Part 1: Mary loses things a lot

Those of you who move around a lot might relate to the problem in this title. Even move from room to room, or switching from purse to purse you might lose things. In recent years I have had various reasons for not biking in March.

1. It is too cold. There is still snow on the ground!
2. It will take too long to get to my destination.
3. I already have a bus ticket anyway.
4. My bike was recently stolen. Oh well :)

Today and many days lately have been different. So as I move or travel by bike there have been 2 (retrospectively funny) instances where I lost something.

Instance #1: While preparing and packing for a conference I recently attended, my boss offered to carry some of my things by car since I would be traveling by train with the bare essentials in my suitcase and laptop bag. The cook at the hotel asked that I bring my own gluten free bread, GF noodles and GF flour. Then to save space in my suitcase, I also put my GF toaster, a bathing suit, 2 sweaters, and my "Cru"-logo tshirt into the bag. *The bathing suit and 2 sweaters I didn't even wear! I confess I tend to overpack for a trip.*

Back to my instance of losing something... I decided to combine biking+busing into the city. So I loaded the bag of goods into my bike basket and off I went to the nearest bus stop. I was in a hurry thinking "I don't want to miss the bus. It only comes every 15 minutes!" So I am biking fast, in the way that people stand up in the seat to pedal harder. Hopefully you can visualize it. At some point there is a slight bump, but I don't think much about it.

Then as I turn the corner and get closer to where the street crossing is for the bike stop, I hear an object fall to the ground behind me. As I look back to see a bag of noodles on the ground, I see my bus approaching. I decide the noodles are worth going back for so I miss the bus of course and have time to enjoy fresh air and the mountainous scenery at the bike stop. I think I even called a friend or 2 during the 15 minute wait. As I get ready to load?/enter?/einsteigen?/get on the bus, I notice something else missing from the bag.

What fell out of my basket during the "slight bump" on my bike ride?

The answer, plus Instance #2 and the lesson learned will be in my next blog post. Check back over the weekend. I need to go to sleep now. Following this I will share the blog entitled "Mary forgets things a lot". I hope you guys can relate to me even if we are in different countries.

What took me 3 hours to do today?

In Salzburg today I had one important task to complete. It is something that adults do on a regular basis. Sometimes it helps to make a list before you do it and usually the task doesn't take as long. You can also do it with the help of a vehicle or bicycle. Not having access to either of these at the moment, I chose to complete the task today on foot, aka walking. So the question is, what common task took me 3 hours to do?

Since my destination was 4.3km away, I guess most of the 3 hours was spent walking and resting but not actually completing the task.

While walking these were some observations of life back in Salzburg:
I breathed in fresh air and smelled manure,
I watched a rider on her horse mostly at trotting speed,
I saw an owner chase after her disobedient dog, and ducks napping and sitting in a stream
I passed a group of teachers and preschoolers out on a stroll, and
I heard planes take off and land, and the soft buzzing sound of cars driving on the nearby interstate.

(HERE's A HINT)
During my walking and task completion today, the last experience I enjoyed was working out my arm muscles and shoulder strength WITHOUT the use of dumbbells.

Click here to see photos of my walk, my room, and my neighborhood...

I can best describe the weather based on what you need to wear outside to be comfortable. At least 2 months ago, I began wearing gloves for the morning bike ride to church or work. A few weeks later I busted out the uncomplimentary scarf and hat. Last week I decided the season for long johns/long underwear was here. And even though it isn't snowing yet, the time for wearing my sleeping-bag-winter-coat is NOW. Last time I needed the coat was on Easter Sunday when it all of a sudden snowed, but I still insisted on wearing my new spring outfit to church. (yes you may call me stubborn)

The following are parts of a poem read at our Thanksgiving lunch last week which I felt ring particularly true for me to consider sometimes.

If I Had My Life To Live Over by Erma Bombeck
If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more. (I am more aware these days of when I interrupt someone in our conversation.)
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. (I haven't had a proper housewarming party at my new humble-abode because I want it to be sparkling clean and I want to have the perfect meal or finger foods to offer.)
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. (My reason for not wearing a helmet when biking, or worse not wearing a hat in the now freezing weather.)
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. (You don't want to know what all I have in storage i.e. at Grandma's.)
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. (I'm learning the importance of rest when I am sick, but the main statement is also true.)
There would have been more "I love you's".. More "I'm sorrys" ... (Just 10 minutes ago I said the latter, it felt good to be honest and humble about a time when I was wrong.)
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

My new nickname by some friends here in Salzburg is Mary Mack because I read children's stories at a local bookstore and one day I got the kids to sing-along as I read this popular story.

