And just like that, it's over

Today was the last day of finals. I don't know what to say. I'll probably write a more in-depth post when I'm on my way to Munich tomorrow. But, for now, all I have to say is that I'm really sad to say good bye to everyone and everything here.

And so it begins...

I just started going through school papers, random maps, ticket stubs, and pamphlets that I've accumulated throughout the semester. I can't throw them all away, that would be too sad. Instead, I've decided to sit and go through every single piece and choose what I want to keep and what I need to throw out. This has been the beginning of a tedious process and I don't want to do it. It's just making me even sadder about leaving. Although, it is nice to remember fun memories by going through all of this.

Time for bed, I have a final in the morning!

Gustavo Dudamel und der Wiener Philharmoniker

I just wrote a paper about my time at the Musikverein to see Gustavo Dudamel conduct the Vienna Philharmonic. I decided that it would be a good idea to just copy and paste it here, so you can all read about my experience! Also, I feel like I should have done this earlier...I've had to write 4 papers about concerts I've been to for this class and I don't know why I never thought of just posting them all up here. Oh well, whatevs. Here's this one, enjoy!:

(Also, ignore the random citations...)

Being a Los Angeles native, when I found out that Gustavo Dudamel was going to be in Vienna to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic, I knew I had to attend the concert. The concert took place on Saturday, 10 December 2011 in the Großer Saal of the Musikverein at 3:30 pm. In addition to Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, the program also named a solo Clarinetist: Matthias Schorn. The program was comprised of three pieces and lasted for a total of two hours. The pieces performed included “Don Juan” Op. 20 by Richard Strauss, a clarinet concerto “Ego eimi” / ”Ich bin” from the cycle “Montafon” by Herbert Willi, and Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56 (“Scottish”) by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

            Having purchased standing room tickets, I arrived at the Musikverein quite early to claim my spot. Unfortunately, they do not open the doors until one hour before the concert begins, so I was forced to stand outside for about an hour before finally being let into the warm building. While waiting outside, I met a woman from Germany who comes to Vienna dozens of times every year to simply watch operas, go to concerts, and enjoy the Viennese culture. Since I had never been to the Musikverein before, she told me a little bit about the process of standing room there. It was also beneficial that other IES students who had been to the Musikverein before were there, too. When we were let inside and upstairs, right outside the standing room, I was prepared for the mad dash to find a good spot. The bell rang and everyone ran to claim his or her spot. Luckily, I was able to stand right in front, near the center, and had a perfect view of the stage.

            The Musikverein is a beautiful building that is covered with gold decorations and statues. I was intrigued by the set up of the stage, as I had never seen one that had different levels for the orchestra rows – it was like stadium seating on the stage. However, this arrangement makes sense, considering the audience seats are completely flat instead of stadium-style. I also think it makes it easier for the audience to really watch the musicians play their instruments. As 3:30 neared, we all waited anxiously until the concert finally began.

            The musicians walked out and were greeted with a generous applause. When Gustavo Dudamel walked onto the stage, the audience’s applause grew slightly louder and the concert began with Strauss’ “Don Juan,” Op. 20. One of my favorite things to observe about Dudamel when he conducts is his hair. At the beginning of every concert, he walks out with his hair neatly slicked back and out of his face. However, throughout the performance, it swiftly falls out of place and his curly hair becomes more visible. Dudamel conducts with a unique level of energy and passion that I have not seen in other conductors. He never stands still, with both feet planted into the ground, for more than a second – if that. He is constantly bouncing around, swaying, and moving with the music. It is through his large, sweeping movements that one can tell how passionate Dudamel is about the music he conducts.

