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Guten Tag from Austria! And what a good day it is!!! The Austrian summer came upon us quickly and with gusto. We have been enjoying beautiful, sunny days and cool, pleasant nights. This is when living in Vienna reminds me of Colorado.
It's been a great couple of months since I last wrote. So much has happened and things are so amazingly fun right now that I couldn't wait to write and fill you all in.
For the big start... many of you may already know, but on March 27 I entered the Rudolfinerhaus Hospital here in Vienna and thanks to the wonderful work of a terrific plastic surgeon, I am now 17 pounds lighter in the stomach. My long awaited and much desired tummy tuck is now a thing of the past. The best part is that I recovered very quickly and very well and have NEVER felt better. It is so much fun and I feel like a different person. I was lucky that my mom offered to fly over and stay with me and take care of me after my surgery. She is an amazing mother, a terrific nurse, and a truly dear friend. The surgery itself lasted 8 hours, I spent 12 hours in recovery, needed 2 pints of blood and was out of the hospital 2 days later. I was off of work for 3 weeks and have not had even one little problem. The high school students who were heading up a clothing drive for the poor were really happy because they were the lucky recipients of 8 giant trash bags of clothes that no longer fit. Oh darn!! I have to buy new ones.
During my recovery I had the fun of being able to watch, via internet and ITunes, my friend Nina, the female impersonater perform on a show called RuPaul's Drag Race. She did very well and came in a very respectable second place. She has since gone on to appear all over the country and I am currently in talks with the organizers of several events here to try and get Nina a show here in Vienna. It's been a fun and delightful new hobby!!!
A few days after my mom left to go back to the US, my sister, Dee, and her husband Dale arrived for a 2 week visit. It was their firs time to visit me here and we had a blast. They are so much fun and were so sweet and helpful and took really good care of things and themselves while I was recuperating. Dale insisted he take care of my Honey Do List and Dee cooked and shopped and entertained me well. They took some overnight trips and before they left I was up to a long weekend trip so we went to Lake Bled, Slovenia and the northern tip of Italy for a few days. We had a great time and saw the most unbelievably beautiful landscapes. It was a real joy to share it with them.
Shortly after they left it was my friends' Joan and Zoe's turn. They arrived with their 6 bags in tow. I was their last stop before heading back to live in the U.S. after a year in London. They had had a great time there, shared tons of stories and we played tourists together here in Vienna. I had just gone back to school when they came so they entertained themselves during the days and then we traveled on weekends. One of the highlights for me was a long weekend in Salzburg, Austria. We saw the beautiful city and even took the Sound of Music tour. Salzburg and the Alps around there is where they filmed the movie The Sound of Music.We got to see the homes where they filmed the VonTrapp's home. We saw the wedding church, the lake where they tip over in the boat, the mountain where Maria sings "The Hills are Alive" and the mountain where they are hiking away from Austria at the end of the movie. It was great fun. The interesting thing is that most Austrians have never seen the movie, know it's not a totally true story and think we are nuts for getting so ga ga over it. Oh well, I still love it anyway.
While in Salzburg I chalked up another of my extraordinary life experiences!!! This time, as you will see in the picture at the left, I was the first one to cross the finish line for the Salzburg Marathon. I guess I should add that it was the day before the actual race and that I just happened to be standing at the right place at the right time after they inflated the finish line so I handed Joan my camera and started to jog!!! Just so you know, I have also run in the both the Vienna and Prague Marathons (about 20 feet each) I have sung on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville (Mary Had a Little Lamb during a tour) I have been backstage at the Vienna National Opera House with an Opera Star (that one really is true) and I have played a Steinway piano at the most elite piano seller in Vienna ( That one I played chopsticks and embarassed the heck out of Chadwick). The point is, I've had fun, I have stories to tell and I'm not lying when I say that I've done those things. OK, so I leave out a couple of details, but it sure makes life fun.
My next big event of the last couple of months was that I got to attend the Life Ball here in Vienna. It is the largest AIDS/HIV fundraiser in Europe and draws celebrities from all over the world. This year's big shots were Bill Clinton, Eva Langoria, Pamela Anderson, Fran Drescher, and Katy Perry (the singer). There were also lots of European stars. The idea is that the area in front of City Hall is all decorated up with a huge red carpet. This year's theme was Water and so the carpet was blue. Four thousand people attend this ball and pay the equivalent of $175 US each to attend in an outrageous costume!!! Yes, yours truly was among them. My friend David got tickets and asked me if I'd like to join him for the fun. We had a great time, helped a great cause and had an amazing evening. We even made the main Austrian television station's coverage of the ball. Our picture was one of the ones that was on their internet story too. The picture of two of us at left is the one that was sent around on the web.
This past weekend, thanks again to another Catholic holiday, was a four day weekend and my friend Gail and I went to Berlin, Germany. It was a wonderful experience. I toured the city and saw what remains of the Berlin wall, went to the new Jewish museum which was extraordinary, saw the places that you always read about in history books, met lovely people, ate and drank way too much and bought a whole bunch of new clothes. As I'm sure you can tell, it was a very successful journey.
I only have 13 days of school left for this year. I can hardly believe I've been here two years. It's been the most amazing experience of my life and I have created a life for myself here that is truly wonderful. There are still people and things I miss about home (Cheetos and Mexican food top the list) and I love coming to visit. However, for now, I'm planning on taking it one year at a time. I will be back in Vienna next year and see where life takes me from there. I feel very, very blessed. I am honored, humbled and incredibly grateful for this life.
I will be leaving a couple of days after school is out to visit the country of Montenegro. It is part of the former Yugoslavia and I have friends who have invited me to visit and stay with them at the beach for a week. I'll leave there and come back to Vienna for a couple of days and then head to Denver. I'll be in Denver from June 30 to August 4. If you have time and would like to chat send me an email and we'll see what we can work out. I'm really looking forward to the time just to unwind, relax and enjoy home.
Well, my friends, thank you for reading another installment of Life By Jodie. I hope you know how much it means that you encourage my comings and goings and that you cheer me on through emails. I am one very lucky woman.
Until later, Auf Wiedersehen!!
Jodie
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
March 2009
Greetings dear family and friends,
I am sitting in my lovely apartment, listening to gorgeous classical piano music and feeling the sun, yes SUN, on my back through the window for the first time in about 6 weeks. I can't even begin to tell you what a thrill that is. Vienna is kind of the Seattle of Austria... not much sun, lots of rain and gallons of coffee. Oh yeah, don't forget the wine and beer too.
It is March 8, Sunday, and all is quiet in Vienna. You see, because it is a Catholic country and the church is such a vital part of life here, EVERYTHING is closed on Sundays. You can go to church, ride public transportation and have coffee but that's about it. The government charges an extra fee to businesses that want to be open on Sundays. I have grown to love this about Vienna. The belief is that Sunday is for quiet contemplation, time for family and rest. Those are not bad things in my book.
The month of January was pretty quiet around here and there wasn't much to tell. I knew that February would be full of news so I waited to write until now. And... indeed, I was right. Lots to tell so I'll get started.
It's hard to believe that two thirds of the school year is already gone and that I've been in Vienna for over a year and a half. Where does the time go?
My first big event of February was a trip during our school's Ski Week break to Egypt. I had planned to go to Iceland but at the last minute my travel buddy couldn't make the trip and I opted to go with friends to Marsa Alam, Egypt on the Red Sea instead. I am glad that I did. There were five of us on the trip. They are amazing and delightful friends and going to Egypt with them was a real treat. We spent a great deal of time at our resort which was right on the beach and beautiful. Since we had the all inclusive plan we ate and drank whatever we wanted whenever we wanted and just layed by the pool and beach reading, resting and recupterating from the long chilly Austrian winter. We took a one day trip to Luxor by private car and had an amazing day seeing the Valley of the Kings where the tombs of Ramses and Tuthankamen (King Tut) were found. There are about 18 tombs buried in the mountains in this area and still more are uncovered all the time. It was incredible to enter the tombs and see carvings and paintings that were done with natural dyes and stains and preserved with a coat of egg white that had lasted and still looked wonderful 4,000 years later. Unbelievably beautiful. It was interesting to see Egyptian men in native dress hauling sand and rock by bucketfulls on their heads away from the excavation sites and working in groups of 20-30 to uncover yet unknown tombs.
We then went to Hatshepsut, an amazingly well preserved temple that still has many of the giant statues and arches, wall and columns that it was built with 4,000 years ago. It was fascinating standing in a place where you knew that thousands of years ago, others had stood. What a feeling of awe. The size of each feature of the temple is unbelievable. The statues of the gods and goddesses were sometimes 60-70 feet tall with unvelievable detail. The columns were even taller than that and had stood in the same place, on the side of a mountain for centuries. The even more amazing thing to think about when I was standing there was that at the time these temples were built, there was none of the technology, power or equipment that we use today to shape, move and erect these huge pieces of rock. No cranes, bull dozers or hydrolic lifts. Only human slave labor and an unforgiving landscape. You can't even begin to comprehend how it was done and who would ever have such an idea in the first place. One of the interesting things of note is that all of these temples and tombs were built as monuments and tributes to the kings, queens and gods and goddesses of that time. They had a firm belief that it was what you did to present yourself in heaven that sealed your fate for the afterlife. Nothing was too great, too expensive, too elaborate for pleasing the gods and assuring ones place in the next world.