Which holiday is it?

Photos include Commentary/Captions

Fall in Austria

This week schools are closed on Thursday and the university officially recognizes Friday as a holiday as well. What holiday is it this time you may ask?
A. Halloween
B. Thanksgiving
C. St. Nicholas Day
D. Independence Day
E. Memorial Day

If your answer was:
A. Cool Austrians celebrate Halloween too! The most common outfit to dress up in is the traditional Lederhose/leather pants for men and Dirndl dress for women. No, this holiday is still not widely celebrated but it is slowly catching on.

B. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving at the beginning of Nov. Americans celebrate at the end of Nov. So maybe the Europeans just start earlier at the end of Oct. This weekend I cooked Thanksgiving Dinner for my old roommates and some new friends (see photo) True it is earlier, but even sooner in mid- to late-September.

C. It snowed this weekend in Austria giving the feel of Christmastime to come. And it's true St. Nicholas comes with Krampus to give good children fruit and nuts weeks before Santa Claus jumps down your chimney. But not yet. We'll save that holiday for December. And beware of the Krampus who take care of the bad children.

D. As Americans the ideal time for Independence Day is when it is still warm enough to grill outside, have a parade and sit comfortable under the stars and watch fireworks. An Independence Day in Austria looks exactly opposite. The cold weather has set in and grills have been packed away and fireworks are being stored up for New Years Eve. If you guessed D. you are close. Independence Day is October 26, so we also had schools closed last Friday.

E. If I say E. is wrong then it was an unfair multiple choice and NONE OF THE ABOVE should have been included. Technically there isn't a Memorial Day, but I will accept E. as the correct answer because it is a good way to describe what takes place. The actual religious title is All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Austrians will go to the cemetery and decorate the graves of their loved ones who have passed away.

Do you also celebrate All Saints' or All Souls' Day?

July 15 2012

In the 21st century we have so many technological advances to be thankful for.
- Today a friend of mine here in Salzburg was able to watch a church service taking place LIVE via the internet from her home country of Nigeria.
- I am currently sitting on a train from Salzburg to Vienna and have wireless internet with which I am writing a long-awaited blog post.
- I can call numerous family members directly from Skype to the Smart Phones and see them wherever they are.

Granted technology doesn't always work in our favor with hackers, slow connections, power outages or tedious updates to install. But in general I'd say it is a good thing.

The picture above alludes to the fact that I am on a train right now. I am headed further east of Vienna to the country where this photo was taken already 3 years ago. Kinga is the little girl in the photo and I met her when I was in Romania teaching English during February 2009. She was absolutely adorable and I have no doubt that she still is. Unfortunately I haven't had an opportunity to return to Romania until now.

For the next two weeks I will be working at Roma (gypsy) Children's camps with friends from America ... Katie (http://valleysfillfirst.blogspot.co.at/2012/07/first-couple-of-days.html) and Bonnie (http://teleiosministry.blogspot.co.at/2012/07/catching-up.html).

I have been on the go quite a bit lately but I hope to return to blog posting in the coming weeks.

You could win 100 million monopoly Euros if...

...you can correctly guess what my current illness is.


One of my biggest fears is being called a hypochondriac by the doctor. Luckily, or unluckily, that did not happen last week at the _______ doctor. I have been experiencing a problem*, not really painful* just a bit annoying*. I talked to a few people about it, and with the school nurse's recommendation I went to see a specialist*. Unfortunately there is no real solution for this problem. The doctor did a test and a check-up but my illness was not alarming* to him, "in fact it is a common problem," he said. If it is really so common, then why have I never heard about it before now? Seriously!


*key words


Another clue is that the doctor did give me a prescription for something that could help me sleep if it becomes too disturbing. He also tried to make a joke which I didn't find funny, by saying that unlike a typical American doctor he can't just tell me to take a few aspirin to feel better.

So do not Google search what this is, either you know it or you don't and I will know if you are cheating. Please comment on this blog if you have had Tinnitus or if you know what Tinnitus is. I wasn't sure how to spell it at first because how it was pronounced in German sounded like Teenytuse.

Do I have a problem with my:
1)head and shoulders
2)knees and toes
3)eyes or
4)ears or
5)mouth or
6)nose?

