Your long wait is finally at an end and another posting is here!  It may be worse than waiting for the next season of  'Downton Abbey'!  (Lucky me, it's shown earlier here and I have computer savvy sons who can access things so I've seen the whole season!!  I'm so bad at waiting.) It's funny how my last post covered only one week of our activity and now I will cover the last 6 weeks or so.  I will try mightily to keep the boring details to a minimum.

View of Vienna from our favorite hiking spot

The older boys arrived on Dec. 16 and we had a wonderful visit with all of us together for 3 weeks.  We completed our occasional height check.  Currently, Dominic is the tallest at 6' 1 1/4".  Alex follows (an inch shorter) at 6' 1/4" and Craig at an even 6'.  Matthew is striving to pass up his mom, but not yet: Maria is still 5' 6 1/2" and Matthew is 5' 5 3/4".  Carissa is no slouch at 4' 8 1/2" tall.

Alex is really enjoying his job, learning new things and having adventures with his co-workers (chess, ping-pong, rock climbing).  He jumped into exploring Vienna, Salzburg and Budapest (the last two with his friend Priya who visited for a week).  He sought out several Christmas Markets and was determined (and successful) in trying as many different beers as possible.  We played Munchkin and Dominion together and all 6 of us even conquered in League of Legends.

It wouldn't be a complete visit without Wiener Schnitzel!

For the first time in years, only a few cookies were decorated in "unusual" ways.

Dominion was a favorite game.

Sacher Torte at the Hotel Sacher!

Dominic was happily apartment-bound most of the time when he was here: resting, playing on the computer (glad for a good connection speed) and working on his own projects.  We dragged him out to a few activities and to visit our old friends in Salzburg.  He is as soft-spoken as ever and a man of few words, so I am postulating that he enjoyed himself.  I believe he had a good first semester and (again, speculating) that he did well.  He got stuck for 2 days in Chicago on his way back to the states, until his grandpa picked him up and drove him to their house. He is back to CMU this weekend to start his second semester.  He expects it to be a bit tougher.  He is also considering his options for summer work; he likes to work independently and may arrange to do projects from home.

Opening Gifts on Christmas Morning

Carissa was in heaven with all her brothers here.  Her German continues to race ahead; she seems to have quite a gift for languages.  She has been letting me read to her for a bit each day so I can work on my pronunciation.  School is easy, but as ever, she is doggedly determined to give it her best in all the subjects and usually does more than is asked of her. She enjoys going on outings, especially if hot chocolate or a bakery is involved. She is looking into attending a weekly volleyball class with a friend, and possibly a weekly gymnastics course or basketball class as well.  She has made many friends, continues to be good-natured, and is enjoying her new experiences.

All Austrian schoolchildren (you aren't a 'student' until you go to the university, you are a 'pupil' before that) get a week off of school during February, when the first semester finishes (which is at the end of Jan.). The different regions of the country take turns so that everyone can go skiing at different times of the month and the resorts don't get mobbed with the whole country at once.  The kids in Vienna and the surrounding region have the first week of Feb. as their vacation.  That's why many things begin in mid-Feb here, after the first semester of school and after the week of vacation. Carissa's class has the chance to go on a week skiing together; one of the parents has connections and arranged for a hotel/hostel for a group, with food, lessons, rooms, swimming pool, inside sand volleyball, etc. all included, and at cost.  Craig and Matthew may go along. (I will be returning from Florida after they have left so I may join later or get a few solo days at home. The arthritis in my knees makes me hesitant to try skiing again, but I may risk it for half a day.)

Matthew is continuing his low-key approach and has been staying under the radar, so most of his schooling continues in English, and his German is minimal.  I think he (and I) will both enroll in a 'German for foreigners' class that begins in February to continue working on the language.  We may need to put a bit more pressure on him to take advantage of  this opportunity. Math and science continue to be interesting, but history is in German so that takes a bit more work.  However, the school is not particularly proactive in helping him integrate or facilitating his understanding, so he's had a bit of a tougher time.  He has very little homework. He has started going to a chess club once a week and spends much of his free time reading or Minecraft (and other computer activities), often with his friends from home if he can manage to connect with them.

There are many good climbing trees, and although we haven't seen many other kids in the trees, my kids still love it.

