Salzburg at Christmastime

Salzburg Nov 23 to Dec 6

Well I am in a pretty good mood and I thought I share with you some recent encounters and experiences I have. Hopefully I will be descriptive enough for you to imagine what life in Salzburg is like.

Verena, an Austria student living in my dorm, studies english and math to become a high school teacher. She is a fan of Twilight High School Musical. I know a bit about these 2 things having a teen sister and after hanging out with the youth girls at Hope Point Church. We decided to go see the third movie in theaters. We got a songbooklet along with our movie ticket! The songs were in english with subtitles but all of the speaking parts were dubbed over, an incredibly silly thing because it makes them sound like they are in a tunnel. It doesn't help that I have their original voice to compare it to. To cap off the night we had dinner at McDonalds near the train station. I felt completely American at that point; it was a relaxing evening.

In my last post with pictures I mentioned that the walk from the bus to my dorm is so boring that I will often run home. It is definitely less than a mile, so it's no workout. Well this morning, afraid I was going to miss the bus, I ran all the way from my dorm to the bus stop. Then I stood and waited for 5 minutes because I was early. I'll probably never time it right. But it is such a let down, when I have walked almost to the stop and then the bus comes before I get there. My bus ticket lasts until the end of January. Soon I will buy a bike and then in the spring semester I will just ride my bike everywhere and not worry about the waiting for and timing of the bus

Yesterday I went to a soccer game with 2 other American girls in my program. I am not sure how tough security is in the US for college and NFL football games. But here in Salzburg they don't take any chances. I had something confiscated from my purse. Sammy and Alison got through no problem. The female security guard pats my coat and pants, no problem. Then she pulls out of my purse a book! I brought it to read on the bus ride, which I didn't do. I was so confused, why could I not have a book. She said I might throw it at someone! Really! I mean, it was bizarre. All I could do was laugh to myself and go check it. My clementines were harmless, my water bottle never suspected, and we were given hollow chocolate santa claus figures. If I were to instigate a football brawl, I would definitely have thought to use the book.

Around Christmas time here, there is something called a Krampus that goes around with Saint Nicolas. He is an evil figure that scares kids and me. During the past 2 weeks, there have been parades and events for the Krampusse to show off their fancy scary costumes. They have sticks and hit or chase people or something of the like. Pretty harmless and entertaining if you don't end up with bruises. I have seen the Krampusse several times now. Once intentionally as I went to a parade in a small town south of Salzburg. It was pretty scary but I never got hit, just the people around me. Then I was at a restaurant eating dinner with other grad students and Krampusse came in with Saint Nicholas. They hit Kenny during our meal and I hid in our booth. Then the Krampusse came out at half time of the soccer game. I was so nervous that they would be allowed into the seating area. I don't know if my pictures really show their fierceness, but I will be glad after tomorrow when they go away for a year. They remind me of Lord of the Rings characters.

My name has evolved in Austria. Sometimes I drop the "Beth" and just go by Mary but even then I have to repeat myself. The "a" is not a normal sound they make in German. Maria is a close option but it doesn't really fit me at all. Today two little girls also waiting for the same bus I was and they asked me my name, I said Maria. They asked my mom's name, I said Theresia. Somehow even they figured I was an American, because a few questions later they asked if I speak English. Then they wanted me to say something in English. I told them their matching red jackets were cute. They asked me where each of my parents and grandparents were. I kept answering He or she is in America. They were so cute and fun to speak German with, at least I have enough vocabulary for conversation with 5-year-olds. But then again I met some Austrians at church today and over lunch we did pretty well holding up conversation, so I think it is coming along.

Krampus Video