A Nice, Nerdy Day

Ok, so have to write a post   my nerdy trip to Munich last weekend!  It was my first time in Munich, but honestly we really didn’t see much of the city, between the constant rain and our two separate appointments with the English cinema!  

I headed off with my au pair friend Abigail on Friday night, and we met my friend Barbara who is on exchange in Germany when we got to Munich.  The train trip is about 3 hours I guess, but we managed to pass the time with chatting, silliness and me getting Aby to read to me from a German book (she doesn’t speak any German yet) and also from an English book with a heavy Mexican accent.  Though the way back was much more subdued - going to the movies two times in one day definitely tires you out!  

So anyway, the first stop on our nerdy Saturday was the cinema to see Catching Fire - the new instalment of the Hunger Games movies.  It was really good, though I definitely came out feeling somewhat traumatised and like I had already lived through at least a couple of days - not excellent when you come out at midday and still have half a day ahead of you!  But totally worth it!  So much better to see it in English, although if I can find someone willing to come with me here I am also keen to see it in German.  I guess it will also be a bit of an experiment - I’m not sure if I will connect with the movie as much if I’m having to concentrate on whats being said the entire time...  Something that will be interesting to test anyway.  Though I guess having already seen it in English (and read the book several times) will help.  

It rained the entire weekend, which did put a bit of a damper on things (no pun intended!), especially as I don’t currently own a waterproof jacket - a problem I definitely need to address ASAP!  So after we walked for like an hour or two into the Altstadt and then between various shops, we were all well and truly soaked and decided to give in and head back to the hostel by train for a recuperation break before the evening.  The hostel we stayed in was quite nice actually, and relatively close to the hauptbahnhof which is always good!  Not quite as communal as other hostels I’ve stayed in, but I guess when you’re travelling in a group that doesn’t really matter.  Though Barbara and I did meet one guy Saturday night who was nice enough, though a little strange.  He also didn’t get off to a good start by asking me if I was American!  

After our recuperation (which of course included tea) we got changed to head out to dinner and then of course the main event - the Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode!  I’ve put some pics below - I was quite proud of how my TARDIS dress turned out.  Definitely homemade (given the shedding everywhere) but overall a nice effect I think!  So yeah I was pretty chuffed when I heard a couple of comments in German about how good my dress looked when we walked into the cinema haha.  

We headed back into the Altstadt for dinner at the Hofbraühaus - one of Munich’s more famous old breweries.  Despite being quite touristy, I really enjoyed it!  Beautiful old building, some delicious German food, accompanied by a beer of course.  And of course good company is always a must have too! 

A running theme for the weekend seemed to be us starting out with a lot of time, then ending up stressing and hurrying to actually get places on time... After a leisurely dinner we headed back to the train station, at which point I realised by the time the train came and we got off and walked, we would definitely need to rush to make it.  Hence our pre-screening excited audience shot features a very red-faced me!  But we made it with a little time to spare thankfully, so it was all good!  

Now I haven’t been to the movies in Germany much, so I’m not sure if it’s normal or not, but in the morning when we went to see Catching Fire we were shocked that after everyone was seated, the movie began immediately - absolutely no ads other than the two “Movie Theatre Etiquette for the Modern Day Audience” notices instructing us to turn our phones off and not talk during the movie!  Definitely cracked up at that title, although it sort of fit with the cinema which appeared to only have the one theatre, with a curtained screen and no tiered seating, just a gentle rise in the floor.  It’s funny how we always complain about the ads, but it felt really weird when the movie just started!  Not even any trailers.  I was actually a little disappointed at the lack of trailers.  

However, after being again treated to the “Movie Theatre Etiquette” notices before Doctor Who, we then got the infinitely more awesome Doctor Who version, starring Strax the Sontaran.  That was awesome, and was even more awesome by the great atmosphere in the cinema.  I never would have guessed there were so many German Doctor Who fans - who dressed up and everything!  There were plenty of fezzes and bowties, as well as Tom Baker scarves and even an amazing Dalek dress with headpiece that lit up and everything.  And everyone was just as excited as we were - there was plenty of applause, from when the curtains were drawn back, and particularly when they showed the next Hobbit trailer in 3D, to when the episode started!  And especially (spoiler for anyone who hasn’t seen it and wants to) at the flash of Peter Capaldi during the episode.  The episode was pretty great - though the whole day ended up feeling so surreal that I think I need to watch it again for it to really feel real.  But it was great, albeit a little weird, to see David Tennant and Billie Piper back - though I was a little disappointed that Billie wasn’t back as Rose.  And they have now given a whole new direction to the show, so I’m looking forward to seeing how they play it out with Capaldi.  