Craig is working a lot and enjoying it.  There is always so much to do!  He loves it so much that he spends much of his free time working as well.  Research is going well, he maintains contact regularly with his colleagues in the states, and is working on grant proposals.   He does break for board games and League of Legends with the kids (he actually enjoys it and doesn't have to be talked into it, unlike yours truly).  He does more than his share of the cooking, and is continuing to be vegan with less trouble.  It's still fairly hopeless at restaurants and at people's houses, but it can be fun to see the waiter's reactions!  If it's not raining, he wants to be hiking somewhere and finds many great places for us to take walks.

I continue many of my same activities - tours, coffee shops, language study, organizational/social director, and housekeeper/butler/short-order cook. I do love to explore, discover new things and observe things around me, which also helps me to make up my own mind about things I like and don't like.  I am lonely sometimes; I am missing my friends to keep me company, listen to my complaints, share my sorrows, laugh with and at me, and share creamer coffee weekly.  I am making friends here - ex-pats from all countries can relate to the challenges of relocation.  I am back to walking more.  It hasn't gotten real cold here - usually the 40's or so - and being outside during the day is quite comfortable.  (Who would have thought that 40 degrees and cloudy would be something that many Americans would be jealous of!)  It does get cold at night, though.  Next week is expected to be colder and with snow.  We have seen the sun a bit more lately.

I also have been feeling the stress of living in a country where you are not fluent in the language.  I always knew this before in my head, but I am actually feeling the discouragement of not completely knowing what is going on around you, understanding what people ask you, not understanding announcements you may hear, emails that come from schools and governments.  It's just hard.  I am working again actively on the German and I am really enjoying it in a way I didn't before. This is where having a second year would really pay off - the first year you learn the ropes and the next year you have that advantage.  However, you all know me enough to know that I forge ahead, keep trying new things, and am constantly surprised when others see me as active and enthusiastic (since I seldom feel that way and would describe myself as "tired and worn out";  I guess I just 'fake it until I make it'.)  I think with the continued classes and individual work, this feeling will gradually dissipate and I will feel more comfortable.  I think it feels stronger after 3 weeks of a family-dominated English-only environment!

Looks like we will have some company in the coming months.  A friend from Ohio may come in March, an aunt and uncle of mine in May, as well as Craig's parents this summer.  I am definitely looking forward to those visits.  Don't worry - we still have room for you!  Craig and I are also meeting my brother and his wife in Madrid in early May to watch some of the later rounds of the Madrid Open TennisTournament.  That will be a real treat for sure!  (Nadal!  Djokovic!)  We will also be visiting friends in northern German (in June or July) and take in some sights on the way and possibly around Amsterdam.  The next 6 months will keep us plenty busy!

I am going to see my parents in Florida in a week and will stay for two weeks.  Besides wanting to see them, the sunshine and warmth will hopefully dispel my SAD until sunny skies are here again.  Perhaps you will have a guest author in my absence - which other Austrian Zirbel would you vote to hear from?

My previous post left you hanging at the beginning of December.  It was advent and advent wreaths are very common here, and almost all houses have them, although most not "liturgical" ones (with the purple and pink candles). The first Sunday of Advent, many bring their wreaths to church to be blessed for the season.  On Dec. 6, we were able to see a very kid-friendly version of St. Nicholas and Krampus in our own neighborhood and avoided the more gruesome displays.  St. Nicholas' Day is a highlight of the Advent season.

Carissa receiving treats from St. Nicholas

We spent a happy weekend in Salzburg celebrating with our friends there.  We went on walks, to parties, to an Advent Market, and had a wonderful time.  Lydia and Thomas are very good friends and their two sons were in the same kindergarten as Matthew was 8 years ago.  Their oldest son Paul may spend a year with us in the future, perfecting his (already very nice) English.  Their daughter Amelie was born after we left Salzburg, and it's been great getting to know her.

A wonderful Christmas Market in Salzburg with the Schrader Family                 Rock climbing at a local park

Midnight mass at our small neighborhood church was surprisingly delightful.  They had a concert at 11:30, with the choir alternating pieces with a large instrumental ensemble.  Both were quite good.  The bright interior along with the good music made it really enjoyable.  Although the church was full then, if they want to increase attendance in general, they could try heating the churches.

