January and February in Vienna!

WEEK 2

During my second week here in Vienna, I became increasingly independent in the public transportation system and the location of things within the city. "Schwedenplatz" and "Stephansplatz" were the two main spots that we considered first when looking for something to do. Tons of shops, restaurants, clothing stores, you name it!

We also stopped by the Naturhistorisches Museum, or Museum of Natural History. It was absolutely fascinating, so much so that we spent at least three hours in there. The museum collection began over 200 years ago, and the place it filled with exhibits - from the Ice Age to the present day.

There was a Welcome Party for Webster Students that was held at a local discotheque and bar, and I had a great time. It was a good chance to at least become familiar with some of the students, even if conversation other than name and year proved to be impossible. The bar atmosphere and techno didn't allow for all that, but it wasn't needed and I had fun anyhow. This is where I met the young man who I am currently dating, a Nigerian who has been studying here since October. I knew before I came that it would be a hard time leaving this city; now you see what I mean?

I was also in the middle of applying for a rather prestigious scholarship through the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and the amount of paperwork and correspondence was enormous! I hope to be able to study in Munich in March of next year at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet; I'm very interesting in German linguistics and synthax, environmental science, architecture, and urban planning. Many passions which I'm hoping I can somehow combine when I embark on my career after graduate school.

I also began preparing my presentation on Plato for my Political Theory classs (which is one of the most interesting classes I've taken thus far) and reading literary works by Austrian authors for my German class. It's an independent study: two students (myself and my roommate) who are advanced in their knowledge of German, and a native Austrian teacher. A challenging course by all means - blazing through these German literary works week by week and discussing them in depth in a language that is not yet completely my own.

It will be one of the best classes I will ever take.

One of the biggest differences that I've noticed is that I have so much more time here in Vienna than I've ever had in the U.S. With work, meetings, and other such obligations no longer taking up every ounce of free time, I feel a new sense of freedom! I actually have TIME to devote to do my favorite thing: think.

It is however an extraordinary challenge to study and live in another city. Easy to pack your things, yes. Easy to save or acquire the money necessary to go, yes. Easy to become a bit knowledgeable with the language and culture, yes. Easy to plan this and that, yes. Easy to become as familiar with this new city as you are with, say, a city in your home country, no. An identity crisis, I'd call it. Originally, before leaving the U.S. to come to Vienna, I thought that my knowledge of the language and the culture would make the process of adjusting easier. This is, I'm sure, a commom mistake that many people with a desire to assimilate into another culture make. But people don't talk about history on the streets, or the structure and synthax of the German language, or even politics. The popular discussion between two friends do not revolve around events that occured 300 years before, or why someone says this word in this context, or other such similar matters. As I am coming to this realization, I am also slowly realizing that although such sophisticated knowledge is not useless, it can rarely be applied to this process. Like a majority of college students, I have a great desire to "change and impact the world" for the better. But on each new endeavor that I embark on, I realize that this world will not be so easy to change.

I am perhaps much too young to be contemplating such things, nineteen years old! But where else would I be if I did not do so?

[Photos: 1. the intricate ceiling of the Museum of Natural History, 2. Karlsplatz by night]