            The first piece was beautifully done and the musicians prepared for the second piece: the clarinet concerto “Ego eimi” / “Ich bin” from the cycle “Montafon” by Herbert Willi. Willi is a contemporary Austrian composer who was born in 1956 (“Herbert Willi”). He has won numerous awards and competitions and has traveled all over the world to perform and conduct music. Willi composed this clarinet concerto, which was commissioned by the Salzburg Festival, to mark Mozart’s 250^th birthday in 2006. The clarinet concerto is the third part of his cycle “Montafon,” which comprises the Concerto for trumpet and orchestra “Eirene” and the Double Concerto for flute, oboe, and orchestra “…geraume Zeit…” (“Work of the Week”). This was my favorite piece of the afternoon. The concerto is comprised of calmer, slow movements as well as rich and virtuosic clarinet solos. There are several moments throughout the piece in which an almost jazz-like theme emerges with a great percussion part. Having been the principal clarinetist of the Vienna Philharmonic since 2007, this was Matthias Schorn’s debut as a soloist with the Vienna Philhamarmonic; he had an amazing performance (“Matthias Schorn”). At the end of the piece, the audience applauded loudly – even more so when Herbert Willi, himself, walked on stage from the audience. I felt very honored to have seen this piece performed with the composer sitting in the same room.

            After a short intermission, we all returned to our spots to enjoy the last piece of the concert: Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56 by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Although I love watching Dudamel conduct and I think the Vienna Philharmonic is an amazing orchestra, this was my least favorite piece. It may have had to do with the piece’s length, combined with the fact that I had already been standing for about an hour, but I just did not enjoy this piece as much as I enjoyed the first two – especially the clarinet concerto. However, I did still like the second half of the concert and loved every second of being at the Musikverein.

            When the concert came to a close, the performers received a standing ovation from the audience and the applause lasted for a very long time. The audience began to dissipate and I decided to explore more of the Musikverein. As I was walking down a hallway that ran along the left-hand side of the Großer Saal, I noticed that there was a small group of people gathered around the side stage door at the end of the hall. As I got closer, I realized why they were there: Gustavo Dudamel was right there, signing autographs, taking pictures, and talking with them. Obviously, I immediately freaked out and managed to squeeze my way right next to him. After waiting my turn, I was able to get Dudamel’s autograph and take a picture with him. I also told him that I am from Los Angeles and have seen him conduct at the Hollywood Bowl before. I was definitely a bit star-struck after our interaction and I left the Musikverein with a huge smile on my face. This may have been my favorite performance that I have seen in Vienna all semester and it might have something to do with the fact that I got to meet Gustavo Dudamel. The Vienna Philharmonic gave an amazing performance and I am very glad that I was able to see them before leaving Vienna.

ME AND GUSTAVO DUDAMEL

Der Musikverein

Post-College Plans?

Today, I decided that I'm going to apply to be a Student Assistant with my study abroad program in Vienna after I graduate from college. I spoke with one of the staff members about it and our talk made me excited for it. Since the date of my return to the United States is quickly approaching, I've realized how much I'm going to miss being in Vienna. This has been an amazing experience. I've had my ups and my downs, but it was worth it all in the end. I couldn't have imagined going through four years of college and not studying abroad. I am so glad that I did this. I'm going to miss this so much. Going back to the United States (back to real school) is going to be weird; it'll take some getting used to.
I really really want to come back here, so why not?! I kind of can't wait until I can finally apply for the position...but, I have to wait another year until I can do that. Wow, I can't believe I'm half way done with my junior year. I graduate in 1.5 years!
Okay, this post needs to end now, I'm thinking about too many things and freaking myself out haha


Now, back to studying for finals and writing more papers! YAY

Wait, my program ends in FIVE days?!

Tonight, my class went to our German teacher’s house in Baden and had a Christmas party/end-of-the-semester celebration. I loved it and it made me want to cry because I realized how much I’m going to miss Vienna, my teachers, and the friends I have made here.
I'll write more later, but now I have to write a paper that I've put off for weeks...good life choices.

Es tut mir leid

I've just given up on writing about Venice and Prague. Sorry, but this semester is flying by and I just don't have much time to write these in-depth posts about what I did on all my trips anymore! I'm also losing steam on writing everything in this blog. So, I'm sorry about that. Instead, I'm just gonna share some fantastic pictures with you all! So, here they are: My trip to Venice in pictures.

