Hello there! I know, I've been a bit lazy. But, y'know.. it's my three month (!) anniversary (I didn't spell that right did I?) with Austria, so... hopefully that's a good enough excuse.

Well. The first thing to start with is last weekend, cos it's.. well, you'll see.

Last Saturday Hanni, Andrea and I went to Tux (finally learnt how to spell it!), which is the village that both of them grew up in, a few hundred metres higher than Innsbruck. And seeing as it snowed a lot in the days before, we took our.. uh, long skiis (that's what they're called in German, cos they're kinda.. skinnier, and longer than normal skis) and went Crosscountry skiing! It was very cool. If you don't know, you're only attached to the skiis by your toes, and you kinda walk, and float at the same time. It's really fun, but I have to admit that my arms and legs ached until Thursday!
We also visited a little bakery-cafe, and ate traditional Linz (one of the larger cities in Austria) cookies and bread (mmmmmmm bread), before heading furthur up the mountains. We parked the car when the snow got too demanding, and walked the rest of the way to a very old friend of Hanni's- Thresl. Her house was amazing. Can you imagine a biiiig big mountain covered in snow, with little, log huts dotted between the trees? Well, that's what Thresl lives in. The only difference being that most of the other people have modernised the insides of their houses. I'll put the photos up soon (see important information later on in this post!), and you can see for yourself. But really, it was completely magical. I don't think I can describe it well enough in words, and the pictures give you an idea, but you just have to Be there... surrounded by all this sparkling white stuff, where everythings's quite and still, and all the trees are covered in snow, and the little streams and waterfalls have frozen over, and huge icicles hang from the gutters of the houses. It's just amazing.

The other exciting thing that's happened lately is the school orchestra. I found out on monday that this weekend we had two concerts. Austrian musicians are really disorganised by the way. I didn't find out when or where today's concert was until 3 hours before the concert started! But anyway. It was the chamber orchestra (which I somehow snuck into- with 9 vlns, 2 cellos 2 basses and an organ), accompanying the big, big choir, mostly made up of music students from Borg (my school) as well as a few older people who had been invited.
We played Haydn's 'Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo', as well as Mozart's Ave Verum and Großes Gott (a hymn). However we'll backtrack to Thursday night, because I'd just come out of my first violin lesson in Austria (hurrah!), (oh yeah. did I mention that I'm playing Brandenburg no.4 in a couple of weeks with an orchestra? No? Ok, well yeah. I am), and was rushing off to the rehearsal for these concerts, which I had been told were at school. So, I was just rounding the corner next to the big shopping mall, when who should I bump into but Matthias, the concert master, who was on his bike, also going to the rehearsal. Turns out the rehearsal wasn't at school at all, but at another place in the 'altstadt' (old town). So off we went, and eventually got very, very lost. We also found four other people from the choir, who were also very, very lost, so we were very, very lost together, half way up a mountain, in these tiny little, steep, cobbled streets, with no idea where we were supposed to go. It was good fun! :D (I think I'm one of those strange people who likes getting lost) Anyhu, eventually we called people who weren't very, very lost, and they came and rescued us, so that was good. (we were about an hour late though. oops)

Yesterday (Saturday) was a rather chaotic day. But fun none the less. In the morning I went to the Bauermarkt- the Farmer's market (it looks so WRONG in english!) with Hanni, as I hadn't been in a while. The Bauermarkt is quite similar to the markets that we have in nz on sunday mornings, except this one's not quite as big, and mostly they only sell food. The only difference really is that they all speak german and .. well, yeah. Oh yeah.. and the huuuug rounds of cheeses of course. I'll take a photo of them next time I go. Oh and they sell milk and cream in big glass bottles like we used to get in nz. But yeah, then came the big, looong breakfast that we have on saturdays (and sundays mostly too)- Hanni, Jurg (pronounced 'Yerg'- Hanni's boyfriend) and I. Which was good. With lots of bread, and cheeese and ahhh I love breakfast! Anyway! I'm getting distracted. Umm.. Anyway, Siiri (Finnland AFS student) and I met, and made a big card for Isobella, from Italia, who's only here on the three month programme, and is going back home on tuesday. Italy! Aghh I can't speak english in full sentences anymore-sorry!Afterwards, I rushed off to the soundcheck for our first concert. Before realising that Siiri still had my black shoes, which I had bought the night before. I ended up wearing my white chucks instead, but it didn't really matter that much, as everyone concentrated more on being warm rather than looking nice, and there were quite a few other white shoes and orange tops and things. So yes. The church, sadly wasn't one of those little, old ones. It was big, and kinda.. dull, and we were all squashed into one corner for no particular reason, which was a little disappointing. But what I found quite strange was that it wasn't a 'concert' as such. It was more of a sermon with our music inbetween, which was interesting. But the 'concert' went pretty well, and afterwards, as it was a Saturday night, we went out. I'd gotten off the bus with Nicola (another violin player) and her boyfriend, and then went to the Chriskindlemarkt. THe uh.. christmas markets, where I was spotted (more like, they called out 'Violin!' and gave me some of their food) by some other choir/orchestra people, who were all very crazy and laughy even though they hadn't had ANY gluhwein yet. Gluhwein is this hot, fruity wine that everyone drinks at christmas time. Especially in the markets! Oh and roasted chestnuts are another huge thing here at christmas. mmm.. they're so good.
I got a call from Matthias (the concert master guy) telling me to come to the trainstation, so off I hopped, and met Matthias, with a few other choir/orchestra people, and we somehow got a really cheap taxi, and went back to his house (loaded with beer and food). It was quite exciting, as I'd never been to an Austrian party yet- everybody just goes out here, cos 16 is the drinking age. Going out gets a little dull though. I think anyway. I shouldn't talk too much about my teenage drinking habits here though. Anyway, we got to Matthias's (he lives in a flat with his sister, who's hardly ever there, because he's Italian and his parents live in Südtirol.. which is essentially Italy) and Marko started playing the piano, and Matthi lit all these candles and turned out the lights, and the two of them started improvising!(romantic music... he was really into the romance and the candles and stuff. It was very funny).eventually they outdid each other, and the lights went back on, and the beer was opened, and the CDs were played, but it really was the funnest thing I've done since I've got here. We speak almost all in German, and I'm starting to learn the Innsbruck-ian (mixed with a bit of Matthi's Southern Tirol words) dialect. It's actually really hard! Some of the noises that they make I just can't get my tounge (or more, throat) around, and they're all musicians, which means that I have to get it perfect. It was a lot of fun trying though. Occassionally they'd try to copy my weird semi-kiwi accent (I don't know what sort of accent I have!) which was.. also amusing. So yeah, we had a really fun night, and I was even responsible and managed to leave at 1am with Jonnie and Igo when everyone else was staying over night.

