Kinda Neglected This for Awhile (My Bad): A Month Down.

So as the title may suggest, I kinda neglected writing this blog for a while, not purposely, but I've been enjoying every moment in Vienna enough to not sit down and really write about. However, on a night I actually decide to stay in, I find myself needing to write about my last three weeks in a foreign country, which I have not previously been to.

In the last few weeks, I have been meeting loads of new people (mostly from North America and Europe as expected) and I saw a number of sights around this great city through my orientation program, including an ever so fun trip to Linz, Austria. As I have displayed in my past posts I really enjoy listing things, so why fix what's not broken?

1. It Amazing to Think of People's Experiences of World War II Here: I was sitting on the subway one morning going to my German class and couldn't help but notice an elderly lady riding the Subway in the seat diagonally to the left of me. She appeared to be in her early to mid 80's, so chances are that she was at least aware of what was going on with World War II in her life at the time. I instantly thought of every story I've heard every elderly American tell about World War II, mostly revolving around Pearl Harbor, relatives leaving for war, and the sacrifices made at home in support of the American war effort. However, I couldn't help but think that the events that she witnessed were much more significant than the ones I heard. She was aware when the most evil figure of the 20th century annexed her country, she was exposed to Nazi paraphernalia all over Vienna and the Goebbels' produced propaganda of the era, and most of all she witnessed her city being bombed and taken over by allied forces at the end of the European theater. It is much more interesting perspective to think about.

2. It is Also Interesting how Austrians Deny Involvement with the Axis in WWII: I'm going to continue a bit on this topic because it is something that I had thought about a decent amount. There is a joke that Austria's greatest achievement is convincing the world that Beethoven was Austrian and Hitler was German. I thought of this off-the-cuff joke, while I was Linz, when a friend of mine reminded me that Hitler considered Linz to be his "hometown". Obviously this tidbit was not mentioned in my tour, as the topic of Nazism is considered taboo in Austria and Germany. Also, While walking around Vienna, I did see a monument commemorating the Soviet soldiers who "liberated" the city of Vienna during World War II. Although history points that Austria's vote to join the Third Reich was heavily influenced by the German military, it also suggests that a majority of people supported a union with Germany in the time between the end of WWI and the beginning of WWII. While the sanctions that were put on Austria during the Treaty of St. Germain (Austria-Hungary's version of the Treaty of Versailles) were severe, and made the promises of the Nazi party appealing, the end is the nation did in fact have a role similar to that of Germany in the war. Ultimately this is past that the following generations want to distance themselves from and ignore, which makes sense, considering that the Austrians I had met have been very open and kind people. However, it is a past that I believe people should be aware of, because only by remembering the negative effects of that era, can one avoid going down the same negative path.

The Ever-So-Odd Soviet Army Monument in Vienna

3. "Bernd Das Brot" is the Best Late-Night Show Ever: Now that I have depressed y'all with talking about Nazism for a bit, I'm going to do a 180 and talk about something light. I my many of nights where I return to my room late and turned on the TV late at night, I seem to always gravitate towards one show entitled "Bernd Das Brot", which means "Bernd the Bread" in English. It is a children's show which is on the KIKA channel here in Austria. The show is essentially a curmudgeonly piece of bread who dances around and dresses in different costumes (Harry Potter, Star Trek, anything you could imagine really), sounds amazing right? I've got you drawn in? Well it plays here every night on KIKA from 8pm until the early morning. So one can imagine it is a go to show of many people under the influence of one thing or another. I remember seeing this show a couple of times before and thinking that he was actually a chocolate bar, since he is essentially just a brown rectangular figure with arms. I've been told that there is an episode where he just falls continuously for 20 minutes... I must see this.

 The Bread, The Myth, The Legend

4. I Haven't Traveled Outside of Austria Yet, and I'm Oddly OK with That: This is an amazing thing to say considering one of the reasons I chose Vienna as a location is that it's central location makes it advantageous for traveling, however, I've enjoyed spending all of my time in Austria thus far. I know people here who have yet to spend an entire weekend in Vienna, which is amazing to me. As a city of nearly 1.8 million people, the amount of things to do in Vienna is incredible. I have generally enjoyed taking this first month to see everything available to me in the city of Vienna and the nation of Austria. I've found Vienna thus far to be truly the most livable place that I have ever been to. One of my roommates recently traveled to Italy, and while he loved his experience there, he said he missed Vienna at the end and looked forward to returning. Now, this isn't to say I am planning to stay in Austria the entire time (if things work out, I will be going to Copenhagen and Brussels in the near future), but I am glad that I have taken the opportunity to appreciate what I have in front of me before I rushed off to see other places.