It was really foggy when we first got in on Saturday morning

Sneaking illegal pictures in Cathedrals!

The Rialto Markets were beautiful!

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Gondolas!! We didn't go on one, but it's pretty cool seeing them throughout Venice

Our vaporetto ride to the islands of Murano and Burano - it's like a water bus

Venetian masks on Burano

I fell in love with Venice. It was a beautiful place and I could feel the Italian culture seeping out of every corner. I really want to explore more of Italy at some point. It's such a beautiful country and I just love how I felt being there. I was a feeling I could get used to, almost like I could spend some time living there. Did I just say that?! Damn.

I love meeting new people

When I spent a weekend in Prague, I stayed at one of the coolest hostels ever: The Art Hole Hostel. It was a really homey environment and I met some awesome people there. One of them ended up spending the entire day on Sunday with me and Rachael as we explore more of Prague, including the Prague Castle and the John Lennon Wall (Yes, I realize I still have not written my complete adventure in Prague OR Venice...sorry, I'm sucking at doing all those long posts right meow). At the end of the day, we had to catch our bus back to Vienna and say bye to our new friend. However, we exchanged information and added each other on facebook.
This week, that friend was in Vienna! She was only here for two days, so we didn't have much time together. But we were able to hang out today in between my classes and I really enjoyed being able to show someone around Vienna - even though it was only for such a short time!
I think it's amazing how we can keep in contact with so many people via the internet, it really is an amazing thing. I love meeting fellow travelers and hearing their experiences and stories and how they ended up where they currently are. Talking to all of these people is helping me to form my own plan for my post-college travels. It's also really cool to think that I can have someone to hang out with when going to random cities throughout the world.
My next trip is to Krakow in December and I am determined to meet more people and make friends. This is what I've wanted to do while traveling: meet people from all over the world. I've had conversations with plenty of people, but I should actually exchange information with more of them!

Anyway, end random post here.
Bye!

Study Abroad Classes

I don't know if I ever told you all what classes I'm taking with my study abroad program, but I guess I should now that I'm about to write a post about what I've been doing in these classes over the past 3 months - particularly this past week...even though it's only Wednesday.

So, the semester started with a 3-week period of "Intensive German" classes and, let me tell you, they were definitely intense. Three hours of German, five days a week, for three weeks...yea. Intense. But, apparently that was like learning an entire semester of German in three weeks. It paid off pretty well. I mean, I went into this program knowing probably 5 words of German and now I can understand a decent amount!

After Intensive, we had a 10-day break during which I went to Greece. Then, we started the regular semester. My class schedule consists of the following:
Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Management
International Organizations: Case Studies
Music Survey: Classical to the 20th Century
Transition to a Market Economy
Elementary German

Now, studying abroad has allowed me to experience a different classroom setting. Not only are the classes themselves pretty different from the ones I take at Puget Sound, but our professors also give us opportunities to participate in excursions to different places throughout Vienna. Not to mention the fact that the Institute pays for all of these excursions.
During intensive, my German class spent one day at the Palmenhaus Café. Here, we had to order our food and drink in German and interact with the Herr Ober only speaking in German. It was fun and the food was delicious!
Our next German assignment was to go to the Naschmarkt and order food for our class picnic (my partner and I had to get falafels) in German!
Since then, we haven't done anymore German class excursions (oh, well there was one to the Naturhistorisches Museum that I missed to go to Budapest) BUT we are planning a visit to my professor's house to eat foooodd! I'm so excited.