We then went for a bit of shopping, some lunch and then on to the temple of Karnak. It is the largest standing temple in the world. It is amazingly well preserved and contains some of the key elements of Egyptian history and culture. One interesting feature, you will see in the pictures on the left, is a giant scarob, or beetle, that is said to bring luck and long life to those who possess it. Everything in their art, jewelry, carving, etc. depicts the beetle. At the temple, there is a pedestal with a giant stone beetle on top. Legend has it that if you circle the scarob 4 times you will have good luck. If you circle it 5 times you will find true love. I, not wanting to get short changed on anything, went around 6 times. For that, I now know, you just get blisters.
On our last day in Egypt, we dressed ourselves in long pants, long sleeved shirts and sunglasses and took a 3 hour tour of the Sahara Desert on four wheel motor bikes (quads). It was incredible. The terrain was solid rock and sand, not the sand dunes one usually thinks of when imagining the Sahara. That is in another part of Africa. We rode and rode and saw the unbelievably breathtaking landscape of the desert. The only tree or vegetation we saw the whole time was an occasional Acacia tree or scrub brush. I think we saw, perhaps, 6 trees all afternoon. Where they came from and how they survive is beyond me. There has probably not been a drop of water on that ground in years. So that we didn't get overcome with the dust being thrown back by the quad in front of us we had to be wrapped in scarves with the turban and face mask style. It was amazing how much it helped. We laughed about looking like terrorists but understood later now un-funny that really was. To the people who live in this part of the world, that headgear is a necessity of life, not an optional accessory that identifies them with a group of political belief. It was amazing to spend time in a Muslim country and have the chance to talk with people willing to share their lives and their cultures and help us understand their ways. It's too bad that doesn't happen more often for all of us. Think of what it could mean if, rather than shooting at people, we could talk to them and understand.
As we walked from the end of our quad ride to the hotel lobby in our turbans, dusty clothes and filthy, filthy faces, we laughed. You see, this same group of friends that had just shared a desert adventure with me on this Saturday evening, was the group that the next Saturday night would be dressed in all our finest and attending the United Nations IAEA Ball at the Hofburg Royal Palace in Vienna. Oh, the difference a shower and a week can make.
The ball season in Vienna lasts from right after Christmas until Ash Wednesday. The idea is to cheer up the dreary cold Vienna winter and have fun before Lent arrives and the season of sacrifice begins. There are probably 100 balls in Vienna during that time. Every group has their ball and it's quite fun to see pictures and hear reports of the fun. The brewmasters have theirs, the opera hosts a huge one, the florists deck out and hold a ball. The chocolatiers even put on a ball. The tickets for the ball range greatly in price and are often times available for purchase by the general public. The trick is to get them early IF they are available.
The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Ball is the same one I went to last year. I have a good friend who works for the agency and this year got up at 3am to be at the UN at 5am to be in line to get tickets for a table in the main ball room. The royal palace has about 12 ballrooms, all set up with tables and space for dancing that night. The thrill of the main ballroom is that this is where the philharmonic plays so that the Vienna debutantes can make their entrance all in white and dance with the black tailed escorts to the Viennese Waltz. It's a sight to behold. There were probably 200 young ladies in their white dresses that night, joining Vienna society. It was incredible. We had a table right at the edge of the dance floor and could see the whole thing. It was beautiful.
I must tell you, that night, that ball was, without a doubt, the most amazing night of my life!!! I had a dress that was what every little girl dreams of when she sees herself someday as a princess. I was with amazingly good friends and danced till dawn to every type of music you can imagine. We had a dinner party at John and Gregg's house beforehand and shared an evening that we won't ever forget. At about 3:30am we left the palace and walked through old downtown Vienna, hearing the clippity clop of horses hooves on the cobblestones and ended up stopping for a snack at McDonalds. Yes, Chadwick in his tuxedo and I in my ball gown joined the passed out drunks in McDonalds and had a burger before heading home. It felt just like something from a Billy Crystal comedy. Who else but Jodie and Chadwick would do such a thing. I must say, it made an already perfect evening even better. I would love to say that I got home in time to watch the sun rise, but as I said at the beginning, today is the first day we've seen the sun in a long long time.
This morning, I woke up to the sunshine, showered, put on my Broncos sweatshirt and some jeans and headed outside for a walk in the sun. There is no shortage of amazing places to walk here. Everywhere I go there is beauty, amazement and joy. Today, I headed for the city hall. Each winter, after the Christmas markets are over, the city creates an ice skating wonderland called Eis Traum Wien , Vienna Ice Dream. They flood the grounds in front of the huge city hall building and create an ice rink. There are two main rinks and then a series of pathways through the trees, statues and park on which you can skate and explore and enjoy the fresh air. I haven't skated for 40 years and wasn't about to try again and ruin the moment. So instead, I got a cup of coffee, parked on a bench and watched young and old alike skate and smile and laugh. It was another one of those moments that just makes you glad to be alive. Some of those quiet, peaceful and simple moments in life are often my very favorites.
The big news in my life is that on Friday, March 27 I am going into the hospital to have my long awaited tummy tuck surgery. I have been fortunate to have found the very best plastic surgeon in Vienna and, as many of you know, this is something that I have dreamed of for a long long time. My mom is flying over to be with me and take care of me after I get out of the hospital. I am so fortunate to have her. She's the best. I know I'll be in good hands. The health care system here is set up so that if a doctor says you have to have surgery, the insurance company has to approve it. The doctor and I are submitting the necessary paperwork and have high hopes that there will be no glitches. Regardless, I am moving forward and can't wait to see the results. I am supposed to only be in the hospital for 3-4 days and then be home and up and around. I will be taking 2 weeks off of work for the surgery and then have a week of Spring Break so a three week recovery time all together. The doctor assures me I will be in great shape when it's time to return to work. I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am with this happening. It has been something that have wanted and can hardly believe it is really happening.
After my mom goes back home I am thrilled to say that my sister, Delene, and her husband Dale are coming to Vienna for a visit for about 2 weeks. I can't wait to show them my world and enjoy their company and their fun at seeing Vienna. Shortly after they leave, my dear friends Joan and Zoe are leaving London after their year living there and coming to visit me before returning to the US. We have a little trip to Salzburg planned and, of course, Zoe and I have our traditional "Dump the Mom" day planned. We are going shopping, a movie and to the top chocolate shop in Vienna to have hot chocolate and pastry. Zoe turns 14 in April so I am also going to have a little birthday celebration for her. Not sure yet what that will look like but can't wait to have them here.
Well, my friends, I have a date to meet a friend at the museum cafe down the street for lunch and coffee so I must say Auf Wiedersehen. Thank you for you continued interest and support in my life here. I, as you can surely see, very happy, healthy and enjoying life. Oh yeah, work is good too. Almost forgot that!!! I have a new saying..."Life is too short to work". I'm sure somebody else already said it but I'm claiming it for now.
May the luck of the Irish, the coming of spring and the joy of the season bring you health, happiness and good memories.
Love,
Jodie
I am sitting in my lovely apartment, listening to gorgeous classical piano music and feeling the sun, yes SUN, on my back through the window for the first time in about 6 weeks. I can't even begin to tell you what a thrill that is. Vienna is kind of the Seattle of Austria... not much sun, lots of rain and gallons of coffee. Oh yeah, don't forget the wine and beer too.
It is March 8, Sunday, and all is quiet in Vienna. You see, because it is a Catholic country and the church is such a vital part of life here, EVERYTHING is closed on Sundays. You can go to church, ride public transportation and have coffee but that's about it. The government charges an extra fee to businesses that want to be open on Sundays. I have grown to love this about Vienna. The belief is that Sunday is for quiet contemplation, time for family and rest. Those are not bad things in my book.
The month of January was pretty quiet around here and there wasn't much to tell. I knew that February would be full of news so I waited to write until now. And... indeed, I was right. Lots to tell so I'll get started.
It's hard to believe that two thirds of the school year is already gone and that I've been in Vienna for over a year and a half. Where does the time go?
My first big event of February was a trip during our school's Ski Week break to Egypt. I had planned to go to Iceland but at the last minute my travel buddy couldn't make the trip and I opted to go with friends to Marsa Alam, Egypt on the Red Sea instead. I am glad that I did. There were five of us on the trip. They are amazing and delightful friends and going to Egypt with them was a real treat. We spent a great deal of time at our resort which was right on the beach and beautiful. Since we had the all inclusive plan we ate and drank whatever we wanted whenever we wanted and just layed by the pool and beach reading, resting and recupterating from the long chilly Austrian winter. We took a one day trip to Luxor by private car and had an amazing day seeing the Valley of the Kings where the tombs of Ramses and Tuthankamen (King Tut) were found. There are about 18 tombs buried in the mountains in this area and still more are uncovered all the time. It was incredible to enter the tombs and see carvings and paintings that were done with natural dyes and stains and preserved with a coat of egg white that had lasted and still looked wonderful 4,000 years later. Unbelievably beautiful. It was interesting to see Egyptian men in native dress hauling sand and rock by bucketfulls on their heads away from the excavation sites and working in groups of 20-30 to uncover yet unknown tombs.
