Sunday, July 18, 2010
Today we had our first breakfast at the dorm (a breakfast buffet is provided for us seven days a week from 7-9 am.) It was a typical Austrian breakfast, which, to Americans, is more akin to lunch. An Austrian breakfast consists of sandwiches with meats and cheeses and vegetables (almost always cucumbers, bell peppers, and tomatoes [and sometimes radishes.]) However, they do have butter and jams out, in case you prefer that to meats and cheeses, and have cereals as well (although cereals here are served with hot milk rather than cold.) They also serve coffee, tea, cacao (what they call hot chocolate) and juices with breakfast.
At around 10 or so I went to practice for a while, and then in the early afternoon we had “auditions” for the voice faculty, which was basically a chance to familiarize them with our voices, etc. The voice teacher assignments should be posted soon.
This evening, my friend Katie (also from UMiami) and I went to a restaurant outside of town (closer to our dorm than Salzburg proper). We wandered through the large garden behind the dorm and down the road to see what options were available, and stopped at one when we were eventually starving. It was an extremely odd restaurant in that it served both Italian and Thai cuisine. It was not a fusion of the two, but rather just served some Italian dishes and some Thai dishes. Strange as it was, the food was fine and affordable, so all in all, a nice evening.
Bedtime now! Goodnight all!
Day Two
Saturday, Jul 17, 2010
Today was orientation, so we got to go to the College for the first time. Yesterday, we were told that the dorm is extremely conveniently located and that the College is a short 10-minute walk over a hill and into town. (They said, maybe 15 minutes if we walk really slowly.) Well...everyone in my group can attest that the College is certainly not merely a “short 10-minute walk over a small hill”. It is, at least by American standards, a hike, rather than a walk, over a mountain, rather than a hill, and takes at least 15-20 minutes (if you hike very briskly, as I do--but the vast majority of the group made it in no less than 30 minutes), rather than 10 minutes. So that commonplace exaggeration told to many by their parents, “When I was your age, had to walk to school everyday in the snow, uphill both ways!” is partly true for my group and I — we definitely walk to school uphill both ways! Thankfully, there is no snow.
Once we arrived at the College we had an orientation to the program with the program director, a few members of the voice faculty, and with the director of Salzburg College. It was held on the top floor of the College in the library, from which there are beautiful views of the city, the mountains, and of the Salzach (the river that flows through Salzburg.) The orientation was informative, for the most part, but was longer than necessary. Following the orientation we were led on an “orientation walk” around the city in order to get our bearings, which was quite useful. Salzburg is gorgeous!
That’s all for now! More tomorrow.
Today was orientation, so we got to go to the College for the first time. Yesterday, we were told that the dorm is extremely conveniently located and that the College is a short 10-minute walk over a hill and into town. (They said, maybe 15 minutes if we walk really slowly.) Well...everyone in my group can attest that the College is certainly not merely a “short 10-minute walk over a small hill”. It is, at least by American standards, a hike, rather than a walk, over a mountain, rather than a hill, and takes at least 15-20 minutes (if you hike very briskly, as I do--but the vast majority of the group made it in no less than 30 minutes), rather than 10 minutes. So that commonplace exaggeration told to many by their parents, “When I was your age, had to walk to school everyday in the snow, uphill both ways!” is partly true for my group and I — we definitely walk to school uphill both ways! Thankfully, there is no snow.
Once we arrived at the College we had an orientation to the program with the program director, a few members of the voice faculty, and with the director of Salzburg College. It was held on the top floor of the College in the library, from which there are beautiful views of the city, the mountains, and of the Salzach (the river that flows through Salzburg.) The orientation was informative, for the most part, but was longer than necessary. Following the orientation we were led on an “orientation walk” around the city in order to get our bearings, which was quite useful. Salzburg is gorgeous!
That’s all for now! More tomorrow.
Day One, Continued.
Friday, Jul 16, 2010
I found the supermarket and got myself essentials such as pasta and sauce, bread, jam, vegetables, milk, eggs, yogurt, fruit, etc.
We then had a “meet-and-greet” at which we met the director of Salzburg College and the director of the dormitory, both of whom were very nice. We were welcomed with traditional Austrian summer snack fare of fruit "gespritzers" (selzer water mixed with fruit juices such as apple or orange juice) and two different homemade Austrian spreads. One is a potato spread that originated in upper Austria called Erdäpfelkäs and the other is a cheese spread with paprika called “Liptauer.” These were served with classic Austrian bread rolls called “semmel.”
All was quite tasty!! Following our snack and brief orientation, we all went back to our rooms and unpacked, got settled, took showers, and went to bed!
I found the supermarket and got myself essentials such as pasta and sauce, bread, jam, vegetables, milk, eggs, yogurt, fruit, etc.
We then had a “meet-and-greet” at which we met the director of Salzburg College and the director of the dormitory, both of whom were very nice. We were welcomed with traditional Austrian summer snack fare of fruit "gespritzers" (selzer water mixed with fruit juices such as apple or orange juice) and two different homemade Austrian spreads. One is a potato spread that originated in upper Austria called Erdäpfelkäs and the other is a cheese spread with paprika called “Liptauer.” These were served with classic Austrian bread rolls called “semmel.”
All was quite tasty!! Following our snack and brief orientation, we all went back to our rooms and unpacked, got settled, took showers, and went to bed!
Big update due!
Hello all!
Looks like I’m due for an enormous update! I have been slacking off on the “blogging” only because I have been doing the opposite in all other respects! Classes, German studying/homework, voice lessons, coachings, practicing, and various group “field trips”/excursions have occupied my time!
I did, however, keep a file of daily notes for myself documenting my experiences, lest I forgot anything before sitting down to “blog”!
(I keep placing “blog” in quotations because I still find it a bit odd that “to blog” has now become a verb in the English language.)
At any rate, I’ll now delve into my account (starting at the very beginning — a very good place to start!! =)
Looks like I’m due for an enormous update! I have been slacking off on the “blogging” only because I have been doing the opposite in all other respects! Classes, German studying/homework, voice lessons, coachings, practicing, and various group “field trips”/excursions have occupied my time!
I did, however, keep a file of daily notes for myself documenting my experiences, lest I forgot anything before sitting down to “blog”!
(I keep placing “blog” in quotations because I still find it a bit odd that “to blog” has now become a verb in the English language.)
At any rate, I’ll now delve into my account (starting at the very beginning — a very good place to start!! =)
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