Trying to be cultural in Vienna...

So I never got to actually uploading this post, although I uploaded the pictures a while back. I was in Vienna for cinco de mayo weekend. It was really fun. I got to meet up with Waldsee people (Sepp, Richard, Anton, Resi, Bella), see an opera (Daphne), see the Vienna Boys Choir, and go to a Maturaball. Lynn, Liz, Emily, Lana, and I had a great time. In the pictures you can see Hundertwasser's Kunsthaus, Waldsee Reunion celebrating Richard's graduation, our Mexican food spread on cinco de mayo, and Lana, Lynn, and I at the Maturaball.

der Maibaum

Last Monday (April 30) as I was walking home from tutoring I noticed a lot of people gathering around the Marktplatz in Gross-Bieberau. I kind of wondered what was going on, but kept on my way. A few minutes later I ran into the woman who lives upstairs who informed me that the Maibaum (Maytree)was being put up and invited me to come along. It was a very neat tradition to watch. Men dressed in Lederhosen carried the tree in and set it up in the square. Then various groups did traditional dances and finally the Bürgermeister (mayor)tapped a keg and everyone had a beer on the town. It was really fun. I enjoyed spending a little time with the Frau Holzhaeuser and getting to see one of the town's traditions.

Freiburg

On Friday morning Emily and I met up in Darmstadt to take the train down to Freiburg to meet up with Liz and Lana (Lana studied abroad with Liz in Freiburg 3 years ago). We had to switch trains in Mannheim, and I unfortunately left my backpack on the train. Emily went on to Freiburg, while I took a detour to Kaiserslautern to get my bag. I arrived late afternoon in Freiburg, and Liz met me at the train station and we headed to the hostel. That evening we walked around and saw various parts of Freiburg and then grabbed dinner at one of Liz and Lana's favorite restaurants.
Saturday morning as we were leaving the hostel, we ran into some other teaching assistants, including the other one from Winona, Alyssa. The rest of the day we walked around the city more, went to the market, and walked up to the top of Schlossberg for a great view of the city. Saturday night we headed out. Liz and Lana took a night train back to Vienna, and Emily and I went back to Darmstadt. It was a really fun weekend, and I'm looking forward to seeing Liz, Lana, and Lynn in Vienna this weekend!

8 Weeks Left in the Bieberau

So I fly home from Germany 8 weeks from yesterday, and my parents come 2 weeks from today. In some ways I feel like time has been gone really quickly, but at the same time I feel like I've been here forever. I have some fun things planned for the rest of the time here, so I think time will go by quickly.
I've started tutoring a 6th grade girl who lives in Gross-Bieberau but goes to school the next town over. It's nice to have another activity during the week. I also really enjoy working one on one with her. She is relatively weak (corrected thanks to lynny)in English, but has a good attitude and is willing to learn.
The weather here has been wonderful. It's like summer here. I'm really enjoying it, but I'm hoping it doesn't get much warmer, because then school will be miserable. This weekend I'm heading to Freiburg with Emily. There we will meet up with Liz and her friend, Lana. Lana and Liz studied there together the same year I was in Innsbruck. We are also planning to see Lise, another counselor from camp. She is working on her PhD in Biology at the University there.

(The picture is from Katie's visit in March...Gross-Bieberau is a lot prettier now that it's warm and sunny!)