14 days on the Continent so far

I have put together a photo album of my recent activities. There are captions on each photo, so I hope you enjoy the commentary.

Germany Austria

Taxi Tips when in London

I stayed in London for a few days on my way back to Salzburg. I took in some of the sights with a classmate from Wofford College. The photo album link above shows some of the places we went. Blake knew a family in the city, so we stayed with them each night. They live south of the city center and my BIG challenge was arranging transportation to Stansted airport (NW of the city) for a 7:50am flight. We searched bus, train and subway sites to discover that the ONLY way to get there by 6:50am would be a taxi.

Well I have been living and traveling a bit around Europe over the last 4 years and I'm fairly good at maneuvering via public transportation, but taxis are another subject. I've never seen one in Athens, Alabama, and anywhere else I've traveled in the US I either had my car or someone else did. In Europe I'm far too cheap to use a taxi unless I absolutely have to.

One time I used a taxi in Salzburg to get to a friend's house at 1am. This was the nicest cab driver I have ever met who helped me when I was loaded down with baggage (a common occurrence) and unable to contact my friend via phone when she was also not answering her doorbell. So I shouldn't have been worried about a London taxi.

The family assured me that using an airport taxi would be cost efficient and I could just sleep on the ride to the airport. Once I found 2 cab companies' numbers, I had the address where I was staying and some specific details of the house so the driver wouldn't go to an apartment building with the exact same address (really! why?). Well I called both companies and because it was the night before my departure, they were already booked for that time.

OOPS!
TIP #1 When reserving a taxi, call 48 hours in advance to ensure availability.

I asked the 2nd company if they could recommend another taxi. Finally the 4th call produced a reservation. I was to be picked up at 5:15am, my arrival at the airport would be 6:15am with time to spare before my check in desk closes at 7:10am. I wake up at 4:45am and receive a phone call confirming the taxi. I confirm and they say the taxi is leaving now and will be there in 25 minutes or so. I think to myself, they probably should have already left but oh well.

I wait outside with Blake and my luggage in tow. There was plenty of traffic on this road at 5am but it seemed the taxi would never show. The taxi however did arrive at about 5:45 and off I went. He proceeds to talk nearly the entire ride, well more like complaining. He said that even after I booked the taxi, the company expected me to call about an hour before to confirm that I still wanted it.

HMM?! And why would I change my mind about something this important?
TIP #2 Confirm your taxi reservation an hour ahead. This lets the company know that you haven't booked with another company since the original call.

He then told me that after they called me early that morning, he immediately left and started speeding to reach me. He was about 20km from my address and he said that maybe a dozen other taxi companies are closer to me than he is.

Oohh (light bulb).
TIP#3 When the cheaper fare airport taxis are booked, start by calling local taxi companies rather than ones at random. Or ask the ones at random how to find the cab company nearest to your address.

I apparently called one at random which really should have been okay except it made him drive out of his way and maybe put additional cost on my fare. Then he said over and over how bad the traffic is compared to what it would have been just 10-20 minutes ago. (If you recall what time I had the reservation for and add up the time wasted under Tip 4 and 5, the morning would have gone so much differently but I concede messing up on Tip 2)

TIP#4 If you are a cab driver, don't tell your customer that on the way to pick you up you were stopped by the police and given a warning for reckless or speedy driving.

TIP#5 If you are a cab driver, at the end of each working day fill your car up completely with gas so that you don't have to do this with a nervous customer in the car waiting to get to the airport.

TIP#6 If you are a cab driver, do as mine did and politely ask permission to smoke in your own car. I don't know what customer would refuse you in this kind of stressful situation.

TIP#7 Accept the fact that no matter how much you would like to be in control of the situation, if a taxi cab and big city traffic are involved everything is out of your hands. Just enjoy the scenery and tell yourself that next time sleeping in the airport the night before still wouldn't have been the best solution.

By the way the scenery of London's outskirts and countryside was really nice. I would prefer to see more outside of the city next time I'm there (Summer Olympics 2012 anyone?) I made it to the check in desk with a few minutes to spare but then it was close getting through security all the way to my gate. Once at my gate the line for boarding was long at which time I enjoyed eating 2 Krispy Kreme donuts before my last plane to Krispy Kreme donut-less Austria.

How to not have a bike accident...

I had a bike when I was a little kid, drove it to school in 5th grade. On the day of a field trip, I was running late and didn't lock it up. So it got stolen.