Before I forget:  Happy New Year to you all, a little late!  The Viennese celebrate the New Year possibly more than Christmas.  There is probably an entire 24 hours of fireworks, both legal and illegal from mid-day on the 31st to mid-day on the 1st, (and a few rogue ones the few nights before) and the downtown display is stupendous.  We celebrated there with thousands of friends and in a breath-taking setting.


     Family photo on Jan. 31, 2013                                                  Wandering downtown with Sauke's and Priya

We had hoped to sleep in late the next morning, but we began the New Year in an unexpected way:  a trip to ER!  Oh yes, you read that right.  Matthew woke around 6 am, vomiting and with intense pain in his "private parts".  A quick Google search of symptoms led us to believe that we needed to see a doctor immediately.  And now:  how do we do that?  Taxi?  Ambulance?  Call friends at the indecent hour?  (They didn't answer.)  We called an ambulance and they took Matthew and Craig to the Wilhelminenspital, where he saw a doctor, who sent him directly to a urologist, who did an ultrasound, and he was in surgery within an hour of arriving, dry-heaving all the way.   He had a textbook case of "testicular torsion", when the blood vessels in one of the testicles gets wrapped around itself 360' and cuts off the blood supply.  Another 4 hours would have killed the testicle completely, with a good chance of recurrence in the other one, long-term problems and a fair chance of not being able to father children.  Every source confirmed to us that this was an emergency situation requiring immediate attention, so we were glad to have made the right call.  Surgeons made an incision, took out the blood vessels, unwound them, and when they were warmed up in liquid, they returned to a healthy pink color (from the blue-black that they were).  They also pinned down the vessels in both testicles so it won't recur.  He was immediately better.  He stayed in the hospital overnight and was home the next afternoon.  He was a real trouper and despite all the struggles, never even shed a tear, never wanting to bother anyone (although this is pushing it!) and handled himself very maturely.  The hospital was about a 10 minute car ride away; it was built around the turn of the century, where they have multiple 'pavilions', which each have a half-dozen rooms or so, with the high ceilings, and tall glass windows from a different age.



After all that excitement, Matthew wasn't able to join us for much exploring the following week, as he was instructed to avoid physical activity.  The rest of us climbed to the 'top' (you could only go about half way up) of St. Stephens Cathedral, which gave an amazing view of the city.  It was a tightly wound circular staircase and you often had to pause to let people going in the other direction get by.

One last outing was to the Hundertwasser house.  This Austrian artist loved to design multi-colored, non-linear, ecologically-sound buildings and areas.  His famous house is quite unusual.  It has undulating floors, grass growing at the top, and large trees growing from inside the rooms.  He is especially well-known for his remodeling and exterior design of an incineration plant.

 

He abhorred straight lines or flat, horizontal surfaces, and loved bright colors.  Current residents are allowed to decorate their own windows.
It is really quite fun.

The Christmas season end on Epiphany, which is on Jan. 6.  This is also widely celebrated in Austria.  In the afternoon on this day, we were visited by Three Kings in our apartment lobby, singing and dressed in wonderful costumes.

So, the holidays are over, the older boys are gone and we are back to school.  Both kids left here were so jealous of the wonderful snow storm (and snow days) their friends back home enjoyed.  They have a few more weeks of school, until their one-week vacation, and will need to survive (and hopefully thrive) while I am sunning in Florida.  Craig has a week retreat in mid-Feb with his colleagues in Bled, Slovenia.  By then spring will be arriving, and there will be many more things to explore.

Blessings in the new year,
Maria et. al

Last week was so busy, I can write a whole post about what happened in just 7 days!

The week before last, we got our first snow (which has since melted) and attended our first Christmas market to have the traditional Gluhwein (and I also discovered Caramel Punch - oh wow!).  Christmas Markets abound all around Vienna and in every small village with stalls selling handmade things, food, drink, carolers and lights.  It's a great party at all of them.

Christmas Market at Schonbrun Palace

Kids playing outside in the first snow.
It wasn't much but it was packing snow!