The night wasn’t as nerdy as originally planned - Abigail was keen to see the new Thor movie and after there were no trailers for the first movie we thought we’d be able to make it in time.  Unfortunately with the pre-show trailers and then the bottle-neck to get out at the end, followed by the inconvenient timing of the trains, we didn’t make it in time.  But regardless, it was definitely a thoroughly enjoyable day!  Enough nerdiness to carry me through until the next Hobbit movie :) 

This week I’ve been planning how to hit as many Christmas markets this month as possible.  It has been really exciting to see all the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations go up in Bregenz, as well as the stalls for the Christmas markets being set up.  And this was all topped off today by waking up to snow outside!  Only a light dusting, but it definitely makes winter look so much prettier!  And we had a small snowball fight with Abigail and Jakob this arvo while out collecting leaves.  So I’m definitely getting more excited for Christmas - now to just get organised too.  

The Friend Hunter

So, my blog for today is much less recount-y than the last.  Since getting back from the UK and also having a bit of a lonely day, I have been ever more determined to make some friends.  By which I mean, while I have met a lot of people, before this week there wasn’t really anyone I had met more than twice.  I imagine most au pairs would tell you that at the start it is really lonely, when the only people you know are your family, and you spend your free time either at home or exploring alone.  Not that it is really much to complain about - luckily after exchange last year I was already fairly well-conditioned to travelling alone as well as with other people.  In fact I sometimes quite enjoy it!

I also realised that in order to feel like I was really living here, knowing people is an essential part of that.  Having people to spend some of my free time with - particularly essential!  So anyway, that has resulted in rather a busy week for me this week.  Somewhat tiring - anyone who has been at uni when everyone else has already left will tell you, the more time you spend alone the more energy it takes to then go and hang out with people.  Odd but true.  I have really enjoyed it though - meeting people for coffee, drinks, card games or to just go for a walk.  And I’m now looking forward to the 8 and a half months I have left even more too :) 

I have actually met another whole bunch of new people - a few people through an expats site last weekend, a group of people at a meet up organised through the Couch Surfers website, and a new au pair called Abigail who conveniently lives quite close to me!  But have also hung out with some people I had already met before this week.  And as you can take from the title, I have felt like I must seem a bit desperate lately, ‘hunting’ for potential friends, so to speak! 

So as I said, that has kept me quite busy for the past week, as well as trying to do a bit of all the things I decided to try and do while I did have a lot of free time.  Like relearning a wee bit of French online, doing a bit of translating, going for walks, and reading Harry Potter in German.  Here’s a couple of photos I’ve taken while walking around so this blog isn’t ALL words...

Bregenz or Hobbiton?

Love these walking track signs!

Huge Christmas tree in Bregenz - can't wait for decorations...

Sweet tunnel just for pedestrians/bike riders

I’ve got plenty of things to look forward to as well.  First of all being my trip to Munich this weekend!!  Heading there Friday night to have a nice nerdy day on Saturday with Barbara and Abigail, taking advantage of the English cinema to see Catching Fire and The Day of the Doctor!!  Which for those not in the know is the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who, being shown simultaneously on TV and in cinemas around the world!  And apparently Doctor Who is somewhat popular in Germany too (or there are a lot of expats in Munich) as tickets to see it at the cinema in Munich were almost sold out in the first hour they went on sale at 12.01am!

I have been attempting to decorate a dress TARDIS-style for the occasion, as I figure if I’m travelling all that way why not?!  However I am newly appreciative of all the sewing stuff Mum has at home. (As well as Mum’s tendency to end up doing at least half of it for me!).  It’ll definitely be a rough job at best, so will have to see how that goes...

Also in the now not-so-distant future is Christmas!  Looking forward to that too, though I’ve realised that being overseas again and also not heading back anytime soon after Christmas means that I need to be a bit more organised than normal.  It is a little sad that this’ll be my second Christmas in a row not at home, and I’ll definitely miss catching up with all of the family.  But the first weekend of December I will hopefully be catching up with Dorea and Jacob in Switzerland, then the weekend before Christmas heading back to London to have pre-Christmas with my adopted Christmas family the Elgoods - this will be the second year in a row that we’ll have celebrated Christmas together (even if this one is a wee bit earlier).  Then I will be back in Austria on the 23rd, to celebrate Christmas with my host family and their families - here Christmas is celebrated on the 24th, which will be different.  And right after New Years I’m headed to Prague to meet Penny and Dorea! Will be awesome :)  I also definitely have to go skiing while I’m living here - would seem silly not to!  Just not quite sure when or what I will do about ski stuff.  