I had a bike when I was in college and didn't use it much because there are too many hills in downtown Spartanburg. But I parked it outside my dorm during the summer. I didn't have a lock yet which was okay because not many students were around in the summer. True, but random bike-thieving-Spartanburgers were prowling the campus. So it got stolen.

Now I am living in Austria and using a bike for a second time. I'm not a pro but I am slowly learning by experience the rules Austrians are probably taught as children. My bike WILL NOT get stolen this time (knock on wood).

Here are the lessons so far:

1) Have a functioning bike light (in cool countries like Austria this is a law, but people in America aren't cool like that yet for some reason)
2) Wear something around your pants legs at the bottom so you aren't a distracted driver worrying about your pants getting oily or hung in the chain.
3) Use a helmet, you just never know when you will need it. And it could provide a bit of warmth on a cold day.
4) Assume that vehicles don't see you and proceed very cautiously. I like to make eye contact with the driver just so I know we are on the same page.

Assume the worst or most bizarre possibilities when biking. Take number 4 as an example. When going in front of a car, you may be at the perfect angle of their blind spot. When following a car, they may rarely look in the mirror and then miss seeing you from behind. In this case stay really, REALLY far back! You never know when this car or truck or van will decide it actually wants to drive in reverse.

Just picture the scene on a cold dark November morning. A van up ahead is getting out of a parallel parking spot. You slow down as you watch it back up and then drive forward out of its spot. Instead of doing what you assumed (drive forward) it begins to back up and the space between the two of you is getting smaller and smaller, because YOU are still moving forward! Most bikes don't drive in reverse (anyone want to tell me WHY?). Your hands are gripping the handlebar, so they can't quickly grab the breaks. But why would stopping behind the van while it is backing up toward you be a good idea? Your hands also won't make it to ring the bell either. But what car driver with their windows rolled up and Mariah Carey christmas songs playing will hear your bell anyway.

So the only thing left to do is get out of the road. Thank goodness there is a patch of grass to the right. When falling, make sure you propel your entire body off the road. Its okay if the bike doesn't make it all the way with you. The van will probably drive over it, think the tire was your leg and then be really concerned when making sure all is well. You might be sore from the fall for a few days, but take your bike to the nearest fix-it shop. And all will be good as new.

More lessons to come... how to greet people from other cultures.

Guess Where for Orientation

Guess Where for Orientation

Here are photos of the week I have had so far in an undisclosed location. I am doing orientation to prepare for teaching and it is going well. I've met more Brits than ever in my life (don't let that confuse the location mystery). And I am feeling very prepared for teaching as of next Monday. Most of the pictures are from a hike that we took yesterday. Enjoy and offer guesses as to where I am. Some of you know more specific details but even the continent and country might be worth guessing.

The end of June

I haven't added commentary to these photos (coming on Tuesday) but they highlight some of my activities in Tours over the last 2 weeks. My outside of the city trips will be in separate upcoming blogs.

At the end of June, I see how quickly a month flies by and I am anticipating that July will go just as fast. The BGSU program had 12 grad students living in dorms and 4 undergrads living with host families. There has been a big turnover this weekend with only 5 grad students and 3 undergrads staying in Tours for July. The rest of our group is headed home or to Burkina Faso, a former French colony in West Africa.

We ended the first month of classes (I passed!) and I will have new teachers and classmates in July. My favorite activity so far in Tours is going on walks. Although our dorm is on the edge of town, there are pretty gardens, parks, a lake, and some playgrounds that we have discovered!

I will miss the grad students who have left Tours. We shared dinners together one night each weekend and always had interesting conversations plus one exciting game night including Catch Phrase.

Lastly I'll admit that I have some sort of theater bug. After performing in a German play this past spring at BGSU, I could not resist signing up to participate in our language institute's talent show. Regardless of my (lack of) talent, I found a skit to perform that got great reviews. Wait for the photo commentary to get a better explanation of the pics. I will also ask around to see if there is video. Imagine me in a silent movie or in a scene where only one person's mic gets turned on, and it isn't my mic.

This week we have off from school and I will do some traveling and blog posting before classes resume July 5. How is the summer treating you? What are your 4th of July plans?

Culture - Soccer and Coffee

To fully tell you of my relationship to French coffee I must go back in time a little bit to when I first experienced France and its culture. It was December of 2008 and I along with 2 friends (one from Wofford and the other from Austria) had taken a trip. Our trip to the city of Paris involved seeing many sights and also winging it on some of our plans. (refer to blog posts on 12/27/08 and 1/9/09) The only negative experience I had with Parisians on that trip stayed with me and I have been cautious ever since.