We then went to Hatshepsut, an amazingly well preserved temple that still has many of the giant statues and arches, wall and columns that it was built with 4,000 years ago. It was fascinating standing in a place where you knew that thousands of years ago, others had stood. What a feeling of awe. The size of each feature of the temple is unbelievable. The statues of the gods and goddesses were sometimes 60-70 feet tall with unvelievable detail. The columns were even taller than that and had stood in the same place, on the side of a mountain for centuries. The even more amazing thing to think about when I was standing there was that at the time these temples were built, there was none of the technology, power or equipment that we use today to shape, move and erect these huge pieces of rock. No cranes, bull dozers or hydrolic lifts. Only human slave labor and an unforgiving landscape. You can't even begin to comprehend how it was done and who would ever have such an idea in the first place. One of the interesting things of note is that all of these temples and tombs were built as monuments and tributes to the kings, queens and gods and goddesses of that time. They had a firm belief that it was what you did to present yourself in heaven that sealed your fate for the afterlife. Nothing was too great, too expensive, too elaborate for pleasing the gods and assuring ones place in the next world.
We then went for a bit of shopping, some lunch and then on to the temple of Karnak. It is the largest standing temple in the world. It is amazingly well preserved and contains some of the key elements of Egyptian history and culture. One interesting feature, you will see in the pictures on the left, is a giant scarob, or beetle, that is said to bring luck and long life to those who possess it. Everything in their art, jewelry, carving, etc. depicts the beetle. At the temple, there is a pedestal with a giant stone beetle on top. Legend has it that if you circle the scarob 4 times you will have good luck. If you circle it 5 times you will find true love. I, not wanting to get short changed on anything, went around 6 times. For that, I now know, you just get blisters.
On our last day in Egypt, we dressed ourselves in long pants, long sleeved shirts and sunglasses and took a 3 hour tour of the Sahara Desert on four wheel motor bikes (quads). It was incredible. The terrain was solid rock and sand, not the sand dunes one usually thinks of when imagining the Sahara. That is in another part of Africa. We rode and rode and saw the unbelievably breathtaking landscape of the desert. The only tree or vegetation we saw the whole time was an occasional Acacia tree or scrub brush. I think we saw, perhaps, 6 trees all afternoon. Where they came from and how they survive is beyond me. There has probably not been a drop of water on that ground in years. So that we didn't get overcome with the dust being thrown back by the quad in front of us we had to be wrapped in scarves with the turban and face mask style. It was amazing how much it helped. We laughed about looking like terrorists but understood later now un-funny that really was. To the people who live in this part of the world, that headgear is a necessity of life, not an optional accessory that identifies them with a group of political belief. It was amazing to spend time in a Muslim country and have the chance to talk with people willing to share their lives and their cultures and help us understand their ways. It's too bad that doesn't happen more often for all of us. Think of what it could mean if, rather than shooting at people, we could talk to them and understand.
As we walked from the end of our quad ride to the hotel lobby in our turbans, dusty clothes and filthy, filthy faces, we laughed. You see, this same group of friends that had just shared a desert adventure with me on this Saturday evening, was the group that the next Saturday night would be dressed in all our finest and attending the United Nations IAEA Ball at the Hofburg Royal Palace in Vienna. Oh, the difference a shower and a week can make.
The ball season in Vienna lasts from right after Christmas until Ash Wednesday. The idea is to cheer up the dreary cold Vienna winter and have fun before Lent arrives and the season of sacrifice begins. There are probably 100 balls in Vienna during that time. Every group has their ball and it's quite fun to see pictures and hear reports of the fun. The brewmasters have theirs, the opera hosts a huge one, the florists deck out and hold a ball. The chocolatiers even put on a ball. The tickets for the ball range greatly in price and are often times available for purchase by the general public. The trick is to get them early IF they are available.
The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Ball is the same one I went to last year. I have a good friend who works for the agency and this year got up at 3am to be at the UN at 5am to be in line to get tickets for a table in the main ball room. The royal palace has about 12 ballrooms, all set up with tables and space for dancing that night. The thrill of the main ballroom is that this is where the philharmonic plays so that the Vienna debutantes can make their entrance all in white and dance with the black tailed escorts to the Viennese Waltz. It's a sight to behold. There were probably 200 young ladies in their white dresses that night, joining Vienna society. It was incredible. We had a table right at the edge of the dance floor and could see the whole thing. It was beautiful.
I must tell you, that night, that ball was, without a doubt, the most amazing night of my life!!! I had a dress that was what every little girl dreams of when she sees herself someday as a princess. I was with amazingly good friends and danced till dawn to every type of music you can imagine. We had a dinner party at John and Gregg's house beforehand and shared an evening that we won't ever forget. At about 3:30am we left the palace and walked through old downtown Vienna, hearing the clippity clop of horses hooves on the cobblestones and ended up stopping for a snack at McDonalds. Yes, Chadwick in his tuxedo and I in my ball gown joined the passed out drunks in McDonalds and had a burger before heading home. It felt just like something from a Billy Crystal comedy. Who else but Jodie and Chadwick would do such a thing. I must say, it made an already perfect evening even better. I would love to say that I got home in time to watch the sun rise, but as I said at the beginning, today is the first day we've seen the sun in a long long time.
This morning, I woke up to the sunshine, showered, put on my Broncos sweatshirt and some jeans and headed outside for a walk in the sun. There is no shortage of amazing places to walk here. Everywhere I go there is beauty, amazement and joy. Today, I headed for the city hall. Each winter, after the Christmas markets are over, the city creates an ice skating wonderland called Eis Traum Wien , Vienna Ice Dream. They flood the grounds in front of the huge city hall building and create an ice rink. There are two main rinks and then a series of pathways through the trees, statues and park on which you can skate and explore and enjoy the fresh air. I haven't skated for 40 years and wasn't about to try again and ruin the moment. So instead, I got a cup of coffee, parked on a bench and watched young and old alike skate and smile and laugh. It was another one of those moments that just makes you glad to be alive. Some of those quiet, peaceful and simple moments in life are often my very favorites.
The big news in my life is that on Friday, March 27 I am going into the hospital to have my long awaited tummy tuck surgery. I have been fortunate to have found the very best plastic surgeon in Vienna and, as many of you know, this is something that I have dreamed of for a long long time. My mom is flying over to be with me and take care of me after I get out of the hospital. I am so fortunate to have her. She's the best. I know I'll be in good hands. The health care system here is set up so that if a doctor says you have to have surgery, the insurance company has to approve it. The doctor and I are submitting the necessary paperwork and have high hopes that there will be no glitches. Regardless, I am moving forward and can't wait to see the results. I am supposed to only be in the hospital for 3-4 days and then be home and up and around. I will be taking 2 weeks off of work for the surgery and then have a week of Spring Break so a three week recovery time all together. The doctor assures me I will be in great shape when it's time to return to work. I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am with this happening. It has been something that have wanted and can hardly believe it is really happening.
After my mom goes back home I am thrilled to say that my sister, Delene, and her husband Dale are coming to Vienna for a visit for about 2 weeks. I can't wait to show them my world and enjoy their company and their fun at seeing Vienna. Shortly after they leave, my dear friends Joan and Zoe are leaving London after their year living there and coming to visit me before returning to the US. We have a little trip to Salzburg planned and, of course, Zoe and I have our traditional "Dump the Mom" day planned. We are going shopping, a movie and to the top chocolate shop in Vienna to have hot chocolate and pastry. Zoe turns 14 in April so I am also going to have a little birthday celebration for her. Not sure yet what that will look like but can't wait to have them here.
Well, my friends, I have a date to meet a friend at the museum cafe down the street for lunch and coffee so I must say Auf Wiedersehen. Thank you for you continued interest and support in my life here. I, as you can surely see, very happy, healthy and enjoying life. Oh yeah, work is good too. Almost forgot that!!! I have a new saying..."Life is too short to work". I'm sure somebody else already said it but I'm claiming it for now.
May the luck of the Irish, the coming of spring and the joy of the season bring you health, happiness and good memories.
Love,
Jodie
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
January 2009
Happy New Year!!!
Can you believe it's 2009. It seems like just yesterday that we were all stockpiling water and food, digging out the camp stove and preparing for a return to caveman days with the change in the millenium. Oh... the good ole days!!
2009 has started of well for me. At the stroke of midnight on January 1 I was cozy and warm in my mother's living room. I was home for 2 weeks in Colorado to be with family and friends and get some R and R. There was not much rest and relaxation in my trip but I did have one heck of a good time.
I arrived in Denver on Saturday the 20th of December just 15 minutes before the Continental jet skidded off the runway and broke into flames. The news today said they believe part of the problem was wind gusts which were causing a dangerous cross wind. Let's hear it for competent Lufthansa pilots!!! I went straight from the airport to a Christmas party hosted by dear friends and visited with lots of friends and sang Karaoke until I hit the jet lag wall about 10:00 and begged to be taken home. I was having a great time but those of you who have done the overseas flight thing understand. After 24 hours of travel with little or no sleep, there comes a point where the brain just says, "that's it, you're done"! You have no choice but to abide.