5. You Find Yourself More Invested In World Events When You're Closer to Them: This is something that I have felt particular with the events currently happening in Ukraine. I remember a friend and I sitting in my room a couple of weeks ago before going out watching some of the incredible footage going on in Kiev at the time. We were watching Molotov Cocktails being thrown at attacking state police and a group of people fighting for the freedom of their nation. I found myself much more invested in the event as my friend and I came to the realization that Kiev is a mere hour and a half flight from where we are currently living. This situation has been made all more real as I have had the opportunity to meet and befriend a few Ukrainians over the past weeks (There is video of my friends and I with our new Ukrainian friends drunkenly yelling "Slava Ukraini", which means "Glory to Ukraine", the cry of the Euromaidan protesters in the nation). Given the people that I have met and my own Western biases, I obviously am in entire support of the Euromaidan protestors in achieving their goals in the country, even on what appears to be the brink of war with Russia.

Slava Ukraini!

Other Less Noteworthy Thoughts that Didn't Make the Cut:

 - Everything here is so much more expensive... Except for Alcohol.

- Falco is Austria's greatest musician, that's right Mozart...

- It is amazing how many people roll their own cigarettes here.

- The average Austrian beer absolutely destroys the average American beer, no contest.

- My roommate knows the best restaurants / Wiener Schnitzel was created by the Gods themselves.

- I start actual classes this week... Fun.

- It's so nice to buy the cheapest wine (Usually 2-3 Euros) and not have it be awful or come in a box.

- Kebabs are still the best street food, but Käsekrainers are awesome too.

- The song "Das Geht Ab" needs to be big in America yesterday.

- It took two weeks to hear a non-Macklemore rap song at a bar/club, and yes I rapped the entire thing.

Well that's all I really have in the empty space that is my mind, so...

Song I'm Listening To:

Der Kommisar - Falco

Peace in the Middle East... Better Yet Ukraine,

Ted

This Place is Pretty Chill: (Almost) a Week Down.

What's up y'all?

It's early in the morning in Vienna and I really can't go to sleep, so I figured I'd do some writing to tire myself out. Long story short, I have really enjoyed my first week in Austria...

My first day in Austria was incredibly uneventful, after arriving at my apartment, Gasgasse, I met my roommates, had a nice brief conversation and proceeded to go to sleep at 6:00pm. I slept for six hours, woke up, watched Cool Runnings (Making sure I find somewhere to watch the Jamaican Bobsled Team this Olympics) and proceeded to go back to sleep for another 9 hours... The 15 hours of sleep wasn't the day I wanted, but it was the day I needed. Ever since that point I have been fully enjoying the country.

If you haven't noticed in my first two posts, I really like listing stuff, so I'm gonna keep doing that.

1. Döner Kebab is the Penultimate Drunk Food: Along with a Steak n' Shake, I'd open up a döner stand in 5 Points back at USC. This needs to have caught on the USA yesterday. On my journeys back from Vienna's finest drinking establishments, I have stopped a few times at the kebab stand a block away from my apartment. Each time I have ordered the "Hühner Kebab". The dish consists of meat from some sort of animal (chicken... I think... but I'd put money on it being poultry), lettuce, onions, some white sauce (which I feel like I should not learn what it is) and chili powder all stuffed into one neat piece of pita bread. Needless to say it is a combination of food that was invented by the good lord himself. If given the option between the two right now, I'd take döner over Cookout (Bold Statement).

Real Awesome

2. The Public Transportation Here is Incredible: Being born and raised in the Midwest, and living in the South most of the year, the public transportation associated with large cities is non-existent (No Subway in Columbia? I'm shocked!). Therefore I am amazed by every ride I take on the U-Bahn, Vienna's subway system. The trains stop frequently, the trains are clean, and the lines are incredibly simple to navigate. The U-Bahn is incredibly accessible as I live a two minute walk away from Westbahnhof, which is the largest train station in the city's western half. The city also has a number of Straßenbahns (street cars) and buses. Taxis are also numerous and relatively inexpensive. I have a feeling that I will no problem getting around the city.