My other classes have finally started to have excursions, too. Actually, one of them had one a few weeks ago...or maybe a month ago? Well, it was my Arts Management class and it was about coffee culture in Vienna. We started out at the McCafé right by the Institute. Now, I know you may be thinking "Really? McDonald's? That's where you started an excursion?" Well, first let me tell you why this was cool: I got a free cappuccino...Okay, but really, I kind of understand why my professor decided to start here. Vienna has such a strong coffee culture and it's something that they're proud of. Going into any café in Vienna is a pretty different experience from going into a café in the United States and it's interesting to see how McDonald's was able to successfully enter the coffee market in a competitive way. Also, the McDonald's here are a million times nicer than the ones in the United States. Leather seats? Okay, maybe it's fake leather, but still! It is so much cleaner and everything just seems to be of a higher standard. Anyway, back to the excursion...after McCafé, we headed to the Nespresso store in the first district and met with the manager and talked about their success in the Austrian market. It was pretty interesting and I got to taste some coffee FOR FREE. Yes, this was a very happy day for me. Two free coffees in one day? Yes puhhhlease.
This same class has also been on two other excursions within the past 3 days. Monday morning, we met at the Dorotheum. Two representatives gave us a quick tour and an overview of what the Dorotheum is and how they operate. It was pretty cool to be able to see their amazing collections or art, design, jewelry, etc. and now I know that the auctions are public! I might try to go to one next week, which is there auction week. They have a painting that's estimated to sell at anywhere from €600,000 to €800,000. Yea, insane.

Today, we met at the Albertina and were given a private tour before the museum opened! We learned a lot about the logistics behind running the museum and it's general operations. Who would have known that anyone can hold a private event in one of those beautiful rooms? Birthdays? Weddings? Parties? Yes. It'll just cost you about €2,000 (depending on the size) and then a few more Euro for the catering...no big deal. Then, we were all given the option to go through the entire museum for free! Unfortunately, I had another class excursion to attend, so I couldn't take advantage of that perk. However, I have been to the Albertina before on the Lange Nacht der Museen, so I'm not too upset about not seeing more of it today.

What was this other excursion, you ask? It was with my International Organizations class to the United Nations Regional Headquarters! Vienna is one of four cities in the world that is home to UN Regional Headquarters. The other three are New York, Geneva, and Nairobi. Here, we got a free tour of the UN, including seeing a conference room in which a conference was actually taking place at the time, and learned a lot of interesting information about the UN (most of it had already been covered in my class, but it was still cool!). I think the UN is amazing. I'm so glad I'm in this class, because I feel like I'm learning so much about all these IGOs and NGOs that I literally knew nothing about beforehand. I'm starting to realize how interconnected and complicated everything is in this world and it blows my mind. The history of the UN is so interesting and learning about all these other international organizations (IAEA, UNESCO, WHO, ECOSOC, etc.) is very cool. This class makes me want to know more about what's going on in our world. It makes me want to stay up to date on as many things I possibly can and it has made me truly realize how everchanging the world really is. I mean, of course it is, right? I just never stay up to date on all of it. I feel like it's really easy to get stuck in a bubble when I'm at Puget Sound. It's a tiny little university in the suburbs of Tacoma, WA and I run around like a crazy person so much that I rarely take the time to update myself on international events, let alone domestic ones...Bottom line: the UN is awesome and I'd love to learn more about it. I even looked into volunteering abroad with them recently. Too bad you have to be 25 and a college graduate! UGH. Why can't I just do it now? Or right after I graduate? Why do I have to wait until I'm 25? Lamesauce. Oh well, I guess if I don't have my life figured out by 25 (which I most likely will not), I will definitely apply to be a UN Volunteer.

Today, I finished my day with my normal 3-hour long class - Transition to Market Economies - and it was the first time I stepped foot inside the Institute all day, despite having spent my entire morning in "class." Oh, and after class, a few of us went to a Christkindlmarkt in the first district! It was my first one and it was a pretty small one. This weekend, the Schönbrunn one opens and I am SO EXCITED. Next week, my music class is going to the Haydnhaus and I have a few more excurions coming up with my Arts Management class. Yea, I think I'm diggin this whole study abroad experience.

Also, this is what the streets in the first district currently look like:

 Be jealous.

Bitte, nein. Ich möchte nicht krank sein, danke.

