Summer Semester, International Dinner, Stolen Bike

Hello again everyone. I have a new goal this semester.

I would like to post an update once a week (the minimum) instead of the random barely once a month post you have been getting so far. Hold me to this goal; make me feel guilty or email me; ask me if I am still alive so that I remember how important this communication line is for us. There is always something I can share I just let them pile up or forget what I want to tell before I get to writing the next post.

Okay now for an update:

School started last week and I am still straightening out my schedule and deciding between a few classes. Last semester was incredibly stressful so I am trying to lighten my load enough so that I am able to accomplish the challenges.

There are some new students in my dorm. Mostly they are Americans here for a semester replacing the Americans who were here last semester. But we also have new Austrians and Italians. Then last Thursday our hall had an International Dinner. We all cooked foods from our 'mother country' and shared it with the rest of the group. I decided to cook 2 dishes for the first time: sloppy joes and oven-baked macaroni and cheese. Other American dishes were barbecue chicken, potato skins, and puppy chow. We ate so much food that night and aside from the Australian vegemite sandwich, I liked everything I tried.

Many of you know or can read from my February post that I stayed in Romania last month. That experience requires its own post(s) which are soon to come. In the mean time, here is a link to one picture I took there. It was on a day during the last week when I went sightseeing in Targu Mures. My friend/tour guide Zozo and I took a picture of the same building. He thinks he took the better picture. If you have an opinion feel free to let me know your preference.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019012&id=54001446&l=bffa5

Last week I went to the airport and had my return flight date set for coming back to America. The time is flying by and now I have less than 4 months left in Salzburg. It is a bit sad to think about another chapter of my life ending, but I am excited about coming home. (July 1 if you were wondering)


A funny story to end with:
Over Christmas I bought a bicycle. In January it was too cold outside to ride and I had a bus pass that I could use to get everywhere. In February I was not here but now my bus pass has expired and last week I wanted to start riding my bike to school. It is a 30 minute walk so maybe just a 15 minute bike ride. I went to the front of my dorm where I thought my bike would be and saw my bike with a flat tire. So last week I used the bus or walked to school. On Saturday I took this bike to a shop to get the tire and light fixed, I rode the bike into the city, and then I came back home tired but glad to have exercised a bit.

Then yesterday I went to the front of my dorm where I had locked up this bike on Saturday and the bike was gone. Salzburg is known for bike thieves so I wasn't surprised but I was annoyed. A friend in the dorm, who had been taking care of my bike in February, didn't believe it was stolen because he saw it at the bike rack behind the dorm when he came to school. Nothing really added up until I got home last night. My friend, Kenny, confirmed that my bike was in fact safe and sound behind the dorm.

So I stole someone's bike on Saturday... My key worked on the lock with some struggling involved. I also repaired their bike. I guess if they unhappily discovered it missing on Saturday they were very relieved when it was back in better condition than before.

Yes now you can laugh at me. I am laughing at myself now too.