3. Travel Shack is Definitely Going to be my Spot: I have been to a few bars in my past couple of days, the Chelsea (fun, but very 'hipsterish' in nature, being an American with sperrys and North Face was looked down upon) and Charlie P's (an Irish Pub with great drinks that was a lot of fun, not the place for someone who hates cigarette smoke to go to though). However, the closest and possibly the most fun of these bars was the Travel Shack. "The Shack" (great f'in nickname, right?) is a local bar that is Australian owned. My friends who I've gone out with appreciate the fact that their bartenders speak English. Anyhow, the beer selection is phenomenal (Weststephaner is the way to go), great liquor (Havana Club is legal here... End the embargo America), and a deal and half that is 10 custom shots for 20 Euros. They have about 40 different ones, and they've all been delicious. With the bar being a mere 3 blocks away from Gasgasse, a lot nights will be spent there.

The Place to Be

4. Did not Think the First Friends I'd Make Here would be from the same 2,500 person College: In my short time here I've met and gone out with students from multiple different countries (UK, Italy, Croatia, Finland to name a few) as well as different US colleges (Tulane, U of Vermont, UGA, etc.). However through my roommate, Nick, I have met and gone to bars with a group of seven different students from Trinity College in Connecticut. Didn't think this would have happened, but it's good it did. I assume a number of debauchery filled drunken nights will occur with this crew amongst other people.

5. Graz is a Wonderful City and Makes for an Awesome Day-Trip: As the first actual event of WU's orientation program, I went to the city of Graz in Southeast Austria, which is just north of the Slovenian border. On the bus ride to the city, I was able to see Austria's famous countryside, which was filled with snow covered mountains. Much of Graz is still made-up of the 16th and 17th century buildings, which made the city very reminiscent to the old cities of Krakow and Prague. I found the city to be very walkable and exciting as the city was filled with vibrant areas that contained many shops, restaurants and bars. The highlight of the tour was seeing a view of the city from a nearby mountain, which was the home of a palace for the Hapsburg family (Famed for their incest-created "Hapsburger chin"). After the city we visited the Zotter chocolate factory in nearby Riegersburg, Austria. This place was, as expected, a lot of fun. We got to try the factory's different types of chocolate at different stages during the manufacturing process. I assume that a visit to this factory is what inspired the great R. Kelly to create his 2003 Masterpiece, "The Chocolate Factory" (Any album with Ignition Remix is a masterpiece). One thing I noticed is that the factory's owner, Mr. Zotter, is much beloved as his picture was everywhere. The factory's adoration of Mr. Zotter is similar to that one see's of Kim Jong-Un in Pyongyang, North Korea. However, the man makes some solid chocolate.

View of Graz from the Mountain

The Much Beloved, Mr. Zotter

This upcoming week I am starting up my German Language Program, hashing out further housing and academic details and taking in the great city of Vienna and the great nation of Austria (I'm taking a day-trip to Linz this Saturday).

Song I'm Listening To:

We Don't Grow Tobacco - Old Crow Medicine Show

Tschüss,

Ted

The Airport Grind: The Travel Post

Hi y'all,

This is the harrowing tale of my plane trip to Vienna, starting in Chicago... Enjoy.

So I am currently chilling in the Chicago O'Hare Airport, anxiously awaiting the departure of my plane for London. My flight from Dayton to Chicago was only delayed by an hour, which is very good compared to my recent airport experiences. People quite often make fun of the Midwest (a good amount is justified), but it really is a beautiful area. The sky was clear and all land from Dayton to Chicago was covered in snow. The highlight was undoubtably the decent into Chicago, which offered a scenic view of downtown Chicago next to a frozen Lake Michigan, it was really pretty amazing.

Essentially the scene in Chicago

One thing that is obvious, but I feel like complaining about is the price of airport alcohol. As any good legal-aged college student with four hours to blow in a massive airport, I went to a bar. I got a Stella Artois (Bud Heavy of Western Europe), and Sam Adams' Seasonal, "Cold Snap" (which I has for the first time and was actually really good), which cost a very nominal fee of $20... You're killing me O'Hare.

In the remaining two hours after I listened to some bluegrass (a change up from the devil's music, rap) and watched the CNN broadcast they have posted everywhere in this airport. They were talking extensively about Super Bowl commercials (like any reputable news source should) which got me thinking about a few things from last night's game

1. Defense dominates the Super Bowl: In the 5th match up between the #1 offense and defense, the defensive minded team won four the forth time. Seattle's defense made Manning and Denver look foolish the entire game. LOB.

The Legend Himself

2. Although I cheered for Seattle I kind of wish Denver won now: I've always like Seattle, I've always kind of held them as my "NFC team" since a kid (I got the Matt Hasselbeck jersey to prove it), so I was happy to see them win their first Super Bowl. However, with Peyton Manning's second Super Bowl loss, fans of the New England Patriots are acting like they won the Super Bowl. Boston sports fans are by and large some of the most obnoxious people on Earth.

