"Sean Paul ist super cool."

Still no internet. That sad, sad fact and an orientation in Graz have greatly hindered the blog updating. Gott sei dank for the internet-blessed roommate. I did get a phone...but of course it's not working. I do have a Skype account though! So let me explain this whole phone business: it costs 75 cents a minute for me to call the U.S. from my cell phone (once it works) but it's free for me to recieve calls (hint, hint). As far as Skype goes, Skype to Skype is free and Skype to a landline or a cell phone is just 1 cent a minute. Get Skype!

So at orientation we were shown this roller coaster-like graph of our predicted general happiness this year. We're suppossed to be elated now, plummet in November, rise back up during and after Christmas (whether or not we go home) because we'll have an epiphany that this is the coolest opportunity ever, sink a little in the spring and then end the school year on a high note. This means: plan very fun trip in November. I'm thinking Bavaria, Paris, Croatia, Slovenia, Scotland to visit my large mammel-studying vet Swerd, suggestions?

Orientation was neat...apart from a little chaos that I suppose comes with the territory...but I really liked meeting the other British and American TA's. Graz is beautiful. I loved it. It is the cleanest, nicest big city I think I've ever seen. There are cobblestone streets, old red rooves (I think this is suppossed to be one of it's defining characteristics), there's great public transportation, a little hill in the middle with a clock tower and a great view, a nice park. We only had one day actually out in the city - the rest of the time we were rapunzeled (yes I made that up) in Schloss Martin - and of course I forgot to bring my camera that day. Woops. It's nice, take my word for it.

I think the 12 hour days and cheap Sturm - half-fermented wine - finally caught up to me. Last night Arthur and I hung out with his friends at the Studentenwohnheim and then went out to the hippest new spot Eisenstadt has - which, to everyone's delight, blasted Sean Paul and flashed colored lights - and I drank a beer and fell asleep on the couch.

I really like living in Eisenstadt, it's quaint, it has charm. The downtown Fussgängerzone reminds me of Charlottesville's downtown mall. Tomorrow is the big election and today while I ran errands on the Fusszo, the political parties had their stands set up and were handing out balloons, lighters, mints and brochures. There were a ton of people biking, walking and of course, sitting outside at the cafes. Check out Arthur's blog for the low-down on the political parties.

Probably my favorite part of living in Eisenstadt is having our landlord's father, who used to live here, come up to the window when I least expect it and stare in at me. He is a little old man with big, round glasses, a hat and Alzheimers and he loves to stop and chat and sometimes asks what we're doing in his house.

Lauren: I bought Bridget Jones' Diary in German today. I'm justifying this by considering it a learning tool.

My neighbor across the street sounds like a dying old goat when he talks, and he talks a lot. He's talking right now.

*The first picture I posted is of my dad somewhere between Rust and Mörbisch. We stopped a few times during our bike ride to check out the scenery.

*The second picture is from Salzburg.