Hello!
I've made it to the dorm! No one else is here yet--most of the participants arranged to fly into Munich where they will be met by a staff member and be driven as a group to Salzburg.
The room is nice! It is a typical dorm room, (very small) but it is clean and has plenty of room for my things. There are two small closets (so I do not have to share), and the closets can be locked with the room key, which is great! The desk also has a locking drawer. Another plus is that we have an (albeit cramped and a bit odd) en suite bathroom. It has a tiny, strange shower without a pan. It's just a curtain around a drain in the floor, but on the same level as the rest of the bathroom. Mom tells me that this, too, is standard in several parts of Europe, but I personally think that they should consider adopting American shower designs.
On our floor there is also a kitchen for our use in which we're each given a small spot in the fridge and freezer, as well as an individual pantry box. The fridge and pantry boxes are under lock and key, which is nice. I'm thrilled that we have a full kitchen, because I'd hoped to be able to save money by cooking for myself rather than eating out every night.
I bought (another) fan on my way here this morning. It is larger than one than I brought (by about 4x.) It was a superb decision--it is SO hot here at the moment! It is about the same weather as summertime in DC, except that NONE of the buildings here have air conditioning! I've been walking around exploring the town and going in and out of shops, cafes, and restaurants, and not a single one has a/c. I haven't been sleeping well because I've been boiling hot, so I figured I can neither sing nor study without sleep for five weeks, and clearly the only solution was a good fan. It has already made the room bearable.
It turns out that there is internet availability in the dorm, which must be a new addition, because in our information from Miami they recommended internet cafes in order to keep in touch with our families, etc.
The whole place is quite a nice set-up, really. Very clean, and located in a gorgeous, green area on the southwest outskirts of the city. It is surrounded by fields and flowers and mountain views. Behind the dorm there is actually a four-acre garden which I have yet to explore!
Tonight we have a meet-and-greet type thing at 6:30, but that's all for today. Tomorrow is orientation and "auditions" for the voice faculty so that they have a chance to put a voice with a face, etc.
Well, I can't think of anything else at the moment, so I guess that's all for now! I'm heading out to try and find the supermarket (I've been given rough directions) so that I can get some provisions in the kitchen!
Charlotte
PS: Here are some photos of the dorm from the website:
Bird's eye view of the building:
Desk and bookshelf:
Bed and desk:
Hello, we have also purchased a very large fan for our bedroom here in London. We are missing air conditioned life too!! (Granted, it's only this hot for a few weeks, so air con would probably be overkill, but still....)
ReplyDeleteI hope that you found the supermarket and that all the auditions went well and I look forward to the next update.
We're going to the ballet next Monday. The Bolshoi ballet are in town as is my friend Lindiwe from South Africa. She is an avid ballet fan, so this was a great excuse to go down to Covent Garden Opera house to watch them. Europe certainly has some great performers available for us to enjoy.
Sarah