So the reason I haven’t posted anything in the last few days is that all my classes have now started (translation, I actually have to do work). I’m continuing with the German language that I started during the first three weeks, and we’re currently studying excerpts from the book Das Parfum. It’s an interesting one as the main character has no personal smell but he does have an amazing sense of smell. Basically he becomes obsessed with scent in general and murders a bunch of girls in order to get their smells. Add Austrian literature to the extremely un-uplifting category that German literature belongs to. Surprisingly, no one has died in the libretti from the opera Der Rosenkavalier we’re reading in my Austria in Text and Film class.

My (much needed) opera exposure has continued in my Music Survey class. The prerequisite for the class was, “Ability to read music and familiarity with the basic elements of harmony.” Right. Despite my total ignorance when it comes to anything dealing with music, I’m rather enjoying the class. Broadening my horizons, I guess you could say. Maybe one day I’ll be able to piece some sense out of our readings, such as, “The tonality on II, for example, although apparently close to I, is actually one of the most remote, or most contradictory in its relation to the tonic, simply because the tonic I creates a dominant seventh chord out of the major triad on II (supertonic) by adding its fundamental note, or root, to it.”

Rounding out my so liberal arts, so not-science schedule are History of the Habsburg Empire and Cultural History of Austria. For the cultural history class, we got to visit some Roman ruins yesterday, and we also have a couple of excursions planned for the Habsburg class. Yeah for field trips!

Outside of class, I’ve been trying out some cafés. The other night was disastrous though, when I tried to order some ice cream and tap water but ended up with a mélange. Let’s just say I don’t deal well with coffee level caffeine. I’ve also been a faithful customer of Zielpunkt (way better than the Billa grocery store). If you ever go grocery shopping in Austria, though, always bring your own bag because they aren’t provided. And you must be a deft packer or else your purchases may be shoved off the short counter. One form of entertainment has been attending soccer games. Rapid Wien is totally the team to follow in the Austrian league, and I’m definitely buying the T-Shirt that says “Wien ist eure Hauptstadt” (translation, “Vienna is your capital city”).

l-r: Me, Erin, and Rachael cheering it up at a recent game.