Monday
Last week began with a visit to the Snow Globe Museum, home of the 'Wiener Schneekugel' company.  It's a fourth-generation family company. The founder 'invented' the snow globe quite by accident when he was working as a medical instrument maker, trying to expand the area that a light bulb will illuminate.  He tried a water filled globe, without much success, and after putting glass flakes in the water (also without much success), he turned over the globe and noticed the effect.  He began designing the insides and the company was born.  It is the only company that creates them outside of China.  The secret, he says, is in the composition and manufacturing process of the 'snow'.  It is quite true that his 'snow' floats around for quite a long time.  The current owner detailed the whole evolution of the company and the current techniques. Almost everything is created in-house and is done by hand.  It was really quite fun.

The third generation; his daughter runs the company now and he still designs scenes for the insides

You can see at the bottom, the original stove where they would melt pewter and the tools on the top for molding it.

A part of the showroom today.

Tuesday was German conversation.  I have recently realized that I have been putting too much pressure on myself to learn and speak German and it was negatively impacting my experience here.  So I have backed off and "allowed" myself to ask people if they speak English some of the time.  I do know the places where they don't and I still go to the class and work on it as I want to.  I am definitely understanding more and able to communicate.  Carissa, however, is putting us all to shame as she improves every day.  Plus, her pronunciation is the best of all of us.

Wednesday was my weekly coffee in a coffee shop with other English speakers.  This was followed by a tour of the Lichtenstein City Palace.  As in, the country of Lichtenstein.  As in, the Lichtenstein family.  As in, they have their own bank.  Wow.  This palace has just completed a $100 million euro renovation and is completely amazing.  It is still the main residence of the family, with their apartments on the third floor.  It is only open for tours twice/month and it is booked months in advance.  It was originally built in a Baroque style and then remodeled in the New Rocco style.  Everything has been meticulously restored and our guide was an encyclopedia, telling us about every piece of furniture, clothing, design, history of anything and everything. The art collection (a part of it is here and the rest in the Lichtenstein Museum) was so beautiful. Because the collection is private, we were not allowed to take pictures inside.  The amount of gold was overwhelming (and we all agreed in the ballroom that it was way too much!!  But apparently it is what the designer was known for.)

This was the main staircase.

The ballroom.  The chandelier is 1.3 tons.

The only thing in this room which is not gold are the figures on the top of the corner candelabras, which the family insisted be painted brown.  Even they had had too much gold!  There are also mirrors on the opposite wall to increase the effect (and are also rotating doors).

One particular designer did much of the furniture inside in this style.  Love this bench.

Thursday was Thanksgiving.  An American graduate student at Craig's office took care of getting the turkey and started it baking in the afternoon.  I made the pumpkin and apple pies and everyone brought something. We had the traditional turkey and stuffing, baked potatoes, cranberries, carrots and beans and pies.  We had the nontraditional Knudel (balls of breading, potato and spices boiled in water), carrot soup, and red cabbage salad.  We ate in the late evening after an afternoon of board games and Foosball.  The office has a large kitchen/eating room where we all gathered.  Of course, it wouldn't be Austrian if you didn't follow the meal with a small glass of Schnaps to aid in the digestion.

Playing "Small World"

The feast begins. Since the turkey wasn't as big as requested, they also gave us a duck.

Yup, the men did most of the cooking!

And most of the eating!

We left long before the students, who ended up playing cards until late in the night.

Friday, our Carissa turned 10 years old!  No more single digit Zirblets in this household!  Despite her tiredness from the short night, she had five friends from school spend the night.  If you know her, you know that she had been planning this event for at least a few weeks, and had created a power point presentation to include the schedule.

Looking in at the birthday girl.

The evening started with a tour of our apartment and then with tea.  Afterwards, I sent the girls out in sets of two for a scavenger hunt.  Remember, it is dark at 4:30 here (we are too far north!) so they were out in the dark looking for all sorts of things - in English!).  After that was "Taste the Rainbow", where you need to move colored candies via a straw from the main container to your own cup.  There were many on the floor, which didn't keep them from eating them despite my warning about the lack of cleanliness. Then was "Foil Fashion" where each team had to create clothing and accessories from aluminum foil. I tried to convince Carissa to have a traditional American meal (burgers) but she wouldn't go for it. So we had Wiener Schnitzel, rice, fruit, cut vegetables, etc.  Then a movie, opening gifts and an ice cream cake. I herded them into the bedroom at 11, but it was many hours before quiet descended.  They were up early for pancakes for breakfast, which they all loved (many had never had them, although they are familiar with crepes).  Craig took them to the park for a while in the morning, then a game of hide-and-seek waiting for the parents to collect them.  After a brief moment of quiet, we had to get busy cleaning the huge mess and rearranging the furniture back to its place.

