My new addiction: speaking German

Hallo! I'm starting to speak so much in German now. I almost can't stop myself. It's like an addiction. I feel kind of bad for the people in my group because when we hang out, I'll answer their questions in German or I will just randomly say my thoughts in German! I think the addiction started today when I started off my free morning finding a cafe to do some reading and journaling. When I go in the stores, the friendly, adorable Austrian cafe workers say "Grüss Gott," which means, "greetings from God." It makes me smile every time, and then I do everything to keep from saying my American, "Hi!" back. I am the quiet girl who is by herself. I'm doing by best to blend in here, and not be another American tourist. I'm living in Vienna!!! If I don't know how to answer in German and I'm by myself, I just don't talk. But! Today I entered this cafe with confidence, I asked to sit down, and ordered my food, and even asked the waitress what was good for Frühstuck (breakfast)! No English speaking for me this morning! And she continued to speak German to me, and I understood! So I considered that a success.

I started my classes yesterday. I walked into German class and sat down practically as the teacher took off speaking very fast German! I was put in an intermediate class for some reason, even though I thought I wasn't, so I decided to try it out. There are only three people in this class, all from our music group. Our teacher, Andrea, is young, pretty, and nice, but this German class will be a challenge for me. I really don't know very much about grammar rules, and my vocabulary is getting better by the hour. I keep remembering words that I thought I forgot all about! I haven't taken German since my sophomore year of high school. It's been a while. I like challenges though, and I'm up for learning fast, especially since I am not taking the music history course. Most of the people in my group paid extra to take 9 credits, a music history course, but I am so glad that I have some free time to roam the streets or practice or do homework during that time.

The music performance workshop is going to be incredible. I was given the name of a voice teacher who I have to reach personally by phone to find out when she can schedule me, and where she lives. I was also handed about 6 different pieces of music to work on, including a few chamber works! Emily and I were given the Richard Strauss "Alphorn" piece for voice, horn and piano, and we are supposed to be able to run through it on Thursday! Ahhh! Practice rooms for me! It's a weird thing to have practice rooms available in Vienna. We have access to three different buildings in the city where we can use the practice facilities. I like practicing in Vienna. It feels good to sing in a new place, but I am very unfocused! I think I am overstimulated with so much of what I am interested in.

I'm not weird here. No, seriously! In America, people would look at you weird if you said you liked classical music and that's what you devote all your time to, but here in Austria, the majority of people like classical music. It plays in cafes, in the streets, and people of all ages enjoy the opera. We saw a little boy stare with gleaming eyes for 3 hours, just tonight! I just got back from the Volksoper in Wien. We saw Strauss' "Die Fledermaus" for only 3 Euros! We got standing room tickets about an hour before, went to a famous place called Figlmüllers for dinner, and then we stood in the back of the orchestra level at the opera! What an experience! It was fabulous. I especially am taken by the beautiful costumes and sets, as well as the opera voices!

Yesterday, I went to a museum around the corner from the IES center (where all my classes are, it is a palace!) called Haus der Musik. I was amazed with it. I especially liked the entire floor where I could walk around and each room I entered into was devoted to a different Viennese composer: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mahler, Strauss, Schönberg and even Berg! I loved it. Even though I'm not in the history class, this was like a crash course for me. It was interactive, and at the end, I got to virtually conduct the Wiener Philharmoniker. The baton was a stick with a laser at the end of it, and I could only control tempo. Fun, and a good exercize! (I guess I don't have perfect rhythm, because it was NOT the same tempo throughout!)

I will try to post pictures soon, but they might be on Facebook. If you want to see them, and you don't have a facebook, look for a link on a blog, so you can see the album. You won't have to sign up for Facebook to see them.

I even think in German now! I had to stop myself from writing some sentences in German. Forgive any slips if there are any. It is late, and I still have homework to do. Guten Nacht!