I left all my cactuses at home!

Last night we went to see Mahler 8 outside the Rathaus. Every night in the summer until the second week of September, Wien has these events in front of City Hall where they project a performance of some sort on a massive screen. Tons of delicious restaurants from around town set up booths and it's a madhouse of music, food, and drinks. It was a cool contrast between the really attentive people sitting in the rows of seats watching the performance, and the people who were there just to drink and be social. The atmosphere was electric.


There was also one food stand selling "American" food. Their hamburgers were held together with toothpicks with little American flags on them. Precious.


This morning we had our first German test which might have been the easiest thing I've ever had to do. It was straight from the textbook and half the stuff I studied for wasn't even on it. Now I know that I'll probably get beat to the ground by the next test so that there's a natural balance of things, but it was nice to know that I actually AM absorbing a certain amount of information.
After the test we headed to a coffee shop to "practice our German" AKA order food on the institute's tab.


You could feel the sugar radiating off of people after that meal. A few people tried the famous Sacher torte, but most people stuck to apfelstrudel and the like. There was also Eiskaffee (iced coffee), which is like a rootbeer float, but with coffee instead of soda. So, like I said, I tragically lost all my friends to sugar comas this afternoon. But, on the plus side, our waitor was THRILLED with our ordering abilities! (No. No he wasn't.)


This afternoon I also had my advising appointment for class registration. I got into Art and Architecture! Thank GOD, seeing as all my other classes are straight from my Jacobs requirements, like 401 (vom), German, performance workshop, and individual lessons. I can't wait to really get the semester going! (Except 401. vom.)

So since heute ist Freitag, Jay'd helped me pick out an itty bitty black dress for going out tonight! (I have been given the kiss of death by Belle and called "BoHo" so I must break form ASAP!) Jay'd is gonna escort us to the gay clubs tonight and then I think tomorrow night we'll switch teams. There's a bar that has a fish tank that stretches through the entirity of it. Yup, doing that.

Belle is also making us meatballs and sgetti tonight. There are like nine people coming over to our little building on Jahngasse and everyone's bringing some random part of the meal, like broccoli or bread or salad fixings. WE'RE A FUCKING COMMUNE.
So we will be sufficiently nourished to play HARD. Annnnnnd I'm providing the red bulls. Win.

The day tomorrow is mostly taken up by an IES organized bus tour of Wien. Apparently there's also a street parade which will definitely keep me amused.
Maybe I'll even get some laundry done on Sonntag. How productive!

This first week of classes and auditions actually hasn't been bad at all! The most stressful part was probably trying to find ziploc bags and face wash that isn't a scrub. And trying not to melt in the 100 degree heat.

Here is why life ist sehr sehr gut:
*Class is relatively interesting, fun, informative, and actually applicable to my day to day here!
*I get coffee for 80 cents each morning at the reception at IES (actually 1 Euro 60 cents since I never fail to get two- and I get a free cup on Monday because I've ALREADY filled up my "frequent buyer" card!).
*My house is nearby to school and groceries and I finally bought a U-Bahn ticket so that I don't fear the police every time I get on the train anymore.
*I ADORE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE! I have made such amazing friendships already and the semester hasn't even begun! Also my roommates are fab and not stinky. Major plus.
*The food is beyond delicious even though I don't know what half of what I'm eating is.
*Friends of Bill are here!

and finally... (and most importantly)...

*Europe makes America look like a noob.