sticking point.
But, do I really need clean clothes? Like, really?

Yes.  That is a fact.  I, as a runner, need to be able to wash out all of my stinky running clothes and teach in a presentable manner.

But seriously, it is a beautiful apartment, affordable and outside of the city, which concerns one of my teachers.  "What if you want to go out?" I mean, it's 6 miles....

So, what are your thoughts?  How terrible is life schlepping around one's laundry?

Let's all hope that I find a home soon. 

In Salzburg -- I'M SAFE!

I have arrived!

After one long flight and one quick one, I hopped on the regional train from the Eastern Munich train-station and headed to Salzburg.  The train ride was about 2 hours and stupidly beautiful.  Riding through Oberbayern and then into the Salzburger Alps was pretty terrible.  I saw things like this town (Traunstein):

& I saw the tips of these mountains, over some glorious, stereotypical rolling hills which I cannot wait to more up close:

I got into the city, easily found my hostel, checked in, wrote some emails and them opted to go for a run to induce as much fatigue as possible.  I got a little lost and about 1,000 disgruntled Austrians/European disapproved of my bare (not bear) arms, but it worked.  After a small dinner of yogurt (HELLO DAIRY! NOMNOMNOM) and a beer at the hostel's happy hour -- I chatted with my bunk mate, a base-jumper from Australia-- I passed out at 8:30 pm (here time).

Today I'm officially registerring with the city, going to see my apt., and checking out my school! I'll try to take as many photos as possible!

All 'n all I'm safe and sound (of music, bahahaha).

oh this year.

I suppose that with my pending departure, I should start recording my thoughts, right?  People like that, right?  

Hmmm, it is of irrelevance whether "you all" (whomever you might be) like it or not, I just need a good, solid, electronic-outlet for myself.  

I need to feel a little more confident in which direction my life seems to be traveling... 
while I travel. 

Graduating from college is an experience that leaves you, in my strong, strong opinion (I promise, I hardly have any of those!), with too many open doors.  Particularly if you, like me, majored and studied a variety of subjects with no clear course of action... Accounting? Nope.  Pre-med?  Chyea-right.  German and Political Science with an emphasis on minority rights and the Roma? You-betcha! 

So, with no clear path in mind I camped, hiked, and wrote resumes all summer only to end up selling running shoes at a local shop in Tacoma, Washington.  While, there is a link to my passion for running here, it was not necessarily what my bleeding-liberal-humanrightsoriented-heart had in mind.  

But, when live gives you... 
melons (you might be dyslexic)... 
lemons(!) you just make do.  

So, this year, I ran, I wrote, I read and I sold and accumulated a LOT of shoes. 

I should count them for s&g's, but I digress.

Perks of taking a year "off"?

Getting to know a new-ish city (yeah Tacoma!), spending much needed time with family and friends from the area, becoming a regular at a bar (go Red Hot!), gaining business, retail and customer service experience, getting offered a promotion and salary (while not worth it, still exciting!), casual dating, learning to budget like a real person (rent, utilities, loans, credit cards, does it stop?) catching up on television, READING books I WANT to read and, in general, taking a breather from the American-GoGoGO-style of life.  Sometimes, actually at ALL times, when you're 23, you don't and shouldn't have it all figured out and you should just enjoy life and its occasional slow pace.  

Well, that is just a slight reflection on the things that are crossing my mind.  Now, I realize I really like parenthesis, dashes, exclamation points and commas! Hurrah!