The next few days were spent in Denver attending my favorite drag show, visiting friends and making the rounds at my dentist, eye doctor and massage therapist. Then it was off to Boulder for hair rescue from the hairstylist extraordinaire, my sister Dee. I got a much needed cut, color and pampering. It's good to be the princess!
Soon, it was Christmas and we were all at mom's house for the traditional food, games and fun that is a part of a Grandma's Christmas. It was so good to see my niece and nephew. I miss them so much. My sisters, brother in law and nieces boyfriend also spoiled me rottten and made it a fabulous Christmas.
I'm not sure where the rest of my two week trip went but I spent time with old friends, dancing till dawn and spending lots and lots of money. I even had to buy an additional suitcase for all the new clothes I bought while I was home. The fashion here doesn't quite work on a real world size body so I opt for the fashions of home. Way better options for me.
I am so, so blessed to have a family of friends around me who love and support me no matter how far away from home I am and whether or not I get much time to spend with them. Antonio and Jorge were great hosts and pampered me for both weekends and helped me party like a rock star at clubs and parties. Kathy and I had lunch and were able to catch up on all the happenings of my old district and catch up on each other's lives. Linda and Laurie made a point of including me in their new year's celebration. LJ and Chadwick threw a great Christmas party and were kind enough to schedule it around my arrival in Denver so that I could take part. There were so many others that I wanted desperately to see but with the holidays and appointments and wanting to spend time with family, it just couldn't all happen. I am happy and sure that even though I didn't get to see everyone that when I return in the summer they will be waiting with open arms and hearts to welcome me back into the fold.
My family all continue to be a source of strength and enjoyment for me. Dee and Dale have a beautiful home and seem truly happy together and ... have tickets to come and visit me in Vienna in April. Shely continues to look after the stray souls in the world and warms my heart with love and pride everytime I see her. She has the biggest heart and freely shares it with everyone. Shawn is still in school at Metro and is working at two restaurants to help put herself through school. Not at easy task in these economic times. Brandon is now a manager at Lodo's in Westminster and continues to make me smile everytime I talk to him. He is happy, healthy and handsome. I am so proud of him and the life he has made for himself. Then there's mom. What can I say, mentor extraordinaire. This woman is a tough act to follow. She continues to work, travel, serve and play like a youngster. She never stops and has so much fun in life. She is truly an inspiration. I am always in awe and so honored to be her daughter.
The year ahead promises new and exciting adventures for me. For my ski week vacation in February I am planning a trip to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. A friend and I are in the planning stages of that trip and I just can't wait. I've been told that because of global warming the intensity of the Northern Lights has reduced and that if I want to see them at their best I'd better get going. So, pull out the down coat, thermal underwear and heavy snow boots, I'm on my way. In April, another friend and I are looking at going to either to the island of Mauritious off of the east coast of Africa or to Egypt. It will depend on our financial status at the time. A trip to Egypt from here is like going to Cancun from Denver. It's the cheapest warm vacation you can get. Mauritious, on the other hand, is like going to the French Riviera and requires some major financial committment. We'll see. I'll keep you posted. I change my vacation plans more often than most people change their underwear so who knows how it will turn out. In June I may try to go to Montenegro (the former Yugoslavia) and Croatia for a little time on the beach right after school is out. I am then looking at spending some time in Vienna and then heading for several weeks to Colorado for that R and R I was looking for at Christmas.
Being home was fabulous and I had a wonderful time. I miss all of you tremendously and I also discovered something nice. I love Vienna just as much. I still know that I made the right decision in coming here. I love my life and friends here, and I still have some things I want to do, see and accomplish before I'm ready to move back. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that I can be happy and at home no matter where I choose to live. It's also incredibly good to know that I have people who care about me in both places. Thank you to all of you.
Well, it's time to go crank up the furnace and settle in for the night. My apartment is very old and has very high ceilings all making for equally high heating costs. I have learned that layers, blankets and hot beverages are really good during a Vienna winter. Now that the Christmas season is over and the hot spiced wine stands are gone that eliminates one option for keeping warm. I am on a quest, however, to find a suitable replacement. The current frontrunner is hot apple cider with cinnamon schnaaps. Try it, you'll like it. It's like eating a grown-up candy apple but easier on the teeth.
Love and best wishes to you all for the new year. May you be happy, healthy and surrounded by love. I know I am.
Jodie
Can you believe it's 2009. It seems like just yesterday that we were all stockpiling water and food, digging out the camp stove and preparing for a return to caveman days with the change in the millenium. Oh... the good ole days!!
2009 has started of well for me. At the stroke of midnight on January 1 I was cozy and warm in my mother's living room. I was home for 2 weeks in Colorado to be with family and friends and get some R and R. There was not much rest and relaxation in my trip but I did have one heck of a good time.
I arrived in Denver on Saturday the 20th of December just 15 minutes before the Continental jet skidded off the runway and broke into flames. The news today said they believe part of the problem was wind gusts which were causing a dangerous cross wind. Let's hear it for competent Lufthansa pilots!!! I went straight from the airport to a Christmas party hosted by dear friends and visited with lots of friends and sang Karaoke until I hit the jet lag wall about 10:00 and begged to be taken home. I was having a great time but those of you who have done the overseas flight thing understand. After 24 hours of travel with little or no sleep, there comes a point where the brain just says, "that's it, you're done"! You have no choice but to abide.
The next few days were spent in Denver attending my favorite drag show, visiting friends and making the rounds at my dentist, eye doctor and massage therapist. Then it was off to Boulder for hair rescue from the hairstylist extraordinaire, my sister Dee. I got a much needed cut, color and pampering. It's good to be the princess!
Soon, it was Christmas and we were all at mom's house for the traditional food, games and fun that is a part of a Grandma's Christmas. It was so good to see my niece and nephew. I miss them so much. My sisters, brother in law and nieces boyfriend also spoiled me rottten and made it a fabulous Christmas.
I'm not sure where the rest of my two week trip went but I spent time with old friends, dancing till dawn and spending lots and lots of money. I even had to buy an additional suitcase for all the new clothes I bought while I was home. The fashion here doesn't quite work on a real world size body so I opt for the fashions of home. Way better options for me.
I am so, so blessed to have a family of friends around me who love and support me no matter how far away from home I am and whether or not I get much time to spend with them. Antonio and Jorge were great hosts and pampered me for both weekends and helped me party like a rock star at clubs and parties. Kathy and I had lunch and were able to catch up on all the happenings of my old district and catch up on each other's lives. Linda and Laurie made a point of including me in their new year's celebration. LJ and Chadwick threw a great Christmas party and were kind enough to schedule it around my arrival in Denver so that I could take part. There were so many others that I wanted desperately to see but with the holidays and appointments and wanting to spend time with family, it just couldn't all happen. I am happy and sure that even though I didn't get to see everyone that when I return in the summer they will be waiting with open arms and hearts to welcome me back into the fold.
My family all continue to be a source of strength and enjoyment for me. Dee and Dale have a beautiful home and seem truly happy together and ... have tickets to come and visit me in Vienna in April. Shely continues to look after the stray souls in the world and warms my heart with love and pride everytime I see her. She has the biggest heart and freely shares it with everyone. Shawn is still in school at Metro and is working at two restaurants to help put herself through school. Not at easy task in these economic times. Brandon is now a manager at Lodo's in Westminster and continues to make me smile everytime I talk to him. He is happy, healthy and handsome. I am so proud of him and the life he has made for himself. Then there's mom. What can I say, mentor extraordinaire. This woman is a tough act to follow. She continues to work, travel, serve and play like a youngster. She never stops and has so much fun in life. She is truly an inspiration. I am always in awe and so honored to be her daughter.
The year ahead promises new and exciting adventures for me. For my ski week vacation in February I am planning a trip to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. A friend and I are in the planning stages of that trip and I just can't wait. I've been told that because of global warming the intensity of the Northern Lights has reduced and that if I want to see them at their best I'd better get going. So, pull out the down coat, thermal underwear and heavy snow boots, I'm on my way. In April, another friend and I are looking at going to either to the island of Mauritious off of the east coast of Africa or to Egypt. It will depend on our financial status at the time. A trip to Egypt from here is like going to Cancun from Denver. It's the cheapest warm vacation you can get. Mauritious, on the other hand, is like going to the French Riviera and requires some major financial committment. We'll see. I'll keep you posted. I change my vacation plans more often than most people change their underwear so who knows how it will turn out. In June I may try to go to Montenegro (the former Yugoslavia) and Croatia for a little time on the beach right after school is out. I am then looking at spending some time in Vienna and then heading for several weeks to Colorado for that R and R I was looking for at Christmas.
Being home was fabulous and I had a wonderful time. I miss all of you tremendously and I also discovered something nice. I love Vienna just as much. I still know that I made the right decision in coming here. I love my life and friends here, and I still have some things I want to do, see and accomplish before I'm ready to move back. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that I can be happy and at home no matter where I choose to live. It's also incredibly good to know that I have people who care about me in both places. Thank you to all of you.