Dinner Theater (Carissa and Johanna)

Opening Gifts

At the park for frisbee:  Zora, Julie, Carissa, Johanna, Lea, Kasija

Pancake Breakfast

Not enough for one week, you say?  Well, it's enough for me!  I began to have some fatigue and digestive issues again so have moderated the amount of gluten I am eating, which seems to have taken care of it.  I eat it when I want, usually when I am out and about, but not at home and that seems the right balance.

We went to services for the first Sunday in Advent, but didn't understand much more than when we first arrived, 3.5 months ago.  People brought their wreaths to be blessed.  We have decorated our tiny place - stockings and a few ribbons and knick-knacks. And the required St. Nicholas-Krampus team (in chocolate of course). Alex and Dominic arrive on the 16th for three weeks and we will explore and have family time, the first time all together since June.  You know I've been counting the days until that arrives.

The following weeks will be quite busy as well - mostly with shopping and Christmas markets.  Alex's girlfriend will come for a few days between Christmas and New Years.  We will go to Salzburg once to visit our friends and again to go skiing after the new year.  We wish you all the best in the Advent and Christmas seasons and every joy in the new year! And a white Christmas (if you want one!)  Be sure to send us your news from wherever you find yourself as you celebrate the old year, and/or ring in the new one.  

Frohe Weihnachten und Glückliches neues Jahr!

Time for Fasching, the season of Karneval.

The Austrians really enjoy relaxing with friends, sharing company and food, and celebrating whatever the current season happens to be.  The season that began on November, 11 at 11:11 am, is Fasching, the German name for the season of Carnival/Mardi Gras.  Too soon, you say?  Au contraire! The kick-off was in the Inner City, where hundreds of us (including yours truly with her husband) danced the waltz in the company of many others and a few professionals and dancing instructors.  It was chaos and crazy and fun. November 11 is also "Martin's Day", when roast goose is traditionally served.  (But not by me.)

The Austrian military band provides accompaniment

Lined up to lean the steps.  Instructors are at the far end on the stage in black, describing the steps.

A few days before this event, we went to the "Balcondo" - the inaugural night of a month-long a Capella festival.  For the first evening, many of the groups performed on balconies, in churches, and on the street around the Inner City, showcasing their talents.  The groups were fairly good overall, with many singing American Oldies and throwing in some funny motions or sounds.  The festival is called "Voice Mania".

Quintessenz

Aquabella

There were some very talented African singers.  It was all quite fun.  But our kids weren't too impressed.

The temperature dropped last week, and it's the first time I felt like I've needed my winter coat during the day.  Without the winds of Ohio, it still doesn't feel so bad.  Since OH just had a dusting of snow, it still seems like autumn here.  I think the Viennese just don't like any degree of cold; they have been bundled up for the last few weeks.  They keep the buses/trains and shops very warm so you are faced with stripping off the layers or sweating away while you are inside.  Other Americans seem to agree with me.

We will attend a Thanksgiving dinner party, hosted by an American student at Craig's office. Without friends and the whole family around, it won't quite feel the same, but should be enjoyable nonetheless.   I'm glad someone else is taking care of the turkey; you have to per-order them if you want one and you may not end up with an actual turkey.  I will need to figure out how to get the ingredients I need for the dishes I am bringing.   I'll have to tap into my hunter/gather ancestry.  It's been fine-tuned the last few months looking for edible vegetables and meats.

So much to tell you about....

Carissa did celebrate Halloween here, a holiday still not generally accepted except by some young people. Here it is the older kids, perhaps 8 to 14 or so, who get dressed in only scary or gruesome costumes, and like to throw eggs.  There are a few kids who go trick-or-treating (or as they say here "sweet or sour!") but not too many who answer the door.  Many older folks are vocal about their opposition to this entirely un-Austrian tradition should you be so unlucky to ring their bell.  Carissa made a very cute peacock costume and enjoyed herself.  The other girls she was with didn't really expect any response from anyone, so were pleased with the (quite reasonable) amount of candy they collected.

The following day is All Saints Day, a national holiday here.  We didn't get out to see the lighted and decorated cemeteries, but I like the whole idea of honoring the lives of the family who came before you. Like central and south America, they do it up big here.