I would also welcome any ideas on things that are typical of Christmas in Australia - nothing much really has come to mind.  I think I will try to make some rocky road Christmas trees - have done that the past couple of Christmases at home, and they’re always really cute.  Though finding marshmallows may possibly be a challenge - haven’t noticed them here yet... Leave a comment if you have any suggestions - either Australia or just general fun Christmas stuff!  

-- Have to add here, after I posted this I found an article which describes the little houses I tried to describe in a previous post.  Here is the link: http://www.spiegel.de/international/rent-a-plot-germany-s-garden-ghettos-a-410799.html and below the one picture I have taken of them, although not a very good one…

A Schrebergarten I found in Wolfurt

Hello again UK

So, time for a new blog I guess!  It’s raining today, therefore the perfect kind of day to snuggle up in a hoodie and spend my free time at the computer!  I think autumn is definitely passing - the brilliant colours from the start of autumn are all getting old and worn and lying on the ground, with the leaves left on the trees looking yellow and old.  It is definitely getting cold now too!  I could see my breath in the air this afternoon when walking between the house and my room.  I have to admit I am getting my hopes up for a white Christmas, even though Linus told me that they don’t always have a white Christmas so there’s no guarantee... Fingers crossed anyway! 

So this will mostly just be my trip to the UK, so fair warning if you don’t really like (straight forward and kinda boring) recounts!   I was there for the entire week from the 25th of last month until last Saturday, while the family were away for the school break.  Did a quick catch up with a couple of different people, and it was so lovely to see them all again!  Also managed to do a couple of things I didn’t get to do when I was actually living in Dundee - namely go up to the Law, and experience the 24hr bakery!

So I was in Dundee first, staying with Jo, which was definitely a throw back to uni and Unilodge days!  It’s amazing how quickly you forget what the student life and shared uni living is like.  Essays, trips to library, and plenty of friends around and time to hang out with them!  It was lovely to catch up, and we decided to spend some time as tourists too, managing to do some stuff neither of us had done!

Jo!

The first of these was a road trip down the Fife Coastal Route in Jo’s Mini.  The day was mostly overcast, but no rain which was nice!  And the scenery was beautiful of course.  We stopped first at tearooms in a little town called Craill, then continued on to Kellie Castle.  It was a beautiful old house, and I’ve put a couple of photos below.  The only weird part was the Halloween decorations they had placed around the house for some function - you would walk into a beautiful old room and then randomly notice a bloody handprint on the mirror or a skeleton sitting on the chair.  Anyway that was our little bit of ‘cultured’ sightseeing for the day.  Then on the way home we stopped in Anstruther for a late lunch/early dinner, and I got to have some delicious Scottish pie :) 

Road trip selfie with the Mini!

Kellie Castle

A shot of the coast

Steak pie!

Saturday night was Jenna’s birthday do, so we went out for some drinks and I got to catch up with some more people, which was nice.  Then Sunday we didn’t really do anything - went shopping, had a nostalgic trip to Nando’s for dinner.  I also finally got to see and sample the 24hr bakery that I always heard about when I was in Dundee, but never actually made it to!  Very exciting moment...  Monday I accompanied Jo on her first trip to Edinburgh, which was really nice.  I would still say Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities - pretty, friendly, not too crowded and everything you could want there.  We walked up to the castle, went to the Elephant House and just went for a bit of a walk around, just keeping it relaxed.  Then Monday night we went to a pub quiz with some friends, and of course had to keep up the tradition of losing!  All good fun though :)

German reunion with Rachel and Jenna!

Jo's first look at Edinburgh Castle!

Tuesday morning I went out for breakfast with Rachel and Borhan before meeting Jo and heading up to the Law for the last little bit of my time in Dundee.  We had planned to get up to see the sunrise from the Law in the morning, and had looked up the predicted time for the sunrise, but when we woke up to go it was already light outside :(  It actually worked out really well though, as it was beautiful and sunny on Tuesday when we did make it up there.  Definitely the nicest view I had seen of Dundee!  