Janice, Danielle and I went to see the Notre Dame cathedral and had finished circling it, entering it, and taking pics of it around 2pm. We decided that we were hungry and looked for a cafe to grab lunch. Since it was December it was also cold outside so I knew a coffee would go great with my meal. We find the cafe and take our seats. The garcon comes back to us to take an order when Danielle has to politely ask for menus which he didn't seem to take well. He returns after a long time... long enough for us to also decide our food choices. We go around ordering drinks and he just walks away! When drinks were served, Danielle mentioned that we wanted to order food which strangely confused him.

What was the problem in this cross cultural exchange? The french love coffee, they love fine cuisine, what could be wrong here? What everyone needs to know is that the French don't drink coffee with their meal, and by ordering a coffee I signaled to him that we weren't eating. And when we were his suspicions of us not being French were confirmed.

(fast forward to the present)

I'm searching for a coffee house or a pastry shop/bakery that serves coffee and allows you to enjoy the coffee there. This is a slightly more common find in Austria apparently, as I haven't had much luck around the school at lunch time.

1) I find a small cafe/to go sandwich shop with tables in the back. I order a coffee because I see there machine. Unfortunately, my desire for cream or milk in my coffee is not fulfilled. Oh well, keep searching and remember to ask for cafe au lait (coffee with milk) next time.

2) I spot a pastry/bakery/deli on the way to school with tables inside and outside. At lunch I remember to go there and I ask for a cafe au lait. She says no and I am thinking she is like the first place and only serves espresso. I say espresso, s'il vous plait. She says no again and then says something..... 2 o'clock. Right, since the french don't have lunch with coffee, she won't start serving it until 2pm. Super, keep looking.

3)All the restaurants near Place Plumerae (see photos Week 1) are expensive but one the night of the France-Uruguay? soccer match we go out to find a bar to watch the game. Me and some other girls decide we don't want to be out in the rain, nor do we care much for the match. And we have spotted the "French Coffee Shop". The waiter was super friendly using English with me. And we got delicious drinks. It isn't a very french feeling cafe. It seemed more like their version of a Starbucks, but I'm not complaining because I was able to return this week and study some French there alongside a coffee (cream and sugared).

4) Lastly on Monday, I went with one of my roommates (a german named Ulli) to a language cafe night near the Hotel de Ville (see photos Week 2) . Here I was able to enjoy a Cafe Creme and for awhile I just listened to those around me speak French and I picked up on bits of the conversation... a soccer match was happening at the time which Ulli and my new friends at the table were watching. This turned out to be a great night because one of the guys at the table wouldn't let me leave after 30 minutes and helped me have a conversation in French with him. It was super challenging but so fun at the end, realizing what I accomplished. When I couldn't understand, this guy was incredibly patient and never frustrated.

Lastly what I have learned from this is that if you order a coffee you must tell them you also plan to eat otherwise, they will take away your place setting and your silverware. But I have at least found a few places to order coffee or I can enjoy an instant espresso at home.

But equally important but more briefly shared here is my encounters with soccer. If you haven't heard about it yet, there World Cup is taking place right now in South Africa. The USA tied England 1 to 1 so we will need to win tonight against Slovenia in order to reach the next round. Also Mexico beat France last night! Watch a game and witness what everyone in the world (except for Americans) lives for every 4 years.

Week 2 in Tours

I'm accumulating interesting exchanges between myself and French speakers. I've learned numbers, introductions, greetings, and some other terms for describing people or objects in a room. Still lacking the ability to converse, I resort to pointing or asking to use English (less preferred but I might look less silly).

For starters, I really need to practice saying "Au revoir" "goodbye". Somewhere in my mind, I have difficulty remembering this. Instead I leave a person and tell them "Bonjour". This has happened twice just today. Bonjour means hello so I'm sure they were a bit confused as I said this walking away. Oh man.

I was at the grocery store to buy kitchen towels. I picked up a pack but didn't buy it because it left fuzzy stuff all over my black jacket. So I picked out other towels and headed to the register hoping I didn't look like I had a serious dandruff problem on the front and side middle region of my jacket. The cashier and I exchanged friendly smiles and then she started speaking to me... Huh? I have no idea. I told her "non francais" and then she started picking at the fuzz on my jacket. This is where hand motions became helpful. I demonstrated with the towels I was buying that the fuzz came from that, sort of.