3. No commercials with Flo from Allstate: Maybe there was and I missed it, but honestly there is not a more obnoxious spokesperson on TV. I didn't think I could dislike a fictional person this much. Things like Flo make me hate capitalism almost... Almost.

4. The people upset over the Coca-Cola commercial are hilarious: If you did not see the commercial, it essentially was a bunch of people singing America the Beautiful in different languages. It was supposed signify the magical unifying powers of Coca-Cola concentrate (much like the famed I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke Ad)  Apparently this upset a large group of people since the song wasn't sung entirely in English. I assume that these are the same people who get inordinately angry when having to select a language at the ATM (It should be in English... 'Murica). How sad is it that American lives are so good that people result to the select language feature at an ATM and get upset? Ok, I'm done ranting.

However, I'm on my plane right now, here are a few occurrences/thoughts:

- Plane is not full, able to move to an aisle seat with an empty seat next to it. An early victory for ya boi.

- Drinking Chardonnay out of a small plastic cup, it's like being at a low cost wedding.

- Watched Captain Phillips on the plane, it was pretty good, but the movie skipped around uncontrollably for the final 30 minutes. This is very unfortunate considering everything I've heard about it says the only real reason to watch is for the final 10 minutes. My record is now 1-1.

- However my entertainment void was filled by the stumbling woman who, two and a half hours in, has already overly indulged in the complementary wine and beer. She was wearing what appeared to be a squirrel skinned coat ("How many squirrels must die, for you to look fly?"). The cheap fur and the inebriation tells me that she is trying to forget that she is one of us filthy coach people (ONE OF US). However this fulfilled the entertainment void left by the skipping Captain Phillips. I count this as a win for everyone on the plane, but the flying squirrel. The record is back up to 2-1.

That Squirrel Though...

- Word, Captain Phillips stopped skipping and the end is actually legit. Made a pretty good movie great. Three hours 'til London.

- I swear the pillow cases on planes are made out of tissue paper.

- Toy Story 2 is a G.O.A.T movie

- Nothing bothers me on a long flight more than a person with an entire row to themselves who only use one chair. Trade with me, I will make use of every chair.

- Watching Last Vegas because...

- Seriously one can predict the outcome of this movie in 15 minutes. Surprisingly enjoyable though.

- The woman across the aisle from me fell asleep 10 minutes after take off and woke up 10 minutes before landing. It must be a damn superpower she has.

- London Heathrow Airport is basically a mall, walked around for 10 minutes, didn't see a gate, did see about 30 different stores though.

Essentially just a massive mall

- If you ever have the chance, walk through the massive duty free store at the London airport, it is interesting to say the least.

- Slept 75% of the plane ride from London to Vienna. Thank You Based God

- Immigration at the Vienna Airport was amazingly fast, Austrian efficiency at its best.

Upon arrival at the airport I met my "buddy", the student I was matched up with to show me around the city and the university. Her name was Denise and she was quite helpful in getting me to my apartment. We got to the apartment by way of the subway system, which was very efficient and easy to figure out. Upon my arrival at he apartment, I met my three roommates who are English, Italian and American. They all seem pretty chill. I have had a few people already tell me they think I have a Southern accent... I feel this will be a recurring theme. I am writing this after I just woke up from a six hour nap after all of my travel.

 Song I'm Listening To:

In Due Time - Outkast feat. Cee-Lo

Peace Up, V-Town... Also Up,

Ted

So I Guess I'm Doing This: The Pre-Departure Post

Hi Y'all,

In this past month in the great state of Ohio, which has been a frozen tundra of sorts in recent weeks, I have observed a majority my esteemed academic peers, both from the University of South Carolina and the greater Dayton, Ohio area, begin to start up a blog of a sorts to document their journeys in their respective countries. Being the undying conformist that I am, I felt obligated to make one as well. At this point of time, I am not entirely certain how often I will post, or whether I will maintain this page during the course of my European foray. However, this is here for your reading pleasure. Make of it what you will...

Currently, it is a little past 2:00am EST on Super Bowl Sunday in the Gem City a.k.a. the Dirty DYT a.k.a. the 937, the beautiful Midwestern ornament otherwise known as Dayton Ohio. With it now being Sunday, I officially will be jet-setting for the city Vienna, Austria tomorrow. In all honesty, it hasn't really been on my mind all too much over the past week. In all honesty, I've been more concerned with the blatant robbing of Kendrick Lamar at the Grammys last Sunday (I mean honestly... Macklemore won four f'in Grammys? Kendrick's performance with Imagine Dragons only proved how much he got hosed). I've had multiple people explain the merits of packing a few days ahead of time and here I am on the day before I leave having to do all of my packing today. I would not have it any other way.