Well, it's time to go crank up the furnace and settle in for the night. My apartment is very old and has very high ceilings all making for equally high heating costs. I have learned that layers, blankets and hot beverages are really good during a Vienna winter. Now that the Christmas season is over and the hot spiced wine stands are gone that eliminates one option for keeping warm. I am on a quest, however, to find a suitable replacement. The current frontrunner is hot apple cider with cinnamon schnaaps. Try it, you'll like it. It's like eating a grown-up candy apple but easier on the teeth.
Love and best wishes to you all for the new year. May you be happy, healthy and surrounded by love. I know I am.
Jodie
Monday, December 8, 2008
December 2008
Happy Winter Holidays to one and all!
I hope this little blogletter finds each of you happy, healthy and warm. As the holidays approach it becomes a time of great joy but also, I discovered, a time of some meloncholy when we think of those who are not near us or whom we miss at this time of year. I have, however, discovered that there is great joy in embracing the moment, celebrating where you are and appreciating those with whom you find yourself. There is so much to enjoy, I hope not to miss a single morsel of the season.
Since I last wrote I hosted a traditional American Thanksgiving in my apartment for 40 of my nearest and dearest friends. Just like last year, we had people who joined us who had never had an American Thanksgiving. Some had never had turkey, many had never eaten so much in their lives. We even managed to find a little American football on CNN and were able to laugh together while trying to explain the game to people who found no sport at all in running into each other and knocking each other down, just so they could carry a ball down the grass. We tried to explain that it was soccer for barbarians but the irony seemed a bit lost in the translation. Oh well, one can't always explain tradition. We had a great time and it was a great kick off to the holidays.
The cold weather, snow and Christmas lights have arrived in Vienna as I know they have in many parts of the world. It is fun to see that no matter where you may travel or where you may go, people find a very special way to celebrate the winter season. My muslim students are celebrating transitions with food and prayer, my Jewish students are excited for the candles of the menorah to be lit and whether it's Sankt Nicolaus, Peetz, or Krampus you await, it's a time of great joy and anticipation.
I thought it might be fun to share with you my experiences this month by sharing some of the Austria Christmas traditions. I've had fun experiencing new things and adding some of them to my own traditions and then sharing it all with wonderful friends. What a great life it is!
The Christmas lights were lit in the streets and neighborhoods of Vienna in early December and are beautiful to see each afternoon as I drive home from school. Now that daylight savings time is over it gets dark in Vienna at 4:15 in the afternoon. This makes it a little hard on the internal clock to figure out whether it's time to go shopping and exercising or if it's time to go to bed. Ooops, can't go to bed, it's only 5:30. Quite interesting.
Instead of going to bed it is popular to partake of the Christkindl Markts. These are little markets set up throughout the city which sell every imaginable form of decoration, gift and goody that you can imagine. I'm sure I told you about them last year. This year, since I'm a veteran Christmas market shopper, the focus is not on shopping, but on meeting friends at the markts and having a cup or six of Gluhwein or Punsch. Gluhwein is hot spiced wine and Puncsch is like hot fruit punch with a ton of alcohol and sugar in it. I recommend both highly. I discovered recently that they have tremendous medicinal powers as well. There is a tradition here in the mountains and countryside villages that before Sankt Nicolaus comes on December 6, his arch rival and alter ego, Krampus, comes and give sticks and coal to children who have been bad. I have been told that this tradition originated from Pagen ceremonies centuries ago when beings with long furry hair, faces like monsters with long curly horns, wearing giant cowbells ran through the city chasing the evil spirits away in preparation for the coming of winter. Well, this has transformed into a ritual known as Perchten. These big hairy monsters run through the towns wielding whips and sticks and hit those in their path as a way of chasing out the evil spirits. Thus, you are "beat" clean for the upcoming year. Well, not being one to shun a cultural experience, some friends and I went to a gathering where we knew the Perchten would be. It was amazing! Such a visual and cultural treat. There were about twenty of the beings, each armed with a horse tail sized whip made of leather strips (I'm told called a cat of nine tails) and a riding crop with a leather loop on the end. Those who are interested in having their evil spirits chased away take their whipping and become part of the ruckus. Well, let's just say that after 10 days my bruises and welts are healing nicely. I couldn't believe it. That night I had raised red welts on my leg and by morning it had turned into about 12 long, thin bruises marking the spots where the whip had driven out the evil spirits. I know it sounds barbaric, but in reality was very fun and the pain was greatly eased by the Punsch that is purchased for the victims of the Perchten's treatment by sympathetic friends. After a couple of those you really don't care whether you got beaten or not.
A much calmer and more palatable tradition is the Christmas concert. Free concerts of Christmas music pop up all over town and I have seen everything from American Gospel to classical instrumental to traditional Austrian acapella. It's been fabulous.
Parties are scheduled almost every night between now and Christmas. The holiday foods are fabulous and plentiful, and the economic woes of the time don't seem to be effecting the shoppers much. I live one block away from a busy shopping street and each Saturday in December they close down the street and leave it open just for shopping. I have never seen such hordes of people in my life. Shoulder to shoulder, one after another from sidewalk to sidewalk. I chose to either stay in my apartment or get on public transportation and leave the area all day. I don't dare move my car because if I do I will not find another parking place until sometime in the early morning hours of Monday.
There are a couple of interesting traditions I chose not to follow here but are worth noting. First of all, the carol Silent Night was written in Austria by a priest. It is a sacred tradition here that Silent Night is neither played nor sung EVER until Christmas eve. It is considered incredibly bad and horrible to play or sing it before then. This is a very sacred part of their Christmas beliefs. The other is that Santa Claus doesn't come here on Christmas eve. The one who comes on Christmas eve is the Christkind, the Christ child, and he is the one who brings the gifts. He is also the one who "surprises" the children and puts up the Christmas tree in the family home on Christmas eve. It is very rare indeed to find a decorated Christmas tree in an Austrian home prior to Christmas eve.
I am enjoying learning of these and many more traditions from around the world. I still shake my head in wonder sometimes when I think what a privalege it is to live in a place where such diversity is possible. I'm in heaven.
I must also share with you that from the Austrian/European perspective there is much to celebrate this year. They are thrilled at the American's choice for president and there is much talk about how the world can once again start to look at the US with favorable eyes. I never realized, until living overseas, what a tremendous impact the US has on the rest of the world. Oh, I knew we were influential in terms of our military, money and politics, but I had no idea that our influence had such an effect on the ordinary people of the world. What happens in America REALLY, REALLY effects the rest of the world. I have become very encouraged and hopeful that once again the US has an opportunity to be looked upon with tremendous respect by the rest of the world. Let's all hope and pray for a more peaceful world in the upcoming year.
I am thrilled to be traveling to Colorado to spend Christmas with my family. I will only be home for two weeks but am looking forward to spending time with them and being able to enjoy the company of my incredibly special niece and nephew, sisters and mom. I don't know what your plans may be for the holidays but I do hope that they are filled with love, joy, health and safety for all of you.
I am currently sitting at my computer listening to Austrian Christmas music, looking at the lights on my tree and thinking about what I love most about the holdiays. I guess I have come to the conclusion that what I like best is the fact that for a short time during our busy, busy lives, we take the time to celebrate, find joy, show kindness and generosity and share wishes of love with family and friends. I hope that your holidays are filled with all of those things and that whatever your beliefs, traditions, hopes and joys may be, that you find peace and love in the season. I truly hope that the new year brings us all good news, good luck, good love and good life. Know that those things and so much more are my Christmas wishes for each of you.
I will close with a line from a Christmas carol which holds greater meaning for us all now than perhaps it ever has...
Peace on earth, goodwill toward all!
Jodie
I hope this little blogletter finds each of you happy, healthy and warm. As the holidays approach it becomes a time of great joy but also, I discovered, a time of some meloncholy when we think of those who are not near us or whom we miss at this time of year. I have, however, discovered that there is great joy in embracing the moment, celebrating where you are and appreciating those with whom you find yourself. There is so much to enjoy, I hope not to miss a single morsel of the season.
Since I last wrote I hosted a traditional American Thanksgiving in my apartment for 40 of my nearest and dearest friends. Just like last year, we had people who joined us who had never had an American Thanksgiving. Some had never had turkey, many had never eaten so much in their lives. We even managed to find a little American football on CNN and were able to laugh together while trying to explain the game to people who found no sport at all in running into each other and knocking each other down, just so they could carry a ball down the grass. We tried to explain that it was soccer for barbarians but the irony seemed a bit lost in the translation. Oh well, one can't always explain tradition. We had a great time and it was a great kick off to the holidays.
The cold weather, snow and Christmas lights have arrived in Vienna as I know they have in many parts of the world. It is fun to see that no matter where you may travel or where you may go, people find a very special way to celebrate the winter season. My muslim students are celebrating transitions with food and prayer, my Jewish students are excited for the candles of the menorah to be lit and whether it's Sankt Nicolaus, Peetz, or Krampus you await, it's a time of great joy and anticipation.
I thought it might be fun to share with you my experiences this month by sharing some of the Austria Christmas traditions. I've had fun experiencing new things and adding some of them to my own traditions and then sharing it all with wonderful friends. What a great life it is!