Another check-out experience, I was at the end of the register ready to start bagging my groceries. The cashier rang up a loaf of bread and a stack of school paper and got ready to do the 3rd item but there seemed to be scanning error. I already had the paper in my bag, when she took back the bread and starting saying something to me. Again the phrase "non francais" and she just reached into the bag to see what I already had, I think to make sure there wasn't a 3rd item unaccounted for. Whew.

Lastly, I was at the post office. "Bonjour, mademoiselle" "Bonjour (smile)" I show the envelope, I point to the word Austria on my envelope, and I say Austria in the way I think they pronounce it in French "Autriche". Got through the "I need a stamp"-interpretation and she tells me the price. I heard "quatre...." This is 4, so I'm thinking : Is it 40 cents. Is it 4 euro? or Is it 80 cents which is like 4 times 20? Other places have a digital screen I can read to figure out what was said. Nope not here. So I hand over a 10 euro bill and wonder how much change I'm about to receive. A lot, because it was apparently only 40-something cents to mail a letter to Austria.

Goals for the week :
1) incorporate s'il vous plait (please) into my rough French exchanges.
2) start saying the full sentence Je ne parle pas francais (I don't speak French).
3) figure out how to ask May I buy/have ____? or say I would like ____ please.

Week 1 in Tours

Well it has taken me a few extra days to get settled and then take enough pictures to share on this blog. If you haven't noticed yet, I am living abroad again. This time in a new country, France.

I should start by saying that Tours is pronounced tour, without the 's'. I am learning French for the first time and that is a rule with exceptions to the rule which I am painfully and slowly figuring out.

I am living in Tours for the months of June and July and after completing the semester I will be officially done with school as a student! It feels great and I am enjoying this learning environment even though I miss the friends I made in Bowling Green, Ohio over the last 9 months.

That brings me to another thought. Often I have been asked how I feel about coming here and living. Very aware of how short 2 months is, I have this strange attitude that I remember moving to BG with. I like it well enough here, but there is no use getting excited or attached, because you are going to have to move again soon. I don't find this to be a bad feeling, though maybe I should be more ecstatic.?

So far I have had super positive experiences. I won't begin to compare life in Germany, Austria, and France, because 1)I haven't been in any of those places long enough and 2)it just wouldn't be fair. People have been friendly. Prices for food, etc seem reasonable. The weather has had its ups and downs but overall nice.

During the first week, I have had my share of feeling frustrated, bored, exhausted, nervous, and shy. As with German, I am starting out very shy when it comes to speaking and using French. Please pray that I can get over this or find people to speak with that have patience for me. My french really is terrible at this point, but it won't get any better if I don't speak.

This post is probably long enough. So I will stop here and offer you the chance to ask questions. What do you want to know? I'll include pictures with me in them next time, and I will tell you more about the program and folks I live with.

Btw click on the picture above to see more, and my comments, if you haven't yet.

Really it feels like winter, Am I ready for Alabama weather?

It is way to cold to be the 2nd day of summer and almost the end of June. It is some kind of sign that my time in Salzburg must come to an end. The weather really is bizarre though. I'll get off the plane in Huntsville and have to catch my breath with shock from the heat I am sure.

I have now taken 2 of 4ish exams. My lit exam is next monday and my other German grammar test is written part on Wednesday and oral part next Monday. Then I also have 2 papers to complete this week. It is all doable, but I have so much on my mind. This happens when I get a little stressed.

I can't seem to focus on whatever work I am doing. Instead I make mental lists of things I don't need to forget to do. Even when I literally write down the list, I am thinking about it. So weird, but it will calm down soon enough.

Survey: Save or Spend?

The very first picture is to show that I started collecting Euro coins. Each EU country has their own national design on the back of each coin piece. When I realized I had many different countries I figured I would hold on to some. Here is where I need your help. In the picture you see 21 Euros, which is probably 30 or so US dollars. The question is do I also save these 1 and 2 Euro coins for a collection or because of their real value spend them on groceries, or chocolate, or gifts to bring home? What would you do?