"We was robbed"

However, as I am writing this, I have had the time to compile a few initial thoughts before I leave for Austria. Here's what I've been thinking.

1. Man, I'm going to miss Conway's Irish Ale: Over this past month I have become accustomed to this masterpiece from none other than Great Lakes Brewery in Cleveland, Ohio. Anyone from Ohio is obviously familiar with GLB's Christmas Ale, which is also phenomenal. I personally had never had this stuff until I bought a six-pack of it at the local stop n' rob (shout out to Circle K) on a whim. This stuff is the nectar of the Gods. As a large fan of Irish and English ales, this particular brew had the red color, the low carbonation and the smooth taste that I've become accustomed to enjoy. However, it had a wonderful caramel-flavored sweetness that you only get with the best Irish ales. Farewell, friend.

One of Cleveland's Few Successes.

2. I wonder how my music tastes will be perceived by Europeans: Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big fan of the hip-hop music. From what I have gathered, hip-hop is not exactly the favored musical genre in a majority of Europe. My only real exposure to European hip-hop has been the heavily early and mid-90's influenced Eastern European hip-hop (Apparently, they stuck with the first beats they heard after the Iron Curtain fell) and the ever interesting British hip-hop (big Dizzee Rascal fan). I'm just not certain that these folks in Austria will also see the same merits of Rich Homie Quan that I see (By the way, the fact that Type of Way wasn't nominated for anything is a travesty).

3. I would love to sit in on a few economics lectures in Vienna: As someone who tends to be a libertarian/classical liberal, I greatly see the merits of the Austrian School of Economics. Like the majority of young people aware of the Austrian School, I was introduced to this school of economic theory by Dr. Ron Paul (Liberty Defined is a phenomenal read). This particular school is very laissez-faire and stresses the importance of the individual in a nation's economy. As an IB and Marketing major, all of my business classes revolve around those majors. However, I would like to sit in on a lecture or two that further explains the Austrian School.

4. I need to add Belgium to my places I must visit in Europe: Coming into my study abroad the places I sought to travel to outside of Austria were Poland, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and England. However, I am now adding Belgium to the list. After reading my friend Drew Nelson's blog post about Belgium (His blog for your reading pleasure), my interest was reignited in the country. Much of my mom's family comes from the Flemish area of Belgium and I always enjoy visiting where my family is from (my time in Poland was one of the best times of my life). Also from what I've heard, the city of Brussels offers some of the best food and drinks in the world. Obviously a trip to Brussels would be capped off by drinking a beer brewed by Belgian monks at the world-famous Delirium Cafe.

5. I'm hoping that I will be able to fulfill my soccer fix abroad: Yeah, I realize it is football in Europe, but I am currently in America while writing this, so that won't change right now. I have three particular soccer goals in Europe: 1. See a match at Upton Park, 2. See a match at Westfalenstadion and 3. Fully experience the madness that surrounds the World Cup. My two favorite clubs in European soccer are the Mighty Hammers of West Ham United (who actually play in East London... Fun Fact) and Die Schwarzgelben of Borussia Dortmund. With West Ham's move into the Olympic Stadium taking place in 2016, this trip would be my only opportunity to see my Hammers at the Boleyn Ground. I am tentatively planning to see West Ham play Crystal Palace FC on April 19th, during my Easter Break. Seeing Dortmund play at Westfalen is a lot more manageable distance-wise, so I can play this one by ear. I would love to see the famous "Yellow Wall" of the stadium's south terrace. Lastly, I cannot wait to experience the atmosphere of Europe during the World Cup, I am undoubtedly planning to be that obnoxious American in Europe every time the USA plays (USA Chants all around town). Ideally, if a European team is in the final, I would like to travel to that country for the final, just to experience the chaos surrounding the event.

The Ever Intimidating Upton Park...

Although I have many more ever important and poignant thoughts regarding my study abroad (ehh... not really), I feel that five thoughts will suffice. I am going to end my post with a nice quote.

"Walking ten thousand miles of the world is better than reading ten thousand scrolls" - Ancient Chinese Proverb

See... not everything I wrote was useless drivel.

Song of the Post:

Dessy Hinds - P.E.nlightenment

Peace Up, A-Town Down,

Ted