The Christmas lights were lit in the streets and neighborhoods of Vienna in early December and are beautiful to see each afternoon as I drive home from school. Now that daylight savings time is over it gets dark in Vienna at 4:15 in the afternoon. This makes it a little hard on the internal clock to figure out whether it's time to go shopping and exercising or if it's time to go to bed. Ooops, can't go to bed, it's only 5:30. Quite interesting.
Instead of going to bed it is popular to partake of the Christkindl Markts. These are little markets set up throughout the city which sell every imaginable form of decoration, gift and goody that you can imagine. I'm sure I told you about them last year. This year, since I'm a veteran Christmas market shopper, the focus is not on shopping, but on meeting friends at the markts and having a cup or six of Gluhwein or Punsch. Gluhwein is hot spiced wine and Puncsch is like hot fruit punch with a ton of alcohol and sugar in it. I recommend both highly. I discovered recently that they have tremendous medicinal powers as well. There is a tradition here in the mountains and countryside villages that before Sankt Nicolaus comes on December 6, his arch rival and alter ego, Krampus, comes and give sticks and coal to children who have been bad. I have been told that this tradition originated from Pagen ceremonies centuries ago when beings with long furry hair, faces like monsters with long curly horns, wearing giant cowbells ran through the city chasing the evil spirits away in preparation for the coming of winter. Well, this has transformed into a ritual known as Perchten. These big hairy monsters run through the towns wielding whips and sticks and hit those in their path as a way of chasing out the evil spirits. Thus, you are "beat" clean for the upcoming year. Well, not being one to shun a cultural experience, some friends and I went to a gathering where we knew the Perchten would be. It was amazing! Such a visual and cultural treat. There were about twenty of the beings, each armed with a horse tail sized whip made of leather strips (I'm told called a cat of nine tails) and a riding crop with a leather loop on the end. Those who are interested in having their evil spirits chased away take their whipping and become part of the ruckus. Well, let's just say that after 10 days my bruises and welts are healing nicely. I couldn't believe it. That night I had raised red welts on my leg and by morning it had turned into about 12 long, thin bruises marking the spots where the whip had driven out the evil spirits. I know it sounds barbaric, but in reality was very fun and the pain was greatly eased by the Punsch that is purchased for the victims of the Perchten's treatment by sympathetic friends. After a couple of those you really don't care whether you got beaten or not.
A much calmer and more palatable tradition is the Christmas concert. Free concerts of Christmas music pop up all over town and I have seen everything from American Gospel to classical instrumental to traditional Austrian acapella. It's been fabulous.
Parties are scheduled almost every night between now and Christmas. The holiday foods are fabulous and plentiful, and the economic woes of the time don't seem to be effecting the shoppers much. I live one block away from a busy shopping street and each Saturday in December they close down the street and leave it open just for shopping. I have never seen such hordes of people in my life. Shoulder to shoulder, one after another from sidewalk to sidewalk. I chose to either stay in my apartment or get on public transportation and leave the area all day. I don't dare move my car because if I do I will not find another parking place until sometime in the early morning hours of Monday.
There are a couple of interesting traditions I chose not to follow here but are worth noting. First of all, the carol Silent Night was written in Austria by a priest. It is a sacred tradition here that Silent Night is neither played nor sung EVER until Christmas eve. It is considered incredibly bad and horrible to play or sing it before then. This is a very sacred part of their Christmas beliefs. The other is that Santa Claus doesn't come here on Christmas eve. The one who comes on Christmas eve is the Christkind, the Christ child, and he is the one who brings the gifts. He is also the one who "surprises" the children and puts up the Christmas tree in the family home on Christmas eve. It is very rare indeed to find a decorated Christmas tree in an Austrian home prior to Christmas eve.
I am enjoying learning of these and many more traditions from around the world. I still shake my head in wonder sometimes when I think what a privalege it is to live in a place where such diversity is possible. I'm in heaven.
One other little fun event that I had the honor of attending was the National Independence Day Celebration on December 2 for the United Arab Emerates. The father of one of my students is the UAE Ambassador and I, along with my assistant, were invited guests to their formal celebration. It was quite the event with traditional Arabic foods, music and entertainment. Brian, my assistant, and I felt a little nervous but soon found the people, food and fun to be great. I am continually amazed at the different cultures and people I get to experience here.
I must also share with you that from the Austrian/European perspective there is much to celebrate this year. They are thrilled at the American's choice for president and there is much talk about how the world can once again start to look at the US with favorable eyes. I never realized, until living overseas, what a tremendous impact the US has on the rest of the world. Oh, I knew we were influential in terms of our military, money and politics, but I had no idea that our influence had such an effect on the ordinary people of the world. What happens in America REALLY, REALLY effects the rest of the world. I have become very encouraged and hopeful that once again the US has an opportunity to be looked upon with tremendous respect by the rest of the world. Let's all hope and pray for a more peaceful world in the upcoming year.
I am thrilled to be traveling to Colorado to spend Christmas with my family. I will only be home for two weeks but am looking forward to spending time with them and being able to enjoy the company of my incredibly special niece and nephew, sisters and mom. I don't know what your plans may be for the holidays but I do hope that they are filled with love, joy, health and safety for all of you.
I am currently sitting at my computer listening to Austrian Christmas music, looking at the lights on my tree and thinking about what I love most about the holdiays. I guess I have come to the conclusion that what I like best is the fact that for a short time during our busy, busy lives, we take the time to celebrate, find joy, show kindness and generosity and share wishes of love with family and friends. I hope that your holidays are filled with all of those things and that whatever your beliefs, traditions, hopes and joys may be, that you find peace and love in the season. I truly hope that the new year brings us all good news, good luck, good love and good life. Know that those things and so much more are my Christmas wishes for each of you.
I will close with a line from a Christmas carol which holds greater meaning for us all now than perhaps it ever has...
Peace on earth, goodwill toward all!
Jodie
Monday, November 3, 2008
November 2008
Can you believe it? It is already November. Where has the time gone. It seems like only a couple of days ago that I was writing telling you what a hectic start to the school year it has been. Well, needless to say, life goes by way too quickly and here we are. In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I am going to prattle on this month about all the wonderful things I have seen and done and the people I've been fortunate to spend time with this month.
To begin, I just put my mom on a plane back to Denver yesterday morning. She came for an 18 day visit. It was soooo... good to see her and spend such wonderful time together, just the two of us. She arrived on a Thursday and just hung out on Friday while I finished up the school week. Then on Saturday we spent the day wandering through the Vienna woods in search of a pumpkin festival. Pumpkins are a big thing here. Not because of Halloween, since they don't really do that here, but because they grow about 500 different varieties of squash, which they call kurbis, or pumpkin. They make everything you can imagine out of pumpkin. They make pumpkin wine, beer, marmelade, soup, schnitzel, salad, strudel, cake, cookies, sauce and pickles. I know I sound a bit like Bubba in Forest Gump, but it's true. Anyway, we found the festival, had a great buffet and took tons of pictures. I bought four great big pumpkins for Halloween and realized when it was time to pay that they were 40 euros/55 dollars US. Needless to say I was shocked. Oh well, sometimes it costs to keep up traditions you love.
The next day we left for an 8 day vacation on the Greek Island of Crete. It was fabulous. We had such a great time. We saw a ton of things that were new and different. We tasted olives right off the tree before they are cured, YUCK!!! (See picture at left.) We ate, drank, toured, slept, read and walked ourselves silly. We were able to spend a day visiting a family in a traditional Greek village up in the mountains, visit an island that was once a fortress and later became a leper colony and later take a 2 hour boat trip to the amazing island of Santorini. It was breathtaking. The villages there are all painted while with royal blue roofs and doors and are built on the top of this volcanic stone island. It's just incredible. We rented a Smart car, one of those little 2 seater jobs for exploring and enjoyed the stares and honks from fellow motorists who weren't as humored by our wrong turns and wrong way on a one way street as we were. No one got hurt or died so I guess all is well that ends well.
We eventually had to come back to Vienna. I went back to work and mom spent a week playing housewife, resting, reading and shopping. It was great to see her relax and enjoy herself. On Friday we helped out with the school Halloween party and handed out candy at the "Trunk or Treat" event. Since the Austrians aren't big into Halloween, we decorated our car trunks and the kids wandered through the parking lot begging candy and showing off their costumes. It was great fun and was a joy to share with my mom.
I must say, it was hard to say good-bye yesterday after such a great visit. The good news is that it's only 6 weeks until I'm coming to Denver to spend the Christmas holiday with my family. I can't wait. There's no place like home for Christmas.
All of my fellow Americans overseas and I are anxiously awaiting the results of the presidential election. With the time difference it will be 4am on Wednesday for us before the polls close in California and we find out who the winner is. There are all night parties springing up everywhere to watch election results and then pancake breakfasts to prepare everyone for work in the morning. Chadwick and I have made a little more sedate plans. He is going to have a sleep over at his house, wake up at 4am to get the results, we'll have a little fun breakfast and then make our way to work. It's still a nasty time of morning to get up but I'm too old to do very many all nighters now.