They've all made me promise to move to their class- 9M (two years above mine.. music). It's so good to Finally find a group of like-minded people!

Anyway! The exciting/important thing is that Matthias has good internet! So hopefully (fingers crossed) I can upload all my photos soon-eeeee!!!!!

Anyhu. That's about all that's happened recently. Well, that I can remember anyway. School's going pretty good.. I'm reading the book that my german class is studying, and well, yeah. My german's really, really improving. And yusssss I must go and do homework. Sorry that that was a really blargh-y written post!
Viel Spass!
Liebe Grüsse
Kelda

Today, because I'm not in such a great mood, I will tell you about all the not-so-good things about being an exchange student, and all the not-so-good things about austria. (my excuse to rant, naturally).

• The one thing that really gets me is that the supermarkets close ridiculously early. We're talking 5.30pm on a saturday night. And I'm pretty sure they close at around 8pm on weeknights too. Sundays nothing except the cafes are open.
  
• Then there are the days when you're too tired to understand anything, and you try and follow what everyone else is doing but you somehow get it wrong anyway. A good example of this is when, on Tuesday we went to the cinema to watch 'Sicko' for Ethics (good documentry.. you should go and see it.- I'm sure it's out in nz). I had no idea where it was, so I followed some of the guys from my class. Except then it turned out they were going to buy cigarretts from the supermarket before they went to the movie, so I tagged along like a lost dog until Isa and Theresa rescued me.
• Of course, it goes the other way around too. One girl in my class Always speaks english to me, even when I reply in German, and there are others, who I've had perfectly normal conversations with (in german) and then will say 'Sorry' or 'excuse me' or just really simple things in english to me. Surely if I can talk about my weekend for five minutes with them, I'm able to understand what 'entshuldigung' means.
  
• People talk really loudly. And sometimes they stand really close.
  
• Everyone says 'Ma-pause-ori' no matter how many times you say 'Maori' back at them (once youve explained to them who the Maori actually are)
• My english teacher has taught me more new english words in two months, than I've learnt in two years. Useless words that nobody ever uses (I've forgotten them all actually.. )
• The days that you're in a really good mood are sometimes spoilt by family arguments, which leaves them in really bad moods and kinda ruin your really good mood.
• Once people start talking, you're stuck in that spot until they've finished talking. Austrian's don't take subtle hints; if you need to go somewhere else, you have to say so (I still haven't figured out how easily they take offense).
• There's no SEA! or Wind. or rain! Acutally it rained yesterday for the first time since.. well, my first week here actually.

but yes. Just because there are bad days, doesn't mean there aren't good days too.

I've cut down on my massive amount of orchestras and choirs and so forth. I now have Salon Orchestra in the golden roof building on wednesdays, BORG (that's my school) orchestra on Thursday afternoons and a kinda.. chamber orchestra out of town a bit on Thursday nights (I would be going tonight, but I'm just so tired, and they always go for a drink afterwards, which means that I'd get home at about midnight anyway that I just can't bring myself to go tonight). With this last orchestra, I'm playing Bach's Brandenburg concerto no.4. Which I'm kinda freaking out about a little!

Uuuh what else has happened. Oh yes, the snow! Well, it took a break for a bit, but it's started slowly creeping back down the mountains again! (hurrah!). Like I said, yesterday it rained for the first time in a couple of months, and my shoes are now so worn down that I could feel the water through the now very very thin soles! I think it's time to start wearing my winter shoes! It's almost completely dark by 5.30pm- which is quite often the time I finish school, which in one way I quite like, but in another way is a little disappointing- I'm still with teh New Zealand seasons! I feel like I should be donning my tshirt and Jandals, not piling on winter coats and jackets and jearsys.

It's a little weird for all of us 7th form exchange students to watch everyone leaving school back in New Zealand.. we've (Uella in Sweden, ALex in Spain, Suzy in France) talked about it quite a bit, and it's really, well.. strange, that we're missing out! (I think I'm freaking out about it just as much as everyone back home, even though technically I've already finished school. Yet still have another 9 months of it to go!

anyhu. Best be off. I'll try to be .. quicker with another update for you all! Sorry guys!
Tirrah!
ps. Photos will go up as soon as I can find a computer to upload them all from!)