I woke up this morning with a bit of a scratchy throat and it hasn’t been getting any better. Damn it, and here I thought I was about to get through an entire semester without getting a cold. Nope, my body has once again decided to be stupid and my immune system has failed me. Considering the Austrians are so strict about what kind of medicines you can buy at the stores (you even need a prescription for ibuprofen), I don’t know what I’ll end up taking…although, a friend of mine did tell me about a homemade concoction that her mom used to make for her when she was little and sick:
Hot white wine with sugar
I wonder if that actually works…I guess I’ll have to go buy some wine tomorrow and find out! Send me good vibes, please. Getting sick is that last thing I need right meow.
Also, sorry I've been so horrible at updating this thing with my past few trips...Venice and Prague updates should be coming soon! Maybe that's what I'll do if I end up getting sick and spending my days in bed...

Oh, and tomorrow I am going to my very first CHRISTMAS MARKET! Get excited for some pictures.

I just have one more thing to say

I'm going to Prague tomorrow and I am SO EXCITED.
I have friends who studied abroad there two years ago and they've told me about a million things to do and see. This weekend will be exhaustingly epic.

Food blogs will save my life

Learning to live on your own can be a rocky process. When we move away for college, we're still ridiculously spoiled by our schools: we don't need to clean bathrooms, we don't need to cook due to the dining halls(s), we don't need to make our own coffee (unless you work at the school's café *ahem*), and we're conveniently located within a 5-10 minute walk to any and all of our classes, meetings, shifts at work, etc. Now that I'm living in Vienna, most of these amenities are no longer available...actually, none of them are. Yea, I lived in my own house this summer, but I still worked on campus and ate at least one, if not two, meal on campus (although, I did have to make my own coffee...but I love doing that, so it's okay) everyday. So, I was still a little spoiled. One of the biggest challenges of living on my own has been food. What the hell am I supposed to eat? Especially when I am on a very very tight budget. I fell into a meal routine very early on in the semester, which included the following:

Breakfast: Yogurt with Müsli, fruit (a banana or apple), and honey and a cup of coffee.

Lunch: a sandwich with salami, spinach, tomato, cheese, mustard, cucumber, and sometimes onion and/or mushrooms. Usually I also had some sort of small snack with lunch - pretzel sticks, chips, a piece of fruit, a fruit bar, or Manner.

Dinner: Pasta, sometimes with chicken, and a salad.

Yea, it's not that exciting. I mean, the breakfast is fine. I'm not a huge breakfast person to begin with and I actually really like having that everyday. The lunch is whatever, I'm definitely getting bored with it, but I just don't know what else to make that's easy enough to pack up with me and take to school. But now, dinner. Dinner got old pretty fast. Pasta. Everyday. Pasta. Sure, I made roasted chicken breast with potatoes once, and then I made some chicken broth with those leftovers, which then led to a soup. I guess the one good thing about the pasta was that I always made my own sauces, so it tasted a little different each time and I've definitely saved money that way. But uhh I'm still bored with the staples of pasta, chicken, and salad. So, it has finally come to the point where I'm seriously ready to change it up.
This is where the food blogs come in. I've followed a few of these blogs for a while, but always just made bookmarks of the recipes I liked and never really made them...except for a couple this summer. But now I want to change that. For example, tonight I just made this little number.

Granted, I didn't have all of the ingredients, but I just made substitutions and altered it a little bit and it came out tasting completely DELICIOUS. It's a nice change from the same old pasta, that's for sure. Also, last night I made fajitas! That recipe wasn't from a food blog, but was one that my father had sent me. They turned out great and now i have dinner for 2 more nights! This idea emerged from the fact that I had found that Mexican market in Vienna last week. I went back yesterday afternoon to buy tortillas and salsa and then came home, made the fajitas, and went to bed with a very happy and full stomach :]. Up next, I'm ready to make a quesadilla for lunch tomorrow! I'm ready to try some of these other delicious-looking recipes that keep popping up on my blog homepage very soon. Yea, I'm finally (albeit, slowly) climbing out of this boring food routine.




YAY FOOD!