We got back to the zoo again and are more impressed than ever.  Toledo has a great zoo. But this one is even bigger, with many more animals (4 giraffes, 6 elephants, etc).  I was able to sit in the sunshine on a very nice day and do some sketching while the others wandered around to see the exhibits we missed the first time.

We also made a weekend trip to Salzburg, to reconnect with our best friends from our time there.  It was wonderful to see them all and the kids that we knew as preschoolers.  They all speak good English so Matthew was able to get in some good board and computer games, and we were able to laugh, eat and drink with the parents.  Carissa had to rely on her ever-improving German to play with the younger girls, but also had a good time.  We did a wonderful hike on a warm and sunny Saturday, with a gorgeous view of the entire Salzkammergut region - lakes and mountains and villages.  I think it's the prettiest place on earth.  On Sunday we explored the town again and felt quite at home.  We were treated like royalty and the food and Prosecco was top shelf!

Calling all the lovely ladies:  Leonie & Eva,  Lydia & Amelie, Maria & Carissa

We even got to see hang gliders taking off from the top of the mountain.

There is a bridge across the Salzach River that has the distinction of being a place that couples commemorate getting married / getting together.  The tradition is to get a lock, write your names and the date on it, lock it onto the bridge, and throw the key in the river.  This signifies the permanency of the commitment. Matthew speculated that those using combination locks were hedging their bets.

Our friend, Amelie Schrader, at the "lock bridge"

Of course, the kids had to play with the same chess set the older boys did 8 years ago.
Amelie is filling in for the missing piece.

After a weekend of indulging in all sorts of foods, and feeling no bad effects, I discovered a wonderful secret.  The wheat/bread/gluten in Europe is different than the states (and Canada and Australia) and I am able to eat it with no negative consequences.  After doing a little looking online, I discovered that the different variety of seeds, climate, elevation, weather, as well as milling and processing practices make for quite a different product in the end.  In addition, in the states the flour products are routinely given extra yeast for a faster rising process and are generally not quite baked enough (all the faster to eat you, my dear), which leads to intestinal trouble.  The end result is....I can enjoy the bakery and the confectionery shops like a native.  I will still need to experiment a bit to see if I have any fatigue, depending on the degree of consumption.

Playing life-sized chess in Salzburg motivated Matthew to be creative at our own place:

Although it's still a pain to shop, and the local supermarket produce and meat leaves a lot to be desired, it looks like in many ways we are eating healthier than those of you in the US.  Check out: http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/11944-banned-foods.html.  Almost all of these are banned in the EU so maybe a bit of detox going on for us.

Discovered another curious thing here. Some doctors don't take appointments.  You just go during their office hours and put your name on the list.  You never know how long the wait will be.  I got a recommendation of a good doctor who speaks English, and luckily I was the third in line.  I needed to get a lab slip to check my thyroid and it was all a painless process.  I know the pediatrician takes appointments here, but I guess not all of them do.  I can't see the upside for this but it must work for someone!  The "socialist nightmare" of the medical system is nothing close:  quick, efficient, well-managed and free for all to see the doctor, go to a lab, get the results, get the prescription.  Let's all work for a one-payer system in the US.  I can't believe we tolerate insurance companies getting rich by being middle-men and millions not being able to get coverage.  It costs all of us more the way it is.  Oh, except for the politicians who get theirs free.

Thanks to all who remembered and helped me celebrate my birthday.  It was a lovely week of quiet celebration. Craig and the kids treated me to flowers and a nice dinner together:

I also went the following weekend by myself, back to Salzburg to celebrate with them.  My friend Lydia bought a 1/2 pig and it was time to butcher that weekend!

The beautiful farmhouse

Pre-pork chops

Supervising the schnitzels and steaks

Time to bag and label it all...Lydia and her mom at work.

The next month will easily be filled with the lovely Christmas markets here, which have lovely things to sell and a great atmosphere.  I saw decorations and stalls going up downtown and so it will be starting soon. They are great fun.  The "big" boys are coming on Dec. 16 for Christmas and will stay for 3 weeks.  I am so excited I can't stand it!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to those in the US.  I hope you enjoy the time with your family and friends.  We will be with you in spirit and we wish you many continued blessings in the coming year.