Dundee from the Law

Tuesday afternoon I headed back to Edinburgh to catch a flight to London.  Jo’s parents very kindly had me stay with them Tuesday and Wednesday night, and it was lovely to catch up with them.  Wednesday day I had an awesome time reuniting with Hannah and randomly wandering around London!  Hannah described our wandering as first looking for food then looking for the bathroom, which while technically true, does not sound very exciting.  However it was really nice - we went to the Paddington Bear shop at Paddington Station, walked through St James Park and alongside the Thames, had lunch in a nice little courtyard behind Westminster (which turned out to be right next to a private school judging by all the kids that walked past), walked through a little park next to the Houses of Parliament, explored the Garden Museum, and then finally walked around Covent Garden.  The Garden Museum was probably the best find of the day - in our search for a toilet we stumbled across it, and then ended up looking around as it was some sort of special day and so entry was free.  They also had a cool workshop set-up where kids could make their own garden tools then get photos with them in a big frame they had set up.  Naturally Hannah and I had to get a photo!  Though we didn’t actually make our own tools...

Reunited!

Woohoo tourists!

Garden Museum

Anyway it was really great to catch up with Hannah, despite it being brief, and I’m especially glad that it wasn’t like when we reunited in Dundee - the torn ligament was definitely memorable, but also rather painful!  On Wednesday night I got a call from Dub and Dee, our family friends I was heading to stay with the next day.  I had tried to contact them earlier in the week and had no reply, which it turns out is because they had had no power for almost three days!  There were huge storms in England which I had missed up in Scotland, and apparently a tree had brought the power lines to their town down, which weren’t fixed until Wednesday - the disadvantage to living in a more isolated little town I suppose.  It did make me laugh though when I found the following photo on Facebook right after their call though.

It was lovely to catch up with their family too, if not a bit crazier than I’m normally used to!  With 3 small children I guess their household is never quiet :)  I mostly just hung out while they did their thing.  Jack had a football clinic type thing on which we went and picked him up from - it was very cute and (in my mind at least) very stereotypically English!  It was all kids from 3-6 I think, and they were all very muddy from the football field.  Halloween was also on the Thursday, and I watched Jessica (the baby) for a little bit while everyone was at the alternative-to-Halloween party.  I managed to completely forgot two times when the doorbell rang though that it was Halloween, and had to tell some little kids trick or treating that I didn’t have anything for them.  The second time actually Jack and Alice were home and ran to get the door, and Alice got quite fright when one of the kids had a skeleton mask and suit on!  We did also have a somewhat disastrous shopping trip to Chelmsford - the kids very quickly got tired and were complaining to go home, then when we got to the car we discovered we had a flat tyre and so had to wait about an hour and a half for roadside assistance to come and help us, during which time Jack was very worried about being locked into the car park we were in at the time.  But it was all good fun, and definitely great to see them again in their new house :)

Saturday I headed back to Austria.  Due to the airport I was flying into being really small, I actually got a relatively cheap flight at the very civilised hour of 11am, which was nice.  Though being the weekend, once I got to Germany I then had to wait about two and a half hours for the next train to Bregenz - luckily I had overindulged and bought three magazines while in the UK!  It’s funny how tiring traveling is though - I got home at about 8pm and then woke right up, but then couldn’t get up until about 10am the next day!  I guess the time difference didn’t help either - only an hour, but when you already find it hard to get up anyway, it definitely makes it worse!  

This led to another (small) new adventure though.  Because I hadn’t made it to the church I normally go to, I decided to make the trek to an evening one in a nearby town.  For anyone from Narromine reading this, I would describe the difference between the two churches I’ve been to as this: the morning one I normally go to is much like Narromine Baptist, whereas the evening one in Hohenems was much like what I imagine Generosity church to be like... It was good though, and I met some really nice people who even gave me a lift home, which was a blessing as I was a little nervous about walking around a new place after dark.  It also made me realise I really should make use of my region-wide years ticket and explore some of the neighbouring towns and such more!  It really isn’t that hard to get there, so I don’t really have any excuse!

Anyway, that was my wee holiday in the UK, and I definitely had a lovely time.  I had forgotten just how much I enjoy the UK, aside from their pork sausages and cold sausage rolls!  Now I’m looking ahead to winter, and I think I might be buying a warmer jacket in the near future if it gets much colder!  Also very much looking forward to meeting up with Barbara in Munich to see the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode as well as Catching Fire - our little weekend of nerdiness! - as well as hopefully catching up with Dorea when she’s in Switzerland.  Also, though I am as disorganised as ever, roll on Christmas!  And that’s me for now, til next time :)