I am, again this year, hosting a gathering of international friends for Thanksgiving. At present there are about 35 on the guest list and it grows by the day. If it's anything like last year it will be great fun. I provide the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and everyone else brings a dish to share that makes it Thanksgiving for them. We'll have everything from sushi to schnitzel. It will be amazing. The interesting part is getting that many people into my apartment with a plate of food all at the same time. Last year everyone was great about pulling up a chunk of floor space or sharing a chair and going with the flow. It was fun.
I signed the formal paperwork stating my intent to return to the school for next school year. At this point I have decided that I will probably just stay one more year. I haven't finished doing all of the traveling that I wanted to do from here and I may also have an opportunity to get the tummy tuck done that I really, really want and that would mean staying another year so that the insurance company will pay for it. If that's all it takes, I'm in. As much as I miss my family, friends and home, it's an opportunity I just can't say no to.
Here in Europe we are watching the current economic crisis carefully. It's been interesting to see how the whole world is affected by what is happening in the US. It is also interesting to hear people's thoughts about the US and what they think of the government. Sometimes you want to yell and say "Hey, it's a great country, don't knock it!" Other times you want to hide and tell people you're from Canada just to avoid the hassle. I guess it's kind of like the coffee mug I got in Washington, DC last year. it says, "I love my country, it's just the government I'm afraid of."
Bottom line, however, is... I'm still lucky to be a citizen of a country that lets me say what I want about the government without fear. I've met way to many people here who don't have that privalege. Kinda puts things in perspective.
I continue to love it here, am grateful for the wonderful and dear friends that I have who enrich my life here beyond measure and for the opportunity to live a life most people only dream of. I am grateful for all of you, my wonderful family and friends, and for the security of knowing that no matter where I go, what I decide or the choices I make, I will always have people I care about caring about me.
Have a great Thanksgiving and don't forget to vote. It really matters this time.
Love to one and all,
Jodie
To begin, I just put my mom on a plane back to Denver yesterday morning. She came for an 18 day visit. It was soooo... good to see her and spend such wonderful time together, just the two of us. She arrived on a Thursday and just hung out on Friday while I finished up the school week. Then on Saturday we spent the day wandering through the Vienna woods in search of a pumpkin festival. Pumpkins are a big thing here. Not because of Halloween, since they don't really do that here, but because they grow about 500 different varieties of squash, which they call kurbis, or pumpkin. They make everything you can imagine out of pumpkin. They make pumpkin wine, beer, marmelade, soup, schnitzel, salad, strudel, cake, cookies, sauce and pickles. I know I sound a bit like Bubba in Forest Gump, but it's true. Anyway, we found the festival, had a great buffet and took tons of pictures. I bought four great big pumpkins for Halloween and realized when it was time to pay that they were 40 euros/55 dollars US. Needless to say I was shocked. Oh well, sometimes it costs to keep up traditions you love.
The next day we left for an 8 day vacation on the Greek Island of Crete. It was fabulous. We had such a great time. We saw a ton of things that were new and different. We tasted olives right off the tree before they are cured, YUCK!!! (See picture at left.) We ate, drank, toured, slept, read and walked ourselves silly. We were able to spend a day visiting a family in a traditional Greek village up in the mountains, visit an island that was once a fortress and later became a leper colony and later take a 2 hour boat trip to the amazing island of Santorini. It was breathtaking. The villages there are all painted while with royal blue roofs and doors and are built on the top of this volcanic stone island. It's just incredible. We rented a Smart car, one of those little 2 seater jobs for exploring and enjoyed the stares and honks from fellow motorists who weren't as humored by our wrong turns and wrong way on a one way street as we were. No one got hurt or died so I guess all is well that ends well.
We eventually had to come back to Vienna. I went back to work and mom spent a week playing housewife, resting, reading and shopping. It was great to see her relax and enjoy herself. On Friday we helped out with the school Halloween party and handed out candy at the "Trunk or Treat" event. Since the Austrians aren't big into Halloween, we decorated our car trunks and the kids wandered through the parking lot begging candy and showing off their costumes. It was great fun and was a joy to share with my mom.
I must say, it was hard to say good-bye yesterday after such a great visit. The good news is that it's only 6 weeks until I'm coming to Denver to spend the Christmas holiday with my family. I can't wait. There's no place like home for Christmas.
All of my fellow Americans overseas and I are anxiously awaiting the results of the presidential election. With the time difference it will be 4am on Wednesday for us before the polls close in California and we find out who the winner is. There are all night parties springing up everywhere to watch election results and then pancake breakfasts to prepare everyone for work in the morning. Chadwick and I have made a little more sedate plans. He is going to have a sleep over at his house, wake up at 4am to get the results, we'll have a little fun breakfast and then make our way to work. It's still a nasty time of morning to get up but I'm too old to do very many all nighters now.
I am, again this year, hosting a gathering of international friends for Thanksgiving. At present there are about 35 on the guest list and it grows by the day. If it's anything like last year it will be great fun. I provide the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and everyone else brings a dish to share that makes it Thanksgiving for them. We'll have everything from sushi to schnitzel. It will be amazing. The interesting part is getting that many people into my apartment with a plate of food all at the same time. Last year everyone was great about pulling up a chunk of floor space or sharing a chair and going with the flow. It was fun.
I signed the formal paperwork stating my intent to return to the school for next school year. At this point I have decided that I will probably just stay one more year. I haven't finished doing all of the traveling that I wanted to do from here and I may also have an opportunity to get the tummy tuck done that I really, really want and that would mean staying another year so that the insurance company will pay for it. If that's all it takes, I'm in. As much as I miss my family, friends and home, it's an opportunity I just can't say no to.
Here in Europe we are watching the current economic crisis carefully. It's been interesting to see how the whole world is affected by what is happening in the US. It is also interesting to hear people's thoughts about the US and what they think of the government. Sometimes you want to yell and say "Hey, it's a great country, don't knock it!" Other times you want to hide and tell people you're from Canada just to avoid the hassle. I guess it's kind of like the coffee mug I got in Washington, DC last year. it says, "I love my country, it's just the government I'm afraid of."
Bottom line, however, is... I'm still lucky to be a citizen of a country that lets me say what I want about the government without fear. I've met way to many people here who don't have that privalege. Kinda puts things in perspective.
I continue to love it here, am grateful for the wonderful and dear friends that I have who enrich my life here beyond measure and for the opportunity to live a life most people only dream of. I am grateful for all of you, my wonderful family and friends, and for the security of knowing that no matter where I go, what I decide or the choices I make, I will always have people I care about caring about me.
Have a great Thanksgiving and don't forget to vote. It really matters this time.
Love to one and all,
Jodie
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
October 2008
Happy Herbst from Wien!
Welcome to my first ever attempt at joining the techno-age. A friend suggested I try this blog thing and that way I could post pictures and everything. So, here goes. Let's give it a try.
Where does the time go? It is already October 7 and we have been in school for 7 weeks! One and a half more weeks and I get a week's vacation. This break from school brings yet another amazing travel adventure for me. This time the destination is Crete, and island of Greece.
On Friday, October 17 my mom arrives for her second visit to Vienna. We then leave on Sunday for the beautiful island of Crete. It has long been one of my dreams to visit Greece. To go there with my mom and to stay at the beach and relax and island hop is much more than I could have ever hoped for. Next month you'll have to endure the photos and stories from there.
It's been a busy month since I last wrote. It's hard work having a birthday and getting another year older!!! Actually, it was a ton of fun. The custom here is that if you want to celebrate your birthday, you throw the party yourself. So, I planned my traditional end of summer, birthday barbeque. I had friends who have a grill help me grill burgers and sausages, I made good, old fashioned American potato salad, baked beans and green salad, I even got yellow American mustard (not easy) and American hamburger and hot dog buns (also not easy). My international collection of friends were delighted. The question did, however, come up... How do Americans manage to get sooooo.... many calories into everything they eat? Makes one stop and wonder doesn't it? Especially when the question comes from people who's main source of energy is fried wienerschnitzel, bread dumplings and sausage. Oh well, it was all in good fun. My friend Holly made this amazing chocolate cake and we ate and drank ourselves silly. It was just what I wanted. About 15 of my best friends from Vienna came to help me celebrate.
At the beginning of the month of September, my friends Holly and Craig and I all boarded a plane for Brussels, Belgium for a world famous Belgian Beer Festival. Apparently the Belgians are considered to have the very best beer in the world. In my expert opinion they are right. There was a huge tent set up in the central plaza of the city with about 25 different breweries set up selling their best brews. Between them all there were about 450 different beers available. I, myself, managed to try about 30 of them in the course of a day and a half. Not bad for a beginner. I made an amazing discovery about my taste in beer while I was there. My favorite beers are the ones that don't taste like beer. Go figure!!! I had raspberry, lemon, chocolate, chile, wheat beers but my all time two favorites were coconut beer, which tasted just like Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion smells and a rum/beer combination that was fabulous. Needless to say, I had a good time. There was music, fun and interesting people at all levels of intoxication and a great weekend with my friends. It is now one of my favorite memories of my time here.