The second photo requires explanation as well. I clearly don't know the first thing about quality coffee, or maybe I am a natural blond like my sis Nancy, or maybe I there are just some parts of the German language I haven't mastered yet. I was grocery shopping and had coffee on my list because Kristen and I had run out of grounds for the coffee pot we keep in our room. I am looking at the aisle of coffee. 1) I must make sure I don't mess up and buy instant coffee. 2) I also don't want to accidently buy a capucinno mix (accidentally did that this fall). 3)I don't have a grinder so I can't buy coffee beans.

Well I see this bright yellow back with the logo "FRÜH BIS SPÄT". I think Wow that is clever. I like to drink coffee in the morning (early=früh) and sometimes if I need to stay up I will drink coffee at night (late=spät). Clearly this coffee is for me. I add it to my basket and go on my way. Maybe a day or too later, I glance at the coffee package again and gasp. I finally notice another word on the package "Entkoffeiniert". Mary what were you thinking? - says myself and my roommate as she laughs at me. Just guess what that word means..... decaffenatied. I can't actually spell it in English, but I can tell you what it tastes like in Austria.

The rest are mostly all random pictures about which I had comments to offer. Above is a slide show or you can click on this link.

Not NFL Europa but pretty close

Countdown for my return to America: 2 weeks

Exams start tomorrow. I feel like I am behind on homework and studying but it will all work out in the end. This semester has gone by so fast. I think I mentioned before that with Easter and all of the church holidays that follow, we have had many long weekends. Some of the time I stayed in town and enjoyed Salzburg, but mostly I traveled with one trip in Austria to Graz and the rest of the trips in Germany.

Kyle Horne, a classmate from Wofford, came over in May to play football in the German League. Of course I can't turn down the opportunity to watch a football game, no matter what continent I am on. So for 3 weekends in May I went to watch him and his team, the Schwaebish Hall Unicorns, play. It was great. I got to meet some of Kyle's teammates which made it tons more fun to cheer for people I know slightly. I wish I could see more of their games but I was glad at least that Kyle let me and my roommate stay at his house so we could see the town he lives in (pics from that part of the trip later).

I definitely learned a lot about train travel during those 3 weekend trips to watch games. I'm glad that the trains are available, but really I miss my car for taking road trips. Check it out here. Can you tell I am proud? http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019010&id=54001446&l=789062c9a9

Below is a photo album, again with my commentary included. I think that my last posts here will be photo albums with comments or individual pictures that I post daily or so.

Bicycles

I have had some unforgetful experiences in Salzburg. Anytime I hear people back in America talk about biking or cycling, here are the flashbacks and thoughts that I will have:

Tip: Fasten your bike lock onto your bike, otherwise it will fall off while you are riding and then you will attempt, unsuccessfully, to retrace your ride to find the lock.

We'll see how much my bike is worth, or if it looks valuable. A friend said that no one would want to steal my bike. I won't risk it for too long. After the holiday tomorrow I will go buy a new lock.

I felt completely unathletic aka lazy today. Usually I don't mind when people pass me on the bike path. I just think, well these older men and women have ridden bikes their entire lives, so their muscles are already strong. And the adults who pass me wearing the typical bike gear clearly spend a lot of time riding. BUT tonight I was passed by a guy who had is girlfriend riding on the front of his bike. AND I had passed them earlier, so he was clearly faster than me. Even when I passed him again 2 minutes later, it didn't count because he was biking two people.

The wind around here is pretty terrible. I don't notice, of course, when the wind is helping me bike, but oh my goodness when I am biking alongside the river... 9 times out of 10, the wind is against me and I feel so pathetic or pitiful trying to bike. I could probably run faster. Then I think well at least this is kind of a work out.

Countdown for coming home begins. 3 weeks from today (Wed July 1) I will be coming home. I will have to find a way to get rid of the bike aka sell it for more than 20 Euros even though I bought it for 50 Euros.

Well feel free to share your bike stories. Maybe I will have more stories in Ohio, if I decide to buy a bike again there.

... three days later...

Of course as soon as wrote this post more bike stuff happened. I hit a person while biking. I was following my roommate and the girl passed behind her without seeing me coming as well. I shouldn't have been biking on the pedestrian friendly street. For all I know there could be a law against biking on these roads downtown, but I was doing it. Since I began riding I've become more bold in using my bell around people. So I figured I could just ring at people so they knew I would be approaching to pass them. Apparently she didn't see me coming. So I hit her accidentally, kind lost of control and came off my bike and swerved to get back on. No one was harmed so all I could after was be annoyed and laugh it off.

Imagine if this were your church...

