Weeks fly by incredibly fast when you're having fun/have tons to do...
We started German classes this week for summer semester, and it looks like we lucked out when it comes to teachers. Both of them, Patrick and Peter, are doing unit studies, which is really good since I'm actually getting some more challenging technical terms to learn that will broaden my vocabulary. Class starts earlier now, so that instead of having to be in city center at 1:30pm, we now have to be at class at 9:30am, which is a change for the better in my opinion. The one drawback is spending two hours in the unconditioned upper floor of the institute. It's been pretty hot and humid lately, and I miss air conditioning.
We have one other new class on art that replaced our architecture class (we finished that up on Tuesday). It's with Professor Isaac, a BYU professor who arrived in Austria with her family a few days ago who seems really cool/knowledgeable. Her goal is to help all of us have aesthetic experiences with the amazing art here in Vienna. "I'm not naive enough to believe that it will happen to all of you" she told us, "but I want to give you all the tools and opportunities I can to do it." What is an aesthetic experience? A brush with art/music/literature/a play etc. that inspires you and engulfs you so that you loose all track of time. It strikes you to the very core. Needless to say, I'm quite excited to oblige her and have one of those experiences asap!
Let's see... other fun things that happened this week...
Wednesday Lillian and I went on splits with the sisters again. It's such good experience, especially since I've been getting excited about serving a mission lately. Sister Frier and I went to visit a woman who had accepted a Book of Mormon. She said she couldn't invite us in just then, but she wanted the sisters to come back and give her son a Book of Mormon as well. Next we went to visit Billiana who wasn't home yet when we got there, so we talked with her grandmother who happened to be there and set up an appointment for next time. Saturday I joined the sisters again to go visit Billiana and we had a really good visit. She came to church today, which I was really happy about. We'll see what happens!
Thursday we decided to celebrate Phil's b-day with some apple pie. The people at the outreach center were kind enough to let us use their kitchen, and I made one of the biggest apple pies in the history of mankind and it tasted amazing! We actually ended up using only one pie, so we took the other one home to give to our host family. That half made up for the lack of apple pie on the fourth of July (I still missed it).
Instead of enjoying apple pie together, our whole study abroad group went out to lunch at an old famous restaurant where they served big roasted pork shanks accompanied by potato and cabbage salad and french fries. Needless to say it was DELICIOUS!! Later that night I heard fireworks going on, which naturally surprised me. Grabbing my camera I sped outside to find out what was really going on. I started filming the fireworks, and then I just couldn't help myself... I started singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" as loudly as I could manage. It was so exhilarating... patriotism filled my soul and resonated in every note. On the last line I noticed some dark figures leaning out of windows and over balconies, and realized I wasn't alone. I finished the last line, and was shocked with applause from both sides of the street. Laughing in awe and disbelief I ran back to the gate, let Tasha in, and enjoyed an evening with her doing homework and watching "Our Mutual Friend", which is officially one of my favorite movies of all time.
Friday the fabulous four (Lillian, Chelsea, Tasha and I) took a train to Bratislava to hang out for the day. The heat/humidity were kind of hard to handle, and I had a really bad soar throat alll day, but aside from that our walk through the city was fun. Lunch was interesting... I ordered what the waitress suggested, which was some kind of pork schnitzel with cheese and ham, but when it arrived it was still raw in spots. Not especially appetizing. I sent it back to have it cooked some more, but somehow had trouble enjoying it after I had seen the pink flesh. We saw a couple of cool churches, explored their crypts/treasure chambers and made our way to the fortress on the top of the hill overlooking the entire city to enjoy the view. Meandering down we saw a few more churches, explored the market place, saw the changing of the guards at the ?presidential/parliamentary? palace, and headed back to Vienna in time to go to the activity at the outreach center that night.
I'm kind of sick just now... the soar throat I had on Friday sadly got worse, and I've got a full on cold now that is exceedingly bothersome, but I'm still doing alright and enjoying myself.
Hope you are all doing well too, and to hear from you soon!!!
Love,
Margaret
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