My kids at school continue to be my daily injection of joy. They never cease to make me smile. Whenever the hassles of being a teacher and working in a school that, like everywhere else, has it's issues, gets me down, one of the kids comes along and does or says something that makes me laugh (or cry) and reminds me why I'm really there. One of my little Austrian students has taken it upon himself to be my private German tutor. He's one of the squirreliest, goofiest, orneriest kids you'll ever want to meet but when he starts teaching me German he becomes Henry Higgens and is bound and determined to turn Eliza Doolittle into a proper Austrian speaker. (If you're not sure what I'm talking about go rent My Fair Lady, you'll love it.) Today, after my brief lesson on reading and nouns and their articles he gave me the highest grade he's given me so far. I got a B+ and a note saying that I was improving. High praise from this little task master. Gotta love it.
It has been an absolute hoot to be abroad during this whole election season. Getting all the news about 12 hours after it happens and watching the European reaction to Palin and the bickering between the candidates is a real experience. The Austrians just shake their heads and say "Only the Americans". By contrast, the Austrians have a system whereby about a month ago the ruling party Chancellor of Austria ruled that the parliament wasn't doing a good job so he ended the terms of all the representatives, called for a new election, the election was held three weeks later and now, as of last week, there is a new bunch of representatives in place. Technically, they aren't really new. Most of them were the incumbents but nonetheless they are a newly formed group. There are officially 7 parties that were on the ballot. Two that are the front runners, about 3 that are significant and 2 that never had a chance. The way it works here is that if you get at least 5% of the vote you get representation in parliament equal to your percentage of the vote. So, the two big parties of course control everything, but even the little guys get some say. Quite interesting. They know they have problems with their system too but it's fun to watch. I just can't wait till our election is all behind us and we can get back to other aspects of life.
My German lessons continue and I am happy to report that I can now talk about the past. Up until about 3 weeks ago, if it wasn't happening right now I couldn't talk about it. I am so proud now to be able to go to an Austrian party and tell someone I ate lunch yesterday. It's quite a thrill!!!! Those of you who have ever tried to learn a second, or third, language will understand what I mean. My friend Michael has offered to provide my lesson in German profanity. He and I both feel that it's time. I think I can now learn them without fear that I'll get confused and tell someone something I shouldn't. Could be interesting.
I am really lucky this year that my mom has decided to stay an extra week after our vacation to Greece to relax and enjoy Vienna with me. I have to go back to school but she will fend for herself during the day and then in the evenings we have plans to go to the opera, take long walks, enjoy the sights and one night have a little gathering so all my friends can meet her. I am so lucky to have her. She's the best!
One of the fun things we will be doing while she is here is participating in the school Halloween festivities. The PTA puts on a great big party in the gym with games and food and fun. Right before it starts you can sign up for a place in the parking lot and they have what they call "Trunk or Treat". Since the Austrians don't do Halloween and probably wouldn't appreciate a bunch of strange kids in costumes harrassing them by ringing the doorbell, you park your car in the parking lot, decorate the trunk and then the kids come around to the trunks and say "Trick or Treat" and you hand out candy. It's a real kick in the behind. It's one of the biggest functions of the year. Afterwards, everyone goes to the gym and plays and dances and has a good time. I'll take pictures so that you can seem them next month.
Well, I guess I've blogged long enough for this month. I hope you are all happy and well and that life continues to bring you the best and many, many fall blessings. May your days be filled with sunshine, your lives with color and your hearts with warmth.
Auf Wiedersehen,
Jodie
Welcome to my first ever attempt at joining the techno-age. A friend suggested I try this blog thing and that way I could post pictures and everything. So, here goes. Let's give it a try.
Where does the time go? It is already October 7 and we have been in school for 7 weeks! One and a half more weeks and I get a week's vacation. This break from school brings yet another amazing travel adventure for me. This time the destination is Crete, and island of Greece.
On Friday, October 17 my mom arrives for her second visit to Vienna. We then leave on Sunday for the beautiful island of Crete. It has long been one of my dreams to visit Greece. To go there with my mom and to stay at the beach and relax and island hop is much more than I could have ever hoped for. Next month you'll have to endure the photos and stories from there.
It's been a busy month since I last wrote. It's hard work having a birthday and getting another year older!!! Actually, it was a ton of fun. The custom here is that if you want to celebrate your birthday, you throw the party yourself. So, I planned my traditional end of summer, birthday barbeque. I had friends who have a grill help me grill burgers and sausages, I made good, old fashioned American potato salad, baked beans and green salad, I even got yellow American mustard (not easy) and American hamburger and hot dog buns (also not easy). My international collection of friends were delighted. The question did, however, come up... How do Americans manage to get sooooo.... many calories into everything they eat? Makes one stop and wonder doesn't it? Especially when the question comes from people who's main source of energy is fried wienerschnitzel, bread dumplings and sausage. Oh well, it was all in good fun. My friend Holly made this amazing chocolate cake and we ate and drank ourselves silly. It was just what I wanted. About 15 of my best friends from Vienna came to help me celebrate.
At the beginning of the month of September, my friends Holly and Craig and I all boarded a plane for Brussels, Belgium for a world famous Belgian Beer Festival. Apparently the Belgians are considered to have the very best beer in the world. In my expert opinion they are right. There was a huge tent set up in the central plaza of the city with about 25 different breweries set up selling their best brews. Between them all there were about 450 different beers available. I, myself, managed to try about 30 of them in the course of a day and a half. Not bad for a beginner. I made an amazing discovery about my taste in beer while I was there. My favorite beers are the ones that don't taste like beer. Go figure!!! I had raspberry, lemon, chocolate, chile, wheat beers but my all time two favorites were coconut beer, which tasted just like Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion smells and a rum/beer combination that was fabulous. Needless to say, I had a good time. There was music, fun and interesting people at all levels of intoxication and a great weekend with my friends. It is now one of my favorite memories of my time here.
My kids at school continue to be my daily injection of joy. They never cease to make me smile. Whenever the hassles of being a teacher and working in a school that, like everywhere else, has it's issues, gets me down, one of the kids comes along and does or says something that makes me laugh (or cry) and reminds me why I'm really there. One of my little Austrian students has taken it upon himself to be my private German tutor. He's one of the squirreliest, goofiest, orneriest kids you'll ever want to meet but when he starts teaching me German he becomes Henry Higgens and is bound and determined to turn Eliza Doolittle into a proper Austrian speaker. (If you're not sure what I'm talking about go rent My Fair Lady, you'll love it.) Today, after my brief lesson on reading and nouns and their articles he gave me the highest grade he's given me so far. I got a B+ and a note saying that I was improving. High praise from this little task master. Gotta love it.
It has been an absolute hoot to be abroad during this whole election season. Getting all the news about 12 hours after it happens and watching the European reaction to Palin and the bickering between the candidates is a real experience. The Austrians just shake their heads and say "Only the Americans". By contrast, the Austrians have a system whereby about a month ago the ruling party Chancellor of Austria ruled that the parliament wasn't doing a good job so he ended the terms of all the representatives, called for a new election, the election was held three weeks later and now, as of last week, there is a new bunch of representatives in place. Technically, they aren't really new. Most of them were the incumbents but nonetheless they are a newly formed group. There are officially 7 parties that were on the ballot. Two that are the front runners, about 3 that are significant and 2 that never had a chance. The way it works here is that if you get at least 5% of the vote you get representation in parliament equal to your percentage of the vote. So, the two big parties of course control everything, but even the little guys get some say. Quite interesting. They know they have problems with their system too but it's fun to watch. I just can't wait till our election is all behind us and we can get back to other aspects of life.
My German lessons continue and I am happy to report that I can now talk about the past. Up until about 3 weeks ago, if it wasn't happening right now I couldn't talk about it. I am so proud now to be able to go to an Austrian party and tell someone I ate lunch yesterday. It's quite a thrill!!!! Those of you who have ever tried to learn a second, or third, language will understand what I mean. My friend Michael has offered to provide my lesson in German profanity. He and I both feel that it's time. I think I can now learn them without fear that I'll get confused and tell someone something I shouldn't. Could be interesting.
I am really lucky this year that my mom has decided to stay an extra week after our vacation to Greece to relax and enjoy Vienna with me. I have to go back to school but she will fend for herself during the day and then in the evenings we have plans to go to the opera, take long walks, enjoy the sights and one night have a little gathering so all my friends can meet her. I am so lucky to have her. She's the best!
One of the fun things we will be doing while she is here is participating in the school Halloween festivities. The PTA puts on a great big party in the gym with games and food and fun. Right before it starts you can sign up for a place in the parking lot and they have what they call "Trunk or Treat". Since the Austrians don't do Halloween and probably wouldn't appreciate a bunch of strange kids in costumes harrassing them by ringing the doorbell, you park your car in the parking lot, decorate the trunk and then the kids come around to the trunks and say "Trick or Treat" and you hand out candy. It's a real kick in the behind. It's one of the biggest functions of the year. Afterwards, everyone goes to the gym and plays and dances and has a good time. I'll take pictures so that you can seem them next month.
Well, I guess I've blogged long enough for this month. I hope you are all happy and well and that life continues to bring you the best and many, many fall blessings. May your days be filled with sunshine, your lives with color and your hearts with warmth.
Auf Wiedersehen,
Jodie
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