Filipsu Mic

I am in a picture with most all of the regular congregants. This house is where they met for church in the winter. Sometimes in the summer they meet outdoors or at another house. The pastor, Attila, loved the animals and on the Sunday we were there, some were newborns. Some background info about how I came to be in Romania:

Through contacts at Wofford, I became acquainted with Teleios Ministry. After prayerful consideration, I decided to join Floyd and Bonnie Parker, the ministry leaders, in Romania for a weekend during their Fall trip. Before flying to Romania I did not know what to expect. I'd been informed previously about Attila Toth’s work and about the multitude of needs within his congregations in and near Reghin. I didn’t know what role I would play or what my “purpose” would be in visiting on that October weekend. I only thought to myself, ‘I’m going to a wedding for someone I’ve never met, in a language I don’t know, and in a place I have never been.’ Since first hearing of Teleios’ work in Romania, I have looked forward to seeing the work there in person, as well as trying to envision what God’s mission would be for me in Romania, if, in fact, he wanted me to be there in February.

I was wholeheartedly welcomed by the wedding party on Saturday. I often recall the big smile Lala’s father had whenever I saw him. Each time he greeted us, it was like seeing an old friend. No one seemed to ask, “Who is this strange, new person?” It was natural to them for me to join in celebrating the wedding of Lala and Ester. The wedding moved me in such an unexpected way. I had been to weddings of Wofford classmates over the summer, but this wedding was somehow different. I emotionally watched as Ester’s family “gave her away.” The joyful emotion that the families felt, I, too, was experiencing. I was reminded that this bride and groom were also my family, and I could cry, applaud, laugh and celebrate this wedding along with their friends and family.

Visiting the Gypsy slum was also an important part of my weekend. I didn’t know how to prepare to face the level of poverty people just like me would be living in. But even in this place, I was welcomed into homes and greeted warmly by the children and adults whom Attila ministers. I know that Attila’s work with the Gypsies could be considered never-ending, but the list of challenges didn’t seem daunting or impossible because of his faith that all would work according to God’s plan.

The other time over the weekend when unexpected emotions rose within me were when I attended the church service in Filipsu Mic. I had to leave in the middle of our worship time to go to the airport. It was sad in one way for me to leave. On that day, I had been in Europe for just over a week. As I went to leave, they told me they would pray for me as I find a church in Salzburg. I was surprised by their compassion for me, a person they barely knew. Yet so quickly they thought to pray for my need. It was nourishing to spend time with these believers before returning to my new (but still a bit foreign) home in Austria. My hope of returning to Romania was strengthened by their love and faith.

Spring, Banking, Romania 2

Spring is coming and almost here in Salzburg. The weather is pretty inconsistent but I think very soon I will pack up my sweaters and scarfs. This week we had snowfall one morning, but now it has been 3 or 4 days in a row of sunshine. My roommate came back on Sunday with a dreadful sounding cough and she could hardly speak. I have stayed healthy and don't think I have allergy season to fear, but with the changing weather I do have a lingering and uncomfortable 'dry' cough.

As a precaution I am not riding the bike this week so I can be healthy and ready for travel over my 2 week Easter holiday/spring break. My dad and sister, Nancy, will be visiting for a week starting on Thursday. There is no other way to say it then to state that Nancy is pregnant. She is pretty pregnant in fact, maybe in month 5 or so. I believe it and know this to be true but I think I will still be surprised when I see her when she arrives.

Over this break I have plenty of school work to keep busy with before, during, and after my travels. If you decide you want to open a bank account or invest some extra cash in Germany or Austria, soon I will know all the right vocabulary to make that happen. Until then all I can tell you is ATM=Bankomat.

I have another photo album about my visit to Romania. I've also saw an NCB news clip that related in a subtle way. It is about shantytowns developing in US cities where homeless people are living together in tents and makeshift 'housing'. The Hungarian pastor, Attila, asked me if I thought America would become poor like Romania because of the financial crisis. For now I'm of the mindset that a lifestyle standard has developed in the last 60 years. We have become comfortable in this norm and will do everything possible to stay relatively close to that standard. People in the video don't seem to have a choice anymore in that matter.

My church here in Salzburg personally delivered their Christmas shoeboxes to orphans and other children in Romania. On a "thank you" brochure there are some stats I can pass on to you. "Over 40 % of Romanians live under the poverty line... Family violence is a daily occurance. One in 5 women experience this in their lives. In Bucharest (capital of ROM.) over 3,000 children live on the streets."

Appalina